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{{Short description|Letter written by Guru Gobind Singh}}
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{{Infobox religious text|religion=[[Sikhism]]|image=The_Fatehnamah_of_Guru_Gobind_Singh.jpg|caption=First verse couplet of the Fatehnamah in Nastaliq Script|previous=Sri Charitropakhyan|subheader=[[Dasam Granth]]|previouslink=Dasam Granth#Contents|next=Zafarnama|nextlink=Zafarnama (letter)|verses=23 and a half couplets extant (more than 100 couplets originally)|chapters=|author=[[Guru Gobind Singh]]|name=''Fatehnama''<br>{{Small|{{Uninastaliq|فتح نامه }}}}|period=1704–1705|language=[[Persian language|Persian]]|background=}}
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'''''Fatehnama''''' (“The Book of Conquest”;<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal |last=Melikian-Chirvani |first=Assadullah Souren |date=2002 |title=The Shāh-Nāme Echoes in Sikh Poetry and the Origins of the Nihangs' Name |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24049156 |journal=Bulletin of the Asia Institute |volume=16 |pages=1–23 |jstor=24049156 |issn=0890-4464}}</ref> {{Langx|pa|ਫਤਿਹਨਾਮਾ {{Small|([[Gurmukhi]])}} • {{Uninastaliq|فتہ ناما}} {{Small|([[Shahmukhi]])}}|label=}}; {{Langx|fa|{{Uninastaliq|فتح نامه }}}} [Fatehnameh]), also known as '''''Namah-i-Guru Gobind Singh''''' or the '''''Jangnamah''''' (Gurmukhi: ਜੰਗਨਾਮਾ, Persian: جنگ نامه) is a partially surviving [[Persian language|Persian]] composition attributed to [[Guru Gobind Singh]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Singha |first=H.S. |title=The Encyclopedia of Sikhism (Over 1000 Entries) |publisher=Hemkunt Press |year=2005 |edition=2nd |pages=71 |quote=FATEH NAMA: Fateh Nama is a composition by Guru Gobind Singh included in the Dasam Granth. It is believed to have been addressed to Emperor Aurangzeb prior to his letter known as Zafarnama and sent to him from Jatpura near Jagraon after the battle at Chamkaur and before the Guru learnt of the martyrdom of his two younger sons. It is a short letter comprising 23½ couplets in Persian. The theme is similar to that of the Zafarnama, though the tone is severer.}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Harbans |title=The Encyclopedia of Sikhism |publisher=Punjabi University, Patiala |year=2011 |edition=3rd |volume=2: E-L |pages=20}}</ref>

== History ==

=== Composition ===
The composition is believed to have originated as a letter sent by the Guru to Mughal emperor [[Aurangzeb]] sometime after the [[Battle of Chamkaur|Second Battle of Chamkaur]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Harjinder |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QJdcCAAAQBAJ |title=Game of Love |date=2008 |publisher=Akaal Publishers |isbn=978-0-9554587-1-2 |pages=29 |language=en}}</ref> It is believed by some to be written and dispatched before the Guru learnt of the extrajudicial executions of his two younger sons, [[Zorawar Singh (Sikhism)|Zorawar Singh]] and [[Fateh Singh (Sikhism)|Fateh Singh]], at the Mughal court.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Padam |first=Prof. Piara Singh |url=http://archive.org/details/DasamGranthDarshan |title=Dasam Granth Darshan |pages=137 |language=Punjabi}}</ref> According to some, it was written and dispatched by the Guru prior to the far more popular and remembered ''[[Zafarnama (letter)|Zafarnama]]'', which was sent afterwards.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> Some scholars consider Fatehnama as part of Zafarnama.<ref name=":4" />
=== Dispatchment ===
The Fatehnama was dispatched from the location of Lamma Jatpura in the Jagraon region of modern-day western [[Ludhiana district]].<ref name=":0" /> According to others, it was written and dispatched from [[Machhiwara]].<ref>The Sikh Review, April, 1977, "Fatehnama" Page 26 by Trilochan Singh</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Bhai Vir |title=Sri Kalgidhar Chamatkar Volume 2 |pages=114–117}}</ref> [[Daya Singh|Bhai Daya Singh]] was dispatched by the Guru to deliver the letter to Aurangzeb.<ref name=":3" /> He was aided by the Priest Sayyad, Nabhi Khan, and Ghani Khan.<ref name=":3" />

=== Discovery and publishing ===
The first historical mention of the Fatehnama is found in an article published in the July–August 1922 edition of the ''Nagari Pracharini Patrika'' periodical, when a certain Babu Jagan Nath Das claims to have come across and prepared a copy of purported Persian work of Guru Gobind Singh in circa 1890 that contained more than 100 couplets written in Persian, but was not identifiable as the well-known Zafarnama.<ref name=":1" /> The work was in the form of a manuscript kept in the possession of a ''[[mahant]]'' of [[Takht Sri Patna Sahib|Takht Patna Sahib]] named [[Sumer Singh|Baba Sumer Singh]] (whose term in office lasted from 1882 to 1902).<ref name=":1" /> Sumer Singh was a descendant of [[Guru Amar Das]], the third Sikh guru.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Sri Dasam Granth: Facts Beyond Doubt |publisher=Sri Guru Granth Sahib Academy |year=2021 |isbn=9781527282773 |edition=1st |location=Malaysia |pages=359 |quote=... Baba Sumer Singh Patna Sahib, the descendant of Guru Amar Das Ji. He served as the Head Priest of Patna Sahib from 1882-1903 CE.}}</ref> Since the copy he had prepared was lost and the owner of the original manuscript was deceased and as such the document could not be located, Babu Jagan Nath Das had to reproduce the work based solely off of his memory, which led to the incomplete Fatehnama of today of 23 complete couplets and 1 incomplete couplet.<ref name=":1" /> He sent a written copy of his remembrance to Umrao Singh Majithia, who forwarded it to [[Vir Singh (writer)|Bhai Vir Singh]] whom would publish the Fatehnama, alongside his Punjabi translation of it, in an essay titled ''Uchch da Pir'' found within the publication of ''Khalsa Samchar'' dated to 16 July 1942.<ref name=":1" /> The Fatehnama would further be published by [[Kapur Singh]] and [[Ganda Singh (historian)|Ganda Singh]] in their own works.<ref name=":1" />

== Content ==
[[File:Fatehnameh audio recording, recited by a native Iranian.ogg|thumb|Fatehnameh audio recording, recited by a native [[Iran|Iranian]]]]In Fatehnama Guru Gobind Singh mentions that despite oaths his army and civilians were attacked. The Guru calls it a conspiracy and says it failed. The Guru says that he is still living and ready to fight. The Guru mentions that despite all of his loss in the [[Battle of Chamkaur]] he is in ''[[Chardi kala|Chardikala]]''. The Guru states he is not afraid and is unmoved by Aurangzeb's attempts to destroy him. Guru Gobind Singh calls on Aurangzeb to bring his army to the battlefield and he will bring his. He says there should be 3 kilometres between both armies. He says he will duel Aurangzeb and his 2 lieutenants at once.<ref name=":3"/>

{{Blockquote|text=Now, I do no trust in your oath, And I have not other alternative except drawing the sword… If you talk to me again, then I shall put you on the scared and straight path.|author=Guru Gobind Singh|title=''Fatehnama''<ref name=":3"/><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-nTXAAAAMAAJ |title=The Sikh Review |date=1998 |publisher=Sikh Cultural Centre. |pages=21 |language=en}}</ref>|source=}}

== Comparison to the Zafarnama ==
Compared to Zafarnama, Fatehnama is similar to the later Zafarnama but is written in a harsher tone to the addressee.<ref name=":1" /> Although others say the style and language are not similar.<ref name=":4" /> The Fatehnama begins with an invocation to God similar to the Zafarnama. While Zafarnama’s focus on more on faith Fatehnama’s has a “militaristic ring” and “a touch of material triviality”.<ref name=":4" /> As opposed to Zafarnama Guru Gobind Singh taunts Aurangzeb in Fatehnama. In Fatehnama Guru Gobind Singh says, “''You have tasted the fruits of comfort and pleasure You have not had encounters with fighting youngsters… You will be a wolf drenched by rain if I lay at your door[;} a lion [released] from its trap''”. The tone does not match the tone in Zafarnama. This has led to some questions of the authorship.<ref name=":4" />

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Resources ==

* The entire extant ''Fatehnama'' (in its original Persian, Gurmukhi transliteration, and English translation) can be downloaded from: [https://web.archive.org/web/20200125075426/http://zafarnama.com/download/ link]
{{Dasam Granth}}
{{Guru Gobind Singh}}
{{Sikhism}}

[[Category:Dasam Granth]]
[[Category:Persian-language literature]]
[[Category:18th-century Persian books]]

Fatehnama - Revision history

Igorzen at 16:24, 7 January 2026