->Malikhpur at 18:29, 15 November 2021

2021-11-15T18:29:31Z

New page

{{short description|Martyr for the cause of Sikh Religion}}
'''Haqiqat Rai Bakhmal Puri''' ({{lang-pa|हक़ीक़त राय बाख्मल पुरी {{small|([[Devanagri]])}}, ਹਕ਼ੀਕ਼ਤ ਰਾਯ ਬਾਖਮਲ ਪੂਰੀ {{small|([[Gurmukhi]])}}, {{nq|حقیقت رائے باکہمل پوری}} {{small|([[Shahmukhi]])}}}}) was an 18th-century [[Hindu]] from [[Sialkot]], who was executed in [[Lahore]] during the time of [[Zakariya Khan Bahadur|Zakariya Khan]].<ref name="MalhotraMir2012">{{cite book |last1=Malhotra |first1=Anshu |last2=Mir |first2=Farina |title=Punjab Reconsidered: History, Culture, and Practice |date=2012 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780199088775 |language=English |quote=At one level this story is about the inexorable distance between the Hindus and the Muslims—Haqiqat Rai is evidently a martyr to the Hindu cause (refusal to convert), when Muslims exercise political power.}}</ref><ref name="Gooptu">{{cite book |last1=Gooptu |first1=Nandini |title=The Politics of the Urban Poor in Early Twentieth-Century India |date=2001 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=9780521443661 |language=English |quote=Plays about Hindu martyrs such as Dharmveer Haqiqat Rai or Maharani Padmini advocated deep loyalty to Hinduism and the need to fight for one's faith.}}</ref><ref name="WHMcLeod2009" />

== Sources ==

== Life ==

=== Haqiqat Rai di Var ===
According to Akkra's ballad, Haqiqat was born into a [[Khatri]] family of [[Sialkot]]; his father was Baghmal.<ref name="Ishwar2008">{{cite book|author=Ishwar Dayal Gaur|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OQ4CWDeKSxUC&pg=PA45|title=Martyr as Bridegroom: A Folk Representation of Bhagat Singh|publisher=Anthem Press|year=2008|isbn=978-81-905835-0-3|pages=45–}}</ref> Some of his Muslim classmates had ridiculed Hindu Gods to which a fifteen-year old Haqiqat retorted by insulting [[Fatimah]] — this was reported to the Maulvi as an insult of Islam.<ref name="Ishwar2008" /><ref name="Banerjee2003" />

A case was accordingly filed before the [[Qadi|''qazi'']], who asked him to chose [[Religious conversion#Islam|converting to Islam]] or be put to death.<ref name="Ishwar2008" /> Despite persuasions, Haqiqat refused and was beheaded in Lahore during Zakariya Khan's governorship.<ref name="Ishwar2008" /><ref name="GrewalPall2005">{{cite book|author1=Reeta Grewal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rCJuAAAAMAAJ|title=Precolonial and colonial Punjab: society, economy, politics, and culture : essays for Indu Banga|author2=Sheena Pall|author3=Indu Banga|publisher=Manohar|year=2005|isbn=978-81-7304-654-4|page=176}}</ref>

=== Char Bagh-i Punjab ===
Ganesh Das (in Char Bagh-i Punjab|''Char Bagh''-i ''Punjab'') agrees with Akkra about Haqiqat's antecedents.<ref name="GrewalBanga2015" /> But specifics concerning the rest of narrative vary.<ref name="GrewalBanga2015" />

He accuses a ''[[mullah]]'' of having cried wolf about [[Islam and blasphemy|blasphemy of the Prophet]], after his son was defeated by an intellectually superior Haqiqat on a religion-themed discussion.<ref name="GrewalBanga2015">{{cite book|last1=Grewal|first1=J. S.|title=Early Nineteenth-Century Panjab|last2=Banga|first2=Indu|date=2015|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=9781317336945|language=English}}</ref> Irate Muslim inhabitants of the city refused to accept apology of their Hindu brethren (including Haqiqat's parents) in the town and insisted that he either convert or be put to death.<ref name="GrewalBanga2015" /> On no easy resolution, the ''mullah'' bribed city officials and approached the office of Governor Zakariya Khan at Lahore.<ref name="GrewalBanga2015" />

Portrayed as a man of liberal demeanor, Khan had outright rejected the charges as fabricated upon cross-examination of witnesses despite the ''mullah'' bringing a large crowd of supporters, in anticipation.<ref name="GrewalBanga2015" /> However, he was held to ransom by the conservatives — ''ulema'', ''qazi'', and ''Mufti —'' who supported the ''mullah'' and opposed the interference of an administrative official in religious matters.<ref name="GrewalBanga2015" /> Khan conceded to their demands and suggested that Haqiqat convert to Islam in lieu of ''mansabdaari'' status and other privileges.<ref name="GrewalBanga2015" />

On Haqiqat's prompt rejection of this offer, the Mufti pronounced a verdict of death-sentence but it was stalled for a day upon his father's wish to convince him about accepting Khan's suggestion.<ref name="GrewalBanga2015" /> Despite, Haqiqat remained steadfast and waxed long about the virtues of Hinduism and vices of Islam; the following day, Khan had him handed to the clerics in the open court.<ref name="GrewalBanga2015" /> He was immobilized in waist-deep soil and stoned, until a soldier beheaded him of piety; the severed head continued to chant ''[[Ram Nam]]''.<ref name="GrewalBanga2015" /> Haqiqat was cremated — pursuant to Brahminical rites — in the garden of one Diwan Kirpa Ram Chopra and a samadhi was installed, which became a spot of veneration for local Hindus.<ref name="GrewalBanga2015" />

=== Prachin Panth Prakash ===
[[Ratan Singh Bhangu]] held that Haqiqat Rai was mistakenly held to be a Sikh by Zakariya Khan — during a tenure marked with extreme animosity against [[Khalsa]] — and consequently murdered in 1734 C.E.

== Popular culture ==
Haqiqat's legacy has been claimed by Hindus as well as Sikhs.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Moliner|first=Christine|title=Cultural Entrenchment of Hindutva: Local Mediations and Forms of Convergence|publisher=Routledge India|year=2011|isbn=978-0-367-81806-7|editor-last=Berti|editor-first=Daniela|location=London|pages=318-319|language=en|chapter=The Boa and its Petty Enemy: Contemporary Relationships between Hindu Nationalists and the Sikhs|editor-last2=Jaoul|editor-first2=Nicolas|editor-last3=Kanungo|editor-first3=Pralay}}</ref> In 1782/84, a Sikh poet named Aggra (aka Agra or Aggar Singh) wrote a [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] [[Var (poetry)|''vaar'']] (ballad) titled ''Haqiqat Rai di Var'' espousing him as a Hindu martyr.<ref name="Ishwar2008" /><ref name="GrewalPall2005" /> Maharaja [[Ranjit Singh]] particularly revered Haqiqat Rai as a Sikh martyr.<ref name="WHMcLeod2009">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vgixwfeCyDAC&pg=PA87|title=The A to Z of Sikhism|date=24 July 2009|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=978-0-8108-6344-6|page=87|author=W. H. McLeod}}</ref>

In the first decade of the twentieth century (1905–10), three Bengali writers popularized the legend of Haqiqat Rai's martyrdom through their essays. The three accounts differ greatly.<ref name="Banerjee2003">{{cite book |author=Himadri Banerjee |title=The other Sikhs: a view from eastern India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_4zXAAAAMAAJ |year=2003 |publisher=Manohar |isbn=978-81-7304-495-3 |pages=185–186 }}</ref> The [[Arya Samaj]] organized a play ''Dharmaveer Haqiqat Rai'', advocating deep loyalty to Hinduism. It also printed copies of the legend, and distributed them free of cost or at a nominal price of 2 [[paisa]].<ref name="Gooptu2001">{{cite book |author=Nandini Gooptu |title=The Politics of the Urban Poor in Early Twentieth-Century India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wZTLEEGmZfQC&pg=PA223 |date=5 July 2001 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-44366-1 |pages=223–}}</ref>

Before the [[partition of India]] in 1947, Hindus and Sikhs used to gather at his [[samadhi (shrine)|samadhi]] in Lahore, during the [[Basant Panchami Festival]].<ref name="Pran2006">{{cite book |author=Pran Nevile |title=Lahore : A Sentimental Journey |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0fvNDBqOOToC&pg=PA23 |year=2006 |publisher=Penguin Books India |isbn=978-0-14-306197-7 |pages=23–}}</ref> His samadhi in Sialkot was also a place of worship.<ref name="Pritam1996">{{cite book |editor= Pritam Singh and Shinder Thandi |title=Globalisation and the region: explorations in Punjabi identity |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fgNuAAAAMAAJ |year=1996 |publisher=Association for Punjab Studies (UK) |isbn=978-1-874699-05-7 |page=49 }}</ref> In 2004, [[Nawa-i-Waqt]], a Pakistani daily opposed Basant Panchami celebrations in Pakistan, arguing that the festival celebrated Haqiqat Rai's insult of Muhammad.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://archives.dailytimes.com.pk/editorial/16-Feb-2004/editorial-can-t-we-have-a-nice-time |title=EDITORIAL: Can't we have a nice time? |date=2004-02-16 |newspaper=Daily Times |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141103231536/http://archives.dailytimes.com.pk/editorial/16-Feb-2004/editorial-can-t-we-have-a-nice-time |archive-date=2014-11-03 }}</ref>

Another samadhi dedicated to Haqiqat Rai is located in Boeli of Baba Bhandari ([[Hoshiarpur district]]), where people gather and pay obeisance to Haqiqat Rai during Basant Panchami.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100121/jal.htm#1 |title= Basant Panchami celebrated in traditional way |newspaper=The Tribune |date=2010-01-21 }}</ref> In [[Gurdaspur district]], a shrine dedicated to him is located at [[Batala]].<ref>[http://gurdaspur.nic.in/html/places_to_visit.htm Gurdaspur: Tourist Places]</ref> The town also has a samadhi dedicated to Sati Lakshmi Devi, said to be the wife of Haqiqat Rai.<ref name="Punjab1996">{{cite book |author=India. Director of Census Operations, Punjab |title=Census of India, 1991: Punjab |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ysMUAQAAMAAJ |year=1996 |publisher=Controller of Publications |page=17}}</ref>

Many cities in India have localities named after Haqiqat Rai, mostly the ones where the partition refugees settled; for example, [[Haqiqat Nagar]] in [[Delhi]]. An [[Inter State Bus Terminals|ISBT]] located in [[Sarai Kale Khan]] in [[Delhi]], [[India]] is also named after him.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rai, Haqiqat}}
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]
[[Category:Year of death unknown]]
[[Category:18th-century executions]]
[[Category:Executed children]]
[[Category:Executed Indian people]]
[[Category:Hindu martyrs]]
[[Category:Indian Hindus]]
[[Category:People executed by the Mughal Empire]]
[[Category:People executed for refusing to convert to Islam]]

Haqiqat Rai - Revision history

->Malikhpur at 18:29, 15 November 2021