Theentrepreneur at 01:16, 10 February 2026

2026-02-10T01:16:23Z

New page

{{Short description|Sikh preacher}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox religious biography
| religion = [[Sikhism]]
| name = Baba Makhan Shah Labana
| image = Detail of Bhai Makhan Shah Labana, from a fresco depicting him finding Guru Tegh Bahadur from Gurdwara Baba Bakala.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Detail of Bhai Makhan Shah Labana, from a fresco depicting him finding Guru Tegh Bahadur from Gurdwara Baba Bakala
| birth_name = 
| birth_date = 7 July 1619 (23 Ashad 1676 Bikarmi)
| birth_place = Tanda, [[Jhelum District]]<ref>W. Crooke, "Tribes and casts of northwest India" (Vol. 1. P.154).</ref>
| death_date = 1674
| death_place = Village Raja Harpal, [[Sialkot]]
| occupation = [[Merchant Marine]]
| known_for = * Finding [[Guru Tegh Bahadur]]
* Gave Jaikara (Slogan) [[Guru Lado Re]]
| spouse = Bibi Sital Devi (Suljai)
| children = Lal Chand<br />Jawanda Shah<br />Kushal Chand<br />Chandu Lal
| parents = [[Bhai Dasa]] (father)<br />Vijay Devi (mother)
}}

'''Makhan Shah Lubana''' ({{IPA|pa|Makkhaṇa Śĝha Labĝṇĝ}}; also written as [[Labana Sikh|Lobana]]; 7 July 1619 – 1674) was a devout [[Sikh]] and a rich trader of the Pelia clan from the [[Labana Sikh|Lobana]] tribe, who discovered the ninth [[Sikh gurus|Guru]] of the Sikhs, [[Guru Tegh Bahadar]] in [[Baba Bakala|Bakala]], [[Punjab]] on 16 April 1664 A.D. (8 Visakh 1721 Bikrami).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rarebooksocietyofindia.org/book_archive/196174216674_10153455457621675.pdf|title=A history of the Sikhs from the origin of the nation to the battles of the Sutlej|access-date=2023-08-14}}</ref> He is also noted for his other contributions like preaching Sikhism in West Punjab and abroad, punishing Dhir Mal and his [[masand]] Shihan for the attack and initial settlement of Guru Tegh Bahadur at [[Anandpur Sahib]]. <ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.thesikhencyclopedia.com/biographical/hindu-bhagats-and-poets-and-punjabi-officials/shihan/ | title=SHIHAN - the Sikh Encyclopedia | date=19 December 2000 }}</ref>

==Birth and early life==
Makhan Shah was born into a [[Labana]] family.<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Sikh World |date=May 1, 2023 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=9780429848384 |editor-last=Singh |editor-first=Pashaura |quote=The tribal Sikhs - Sikligars and Banjaras are distributed all over the country except in the northeastern states. ... The Banjaras are known as Lambada, Lamani, Guar Banjara, Vanzara in different regions. Their ancestors were traders carrying merchandise and weapons on bullock carts. There are numerous prominent Sikhs amongst them most notably Makhan Shah Labana and Lakhi Shah Banjara. |editor-last2=Mandair |editor-first2=Arvind-Pal Singh}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Birinder Pal |title='Criminal' Tribes of Punjab |date=Apr 27, 2012 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781136517877 |pages=42 |quote=They had been trading since ancient times (''adi kaal ton'') and also practiced the barter system. Lakhi Shah Banjara and Makhan Shah Labana, whose names appear in Sikh religious history, were the most prominent traders of the community during their times.}}</ref> In 1619, he was born to [[Bhai Dasa Labana]], who was a devout Sikh of [[Guru Hargobind]]. There are different views of different scholars regarding his birthplace. [[Gyani|Giani]] [[Giani Gian Singh|Gian Singh]] believes that he was born in Tanda, probably in [[Kashmir]], but [[Colonel (India)|Col.]] Gurbachan Singh refutes this claim.<ref>Retrieved from Labana Sewak, Oct 2007</ref> Also, there many places with name Tanda in India like Mansura Tanda in [[Rajasthan]], Khed Tanda; Basti Tanda; Sankpur Tanda; Chikvadi Tanda in [[Madhya Pradesh]]; Naka Tanda in [[Maharashtra]]; Anapur Tanda Andhara {{Not a typo|Yera}}; Goda Tanda in [[Karnataka]], Tanda in Kashmir and in [[Punjab]] there are multiple villages. Scholars like [[Max Arthur Macauliffe]], GS Chabra, Sukha Singh believe that he was a native of [[Kathiawar]] in [[Gujarat]].

Following is commentary from Bhatt Vahis regarding the background of Makhan Shah:
* ''Makhan Shah, son of Bhai Dasa, grandson of Binai, maternal grandson of Beheru.''<ref>Page 40, Guru Kian Sakhian, Saroop Singh Kashish</ref>
* ''The cavalcade of Bhai Makhan Shah who was the Sikh of Guru, was going to Kashmir. The Satguru joined him there. After the pilgrimage of Mutton Martand along with Bhai Dasa and Bhai Aru Ram, he reached the place of Bhai Makhan Shah at Mota Tanda. Bhai Dasa, father of Bhai Makhan Shah breathed his last there.''
[[File:Depiction of Makhan Shah Lubana and Guru Tegh Bahadur from a gilded panel from the Golden Temple doors, circa 19th century.jpg|thumb|Depiction of Makhan Shah Lubana (top left on a rooftop) and Guru Tegh Bahadur (bottom left) from a gilded panel from the Golden Temple doors later donated by Maharaja Ranjit Singh]]
He learned [[Sanskrit]], [[Persian language|Persian]], [[Arabic]] and other languages, but his mother tongue was [[Labanki]].
Makhan Shah was married, according to [[Rajput]] customs, to Sital Devi (also known as Suljai). She was the daughter of Naik Puroshotam Das, belonging to the [[Sandlas]] clan of [[Aheria|Naik]] [[Rajputs]]. They had a son who they named Bhai Lal Das. It is believed Lal Das took was [[Amrit Sanskar|baptized]] by [[Guru Gobind Singh]] and named Naik Jawahar Singh who was martyred in the [[Battle of Chamkaur]].
[[Bhai Lakhi Rai Banjara|Bhai Lakhi Shah Banjara]] had family and business relationships with Bhai Makhan Shah Labana (1619-1674), who was an international trader, and used to trade in most of the world. He had a fleet of ships and was dealing through marines. Bhai Lakhi Shah Vanjara, who was based in [[Old Delhi|Delhi]], use to coordinate the business activities at Delhi, of Bhai Makhan Shah Labana. (reference found in book Mahal Sikh Bhai Makhan Shah Labana 1940, written by Baba Harnam Singh and Diwan Singh Mehram page 27).

==Profession==
[[File:Fresco depicting Bhai Makhan Shah Labana at-sea, from Gurdwara Baba Bakala.png|thumb|Fresco depicting Bhai Makhan Shah Labana at-sea, from Gurdwara Baba Bakala]]
He continued his ancestral profession of merchant trading. Makhan was a merchant who used to bring valuable merchandise by land and sea and sell it wholesale in parts of [[Gujarat Subah|Gujarat]] and [[Punjab region|Punjab]] in [[Mughal india|Mughal India]], and abroad up to the [[Mediterranean Basin|Mediterranean]]. He traded spices, [[Bengal Subah|Bengali]] silk, and [[Kashmir shawl|Kashmir shawls]]. In India he used camels, oxen, and horses, often pulling carts. He crossed beyond [[Ottoman Egypt|Egypt]] and sailed the Mediterranean with his goods, trading as far as [[Kingdom of Portugal|Portugal]].

==See also==
* [[Labana]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{wikiquote}}
* [http://www.srigurugranthsahib.org/guru-teg-bahadur/discovery.htm www.srigurugranthsahib.org ]
* [http://www.sikh-heritage.co.uk/movements/lobanas/lobanasVS.htm www.sikh-heritage.co.uk]

{{Sikhism}}

[[Category:Punjabi Sikhs]]
[[Category:1619 births]]
[[Category:1674 deaths]]
[[Category:17th-century Indian people]]

Makhan Shah Labana - Revision history

Theentrepreneur at 01:16, 10 February 2026