his year, 2026, marks 500 years of Mughal presence in South Asia. In April 1526, Babur had defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the sultan of Delhi, at the Battle of Panipat, establishing the Mughal Dynasty that lasted for over 330 years.

Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith, was born in 1469. He and the other nine Sikh gurus were contemporaries of various Mughal emperors, from Babur to Bahadur Shah I. The evolving nature of the Mughal Empire, where policies and attitudes varied significantly from one emperor to another, led to differing attitudes towards the Sikh gurus. The growing influence of the Sikh gurus was the primary concern of the Mughal Empire. Different Mughal emperors viewed the Sikh Gurus with respect, indifference or intolerance.

While Guru Nanak condemned the 1526 invasion of the Punjab by Babur in the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, his successor, Humayun, visited Guru Angad at Khadur Sahib in 1540 to seek his blessings. Following this, Akbar in 1567 paid respects to Guru Amardas at Goindwal and ate in the langar with the peasants. During this visit, Akbar is said to have donated the land on which later Guru Ramdas founded the city of Amritsar in 1577.

The death of tolerant Akbar led to the rise of intolerant Jahangir. He, at the urging of deviant Sikh groups and others jealous of the rising influence of the Sikh community, arrested Guru Arjan and, after significant torture by Chandu Shah, killed Guru Arjan near the Lahore Fort in 1606. Guru Arjan’s younger son, Guru Hargobind, began wearing two swords, one representing miri (worldly and political) and the other piri (spiritual authority). He raised an army, built forts, and, in 1606, established the Akal Takhat (Immortal Throne) opposite Harmandar Sahib in Amritsar, and proclaimed himself the Sacha Patshah (True King). This was not taken kindly by the Mughal Empire. Guru Hargobind was imprisoned by Jahangir at Gwalior Fort from 1609 to 1620. He was freed at the intervention of Hazrat Mian Mir. Guru Hargobind was aware of the role of Chandu Shah and deviant groups in the murder of his father and his own imprisonment. He convinced Jahangir of this, and Jahangir made amends for the transgression by handing over Chandu Shah to Guru Hargobind. The death of Jahangir led to the accession of Shah Jahan. Shah Jahan had many skirmishes with Guru Hargobind from 1628 to 1635. All these battles of the Guru were defensive, not offensive or aggressive. Guru Har Rai was approached by Dara Shikoh, the eldest son of Shah Jahan, to offer his support in the imperial power struggle. Ultimately, Aurangzeb killed Dara Shikoh and became emperor. He did not forget that Guru Har Rai may have offered help to Dara Shikoh during the battle for succession. Emperor Aurangzeb exploited Ram Rai’s subservience and Guru Harkrishan’s youth to widen the rift between the two brothers.

Humayun, visited Guru Angad at Khadur Sahib in 1540. Akbar in 1567 visited Guru Amardas at Goindwal and ate in the langar with the peasants. Akbar is also said to have donated the land on which later Guru Ramdas founded the city of Amritsar in 1577.

Guru Tegh Bahadur was first arrested in 1665 in Delhi by Aurangzeb. He was detained for a few months but later freed. He was arrested again in 1670 and imprisoned for a few months. The popularity of Guru Tegh Bahadar, especially in the Malwa region of the Punjab, greatly worried Aurangzeb. In July 1675, Guru Tegh Bahadar was arrested for the third time. In November 1675, he was killed along with his Sikh followers at Chandi Chownk in Delhi.

Guru Gobind Singh spent most of his life - from 1682 to about 1705 - fighting defensive battles against the Mughal army. He was assisted by the forces of the Hill Rajas. All four of his sons were killed in these battles. Before that, however, he had established the khalsa in 1699, continuing the miri-piri concept of the sixth Guru. He wrote two letters of moral defiance to Aurangzeb, known as Fatehnama in 1704 and Zafarnama in 1705. After Aurangzeb’s death, his successor, Bahadur Shah I, adopted an outwardly cooperative attitude toward Guru Gobind Singh but plotted his assassination. Before he was assassinated in 1708, Guru Gobind declared that the human lineage of Sikh Gurus would end and that Siri Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh scripture, would be the eternal Sikh Guru after him.

The Sikh Gurus had political differences with some of the Mughal rulers. However, they were never opposed to Islam. In fact, Islam, as a faith, is frequently honoured and respected in Sikh history and quoted in the Siri Guru Granth Sahib. Guru Nanak’s only companion was Bhai Mardana, a Shia Muslim rabab player from Nanakana Sahib who accompanied him on their extensive travels. One of his sabads (verses) is included in the Sikh scripture.

Hazrat Mian Mir, the Sufi adept of Lahore, was a close personal friend of the fifth and the sixth Gurus. Mata Kaulan, a devotee of Mian Mir, moved from Lahore to Amritsar with Guru Hargobind. Guru Gobind Singh had several close Muslim allies who supported his military campaigns against the Mughal army. They included Pir Buddhu Shah, Ghani Khan and Nabi Khan of Machhiwara; Sayyid Baig, Maimun Khan, Nihang Khan and his daughter Bibi Mumtaz of Kotla Nihang Khan; Rai Kalha of Raikot; and Nawab Sher Muhammad Khan of Malerkotla.

The writer is a faculty member at the Ohio State University. As executive director of Religions for Peace, USA, he has been a dedicated interfaith servant-leader for over 20 years. He can be reached via email at [email protected]