www.amarchitrakatha.comvide we The route to your roots When they look back at their formative years, many Indians nostalgically recall the vital part Amar Chitra Katha picture books have played in their lives. It wos ACK — Amar Chitra Katha — that first gave them a glimpse of their glorious heritage. Since they were introduced in 1967, there are now over 400 Amar Chitra Katha titles to choose from. Over 90 million copies have been sold worldwide. Now the Amar Chitra Katha titles are even more widely available in 1000+ bookstores all across India. Log on to www.ack-media.com to locate a bookstore near you. If you do not have access to a backstore, you can buy all the titles through our online store www.omarchitrakatha.com. We provide quick delivery anywhere in the world. To make it easy for you to locate the titles of your choice from our treasure trove of titles, the books are now arranged in five categories. Epics and Mythology Best known stories from the Epics and the Puranas Indian Classics Enchanting tales from Indian literature Fables and Humour Evergreen folktales, legends ond tales of wisdom and humour Bravehearts Stirring tales of brave men and women of India Visionaries Inspiring tales of thinkers, social reformers and nation builders Script Whestrations Editor S.Khushwant Singh Ram Waeerkar Anant Pai Amar_Chitra Katha Pvt Lid (© Amar Chitra Kat icprioted January 2012, ISBN 978-81-8882-044-7 ullshed Pied oy Amar ChiraKaa Pv i, The forum os, Raghuvanshi Mill Compound, .8.Marg, Lower Patel (WW), Mumbai- 400 013. Inia For Consumer Congas Conta Yel 91-22-6829 S500 ‘Eat coreserreet reds comIN THE YEAR (708 A.D., THERE LIVED IN A CAVE, BY THE @ANKS OF THE RIVER GODAVARI, A HERMIT CALLED MADHO DAS. MO ONE KNEW MUCH ABOUT HIM EXCEPT THAT HE WAS A RAJPUT FROM vamanu, WHOSE FIRST WAME HAO BEEN LACHIMAN, WHICH WE CHANGED 70 MABHO OAS WHEN ME BECAME A HERMIT.ONE DAY A STRANGER CAME TO THE BANKS OF THE GOOAVARL. DO YOU MEAN MADHO DAS BAIRAGI? E I (CAN YOU TELL ME THAT CAVE. WHERE THE HERMIT WHO HEALS, LIVES ? MY CHILE 15 AL- DO NOT FEAR. YOUR SON SHALL LIVE TO CARE FOR YOU IN YOUR OL? AGE.MADNO DAS BAIRAG! THROUGH THE PRACTICE OF YOGA HAD ACQUIRED MIRACULOUS POWERS. BABAUI, SAVE MY HUSBAND, GO IN PEACE, WOMAN. THE LORD SHALL SGON MARRIED SEVEN YEARS BUT | DON’T HAVE A CHILD. BLESS YOU WITH ONE. BABA! THERE HAS BEEN NO RAIN, OUR CROPS ARE WITHERING. THERE WILL BE A FAMINE.MADHO DAS COULO EVEN CONTROL MIRACULOUS POWERS.ONE DAY WHEN MADHO DAS WAS DEEP iN MEDITATION, A VISITOR | CAME INTO HIS CAVE. = THE VISITOR WAITED TILL MADHO DASMWA THE GURU GOBIND SINGH OF THE KHALSA. FLASH MADHO DAS REALISED THAT INTRUDER WAS MONE OTHER THAM RISE, MADHO. DAS BAIRAGI. LWANT YOU TO BE THE LEADER OF THE KHALSA WHEN 1 DIE. 1AM yYouR SLAVE. FORGIVE SUL | me, o curv. N OF THE HONOUR. BE- SIDES | AM A SADHU,A BAIRAGI; LET ME LAM NOT WORTHY you SHALL. YOU WILL NO LONGER: BE MADHO DAS BAIRAGI. | NAME YOU BANDA SINGH BAHADUR. REMAIN YOURBANDA SINGH BAHADUR, TAKE “THESE FIVE ARROWS FROM MY OWN QUIVER, MY SWORD ANG MY FLAG. THE PUNJAB AND Elcempend TRODDEN PEASANTRY, AGAINST THE MUGHAL TYRANTS. YOU WILL AVENGE THE MURDERS OF MY SONS. YOU WILL SPREAD THE MESSAGE OF THE GURU ALL OVERSO THE HERMIT OF THE CAVE WAS: 1 SHALL COWVERTED ITO A FAITHFULLY CARRY CRUSADER FOR OUT THE ORDERS THE KHALSA. OF MY GURU. BANDA BEGAN BY TRAINING SOME OF HIS FOLLOWERS TO BECOME DEL, THE MUGHAL CAPITAL QF INDIA. DOWN WITH THE MUGHAL TYRANT! VICTORY TO BANDA SINGH BAHADUR!AT ASMALL VILLAGE INV MARYANA, OMLS A FEW MILES AWAY FROM OELM SUDDENLY A MESSENGER FROM GURY GOBIND SINGH’S CAMP AT MANDED, ON THE GODAVARI, RAN UPTO THEM. LEADER OF THE KHALSA! THE GURU IS NO MORE.HE HAS. BEEN MURDERED. BEFORE HE DIED HE SAID TO REMIND YOU THAT THE WAR AGAINST TYRANNY MUST GOON. i Mi, l me WE le eurRUu’s SWORD yr 1 PLEDGE TO DESTROY THE MURDERERS OF ‘THE 6URU AND HIS SONS.© YE SONS GF THE PUNUAB, HIS SOLDIERS, AS WELL AS THE CROWD OF ONLOCKERS, ROAREO IN THE NAME OF THE GREAT WTH APPROVAL AN BANOA CALLED GURU RISE ANG HELP ME GOW THEM TO SUPBORT THE DESTROY THE MUGHAL CAUSE. TYRANTS. BANDA v : AL! BAHADUR KI JAIL BANDA BAHADUR, SLAVE OF GOBIND SINGH, GURU OF THE KHALSA OFFERS PRO- TECTION TO ANYONE THREATENED BY "THIEVES OR DACOITS OR TROUBLED BY MUGHALS, GR IN ANY WAY SUBJECTED TO INJUSTICE OR ILL TREATMENT. HE WENT FROM VILLAGE TO VILLAGE PROCLAIMING THE MESSAGE OF GURU GOBIND SINGH. vA GuRU GOBIND!WITHIN A FEW WEEKS A NUMBER OF PEASANTS WiTH RUSTIC |= WEAPONS VOINED BANDA’S ARMY. WS ARIY CONSISTED OF HINDUS, MUSLIMS AND SIKHS, MUSLIMS, JOIN YOUR StH AND HINDU BROTHERS AND WIPE OUT THE MUGHAL TYRANT. WE CONTINUED THE BAIRAGI 70 PERFORM “TOUCHED ME AND MIRACLES ALL MY WOUNDS AS WE WERE HEALED. AQUANCED.(BANDA BAHADUR, KI UAT BANDA LED THEA ALONG THE ROYAL GRAND TRUNK ROAD. INVADERS HAD MARCHED DOWN THIS ROAD FROM KABUL TO DELHI. BANDA LED HES INDIAN ARMY (il THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION — FROM DELM/ DOWN WITH THE VILLAINS, YONDER LIES SAMANA, THE HOME OF THE MURDERERS OF THE Guru's FAMILY, THE NOW IS THE TIME MURDERERS! TO AVENGE THE MURDERS.BANDA DREW THE SWORD GURU GOBIND HAD GIVEN HIM AND LED THE ASSAULT OM SAMANA. THE MUGHALS OF SAMAWA PAINED CANNON FIRE ON BANDA’S MEN. BOT A FEW OF THEM MANAGED TO SCALE THE WALCS. ONCE INSIDE THE CIT THEY FOUGHT THEIR WAY TO THE CITY GATE AND... zeTHE SIKH CAVALRY THEM CHARGED Ms LED BY BANDA SAMANA WAS TAKEN AMO THE PERSECUTORS OF THE GURU'S FAMILY WERE You SHALL, ee DECIDE THE FATE OF THESE MURDERERS.WHAT SHALL WE DO WITH THE CITY?THE CITY OF SAMANA WAS RAZED TO THE GROUND. WHET THE TASK WAS OVER BANDA SPOKE TO NOW TO SIRHIND! KHALSA SOLDIERS,00 YOU_ KNOW WHO KILLED THE TWO OTHER: SONS OF GURU GOBIND AND ORDERED THE ASSASSI- NATION OF OUR DON’T WE KNOW! IT WAS WAZIR KHAN THE GOVERNOR OF SIRHIND! DEATH LET us NOT TARRY A MOMENT.ARMY IN INDIA.BUT | HAV FAITH IN MY MEN. FIGHT RE WORTH. NTAND 50 THE BLOODY BATTLE OF SURMINA WAS FOUGHT OW MAY 24,1710, GLE THE VICTORY WAS GANOA’S AND THE MUGHALS FLED = NE ——————— FSBANDAS JUBILANT ARWY SLAUGH- TEREO THE HAPLESS MUGHALS. SHRMIND MET WITH A WORSE FATE THAN SAMAWA. NOT A MAN IN THE ARMY OF WAZIE KHAN ESCAPED WITH MORE THAN HIS LIFE AND THE CLOTHES HE STOOD IN, HORSEMEN AND FOOTMEN FELL UNDER THE SWORD OF THE INFIDELS. WHAT SHALL WE DO WITH THIS FORSAKEN erry 2 DESTROY (T TO THE LAST BRICK. PALACE GR MOSQUE WAS SPARED. ANO SIRMINO WAS COMPLETELS DESTROYED. NOT A HOUSE,WHEN (T WAS ALL WER SO WE LEO HWS ARMY TO MMUKHLISGARH WHERE THEY BEGAN BUILOING A FOR: THE MUGHAL EMPEROR IS BOUND TO TAKE ACTION, IT WILL BE WISE FOR Us TO RETREAT TO THE FOOTHILLS, WHEW THE FORT WAS COMPLETED BANOA WAS CROWNED KING. BANDA BAHADUR KIBANDA HAD COMIS STRUCK [it THE NAME OF KMALGA COMMONWEALTH WITH THE THREE EMMELEMS OF THE GURL“ DEGH” “TECH” AND “FATEH” THE “DEGH FOR THE CAULOROW OF THE GURL?S KITCHEN WHERE FOCO WAS DIS- TRIBUTED FREE, THE “TECH FOR THE SWORD USED AGAINST THE TYRANTS, AND “EATEN” FOR VICTORY. BANDAS FOLLOWING WAS SOON ONMOEO. THOSE WHO REMAINED COVAL TO Hi WERE THE BANCAL KHALSA. BUT THIS ACT OF BANDAS CREATED DISCORD AMONG His MEN. TO STRIKE COINS IS. AGAINST THE GURU'S ORDERS! ME IS ONE OF us. WHY SHOULD HE BE CROWNED KING? THOSE WHO GESERTED HIM WERE THE F TAT KHALSA, WE SHALL WAGE BANDA AND THE SIKHS. IM THE MEANWHILE, AT DELHI, BAHADUR SHAH THE MUGHAL KING WAS UPSET TO HEAR OF THE FATE OF SAMANA AND SIRHIND. A HOLY WAR AGAINST. BADSHAH SALAMAT ZINDABAD. DEATHGET THAT SCOUNDREL DEAD oF ALIVE, GOD BE WITH FEROZE KHAN THEN GAVE MS OROERS. LET NO ONE GET OUT OF THE FORT. FEROZE KHAM ARRIVED AT MUKHLISGRRHM AND SURROUNDED THE FORT WE'LL STARVE THEM TO DEATH HAVE NOT EATEN OR INTO SURRENDER. 7 FOR MANY DAYS, THEY HAVE BECOME COME WHAT MAY. WE SHALL NEVER SURRENDER. | HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH THE SAME APPEARANCE AS YOU. LET ME HAVE THE HONOUR OF LAYING DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU. HOW— 1 DON'T UNDERSTAND,| WILL WEAR YOuR ARMOUR AND CHALLENGE THE MUGHALS FROM THE WALLS OVER THE FRONT GATE. THEY WILL NATURALLY RUSH TO- WARDS ME AND LEAVE THE REAR GATE UNGUARDED AND YOU CAN MAKE YOUR ESCAPE. AN EXCELLENT PLAN! A TRULY NOBLE SOUL. MAY THE THEN GULAB SIEM, ORESSED AS BANDA, SHOWED MWMSELF ON THE WALLS OF THE FORT. COME, MUGHALS, COME! WELL TEACH YOU HOW TO FIGHT.TNE FRONT GATES WERE THEN THROWN OPEN. AS FORESEEN, THE MUGHALS RUSHED IN FORGETTING TO GUARD THE REAR GATE. WHERE IS BANDA? TAKE HIM ALIVE. THE EMPEROR WOULD] LOVE TO SEE HIS HEAD A RING OF MUGHAL SOLOIERS CLOSED It AROUND A MAN SEATED ON A STONE. aa THAT'S HIM. GET THE BEARDED CUR ALIVE.PUT HIM GENERAL GULAB THE MAN YOU WANT SINGH GAVE HAS ESCAPED. | AM GULAB UN IRONS. SINGH, A HUMBLE Werte, TAKE HIM MIMGELF UP. ORDERLY. TO THE GULAB SINGH WAS BROUGHT IN CHAINS 70 THE EMPEROR. ALAS! SIR. THE CUT OFF THE HAWK HAS FLOWN HEAD OF THIS JAND WE HAVE BLACK-FACED, BEARDED INSTEAD. i SOON BAHADUR SHAM DIED AND HIS NEPHEW Se FARRUKH SIVAR BECAME EMPEROR. S |ICHARGE YOU TO GET BANDA, CEAD OR ALIVE. EXTER- MINATE THE SIKHS WHEREVER YOU FIND THEM. MEANWHILE BANDAS FOLLOWING OF BANDAI KHALSA BECAME RESTLESS. OUR GURU SEEMS TO THINK THAT AFTER AVENGING THE MURDERS OF GURU GOBIND SINGH’S FAMILY HIS TASK HAS ENDED. WHAT ABOUT THE TYRANNY OF THE MUGHALS “THAT CONTINUES. BANDA INSTEAD OF CONTINUING THE WAR AGMNST THE TYRANTS AFTER HIS ESCAPE WA ALLOWED HIMSELF 70 ET CAUGHT I THE MESHES OF A HOUSEHOLDERS LIFE. ME MARRIED TWO WIVES ANO HAO AnANYFARRUIH SIVARIS GENERALS SURROUNDED BANDAS. CAMP WEAR GURDASPUR. BANDA WAS NOT PREPARED | _ : WHAT SHALL FOR THE ATTACK. IT Was | * = WE DO? THERE ISNO ONEXPECTED. VO RATHER DIE THAN SURVIVE THEY WERE EAT BEEF. FORCED TO EAT THE » FLESH OF THEN2 OXEM,SENT TO BANDA IF YOU SURRENDER, THE EMPEROR PROMISES TO SPARE YOUR LIFE AND THAT OF YOUR FOLLOWERS. AT LAST THE MUGHALS RESORTED TO ONE OF THEIR WELL-TRIED RUSES. A MESSENGER WAS WE AGREE.IT ‘WOULD BE A NOBLE DEATH EVEN IF WE DID DIE FIGHTING, WE CANNOT FIGHT. WE ARE WEAK WITH HUNGER LET’S SURRENDER. BANDA, WEARY BY WOW OF THE DIS — MHS CAMP, GAVE I TO SENS THE | WE AGREE TO LAY DOWN YOUR ARMS ON THE PRO- MISE THAT OUR LIVES WILL BE SPARED. I SWEAR BY THE HOLY BOOK. YOUR LIVES. SHALL BE SPARED,WAS PUSHED INTO TO BE TAKEN TO OELM. THE WAS PLACED OM AN ELEPHANT BEHIND WHICH SEVEN HUNDRED OF BANDAPS FOLLOWERS WERE MADE JO MARCH, CHAINED TO ONE ANOTHER.BANGA?S FOUR-VEAR-OLO SOM WAS BUT BANDA ONLY SUNLED ANO QROUGHT BEFORE HiS FATHER, BLESSES HS SOM, Ie You RENOUNCE YOuR FAITH YOUR SON’S LIFE WILL BE SPARED. OW SUNDRY, JUNE 1? 1716 CAME EANOA'S TURN, YOU HAVE A LAST CHANCE. RENOUNCE YOUR GURU AND SAVE YOUR LIFE. NEVER! | DESERVE THIS FOR STRAYING FROM THE GURU'STHE EXECUTIONER TAUNTED HIM. SS Sae OR WOULD You RATHER USE YOUR AMIRACULOUS POWERS. AND SAVE YOUR BUT BANDA HARDLY HEARD THE TAUNTS FOR HIS MIND WAS FIRMLY IMPLANTED O1 THE euRU. my GuRU, roreive \\ ME FOR MY LAPSE, AND FOR FORGETTING MY DUTIES. ALL. WANT NOW 15 TO REST ON YOUR LOTUS RING AND MARTYR.BRAVEHEARTS BANDA BAHADUR Inspired by Guru Gobind Singh, Banda Bahadur led the Sikh Posceu nee M Ere Cee mcm eae MCT hur) Su oR Meer eel CACM Ls ede Pe eee On em en et Rear their administration. Invasions by Cee rea rac ce UTA BUMMER oc a i paul RAS oR ees LR eos Gel Mei eee RU Ce ae a Te eis ou Pee Xel EPICS & MYTHOLOGY INDIAN CLASSICS Cee arly Winey) Ramee Rac)