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After the death of Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru, the Sikh movement (against the Muslims) was led by a dare-devil Maratha monk, who came to be known as Banda Bairagi. It was during his stay in the Deccan that Guru Gobind Singh came to know of Banda Bairagi. He saw that the fire of patriotism burned bright in the Bairagi's heart. It was Banda Bairagi who carried the sad news of the assassination of Guru Gobind Singh by a Muslim traitor from Afghanistan, to the north. With the Guru's parting message aflame in his heart, Banda Bairagi led the Hindu disciple corps (the Shishyas or Sikhs) in open combat against the Moghuls. Banda proved to be a terror to the Muslims. He would lead swift and surprise sorties in true Maratha guerilla fashion against Moghul garrisons, carry immense plunder and leave behind a trail of slaughtered enemies. Banda Bairagi was here, there and everywhere and was still invincible. In order to catch him the Moghuls ordered that all Hindus will have to shave their heads, the idea was that those without shaved heads will include Banda Bairagi and it would be easy to discover him then. Stupidity of the Muslims is a many splendored thing. Banda could not be traced this way.
In 1712 A.D. Bahadur Shah died. He was already over 70 and had reigned for four years. If Bahadur Shah was not so successful in his Islamic mission to oppress the Hindus, destroy their temples, that is because the royal treasury was empty. Depredations cannot be carried out empty-handed. On top of that, Bahadur Shah was more known for his senility and idiocy rather than agility and intelligence. Bahadur Shah's dead body lies buried in a suburb of Delhi. With him ended the last vestiges of the Moghul splendor and power.
Bahadur Shah had four sons: Muizuddin Jahandar Shah, Azimus Shah, Rafius Shah and Khujista Akhtar Jahan Shah. All four were profligates and villains. Among these the second son, Azimus Shah, besides being a pleasure-seeker like his other three brothers, was also a schemer and plotter. At a very early age, Bahadur Shah had detected Azimus Shah's murderous tendencies and ambition to usurp the throne, by any means. As soon as Bahadur Shah died, the usual war of succession followed. Contrary to expectations, it was the eldest son, Jahandar Shah who managed to come to the throne. He ordered that all children of his brothers be thrown to the dungeon. Some of the children were only nine or ten year-old. Mahabbat Khan and several other courtiers were put in chains and tortured at Jahandar Shah's orders.
Under Jahandar Shah, the walls of the Red Fort echoed to non- stop drinking, dancing and sex-orgies. Among the Hindu women that Jahandar Shah had kidnapped, was Lal Kunwar. She being the favorite, her brothers and relatives were elevated to peerage.
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