Safarnama and Zafarnama (An Old and Rare Book)

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'Nama' is a Persian word intended to convey to one or more persons, in a documented form, the views or feelings of the writer and promises or agreements made regarding certain important subjects, e.g., Rehan Nama (Mortgage Deed), Iqrar Nama (Promissory Note), Sharait Nama (Contract Deed), Rahit Nama (Code of Discipline), Hukam Nama (Commandment of Temporal or Spiritual Authority), etc. In his autobiography "Bachittar Natak", Guru Gobind Singh has described how from his previous life of meditation in Hemkunt, the Himalayan abode with seven snow- clad hilltops, he had, under divine commandment, taken birth in Patna (Bihar) in the house of Guru Teg Bahadur and Mata Gujri, and how after six years of stay there and in compliance with his father's wishes he travelled, along with his family, to Anandpur in the Punjab. From there he, at the invitation of the local Raja, went to Paonta where he had to fight the battle of Bhangani with the combined forces of the hill chieftains who were, out of jealousy, inimically inclined towards him. He had to take up cudgels with the imperial armies also and after fighting several skirmishes with them, leave the fort of Anandpur to proceed towards the Deccan. On the way he had to engage the enemy hordes at Chamkaur and again at Mukatsar before reaching Nanded on the banks of the Godavri in Maharashtra from where he ultimately left for his heavenly abode in 1708 A.D. Thus he undertook seventeen journeys in all which have been described in detail under Safar Nama in this book.

"Safar Nama and Zafar Nama" by Ishar Singh Nara is a full-length biography of Guru Gobind Singh in a traditional style. It gives the details of the Guru's life some of which, so far as I know, are not to be found in any published work in English or Punjabi or Urdu. The author has relied for such detailed material partly on Santosh Singh's "Suraj Prakash", while some other factual material, especially that bearing on the Guru's later journeys, has been collected by the author through his own painstaking research. The coverage of the book being what it is, I believe, it can serve as a source material for future writers who may wish to take up more than an elementary book on the life of the Guru.

The author has also examined at length some of the controversial aspects of the Guru's life. These range from the question of whether or not the Guru entered on the service of emperor Bahadur Shah to that of his "dis- appearance" after his death. In consonance with the spirit of the book, Nara has given his opinions on these questions as a devotee of the Guru. But he has raised the questions which any future writer of the Guru's life must take note of.

Sardar Joginder Singh, the translator of the original Punjabi work into English, has performed the translator's role with a conscience. He has subordinated his use of the English language to the need to give faithfully the author's facts and views. I know at first hand that sometimes he had to spend considerable time on the appropriateness of a single word in the context of the original. At times he consulted his friends on the choice of a particular word, Whatever difficulties he had to face as a translator, he has been able to impart a greater readability to his translation than was the case with the original Punjabi work.

I am confident that English readers, students and re- search scholars of Sikh history will find this work quite informative and useful.