Artifact
Hukamnamas of Sri Guru Hargobind Ji
The earliest surviving letters of the Gurus to their followers. One names 62 Sikhs in Bihar communities.[EoS][Mann]
- Date
- Early seventeenth century, usually undated
- Held by
- Various congregations and families. No single holder
- Location
- Dispersed
- Provenance
- Attributed
- Status: Whereabouts unknown
- The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism (1992-98) and Mann (2008) describe the genre without giving a location for each letter. Published texts are in Ganda Singh's and Shamsher Singh Ashok's editions of 1967.
Mann says actual letters survive from the time of Sri Guru Hargobind Ji, though the form seems older. The Encyclopaedia says one early letter was addressed to congregations at Patna, Alamganj, Sherpur, Bina and Monghyr.
The Encyclopaedia reports the belief that Guru Ji wrote these in his own hand.
A hukamnama of Sri Guru Hargobind Ji to the eastern congregations, kept according to Commons at Takht Harmandir Sahib, Patna. The source is a social media post.
Sri Guru Hargobind Ji, 17th century. Takht Harmandir Sahib, Patna (as stated on Commons). Public domain. Source
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