The claimants at Bakala
Dhir Mall's attack and the forgiveness
Men of Dhir Mall attacked Guru Ji's house, and when Makkhan Shah retaliated, Guru Ji had everything returned, including the old scripture volume.
As Bhai Santokh Singh tells it in Sri Gur Pratap Suraj Granth, Dhir Mall's envy did not end with Makkhan Shah's shout. His masand Shihan, with a band of men, raided Guru Ji's house and carried off what they could. In other tellings Shihan also fired a shot.
Makkhan Shah retaliated and plundered Dhir Mall's home, bringing back the goods and also the great volume of the scripture that Dhir Mall kept. Guru Ji would have none of it. Everything was sent back, even what had been stolen from Guru Ji's own house, and the Sikhs were told that no austerity, gift or pilgrimage is worth more than forgiving.
How do we know?
The sources conflict on this story, or scholars doubt it.
The return of the goods is common ground. Whether the shot missed or wounded is where the entries differ. The Encyclopaedia's entry on Dhir Mall also records that his descendants still hold the original volume.
- Later traditionSays the masand Shihan fired at Guru Ji and missed.[EoS]
- Later traditionSays local tradition marks the place where Guru Ji was fired at and wounded.[EoS]
- Later traditionTells of the plundering and the return of goods, and gives Guru Ji's words on forgiveness from Sri Gur Pratap Suraj Granth.[EoS]
