Younger Sahibzade Bricked Alive

Dadi: "Guddu, tonight I must tell you one of the most painful stories in our history - the martyrdom of two little boys, aged seven and nine, who chose death rather than abandon their faith."

Guddu: "Seven and nine? So young, Dadi!"

Dadi: "Sahibzada Zorawar Singh was nine years old. Sahibzada Fateh Singh was just seven. They were the youngest sons of Guru Gobind Singh, and their courage is remembered every year."

Guddu: "What happened to them?"

Dadi: "In December 1704, Guru Gobind Singh's family was forced to flee their home at Anandpur. During the escape through flooded rivers, the family was separated. The two boys, along with their elderly grandmother Mata Gujri, became lost in the darkness."

Guddu: "They were alone?"

Dadi: "They found shelter with a man named Gangu, a servant who had once worked for the Guru. But when Gangu discovered the grandmother's bag of coins, greed overcame him. He stole the money and reported them to the Mughal officials for a reward."

Guddu: "He betrayed children?"

Dadi: "They were captured and taken to Sirhind, where the governor Wazir Khan imprisoned them in an open tower - the "Thanda Burj" or Cold Tower. It was December, freezing cold, and the tower had no protection from the winter wind."

Guddu: "An old woman and two little children in the cold?"

Dadi: "For four nights they huddled together, with no blankets, barely any food or water. Meanwhile, the governor planned his approach. He believed he could break their spirits and convert them to Islam - what a victory that would be, converting the Guru's own children!"

Guddu: "What did he offer them?"

Dadi: "Wealth, power, comfort - everything they were denied. All they had to do was give up their faith. The boys were brought before him, separated from their grandmother."

Guddu: "How did they react?"

Dadi: "Here's what amazes everyone who hears this story. When made to enter through a low doorway, they were expected to bow their heads. Instead, they bent backwards and stepped through feet first - they would not bow to their captors."

Guddu: "Nine and seven years old, and they had such dignity?"

Dadi: "Young Zorawar Singh spoke to the governor: "We come from a virtuous family. Our father is Guru Gobind Singh. Our grandfather was Guru Tegh Bahadur. Our great-grandfather was Guru Hargobind. We will follow their example! Our faith is more important than life.""

Guddu: "A nine-year-old said that?"

Dadi: "When threats and temptations failed, Wazir Khan asked his religious advisors what punishment should be given to "rebels." They decreed the children should be bricked alive - sealed into a wall."

Guddu: "That's... horrifying, Dadi."

Dadi: "One noble man objected. Sher Muhammad Khan of Malerkotla stood up and said, "This is cruelty! These innocent boys are not responsible for their father's actions. God save us from this sin." Because of his protest, Malerkotla was later protected by Guru Gobind Singh's command."

Guddu: "But it didn't stop the execution?"

Dadi: "On December 26, 1705, the boys were placed in a shallow niche as a wall was built around them. According to accounts, the wall kept collapsing - as if the bricks themselves refused to kill children. Eventually, the executioners completed their terrible work."

Guddu: "And their grandmother?"

Dadi: "When Mata Gujri heard what had happened to her grandsons, she collapsed. The 81-year-old woman could not bear the news. She died that same day."

Guddu: "Dadi, how could anyone do such things?"

Dadi: "Power without conscience, beta. But remember what happened after. A wealthy banker named Todar Mal paid for the funeral by covering the ground with gold coins. And six years later, the Sikh warrior Banda Singh Bahadur destroyed Sirhind and killed Wazir Khan."

Guddu: "Justice came eventually."

Dadi: "The boys are remembered every year on Veer Bal Diwas - the Day of the Brave Children. Their sacrifice reminds us that courage has no age limit. That faith, when truly held, cannot be forced to surrender. That two small children can stand against an empire and win the only victory that matters - the victory of the soul."

Guddu: "They were braver than most adults would be."

Dadi: "They were raised by heroes and raised to be heroes. Remember them, beta. Remember that some prices are too high to pay, even for life itself."