After the death of his sons and many of his men at Chamkaur, the Guru left for a safer place with three of his companions. It was a dark night and the Guru got separated from them. He followed a star and finally reached a village named Kheri. By this time his feet were pierced with thorns, his clothes were tattered and he was shivering with cold. There he was recognized by two Gujjars (Muslims) who raised an alarm. The Guru was, therefore, forced to kill them. He then hid in the thorny bushes since the imperial enemy was after him. Meanwhile, his three companions who were also following the star found him. They informed him of the pursuing army and suggested that they move further. But the Guru�s feet were sore and painful and so he urged his companions to take shelter in a nearby garden. They, however, did not leave the Guru behind and carried him on their back to the garden. There they bathed for the first time in many days, and felt very refreshed. This garden belonged to Gulaba Masand, a devotee of the Guru, who ran to offer his services. But the Guru knew that the imperial army was chasing him and it was not safe to stay there. Besided, he did not want to cause any trouble to an innocent man. So they left the place as soon as they could.

In the same village lived two Pathan brothers, Ghani Khan and Nabi Khan. They had been in the Guru�s service for sometime in the past, and when they came to know of his presence in the village they decided to help him. They went to the Guru and offered to take him to safe place. Then, dressing the Guru in robe worn by Muslim Fakirs, they bore him a litter. It was lifted by Ghani Khan and Nabi Khan in fornt and Bhai Mahan Singh and Bhai Dharam Singh in the rear. Whoever questioned them on the way were told that they were carrying the Uchch Pir, which meant a �High Muslim Saint�. Moving continuously and quickly, they reached Hehar in the Ludhiana district. In this village lived Mahant Kirpal Das, who welcomed the Guru devoutly.

Ghani Khan and Nabi Khan asked the Guru�s permission to go back since their work was complete. Before they left, the Guru presented a pair of gold bracelets to them for their service. He also gave them a Hukumnama, which was letter addressed to the Sikhs, stating that these two Muslim friends were dearer to the Guru than his own sons and should be treated with great respect.

The Guru then stayed with Mahant Kirpal for a few days. But when he heard of the imperial orders against sheltering or helping him in anyway, he decided to move on. From Hehar he moved to Jatpura. There he met a Muslim named Rai Kalha, who was an important and a rich person of Jagraon and Raikot. He was also a devout admirer of the Guru. He too had heard of imperial orders against helping and sheltering the Guru. But it did not stop him from inviting him to his home. He took good care of him and served him with utmost devotion. The Guru then asked him to send somebody to Sarhind to get information about the fate of his mother and sons. The messenger sent by Rai Kalha returned in a few days. When Guru ji heard of his son�s death he took it very calmly, and replied that his sons had become immortal by their sacrifice. He was glad they had died for dharma, and said that he was ready to sacrifice not two, but two thousand sons. He blessed his son�s death for he knew that it was the harbinger of the end of the Mughal and Turkish rule in India. He consoled his devotees by saying that death should not weaken the resolve to uphold dharma. He then told them that this righteous war would continue as long as there was even one Khalsa left to fight.

After this, the Guru moved on to Dina in Firozepur, where he stayed with three brothers � Shamira, Lakhmira and Takht Mal. When the Nawab of Sarhind learnt of this he ordered Shamira to arrest the Guru, and bring him to Sarhind, but he ignored it. From there, the Guru Wrote a letter to Aurangzeb which he called Zafarname or the �Epistle of Victory�. In it, he condemned Aurangzeb�s violation of the oaths taken in the Quran. He referred to the attack in the Anandpur by treacherous means. He denounced Aurangzeb for having no regards for his religion and also laid down the losses he and his family had suffered due to the atrocities in the name of religion. He then sent Bhai Daya Singh and Bhai Dharam Singh the two of the beloved five with the letter to the emperor. After much difficulty, they reached Aurangzeb, who was on his death bed. He read the letter and deeply moved. Through the two men, he sent an invitation to the Guru to visit him and speak a few kind words. He wrote to the Nawab of Sarhind asking him not to trouble the Guru anymore. When the Guru received the message he was deeply touched, and set out towards the Deccan to meet him. But when he reached Baghaur he heard that Aurangzed had died at Ahmednagar on February 20, 1707. On hearing this, he returned to Dina. The Nawab of Sarhind ignored Aurangzeb�s orders and asked Shamira to surrender the Guru to Him. Shamira refused again and Wazir Khan, the Nawab of Sarhind, decided to attack the Guru.

Guru Gobind Singh confronted the forces of Wazir Khan on May 9, 1705. The Sikh Army fought bravely and destroyed the Turkish army. He constantly inspired his brave soldiers to protect the Dharma. He told them that if they could end the tyrannical rule of the Turks and the Mughals, their name will be inscribed in golden letters in the history of the country. He spurred them on to fight till victory of death was theirs. But the enemy troops were large and they far outnumbered the Sikh soldiers. When many of the Sikh soldiers were killed, the disciples requested him to leave for safe place. He agreed to their requests and decided to leave. But before leaving, he visited the scene of the battle. Among the Sikhs, who had died fighting, he found those forty men who had deserted him during the siege of Anandpur. With great love and affection he lifted the heads into his lap, wiped their face and blessed them. Then he came to a soldier named Bhai Mahan Singh who was still alive. When he found himself in the Guru�s lap, he was overjoyed. The Guru gently asked him if he had any last wish to be fulfilled. At this, a tearful Bhai Mahan said that he could have asked nothing more than to die in his Guru�s lap. Then he requested the Guru to tear off the disclaimer. When the Guru tore it in front of him, Bhai Mahan sighed in relief and breathed his last peacefully.

Then the Guru departed with his Pathan associates and stayed in the Lakhi Jungle. He began rendering service to the needy and poor there. Having stayed there for sometime, he decided to tour the Southern region of the country. But before he could leave Bahadur Shah Zafar, the new Mughal king, sent a re-conciliatory message to Guruji and he duly arrived in Delhi. The king welcomed him in his court and asked the Guru to end the long and bitter war between the two forces. The Guru replied that he too was against useless bloodshed but he wanted no oppression of his faith. Bahadur Shah Zafar assured the Guru that followers of all faiths and religions would be allowed to stay in peace, without any distinction between Hindus and Muslims. The Guru then agreed for the settlement, and they signed an honorable agreement.

Having made peace with the Mughal Empire, the Guru left on his tour to the Southern states. Visiting many towns and cities in the south, Guru Gobind Singh gave darshan to his devotees, and at last reached Nanda, on the banks of the river Godavari. Here, a bairagi monk named Madho Das had his ashram. On reaching there, he went straight to the ashram and rested on the couch of Madho Das. When a servant informed him of the guest�s conduct, he was furious and tried to overturn the couch by his magic powers. But he failed. He at once knew that the man was none other than the Guru. He immediately went and offered himself in the service of the guru. He was then named Banda (slave) Bahadur. Guruji began to hold his regular spiritual court in this ashram, and followers of the faiths began to attend it without fail.

Kheri, Chamkaur, Gujjars, Gulaba Masand, Bhai Mahan Singh, Bhai Dharam Singh, Ghani Khan, Nabi Khan, High Muslim Saint, Uchch Pir, Hehar in Ludhiana district, Mahant Kirpal Das, Jagraon, Raikot, Mughal and Turkish rule in India, Khalsa, Dina in Firozepur, Shamira, Lakhmira, Takht Mal, Aurangzeb, Nawab of Sarhind, Ahmednagar, Shamira, Wazir Khan, Siege of Anandpur, Lakhi Jungle, Bahadur Shah Zafar, Bairagi monk named Madho Das, Nanda, Nanded, Banda Bahadur, Ashram