MOST EXPENSIVE LAND EVER BOUGHT .
A rich trader in India , Diwan Todar mal Jain, on December 26 , 1704 purchased the priciest piece of land anywhere in world . I will let you know the price in today’s currency as well as the size of the land he bought, but before that , i will take you through pages of indian history , the days when Heroism shone at its brightest best and Villainy brought out its horrifying worst .
Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh ( aged 8 and 5 ) happened to be the younger Sons of Guru Govind Singh . In December 1704 they along with the mother of Guru Gobind Singh were strayed away from main forces while crossing the flooded river Sarsa , after Guru had to vacate the fortress of Anandpur . As Mughals gave chase to Guru ‘s forces , A cook in Guru’s household , Gangu , took three of them to his house in Kheri . There , overcome by greed to possess the gold coins that Guru’s mother was carrying with her , He blew their cover to Mughals .
They were arrested and next day , both young heroes were made to appear in the provincial court . They were sentenced to death by Qazi on being Sons of Guru Gobind Singh , whom they declared rebel against the Mughal empire . They were offered their lives on condition of forsaking their religion and accepting Islam . They were given a night to think over the matter .
Next day , they spurned the Governor’s offer to accept Islam , and chose death by getting bricked alive in the wall . Among the courtiers only Sher Mohammad Khan , governor of city raised his voice against the devilish plan . However no one paid heed to him and he had to leave the court in disgust .
The order was carried out next day , Two executioner brothers , Sashal begh and Bashal begh , carried out execution by bricking them alive.
Their Grandmother , who was captured along them , died when the news of execution is broken to her .
Diwan Todar Mal Jain , An affluent and successful businessman , who had good relations with many high ranking mughals , when came to know of this dastardly act , and that no one is willing to claim bodies and cremate them , decided to act .
He personally met with governor , Wajir Khan and expressed his desire to claim the bodies and cremate as per the customs . Wajir Khan taunted him and said that he can buy the land required for cremation , covering it by Gold coins standing vertically .
Todar Mal , accepted the offer and laid down the earning of his entire life so that Mother and Sons of Guru Gobind Singh can have proper cremation .
A mughal coin , diameter 2.1 cm , weight about 11 grams , 0.2 Cm thick .
Even if we take a piece of land as small as 6′ by 6′ (1.8 Meter by 1.8 Meter) , land barely enough to cremate an adult and two young souls , it will require 77400 coins , weighing around 852 kilograms of Gold .
As of today a Kilogram of Gold is 52658.10 USD , totaling about 44864701 US Dollars (331.3 Crore INR) in today’s money .
Today Gurudwara jyoti Sarup stands at the place , Fatehgarh Sahib ( Earlier Sirhind ) , where they were cremated . For showing the maturity beyond their short earthly years , they were affectionately called as “Baba” Zorawar Singh and “Baba” Fateh Singh . The honorific Baba in Punjabi / Hindi language is used for Wise old man / grandfather .
Later on , Guru Gobind Singh on learning about martyrdom of his sons , and the protest and refusal of the Sher Mohammad khan to be the party in execution of young souls , granted boon to his city , Malerkotla , that peace will pervade there and Sher Mohammad khan’s family will rule the city as long as kings and kingdoms will exist . Sher Khan’s family was ruling malerkotla till 1947 when all the kingdoms were merged into union of India. Malerkotla remained the island of peace ever after , even during the turbulent days of 1947 , when British Indian nation was partitioned into India and Pakistan and a million persons were killed in riots in rest of Punjab , Malerkotla didn’t register a single casualty .
Todar mal earned the wrath of Wajir khan and had to leave his lavish home behind and move near today’s Ludhiana city . Six years later Sikhs under the leadership of stormed Sirhind killing Wajir khan and his courtier Sucha nand for their inhuman act . The city was thoroughly razed , so much so that not a single building survived the onslaught , except the one Jahaaj Haveli , belonging to Todar mal . Although it fell to disrepair later , and some parts crumbled , whatever survived , still reminds the affluence of It’s erstwhile master .
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