The Tale of Alsoon

The Sikh Renaissance

In this brief episode we look at a marvellous incident from the Sri Gur Sobha of the poet Sainapati, a contemporary of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Sainapati was an eyewitness to the Guru's destruction of a village called Alsoon in the vicinity of Anandpur Sahib after the 1691 battle of Nadaun. The Sikhs had triumphed and were returning home when the Guru passed near Alsoon. He immediately ordered it destroyed with his forces driving out all inhabitants and razing it to the ground. What had the inhabitants of Alsoon done to deserve such a fate and was it justified? Listen to find out.