Introduction To 'The Queens Of Punjab' By Dr. Mrs. M.K. Gill

For the last few years, Mata Sundri College has been trying to analyse and understand the various intricate roles that women have played in shaping the world around us. The first effort dealt with the lives and personalities of some of the great, yet unassuming ladies of the Guru families, as also with a few women who were related to the Guru tradition. This year, we attempt to review the lives of the great heroines of the Punjab. Behind this choice lies a particular reason.

The Punjab is, on the one hand, the land of great saints, fakirs, derveshes and spiritual gurus. On the other hand it is the land of great heroes and brave warriors. Religion and heroism weigh in the same balance here. Guru Mahal, i.e. the ladies of the Guru family, have left their mark on both secular and spiritual spheres. They have no parallel in the world as far as the making of Sangat Pangat a practical reality is concerned. Similarly, the principles of Miri-Piri was given a concrete shape by Mata Gujri and Mata Sundri. The Sikh world can never forget the sacrifice of deficate-bodied. yet iron-willed and dedicated ladies like Mai Sabhrai and Mai Bhago. These women had to bear the humiliation of captivity under tyrant rulers, and to experience the horror of seeing their children massacred. Yet they remained unflinching in their devotion to the cause. This tradition of self-sacrifice was laid by the ideal wife of the ninth Guru, Mata Gujri herself. It was her legacy, to fight for the truth, to live with pride and self respect, sacrifice involved. The exemplary lives of these living legends of 'Miri-Piri' inspired us to look into their history. They upheld the social, moral and spiritual values of life, and left a permanent mark of glory in the annals of Punjab. The papers presented in this collection reveal how these brave women participated and contributed positively to the world they lived in.