The Mughal Empire
By 1737, the Mughal government of Lahore had strictly prohibited the Sikhs to visit Amritsar and bathe in the holy tank. To overcome this restriction, Bhai Mani Singh applied to Governor Zakariya Khan for permission to hold the Baisakhi festival at the Golden Temple. The permission was granted for a tribute of Rs.5,000. He hoped that he would be able to pay the sum out of the offerings to be made by the Sikhs who were invited to come.
The Sikhs came in large numbers, and Zakariya Khan, under the pretext of keeping order, sent a force under Diwan Lakhpat Rae to Amritsar. It was to march towards the city on the day of the festival in order to intimidate and disperse the Sikhs, and the festival broke up at the approach of the Mughal army.
Read more about this topic: Shaheed Bhai Mani Singh
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