Mai Bhago — The Lioness of Punjab

In 1704, the fort of Anandpur Sahib was besieged by a massive alliance of Mughal and Hill Rajput armies. The Sikhs inside faced severe starvation. Unable to bear the hardship, forty Sikhs wrote a disclaimer (Bedawa) stating they were no longer the Guru's Sikhs, and abandoned Guru Gobind Singh Ji to return to their villages in the Majha region.

When these forty men reached their homes, they expected a warm welcome. Instead, they were met by Mai Bhago, a devout and courageous Sikh woman. She was furious at their betrayal.

Mai Bhago taunted them, "If you have abandoned the Guru in his time of need, then take our bangles and sit at home! Give us your swords, and we women will go fight for the Guru." Her burning words pierced their conscience.

Ashamed and filled with remorse, the forty men begged for a chance to redeem themselves. Mai Bhago did not just send them back; she wore men's clothing, mounted a horse, took up a lance, and led the forty warriors back to find the Guru.

They caught up with the pursuing Mughal army at the pool of Khidrana (now Muktsar). Under Mai Bhago's fierce leadership, the forty Sikhs fought a desperate holding action against thousands of enemy soldiers, fighting until their last breath to protect the Guru.

Guru Gobind Singh Ji arrived at the battlefield and found the leader, Mahan Singh, dying. The Guru tore the disclaimer (Bedawa) and blessed the forty men as the "Chali Mukte" (Forty Liberated Ones). Mai Bhago, severely wounded but alive, remained with the Guru as a devoted warrior for the rest of her life.