**Pashaura Singh**

Department of Religious Studies, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA; psingh@ucr.edu

Received: 30 April 2020; Accepted: 29 June 2020; Published: 2 July 2020

**Abstract:** This essay o ffers in-depth analysis of Guru Nanak's works, collectively known as the *Babar-v ¯ a¯n, ¯ı* ("arrow-like utterances concerning Babur"), in the context of the memoirs of the first Mughal emperor Babur (1483–1530). It extends the number of works in the collection from a 'fixed' assemblage of 'four' to 'nine,' making it an open collection that dynamically responds to the specific questions raised by historians about Guru Nanak's encounter with Babur. The resulting framework provides us with a fresh analytical gaze into the critical events related to Babur's invasions of India and helps the novel readings of Guru Nanak's verses shine through. It also examines how Guru Nanak's voice of resistance was interpreted in the narratives produced by later generations. Departing from traditional views, the essay ends with a new understanding of the impact of the *Babar-v ¯ a¯n. ¯ı* on the evolving Sikh conceptions of the relationship between spiritual and political powers.

**Keywords:** *Babar-v ¯ a¯n. ¯ı*; Babur; *Baburnama*; Dawlat Khan Lodi; Gurdas; Guru Nanak; *Janam-sakh ¯ ¯ıs*; Miharvan; Rattan Singh Bhangu; Saidpur
