The tradition links 52 princes with Guru Hargobind’s release on Bandi Chhor Divas. They are commonly described as 52 Rajput hill rajas or princes held at Gwalior Fort under Mughal authority.
According to Sikh tradition, Emperor Jahangir had imprisoned Guru Hargobind at Gwalior. When the Guru was ordered to leave, he asked that the detained rulers be freed as well. Jahangir agreed, reportedly on the condition that only those able to hold on to the Guru’s garment could accompany him.
The resulting story explains the famous image of a robe with 52 hems or tails—one for each ruler. A garment associated with this tradition is preserved at Gurdwara Chola Sahib in Ghudani Kalan, Punjab, although the historical details and chronology are not uniformly reported in every source.
The release is commemorated by Bandi Chhor Divas, a Sikh observance connected with Diwali. The number is sometimes mistakenly replaced with 40, 64, or 108, but 52 is the canonical figure in the standard account and in the quiz’s wording.