Sikh Identity through History

Mystic vs. Revealed

A revealed religion is one that is imparted through a chosen individual as a consequence of his or her encounter with God.

A mystic religion is one whose origin does not lie in revelation but in some other source

Mystic or Revealed?

Middle Eastern or Western Religions 

Judaism Christianity Islam

Eastern Religions

Buddhism Hinduism Jainism Sikhism

 – Revealed– Revealed– Revealed

– Mystic– Mystic– Mystic– Revealed

Sikhi is revealed

It gives Sikhs a sense of sovereignty

It becomes a vehicle for personal empowerment

Makes us rise above slavery

This sense of sovereignty was essential when scriptures were being used by a priestly class in Hindustan to limit the human potential, as most people were stratified into four castes

Evolution of Distinct IdentityDistinct script – GurmukhiDistinct community - Sangat,Pangat,Dharamsala Education, physical well being (wrestling)

Liberation and empowerment of women – sati, pardah and widow remarriageManji system 22 Manjis 4 women bishops and preachers Collection of money for social/religious causes

(daswand)

Distinct ceremonies (birth, naming, marriage)

The Adi Granth

Distinct Sikh Scripture (Adi Granth) Installed in Harmandir SahibBaba Buddha ji became first Granthi Increasing distinctiveness and popularity

among people resulted in the Guru being martyred by Jehengir

Miri Piri

Guru Hargobind created Akal Takht – Sikh seat of temporal sovereignty. Sikhs were to lead active lives both in temporal and spiritual realms (miri-piri).Bhai Gurdas was first Jathedaar of Akal

Takht

Sikhs were to play an active socio-political role in shaping the destiny of their surroundings

Guru Granth and Guru Panth

On Vaisakhi of 1699, Guru Gobind Singh inaugurated the Khalsa and created a committed group of men and women who were to dedicate their lives in service to the humanity.

The spiritual Guruship was passed on to the Sri Guru Granth Sahib

The corporate Guruship was passed on to the Guru Khalsa Panth

Baba Banda Singh Bahadur

Guru Gobind Singh dispatched Banda Singh Bahadur to Punjab for the establishment of a Sikh Republic. (1st Sikh Raj) conquered the heartland of Mughal empire struck coins in the names of Guru Nanak and

Guru Gobind Singh

When royal edicts pursuing the genocide of the Sikhs were issued by two successive Mughal emperors, Banda Singh replied with extraordinary awareness and human dignity that the fight of the Sikhs is not against the Muslims but only against oppression

The Sikh Nation

After Banda Singh, Sikhs ruled over Delhi 12 times – note that no other group was able to crush the Mughal dominance

Maharaja Ranjit Singh came to power Sikhs are recognized as a NATION throughout the

world (France, England, Italy, Russia, China, Persia (now Iran), Afghanistan, Nepal )

50 years of Sikh rule

The British and beyond

Gained and lost a Nation

Identity crushed

Singh Sabha MovementRediscovery of Sikh IdentityAnand Marriage ActGurdwara Reform MovementSGPC

British Rule

Fall of Sikh Raj by 1849

Punjab government

White Man’s Burden

Religious Climate

Strife amongst Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs

Arya Samaj (Hindu reform movement) -- Sikhs were a sect of Hindus

Rituals in Sikh institutions and assimilation of Hinduism

Untouchables still not recognized.

Conversion to Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism

Cultural and Historical Confusion

Census of 1855 listed Sikhs as Hindus (not until 1871 were they considered separate)

Historical documents destroyed

Precursor Movements

Namdharis

Nirankaris

Other MovementsUdasisSehajdharis

Sikh Spirit

Apathy rampant

British authors commented on Sikhs being their own worst enemy.

Many predictions that Sikhism would soon die.

Inciting Events for Reform

German linguist translation of Adi Granth ridiculed Sikh doctrine and assumed Sikhs were Hindus, thus fueling Arya Samaj movement.

Conversion of 4 kids in Amritsar Mission School to Christianity amongst numerous other converts.

Communication of events now facilitated by newspapers, railroads, postal service.

Lahore Singh Sabha

Prof. Gurmukh Singh -- professor of mathematics and Punjab

Lower-caste Sikhs and professional or middle-class Sikhs involved in education and journalism.

Sikh separateness

Attacked popular customs

Events1905 – idols removed from Golden Temple

1908 – first Sikh Educational Conference

1908 – Khalsa Biradhari

1909 – Macauliffe’s The Sikh Religion published in 6 volumes

1912 – legalization of Anand karaj

1914 – kirpaan exempted from the Arms Act

Recent Sikh History

Pop Quiz

In the peaceful quest for Indian independence, of all the people hanged, exiled and imprisoned by the British, the percentage of Sikhs (who constituted 1.5% of the population) was approximately:

(a) 1.5% (b) 11% (c) 31% (d) 60% (e) 80%

The Answer is

E – 80%

In the 1940’s the British Parliament declared unequivocally that after the British quit India, there are three peoples, distinct peoples, who are the legitimate heirs to the sovereignty of India, and whatever these three “nations” agree to, their decision the British will accept before they quit India.

These three peoples were

A) Hindus, Muslims, BuddhistsB) Buddhists, Muslims, ChristiansC) Hindus, Sikhs, MuslimsD) Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs

The Answer is

C – Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims

In March 1946, the Sikh representative body of the Panthic Akali Dal adopted a resolution in the context of independence. The resolution was

A) to seek an Independent state.B) as recommended by Jinnah – join PakistanC) Hindus and Sikhs are inseparable, and they

would offer “unconditional” support to the Indian National Congress

D) The British should leave and India would remain as a single nation after their departure

The Answer is

A – to seek an Independent State

Which of the following are false about Mohandas Gandhi

A) He considered Guru Gobind Singh to be a patriot

B) He supported Apartheid in South AfricaC) He upheld the Caste system and held

a hunger strike to ensure Dalits would remain subordinate

D) He regularly abused Sikhs in his public speeches to the Nation

A -He considered Guru Gobind Singh to be a

patriot

He considered Guru Gobind Singh to be a “MISGUIDED PATRIOT”

Nehru and Gandhi, urging the Sikhs to join India, made a commitment that no constitution of India would be framed unless it was acceptable to the Sikhs. As a result the Indian constitution

A) defines Sikhs as a distinct religious community like Hindus, Muslims and ChristiansB) was purely secular and does not mention any religious communityC) considers Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs as being part of the wider Hindu communityD) guarantees a special status to Sikhs under Article 370

The Answer is

C – Article 25 of the Indian Constitution says, “the reference to Hindus shall be construed as including a reference to persons professing the Sikh, Jain, or Buddhist religion, and the reference to Hindu religious institutions shall be construed accordingly”

Note: Glow of freedom…

Which of the following statements is true about the process of reorganizing the Indian states on a linguistic basis

A) All states agreed to adopt Hindi as their official language, hence no reorganization was required

B) Punjab was the only state that was left out of this reorganization and thus Hindi remained Punjab’s official language

C) All states with the exception of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka agreed to accept Hindi as their official language (so only these three states were reorganized)

D) The Sikhs and Hindus were united in their unequivocal support for Punjabi as the official language

The Answer is

B – as a result of 11 or so years of agitation and struggle for Punjabi Suba and outstanding sacrifices in the China

war the government was forced to concede

Which of the following clauses was not part of the Anandpur Sahib resolution of 1978

a) The city of Chandigarh be made the capital of only Punjab.

b) Removal of the restriction that the Armed Forces may not contain more that 2% Sikhs.

c) More autonomy and special status for the state of Punjab.

d) The immediate halt of the unjust and illegal allocation of Punjab’s river waters and hydroelectric power generated from them to non-riparian neighbor states

The Answer is

C - The Akalis were demanding more autonomy for ALL states in India

“Any knowledge of Amritdharis, who are dangerous people and pledged to commit murders, arson and acts of terrorism should immediately be brought the notice of authorities. These people might appear harmless from outside but they are basically committed to terrorism. In the interest of all of us their identity and whereabouts must always be disclosed.”

This was a quote in the following publication

A) Time Magazine, August 1945B) Indian Army, Army Gazette No. 153,

1984C) Arya Samaj pamphlet, March 2, 1986D) V. Patel, Secret Letter to Chief Ministers,

1951

The Answer is

B – Baatcheet –the Indian Army Gazette No. 153, 1984