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99-523: The word "Akal" mean the "timeless primal being" and the word "Ustat" (from the Sanskrit word 'stuti') means "praise". So together, the words "Akal Ustat" mean "the praise of the Timeless One". In it, Guru Gobind Singh , the tenth Sikh Guru writes that God is worshipped by various peoples in many different ways, and with varying names and methods: He is an Inconceivable Entity, External and Attire-less. He

198-491: A Dharamyudh (war in defence of righteousness), something that is fought as a last resort, neither out of a wish for revenge nor for greed nor for any destructive goals. To the Guru, one must be prepared to die to stop tyranny, end persecution, and to defend one's own religious values. He led fourteen wars with these objectives, but never took captives nor damaged anyone's place of worship. Guru Gobind Singh fought 21 battles against

297-605: A Mughal army commander and the Nawab of Sirhind , against whose army the Guru had fought several wars, commissioned two Afghans, Jamshed Khan, and Wasil Beg, to follow the Guru's army as it moved for the meeting with Bahadur Shah, and then assassinate the Guru. The two secretly pursued the Guru whose troops were in the Deccan area of India, and entered the camp when the Sikhs had been stationed near river Godavari for months. They gained access to

396-533: A Sikh rebellion against the Mughals in the early 1700s severely compromised the Khatri's ability to trade and forced them to take sides. Those who were primarily dependent on the Mughals went to significant lengths to assert that allegiance in the face of accusations that they were in fact favouring " Jat Sikh followers of the rebel leader, Banda ". The outcome of their assertions - which included providing financial support to

495-593: A celebration of the feminine in the form of goddess Durga , fables dealing with sexuality , an autobiography, secular stories from the Puranas and the Mahabharata , letters to others such as the Mughal emperor , as well as reverential discussion of warriors and theology. In his writings Guru Gobind Singh uses a variety of pen names such as Shyam, Raam, Kaal, Gobind Das, Gobind Singh, Nanak, and Shah Gobind. According to

594-497: A century after the death of Gobind Singh evolved from relying entirely on court histories of the Mughals which disparage the Guru, to including stories from the Sikh gurbilas text that praise the Guru. The Mughal accounts suggest that the Muslim commanders viewed the Sikh panth as one divided into sects with different loyalties. As a result of the violent hostility between the Sikhs and

693-727: A group of martial caste members called Khati (Khatri) exist in North-India ". Michael Witzel , writing in his paper " Sanskritization of the Kuru State" states the Kathaiois were Kaṭha Brahmins . The Khatris played an important role in India's trans-regional trade during the period, being described by Levi as among the "most important merchant communities of early modern India." Levi writes: " Stephen Dale locates Khatris in Astrakhan , Russia during

792-616: A large Mughal army. In the ensuing battle, Guru's elder sons, also called the 'Vaade Sahibzaade' fought bravely, but the Mughal army was much larger and well equipped. While the Guru was taken to a safe place, his elder sons, Sahibzada Ajit Singh aged 17, and Jujhar Singh aged 13 were killed in the Battle of Chamkaur in December 1704 against the Mughal army. Gobind Singh's mother Mata Gujri and his two younger sons got separated from him after escaping

891-566: A letter which the Sikh tradition considers important towards the end of the 19th century. The Guru's letter was stern yet conciliatory to Aurangzeb. He indicted the Mughal Emperor and his commanders in spiritual terms, and accused them of a lack of morality both in governance and in the conduct of war. The letter predicted that the Mughal Empire would soon end, because it persecutes, and is full of abuse, falsehood, and immorality. The letter

990-631: A medieval Muslim dynasty founded by Zafar Khan Muzaffar , a member of the Tank caste of Punjabi Khatris according to the contemporary historian Shiekh Sikander or Rajputs. He started as a menial but rose to the level of a noble in the Delhi Sultan's family and became the Governor of Gujrat. After Timur attacked the city, people fled to Gujarat and it became independent. According to historians Roger Ballard and Harjot Oberoi , Afghan Hindus and Sikhs descend from

1089-432: A safe passage if they converted to Islam, which they refused; and subsequently, Wazir Khan ordered them to be bricked alive in the wall. Gujri fainted on hearing about her grandsons' death and died shortly thereafter. His adopted son Zorawar Singh Palit whose real name is unknown died in 1708 near Chittorgarh Fort in a skirmish with local soldiers. According to Sainapati, Zorawar Singh Palit had managed to escape in

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1188-638: A single rhyming couplet, known as a Dohra , of the tenth Guru, titled Dohra Mahalla Dasvan (10), near the end of the scripture on page 1429 is the work of Guru Gobind Singh. The composition in-question is as follows: Khatri Khatri is a caste originating from the Malwa and Majha areas of Punjab region of South Asia that is predominantly found in India , but also in Pakistan and Afghanistan . The Khatris claim they are warriors who took to trade. In

1287-569: A sub-caste of Khatris by some scholars were concentrated in the districts of Bannu , Kohat and Dera Ismail Khan . The Aroras spoke Jatki language which is the 9th century version of Saraiki (Multani) according to Ibbetson . They were also found in Afghanistan at a population of 300,000 in 1880. According to an 1800s colonial source referred by Shah Hanifi , " Hindki is the name given to Hindus who live in Afghanistan. They are Hindus of Khatri class and are found all over Afghanistan even amongst

1386-409: A succession struggle began between his sons who attacked each other. Guru Gobind Singh supported Bahadur Shah I in the Battle of Jajau by sending 200–300 Sikhs under Bhai Dharam Singh and later joining the battle themselves. According to Sikh sources it was Guru Gobind Singh who killed Azam Shah . The official successor Bahadur Shah invited Guru Gobind Singh with his army to meet him in person in

1485-627: Is Seven days after the New Moon Day in the Lunar Month of Poh (also called Poh Sudi 7 ਪੰਜਾਬੀ- ਪੋਹ ਸੁਦੀ ੭). His birth name was Gobind Das and a shrine named Takht Sri Patna Harimandar Sahib marks the site of the house where he was born and spent the first four years of his life. In 1670, his family returned to Punjab, and in March 1672, they moved to Chakk Nanaki in the Himalayan foothills of north India, called

1584-413: Is Shia, and someone a Sunni, but all the human beings, as a species, are recognized as one and the same. Eternal God, thou art our shield, The dagger, knife, the sword we wield. To us Protector there is given The timeless, deathless Lord of Heaven; To us All-light's unvanquished might, To us All-time's resistless flight; But chiefly Thou, Protector brave All-steel, wilt Thine own servant save Within

1683-465: Is also seen, in the context of Hindi. Hence the change from kshatriya to khatri is in consonance with the Prakrit rule and Hindi usage. The same is also testified by scholars R. G. Bhandarkar and Shapurji Edalji . As per historian W. H. McLeod and Louis Fenech, Khatri is a Punjabi form of the word Kshatriya. Peter Hardy and A. R. Desai also agree that Khatri is derived from Kshatriya. Despite

1782-599: Is another sort of gentiles whom they call Catry, the town is properly their country and from thence they spread all over the Indies." According to Dr. Madhu Tyagi, Thevenot is referring to Hindu Khatri caste here. The last caste-based census was conducted by the British in 1931 which regarded Khatri and Arora as a different caste. During 1931, Khatris were prominent in the West Punjab and North-Western Frontier Province (NWFP), which

1881-510: Is left to bleed before being slaughtered), fornication and adultery were forbidden. The Khalsas also agreed to never interact with those who followed rivals or their successors. The co-initiation of men and women from different castes into the ranks of Khalsa also institutionalized the principle of equality in Sikhism regardless of one's caste or gender. Gobind Singh's significance to the Sikh tradition has been very important, as he institutionalized

1980-708: Is now known as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK). The Khatris spoke Hindko and Potohari language. Highest percentage concentration of Khatris (excluding Aroras) were in Potohar regions of Jhelum and Rawalpindi . In NWFP, the Khatris were found mainly in Peshawer and Hazara . Arora-Khatris were centered in Multan and Derajat regions of Punjab and NWFP . In the NWFP, the Aroras which are considered

2079-510: Is spiritually rooted in Gobind Singh's beliefs about justice and dignity without fear. Guru Gobind Singh's four sons, also referred to as Chaar Sahibzaade (the four princes), were killed during his lifetime – the elder two in a battle with Mughals , and the younger two executed by the Mughal governor of Sirhind . The Guru and his two elder sons had escaped the siege of Anandpur in December 1704 and reached Chamkaur , but they were pursued by

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2178-440: Is supposed to slice the thick branch or stem of a Jandi Tree (Prosopis cineraria) in one blow using a sword. During the pregnancy period of a female, a baby shower ceremony called "reetan" or "goadbharai" is carried out amongst Khatris and Aroras. During the event, gifts are showered to the pregnant mother from family and friends among other traditions. Harish Damodaran says the rise of Khatri industrialists in post-1947 India

2277-593: Is the Khalsa and the Khalsa is the Guru. The seat has been given to Sri Sahib Mata Devi . Love each other and expand the community. Follow the words of the Granth. The Sikh that follows Sikhi shall be with the Guru. Follow the conduct of the Guru. Always remain with Waheguru ." While it is generally believed that Guru Gobind Singh did not add any of his own compositions to the Guru Granth Sahib , there are some who argue that

2376-604: Is to protect the oppressed from the aggression of the oppressors". According to scholars, the Khatri Hindus dominated the weaving industry in Benaras. When the first caravan of Muslim weavers arrived in Benaras , the Khatri, who were considered low-caste Hindus at the time, helped them. The Muslims had to depend on the Khatri weavers because the Muslims found it difficult to interact with

2475-461: Is without attachment, colour, form and mark. He distinct from all others of various colours and signs. He is the Primal being, Unique and Changeless.(3) He is without colour, mark, caste and lineage. He is the without enemy, friend, father and mother. He is far away from all and closest to all. His dwelling is within water, on earth and in heavens.(4) The scripture is notable for its unalloyed disavowal of

2574-552: The Chandi di Var in Punjabi language – a legendary war between the good and the evil, where the good stands up against injustice and tyranny, as described in the ancient Sanskrit text Markandeya Purana . He stayed in Paonta, near the banks of river Yamuna , until 1685. Guru Gobind Singh had three wives: The life example and leadership of Gobind Singh have been of historical importance to

2673-771: The Dallewallia Misl , an independent 18th century Sikh sovereign state in Ludhiana and Jalandhar district that would later on join Maharaja Ranjit Singh's kingdom. In the Sikh Empire, Hari Singh Nalwa (1791–1837) an Uppal Khatri from Gujranwala , became the Commander-in-chief of the Sikh Khalsa Army . He led the Sikh conquests of Kasur , Sialkot , Attock , Multan , Kashmir , Peshawar and Jamrud . He

2772-425: The Guru Granth Sahib ) as one last test to find the next Guru, after his father's martyrdom he was made the tenth Sikh Guru on Vaisakhi on 29 March 1676. The education of Gobind Singh continued after he became the 10th Guru, both in reading and writing as well as martial arts such as horse riding and archery. The Guru learned Farsi in a year and at the age of 6 started training in martial arts. In 1684, he wrote

2871-545: The Indian subcontinent , they were mostly engaged in mercantile professions such as banking and trade. They were the dominant commercial and financial administration class of late-medieval India. Some in Punjab often belonged to hereditary agriculturalist land-holding lineages, while others were engaged in artisanal occupations such as silk production and weaving. Khatris of Punjab, specifically, were scribes and traders during

2970-634: The Manglacharan Puran , Guru Gobind Singh further does a Teeka of the Akal Ustat, as Baba Binod Singh had asked Guru Gobind Singh what the Bani meant in terms of spirituality. Ritualism is criticized in the composition as an overemphasized method to reach God. Parts of the work are read out during Amrit Sanchar baptismal ceremonies. Occasional references are made to the Abrahamic mythology found within

3069-559: The Mughal Empire and the kings of Siwalik Hills . After the creation of the Khalsa the Hill Rajas, who had previously lost in battle to Guru Gobind Singh, sent a petition to Delhi requesting they act immediately and join them in battle against the Guru.l The Muslim historians of the Mughal court wrote about Guru Gobind Singh as well as the geopolitics of the times he lived in, and these official Persian accounts were readily available and

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3168-936: The Param Vir Chakra . The word khatri , in the Hindi Language , comes from the Sanskrit " kshatriya ", according to the Śabdasāgara Lexicon by Shyamasundara Dasa. According to B. N. Puri , philologists agree that the terms "khatri" and "kshatriya" are synonymous. The Sanskrit conjunct ksha (क्ष) turns into the Prakrit kha (ख), as per the grammarian Vararuchi . This change is not only accepted in Prakrit, but in all Indian vernaculars derived by it, such as Gujarati , Urdu , Gurumukhi as well as Farsi or Persian . Certain Sanskrit words have very close counterparts, such as: kshetra (kheta), kshama (khama), laksha (lakha), and iksha (ikha). The substituition of ri (ऋ) from riya

3267-666: The Partition of British India in 1947, Khatris migrated enmasse to India from the regions that comprise modern-day Pakistan. Hindu Afghans and Sikh Afghans are predominantly of Khatri and Arora origin. Khatris have played an active role in the Indian Armed Forces since 1947, with many heading it as the Chief of Army or Admiral of the Navy . Some such as Vikram Batra and Arun Khetarpal have won India's highest wartime gallantry award,

3366-629: The Quranic texts and practices of Muslims . Most references in the work are directed at the corpus of Indic mythology . Some Sikh writers have claimed that verses 211–230 of the work were not authored by Guru Gobind Singh, likely because they may be interpreted as praising the goddess Durga. Other Sikh scholars claim the composition is incomplete in its extant form and is missing parts. Guru Gobind Singh Battles Guru Gobind Singh ( Punjabi pronunciation: [gʊɾuː goːbɪn̪d̪ᵊ sɪ́ŋgᵊ] ; born Gobind Das ; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708)

3465-620: The Sikh warrior community called Khalsa in 1699 and introducing the Five Ks , the five articles of faith that Khalsa Sikhs wear at all times. Guru Gobind Singh is credited with the Dasam Granth whose hymns are a sacred part of Sikh prayers and Khalsa rituals. He is also credited as the one who finalized and enshrined the Guru Granth Sahib as Sikhism's primary holy religious scripture and

3564-403: The caste system , and of cultural elitism in general. At various points in this composition, Guru Gobind Singh speaks out against the belief that some people are superior to others, by virtue of belonging to a particular religion, region, history, culture, colour or creed. Instead, he clearly and firmly states that "all human beings are equal ": Someone is Hindu and someone a Muslim, then someone

3663-455: The Adi Granth, thus founding the khande ka pahul (baptization ceremony) of a Khalsa – a warrior community. The Guru also gave them a new surname " Singh " (lion). After the first five Khalsa had been baptized, the Guru asked the five to baptize him as a Khalsa. This made the Guru the sixth Khalsa, and his name changed from Guru Gobind Das to Guru Gobind Singh. This initiation ceremony replaced

3762-585: The Bansavlinama, written in 1755 by Kesar Singh Chibbar, Sikhs requested that Gobind Singh merge Dasam Granth with the Guru Granth Sahib. Gobind Singh responded to the request by saying, "This is the Adi Guru Granth; The root book. That one (Dasam Granth) is only for my diversion. Let this be kept in the mind and let the two stay separate." The Dasam Granth has a significant role in the initiation and

3861-511: The Battle of Chamkaur and later met the Guru in Rajputana after which he got in a minor scuffle at Chittorgarh and died. According to Sikh historians, Guru Gobind Singh took the harsh news about the execution of his sons, Fateh Singh and Zorawar Singh, with stoic calm, and wrote "What use is it to put out a few sparks when you raise a mighty flame instead?". Aurangzeb died in 1707, and immediately

3960-465: The Brahmin scribes who discontinued the use of Persian and started using Marathi in the Deccan. According to McLane, them being a trading group, had spread into many parts of India, possibly long before the 1700s and to Bengal, possibly even before the Mughals arrived. According to a 17th-century legend, Khatris continued their military service until the time of Aurangzeb , when their mass death during

4059-419: The Deccan region of India for reconciliation. Guru Gobind Singh hoped to get Anandpur, his former stronghold back, and remained close to the imperial camp for nearly a year. His appeals for the restoration of his lands turned out to be ineffectual however as Bahadur Shah went on postponing any restoration to the status quo ante as he was not willing to offend either the Guru or the hill rajas. Wazir Khan ,

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4158-551: The Guru Panth is rarely evoked, being overshadowed by the more popular Guru Granth . Piara Singh Padam in his Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji de Darbari Ratan highlights that Guru Gobind Singh gave as much regard to the pen as to the sword. Guru Gobind Singh is credited in the Sikh tradition with finalizing the Kartarpur Pothi (manuscript) of the Guru Granth Sahib – the primary scripture of Sikhism. The final version did not accept

4257-420: The Guru and Jamshed Khan stabbed him two times resulting in a fatal wound at Nanded . Some scholars state that the assassin who killed Guru Gobind Singh may not have been sent by Wazir Khan, but was instead sent by the Mughal army that was staying nearby. According to Senapati's Sri Gur Sobha , an early 18th-century writer, the fatal wounds of the Guru was one below his heart. The Guru fought back and killed

4356-471: The Guru and his remaining soldiers moved and stayed in different spots including hidden in places such as the Machhiwara jungle of southern Panjab. Some of the various spots in north, west, and central India where the Guru lived after 1705, include Hehar with Kirpal Das (maternal uncle), Manuke, Mehdiana, Chakkar, Takhtupura, and Madhe and Dina ( Malwa region). He stayed with relatives or trusted Sikhs such as

4455-452: The Khalsa, resisted the ongoing persecution by the Mughal Empire, and continued the defence of dharma, by which he meant True Religion, against the assault of Aurangzeb. He introduced ideas that indirectly challenged the discriminatory taxes imposed by the Mughal authorities. For example, Aurangzeb had imposed taxes on non-Muslims that were collected from the Sikhs as well, the jizya (poll tax on non-Muslims), pilgrim tax, and Bhaddar tax –

4554-529: The Khatri men since the seventeenth century. In the early 19th century, the Khatris, Bhatias and Lohanas were the main trading castes in Rajasthan , Delhi , Agra , Sind and Punjab . Banking, trading and business were considered "traditional occupations of the Khatri in Rajasthan". According to Prakash Tandon , during Khatri weddings, a ritual is carried out to test the Khatri groom's strength. The groom

4653-624: The Khatri weavers in Gujarat trace their ancestry to either Champaner ( Panch Mahals District ) or Hinglaj (Sindh) and the community genealogists believe that the migration happened during the late sixteenth' century. Suraiya Faroqhi , writes that, in 1742 Gujarat, the Khatris had protested the immigration of Muslim weavers by refusing to deliver cloth to the East India Company. In another case Khatris taught weaving to Kunbis due to receiving excessive orders who soon became strong competitors to

4752-555: The Khatris much to their chagrin. In the mid-1770s, the Mughal governor granted the Kunbi rivals rights to manufacture saris . This licence was later revoked in 1800 due to pressure from the British, after a deal was struck between the Khatris and the East India Company , in which the Khatris would weave only for the EIC until certain quotas were met. The Gujarat Sultanate (1407–1523) was

4851-418: The Khatris, Kashmiri Brahmins and Kayasthas took readily to learning Persian from the times of Sikandar Lodi onwards and found ready employment in the Imperial Services, specifically in the departments of accountancy (siyaq), draftsmanship (insha) and offices of the revenue minister (diwan). In the 15th century, the Sikh religion was founded by Guru Nanak , a Bedi Khatri. The second guru, Guru Angad

4950-433: The Mughal armies, Guru Gobind Singh ordered the social segregation between the Khalsa and the Muslims, the sentiments of which are reiterated in the contemporary and posthumous rahit-namas. To a lesser extent, injunctions were also made prohibiting the partake in certain Hindu rituals and beliefs as well as against schismatic Sikh factions opposed to the orthodox Khalsa community. After the Second Battle of Anandpur in 1704,

5049-409: The Mughal siege of Anandpur in December 1704; and were later arrested by the forces of Wazir Khan , the Mughal governor of Sirhind. The younger pair, called the 'Chotte Sahibzaade', along with their grandmother were imprisoned in an Open Tower (Thanda Burj), in chilling winter days. Around 26 and 27 December 1704, the younger sons, Sahibzada Fateh Singh aged 6 and Zorawar Singh aged 9, were offered

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5148-432: The Mughals and shaving their beards - was that the Khatris became still more important to the Mughal rulers as administrators at various levels, in particular because of their skills in financial management and their connections with bankers. Khatri standards of literacy and caste status were such during the early years of Sikhism that, according to W. H. McLeod , they dominated it. Historian Douglas E. Hanes states that

5247-419: The Muslim and Kunbi weavers purchased imported yarn in the 1840s. In Mandvi , the silk products were highly valued and the Khatri dyers would work in the pits on the bank of the river Rukmavati because the water was supposed to have special properties to give steadfast colours. These products were often exported to east Africa. In Dhamadka, Kutch , "block printing cloth" was the traditional occupation of

5346-454: The Punjab plains. In the 1830s, Khatris were working as governors in the districts like Bardhaman , Lahore , Multan , Peshawar and Hazara , but independent from the Mughal rule. In Punjab, they were moneylenders, shopkeepers and grain-dealers among other professions. A Peshkari Khatri family in Hyderabad State would become part of the Hyderabadi nobility and occupy the post of Prime Minister of Hyderabad. Notable individuals of

5445-458: The Punjabi word " khattrī ", meaning "warrior", derives from Sanskrit " kṣatriya ", whereas the Gujarati word " khātrī ", meaning "a caste of Hindu weavers", derives from Sanskrit " kṣattr̥ ", meaning "carver, distributor". John Stratton Hawley and Mann clarify that although the word "Khatri" derives from the word "Kshatriya", in Punjab's context Khatri refers to a "cluster of merchant castes including Bedis, Bhallas and Sodhis". Purnima Dhavan sees

5544-453: The Sikh conquests up until the Khyber pass . Others such as Mokham Chand commanded the Sikh Army against the Durrani Empire at Attock while those such as Sawan Mal Chopra ruled Multan after wrestling it from the Afghans. During the British colonial era, they also served as lawyers and engaged in administrative jobs in the colonial bureaucracy. Some of them served in the British Indian army after being raised as Sikhs. During

5643-410: The Sikhs to congregate at Anandpur on Vaisakhi (the annual spring harvest festival ). According to the Sikh tradition, he asked for a volunteer. One came forward, whom he took inside a tent. The Guru returned to the crowd alone, with a bloody sword. He asked for another volunteer, and repeated the same process of returning from the tent without anyone and with a bloodied sword four more times. After

5742-528: The Sikhs. He institutionalized the Khalsa (literally, Pure Ones), who played the key role in protecting the Sikhs long after his death, such as during the nine invasions of Panjab and the attacks by Ahmad Shah Abdali from Afghanistan between 1747 and 1769. While his birth name is commonly acknowledged as being "Gobind Rai", J.S Grewal and W.H McLeod, among other scholars, point out that hukamnamas and documents issued by his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, mention him as "Gobind Das". According to McLeod, "Gobind Rai"

5841-461: The Sivalik range, where he was schooled. Tegh Bahadur was petitioned by Kashmiri Pandits in 1675 for protection from the fanatic persecution by Iftikar Khan, the Mughal governor of Kashmir under Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb . Tegh Bahadur considered a peaceful resolution by meeting Aurangzeb, but was cautioned by his advisors that his life may be at risk. The young Gobind Das – to be known as Gobind Singh after 1699 – advised his father that no one

5940-404: The assassin, while the assassin's companion was killed by the Sikh guards as he tried to escape. The Guru died of his wounds a few days later on 7 October 1708. His death fuelled a long and bitter war of the Sikhs with the Mughals. According to the Bansavalinama by Kesar Singh Chibber written in 1768, the Guru's last words were, "The Granth is the Guru and it will bring you to Akal . The Guru

6039-413: The autobiography of the last Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh , but possibly not so, the Bedi sub-caste of the Khatris derives its lineage from Kush , the son of Rama (according to Hindu epic Ramayana ). Similarly, according to the same legend, the Sodhi sub-caste claims descent from Lav , the other son of Rama. In Guru Granth Sahib , the primary scripture of Sikhism , Khatri is mentioned as one among

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6138-481: The basis of colonial era English-language description of Sikh history. According to Dhavan, the Persian texts that were composed by Mughal court historians during the lifetime of Gobind Singh were hostile to him but presented the Mughal perspective. They believed that the religious Guru tradition of Sikhs had been corrupted by him, through the creation of a military order willing to resist the imperial army . Dhavan writes that some Persian writers who wrote decades or

6237-403: The charan pahul ritual practiced by the previous gurus, in which an initiate would drink the water either the Guru or a masand of the guru had dipped their right toe in. Gobind Singh initiated the Five K's tradition of the Khalsa, He also announced a code of discipline for Khalsa warriors. Tobacco, eating 'halal' meat (a way of slaughtering in which the animal's throat is slit open and it

6336-408: The city. Historian Stephen Dale states that most of the 10,000 (as estimated by Jean Chardin ) Indian merchants and money-lenders in Isfahan (Iran) in 1670, belonged to the Khatri caste of Punjab and north-west India. In Iran's Bazaar 's, Khatris sold cloth and various items and also practised money-lending. Dale believes that Khatris had possibly been travelling from Punjab via caravans since

6435-546: The claim as originating from a conflation of the phonetically similar words khatri and kshatriya, but refers to Khatris as a "trading caste" of the Sikh Gurus. Baij Nath Puri mentions that the modern descendants of these Kathaiois, Khathrois & Khatriaoi tribes mentioned by the Greeks in West Punjab are the Khatris of India. According to S. Sasikanta Sastri , Greek historians have mentioned that Alexander faced stiffed resistance from Indian army of "Kathiyo" warriors. Sastri further adds that "even in present day modern-India,

6534-417: The daily life of devout Khalsa Sikhs. Parts of its compositions such as the Jaap Sahib , Tav-Prasad Savaiye and Benti Chaupai are the daily prayers ( Nitnem ) and sacred liturgical verses used in the initiation of Khalsa Sikhs. When all other means have failed, It is but lawful to take to the sword. – Guru Gobind Singh, Zafarnamah The period following the execution of Guru Tegh Bahadur –

6633-404: The emperor's Deccan Campaign caused him to order their widows to be remarried . The order was made out of sympathy for the widows but when the Khatri community leaders refused to obey it, Aurangzeb terminated their military service and said that they should be shopkeepers and brokers. This legend is probably fanciful: McLane notes that a more likely explanation for their revised position was that

6732-450: The era of Ziauddin Barani (around 1300 AD). Chardin specifically stereotyped and expressed disapproval of the money-lending techniques of the Khatri community. According to Dale, this racist criticism was ironic given Chardin's non-English background but adds that it was Chardin's way of giving an "ethnic explanation" to the economic disparity between Iran and India at that time. According to Bichitra Natak , traditionally said to be

6831-469: The eternal Guru . He also established the concept of Guru Panth as his spiritual successor, however this manner of guruship is seldom evoked today. Gobind Singh was the only son of Guru Tegh Bahadur , the ninth Sikh guru , and Mata Gujri . He was born into the Sodhi clan of the Punjabi Khatri community. He was born in Patna , Bihar on 22 December 1666 while his father was visiting Bengal and Assam . According to Desi Calender, his birth date

6930-415: The etymology, Hardy says that Khatri is "a mercantile class" and Desai says the Khatris were "traditionally tradesmen and government officials". Dr. Dharamvir Bharati comments that in Punjabi language, Kshatriya is pronounced as Khatri. As per Dr. GS Mansukhani and RC Dogra, "Khatri appears to be unquestionably a Prakritised form of Sanskrit word Kshatriya." According to philologist Ralph Lilley Turner ,

7029-457: The exact limits of Khatri occupation to the West, but certainly in all Eastern Afghanistan they seem to be just as much part of the community as they are in the Punjab. They find their way into Central Asia." The Khatris took on a prominent role in the emerging Sikh milieu of post-Mughal Punjab. According to the Khalsa Durbar Records, Maharaja Ranjit Singh 's army was composed of majorly Jats followed by Khatris. Sardar Gulab Singh Khatri founded

7128-537: The extraneous hymns in other versions, and included the compositions of his father Guru Tegh Bahadur. Gobind Singh also declared this text to be the eternal Guru for Sikhs. Gobind Singh is also credited with the Dasam Granth . It is a controversial religious text considered to be the second scripture by some Sikhs, and of disputed authority to other Sikhs. The standard edition of the text contains 1,428 pages with 17,293 verses in 18 sections. The Dasam Granth includes hymns, mythological tales from Hindu texts ,

7227-540: The family include Maharaja Kishen Prasad , GCIE who would serve as Prime Minister of the State twice. In Hyderabad , around the mid-20th century, Khatris and Padmasalis were the leading "Hindu weaving castes" who owned 43% of the looms . The Khatris specialised in silk, while the Padmasalis in cotton weaving. In Gujarat , during the colonial rule, Khatris contributed greatly to the weaving industry there. They as well as

7326-478: The father of Guru Gobind Singh, was a period where the Mughal Empire under Aurangzeb was an increasingly hostile enemy of the Sikh people. The Sikh resisted, led by Gobind Singh, and the Muslim-Sikh conflicts peaked during this period. Both Mughal administration and Aurangzeb's army had an active interest in Gobind Singh. Aurangzeb issued an order to exterminate Gobind Singh and his family. Gobind Singh believed in

7425-521: The favored term thereafter became Khalsa. Additionally, prior to the Khalsa, the Sikh congregations across India had a system of Masands appointed by the Sikh Gurus. The Masands led the local Sikh communities, local temples, and collected wealth and donations for the Sikh cause. Gobind Singh concluded that the Masands system had become corrupt, he abolished them and introduced a more centralized system with

7524-510: The fifth volunteer went with him into the tent, the Guru returned with all five volunteers, all safe. He called them the Panj Pyare and the first Khalsa in the Sikh tradition. Gobind Singh then mixed water and sugar into an iron bowl, stirring it with a double-edged sword to prepare what he called Amrit ("nectar"). He then administered this to the Panj Pyare , accompanied with recitations from

7623-549: The four varnas . ਖਤ੍ਰੀ ਬ੍ਰਾਹਮਣ ਸੂਦ ਵੈਸ ਉਪਦੇਸੁ ਚਹੁ ਵਰਨਾ ਕਉ ਸਾਝਾ ॥ (SGGS, ang 747) Khatri brahman sud vais updesu cahu varna ku sanjha Kshatriyas , Brahmins , Shudras and Vaishyas all have the same mandate Guru Gobind Singh , said the following in a swayya : Chattri ko poot ho, Baman ko naheen kayee tap aavat ha jo karon; Ar aur janjaar jito greh ko tohe tyaag, kahan chit taan mai dharon, Ab reejh ke deh vahey humko jo-oo, hau binti kar jor karoon ; Jab aao ki audh nidaan bane, att hi ran main tab jujh maroon. I am

7722-480: The groups of Ranbaxy , Hero , Mahindra , Ballarpur Industries , Apollo Tyres and Oberoi respectively. They have also co-founded companies like Snapdeal , Hotmail , YesBank , IndiaToday , AajTak , IndiGo Airlines , Sun Microsystems , Max Group etc. Punjabi Khatris and others, together with the traditionally "urban and professional" castes, formed a part of the elite middle class immediately after independence in 1947. According to P. K. Verma, "Education

7821-573: The help of Khalsa that was under his direct supervision. These developments created two groups of Sikhs, those who initiated as Khalsa, and others who remained Sikhs but did not undertake the initiation. The Khalsa Sikhs saw themselves as a separate religious entity, while the Nanakpanthi Sikhs retained their different perspective. The Khalsa warrior community tradition started by Guru Gobind Singh has contributed to modern scholarly debate on pluralism within Sikhism. His tradition has survived into

7920-424: The high-caste Hindus directly at the time. Since these new immigrant Muslims were cheap labour, the Khatris took over marketing and thus transited from weavers to traders over time. The Muslims, who learned the technique of weaving from them, soon came to be known as Chira-i-Baaf or 'fine cloth weavers'. In Bengal, Burdwan Raj (1657–1955) was a Khatri dynasty, which gained a high social position for Khatris in

8019-480: The land Khatris originally belonged to had very little industry and rail infrastructure until the 20th century and hence were not comparable to merchant groups like Banias in terms of scale and spread of operation. Before independence they were only regional players and their rise in phenomenal proportions was a post-independence feature. Since then, they have produced leading entities in fields of pharmaceuticals, two-wheelers, tractors, paper, tyre-making and hotels with

8118-511: The last being a tax to be paid by anyone following the Hindu ritual of shaving the head after the death of a loved one and cremation. Guru Gobind Singh declared that Khalsa does not need to continue this practice, because Bhaddar is not dharam , but a bharam (illusion). Not shaving the head also meant not having to pay the taxes by Sikhs who lived in Delhi and other parts of the Mughal Empire. However,

8217-550: The late 17th century and, in the 1830s, Elphinstone , was informed that Khatris were still highly involved in northwest India's trade and that they maintained communities throughout Afghanistan and as far away as Astrakhan ". According to Kiran Datar, they often married Tatar local women in Astrakhan and the children from these marriages were known as Agrijan . As per Stephen Dale, the children born out of Indo-Turkic alliance were in sufficient number to form an Agrizhan suburb in

8316-501: The majority of Khatris and were deemed superior. This was followed by Sareen Khatris who formed a minority. Another sub-group of Khatris include Khukhrain which had split up from the bunjayees . (Bunjahis) Emperor Jahangir in his autobiography Jahangirnama while talking about the castes, he observed "The second highest caste (after Brahmins in the caste system) is the Chhatri which is also known as Khattri. The Chhatri caste's purpose

8415-558: The medieval period, with the Gurumukhi script used in writing the Punjabi language deriving from a standardised form of the Lāṇḍa script used by Khatri traders; the invention of the script is traditionally ascribed to Guru Angad . During the medieval period, with the rise of Persian as an elite vernacular due to Islamic rule, some of the traditional high status upper-caste literate elite such as

8514-410: The members of the country's indigenous Khatri population who resisted the conversion from Buddhism to Islam between 9th and 13th centuries. Later, they aligned themselves to the teachings of Guru Nanak, himself a Khatri and converted to Sikhism. Hence, Khatris of Afghanistan are in no way of "Indian origin" but are components of the original population of the region. George Campbell says "I do not know

8613-521: The modern times, with initiated Sikh referred to as Khalsa Sikh, while those who do not get baptized referred to as Sahajdhari Sikhs. Whilst Guru Gobind Singh passed on the mantle of guruship to both the Guru Granth and Guru Panth , the practice of Guru Panth was prevalent in the 18th century during the era of the Sikh Confederacy but fell into obscurity during the rise of Ranjit Singh . Today,

8712-516: The new code of conduct also led to internal disagreements between Sikhs in the 18th century, particularly between the Nanakpanthi and the Khalsa. Gobind Singh had a deep respect for the Khalsa and stated that there is no difference between the True Guru and the sangat (panth). Before his founding of the Khalsa, the Sikh movement had used the Sanskrit word Sisya (literally, disciple or student), but

8811-665: The region while his son Diwan Mulraj Chopra , (1814-1851) the last Punjabi ruler of Multan led a Sikh rebellion against British suzerainty over Multan after the fall of the Sikh Empire in the Anglo-Sikh Wars . He was arrested after the Siege of Multan and put to death. Purnima Dhawan described that together with Jat community, the Khatris gained considerably from the expansion of the Mughal empire, although both groups supported Guru Hargobind in his campaign for Sikh self-government in

8910-492: The region resulting in greater migration of Khatris from North to Bengal. When Guru Tegh Bahadur visited Bengal in 1666, he was welcomed by the local Khatris, thereby supporting earlier waves of migration of Khatris to Bengal as well. Historian Muzaffar Alam describes the Khatris of Punjab as a "scribe and trading caste". They occupied positions in revenue collection and record keeping and learnt Persian during Mughal era. However, this profession often created conflicts with

9009-432: The son of a Chhatri (Khatri), not of a Brahmin and I will live according to my Dharma . All other complications of life are meaningless for me, and I set my heart on the path of righteousness. I humbly beseech thee God Almighty that when the time comes for me to fulfill my Dharma, may I die with honour in the field of battle. French traveller Thevenot visited India during the 1600s where he commented "At Multan , there

9108-486: The three grandsons of Rai Jodh, a devotee of Guru Har Gobind . Guru Gobind Singh saw the war conduct of Aurangzeb and his army against his family and his people as a betrayal of a promise, unethical, unjust, and impious. After all of Gobind Singh's children had been killed by the Mughal army and the battle of Muktsar, the Guru wrote a defiant letter in Persian to Aurangzeb, titled Zafarnama (literally, "epistle of victory"),

9207-662: The wildest tribes. They are wholly occupied in trade and form numerous portion of the population of all the cities and towns, and are also to be found in the majority of large villages." Apart from Punjab , Khatris arrived in Delhi and Haryana among other regions after the partition where they make up 9% and 8.0% of the population respectively. Historically, Khatris were divided into various hierarchal endogamous sections. This includes u rhai/dhai ghar , char ghar , barah ghar/bahri and bunjayee or bavanjah ghar which translated to House of 2.5, 4, 12 and 52 respectively. They formed

9306-511: Was a Trehan Khatri. The third guru, Guru Amar Das was a Bhalla Khatri. The fourth through tenth gurus were all Sodhi Khatris. During the Sikh Empire , many Khatris formed the military vanguard of the Khalsa Army and its administrative class as Dewans of all the provinces. Hari Singh Nalwa , the commander-in-chief of the Sikh Khalsa Army, was an Uppal Khatri and responsible for most of

9405-419: Was a consequence initially of the cataclysmic Partition , which pushed them in droves towards Delhi and its neighbourhoods. This exodus opened new opportunities for them. A combination of enterprise, articulation, and strategic closeness to the national capital— which, in itself, was becoming a major growth hub - created conditions for Khatri capital to flourish in the post-Partition period. Damodaran adds that

9504-409: Was an exonym used within Muslim sources. Whilst the commonly accepted birth year for the guru is 1666, some sources record his birth year as being 1661. Sikhologist Louis E. Fenech believes 1661 is more likely to be the true birth year of the guru as it lines up more reliably with events later in his life regarding his coming-of-age and leadership in 1679. In 1699, Guru Gobind Singh requested

9603-457: Was more worthy to lead and make a sacrifice than him. His father made the attempt, but was arrested then publicly beheaded in Delhi on 11 November 1675 under the orders of Aurangzeb for refusing to convert to Islam and the ongoing conflicts between Sikhism and the Islamic Empire. Before dying, Tegh Bahadur wrote a letter to Gobind Das (the letter was called Mahalla Dasven and it is part of

9702-708: Was responsible for expanding the frontier of Sikh Empire to beyond the Indus River , up to the mouth of the Khyber Pass . At the time of his death, the western boundary of the empire was Jamrud. Dewan Mokham Chand (1750-1814) became one of the most distinguished leaders of the Khalsa Army. He was the commander in chief of armies in Battle of Attock which defeated Durrani Empire Wazir Fateh Khan and Dost Mohammad Khan Other Khatris like Diwan Sawan Mal Chopra served as governors of Lahore and Multan , after helping conquer

9801-511: Was the tenth and last human Sikh Guru . He was a warrior, poet, and philosopher. In 1675, at the age of nine he was formally installed as the leader of the Sikhs after his father Guru Tegh Bahadur was executed by Emperor Aurangzeb . His father was the ninth Sikh Guru. His four biological sons died during his lifetime – two in battle and two executed by the Mughal governor Wazir Khan . Among his notable contributions to Sikhism are founding

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