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88-541: The word Akali/akaali means timeless or immortal. Literally, one who belongs to Akaal (beyond Time). In other words, an Akaali is that person who is subject of none but God only. Conceptually speaking, the terms Akaali, Khalsa and Sikh are synonymous. The term Akaali was first used during the time of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib . It became popular in the last decades of the eighteenth century. The term came to be associated with “commitment, fearlessness, boldness, struggle, and justice.” The word Nihang may come from

176-508: A toradar (matchlock) or a musket . In modern times nihangs also carry revolvers , semi-automatic pistols , double-barreled shotguns and bolt-action rifles The Nihangs favour the dark blue colour for their clothing, which they adopted to emulate Guru Gobind Singh's attire when he escaped from Chamkaur through the Machhiwara jungle. The Nihang were particularly known for their high turbans ( dastar bunga ) and their extensive use of

264-409: A Sikh guru, whom were termed as Khalsa . Whilst extant hukamnamas of Guru Gobind Singh from the period of 1699 to 1707 refer to local Sikh congregations or individual Sikhs as being the guru's Khalsa (often with the phrase ' Sarbat sangat mera Khalsa hai ' meaning "the entire congregation is my Khalsa"), with the coming of the end of a personal guruship, Guru Gobind Singh would then issue a hukamnama to

352-451: A behavioural code called Rahit. Some rules are no tobacco , no intoxicants , no adultery , no Kutha meat, no modification of hair on the body, and a dress code ( Five Ks ). " Khalsa ", is derived from the Arabic word "Khalis" which means "to be pure, to be clear, to be free from, to be sincere, to be true, to be straight, to be solid". Sikhism emerged in the northwestern part of

440-846: A coalition army. The Dal Khalsa fought against the Mughals and the Afghans , eventually resulting in the establishment of a number of small aristocratic republics called misls (autonomous confederacies) and later in the formation of the Sikh Empire . After the fall of the Mughal Empire and the later establishment of the Sikh Empire in Punjab, the Khalsa was converted into a strong, multi-religious and multinational fighting force, modernized according to European principles:

528-537: A community that follows Sikhism as its religion, as well as a special group of initiated Sikhs . The Khalsa tradition was initiated in 1699 by the Tenth Guru of Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh . Its formation was a key event in the history of Sikhism . The founding of Khalsa is celebrated by Sikhs during the festival of Vaisakhi . Guru Gobind Singh started the Khalsa tradition after his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur ,

616-492: A dozen issued variously between the years 1717–1732, the Khalsa is also described as belonging to the supreme god, termed as Akal Purakh . By the time the Akal Takht began to issue hukamnamas, referring to itself as ' Sat Sri Akal Purakh ji ka Khalsa ', the phrase 'Waheguru ji ka Khalsa' had already been established in common Sikh parlence to refer to specific people or a collective. The Sikhs faced religious persecution during

704-514: A fort to defend Amritsar . Jahangir attempted to assert authority over the Sikh by jailing Guru Har Gobind at Gwalior and released him after some time with 52 other Rajput ( Hindu ) kings on Guru Hargobind's orders. Sikhism did not have any further issues with the Mughal Empire until the death of Jahangir in 1627. His successor, Shah Jahan "took offense" at Guru Har Gobind's sovereignty and after

792-548: A large chakram around his neck, and an iron chain. In times of war, arms worn on the Nihang's person would generally be reserved until the warrior lost the weapon he held, often a bow ( kamaan ) or spear ( barcha ). Armour consisted of sanjo or iron chainmail worn under an iron breastplate ( char aina ). Nihang war-shoes ( jangi mozeh ) were constructed of iron at the toe, making their pointed toes capable of inflicting cuts and stab wounds. The firearms carried by nihangs are either

880-569: A liquid, especially during festivals like Hola Mohalla . It is never smoked, as this practice is forbidden in Sikhism. In 2001, Jathedar (leader) Santa Singh , the leader of Budha Dal, along with 20 chiefs of Nihang sects, refused to accept the ban on consumption of shaheedi degh by the apex Sikh clergy - in order to preserve traditional Sikh practices. According to a recent BBC article, "Traditionally they also drank shaheedi degh, an infusion of cannabis, to become closer with God" The Nihangs carry

968-528: A meeting in Amritsar on 14 October 1745. There were around a total of twenty-five jathas established at that time (whom had been born out of a coalescing of numerous smaller , pre-existing Jathas ), later their numbers swelled to sixty-five by 1748. After the Sarbat Khalsa of 1748, the numerous Jathas were rearranged and further subdivided under constituent misls as follows, which in-turn were divided between

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1056-560: A mixture of sugar and water stirred with a sword, and were asked to drink it. The significance of the Khalsa is reflected in the fact that Guru Gobind Singh considered it his equal. He allowed the Panj Pyare to give him Tankah, or punishment. There are instances where this occurred, as reported in the Suraj Prakash . Guru Gobind Singh demonstrated his respect for the Panj Pyare by bowing down to them and asking them to baptize him. This act

1144-553: A positive relationship with the Sikh gurus until his death in 1605. His successor, Jahangir , saw the Sikhs as a political threat. He arrested Guru Arjan Dev because of Sikh support for Khusrau Mirza and ordered him to be put to death by torture. Guru Arjan Dev's martyrdom led the sixth Guru, Guru Har Gobind , to declare Sikh sovereignty in the creation of the Akal Takht and to establish

1232-485: A possibility to attain for the wider congregation. During the period of Banda Singh Bahadur , two extant hukamnamas of Banda that were issued to the Sikh congregations of Bhai Rupa and Jaunpur refer to them as being ' Akal Purakh jio da Khalsa ' (meaning "the Khalsa of the Immortal Being"). With the later hukamnamas of Guru Gobind Singh's widowed wives, Mata Sundari and Mata Sahib Devan , of which there are around

1320-710: A series of assaults on Amritsar forced the Sikhs to retreat to the Sivalik Hills . Guru Har Gobind's successor, Guru Har Rai maintained the guruship in the Sivalik Hills by defeating local attempts to seize Sikh land and taking a neutral role in the power struggle between Aurangzeb and Dara Shikoh for control of the Timurid dynasty . The ninth Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur , moved the Sikh community to Anandpur and traveled extensively to visit and preach in Sikh communities in defiance of Aurangzeb, who attempted to install Ram Rai to

1408-470: A single edged sword, as opposed to the customary double edged one. The Tat Khalsa, concerned about the marginal presence of women in the Khalsa tradition and identity, led nascent efforts in the 1900s to allow women the same initiation as men, which was later emphatically advocated for and codified in the Sikh Rehat Maryada. According to Jaspal Kaur Singh, the baptism of women and the bestowal of Kaur

1496-481: A tent. The Guru returned to the crowd without the volunteer, but 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 the fifth volunteer went with him into the tent, the Guru returned with all five volunteers, all safe. Rather, the Guru had slaughtered 5 goats from which the blood had appeared. He called

1584-590: A turban and the 5 K's. Baptized women are not required to tie a turban, and it remains a personal choice. It also clearly states that it is not appropriate for Sikh women to cover their faces with any type of veil as practiced in the Indian, Islamic, or Judeo-Christian traditions. Piercing of the nose or ears for wearing ornaments is forbidden for Sikh men and women. Sikhs cannot wear any token of any other faith. Sikhs must not have their head bare or wear caps . They also cannot wear any ornaments piercing through any part of

1672-621: Is an excerpt of the Khalsa Mahima from the Sarbloh Granth : ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ ਮੇਰੀ ਜਾਤ ਅਰ ਪਤ॥ ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ ਸੋ ਮਾ ਕੋ ਉਤਪਤ॥ ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ ਮੇਰੋ ਭਵਨ ਭੰਡਾਰਾ॥ ਖ਼ਾਲਸੇ ਕਰ ਮੇਰੋ ਸਤਿਕਾਰਾ॥ ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ ਮੇਰੋ ਸਵਜਨ ਪਰਵਾਰਾ॥ ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ ਮੇਰੋ ਕਰਤ ਉਧਾਰਾ॥ ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ ਮੇਰੋ ਪਿੰਡ ਪਰਾਨ॥ ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ ਮੇਰੀ ਜਾਨ ਕੀ ਜਾਨ॥ romanized: xālasā merī jāt ara pata. xālasā so mā ko utapata. xālasā mero bhavana bhaṇḍārā. xālasā kara mero satikārā. xālasā mero savajana paravārā. xālasā mero karata udhārā. xālasā mero piṇḍa parāna. xālasā merī jāna kī jāna. Translation: Khalsa

1760-579: Is done by the Panj Pyare in front of the Guru Granth Sahib . The devotee must arrive at the place of baptism, usually a Gurdwara , in the morning after bathing completely including having washed their hair and must be wearing the 5 articles of the Khalsa uniform. After baptism, the new Singh or Kaur must abide by the four restrictions or must get re-baptised if they break any of them. The initiation of women did not receive mainstream acceptance until

1848-544: Is enjoined, to be honest, treat everyone as equal, meditate on God, maintain his fidelity, resist tyranny and religious persecution of oneself and others. One of the duties of the Khalsa is to practice arms. This has been deemed necessary due to the rising persecution of the rulers. Before joining the Khalsa, most of the people were from professions like farming, pottery, masonry, carpenters, Labanas , etc. Guru Gobind Singh in Oct 1708 deputed his disciple Banda Singh Bahadur to lead

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1936-460: Is known as Khalsa Swarupa . This comprises full attire of navy blue selected by Guru Gobind Singh after conflicts with Wazir Khan , the Mughal Governor of Sirhind , several edged bracelets of iron round on each of their wrists ( jangi kara ) and quoits of steel ( chakram ) tiered in their lofty conical blue turbans, together with the either a dori kirpan (an open blade kirpan that

2024-478: Is known as the Pahul ceremony or Amrit Sanchar , and it is still performed in Sikhism today. The Guru's act of bowing down to the Panj Pyare was a symbolic gesture of the Guru's humility and his recognition of the Panj Pyare's spiritual authority as being equal to his own. The Panj Pyare , in turn, demonstrated their loyalty to the Guru by baptizing him and giving him the title of Singh, as well as still revering him as

2112-587: Is my caste & creed. Because of the Khalsa, I was born. Khalsa is my world treasure. Because of the Khalsa, I have respect. Khalsa is my close family. Khalsa grants me favours. Khalsa is my body and soul. Khalsa is the breath of my life. - Sri Manglacharan Purana , pages 519–524, Khalsa Mero Rup Hai Khas The famous contemporary Writer, Bhai Gurdas Singh (Not to be confused with Bhai Gurdas ), notes in his book of compositions, or veteran: ਵਾਹਵਾਹਗੋਬਿੰਦਸਿੰਘਆਪੇਗੁਰੁਚੇਲਾ॥੧॥ vāha-vāha-gobinda-singh-āpe-guru-celā ||1|| Hail, hail (Guru) Gobind Singh; He, Himself,

2200-510: Is no thief at all among these dogs, nor is there any house breaker born among these miscreants. They do not make friends with adulterers and house breakers, though their behaviors on the whole is not commendable." The Dal Khalsa was dissolved after the Sikh Confederacy came to an end with the conquests of Maharaja Ranjit Singh , who effectively absorbed the rest of the Misls. However, aspects of

2288-648: Is the Master and Disciple too. - Bhai Gurdas Singh Ji Vaaran 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, the Guru Panth is rarely evoked, being overshadowed by the more popular Guru Granth . A Khalsa

2376-411: Is worn with a rope attached and was meant to be used as a quick access weapon) or a pesh kabaz - a predecessor to the modern kirpan . When fully armed a Nihang will also bear one or two swords (either the curved talwar or the straight khanda , or another type of sword like saif or sarohi on his right hip), a katar (dagger) on his left hip, a buckler made from buffalo-hide ( dhal ) on his back,

2464-593: The varna system is not limited to ones heritage. The Nihang sect equally reveres the Guru Granth Sahib , Dasam Granth , and Sarbloh Granth . They attribute the later two works to Guru Gobind Singh. They consider the Dasam Granth and the Sarbloh Granth as extensions of the Guru Granth Sahib. As such, they refer to these scriptures as Sri Dasam Guru Granth Sahib , and Sri Sarbloh Guru Granth Sahib . They call

2552-527: The Dal Khalsa into two. The Taruna Dal was further divided in five jathas , each with 1300 to 2000 men and a separate drum and banner. Descend from lineage of Bidhi Chand , a contemporary warrior and companion of the Sikh Gurus. Prominent amongst Mazhabi Sikhs . The latter two groups being much less prominent than the former two. Each Dal consists of both a mobile and stationary group. The mobile group of

2640-498: The Dasam Granth and rahit-namas to support her hypothesis; women were often depicted as seducers and thus inhibited men from attaining the warrior-saint status that the Guru wanted to inculcate in his order. According to Merry Wiesner-Hanks , as the influence of the Khalsa grew, women and those not in the Khalsa brotherhood were relegated to secondary status in the Sikh community. J. S. Grewal considers Jakobsh to be fascinated by

2728-486: The Five K's tradition of the Khalsa, He also announced a code of discipline for Khalsa warriors. Tobacco, eating meat slaughtered according to Muslim ritual and sexual intercourse with any person other than a spouse 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

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2816-497: The Indian subcontinent (now parts of Pakistan and India). During the Mughal empire rule, according to professor Eleanor Nesbitt, Khalsa originally meant the land that was possessed directly by the emperor, which was different from jagir land granted to lords in exchange for a promise of loyalty and annual tribute to the emperor. Prior to Guru Gobind Singh , the religious organization

2904-429: The Khalsa warriors. It created a new institution for the temporal leadership of the Sikhs, replacing the earlier Masand system. Additionally, the Khalsa provided a political and religious vision for the Sikh community. Upon initiation, a male Sikh was given the title of Singh meaning " lion ". Kaur was made the sole, compulsory identifier for female Sikhs in the twentieth century. The rules of life include

2992-461: The Mughal Empire forced some Sikhs to abandon the outward signs of their faith, but "the more sincere had to seek a refuge among the recesses of the hills or in the woods to the south of the Sutlej " The Sikhs went into hiding during this period. From 1718-1738, the Sikhs carried out a guerrilla war against the Mughal Empire in the area around the Sivalik Hills . Historian Josepeh Cunningham writes of

3080-652: The Mughal Empire rule. Guru Arjan Dev , the fifth Guru, was arrested and executed by Mughal Emperor Jahangir in 1606. The following Guru, Guru Hargobind formally militarised the Sikhs and emphasised the complementary nature of the temporal power and spiritual power. In 1675, Guru Tegh Bahadur , the ninth Guru of the Sikhs and the father of Guru Gobind Singh was executed by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb for resisting religious persecution of non-Muslims, and for refusing to convert to Islam. Guru Gobind Singh's sons were killed since they refused to convert to Islam. In 1699,

3168-454: The Panj Pyare , accompanied by recitations from the Adi Granth, thus founding the khanda ki pahul (baptism ceremony) of a Khalsa – a warrior community. 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 Rai to Guru Gobind Singh. Around 80,000 men were initiated into

3256-584: The Sikh Khalsa Army which had a huge role in the expansion of the empire. Led by generals like: Maharaja Ranjit Singh himself, Misr Diwan Chand and Hari Singh Nalwa . It successfully defeated all its adversaries, including the Afghan tribals and army, Hill Chiefs , Misldars , Chinese , Tibeans and Gorkhas . By the time of death of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1839, the whole army of Sikh Empire

3344-405: The chakram or war-quoit. Their turbans were often pointed at the top and outfitted with a chand torra or trident called astbhuja which could be used for stabbing in close-quarters. Other times, the turbans would be armed with a bagh naka (iron claw) and one or several chakram to slice at an opponent's eyes. These steel-reinforced turbans, it was said, afforded enough protection so that there

3432-566: The palki ). They also sometimes do this for the Sarbloh Granth as well. The Nihangs have developed their own coded language, known as Khalsa bole . In September 2023, a depiction of a Nihang Sikh was painted on the top-right section of an official illustration of the Dallas Cowboys football team as part of the Carpe Omnia ('seize everything') theme for the upcoming sports season. Khalsa The term Khalsa refers to both

3520-466: The "theology of difference," and oversimplifying the issue; Gurinder Singh Mann , not attributing the Charitropakhyan to Guru Gobind Singh, considers both the analyses of Nikky Singh and Jakobsh to be lopsided, as in his view they both glean selectively from the Dasam Granth. Dal Khalsa (Sikh Army) Dal Khalsa was the name of the combined military forces of 11 Sikh misls that operated in

3608-459: The 'sahlang' term being a different designation from that of a Khalsa. According to the Dabestan-e Mazaheb , the 'sahlang' term referred to person(s) initiated into the Sikh religion by a masand , who acted as representatives on behalf of the Sikh gurus. Such Sikhs were termed as meli or masandia , and were differentiated from Sikhs who had received their initiation rites directly from

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3696-456: The 18th century (1748–1799) in the Punjab region . It was established by Nawab Kapur Singh in late 1740s. The religion of Sikhism began at the time of the conquest of Northern India by Babur . His grandson, Akbar , supported religious freedom and after visiting the langar of Guru Amar Das had a favorable impression of Sikhism. As a result of his visit he donated land to the langar and had

3784-615: The 18th century, particularly between the Nanakpanthi and the Khalsa. Guru 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 he found the Khalsa, the Sikh movement had used the Sanskrit word Sisya (literally, disciple or student), but the favored term thereafter became Khalsa. Additionally, before the Khalsa,

3872-692: The Buddha and Taruna Dals: Note - the Phulkian misl was not part of either the Buddha nor Taruna Dal, as they were not a member of the Dal Khalsa having been excommunicated from the formation. The leaders of the Dal Khalsa would meet twice a year at Amritsar for the Sarbat Khalsa legislature. In 1738, Nader Shah of the Persian Afsharid dynasty invaded Muhammad Shah 's Mughal Empire . Nadir Shah defeated

3960-502: The Budha Dal, for example, is the Dalpanth . There has been incidents of conflict in the past between different groups of Akalis , even within the same faction. Some Nihang groups consume cannabis or shaheedi degh ( ਭੰਗ ), purportedly to help in meditation . Sūkha parshaad ( ਸੁੱਖਾ ਪ੍ਰਰਸਾਦ ), "Dry-sweet", is the term Nihang use to refer to it. It was traditionally crushed and taken as

4048-559: The Dal Khalsa retreated to the Sivalik Hills to regroup. Later the command of Dal Khalsa was taken by Jassa Singh Ahluwalia who was an able and powerful administrator. After 1733, the Dal Khalsa was fundamentally divided into two groups, the Buddha Dal (meaning 'the old army') and the Taruna Dal (meaning 'the young army'). Each was assigned with component Jathas (meaning 'battalions', originally referred to an armed group of Sikhs) during

4136-525: The Guru Granth Sahib, Aad Guru Granth Sahib . They also sometimes refer to the scriptures as "Durbar", such as Aad Guru Durbar . The Sarbloh Granth has another name, as Sri Manglacharan Purana . They believe that all three of these scriptures are authentic, written by the Gurus and are one and the same. For this reason, they will often place the Dasam and Aad Granths on the same level and on the same throne (also known as

4224-492: The Guru. This act was a recognition of the Guru's spiritual authority and his commitment to the principles of Sikhism. The Panj Pyare were not just the Guru's disciples; they were also his equals (collectively) and his companions in the struggle for justice and equality. Guru Gobind Singh wrote two famous excerpts collectively known as the Khalsa Mahima , which can be found in the Dasam Granth , and Sarbloh Granth . Below

4312-535: 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 of Sikhs who lived in Delhi and other parts of the Mughal Empire. However, the new code of conduct also led to internal disagreements between Sikhs in

4400-444: The Khalsa in an uprising against the Mughals. Banda Singh Bahadur first established a Sikh republic and then brought in the land reforms in the form of breaking up large estates and distributing the land to peasants. He and his comrades were eventually defeated and executed, but he became an icon among the Sikhs. After a long exile the Khalsa regrouped under Nawab Kapur Singh , who gathered local Khalsa leaders and created Dal Khalsa ,

4488-414: The Khalsa order in a few days after its formalization on 13 April 1699. He introduced ideas that indirectly challenged the discriminatory taxes imposed by Islamic authorities. For example, Aurangzeb had imposed taxes on non-Muslims that were collected from the Sikhs as well, for example the jizya (poll tax on non-Muslims), pilgrim tax and Bhaddar tax – the last being a tax to be paid by anyone following

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4576-596: The Mughal Empire in the Battle of Karnal and proceeded to sack Delhi . During the panic before and after the Battle of Karnal, important functionaries of the Mughal Empire fled Delhi but were intercepted by small jathas of the Dal Khalsa and relieved of their wealth. Nadir Shah then gave Muhammad Shah back his title of Mughal Emperor but took away his royal treasury, including the Peacock Throne . When Nadir Shah began his retreat,

4664-652: The Persian word for a mythical sea creature ( Persian : نهنگ ). The term owes its origin to Mughal historians, who compared the ferocity of the Akali with that of crocodiles . The meaning of Akali in Sikhism however, is the immortal army of Akal (God). According to Pashaura Singh and Louis E. Fenech, there exists three main theories regarding the genesis of the Nihangs . These three theories are summarized below: Traditional Nihang dress

4752-588: The Sikh congregation of Varanasi on 3 February 1708 that referred to them as being ' Waheguru ji ka Khalsa ' ("Khalsa of Waheguru "). The term Khalsa in Sikhism predates the events of Vaisakhi in 1699. Before the formalization of the Khalsa Panth in April 1699, the term Khalsa referred to a very special Sikh who was held in high esteem and considered as being close to the Guru. The Khalsa Panth's formalization in 1699 essentially opened this restricted class of Sikhs as

4840-585: The Sikh congregations across India had a system of Masands appointed by the Sikh Gurus. The Masands led the local Sikh communities, and local temples collected wealth and donations for the Sikh cause. Guru Gobind Singh concluded that the Masands system had become corrupt, he abolished them and introduced a more centralized system with 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

4928-588: The Sikhs who had been seeking refuge in the Sivalik Hills came down from the mountains and mercilessly plundered the treasure of the Persian Army. Afterwards the Dal Khalsa established a fort at Dallewal near the Ravi river and began levying taxes in the area around Lahore . During this period, the Muslim historian Nur Mohammed, though full of contempt for Sikhs, was constrained to pay tribute to them of their character, in

5016-540: The body. The four prohibitions or mandatory restrictions of the Khalsa or life of Khalsa at the time of Guru Gobind Singh are: A Khalsa who breaks any code of conduct is no longer a Khalsa and is excommunicated from the Khalsa Panth and must go and 'pesh' (get baptized again). Guru Gobind Singh also gave the Khalsa 52 hukams or 52 specific additional guidelines while living in Nanded in 1708. The Sikh Rehat Maryada states "The Guru Panth (Panth’s status of Guruhood) means

5104-421: The city and garrisoned an army to protect it. The growing power of the Sikh community alarmed Sivalik Hill Rajas who attempted to attack the city but the Guru's forces routed them at the Battle of Bhangani . He moved on to Anandpur and established the Khalsa , a collective army of baptized Sikhs on March 30, 1699. The establishment of the Khalsa united the Sikh community against various Mughal-backed claimants to

5192-443: The cremation. Banda Singh Bahadur was an Bairagi ascetic who converted to Sikhism after meeting Guru Gobind Singh at Nanded . A short time before his death, Guru Gobind Singh ordered him to reconquer Punjab and gave him a letter that commanded all Sikhs to join him. After two years of gaining supporters, Banda Singh Bahadur initiated an agrarian uprising by breaking up the large estates of Zamindar families and distributing

5280-551: The deaths of Guru Gobind Singh 's sons after the Sikh victory at Sirhind. He ruled the territory between the Sutlej river and the Yamuna river, established a capital in the Himalayas at Lohgarh , and struck coinage with the faces of Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh. In 1716, his army was defeated by the Mughals after he attempted to defend his fort at Gurdas Nangal. He was captured along with 700 of his men and sent to Delhi where he

5368-492: The emergence of the Singh Sabha Movement in the twentieth century. Rehat-namas produced shortly after the Khalsa's inauguration are exclusively addressed to men, and communicate various notions surrounding women. Although they do not explicitly negate a woman's place in the Khalsa, the exhortations and directives within them are interpreted by scholars such as W. H. McLeod and Doris Jakobsh as women being ancillaries to

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5456-465: The following words: "In no case they would slay a coward, nor would they put an obstacle in the way of a fugitive. They do not plunder the wealth and ornaments of a woman, be she a well to do lady or a maid servant. There is no adultery among these dogs, nor are they mischievous people given to thieving. Whether a woman is young or old, they call her 'buriya' and asked her to get out of the way. The word 'buriya' in Indian language means 'an old lady'. There

5544-555: The governor of Sirhind . After this incident his wounds were stitched and he began to recover. A few days after, some Sikhs brought a very stiff bow to present to Guru Gobind Singh. As they were discussing whether anybody would ever be able to put a string on the bow, Guru Gobind Singh accepted the challenge. Though the bow was stringed, due to the force he applied on the bow the wounds which were still fresh started bleeding profusely. Guru Gobind Singh then declared that he would be leaving for heavenly abode and asked his Sikhs to prepare for

5632-446: The guruship tenure of Guru Hargobind , where he references the congregation of the east as being the "Khalsa of the guru". A later hukamnama issued by Guru Tegh Bahadur refers to the local Sikh congregation of Pattan Farid as being 'Guru ji ka Khalsa' ("Khalsa of the guru"). In a hukamnama of Guru Gobind Singh dated to 25 April 1699, he refers to a congregation of local Sikhs of Bhai Gurdas Bhagte Phaphre village as 'sangat sahlang', with

5720-489: The guruship. In 1701, a combined army composed of the Sivalik Hill Rajas and the Mughal army under Wazir Khan attacked Anandpur and, following a retreat by the Khalsa, were defeated by the Khalsa at the Battle of Muktsar . In 1707, Guru Gobind Singh accepted an invitation by Bahadur Shah I , Aurangzeb's successor to meet in southern India. When he arrived in Nanded in 1708, he was injured by agents of Wazir Khan,

5808-410: The guruship. He aided Kashmiri Brahmins in avoiding conversion to Islam and was arrested and confronted by Aurangzeb. When offered a choice between conversion or death , he chose to die rather than compromise his principles and was executed. Guru Gobind Singh , assumed the guruship in 1675 and to avoid battles with Sivalik Hill Rajas moved the guruship to Paunta . He built a large fort to protect

5896-543: The inauguration of the Khalsa, maintained that women were allowed into the Khalsa and received the title of Kaur , which she purports was congruent with and indicative of the inherent egalitarianism of the Sikh tradition. Her claims were criticized by Doris Jakobsh who argued that her work revealed the effectiveness and pervasiveness of the Singh Sabha's interpolations. Jacob Copeman, an anthropologist, described Singh's analysis as deliberately elusive, clearly presenting itself at

5984-563: The initiated men, as opposed to having a formal role. They mandate men to respect women in the same manner that is rendered to their mother, prohibit violence against them, cursing them, and engaging in extramarital affairs. They further regard women as innately untrustworthy never to be confided in or relied on. Men were to partake in righteous warfare and protect their families, whereas women were expected to be housewives raising their children and providing service for their husbands. Early Sikh texts either omitted any mention of directives concerning

6072-520: The initiation of women or rejected it; an exception to this norm was the Chaupa Singh Rahit-nama which explicitly forbade a woman's initiation conducted through the khanda ceremony ; they were to instead receive charan amrit . W.H. McLeod notes that while the tenor of the rahitnamas marked the milieu of the 18th century and into the time of Ranjit Singh, some progress had occurred in the mid nineteenth century; Joseph Davey Cunningham, in 1849, reported that some women had received initiation conducted through

6160-493: The initiation. The Khalsa Sikhs saw themselves as a separate religious entity, while the Nanak-panthi 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 modern times, with initiated Sikhs referred to as Khalsa Sikhs, while those who do not get baptized are referred to as Sahajdhari Sikhs. Guru Gobind Singh initiated

6248-406: The land to the poor Sikh, Hindu, and Muslim peasants who farmed the land. Banda Singh Bahadur started his rebellion with the defeat of Mughal armies at Samana and Sadhaura and the rebellion culminated in the defeat of Sirhind . During the rebellion, Banda Singh Bahadur made a point of destroying the cities in which Mughals had been cruel to Sikhs, including executing Wazir Khan in revenge for

6336-607: The level of mythos, and based on the recovery of lost potentials. Jakobsh contends that the initiation of women into the Khalsa originated with the Namdharis , who during the British Raj , were particularly active in preaching for the upliftment of women and against pervading social taboos. She further posits that as the military ethos of the Sikhs reached its apogee under the mandate of Guru Gobind Singh, women were concomitantly made to undertake more traditional roles. She cites tales from

6424-543: The original Nishan Sahib, being navy/electric blue, and (sometimes) bright yellow or basanti with a tegha , dhal (shield) and katar . Yellow in Punjabi culture signifies sacrifice, revolt and honour while blue signifies courage, bravery and patriotism. In Punjab, Blue is the colour of Khalsa, and yellow the colour of Kshatriyas. Due to various passages from the Dasam Granth, the Nihangs see themselves as Kshatriyas , but believe that

6512-485: The period: "The Sikhs were scarcely again heard of in history for the period of a generation". In 1733, Zakariya Khan Bahadur attempted to negotiate a peace with the Sikhs by offering them a jagir , the title Nawab to their leader, and unimpeded access to the Harmandir Sahib . After discussion at a Sarbat Khalsa , Kapur Singh was elected leader of the Sikhs and took the title of Nawab. Nawab Kapur Singh combined

6600-516: The principle of equality in Sikhism regardless of one's caste or gender. According to Owen and Sambhi, Guru Gobind Singh's significance to the Sikh tradition has been very important, as he institutionalized the Khalsa, resisted the ongoing persecution by the Mughal Empire, and continued "defense of Sikhism and Hinduism against the Muslim assault of Aurangzeb". According to the Sikh Code of Conduct (Sikh Rehat Maryada), Amritdhari Khalsa Sikh men must wear

6688-511: The rigid delimitation between men and women in the praxis of the Khalsa stemmed from a need to enhance esotericism within their institution and create a tightly bonded brotherhood ready to deal with the harsh exigencies of war and defence. This also manifested through the disparity between male and female naming conventions as prescribed by Guru Gobind Singh; men were mandated the compulsory identifier of Singh , whereas women received no such dictum. Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh , in her explication of

6776-461: The tenth Guru of Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh asked Sikhs to gather at Anandpur Sahib on 13 April 1699, the day of Vaisakhi , the annual harvest festival. Guru Gobind Singh addressed the congregation from the entryway of a tent pitched on a hill, now called Kesgarh Sahib . He drew his sword, according to the Sikh tradition, and then asked for a volunteer from those who gathered, someone willing to sacrifice his head. One came forward, whom he took inside

6864-419: The various Sikh militias into two groups; the Taruna Dal and the Buddha Dal, which would collectively be known as the Dal Khalsa. Sikh militias over 40 years of age would be part of the Buddha Dal and Sikh militas under 40 years were part of the Taruna Dal. The Taruna Dal was further divided in five jathas , each with 1300 to 2000 men and a separate drum and banner. The area of operations of each Dal , or army,

6952-531: The volunteers the Panj Pyare and the first Khalsa in the Sikh tradition. These five volunteers were: Daya Ram ( Bhai Daya Singh ), Dharam Das ( Bhai Dharam Singh ), Himmat Rai ( Bhai Himmat Singh ), Mohkam Chand ( Bhai Mohkam Singh ), and Sahib Chand ( Bhai Sahib Singh ). Guru Gobind Singh then mixed water and sugar into an iron bowl, stirring it with a double-edged sword while reciting Gurbani to prepare what he called Amrit ("nectar"). He then administered this to

7040-509: The whole body of committed baptized Sikhs . This body was fostered by all the ten Gurus and the tenth Guru gave it its final shape and invested it with Guruhood". The Khalsa is considered equal to the Guru in Sikhism. The five men, known as the Panj Pyare or the Five Beloved Ones, were baptized by the Guru and given the title of Singh , which means lion. They were then given the Amrit,

7128-480: Was Hari ke Pattan , where the Sutlej river and Beas River meet; the Taruna Dal would control the area east of Hari ke Pattan while the Budha Dal would control the area west of it. The purpose of the Budda Dal, the veteran group, was to protect Gurdwaras and train the Taruna Dal, while the Taruna Dal would act as combat troops. However, in 1735, the agreement between Zakariya Khan and Nawab Kapur Singh broke down and

7216-416: Was assessed at 120,000 men, with 250 artillery pieces. The irregular levies were included. The official name of the state ( Sikh Empire ) of Sikhs was "Sarkar-i-Khalsa": Government of the Khalsa. The boundaries of this state stretched from Tibet to Afghanistan and from Kashmir to Sutlej in the south and included regions of Punjab , Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , Kashmir , Ladakh , etc. The "Sarkar-i-Khalsa"

7304-566: Was beheaded during the rule of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb after the Hindu Brahmins requested for his help to save their religion. Guru Gobind Singh created and initiated the Khalsa as a warrior with a duty to protect the innocent from religious persecution. The founding of the Khalsa started a new phase in the Sikh tradition. It formulated an initiation ceremony ( amrit sanskar , nectar ceremony) and rules of conduct for

7392-452: Was dissolved during two wars fought against the British between 1846 and 1849. Initiation into the Khalsa is referred to as Amrit Sanchar (water of immortality life-cycle rite) or Khande di Pahul (Initiation with the double edged sword ). Anyone from any previous religion, age, caste, or knowledge group can take Amrit (Amrit Chhakh) when they are convinced that they are ready. This baptism

7480-453: Was incipient only during the colonial period, during which the Tat Khalsa sought to combat perceived threats to Sikhism, both from Christian missionaries and Arya Samaj proselytization, by removing "Hinduized" and "un-Sikh" cultural and religious practices from within their fold and introducing egalitarian practices to the fore of the religion. Gilbert Lewis, an anthropologist, wrote that

7568-578: Was no need for any other form of headgear. Today, Nihang still wear miniature versions of five weapons ( pancha shastra ) in their turbans, namely the chakram , the khanda (sword) , the karud (dagger), the kirpan , and the tir (arrow). There are four main factions amongst the Nihangs of the modern-era, them namely being: Originally created for older members (over 40) by splitting the Dal Khalsa into two. Their headquarters are located in Raqba . Originally created for younger members (under 40) by splitting

7656-478: Was organized through the masands or agents. The masands would collect revenue from rural regions for the Sikh cause, much like jagirs would for the Islamic emperor. The Khalsa , in Sikhism, came to mean pure loyalty to the Guru, and not to the intermediary masands who were increasingly becoming corrupt, states Nesbitt. The word "Khalsa" as used by Sikhs first finds mentions in the hukamnamas issued during

7744-570: Was tortured and executed after refusing to convert to Islam. After 1716, the Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah began a campaign of genocide against Sikhs through his Governor of Lahore , Abdus Samad Khan . His son and, later, successor, Zakariya Khan Bahadur led a standing army dedicated to eliminating Sikhs, executed Sikhs publicly, and offered monetary rewards for the heads of killed Sikhs. The Sikhs "retaliated by killing government functionaries and plundering Mughal posts, arsenals, and treasuries" but could not assemble an army. The persecution of

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