Sahib or Saheb ( / ˈ s ɑː h ɪ b / ; Arabic : صاحب ) is an Arabic title meaning 'companion'. It was historically used for the first caliph Abu Bakr in the Quran .
40-510: Hazur Sahib ( Hazūrī Sāhib ; lit. ' presence of the sahib /master ' ), also known as Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib , is one of the five takhts (religious centres) in Sikhism . The gurdwara (Sikh house of worship) was built between 1832 and 1837 by Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780–1839). It is located on the banks of the Godavari River at the city of Nanded in
80-516: A Frenchman . The term is used in a similar manner in George Orwell 's essay " Shooting an Elephant ", which is used to accentuate his isolation in Colonial Burma . (now Myanmar ). The term is used throughout the children's novel A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett . In Herman Cyril McNeile 's 1920 novel Bulldog Drummond , an Indian magician was performing tricks in front of
120-493: A pukka sahib mean?" "It means," said Poirot, "that Miss Debenham's father and brothers were at the same kind of school as Colonel Arbuthnot." In Bruce Marshall 's The World, the Flesh and Father Smith , the protagonist serves as a military chaplain in the trenches of WWI and gives absolution to soldiers and officers about to go into battle. A major tells him: "God's a bit hard on a chap at times. Still, I am sure God's too much of
160-635: A young prince . This derivation using the Persian suffix -zada(h) , literally 'born from' (or further male/female descendant; compare Shahzada ) a Sahib , was also (part of) the formal style for some princes of the blood of Hindu and Muslim dynasties in the Indian sub-continent, e.g.: This could be further combined, e.g.: Sahib means "owner" in Arabic and was commonly used in the Indian Sub-continent as
200-525: A 1989 strip after Jon asks Garfield to go outside and see if it is still raining. The term is frequently used throughout the short stories of Robert E. Howard , mostly by Indian or Arabic characters—e.g. a Sikh manservant addresses the guests of his employer as "sahib" in The Noseless Horror . This title (pl. musāhibān ), etymologically the active part. of to associate, or consort (with), means originally companion, associate, friend (the abstract term
240-480: A Sahib to run a fellow in for ever and ever just because he got messed up with a bit of fluff" (i.e. had casual affairs with women). Later, the same major is mortally wounded. As the priest is about to administer last rites, the major says: "It's all right, Father; I still think God is a Sahib". Jim Davis uses the term in a 1983 Garfield comic strip in which Garfield refers to Jon Arbuckle as "sahib" after Jon asks Garfield to retrieve his newspaper, and again in
280-568: A courteous term in the way that "Mister" (also derived from the word "master") and "Mrs." (derived from the word "mistress") is used in the English language. It is still used today in the sub-continent just as "Mister" and "Mrs." and continues to be used today by English-language speakers as a polite form of address. "Sahib" is also appended to the names of holy places associated with the Sikh gurus such as Nankana Sahib , Patna Sahib , Anandpur Sahib . In
320-470: A crowd and drew attention to a mysterious box. 'You don't mean the fourth dimension, do you?' demanded a man incredulously. 'I know not what you call it, sahib,' said the Indian quietly. 'But it is the power which renders visible or invisible at will.' E.M. Forster also employed the term in his 1924 novel A Passage to India . His Anglo-Indian characters refer to the Collector as Burra Sahib, implying
360-919: A deity and its murti (idol), followed by the distribution of said food as prasad . The concept of seva and karma yoga is explained in the Bhagavad Gita , where Krishna expounds on the subject. In modern times, the concept has been taken to volunteering for the greater good, such as in disaster relief and other major incidents. Seva in Sikhism takes three forms: tan (Gurmukhi: ਤਨ ), meaning physical service, i.e. manual labour, man (Gurmukhi: ਮਨ ), meaning mental service, such as studying to help others, and dhan (Gurmukhi: ਧਨ ), meaning material service, including financial support. Sikhism stresses kirat karō (Gurmukhi: ਕਿਰਤ ਕਰੋ ), "honest work", and vaṇḍ chakkō (Gurmukhi: ਵੰਡ ਛਕੋ ), "split up", sharing what you have by giving to
400-491: A form of ego -transcending spiritual practise known as Sādhanā , and plays a large role in modern Hinduism. A key concept in Hinduism is liberation ( Moksha ) from the cycle of births and deaths ( Saṃsāra ), and sādhanā is the effort one makes to strive for liberation; this highlights the importance of service to others. In Sikhism , the word seva also means "to worship, to adore, to pay homage through
440-433: A volunteer who performs seva . The idea of selfless service ( seva ) is an important concept in several religions because God is perceived as having an interest in the well-being of others; serving other people is considered an essential devotional practise of indirectly serving God and living a religious life that is a benefit to others. People of every religion are included in this service. In Hinduism, seva
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#1733085764898480-571: Is musāhabat ); not unlike the Hellenistic Greek Philos and the Latin Comes in the Roman empire, it became a title for a favourite (of a Sahib, especially a prince), and such 'personally close' positions as aide-de-camp , in some princely states even a Minister. Sev%C4%81 Traditional Sevā (also transcribed as sewa ) is the concept of selfless service that
520-403: Is a central concept in both contemporary Hinduism and Sikhism. In Hinduism , seva means selfless service and is often associated with karma yoga , disciplined action, and bhakti yoga , disciplined devotion. Seva is also connected to other Sanskrit concepts such as dāna (gift giving), karunā (compassion), and preman (kindness). Seva is also performed as
560-538: Is a way to become closer to Waheguru .The principles of Seva underpin many Sikh values - such is the importance given to Seva in Sikhism. The Guru emphasizes this concept numerous times in the Guru Granth Sahib . The holy scripture focuses on the state of mind when practicing Seva, the spiritual benefits of doing Seva, and how one should perform it. Seva comes from the Sanskrit root sev- , "to serve", and
600-421: Is called a kar sevak (voluntary labourer)—someone who freely offers their services to a religious cause. Sikhs use the term kar sevak to represent people who engage in ministrations, altruistic philanthropy, and humanitarian endeavours in service to religion and society. Sevadar ( Punjabi : ਸੇਵਾਦਾਰ ; also transcribed as sewadar ), literally " seva -supporter", is another Punjabi word for
640-588: Is noteworthy that the character referred to had never been in India and had no connection with India. It is used in Agatha Christie 's 1934 novel Murder on the Orient Express in a similar way. "About Miss Debenham," [Colonel Arbuthnot] said rather awkwardly. "You can take it from me that she's all right. She's a pukka sahib ." Flushing a little, he withdrew. "What," asked Dr. Constantine with interest, "does
680-744: Is one of the main teachings of Sikhism —including its ordained philosophy , in Sikh scripture , theology , and hermeneutics . A tradition set forth with the clear understanding that there is God within all of us, and thus by serving humanity you are serving God's creation. Seva is believed to be a way to control inner vices and is a key process in becoming closer to God. Some Kar Seva groups and organizations have been criticized for their lack of care for and apathy towards preserving historical Sikh heritage sites, artwork , and architecture during renovation and construction projects. Large amounts of historical Sikh scriptural manuscripts have been systematically "cremated" (burnt to destruction) over
720-587: Is performed without any expectation of reward for performing it. It is predominant in Hinduism and Sikhism . Such services can be performed to benefit other human beings or society. Sevā means "service". A more recent interpretation of the word is "dedication to others". In Hinduism, it is also known as karma yoga , as described in the Bhagavata Gita . In Sikhism S eva is an act of service to Waheguru (Supreme God), to whom Sikhs call as Waheguru and that it
760-725: Is the concept of service to God and/or humanity, without the expectation of return. According to Hindu scriptures, seva is seen as the highest form of dharma (righteousness). Seva has been said to provide good karma which facilitates the atma (soul) to obtain moksha (emancipation from the cycle of death and rebirth). Before the early nineteenth century, the meaning of seva (serving or honouring) had been virtually synonymous with that of puja (worship), which typically also included distribution of prasad (sacrificial offerings or consecrated food), such as food, fruits, and sweets to all gathered. Thus, seva typically involved offering of food to
800-559: The British Indian Army , a British officer would address a viceroy's commissioned officer (i.e., a native Indian officer) as "<rank> sahib" or "<name> sahib". In turn Indian soldiers would address British or Indian superiors with this term as a substitute for "sir". This form of address is still retained in the present-day army of independent India. The term sahib was applied indiscriminately to any person whether Indian or non-Indian. This included Europeans who arrived in
840-516: The 19th century. The control of Takhat Sachkhand Sri Hazoor Sahib, which had formerly passed into the hands of Udasi Sikh priests was regained by the Sikhs under the influence of the Singh Sabha Movement of the late nineteenth century. Some of the 'rituals and ceremonies connected with working' are peculiar to this Takhat Sahib. In 1956 an Act was passed by the legislature of Hyderabad under which
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#1733085764898880-645: The abode of God. Ranjit Singh had the present building of the Takhat Sahib constructed with money, artisans, and labor sent from Punjab during the early 1830s. Around the same time, the 3rd Nizam of Hyderabad Kingdom a Muslim ruler of the Deccan Region raised a contingent of Northern Sikhs as part of his army. Most of these men settled permanently in Hyderabad State and also few Hindus of the Deccan embraced Sikhism in
920-513: The act of love." In the writings of Sikh gurus , these two meanings of seva (service and worship) have been merged. Seva is expected to be a labour of love performed without desire and intention, and with humility. Kar seva ( Gurmukhi : ਕਰ ਸੇਵਾ ), from the Sanskrit words kar , meaning hands or work, and seva , meaning service, another concept of Sikhism, is often translated as "voluntary labour". A volunteer for kar seva
960-461: The building of a new 31-room sarai with a museum. In 2008, the 300th Gurudomship ceremony of Guru Granth Sahib and 300th Joti Jot anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh were celebrated on a large scale at Hazoor Sahib, Nanded. Manmohan Singh , then Prime Minister of India , addressed the Sath-Sangat at the main function. A laser show at Gobind Bagh near the main gurdwara briefly describes the lives of
1000-698: The first word of a hymn read at random on the occasion. In October 2008, the 300th-anniversary celebration of the Guruship of Guru Granth Sahib ji took place here. This site is now one of five Takhats which are places of primary importance to the Sikhs. The other four takhats are: Sri Akal Takht Sahib at Amritsar, Takhat Sri Keshgarh Sahib at Anandpur, Takhat Sri Patna Sahib in Bihar and Takhat Sri Damdama Sahib in Talwandi Sabo, Bathinda, Punjab. Sachkhand (literally "region of Truth") had been used by Guru Nanak Sahib Ji to mean
1040-468: The historical buildings but Hazur Sahib's management committee ended-up demolishing the buildings under the guise of Kar Seva renovations. The buildings that were destroyed include: The gurdwara management committee, specifically chairman P.S. Pasricha, defended their action to destroy the historical sites because of their age, dilapidated condition, need for "beautification", needing room for their development plans, and that land has been allotted for
1080-656: The management of the Takhat Sahib and other historical Gurdwaras was legally placed under a 17-member Gurudwaras Board and a five-member Managing Committee. The Takht houses both the Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji and the Sri Dasam Granth . This follows the pattern of Takht Sri Patna Sahib . Nanded is the city where Baba Banda Singh Bahadur had his ashram and Baba Banda Singh started his journey of Khalsa victory. The shrine differs from other historical places of Sikh worship, here all ancient customs which were practised at
1120-472: The needy for the benefit of the community. It is a duty of every Sikh to engage in seva wherever possible, such as volunteering at a Gurdwara , community center , senior living centers, care centers, sites of major world disasters, etc. Seva can also be performed by offering service for a religious cause, such as constructing a gurdwara, a place of worship that performs community services such as providing volunteer-run food kitchens . Kar seva
1160-466: The plight of Sikh historical heritage within the Takht Hazur Sahib complex. Many historical structures have been destroyed by the takht's management committee, much to the dismay of a vocal section of Sikhs who pleaded for these sites to be preserved in their original state. Sharad Chalikwar, a consultant engineer, and Kiran Kalamdani, a restoration architect, had come up with restoration plans to save
1200-585: The respect felt for him. The following dialogue in Dorothy Sayers 's 1926 novel Clouds of Witness shows what the term implied in British society at the time. Coroner: "What kind of a man was Captain Cathcart?" Duke of Denver: "Well – he was a Sahib and all that. I don't know what he did before joining up in 1914. I think he lived on his income; his father was well off. Crack shot, good at games, and so on." It
1240-405: The senior deck and engine officers for many years, even when no Indian or Pakistani crew featured in the ship's company. The term is used exclusively to refer to any white European on the Indian subcontinent, throughout Rudyard Kipling 's 1901 novel Kim . Kim is ethnically a 'sahib', but was raised as a low-caste native boy. Most sahibs in the novel are British, but there is also a Russian and
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1280-548: The state of Maharashtra , India. The structure is built at the place where Guru Gobind Singh Ji departed physical form and united with the eternal light. The gurdwara within the complex is known as Sach-Khand (Realm of Truth). The inner room of the gurdwara is called the Angitha Sahib and is built over the place where Gobind Singh was cremated in 1708. Hazur Sahib marks the site where Guru Gobind Singh ji had his camp in 1708. The Guru held his court and congregation here and
1320-507: The sub-continent as traders in the 16th century and hence the first mention of the word in European records is in 1673. Pukka sahib was also a term used to signify genuine and legitimate authority, with pukka meaning "absolutely genuine". Sahiba is the authentic form of address to be used for a female. Under the British Raj, however, the word used for female members of the establishment
1360-592: The ten Gurus. It is the second largest laser show in Asia. Bhai Jagat Singh (1917–1978) was an eminent Ragi who did Seva at the Takhat from AD 1934 to 1978 (till death). Sahib As a loanword , Sahib has passed into several languages, including Persian , Kurdish , Turkish , Azerbaijani , Kazakh , Uzbek , Turkmen , Tajik , Crimean Tatar , Urdu , Hindi , Punjabi , Pashto , Bengali , Gujarati , Marathi , Rohingya and Somali . During medieval times, it
1400-480: The time of the Guru are still practiced, for example, sandal-wood tilak is still applied on the foreheads of priests and local devotees. While all the functions are carried out by the priests in the outer room, the inner room is a vault that houses valuable objects, weapons and other personal belongings of the Guru. No one except the head priest can enter the vault. Sikh historians and scholars have raised alarms regarding
1440-570: The wound re-opened a few days later when the Guru was stringing a bow for one of his Sikhs and the Guru merged into the Primal (Joti Jot) after declaring the Guru Granth Sahib as his successor. The Sikhs built a room over the platform where Guru Gobind Singh Ji would sit while holding his court and installed Guru Granth Sahib Ji on it. They called it Takhat Sahib. Guru Gobind Singh Ji, while conferring Guruship to Guru Granth Sahib Ji, had himself named Nanded as "Abchalnagar" (literally "Steadfast city") after
1480-534: The years at secretive ‘Angitha Sahib’ gurdwaras in Dehradun and around India as part of kar seva . The logic behind these crematoriums is the Sikh philosophy handed down by the tenth Guru Gobind Singh that Guru Granth Sahib is the living embodiment of a Guru , and so Sikh funeral rites are carried out. This practice is criticized for systematically destroying historical manuscripts. Hindu scripture presents seva as
1520-474: Was adapted to memsahib , a variation of the English word "ma'am" having been added to the word sahib . The same word is also appended to the names of Sikh gurus. The term sahib (normally pronounced saab ) was used on P&O vessels which had Indian or Pakistani crew to refer to officers, and in particular senior officers. On P&O Cruises and Princess Cruises vessels the term continued to be used by non-Indian/non-Pakistani junior officers to refer to
1560-419: Was convalescing after being attacked by two would-be assassins. One of the attackers stabbed the Guru, and was killed by him with a single stroke of his talwar (curved sword). The other was killed by his followers as he tried to escape. The Guru's wound was deep, but initially healed after being stitched by an English surgeon sent by Bahadur Shah I , who served as his doctor, and Dara Shikoh before him. However
1600-528: Was used as a term of address , either as an official title or an honorific . Now, in South and Central Asia, it is almost exclusively used to give respect to someone higher or lower. For example, drivers are commonly addressed as sahib in South Asia and so on. The honorific has largely been replaced with sir . Some shorten sahib to saab . Sahibzada is a princely style or title equivalent to, or referring to
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