CHAPTER ONE
THE SIKH- ORIGIN AND HISTORY
The Sikh-a distinct personality-a separate identity-a different
way of life. That's what one gathers on meeting a turbaned Sikh
today. The word Sikh is derived from the ancient Pali language
meaning disciple. The Sikhs are disciples of their ten Gurus or
teachers beginning with Guru Nanak and ending with Guru Gobind
Singh. A Sikh is a person who is always eager to learn. A Sikh
appears to be much more than he really is because of his distinct
appearance; a Sikh wears turban and sport beard. The Sikhs have
a lot in common with the Jews: indeed most Sikh patriarchs look
like Jewish rabbis. Both the Jews and the Sikhs have known persecution;
the Jews for nearly 2,000 years at the hands of the Christians
and Muslims; the Sikhs for about 200 years at the hands of the
Muslim conquerors rulers of northern India. It never got them
down. Like the Jews the Sikhs regard themselves as the chosen
people. A well known Sikh historian wrote: "Where there is
one Sikh there is one Sikh; where there are two Sikhs, there is
an assembly of Saints; where there are five Sikhs there is God."
A Sikh by nature is brave. His aggressiveness is born out of an
innate sense of one-upmanship-anything anyone else can do, the
Sikh can do better. A clue to what makes the Sikh ethos can be
found in their religion and history. According to many ancient
philosophers, Sikh religion stands for peace and humanity. It
stands for a plural world society-tolerant, open, progressive
and free. The founder of Sikhs, Guru Nanak Dev, was more a social
reformer than a religious preacher. Guru Nanak professed that
holiness can be attained only within the fold of this world and
escape from one's responsibilities in the society cannot be a
mode of attaining holiness. He set an example by leading a saintly
and social life at the same time. He preached Universal brotherhood,
respect for womanhood, and a pious life for attainment of godliness.
He preached the oneness of God and universal brotherhood. He attacked
the pillars of traditional society such as caste, idolatry, rituals,
asceticism and intermediary role of the priests in man's relations
with God. His crusade was against fanaticism and intolerance,
which had become the practice of the ruling class of Muslims and
false religious beliefs and rituals which had become an integral
part of Hindu life. It was a crusade without any anger, violence
or recrimination. Nanak's religion is an austere monotheism, which
disapproved of idol worship and the Hindu division of society
into castes and sub-castes. He condemned social evils like idol
worship, customs, gender inequality, religious fanaticism etc.
In other words, he gave new meaning to the life. He left a following
of people dissenting both from Hinduism and Islam. His nine successors
molded that following into a community with its own language and
literature, it's own religious beliefs and institutions, and its
own traditions and conventions. He stood against all the odds
of the society and behaved like a rebellious leader who would
destroy the discriminatory and inhuman customs and usage prevailing
in the society. It is this instinct gifted by their founder Guru,
that Sikh community, by nature is known as a rebellious community.
While Guru Nanak propagated the path of a saintly life, Guru Gobind
Singh, the tenth Guru made the Sikh, who was to be both a warrior
and a saint. He gave birth to KHALSA-the Pure, the brave and the
fearless. During the Seventeenth Century when the Muslim rulers
were committing excesses upon the minority community, it was the
Khalsa that was taking a direct fight with the Muslim army and
rescued hundreds of men and women from their custody. It is said
that the Khalsa-the warriors used to sleep on the back of the
horse and ate beans and leaves for days together. Perhaps this
historical fact made their life a continuing fight for justice,
even till today.
The question arises as to why Sikh religion was founded, what
is its philosophy and teachings. The Sikh history, as described
in ancient scriptures tells us that Sikh religion was formed in
order to abolish all the evils prevailing at that time in the
society, like meaningless rituals, religious fanaticism and intolerance,
discrimination on the basis of caste or gender and to strive for
a better society where everybody is treated equal, goodness of
the mankind is the ultimate goal of the ruler, woman is given
the highest respect. Sikhs are monotheists and believe that there
is only one God who is beyond time and circle of birth, death
and rebirth. They believe that the highest form of life is the
human and that the time to break the cycles of transmigration
is when one is born in human form. There is no fatalism nor any
passive acceptance of a predestined future in the Sikh religion.
The Hindu practice of renouncing the world to go and roam in the
wilderness did not find any place in Sikhism. Throughout the entire
span of their eventful history of three hundred years, Sikhs have
struggled and fought for universal causes and have courted martyrdom
to uphold the values of truth, justice and freedom. Sikh movement
released the energies of men and women slumbering for centuries
and roused their conscience against degrading socio-religious
practices, no less than their abject submission to a tyrannical
rule. The fourth Guru, Guru Ram Das also built 'Golden Temple',
the sacred temporal seat of the Sikhs. The fifth Guru of the Sikhs,
Guru Arjan Dev compiled the scripture of the new society, called
the Granth Sahib. It is perhaps the only religious scripture in
the world, which accords divinity to the compilations of holy
men of different faiths and religions. After the martyrdom of
the Fifth Guru for the cause of righteousness, the Sixth Guru,
Guru Hargobind raised a seat of temporal authority, Akal Takht
( the throne of the Almighty). He gave the doctrine of Miri-Piri,
which means a Sikh must have both religious and political personalities.
The ninth Guru, Guru Teg Bahadur, sacrificed his life against
the tyrannical Muslim policy of forcible conversion of all other
minorities into Muslim fold. This brought the occasion for the
tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh to give birth to a new man called
"KHALSA" (THE PURE). On 1699 AD Guru Gobind Singh first
baptised five beloved ones commonly as Panj Piaras and then himself
got initiated. With this event, Sikh got a new name, "Singh".
He got a distinct identity. Every Sikh keeps unshorn hair, wears
turban, and keeps a sword with him, besides performing sermons
everyday. Guru Gobind Singh made every Sikh a true human being
with enough freedom and courage that would not tolerate any oppression
of the rulers and the priests.
This, in brief is the history of the Sikh community, created,
led and motivated by the ten Gurus over a period of three hundred
years. With the development of its life-embracing ideals and institutions,
Sikh religion became an independent, conspicuous and sovereign
dispensation.
In his very outward appearance a Sikh is very different from any
other group which makes him a distinct ethnic group. With long
hair and carefully maintained unshaved beard, a Sikh can be recognised
even in a crowd. There is in his appearance and bearings and the
way he moves and behaves, a special indication, which distinguishes
him and shows to the world, "There goes a Sikh". Pyjama
Kurta (loose shirt and loose trousers) is the normal dress of
a Sikh. Some of them even wear short trouser (Katchha) but with
western influence increasing, more men in cities have started
wearing trousers and shirts. Sikh women normally wear Salwar-Kameez
(trousers and tunic). Around their shoulders or over their heads
women wear muslin scarf called Dupatta or Chunni.
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