Sorry for the long post, I wanted to be thorough. Hopefully somebody finds this useful.
How did the SRM come about?
The Rehat Maryada is the product of a large-scale intellectual renaissance, led by the Singh Sabha movement which began in the late 19th century. There is a tendency to romanticize the period before the Rehat was drafted. A lot of people feel it came in and imposed a certain interpretation of Sikhi on the entire Panth, and that we'd be better off without it, that the period of our history pre-SRM was relatively much closer to the ideal set by our Gurus because people were free to do whatever they wished.
This is false. There was nothing romantic about the period of Sikh history pre-SRM in the 19th and 20th centuries. If anything, Sikhi was on the decline. Sikh institutions were controlled by individuals and organizations with a vested interest. Many of these groups could most accurately be described as Hindus who wished to absorb Sikhi into Hinduism. Why? Because they viewed Sikhi as just another branch on the Sanatan tree. Actual Hindu idols were being taken into Harmandir Sahib, even at the expense of having to take SGGS out of the complex. Low-castes were barred from dipping in the Sarovar surrounding the Darbar Sahib complex because they were viewed as 'impure' and 'unclean'. Sikhi was rotting from the core, and even the British noted this phenomenon. Unlike the Hindus in control of Sikh institutions (who wished to absorb Sikhi into Hinduism), the British were relentless in their proselytizing of Christianity, and wanted to convert all Sikhs to their religion, to the point where in a few generations, the only place the descendants of these Sikhs would be able to go to see what the Khalsa looked like was museums, in old paintings and caricatures.
The Singh Sabha was a renaissance movement with the goal of reforming the issues in the Panth. Hindus in control of Sikh institutions would need to be relieved of their power, and the Panth would need to be united under a common banner. The fact that people were running around doing whatever they wished without being held accountable to a code of conduct led to the rise of deras, sants and babas en masse. The problems with deras in Punjab today are NOTHING compared to what was going on at the time. The British pointed out how faith in the Sikh Gurus had vanished in Punjab, and it had been replaced by large-scale belief in fake babas and self-proclaimed sants.
This is what the Singh Sabhas were up against. I'm not saying they were perfect or didn't make mistakes, but we should at least take it upon ourselves to understand what was going on in Punjab before the drafting of the SRM and WHY it was needed in the first place. The only way to stop British proselytizing of Christianity, rid Sikh institutes of Hindu control and push the deras to the fringes would be to have a complete make-over of power dynamics in Punjab at the time and flip the established control on its head. The goal of the Singh Sabhas was to eliminate Hindu control over Sikh institutions by re-instating the Khalsa Panth (Baptized Sikhs) at the helm of the most important Sikh institutions. I call this a 'renaissance' and not a 'revolution' because they were not the first to do this. The precedent for the Khalsa Panth alone to have control of Sikh institutions was actually established by Guru Gobind Singh ji after Vaisakhi 1699, when he eliminated the control the Masands had over Sikhi and replaced them with the Baptized Order of Sikhs.
The only way to do this was to produce a document accepted by most of the Panth which would redefine what it meant to be a Sikh and who could lay claim to power within Sikhi. This is why the definition of a 'Sikh' in the SRM is actually the definition of 'Khalsa'. According to the SRM, if you haven't taken Amrit and joined the Khalsa Panth, you aren't a 'true Sikh'. Historically, this has not been the case, and there has always been a difference between 'regular Sikhs' (non-Baptized) and those who have taken Amrit and joined the Khalsa Panth. But the Singh Sabhas really had their hands tied behind their backs and were largely helpless. This redefinition of what it meant to be a 'Sikh' needed to happen to strip the Hindus and Hindu-sympathizers at the top of Sikh institutions of their power. The only way they could be eliminated was if the Panth could come to an agreement that they were NOT Sikhs, no matter what they themselves (the organizations and groups) may claim. And the ONLY real way to do this was to change the definition of 'Sikh' and redefine it to be the same as 'Khalsa'. Now, if you weren't a Khalsa, you were no longer a Sikh either, at least not a true one.
But wait! Couldn't these individuals, groups and organizations simply take Amrit and continue doing what they were doing? If they took Amrit, technically they would now also be Khalsa Sikhs, and could lay claim to power just as much as the Singh Sabhas, right? Well yes, that is correct. That is also where the SRM comes into play. The only way to ensure that the aforementioned scenario (the Hindu groups taking Amrit and pretending to be Khalsa and retaining power) did not take place was to create a thorough 'Code of Conduct' on how the Khalsa should behave and act. Rules and regulations would need to be put in place to ensure that even if anti-Sikh entities were to take Amrit, they could not truthfully adhere by its standards without compromising the belief and actions of their old faith.
Now, did the current SRM do that perfectly? I don't think so, because it is obvious to anybody who reads it that there does still appear to be a hint of Hindu (and even Islamic) bias within it. But try to understand what was going on at the time. This wasn't just a document for the Singh Sabhas. This was a document the entire Panth (or at least the majority of it) would need to be able to agree on. Unless it received wide-spread support, the Singh Sabhas would not have had the backing needed to oust the Hindu groups and their sympathizers from power. This means that the SRM that was eventually drafted is the product of much compromise. There were a lot of competing voices in the room, and a lot of people with conflicting opinions. They couldn't just be ignored, their support was necessary so their views needed to have been taken on board.
But it worked. At the end of all the collaboration, we ended up with the SRM we have today, and it did its job. It may not be 'perfect' or ideal in everybody's eyes, but it was successful in destroying MOST of the Brahmanical practices that were going on in mainstream Sikhi. It laid out a code of conduct, a way of life, rules and regulations which are diametrically opposed to Sanatan/Brahmanical Hinduism. The Hindu groups and their sympathizers COULD take Amrit and technically become Khalsa Sikhs, but if they tried to enforce Hindu beliefs, ritualism and practices onto the Sikh Panth, they would be held accountable for breaking the Rehat and punished accordingly. Because of the SRM, the Hindu groups and their sympathizers were no longer considered to be 'Sikhs', and were ousted from power. They were replaced by the Khalsa, the way Guru Gobind Singh ji had intended all along. Because of the SRM's anti-Brahmanical/Sanatan stance, the idols and Hindu images which had been taken into Harmandir Sahib were destroyed and thrown out. SGGS was re-instated, and the ban on low-castes from dipping in the Sarovar surround the Darbar Sahib and participating in other practices was lifted.
Because the SRM demands strict adherence to SGGS, the sants, the babas, and the deras operating in Punjab who had up until then been running around unchecked doing whatever they wished, were now finding themselves increasingly marginalized. They were pushed out to the fringes, which is still where they are. Even today, we find that the greatest enemies and challengers to these deras are the Takhsalis, and is it any surprise that the Takhsalis are arguably the strictest followers of the SRM? Today, the SRM provides powerful political ammunition against the destructive activities of these organizations, and the fact that they are going against the principles set forth in the SRM means they are fringe groups, when in the past they were actually as mainstream as it could possibly get.
Even before the formal drafting of the SRM, the Singh Sabha's had been spreading the Khalsa identity among the Sikh masses and urging people to take Amrit. And while I agree the decision to take Amrit is not necessary to be a 'true Sikh', the Singh Sabha leaders had no choice but to spread it among the masses to safeguard Sikhi from British proselytizing. Large-scale adoptions of the Khalsa identity and adherence to a unified way of life, the feeling of being a part of a tight-knit community of Khalsa Sikh brothers and sisters made it more and more difficult for the British to make Christianity appear appealing to the Punjabi masses, and the Singh Sabhas were effective in barricading Sikhi from the destructive effects of massive Christian proselytizing.
So the above is a very condensed version of what was going on pre-Singh Sabha and the events which led to the formation of the SRM. "What did it stand for"? Well as before, the goal was to flip power within the Panth on its head, rid Hindus and their sympathizers from Sikh institutions, stop British proselytizing of Christianity, push the deras/babas/sants to the fringes of the Panth and return the Khalsa to power.
It is not a spiritual document. It can never replace SGGS ji, but at the same time, contrary to what a lot of people think, that is not its intended purpose. It is a political document intended to ensure that control of Sikh institutions remains in the right hands, and that the Khalsa remain a unified force. Even with all the problems in the Panth today, the situation is 100x better than what it was pre-SRM.
The code of conduct, rules and regulations of the SRM are intended to nurture a sense of distinctiveness in the Khalsa Panth. The rules in the current SRM were specifically put in place to distinguish the Khalsa from the Hindus who had taken control of Sikh institutions largely since Ranjit Singh's Empire in Punjab.
Guru Gobind Singh ji understood the need for a unique entity, distinct from all the other religions in the world, to be at the helm of Sikh institutions. Because when the Khalsa loses its distinctiveness, it becomes extremely easy for outside forces to come in and say 'Sikhs are just a branch on our religion' and to lay claim to power within the Panth. Buddhism was at one point the largest religion in India. Hinduism did not destroy Buddhism's power by waging massive physical wars against it. Hinduism absorbed Buddhism by turning the Buddha into another avatar of Vishnu, and then claiming that Buddhism was just another branch on the Sanatan tree. It also absorbed Jainism in a similar fashion.
The one thing which has prevented Sikhi from being absorbed, against all odds, is the distinctiveness of the Khalsa Panth. Even the most ferocious "Sikhs are Hindus" individuals cannot account for Guru Gobind Singh ji's Khalsa Panth without making extremely outlandish (and easily disprovable, if you know the relevant history) claims. Even when Hinduism has gotten close to absorbing Sikhi (like pre-Singh Sabha), the Khalsa has always been there to bail it out and keep it alive.
Guru Gobind Singh ji understood that the world is always changing and that circumstances are not always the same. This is why he gave the Khalsa complete political power within the Panth, which also entails the power to draft, revise, edit and destroy Rehats. As the world changes, Rehats must also evolve to ensure the Khalsa remains distinguished and unique, so as to prevent Sikhi from being absorbed/destroyed by other religions.
Far from simply wanting to impose their version of Sikhi on everybody, the leaders of the Singh Sabha were using the power which had been rightfully given to them by Guru Gobind Singh ji to rid Sikhi of Hindu-control and reclaim power for the Khalsa, effectively destroying most of the Brahmanization which had seeped its way into mainstream Sikhi over the years and shielding Sikhi from the proselytizing of Christianity by the British.
The same as it has always been: to preserve the sanctity of Sikhi by ensuring power remains with the Khalsa and highlighting the distinctiveness of the Khalsa Panth from other religions. Despite what a lot of people think, this isn't even the first Rehat ever drafted. Rehats have existed all throughout Sikh history since the creation of the Khalsa, and there are plenty from the 18th century especially, if I remember correctly. The Rehats have only applied to Khalsa Sikhs, with non-Khalsa Sikhs free to interpret and live by Sikhi however they wished.
The deras exist because they ignore the SRM, and they're some of the most destructive organizations within Punjab today.
Problems arise when people start thinking the Rehat isn't necessary or don't understand its significance. Do you know what happens when the Panth, as a collective, starts to discard the Rehat because they feel it should no longer apply, is only holding Sikhi back and people should just do whatever they want? This is what happens:
http://dailysikhupdates.com/hazur-sahib-singhs-welcome-tara-singh-with-open-arms-as-their-leader/
http://www.sikh24.com/2015/04/02/bj...i-hazoor-sahib-management-board/#.VSze7vldUnO
A member of the BJP has now taken control of Takht Sri Hazoor Sahib. And the worst part? The Sangat there doesn't even seem to care. Hindu right-wing RSS forces have now taken control of one of the most important Takhts in all of Sikhi. This guy is a stooge of Hindutva. For those of you who don't know what Hindutva is, please take the time to do some background research. For Hindutva, Sikhi is just another branch on the Hindu tree and must be absorbed at all costs, just like Buddhism and Jainism were absorbed in the past.
This is disgusting beyond belief. This is what happens when people don't pay attention to the SRM. This is what happens when people start to ignore Guru Gobind Singh ji's Hukam for only the Khalsa to control institutions within Sikhi. The SRM exists for a reason, and until Sikhs begin to acknolwedge the indespensible role it plays within the Panth, these occurrences are only going to get worse over time. Now that Hindutva control one of the msot powerful instituitions within Sikhi, what's stopping them from pushing their "Sikhs are Hindus" agenda onto the entire Hazur Sahib Sangat?
The man isn't even an Amritdhari. This appointment has set a very dangerous precedent within the Panth. Not only has it now become appropriate for the GOVERNMENT to decide who should and shouldn't be in control of SIKH power, but what's stopping the next Hindu from coming in and trying to take power somewhere else within the Panth?
The SRM provided a security blanket against these sorts of infiltrations. It made it clear that only Amrithdaris were allowed to control powerful Sikh institutions within Sikhi. And if they tried to impose Hindu dogma onto the Panth, they would be breaking the rules and regulations it contains, and would be punished accordingly. But the fact that this man isn't an Amritdhari means there is no way the Panth can hold him to account. He can do whatever he wishes, he isn't Amritdhari so the SRM doesn't apply to him. Now that he's been appointed, it opens the door for more Hindus and Hindu-sympathizers to gain control within the Panth. And without the SRM to hold them accountable, there is no way to stop them from doing anything they want.
If Sikhs want to ignore the SRM then that's fine, they just shouldn't complain when the whole work of the Singh Sabha movement is undone and Sikhi is once again under the control of Hindu/Brahmanical/Sanatan forces. The appointment of this man, by completely ignoring the Sikh Rehat Maryada, may be a horrible foreshadow of things to come...
Is it tempting for Sikhs to familiarize themselves with the basics of Sikhism through it, rather than through reading and understanding the SGGSji for themselves?
I replied to this in the other thread. In short, I think it depends on the individual, not whether they follow the SRM. Somebody who is really interested in learning more and more about Sikhi will do so whether they follow the SRM or not, and somebody who doesn't give a damn will refuse to learn whether they follow the SRM or not.
Can it be taken as an absolute guide on what makes a Sikh?
Historically, Rehats have been used to differentiate between 'regular Sikhs' and 'Khalsa Sikhs'. Rehats were never really intended to define everything about what it meant to be a Sikh. This current Rehat has redefined 'Sikh' to mean 'Khalsa' (when historically, there has been a difference), and it did so for reasons mentioned earlier in this post.
Could the interpretation now be dated?
Perhaps, but that is something the Khalsa Panth needs to decide together. They have the power to change it if they wish. I personally feel that Rehats should be reevaluated every 20-30 years to keep up with the fast pace at which the world is changing. But I still believe in the core message behind our current Rehat, and really appreciate the huge positive impact it had on the Panth after its drafting.
Are there agendas in existence that mean the SRM could be compromised?
I really want to finish this post by pointing out that even I don't feel it is necessarily perfect. I know there's a lot of other people, including on this site, who feel it has its shortcomings. That's okay, there's nothing wrong with holding that view. As before, this Rehat is the product of much collaboration and compromise. But that's what made it so effective. I don't think there has ever been a Rehat in the history of Sikhi which has been as effective as this one at uniting the Panth and radically altering its future. This Rehat pretty much ensured the future survival of Sikhi.
Even if as individuals we find practices/rituals in the Rehat which we may not fully agree with (like waking up and meditating on 'Waheguru'), that doesn't mean we throw the baby out with the bathwater, because there's no way to overlook the tremendously positive net effect it has had on the Sikh Panth.
Those individuals who do not wish to follow it are not being 'bad Sikhs', and there is nothing really wrong with not taking Amrit. But at this point in time, all of us need to put our differences aside and get behind the SRM. The Hukam of our Guru is being trampled on. The government of Maharashtra, one of the most aggressive proponents of Hindutva (i.e. 'Sikhs are Hindus' propaganda) in all of India feel they have the right to interfere in Sikh affairs and decide who can and can't lead our Panth. This sets a very dangerous precedent for other non-Amritdharis to come in and lay claim to the same power.
And the worst part? The Sangat welcomed him with open arms, like is shown in the links I provided above. Instead of ignoring the SRM, we need to come together and recognize the importance it plays in protecting Sikhi. It wasn't just drafted by a bunch of old guys who got together to define for others what it meant to be a Sikh. The ruling for ONLY the Khalsa controlling Sikh institutions exists for a reason, because only the Khalsa are required to follow the SRM to the fullest, and the SRM is very strictly against the propagation of Hindu propaganda onto the Sikh Quam. Those who break the Rehat are punished, but without it, there is nothing to hold them accountable.
Unless Sikhs get their act together and oppose moves like this, things are only going to get worse. Without the SRM to act as a shield against non-Sikh organizations taking control of our institutions, Sikhi could very well go down the same route as Buddhism and Jainism. The longer Sikhs ignore their history or act like it isn't important, the longer people are going to keep taking advantage of us like this. "Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it." (George Santyana). I guess it's up to Sikhs now to decide whether they want to actually learn the history and prevent themselves from going down the same road as their ancestors, or make the same mistakes their ancestors made and allow Hindu organizations and their sympathizers to take control of all of Sikhi.
I’d like to add a few more things to this discussion which I feel are important:
