Sikh Identity - Are Sikhs Hindus?
Who are the Sikhs? And what is Sikhism? It is not possible to understand the Sikhs or appreciate their religion, Sikhism, without studying their history and the circumstances under which Sikhism was born.
To answer the above questions we must go back to the times of Sri Guru Nanak Dev (1469 to 1539), the founder of the Sikh religion. Sikhism began with the preaching of Guru Nanak. He based his right to teach on his personal experience of a hukum (command) received from God. Guru Nanak's simple monotheistic creed, supported by a set of humanitarian principles of conduct and presented with humility and conviction, made a deep impact on the Indian population, then suffering under the heavy heel of the Mughal conquerors and the ritualized Hindu religious observances. Guru Nanak won a large number of adherents to his teaching. It was the beginning of a new religious fellowship, which in course of time developed into a well-defined Faith. Its chief doctrines were the unity of God, the brotherhood of man, rejection of caste and the futility of idol worship.
Guru Nanak is viewed by Sikhs as the preacher of a new Gospel, the founder of a new Faith, the perfect example of piety and a person worthy of deep devotion, but not to be worshipped as God.
The new religion founded by Guru Nanak was nurtured by nine other Gurus who succeeded him in the holy office of Guruship. The Guru is the Enlightener, the instructor who shows the path leading to the Divine.
The first Guru, Nanak Dev, lived in the 15th century, a time of immense social and political turmoil. He witnessed the brutality of the Mughal invaders who swept through Afghanistan into the Northern sub-continent of India, terrorizing, the local population. According to Sikh historian Harbans Singh, Guru Nanak's voice offered " the only vocal protest in India against the invasions of Barbar, founder of the Mughal dynasty". Guru Nanak also spoke out against the social evils of the caste system which promoted vast inequality among fellow human beings. Guru Nanak recognized all humanity as one and knew the free life was the only life worth living.
The succeeding nine Gurus of the Sikh faith further developed what Guru Nanak set in motion. When the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, baptized the Sikhs into nationhood in 1699, he specifically commanded all Sikhs to stand up to tyranny no matter where it existed. Guru Gobind Singh, too, knew the importance of maintaining one's freedom, and he was certain to pass this legacy to the Sikh nation. Every morning Sikhs pray "Raj Karega Khalsa : The Khalsa Shall Rule". After the death of Guru Gobind Singh, Banda Singh Bahadur swept through the Punjab, defeating the forces of the Mughal rulers who had earlier outlawed the Sikhs, placing a heavy bounty on severed Sikh heads. Banda Singh's rule lasted from 1710 to 1716.
The Sikhs ruled Punjab until it was annexed by the British in 1849 at the conclusion of the Anglo-Sikh Wars. The Sikhs were the last nation on the Indian sub-continent to fall to the British. The records show that the British recognized the Sikhs as a sovereign and independent nation. History is clear that the British were close to being routed in the Anglo-Sikh wars. Indeed, if not for the treason of a few highly placed Dogras, who betrayed the Sikh nation by sabotaging the Sikh army in return for British favours, the Punjab may never have fallen into British hands. Sikhs were also the first nation on the sub-continent to fight for freedom from the British. It was the Sikhs who suffered the overwhelming number of casualties during the ****** struggle to oust the British. Though the Sikhs then comprised 1.6%of the population of the sub-continent, 85% of those hanged were Sikhs; 80% of those exiled were Sikhs; and 75% of those jailed were Sikhs!
In 1947, when the British pulled out of India, three nations representing three distinct ethnic groups, were recognized and specifically identified in preparation for the transfer of power : The Muslims, the Hindus and the Sikhs. The Muslims took their share in the newly created Pakistan; the Hindus took current-day India and the Sikhs opted to support the Hindus under solemn assurances by Jawarhar Lal Nehru and Mohandas Gandhi that the Sikh nation would lead an autonomous existence in the North. Gandhi personally guaranteed that no law would be passed in the new India that was unacceptable to the Sikh nation. In 1950, however, when the Constitution was being finalized, Sikhs found the document contrary to their interests as a nation, as it made no allowance whatsoever for their free existence! The Sikh delegates at the Constituent Assemble naturally refused to sign the document. The Hindu political leaders reneged on their promises.
To this day, no Sikh has signed the Indian Constitution. Later the Sikh representative, Master Tara Singh was jailed by Nehru for agitating for the implementation of promises made to the Sikhs. Nehru is reported to have said: "I shut my ears when someone speaks to me about honoring promises made to Sikhs during the independence movement". The Sikhs were outwitted and cheated by Nehru. Sadly the history of the Sikh nation since ratification of the Indian Constitution is the story of Sikhs struggling for their most basic right of self-government in an autonomous Sikh State.
Understanding Sikhism (The Gospel of the Gurus) by Retired Justice Choor Singh of the Supreme Court of Singapore
Who are the Sikhs? And what is Sikhism? It is not possible to understand the Sikhs or appreciate their religion, Sikhism, without studying their history and the circumstances under which Sikhism was born.
To answer the above questions we must go back to the times of Sri Guru Nanak Dev (1469 to 1539), the founder of the Sikh religion. Sikhism began with the preaching of Guru Nanak. He based his right to teach on his personal experience of a hukum (command) received from God. Guru Nanak's simple monotheistic creed, supported by a set of humanitarian principles of conduct and presented with humility and conviction, made a deep impact on the Indian population, then suffering under the heavy heel of the Mughal conquerors and the ritualized Hindu religious observances. Guru Nanak won a large number of adherents to his teaching. It was the beginning of a new religious fellowship, which in course of time developed into a well-defined Faith. Its chief doctrines were the unity of God, the brotherhood of man, rejection of caste and the futility of idol worship.
Guru Nanak is viewed by Sikhs as the preacher of a new Gospel, the founder of a new Faith, the perfect example of piety and a person worthy of deep devotion, but not to be worshipped as God.
The new religion founded by Guru Nanak was nurtured by nine other Gurus who succeeded him in the holy office of Guruship. The Guru is the Enlightener, the instructor who shows the path leading to the Divine.
The first Guru, Nanak Dev, lived in the 15th century, a time of immense social and political turmoil. He witnessed the brutality of the Mughal invaders who swept through Afghanistan into the Northern sub-continent of India, terrorizing, the local population. According to Sikh historian Harbans Singh, Guru Nanak's voice offered " the only vocal protest in India against the invasions of Barbar, founder of the Mughal dynasty". Guru Nanak also spoke out against the social evils of the caste system which promoted vast inequality among fellow human beings. Guru Nanak recognized all humanity as one and knew the free life was the only life worth living.
The succeeding nine Gurus of the Sikh faith further developed what Guru Nanak set in motion. When the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, baptized the Sikhs into nationhood in 1699, he specifically commanded all Sikhs to stand up to tyranny no matter where it existed. Guru Gobind Singh, too, knew the importance of maintaining one's freedom, and he was certain to pass this legacy to the Sikh nation. Every morning Sikhs pray "Raj Karega Khalsa : The Khalsa Shall Rule". After the death of Guru Gobind Singh, Banda Singh Bahadur swept through the Punjab, defeating the forces of the Mughal rulers who had earlier outlawed the Sikhs, placing a heavy bounty on severed Sikh heads. Banda Singh's rule lasted from 1710 to 1716.
The Sikhs ruled Punjab until it was annexed by the British in 1849 at the conclusion of the Anglo-Sikh Wars. The Sikhs were the last nation on the Indian sub-continent to fall to the British. The records show that the British recognized the Sikhs as a sovereign and independent nation. History is clear that the British were close to being routed in the Anglo-Sikh wars. Indeed, if not for the treason of a few highly placed Dogras, who betrayed the Sikh nation by sabotaging the Sikh army in return for British favours, the Punjab may never have fallen into British hands. Sikhs were also the first nation on the sub-continent to fight for freedom from the British. It was the Sikhs who suffered the overwhelming number of casualties during the ****** struggle to oust the British. Though the Sikhs then comprised 1.6%of the population of the sub-continent, 85% of those hanged were Sikhs; 80% of those exiled were Sikhs; and 75% of those jailed were Sikhs!
In 1947, when the British pulled out of India, three nations representing three distinct ethnic groups, were recognized and specifically identified in preparation for the transfer of power : The Muslims, the Hindus and the Sikhs. The Muslims took their share in the newly created Pakistan; the Hindus took current-day India and the Sikhs opted to support the Hindus under solemn assurances by Jawarhar Lal Nehru and Mohandas Gandhi that the Sikh nation would lead an autonomous existence in the North. Gandhi personally guaranteed that no law would be passed in the new India that was unacceptable to the Sikh nation. In 1950, however, when the Constitution was being finalized, Sikhs found the document contrary to their interests as a nation, as it made no allowance whatsoever for their free existence! The Sikh delegates at the Constituent Assemble naturally refused to sign the document. The Hindu political leaders reneged on their promises.
To this day, no Sikh has signed the Indian Constitution. Later the Sikh representative, Master Tara Singh was jailed by Nehru for agitating for the implementation of promises made to the Sikhs. Nehru is reported to have said: "I shut my ears when someone speaks to me about honoring promises made to Sikhs during the independence movement". The Sikhs were outwitted and cheated by Nehru. Sadly the history of the Sikh nation since ratification of the Indian Constitution is the story of Sikhs struggling for their most basic right of self-government in an autonomous Sikh State.
Understanding Sikhism (The Gospel of the Gurus) by Retired Justice Choor Singh of the Supreme Court of Singapore
