Dal Khalsa was the name of the combined military forces of 11 Sikh misls that operated in the 18th century (1748–1799) in the Punjab region . It was established by Nawab Kapur Singh in late 1740s.
57-447: 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 a positive relationship with the Sikh gurus until his death in 1605. His successor, Jahangir , saw
114-596: A metaphysical soteriology such as a state of "heaven" or "nirvana." Nevertheless, in Sikhism, both karma and liberation are "modified by the concept of God's grace" ( nadar, mehar, kirpa, karam , etc.). Guru Nanak states that "the body takes birth because of karma, but salvation is attained through grace." To get closer to God, Sikhs: avoid the evils of maya ; keep the everlasting truth in mind; practice shabad kirtan (musical recitation of hymns); meditate on naam ; and serve humanity. Sikhs believe that being in
171-633: A High caste group. According to H.A. Rose , in the Punjab and Haryana , most of Bairagis were recruited from Jats . Bairagi Class or sect in bengal is formed of by all Classes and Castes in Bramha or Gaudiya Sampradaya. Bairagis were liberals but in the practice Brahmin Bairagis (Bairagi Brahmins) took food only from another Brahmins . William Pinch believes that the Bairagi branch of Vaishnavas
228-535: A Sikh gurdwara . However, most Sikh gurdwaras forbid aarti during their Bhakti practices. Bairagi Bairagi Brahmin or Vaishnav Bairagi or Vaishnav Brahmin is a Hindu caste . They are Hindu priests . They are sedentary rasik (temple dwelling or temple priest) Brahmin members of the Vaishnava sampradayas , especially the Ramanandi Sampradaya . According to K.S. Singh ,
285-460: A Sikh should perform constant Bhakti. Some scholars call Sikhism a Bhakti sect of Indian traditions, adding that it emphasises " nirguni Bhakti ", i.e. loving devotion to a divine without qualities or physical form. While Western scholarship generally places Sikhism as arising primarily within a Hindu Bhakti movement milieu while recognizing some Sufi Islamic influences, some Indian Sikh scholars disagree and state that Sikhism transcended
342-573: 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 the Buddha and Taruna Dals: Note - the Phulkian misl was not part of either the Buddha nor Taruna Dal, as they were not
399-467: 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
456-457: A doctrine that has been practiced in Sikh religion since the seventeenth century. The doctrine of the "Mir" (social and political aspects of life) and the "Pir" (guides to spiritual aspect of life) was revealed by the first guru of Sikhism, Guru Nanak , but propounded by the sixth guru of Sikhism, Guru Hargobind , on 12 June 1606. After the martyrdom of his father , Guru Hargobind was elevated to
513-420: 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 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
570-435: A means to feel God's presence ( simran ), which can be expressed musically through kirtan or internally through naam japna ( lit. ' meditation on God's name ' ). Baptised Sikhs are obliged to wear the five Ks , which are five articles of faith which physically distinguish Sikhs from non-Sikhs. Among these include the kesh (uncut hair). Most religious Sikh men thus do not cut their hair but rather wear
627-711: 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 the Mughal Empire in the Battle of Karnal and proceeded to sack Delhi . During the panic before and after
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#1732772640122684-690: 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 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
741-562: 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 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
798-614: A spiritual union with the Akal , which results in salvation or jivanmukti ('enlightenment/liberation within one's lifetime'), a concept also found in Hinduism . Guru Gobind Singh makes it clear that human birth is obtained with great fortune, and therefore one needs to be able to make the most of this life. Sikhs accept reincarnation and karma concepts found in Buddhism , Hinduism , and Jainism , but do not necessarily infer
855-475: 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 the Mughal Empire forced some Sikhs to abandon the outward signs of their faith, but "the more sincere had to seek
912-546: A turban . The definition of a Sikh, according to the Rehat Maryada , the Sikh code of conduct, is any human being who faithfully believes in the following: The religion developed and evolved in times of religious persecution , gaining converts from both Hinduism and Islam . The Mughal emperors of India tortured and executed two of the Sikh gurus— Guru Arjan (1563–1605) and Guru Tegh Bahadur (1621–1675)—after they refused to convert to Islam . The persecution of
969-422: Is a monotheistic and panentheistic religion. Sikhs believe that there exists only one God and that God is simultaneously within everything and is all-encompassing. The oneness of God is reflected by the phrase Ik Onkar . In Sikhism, the word for God is Waheguru ( lit. ' wondrous teacher ' ). The Waheguru is considered to be Nirankar ("shapeless"), Akal ("timeless"), Karta Purakh ("
1026-968: Is more loosely rendered 'the one supreme reality', 'the one creator', 'the all-pervading spirit', and other ways of expressing a diffused but unified and singular sense of God and creation. The traditional Mul Mantar goes from ik onkar until Nanak hosee bhee sach. The opening line of the Guru Granth Sahib and each subsequent raga , mentions ik onkar : ੴ ikk ōankār ਸਤਿ sat (i) ਨਾਮੁ nām (u) ਕਰਤਾ karatā ਪੁਰਖੁ purakh (u) ਨਿਰਭਉ nirabha'u ਨਿਰਵੈਰੁ niravair (u) ਅਕਾਲ akāl (a) ਮੂਰਤਿ mūrat (i) ਅਜੂਨੀ ajūnī ਸੈਭੰ saibhan ਗੁਰ gur (a) ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ॥ prasād (i) {ੴ} ਸਤਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਕਰਤਾ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਨਿਰਭਉ ਨਿਰਵੈਰੁ ਅਕਾਲ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਅਜੂਨੀ ਸੈਭੰ ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ॥ {ikk ōankār} sat (i) nām (u) karatā purakh (u) nirabha'u niravair (u) akāl (a) mūrat (i) ajūnī saibhan gur (a) prasād (i) "There
1083-521: 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
1140-399: Is one supreme being, the eternal reality, the creator, without fear and devoid of enmity, immortal, never incarnated, self-existent, known by grace through the true guru." Māyā , defined as a temporary illusion or " unreality ", is one of the core deviations from the pursuit of God and salvation: where worldly attractions give only illusory temporary satisfaction and pain that distracts from
1197-495: Is the result of the Bhakti Movement in 1000th CE. Bairagi Brahmin caste is formed of sedentary rasik (temple dwelling or temple priest) Brahmin members of the vaishnava sampradayas especially the Ramanandi Sampradaya . They are the members of vaishnava sampradayas . They are married and they have families. And rights of priesthood pass to their descendants . It is found that Bairagi Brahmins are priest in
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#17327726401221254-471: The Guru Granth Sahib , which is the central religious scripture in Sikhism, as his successor. This brought the line of human gurus to a close. Sikhs regard the Guru Granth Sahib as the 11th and eternally living guru. The core beliefs and practices of Sikhism, articulated in the Guru Granth Sahib and other Sikh scriptures, include faith and meditation in the name of the one creator ( Ik Onkar ),
1311-838: 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 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
1368-527: The Mughal Empire until the death of Jahangir in 1627. His successor, Shah Jahan "took offense" at Guru Har Gobind's sovereignty and after 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
1425-497: The Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent around the end of the 15th century CE. It is one of the most recently founded major religions and among the largest in the world with about 25–30 million adherents (known as Sikhs ). Sikhism developed from the spiritual teachings of Guru Nanak (1469–1539), the faith's first guru , and the nine Sikh gurus who succeeded him. The tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh (1666–1708), named
1482-517: 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 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
1539-481: The 'upper castes' of Bengal. Members of vaishnava sampradayas are called Bairagi or Vairagi. And these members are divided into three categories – renunciant ( Virakt ), warrior ( Naga ) and temple-dwelling (temple priest) ascetics. The most of renunciant and warrior are unmarried ascetics. Anyone can be member of these communities. But there are evidences of different meetings of vaishnava mahants who have decided that member of anyone caste could not be member of
1596-525: 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, the Sikhs who had been seeking refuge in the Sivalik Hills came down from
1653-456: 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, 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
1710-464: 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 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
1767-541: The Guru's teaching remembrance of nām (the divine Name of the Lord) leads to the end of egotism. Guru Nanak designated the word Guru ('teacher') to mean the voice of "the spirit": the source of knowledge and the guide to salvation. As ik onkar is universally immanent , Guru is indistinguishable from Akal and are one and the same. One connects with Guru only with accumulation of selfless search of truth. Ultimately
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1824-530: The Guruship and fulfilled the prophecy that was given by the primal figure of Sikh, Baba Buddha , that the guru will possess spiritual and temporal power. Guru Hargobind introduced the two swords of Miri and Piri symbolizing both worldly (social and political) and spiritual authority. The two kirpan of Miri and Piri are tied together with a khanda in center, so the combination of both is considered supreme. This means that all action informed or arising out of
1881-630: 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 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
1938-572: The Sikhs triggered the founding of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699 as an order to protect the freedom of conscience and religion , with members expressing the qualities of a sant-sipāhī ("saint-soldier"). The majority of Sikh scriptures were originally written in the alphabet of Gurmukhī , a script standardised by Guru Angad out of Laṇḍā scripts historically used in present-day Pakistan and North India . Adherents of Sikhism are known as Sikhs , meaning "students" or "disciples" of
1995-506: 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 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,
2052-416: 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 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
2109-501: The community uses different Surnames / Titles in different States and union territories of India , these are - Swami , Bairagi, Mahanta , Maharaj , Vaishnav, Bawa, Pandit , Purohit , Goswami , Sharma , Adhikari and Vairagi. They are Vaishnav, and wear the sacred thread . A majority of Bairagi Brahmin is found in Uttar Pradesh , Bihar , Jharkhand , West Bengal , Assam , and Odisha . Bairagi are considered as part of
2166-718: The community. "Decision was taken by all the vaishnava mahants that no one would be member of the community except Brahmin and Kshatriya . And other castes excluded from the community." – Galta Temple Meeting, 1713. Another case was of Maharaja Jai Singh II , king of Jaipur State held a meeting with all Vaishnavas mahants. "Decision was taken that other castes would not be part of bairagis except Brahmin and Kshatriya ." – Meeting of Maharaja Jai Singh II with Ramanandi mahants and other vaishnava to maintain strict caste rules, 1720. Maharaja Jai Singh II obtained pledges from Ramanandi mahants and other vaishnava to maintain strict caste rules. Senugupta describes them as
2223-400: The company of the satsang (association with sat , 'true', people) or sadh sangat is one of the key ways to achieve liberation from the cycles of reincarnation. The Sikh community may be seen to correspond to A.D. Smith's definition of a politicized community, sharing common ancestry myths and historical memories of martyrdom and persecution under successive rulers. Miri Piri is
2280-408: The congruence between spiritual development and everyday moral conduct. Its founder, Guru Nanak, summarized this perspective as: "Truth is the highest virtue, but higher still is truthful living." Sikhism lays emphasis on Ėk nūr te sab jag upjiā , 'From the one light, the entire universe welled up.' Guru Nanak also emphasized his teachings to his disciples by giving them real-life examples. Sikhism
2337-413: The creator being "), Akaal Purkh ("beyond time and death") and Agam Agochar (" incomprehensible and invisible"). In a literal sense, God has no gender in Sikhism, but, metaphorically, God is presented as masculine and God's power as feminine. For example, Guru Gobind Singh refers to God as his father, and God's creative power as his mother. Similarly, another example is that the Guru Granth Sahib ,
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2394-531: 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 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
2451-491: The divine unity and equality of all humankind, engaging in selfless service to others ( sevā ), striving for justice for the benefit and prosperity of all ( sarbat da bhala ), and honest conduct and livelihood. Following this standard, Sikhism rejects claims that any particular religious tradition has a monopoly on absolute truth. As a consequence, Sikhs do not actively proselytize, although voluntary converts are generally accepted. Sikhism emphasizes meditation and remembrance as
2508-559: The environment it emerged from. The basis of the latter analysis is that Bhakti traditions did not clearly disassociate from Vedic texts and their cosmologies and metaphysical worldview, while the Sikh tradition clearly did disassociate from the Vedic tradition. Some Sikh sects outside the Punjab region of India, such as those found in Maharashtra and Bihar , practice aarti (the ceremonial use of lamps) during Bhakti observances in
2565-472: The exonym term Sikhism as they claim the word was coined by the British colonists rather than by Sikhs themselves, and they instead prefer the endonym Sikhi . They argue that an "-ism" connotes a fixed and immutable worldview which is not congruent with the internally fluid nature of the Sikh philosophy. The basis of Sikhism lies in the teachings of Guru Nanak and his successors. Sikh ethics emphasize
2622-547: 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 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
2679-458: The guru. The English word Sikhism derives from the Punjabi word for the religion Sikhi ( Punjabi : ਸਿੱਖੀ Sikkhī , [ˈsɪk.kʰiː] , from Punjabi : ਸਿੱਖ , romanized: Sikh , lit. 'disciple'), which connotes the "temporal path of learning" and is rooted in the verb sikhana ( lit. ' to learn ' ). Some Sikhs oppose
2736-497: The military force lingered on and influenced the Sikh Khalsa Army of the later Sikh Empire . Sikhism Sikhism ( / ˈ s iː k ɪ z əm / SEEK -iz-əm ), also known as Sikhi ( Punjabi : ਸਿੱਖੀ Sikkhī , [ˈsɪk.kʰiː] , from Punjabi : ਸਿੱਖ , romanized: Sikh , lit. 'disciple'), is an Indian religion and philosophy that originated in
2793-490: The most of villages and cities. According to Mayer, Status of Bairagis is equal with other Brahmins . Bairagi brahmins are divided into four Sampradayas - often referred to collectively as the 'Chatur-Sampradaya'. 1. Rudra Sampradaya ( Vishnuswami ), 2. Sri Sampradaya ( Ramanandi ), 3. Nimbarka Sampradaya and 4. Brahma Sampradaya ( Madhvacharya ). There are three prominent Bairagi (Vaishnav) Akharas : The Mahabharata says that once, after Babruvahana dug
2850-576: 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 the following words: "In no case they would slay
2907-425: The primary Sikh scripture, says that all humans are soul-brides who long to unite with their husband Lord. In addition, the gurus also wrote in the Guru Granth Sahib that there are many worlds on which the transcendental God has created life. The Sikh scripture begins with God as Ik Onkar ( ੴ ), the 'One Creator', understood in the Sikh tradition as monotheistic unity of God. Ik onkar (sometimes capitalized)
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#17327726401222964-413: The process of the devotion of God. However, Nanak emphasized māyā as not a reference to the unreality of the world, but of its values. In Sikhism, the influences of ego , anger , greed , attachment , and lust , known as the pānj chor (' Five Thieves '), are believed to be particularly distracting and hurtful. Sikhs believe the world is currently in a state of Kali Yuga ('age of darkness') because
3021-476: The seeker realises that it is the consciousness within the body which is the seeker/follower of the Word that is the true Guru . The human body is just a means to achieve the reunion with Truth. Once truth starts to shine in a person's heart, the essence of current and past holy books of all religions is understood by the person. Guru Nanak's teachings are founded not on a final destination of heaven or hell, but on
3078-496: The spiritual heart completes one's purpose and meaning in the world of action: spirituality . Guru Nanak , the first Sikh guru and the founder of Sikhism, was a Bhakti saint. He taught that the most important form of worship is Bhakti (devotion to Waheguru ). Guru Arjan , in the Sukhmani Sahib , recommended the true religion as one of loving devotion to God. The Guru Granth Sahib includes suggestions on how
3135-406: The world is led astray by the love of and attachment to māyā . The fate of people vulnerable to the five thieves is separation from God, and the situation may be remedied only after intensive and relentless devotion. According to Guru Nanak, the supreme purpose of human life is to reconnect with Akal ('The Timeless One'). However, egotism is the biggest barrier in making this connection. Using
3192-425: 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 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
3249-409: Was injured by agents of Wazir Khan, 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
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