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Khālsā refers to the collective body of saint-soldiers(Singhs/Kaurs). The Khalsa was inaugurated on March 30, 1699, by Guru Gobind Singh
, the tenth Sikh Guru
. It was then the temporal leadership was passed on from and by Guru Gobind Singh to the Khalsa and thence it became Guru Khalsa. Though, during the next 9 years of life, Guru Gobind Singh remained the Commander-in-chief of the Khalsa.
The Khalsa is also the name of nation of sikhs. The Khalsa has responsibilities of leader, hence parliament, and defence.
The symbolic meaning of Khalsa literally translates to "Sovereign"/"Free" from the Arabic
. The word Khalsa is a term used to denote a ruler's personal property and which is not subjected to tax. Guru Gobind Singh describes in his scripture, the Sarbloh Granth
the qualities of Khalsa:
The Sikhs of the Khalsa can be identified with the given Five Ks and titles Singh
and Kaur
. This happens after being baptised to the order of the Khalsa. The tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh
at an event which was deliberately conincided with the Baisakhi day in year 1699 initiated that every Sikh must follow the Five Ks; they are not merely symbols but commitment to the faith and philosophy of Guru Nanak, Sikhism, and collectively form the external visible symbols; hence clearly and outwardly advertising and displaying one's commitment. It is as much analogous to uniform of any Organization especially a Military.
A Sikh who has been initiated into the Khalsa is titled a Singh (males)/Kaur (females) or Amritdhari, as opposed to Sahajdhari
the non-baptized Sikhs who believe in all the tenets of Sikhism and the teaching of the Sikh Gurus and hence the Guru Granth Sahib
. Sahajdhari Sikhs do not don all the Five Ks.
خالصة) ("pure/devoted") word khāliṣa[h] is the recognition of every Sikh that follows the discipline and text from the Guru Granth Sahib.
There is also another word from Arabic "خالسا" which is pronounced as "Khalsa" and is adapted in Punjabi/English/Hindi and many other languages. So, there are two different words in Arabic as "خالسا"(Khalsa) and "خالصة"(Khalisa(h)). Furthermore, there is also a word in Persian "خالص" meaning "pure" and pronounced as "Khalis". And a reader of Urdu language can testify the "Khalis" in the Persian
script and language as described below.
"Khalsa" is also used for a property which belongs to the Emperor directly. As a matter of fact, since the official language in Mughal era was Persian and also the Persian
language contains a word "Khalis" which directly translates to "Pure" in English. This may all together give a new meaning to the word "Khalsa". On these grounds and as per writings of the Guru Gobind Singh, the father of the Khalsa, wherein the great Guru describes the Khalsa as army of the timeless-being, it is evident that Khalsa means sovereign
till the timelessness. The Khalsa does not serve any monarch or a wordly sovereign
country because it is a government in itself which acts only and only according to Guru Granth Sahib
. A majority times "Khalsa" is presented as "Khalis" which, if not wrong, is an incomplete definition. However, in any way, as long as the Khalsa keeps on performing its duty(as assigned by the Guru and which remains forever) there is no problem as far the dictionary is concerned and could be only a matter of individual research. As long as the Khalsa remains the collective body of the Singhs and Kaurs(the ones who have received the baptism of double-edged sword or "Amrit"), in contrast to someone individual(as "amritdharis" are usually referred as today), there is a ray of hope that it starts functioning again and sooner for benefit of the "Entire".
As is traditionally said the soul/spirit is the Granth (Guru Granth Sahib) and body is the Panth (the Khalsa) (aatma Granth vich, Shreer Panth vich). In another analogy as every thought needs a body to be executed in this material world rendering the thought ( or spirit) and body inseparable. Thought is the symbol of "spirituality" and Body is the symbol of "temporality", as far Sikhism is concerned they are inseparable. Miri-Piri are simply inseparable. So the Guru Granth Sahib (the word or thought) and the Khalsa (the executive body) are the two inseparable sides of coin. The Khalsa is definitely the collective body of the Singh
s and Kaur
s, however for all temporal reasons it is led by Panj Pyare or the five-beloved. At the Battle of Chamkaur
, the Khalsa led by Panj Pyare passed on an order/command to the Guru Gobind Singh
to escape from the Chamkaur and the Guru had to obey it, because at that point of time, and as proclaimed by the Guru on March 30, 1699 about his absorption into the Khalsa and declaring the five-beloved being equal to him, the Guru was just a Singh of the Khalsa.
Also in Sikh tradition, the word "Khalsa was already adopted by 6th Guru as the term first appears in a hukmanama (order) by Sri Guru Hargobind, the sixth Guru, which refers to a sangat
as "Guru ka khalsa" ("Guru's Khalsa"). It also appears in a letter by Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur (the ninth Guru), in the same sense.
emperors had peaceful relations with the Sikh Gurus, the Sikhs started facing religious persecution during the reign of Jahangir
. SriGuru Arjan Dev
, the fifth Guru, was arrested and executed by Jahangir
in 1606.
n 1675, Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Guru of the Sikhs was executed by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb
for saving the religious rights of Hindus. In 1699, his son and the tenth Guru, Gobind Singh sent hukmanamas (letters of authority) to his followers throughout the Ind0-Pak sub-continent, asking them to gather at Anandpur Sahib
on March 30, 1699, the day of Baisakhi (the annual harvest festival
).
Guru Gobind Singh addressed the congregation from the entryway of a tent pitched on a hill (now called Kesgarh Sahib). He drew his sword and asked for a volunteer who was willing to sacrifice his head. No one answered his first call, nor the second call, but on the third invitation, a person called Daya Ram
(later known as Bhai Daya Singh) came forward and offered his head to the Guru. Guru Gobind Singh took the volunteer inside the tent, and emerged shortly, with blood dripping from his sword. He then demanded another head. One more volunteer came forward, and entered the tent with him. The Guru again emerged with blood on his sword. This happened three more times. Then the five volunteers came out of the tent unharmed. These five, who were willing to sacrifice their lives for their Guru, were called Panj Piare
("the five beloved ones"). These five volunteers were : Daya Ram (Bhai Daya Singh
), Dharam Das (Bhai Dharam Singh
), Himmat Rai (Bhai Himmat Singh
), Mohkam Chand (Bhai Mohkam Singh
), and Sahib Chand (Bhai Sahib Singh
).
Guru Gobind Singh then took an iron bowl, and poured some water in it. Sahib Devan (later Mata Sahib Kaur
) added some sugar crystals to the water in the bowl, and the Guru stirred this mixture with a double-edged sword whilst reciting the Five Banis. The resultant solution is called as "Khandey di Pahul" (ceremony of the double-edged sword) or commonly known as "Amrit" (nectar)
These actions allude to the nature expected of the inductees to the Khalsa: that they must have the will and the strength to fight oppression (symbolized by the sword), but must always remember that their actions are born from protection and not hatred (symbolized by the sweetness of the sugar).
Each of the Panj Piares were given five handfuls of the Amrit to drink, and had amrit sprinkled in their eyes five times. Each time, they repeated the phrase, "Vaheguru ji ka Khalsa, Vaheguru ji ki Phateh" ("The Khalsa belongs to Vaheguru (the wondrous teacher), the victory belongs to Vaheguru (the wondrous teacher)").
Guru Gobind Singh
gave them the title (analogous to "Knight" or "Sir" in English culture) of "Singh
" (meaning "lion
"). Similarly, for female the title of "Kaur
" (meaning "Princess,"). As a matter of fact, now-a-days the majority of Sikhs carry this title without taking the oath of double-edged sword.
Guru Gobind Singh
is the "Father" of the Khalsa and Mata Sahib Kaur
is the "Mother". One important outcome of joining the Khalsa is the abolition of one's previous caste
, nation
, race, rituals, customs
, religion
, clan
, Karma
. The new member is the citizen of Anandpur Sahib
and their birthplace is the Kesgarh Sahib.
The uniform of a Singh/Kaur of the Khalsa comprises of 5 Ks as following:
Besides this, there is a basic code of conduct to be followed and a breach of which requires the fallen to appear before the five-beloved ones who award a suitable punishment. The basic code of conduct (Rehat Maryada) issued by the Khalsa is :
The newswriter of the Mughal government, Ghulam Mohyiuddin, reporting to the Emperor wrote:
Sri Gur Sobha (18th century) by Sainapati (Saina Singh) contains two sections (adhyays) on the controversies that arose, when Guru Gobind Singh's disciples in Delhi
heard the news of his new order. Much of the controversy stated in Sri Gur Sobha revolves around bhaddar, the ritual shaving of head after death of a close relative, which was discouraged by Guru Gobind Singh. According to Sainapti, while creating the Khalsa, Guru Gobind Singh said that bhaddar is bharam (illusion), and not dharam
.
Tensions developed between the Punjabi Khatri
disciples of the Guru in Delhi, and members of the newly-formed Khalsa. A prominent Khatri disciple was expelled from the place of worship (dharmasala) for refusing to join the Khalsa. Another disciple was expelled for eating with him, starting a chain of further expulsions. The expelled disciples convened a community gathering, at which two wealthy Khatris demanded that the Khalsa produce a written order from the Guru that a new mandatory code of conduct had been promulgated. A Khatri family that refused to follow the bhaddar ritual was boycotted by the Khatri community. The Khatri council (panch) closed the bazaar (market) to pressurize the Khalsa. The Khalsa petitioned the state officials to intervene, who forced reopening of the shops. Later, peace was established between the two groups in a sangat (congregation). However, hostility between some Khatris and the Khalsa persisted in the later years.
s, etc.
Guru Gobind Singh in Oct, 1708 deputed his disciple Banda Singh Bahadur to lead the Khalsa in an uprising against the Mughals. Banda Singh Bahadur first established a Sikh kingdom and then brought in the Land reforms in the form of breaking up large estates and distributing the land to peasants. He and his comrades were eventually defeated and executed, but he became an icon among the Sikhs. After a long exile the Khalsa regrouped under Nawab Kapur Singh
, who gathered local Khalsa leaders and created Dal Khalsa
, a coalition army. The Dal Khalsa fought against the Mughals and the Afghans, eventually resulting in the establishment of a number of small republics called misl
s (autonomous confederacies) and later in the form of the Sikh Empire.
After the fall of the Mughal empire and the later establishment of a Sikh Empire in the Punjab, the Khalsa became an instrumental force in the new risen political frames with the inception of a Sikh monarchy: the Khalsa was created a democratic body, and could oppose the Maharaja of Punjab. By the time of death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh
in 1839, the regular army of Sikh Empire was assessed by Sir Lepel Griffin at 29000 men, with 192 artillery guns. The irregular levies were estimated at a similar number.
The official name of the State(Sikh empire) of Sikhs was "Sarkar Khalsa" translated Government of the Khalsa. The boundaries of this State stretched from Tibet
to Afghanistan
and from Kashmir
to Sutlej
in the south and included countries of Punjab
, NWFP, Kashmir
, Jammu
, Ladakh
, etc.
influence. However, W. H. McLeod states that while the Khalsa may incorporate powerful Jat influences, it would be a "naive interpretation" to regard the Khalsa as an "institutionalized conquest of the (Sikh) Panth by its Jat constituency". Under the Khalsa dominance, the Sikh religion came to be identified with the Khalsa and the Jats, although not all of the Sikhs of Khalsa are Jats, and not all Sikhs subscribe to the Khalsa code of conduct.
Jat Sikhs (as well as Sikhs in general) appeared to possess more of a martial streak than their non-Sikh brethren. The reason for this was summed up by Major A.E. Barstow as being due to the influence of Sikhism.
Dr. Irfan Habib, Professor Emeritus, Aligarh Muslim University, argues that Sikhism did a lot to uplift the status of Jatts in general.The late Professor Kishan Singh states:
Today, the Khalsa brotherhood is respected by the entire Sikh nation; however, not all Sikhs are Amritdharis. The issue of Khalsa code of conduct has led to several controversies. In the early 1950s, a serious split occurred in the Canadian Sikh community
, when the Khalsa Diwan Society
in Vancouver
elected a clean-shaven Sikh to serve on its management committee. Although most of the early Sikh immigrants to Canada were non-Khalsa, and a majority of the members of the society were clean-shaven non-Khalsa Sikhs, a faction objected to the election of a non-Khalsa to the management committee. The factions in Vancouver and Victoria broke away from the Khalsa Diwan Society, and established their own gurdwara society called Akali Singh.
In the United Kingdom also, there have been tensions between the Khalsa Sikhs and the non-Khalsa Sikhs. Many Sikhs in Britain have insisted on their right of not confirming to the Khalsa norms, while maintaining that they are truly Sikh. On the other hand, some of the Khalsa Sikhs think of the non-Khalsa Sikhs as having abandoned the Sikh faith altogether.
. The Reht Maryada
(code of conduct) is based upon guidelines laid down by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699.
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Khālsā refers to the collective body of saint-soldiers(Singhs/Kaurs). The Khalsa was inaugurated on March 30, 1699, by Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh is the tenth and last Sikh guru in a sacred lineage of ten Sikh gurus. Born in Patna, Bihar in India, he was also a warrior, poet and philosopher. He succeeded his father Guru Tegh Bahadur as the leader of Sikhs at a young age of nine...
, the tenth Sikh Guru
Sikh Gurus
The Sikh Gurus established Sikhism from over the centuries beginning in the year 1469. Sikhism was founded by the first guru, Guru Nanak, and subsequently, all in order were referred to as "Nanak", and as "Lights", making their teachings in the holy scriptures, equivalent...
. It was then the temporal leadership was passed on from and by Guru Gobind Singh to the Khalsa and thence it became Guru Khalsa. Though, during the next 9 years of life, Guru Gobind Singh remained the Commander-in-chief of the Khalsa.
The Khalsa is also the name of nation of sikhs. The Khalsa has responsibilities of leader, hence parliament, and defence.
The symbolic meaning of Khalsa literally translates to "Sovereign"/"Free" from the Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
. The word Khalsa is a term used to denote a ruler's personal property and which is not subjected to tax. Guru Gobind Singh describes in his scripture, the Sarbloh Granth
Sarbloh Granth
The Sarbloh Granth is a poem that recites the story of gods and demons. The Sarbloh Granth was allegedly authored by Guru Gobind Singh at Hemkund Sahib, although archeological and lingistic evidence does not authenticate this fact. Thus, its validity remains questionable and is rejected by some...
the qualities of Khalsa:
The Khalsa is the reflection of my form,
The Khalsa is my body and life force,
The Khalsa is my very life....
The Khalsa is my true Guru complete and beloved hero....
....Our enemies are vanquished by the steadfastness of Khalsa,
Unlike countless others, we are adorned by the Khalsa.
ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਕਾ ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ! ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਕੀ ਫਤਿਹ!!.
The Sikhs of the Khalsa can be identified with the given Five Ks and titles Singh
Singh
Also see SinhaSingh is a common title, middle name, or surname in Northern India and South India used by sikhs warriors and kings. eg. Man Singh I, Maharana Pratap Singh. It is derived from the Sanskrit word Siṃha meaning "lion and used by Ahir kings of Nepal". It is also used in Sri Lanka by...
and Kaur
Kaur
Kaur in Sikhism is a mandatory middle name for female Sikhs.-History:Kaur is a name used by Sikh women either as the middle name, or as a last name. It cannot be regarded as a true surname or family name...
. This happens after being baptised to the order of the Khalsa. The tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh is the tenth and last Sikh guru in a sacred lineage of ten Sikh gurus. Born in Patna, Bihar in India, he was also a warrior, poet and philosopher. He succeeded his father Guru Tegh Bahadur as the leader of Sikhs at a young age of nine...
at an event which was deliberately conincided with the Baisakhi day in year 1699 initiated that every Sikh must follow the Five Ks; they are not merely symbols but commitment to the faith and philosophy of Guru Nanak, Sikhism, and collectively form the external visible symbols; hence clearly and outwardly advertising and displaying one's commitment. It is as much analogous to uniform of any Organization especially a Military.
A Sikh who has been initiated into the Khalsa is titled a Singh (males)/Kaur (females) or Amritdhari, as opposed to Sahajdhari
Sahajdhari
Sahajdhari is a person born into a non-Sikh family who desires to become a Sikh and has chosen the path of Sikhism. A sahajdhari believes in all the tenets of Sikhism and the teachings of the Sikh Gurus...
the non-baptized Sikhs who believe in all the tenets of Sikhism and the teaching of the Sikh Gurus and hence the Guru Granth Sahib
Guru Granth Sahib
Sri Guru Granth Sahib , or Adi Granth, is the religious text of Sikhism. It is the final and eternal guru of the Sikhs. It is a voluminous text of 1430 angs, compiled and composed during the period of Sikh gurus, from 1469 to 1708...
. Sahajdhari Sikhs do not don all the Five Ks.
History
The usual intrepretation of the Khalsa is made as "Pure" as in the following statement:(ArabicArabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
خالصة) ("pure/devoted") word khāliṣa[h] is the recognition of every Sikh that follows the discipline and text from the Guru Granth Sahib.
There is also another word from Arabic "خالسا" which is pronounced as "Khalsa" and is adapted in Punjabi/English/Hindi and many other languages. So, there are two different words in Arabic as "خالسا"(Khalsa) and "خالصة"(Khalisa(h)). Furthermore, there is also a word in Persian "خالص" meaning "pure" and pronounced as "Khalis". And a reader of Urdu language can testify the "Khalis" in the Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
script and language as described below.
"Khalsa" is also used for a property which belongs to the Emperor directly. As a matter of fact, since the official language in Mughal era was Persian and also the Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
language contains a word "Khalis" which directly translates to "Pure" in English. This may all together give a new meaning to the word "Khalsa". On these grounds and as per writings of the Guru Gobind Singh, the father of the Khalsa, wherein the great Guru describes the Khalsa as army of the timeless-being, it is evident that Khalsa means sovereign
Sovereign
A sovereign is the supreme lawmaking authority within its jurisdiction.Sovereign may also refer to:*Monarch, the sovereign of a monarchy*Sovereign Bank, banking institution in the United States*Sovereign...
till the timelessness. The Khalsa does not serve any monarch or a wordly sovereign
Sovereign
A sovereign is the supreme lawmaking authority within its jurisdiction.Sovereign may also refer to:*Monarch, the sovereign of a monarchy*Sovereign Bank, banking institution in the United States*Sovereign...
country because it is a government in itself which acts only and only according to Guru Granth Sahib
Guru Granth Sahib
Sri Guru Granth Sahib , or Adi Granth, is the religious text of Sikhism. It is the final and eternal guru of the Sikhs. It is a voluminous text of 1430 angs, compiled and composed during the period of Sikh gurus, from 1469 to 1708...
. A majority times "Khalsa" is presented as "Khalis" which, if not wrong, is an incomplete definition. However, in any way, as long as the Khalsa keeps on performing its duty(as assigned by the Guru and which remains forever) there is no problem as far the dictionary is concerned and could be only a matter of individual research. As long as the Khalsa remains the collective body of the Singhs and Kaurs(the ones who have received the baptism of double-edged sword or "Amrit"), in contrast to someone individual(as "amritdharis" are usually referred as today), there is a ray of hope that it starts functioning again and sooner for benefit of the "Entire".
As is traditionally said the soul/spirit is the Granth (Guru Granth Sahib) and body is the Panth (the Khalsa) (aatma Granth vich, Shreer Panth vich). In another analogy as every thought needs a body to be executed in this material world rendering the thought ( or spirit) and body inseparable. Thought is the symbol of "spirituality" and Body is the symbol of "temporality", as far Sikhism is concerned they are inseparable. Miri-Piri are simply inseparable. So the Guru Granth Sahib (the word or thought) and the Khalsa (the executive body) are the two inseparable sides of coin. The Khalsa is definitely the collective body of the Singh
Singh
Also see SinhaSingh is a common title, middle name, or surname in Northern India and South India used by sikhs warriors and kings. eg. Man Singh I, Maharana Pratap Singh. It is derived from the Sanskrit word Siṃha meaning "lion and used by Ahir kings of Nepal". It is also used in Sri Lanka by...
s and Kaur
Kaur
Kaur in Sikhism is a mandatory middle name for female Sikhs.-History:Kaur is a name used by Sikh women either as the middle name, or as a last name. It cannot be regarded as a true surname or family name...
s, however for all temporal reasons it is led by Panj Pyare or the five-beloved. At the Battle of Chamkaur
Battle of Chamkaur
The Battle Of Chamkaur or also known as Battle Of Chamkaur Sahib was a battle fought between the Khalsa led by Guru Gobind Singh against the Mughal forces led by Wazir Khan. Guru Gobind Singh makes a reference to this battle in Zafarnamah...
, the Khalsa led by Panj Pyare passed on an order/command to the Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh is the tenth and last Sikh guru in a sacred lineage of ten Sikh gurus. Born in Patna, Bihar in India, he was also a warrior, poet and philosopher. He succeeded his father Guru Tegh Bahadur as the leader of Sikhs at a young age of nine...
to escape from the Chamkaur and the Guru had to obey it, because at that point of time, and as proclaimed by the Guru on March 30, 1699 about his absorption into the Khalsa and declaring the five-beloved being equal to him, the Guru was just a Singh of the Khalsa.
Also in Sikh tradition, the word "Khalsa was already adopted by 6th Guru as the term first appears in a hukmanama (order) by Sri Guru Hargobind, the sixth Guru, which refers to a sangat
Sangat (term)
Sangat is a Sikh term with its origin in the Sanskrit word 'sangh', which means company, fellowship and association. In Sikh vocabulary, the word has a special connotation. It stands for the body of men and women who meet religiously, especially in the presence of the Guru Granth Sahib...
as "Guru ka khalsa" ("Guru's Khalsa"). It also appears in a letter by Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur (the ninth Guru), in the same sense.
Foundation
Although the early MughalMughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
emperors had peaceful relations with the Sikh Gurus, the Sikhs started facing religious persecution during the reign of Jahangir
Jahangir
Jahangir was the ruler of the Mughal Empire from 1605 until his death. The name Jahangir is from Persian جهانگیر,meaning "Conqueror of the World"...
. SriGuru Arjan Dev
Guru Arjan Dev
Guru Arjan Dev Ji was the fifth of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism. He was born in Goindval, Punjab, India, the youngest son of Guru Ram Das and Bibi Bhani, the daughter of Guru Amar Das. He became the Guru of the Sikhs on 1 September 1581 after the death of his father Guru Ram Das. Guru Arjan died in...
, the fifth Guru, was arrested and executed by Jahangir
Jahangir
Jahangir was the ruler of the Mughal Empire from 1605 until his death. The name Jahangir is from Persian جهانگیر,meaning "Conqueror of the World"...
in 1606.
n 1675, Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Guru of the Sikhs was executed by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb
Aurangzeb
Abul Muzaffar Muhy-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir , more commonly known as Aurangzeb or by his chosen imperial title Alamgir , was the sixth Mughal Emperor of India, whose reign lasted from 1658 until his death in 1707.Badshah Aurangzeb, having ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for nearly...
for saving the religious rights of Hindus. In 1699, his son and the tenth Guru, Gobind Singh sent hukmanamas (letters of authority) to his followers throughout the Ind0-Pak sub-continent, asking them to gather at Anandpur Sahib
Anandpur Sahib
Anandpur Sahib is a city in Rupnagar district in the state of Punjab, India. Known as "the holy City of Bliss," it is a holy city of the Sikhs and is one of their most important sacred places, closely linked with their religious traditions and history...
on March 30, 1699, the day of Baisakhi (the annual harvest festival
Harvest festival
A Harvest Festival is an annual celebration which occurs around the time of the main harvest of a given region. Given the differences in climate and crops around the world, harvest festivals can be found at various times throughout the world...
).
Guru Gobind Singh addressed the congregation from the entryway of a tent pitched on a hill (now called Kesgarh Sahib). He drew his sword and asked for a volunteer who was willing to sacrifice his head. No one answered his first call, nor the second call, but on the third invitation, a person called Daya Ram
Bhai Daya Singh
Bhai Daya Singh was one of the Panj Pyare, the first five Sikhs to be initiated into the Khalsa order in the 17th century India. In Bichitra Natak, Guru Gobind Singh praised the heroism of Daya Ram in the Battle of Bhangani, and equated him to Dronacharya of Mahabharata.- Biogrpahy :Daya Singh...
(later known as Bhai Daya Singh) came forward and offered his head to the Guru. Guru Gobind Singh took the volunteer inside the tent, and emerged shortly, with blood dripping from his sword. He then demanded another head. One more volunteer came forward, and entered the tent with him. The Guru again emerged with blood on his sword. This happened three more times. Then the five volunteers came out of the tent unharmed. These five, who were willing to sacrifice their lives for their Guru, were called Panj Piare
Panj Piare
The Panj Piare , name given to the five Sikhs, Bhai Daya Singh, Bhai Dharam Singh, Bhai Himmat Singh, Bhai Mohkam Singh and Bhai Sahib Singh, who were so designated by Guru Gobind Singh at the historic divan at Anandpur Sahib on 30 March 1699 and who formed the nucleus of the Khalsa as the first...
("the five beloved ones"). These five volunteers were : Daya Ram (Bhai Daya Singh
Bhai Daya Singh
Bhai Daya Singh was one of the Panj Pyare, the first five Sikhs to be initiated into the Khalsa order in the 17th century India. In Bichitra Natak, Guru Gobind Singh praised the heroism of Daya Ram in the Battle of Bhangani, and equated him to Dronacharya of Mahabharata.- Biogrpahy :Daya Singh...
), Dharam Das (Bhai Dharam Singh
Bhai Dharam Singh
Bhai Dharam Das , one of the Panj Pyare or the Five Beloved, the forerunners of Khalsa, came of farming stock. He was the son of Bhai Sant Ram and Mai Sabho, of Hastinapur, an ancient town on the right bank of the Ganges, 35 km northeast of Meerut....
), Himmat Rai (Bhai Himmat Singh
Bhai Himmat Singh
Bhai Himmat Singh , one of the Panj Pyare, or the Five Beloved, celebrated in Sikh history, was born in 1661 at JagannathPuri in a Jhinwar/Mehra family . He came to Anandpur at the young age of 17, and attached himself to the service of Guru Gobind Singh...
), Mohkam Chand (Bhai Mohkam Singh
Bhai Mohkam Singh
Bhai Mohkam Singh , born Mohkam Chand, one of the Panj Pyare or the Five Beloved of honoured memory in the Sikh tradition, was the son of Tirath Chand, a cloth printer of Dwarka in Gujarat. About the year 1685, he came to Anandpur, then the seat of Guru Gobind Singh...
), and Sahib Chand (Bhai Sahib Singh
Bhai Sahib Singh
Bhai Sahib Singh was one of the Panj Pyare or the Five Beloved of revered memory in the Sikh tradition, was born the son of Bhai Guru Narayana, a barber of Bidar in Karnataka, and his wife Ankamma. Bidar had been visited by Guru Nanak early in the sixteenth century and a Sikh shrine had been...
).
Guru Gobind Singh then took an iron bowl, and poured some water in it. Sahib Devan (later Mata Sahib Kaur
Mata Sahib Kaur
Mata Sahib Kaur was the third wife of the tenth Sikh guru Gobind Singh. Born Sahib Devan, she was the daughter of Ramu of Rohtas. She did not have any child with Guru Gobind Singh, but she was declared as the mother of all the baptised Sikhs ....
) added some sugar crystals to the water in the bowl, and the Guru stirred this mixture with a double-edged sword whilst reciting the Five Banis. The resultant solution is called as "Khandey di Pahul" (ceremony of the double-edged sword) or commonly known as "Amrit" (nectar)
These actions allude to the nature expected of the inductees to the Khalsa: that they must have the will and the strength to fight oppression (symbolized by the sword), but must always remember that their actions are born from protection and not hatred (symbolized by the sweetness of the sugar).
Each of the Panj Piares were given five handfuls of the Amrit to drink, and had amrit sprinkled in their eyes five times. Each time, they repeated the phrase, "Vaheguru ji ka Khalsa, Vaheguru ji ki Phateh" ("The Khalsa belongs to Vaheguru (the wondrous teacher), the victory belongs to Vaheguru (the wondrous teacher)").
Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh is the tenth and last Sikh guru in a sacred lineage of ten Sikh gurus. Born in Patna, Bihar in India, he was also a warrior, poet and philosopher. He succeeded his father Guru Tegh Bahadur as the leader of Sikhs at a young age of nine...
gave them the title (analogous to "Knight" or "Sir" in English culture) of "Singh
Singh
Also see SinhaSingh is a common title, middle name, or surname in Northern India and South India used by sikhs warriors and kings. eg. Man Singh I, Maharana Pratap Singh. It is derived from the Sanskrit word Siṃha meaning "lion and used by Ahir kings of Nepal". It is also used in Sri Lanka by...
" (meaning "lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
"). Similarly, for female the title of "Kaur
Kaur
Kaur in Sikhism is a mandatory middle name for female Sikhs.-History:Kaur is a name used by Sikh women either as the middle name, or as a last name. It cannot be regarded as a true surname or family name...
" (meaning "Princess,"). As a matter of fact, now-a-days the majority of Sikhs carry this title without taking the oath of double-edged sword.
Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh is the tenth and last Sikh guru in a sacred lineage of ten Sikh gurus. Born in Patna, Bihar in India, he was also a warrior, poet and philosopher. He succeeded his father Guru Tegh Bahadur as the leader of Sikhs at a young age of nine...
is the "Father" of the Khalsa and Mata Sahib Kaur
Mata Sahib Kaur
Mata Sahib Kaur was the third wife of the tenth Sikh guru Gobind Singh. Born Sahib Devan, she was the daughter of Ramu of Rohtas. She did not have any child with Guru Gobind Singh, but she was declared as the mother of all the baptised Sikhs ....
is the "Mother". One important outcome of joining the Khalsa is the abolition of one's previous caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
, nation
Nation
A nation may refer to a community of people who share a common language, culture, ethnicity, descent, and/or history. In this definition, a nation has no physical borders. However, it can also refer to people who share a common territory and government irrespective of their ethnic make-up...
, race, rituals, customs
Customs
Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties and for controlling the flow of goods including animals, transports, personal effects and hazardous items in and out of a country...
, religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
, clan
Clan
A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clan members may be organized around a founding member or apical ancestor. The kinship-based bonds may be symbolical, whereby the clan shares a "stipulated" common ancestor that is a...
, Karma
Karma
Karma in Indian religions is the concept of "action" or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh philosophies....
. The new member is the citizen of Anandpur Sahib
Anandpur Sahib
Anandpur Sahib is a city in Rupnagar district in the state of Punjab, India. Known as "the holy City of Bliss," it is a holy city of the Sikhs and is one of their most important sacred places, closely linked with their religious traditions and history...
and their birthplace is the Kesgarh Sahib.
The uniform of a Singh/Kaur of the Khalsa comprises of 5 Ks as following:
- Kes : The unshorn hairs on all the body.
- Kanga : A wooden comb.
- Karra : An iron bracelet.
- Kachera : A pair of drawers (a specific type of cotton underwear).
- Kirpan : A dagger.
Besides this, there is a basic code of conduct to be followed and a breach of which requires the fallen to appear before the five-beloved ones who award a suitable punishment. The basic code of conduct (Rehat Maryada) issued by the Khalsa is :
- Not to disturb the natural growth of the hairs.
- Not to commit adultery (sexual intercourse outside the marriage).
- Not to eat sacrificial-meat (meat prepared in the ritualistic way e.g. "halal", "Kosher", "Hindu Sacrificial meat though the animal is slaughtered in one blow") .
- Not to consume any kind of intoxicants e.g. Tobacco, Opium, Alcohol, Ganja etc.
Initial tensions with the non-Khalsa disciples
With the creation of Khalsa, Guru Gobind Singh had abolished all existing social divisions as was fundamental in the teachings of Siri Guru Nanak. In their new order, the former lowest of the low would stand with the former highest, all would become one and drink from one vessel. All previous beliefs relating to family, occupation, customs and ceremonies were declared useless by the Guru and salvation could be achieved only by the ways of the Khalsa. This caused discomfort to the conservative followers of the Guru and they protested. Many departed from the ceremony, but the Guru declared that the low castes should be raised and would dwell next to him.The newswriter of the Mughal government, Ghulam Mohyiuddin, reporting to the Emperor wrote:
Sri Gur Sobha (18th century) by Sainapati (Saina Singh) contains two sections (adhyays) on the controversies that arose, when Guru Gobind Singh's disciples in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
heard the news of his new order. Much of the controversy stated in Sri Gur Sobha revolves around bhaddar, the ritual shaving of head after death of a close relative, which was discouraged by Guru Gobind Singh. According to Sainapti, while creating the Khalsa, Guru Gobind Singh said that bhaddar is bharam (illusion), and not dharam
Dharma
Dharma means Law or Natural Law and is a concept of central importance in Indian philosophy and religion. In the context of Hinduism, it refers to one's personal obligations, calling and duties, and a Hindu's dharma is affected by the person's age, caste, class, occupation, and gender...
.
Tensions developed between the Punjabi Khatri
Khatri
Khatri is a caste from the northern Indian subcontinent. Khatris in India are mostly from Punjab, region but later they migrated to regions like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu, Uttarkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Balochistan, Sindh and Khyber...
disciples of the Guru in Delhi, and members of the newly-formed Khalsa. A prominent Khatri disciple was expelled from the place of worship (dharmasala) for refusing to join the Khalsa. Another disciple was expelled for eating with him, starting a chain of further expulsions. The expelled disciples convened a community gathering, at which two wealthy Khatris demanded that the Khalsa produce a written order from the Guru that a new mandatory code of conduct had been promulgated. A Khatri family that refused to follow the bhaddar ritual was boycotted by the Khatri community. The Khatri council (panch) closed the bazaar (market) to pressurize the Khalsa. The Khalsa petitioned the state officials to intervene, who forced reopening of the shops. Later, peace was established between the two groups in a sangat (congregation). However, hostility between some Khatris and the Khalsa persisted in the later years.
Khalsa as a military force
One of the duties of the Khalsa is to practice arms. This has been deemed necessary due to the rising persecution from the rulers. Prior to joining the Khalsa, most of the people were from professions like farming, pottery, masonry, carpenters, LabanaLabana
Labanas are a Punjabi tribe. The Labanas of Punjab region are mostly Sikhs, with a small minority of Muslims and Hindus.- History:According to British records 33% of the Labana were baptised Sikhs and were found primarily in the Lahore, Gujranwala, and Sialkot areas...
s, etc.
Guru Gobind Singh in Oct, 1708 deputed his disciple Banda Singh Bahadur to lead the Khalsa in an uprising against the Mughals. Banda Singh Bahadur first established a Sikh kingdom and then brought in the Land reforms in the form of breaking up large estates and distributing the land to peasants. He and his comrades were eventually defeated and executed, but he became an icon among the Sikhs. After a long exile the Khalsa regrouped under Nawab Kapur Singh
Nawab Kapur Singh
Nawab Kapur Singh is considered one of the pivotal figures in Sikh history, under whose courageous leadership the Sikh community traversed one of the darkest periods of its history. He was the organizer of the Sikh Confederacy and the Dal Khalsa. Nawab Kapur Singh is regarded by Sikhs as a leader...
, who gathered local Khalsa leaders and created Dal Khalsa
Dal Khalsa (Sikh Empire)
The Dal Khalsa was an army that operated in the 18th and 17th century Punjab region.-Mughal Rule of Punjab: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...
, a coalition army. The Dal Khalsa fought against the Mughals and the Afghans, eventually resulting in the establishment of a number of small republics called misl
Misl
Misl generally refers to the twelve sovereign states in the Sikh Confederacy. The states formed a commonwealth that was described by Antoine Polier as an "aristocratic republic"...
s (autonomous confederacies) and later in the form of the Sikh Empire.
After the fall of the Mughal empire and the later establishment of a Sikh Empire in the Punjab, the Khalsa became an instrumental force in the new risen political frames with the inception of a Sikh monarchy: the Khalsa was created a democratic body, and could oppose the Maharaja of Punjab. By the time of death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh
Ranjit Singh
Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ji was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.-Early life:...
in 1839, the regular army of Sikh Empire was assessed by Sir Lepel Griffin at 29000 men, with 192 artillery guns. The irregular levies were estimated at a similar number.
The official name of the State(Sikh empire) of Sikhs was "Sarkar Khalsa" translated Government of the Khalsa. The boundaries of this State stretched from Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
to Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and from Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
to Sutlej
Sutlej
The Sutlej River is the longest of the five rivers that flow through the historic crossroad region of Punjab in northern India and Pakistan. It is located north of the Vindhya Range, south of the Hindu Kush segment of the Himalayas, and east of the Central Sulaiman Range in Pakistan.The Sutlej...
in the south and included countries of Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
, NWFP, Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
, Jammu
Jammu
Jammu , also known as Duggar, is one of the three administrative divisions within Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state in India.Jammu city is the largest city in Jammu and the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir...
, Ladakh
Ladakh
Ladakh is a region of Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state of the Republic of India. It lies between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and the main Great Himalayas to the south, inhabited by people of Indo-Aryan and Tibetan descent...
, etc.
Modern status
After the bravery of the 10th Sikh Guru, the Khalsa order attracted the vast number of Jatts of middle and eastern Punjab, because of the potential social uplift it promised them, and over the years. The rise of Khalsa dominance in the Sikh nation is sometimes associated with rise of Jat influence in the Sikhs, and the decline of the KhatriKhatri
Khatri is a caste from the northern Indian subcontinent. Khatris in India are mostly from Punjab, region but later they migrated to regions like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu, Uttarkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Balochistan, Sindh and Khyber...
influence. However, W. H. McLeod states that while the Khalsa may incorporate powerful Jat influences, it would be a "naive interpretation" to regard the Khalsa as an "institutionalized conquest of the (Sikh) Panth by its Jat constituency". Under the Khalsa dominance, the Sikh religion came to be identified with the Khalsa and the Jats, although not all of the Sikhs of Khalsa are Jats, and not all Sikhs subscribe to the Khalsa code of conduct.
Jat Sikhs (as well as Sikhs in general) appeared to possess more of a martial streak than their non-Sikh brethren. The reason for this was summed up by Major A.E. Barstow as being due to the influence of Sikhism.
"As has already been explained the virtues of the Jats are identical with those of the Sikhs, but the latter possess in a higher degree the ardent military spirit which had its origin in the warlike precepts of Gobind Singh."
Dr. Irfan Habib, Professor Emeritus, Aligarh Muslim University, argues that Sikhism did a lot to uplift the status of Jatts in general.The late Professor Kishan Singh states:
A serious contradiction afflicts the Jat farmer of the Punjab. He has unflinching faith in Guru Gobind Singh, yet at the same time he is inbued with traits typical of a Jat. There are two sides to the Jat's known traits. One has a positive effect in the sense that it saves him from feeling inferior; and the other side is negative. It makes him overbearing and arrogant which is a disease. A jat's negative traits can be suppressed only through the true spirit of Sikhism.
Today, the Khalsa brotherhood is respected by the entire Sikh nation; however, not all Sikhs are Amritdharis. The issue of Khalsa code of conduct has led to several controversies. In the early 1950s, a serious split occurred in the Canadian Sikh community
Sikh diaspora
The Sikh diaspora is a relatively recent term used to describe the phenomenon of Punjabi Sikh migration from the traditional area of the Punjab region. Sikhism is an ethnic religion but welcomes converts, the Punjab region being the historic homeland of Sikhism...
, when the Khalsa Diwan Society
Khalsa Diwan Society Vancouver
The Khalsa Diwan Society Vancouver is a Sikh society based at a gurdwara in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The current site is located at 8000 Ross St, Vancouver, BC. It was the largest gurdwara in North America.- History :...
in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
elected a clean-shaven Sikh to serve on its management committee. Although most of the early Sikh immigrants to Canada were non-Khalsa, and a majority of the members of the society were clean-shaven non-Khalsa Sikhs, a faction objected to the election of a non-Khalsa to the management committee. The factions in Vancouver and Victoria broke away from the Khalsa Diwan Society, and established their own gurdwara society called Akali Singh.
In the United Kingdom also, there have been tensions between the Khalsa Sikhs and the non-Khalsa Sikhs. Many Sikhs in Britain have insisted on their right of not confirming to the Khalsa norms, while maintaining that they are truly Sikh. On the other hand, some of the Khalsa Sikhs think of the non-Khalsa Sikhs as having abandoned the Sikh faith altogether.
Khalsa code of conduct
The Khalsa needs to follow rules and codes of conduct set by Guru Gobind SinghGuru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh is the tenth and last Sikh guru in a sacred lineage of ten Sikh gurus. Born in Patna, Bihar in India, he was also a warrior, poet and philosopher. He succeeded his father Guru Tegh Bahadur as the leader of Sikhs at a young age of nine...
. The Reht Maryada
Reht Maryada
The Sikh Rehat Maryada is the Sikh Code of Conduct which was put into force right from the birth of Sikhism....
(code of conduct) is based upon guidelines laid down by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699.