Sarbat Khalsa
Encyclopedia
Sarbat Khalsa from sarva
, a Sanskrit
word meaning all or everything, was a biannual deliberative assembly
of the entire Khalsa
held at Amritsar
in Panjab during the 18th century. It literally translates to the "entire Sikh community" but as a political institution it refers to the meetings of the Dal Khalsa
, Sikh Misls, and the legislature
of the Sikh Empire.The first Sarbat Khalsa was called by the tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh
before his death in 1708 and the tradition of calling Sarbat Khalsa has continued ever since at times of hardship or conflict.The last major Sarbat Khalsa was in 1986 at the declaration of Khalistan
in Amritsar outside the Akal Takht
.
was in dissarray. After 1716, the Mughal
government began a campaign of genocide
against Sikhs led by Abdus Samad Khan and later his son Zakariya Khan that was carried out by in the form of a standing army dedicated to eliminating Sikhs, daily public executions, and monetary rewards for the heads of killed Sikhs. The Dal Khalsa
"reataliated by killing government functionaries and plundering Mughal posts, arsenals, and treasuries". In 1733, because of the failure of the Mughal government to subdue the Sikhs they were offered a jagir
in 1733. Nawab Kapur Singh
was appointed head of the Dal Khalsa
and he reorganized the Sikhs into the Taruna Dal and Budda Dal. The Taruna Dal formed the basis of the Sikh Misls.
, a Sikh
prayer for guidance. The body then chose Panj Piare, or five members, to act as the governing body of the mass meeting
. To become one of the Panj Piare members would have be nominated, answer objections from the assembly, and be subject to a direct vote. After their election the Panj Piare sat next to the Guru Granth Sahib
on the Akal Takht
of Harmandir Sahib
. Members put proposals up for consideration and the Panj Piare intervened in disputes that came up during the assembly. A proposal passed by the Sarbat Khalsa, known as a Gurmata was binding on all Sikhs.
Sarva
Sarva can refer to:* ', a Sanskrit word meaning all or everything and whole, complete.* ', meaning "archer", an epithet of the Vedic deity Rudra, and subsequently of the Hindu deity Shiva....
, a Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
word meaning all or everything, was a biannual deliberative assembly
Mass meeting
In parliamentary law, a mass meeting is a type of deliberative assembly, which in a publicized or selectively distributed notice known as the call of the meeting - has been announced:...
of the entire Khalsa
Khalsa
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held at Amritsar
Amritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
in Panjab during the 18th century. It literally translates to the "entire Sikh community" but as a political institution it refers to the meetings of the Dal Khalsa
Dal Khalsa
Dal Khalsa is a socio-religio-political organization of the Sikh nation, based in the city of Amritsar . The primary aim of Dal Khalsa is to achieve the independence of the Punjabi-speaking Sikh majority region of North West India through peaceful and democratic means in order to establish a...
, Sikh Misls, and the legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
of the Sikh Empire.The first Sarbat Khalsa was called by the tenth 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...
before his death in 1708 and the tradition of calling Sarbat Khalsa has continued ever since at times of hardship or conflict.The last major Sarbat Khalsa was in 1986 at the declaration of Khalistan
Khalistan
Khalistan refers to a global political secessionist movement to create a separate Sikh state, called Khālistān , carved out of parts mostly consisting of the Punjab region of India, depending on definition....
in Amritsar outside the Akal Takht
Akal Takht
The Akal Takht of the Timeless One or Seat of God. It is one of the five seats of temporal authority of the Sikhs equivalent to any parliament of world sovereign country. Akal means The Timeless One - another term for God. Takht means 'seat' or 'throne' in Persian...
.
History
After the death of Banda Singh Bahadur in 1716 the KhalsaKhalsa
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was in dissarray. After 1716, the Mughal
Mughal 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...
government began a campaign of genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
against Sikhs led by Abdus Samad Khan and later his son Zakariya Khan that was carried out by in the form of a standing army dedicated to eliminating Sikhs, daily public executions, and monetary rewards for the heads of killed Sikhs. The Dal Khalsa
Dal Khalsa
Dal Khalsa is a socio-religio-political organization of the Sikh nation, based in the city of Amritsar . The primary aim of Dal Khalsa is to achieve the independence of the Punjabi-speaking Sikh majority region of North West India through peaceful and democratic means in order to establish a...
"reataliated by killing government functionaries and plundering Mughal posts, arsenals, and treasuries". In 1733, because of the failure of the Mughal government to subdue the Sikhs they were offered a jagir
Jagir
In historic India, a jagir was a small territory granted by the ruler to an army chieftain in fairly short terms usually of three years but not extending beyond his lifetime, in recognition of his military service...
in 1733. 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...
was appointed head of the Dal Khalsa
Dal Khalsa
Dal Khalsa is a socio-religio-political organization of the Sikh nation, based in the city of Amritsar . The primary aim of Dal Khalsa is to achieve the independence of the Punjabi-speaking Sikh majority region of North West India through peaceful and democratic means in order to establish a...
and he reorganized the Sikhs into the Taruna Dal and Budda Dal. The Taruna Dal formed the basis of the Sikh Misls.
Significant Gurmatas
| Date | Significance |
|---|---|
| October/November 1723 | Tat Khalsa Tat Khalsa Tat Khalsa Singh Sabha was a Sikh organization founded in Lahore in 1879 to rival the earlier Sanatan Singh Sabha based in Amritsar. Although original Tat Khalsa are Sikhs made by Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji. The major differentiation came only after Baba Banda Singh Bahadur... and Bandais settle their differences |
| 1726 | Sarbat Khalsa passes Gurmata to raid Mughal Mughal 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... precious metal Precious metal A precious metal is a rare, naturally occurring metallic chemical element of high economic value.Chemically, the precious metals are less reactive than most elements, have high lustre, are softer or more ductile, and have higher melting points than other metals... transports, confiscate Mugal armories, and eliminate Mughal informers |
| 1733 | Sarbat Khalsa accepts Jagir Jagir In historic India, a jagir was a small territory granted by the ruler to an army chieftain in fairly short terms usually of three years but not extending beyond his lifetime, in recognition of his military service... given by Mughal government |
| October 14, 1745 | Sarbat Khalsa passes Gurmata organizing Khalsa into 25 Jathas |
| March 29, 1748 | Sarbat Khalsa passes Gurmata reorganizing Khalsa into 11 Misls |
Procedures
Meetings of the Sarbat Khalsa began with an ArdāsArdas
The Ardās is a Sikh prayer that is done before performing or after undertaking any significant task; after reciting the daily Banis ; or completion of a service like the Paath , kirtan program or any other religious program. In Sikhism, these prayers are also said before and after eating...
, a Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
prayer for guidance. The body then chose Panj Piare, or five members, to act as the governing body of the mass meeting
Mass meeting
In parliamentary law, a mass meeting is a type of deliberative assembly, which in a publicized or selectively distributed notice known as the call of the meeting - has been announced:...
. To become one of the Panj Piare members would have be nominated, answer objections from the assembly, and be subject to a direct vote. After their election the Panj Piare sat next to 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...
on the Akal Takht
Akal Takht
The Akal Takht of the Timeless One or Seat of God. It is one of the five seats of temporal authority of the Sikhs equivalent to any parliament of world sovereign country. Akal means The Timeless One - another term for God. Takht means 'seat' or 'throne' in Persian...
of Harmandir Sahib
Harmandir Sahib
The Harmandir Sahib also Darbar Sahib , also referred to as the Golden Temple, is a prominent Sikh gurdwara located in the city of Amritsar, Punjab . Construction of the gurdwara was begun by Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh Guru, and completed by his successor, Guru Arjan Dev...
. Members put proposals up for consideration and the Panj Piare intervened in disputes that came up during the assembly. A proposal passed by the Sarbat Khalsa, known as a Gurmata was binding on all Sikhs.
Further reading
- Volume 2: Evolution of Sikh Confederacies (1708-1769) by Hari Ram Gupta. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers, 1999, ISBN:8121505402, Pages: 383 pages, illustrated.
- The Heritage of the Sikhs by Harbans Singh. 1994, ISBN: 8173040648.
- Sikh Domination of the Mughal Empire. 2000, second edition. ISBN: 8121502136.
- The Sikh Commonwealth or Rise and Fall of Sikh Misls. 2001, revised edition. ISBN: 8121501652.
- Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Lord of the Five Rivers by Jean-Marie Lafont. Oxford University Press. 2002, ISBN: 0195661117.
- History of Panjab by Dr L. M. Joshi and Dr Fauja Singh.