Figure 1.--The photo was taken in Rome during a procession for the Vaisakhi, the Sikh new year feast. Until Indian Partition (1946), almost all Sikhs lived in India. Muslim intolerance in Pakistan resulted in aikh diaspora around the world, including Britain and the rest of Western Europe. A reader tells us, "According the Sikh tradition the orange represents wisdom, the white looks for the person’s projection, and the blue is the color of the warriors. These are the most used colors by the Sikhs, especially for the turbans. All the male Sikhs practicing the religion cannot cut their hair since their birth, have to wash them every day and cover them in public. Bare feet are compulsory in the Gurdwaras and during holy rites." Notice the knives that some of the boys have.

Sikhism is a monotheistic religion. Islam futher intensified the religious ferment of the sub-continent. The Islamic prohnibition on idoltry was particularly significant. New religious sects preached against idolatry as well as polytheism and caste. Here the Sikhs were especially important. Guru (teacher) Nanak (1469-1538) founded Sikism. He was a Punjabi, born in Talwandi Lahore which is now part of Pakistan. Sikism is based on the teachings of Guru Nanak and the teachings of the nine Sikh gurus who followed Nanak. The tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh declared that there would be no other living Sikh Gurus, but followers instead should look on their holy scriptures for spiritual guidance. Thus the holy book in Sikhdom has become the 'Guru'. The Sikh scripture is a book called the Guru Granth Sahib. The Guru Granth Sahib is a collection of teachings and writings by Guru Nanak and other Gurus as well as Sikh, Hindu and Muslim saints. Sikhism at its heart is an attempt to recocile the two main religions of India, Hinduism and Islam. Most Sikhs live in Indiam near the borders with Pakistan. but the religion has spread all over the world. Muslim intoplerance has tend to reduce the number of Sikhis in Pakistan.

History

Sikism was founded over 500 years ago. Islam brought huge religious ferment to the sub-continent. The Moguls led by Babur coquered India (16th century). The Islamic prohibition on idoltry was particularly significant Hindu religious sculpture seemed so idoltorus to them. The early Moslem Mogul empepors like Akbar were tolernt of religious difference. His successors launched an effort of Islamic purification and to destroy Hinduism. New religious sects preached against idolatry as well as polytheism and caste. Here the Sikhs were especially important. Guru (teacher) Nanak (1469-1538) founded Sikism. He was a Punjabi. This is an area in northwest India ans southern Palistan. He was born in Talwandi Lahore, now part of Pakistan, to a Hindu family. e is noted for saying, "There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim, so whose path shall I follow? I shall follow the path of God."

Gurus

Sikism is based on the teachings of Guru Nanak and the teachings of the nine Sikh gurus who followed Nanak. Guru in Hindu means teacher or in the Sikh context a very wise, spiritual teacher. A better transltion may be prophet. The tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh declared that there would be no other living Sikh Gurus, but followers instead should look on their holy scriptures for spiritual guidance. Thus the holy book in Sikhdom has become the 'Guru'.

Scriptures

The principal Sikh scripture is a book called the Guru Granth Sahib. There are other important scriptures revered by Sikhs. The Guru Granth Sahib is a collection of teachings and writings by Guru Nanak and other Gurus as well as Sikh, Hindu and Muslim saints.

Theology

Sikhism is a monotheistic religion. Sikhism at its heart is an attempt to recocile the two main religions of India, Hinduism and Islam. Sikhs describe their religion as 'progrssive'. We are not sure what is meant by that. In the West the term means a social movement bsed on left wing concepts of socioal justice. I thinks the Sikhs mean that just as Islam see otself as completing the Abrahamic religions of Judaism and Christianity, the Sij\khs see themselves as building on Islam and Hinduism. Sikhism preaches a message of Devotion and remembrance of God at all times, truthful living, equality of mankind and denounces superstitions and blind rituals. Sikhism is open to all through the teachings of its 10 Gurus enshrined in the Sikh Holy Book and Living Guru, Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Sikhs are taught to adopt the qualities of a "Sant-Sipāhī"—a saint-soldier. This means that an individual should master and control his or her one's internal vices and should immerse himself in the virtues identified by the the Guru Granth Sahib.

Militarism

Sikhism was a well established component of the Indian religiou mix by the time of Guru Arjan, the fifth Sikih Guru. It was Guru Arjan who completed the foundation of Amritsar as the capital of the Sikh world. He personally lid the foundation of the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) in the middle of the tank of Amritsar. The Sikh faithfull wanted it to be the tallest building in Amritsar, following Ilamic ptactice tht mosques should toer over the towns where they were built. Guru Arjan diagreed and preched the importance of humility. The temple was thus built on a low lying foundation. Amnd he was confronted with the Muslim belief that God's House is in the west and the Hindu belief that it is in the east where the sun rises. The Harmandir Sahib was thus built with gour entrances on all sides. He also compiled the first authorised book of Sikh scripture, the Adi Granth. Sulhi Khan (a Mogul tax agent in the Punjab) saw Sikhism as a threat and ordered Guru Arjan executed for his faith (1606). As a result, the sixth Guru, Hargobind, decided to militarise the community so that they could defend themselves. The Sikhs were forced to fight battles against Muslims armies to preserve their faith. The Sikhs then lived in relative peace with the Moguls and Islam until the assent of the Emperor Aurangzeb (1658-1707) fired with religious orthodoxy attempted to force the the prople of India to convert to Islam. There had been intolerance in Mogul rule before, but never such a forceful assault on onon-Muslims. Emperor Aurangzeb sought to not only tax and restrict non-Muslims but to force them to cocert at sword point. The Emperor had the ninth Guru Tegh Bahadur arrested and executed (1675). The result was constant and costly warfare with Sikhs and other non-Muslims including the majority Hindus. The impact significantly weakened the Mogul Empire. Aurangzeb would prove to be the last of the great Mogul emperors. And this occurred at the same time that the Europeans began to expand their imperial efforts in India. Interestingly, there seems to be little realization in the Muslim world of the extent to which these acts of intolerance have puntuated Islamic history and the negative consequences on Muslim people themselves.

Followers

The Sikh religion has a following of about 25 million people. They were once almost entirely located in India (meaning pre-Partition India). Since Indian independence and partition (1947), Sikhs have spread almost all over the world. Muslim intolerance in Pakista n has been a major factor in the spread of Sikism arond the world. It is the world's fifth largest world religion. It is still largely made up of individuals of Indian and Pkistani origin.

Country Trends

Most Sikhs live in the Punjab where the religion was founded. Today Sikhs are primarily found in the portion of the Pujab allocated to independent India. The Punjab at the time of independence was partotioned between Pakistan and India. The religion has now spread all over the world. Muslim intolerance has sharply reduced the number of Sikhs in Pakistan. At the time of Partition and the division of Punjab, millions of Sikhs living in the Pakistani Punjab fled to India. More followed later or joined emmigration to Europe (especially Britain) creating the wider Sikh disapora that exists today. The religion continues to be centered in India where about 75 percent of Sikhs live and is an important force there although only about 2 percent of Indians are Sikhs. In sharp contrast to Pakistan, minority religious groups, both other religions and Muslim sects, are protected ans largely tolerated uin India.

Created: 6:14 PM 1/24/2013
Last updated: 4:18 PM 1/25/2013