The Sikhs in History-01

8/6/2019 The Sikhs in History-01

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1The Sikh Problem

stands today at the same crossroads where Buddhism onceat the beginning of the 9th century. Just as the Buddhists andplaces of worship came under attack from a reviving Brahminismthe inspiration of Adi Shankaracharya, so too have the Sikhsunder the assault from not very dissimilar forces. Jainisrn,which was equally threatened, managed to survive by transformingso as to be encompassed within the framework of Hinduism.which had already spread far beyond India, could notrr\m",rr".,,; "'"its religious tenets and was exterminated. Today, Sikhismspread outside India and cannot accept the stipulated modifi-required to fall within the framework of Hinduism. Therefore,

faced with a struggle for survival. This has been intensifiedGandhi's aim of physically liquidating it, in much theway as Buddhism was once liquidated.Gautam Buddha, like the Sikh Gurus, earned the deep-rootedof Brahminism because of his revolt against the Brahminicalpriestcraft and rituals. Buddha's message of universaland equality, as that of Guru Nanak later, wassubversive of varnashram dharma, of Brahminical he-Also, Buddha, and Guru Nanak later, preached in the popularof the common man, Prakrit/Pali and Punjabi and gaverespective scripts Brahmi and Gurmukhi. J It was designedthe monopoly of Sanskrit and strike atthe roots ofBrahminicalBuddhist concept of egalitarianism and democratic socialin the organisation of their Sangha (from which was probablythe Sikh concept of sangat - congregation) was in sharpto the elitist Brahminical social order. Buddhism in Indiaduring Ashok's reign and later under Kushans.during the Gupta period, which is considered theof Hinduism, Brahminism turned the tables on

..,.-_,._":""_-.,- for Punjabi language were prevalent even before GuruKabi r ear li er had used Gurrnukhi alphabets when Brahmins of Benarasreacted to his use of devnagri alphabets, which they contended wasvrmrt snrt language of the gods. Kabir had picked up Gurrnukhi alphabetsPunjabi language during his several journeys through PunjabHaj. For Kabir's acrostic in Gurmukhi script see Adi Granth or Adi Sri

Grantli Sahib, pp. 340-43. It also appears in the same form in Kabircontaining the collected hymns of Kabir.


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4 The Sikhs in HistoryBuddhism. The Buddhist Sang has which had been centers ofpower were persistently attacked in the effort to weakenBuddha and Buddhism were subjected to venomous diatribesamounting to a hate compaign in various Smritis, Puranas andclassical works including those of Manu, Chanakya and others.cite an instance, Lord Buddha had breathed his last atnear Monghyr. The Brahmins propagated that if anyone diesHarramba or Monghyr, he will straight away go to hell, or bea donkey.The hatred took many forms, particularly, the ongoing andattack on the Buddhists and their places of worship. Firstly,entered the Buddhist Sangha to subvert Buddhism from within:introduction ofTantrakism in Buddhism was a case inpoint . ,. ."."vv .uBrahmins did not desist from cooperating with foreign invadersHuns and early Kushans to strike at the roots of Buddhist ~~,,,a"For instance, they cooperated with Hun invader Mihirgul,only built Saiva temples but also destroyed Buddhist monastriesMaths in his Kingdom.'By the time of Fa-Hi en ' s visit to India in the 5th centuryKapilvastu had become a jungle and Gaya had been laid wastedesolate. J Saivite Brahmin King Sasank of Bengal carried out actsof vandalism against the Buddhists, destroyed the footprints ofBuddha at Pataliputra, burnt the Bodhi tree under which he hadmeditated, and devastated numerous monasteries and scattered theirmonks.'

During the next hundred years, because of an intolerant societyand constant persecution, there was mass scale migration of Buddhistmonks and lay Buddhists to China and East Asia. Jawaharlal Nehrumentions of one such wave of migration in 526 AD when the grandpatriarch ?f Indian Buddhism, Bodhidharma, accompanied by othermonks sailed from South India for Canton in China. Nehru adds"that in one province of China alone - the Lao Yang - thereatthis time more than 3,000 Indian monks and 10,000 Indian families. "5All of them and others who followed later to China, Tibet or toKorea and Japan were fugit ives from oppressive Brahminism, whichthreatened their very existence.Buddhism had a short revival under Emperor Harsha. This wasfollowed by a steady decline. The death of Harsha in 648 AD sawan intensification of Brahmin-Buddhist confrontation and was in alarge measure responsibile for the political degeneration in northIndia. It saw the emergence of small principali ties and dynastic rulerswho favoured Hindu revivalism.2. E.B.Havell, History of Aryan Rule in India, (London, n.d.), p.2693. Jawaharlal Nehru, Glimpses oj World History, (1934-35) (Delhi,1982reprint), p.105. 4. Watters, On Yuang Chwang, Vol. II, p. 165 quoted

in R.C. Majumdar and K.K.Dasgupta (Eds), A Comprehens ive His toryIndia, Vol. Ill, Part II, (Delhi, 1983), p.837. 5. Nehru, n.2.,p.llS.

The Sikh ProblemThis period also saw the advent of Islam with the invading Arabs.It constituted a retrieving feature for the Buddhists who had, astestified by the contemporary Chachnama, helped Mohammad BinQasim in his conquest in Sind in 710 AD. This was reflective ofwidespread contacts between the Arabs and the Buddhists, and regularsocial interaction between the two. Hiuen Tsang talks of Buddhistmonasteries in Persia, Mosul and Khorasan, Iraq or Mesopotamiarightup to the borders of Syria." The Buddhists saw their democratic

principles and social egalitarianism adequately reflected in the Islamof the Arabs and there was growing conviviality between Islam andBuddhism in India during the period.The rise of Adi Shankaracharya in the late Sth-early 9th century,saw the intensification of Brahmin-Buddhist conflict, rather an all-out Brahminical onslaught on Buddhism. The Buddhist Sangha whichfrowned upon the kill ing of animals for food (in fact during Harsha'sreign a state edict had been promulgated prohibiting the slaughterof animals for' food) provided Shankaracharya-IedBrahmins, then voracious beef eaters, with an alibi to mobilise thelumpen elements to attack the Buddhists and their monasteries.Plunder was another factor as the Buddhist monasteries were richand affluent centres amidst a decadent society. This resulted in largescale vandalism, in destruction ofBuddhist personal property, Buddhistmonasteries, stupas, their images and idols.Shankaracharya himself killed hundreds of Buddhists ofNagarjunakonda inAndhra Pradesh and inthe words ofA.H. Longhurst"wantonly smashed" the Buddhist temples there. Nagarjuna, it may.be mentioned, had been a great Buddhist missionary andNagarjunakonda was "one of the largest and most important Buddhistsettlement in southern India"." Shankaracharya, thereafter, led thegroup of marauders to Mahabodhi temple in Gaya, and they indulgedin large scale destruction of Buddhist monasteries and stupas. TheBrahmins took over the temple under their control. 8His appeti te whetted, Shankaracharya personally led a motivatedgroup through the Himalayas. The object now was the Buddhist centreat Badrinath. His reputation of wholesale destruction of Buddhistspreceded him. The Buddhists chose to abandon Badrinath. They threwthe statue of the presiding deity in Alakananda river at the foot of6. Ibid,p.12S. According to Al-Beruni, the Buddhists had extended their swayupto Syria, but later with the rise of Zarathustra, Buddhists were pushed backeast of Balkh.Cf. Edward C. Sachau(Ed), Alberuni's India, (London, 1888),Vol I, p 21.7. A.H. Longhurst, Memoirs of the Archaeological Survey of India, No.54, TheAntiquities of Nagarjunakonda, (Delhi, 1938), pp.6-7.8. The formation of Mahabodhi society by Ananganika Dharmpala of Ceylonin 1891signalled start of the proceedings, and it was restored to the Buddhistsafter six decades of litigation, only partially after Indian independence.Brahmins still control some parts of the shrine. They have a strangulating

control over the management. The Hindus still emphasise that Lord Buddhawas the tenth Avatar of Vishnu, to the chagrin of the Buddhists.

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6 The Sikhs in Historythe temple and escaped to Tibet. The centre was taken over by theBrahmins. Keeping in view its importance amidst a host of ancientplaces of historical importance, Shankaracharya named it as one ofthe centres of Brahminism.? So was with Buddhist centres at Puri,Sringeri and Tirupati.The fate ofB uddhist property and their places ofworship especiallyin central and southern India was similar, when Saivism assertedits dominance through the armed strength. The fact that Shankaracharyatravelled widely and converted Buddhist centres into Brahminicalcentres of learning, maths,at Badrinath in the north, Sringeri (andKanchipuram) in the south, Puri in the-east and Dwarka in ,the west,the impact of his militant campaign against Buddhism was all pervasive.Buddhism almost disappeared from India. Over the next couple ofcenturies, aptly termed Dark Age, it flickered in different regionsbefore it finally became extinct.Jawaharlal Nehru traces the "cultural unity of India" and theemergence of "common Indian consciousness" to this period ofShankaracharva's annihilation of Buddhism, 10 for India now becamea homogenised Hindu state. But the advent of Islam, which, likeBuddhism, was already an international religion, introduced a dis-cordant element. It is truism for Hindu historians to say thatShankaracharya defeated the Buddhists because of his superior intellectand arguments, and that was why the Buddhists agreed to give uptheir faith and be absorbed into Brahminism! The arguments werecarried with the help of fire and power, and not logic or persuasion.Jawaharlal Nehru, the acclaimed builder of modern India, was noexception and gave expression to his Brahminical proclivities in hispresentation of historical processes. IIHe later sought to make partial9. The Digambar Jains credibly contend that originally Badrinath was a Jaintemple with the idol of Rishabh Dev as the presiding de ity. When Buddhiststook over the temple from the Jains, they did not break the idol but treatedit as a Buddhist one,a s Buddhist and Ja in idols were identical in sitting posewith both hands at the naval in meditating posture. Shankaracha rya had theidol of Rishabh Dev recovered and reins talled. Later to give i ta d ist inct Hindu

frame, two more arms which are quite distinct to the naked eye , were added.The fact that Shanka racharya restored the Ja in idol at Badrinath signif iestha t the Jains, unlike the Buddhists, in f ace of Brahminica l atrocities, by thetime, had agreed to function within the framework of Brahminism andaccepted Brahiminical ascendancy. Cf, Balbhadra Jain , Bharat Ke DigmbarJain Tirath, Par t I,(Bombay, Bharat Varshya Digambar Jain Tirath Kshe traCommittee; 1974), pp. 91-93. The author is thankful to Mr. Justice M. L.Jain, former Judge of Delhi High Court for bringing this to his notice.10. Nehru, n. 2, pp. 128-29. 11. In a revealing passage about his 'mak-ing', Nehru wrote, "Behind me lie somewhere in the sub-conscious, racialmemories of hundred or whatever the numbers may be, generations ofBrahmins. I cannot get rid of tha t past inheritence ... " Jawaharlal Nehru, AnAutobiography, (1936), (Delhi, 1980), p. 596.In the words of Madhu Limaye, the socialist leader, Jawaharlal Nehrupractised both rac ia lism and casteism, despite modern upbringing and out-look. See Madhu Limaye, "A Wealthy Bania and a : Socialist Brahmin" inthe weekend Telegraph, (Calcutta), November 21, 1987.

The Sikh Problemamends by organising the celebration of 2,500 years of the Mahapari-nirvana of Lord Buddha on national, indeed international, scale,Buddhism was revived in India during the 20th century with theconversion of some backward classes led by Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar.But.this was on a limited scale, and Brahmins intended to keep thefaith within the framework of Hinduism.Buddhism had become non-violent but in spite of that, it tookHinduism, perhaps because oflack ofcentralised organisation, severalcenturies to exterminate it. The Brahminical social order was notalways successful. The Buddhists, the general mass of them whohad been alienated from Brahminism, chose to accept Islam whichprovided them equality and met their natural instincts and aspirations.That was the reason why north-western India including Kashmir,western part of Punjab and Sind was Islamised. That also happenedto the Buddhists in Bihar and Bengal. The contemporary ShunyaPurana and Dharm Puja Vithan bear testimony to that.It is remarkable that district gazetteers of the Gangetic valleyspeak of the existence of Muslim societies in 10th and 11th centuriesbefore the arrival of Muhamad Ghauri. 12 Hindu historians, however,plead indequate understanding of the conversion of the rural eliteand large sections of peasantry to Islam in eastern India at that time. 13They fight shy of facing this phenomenon, the upshot of backlashof violent extermination of Buddhism by Shankaracharya.Afghanistan -Turkistan, Bamiyan and Kabul - the Buddhistfaith and Kingdom were stamped outby the Saivite Brahmin Minister,or Kulusha, in the second half of 9th century. He effecteda coup, overthrew the last Buddhist King, Lagaturman, and foundedHindu Shahi Kingdom." In tune with the guidelines laid down byShankaracharya, Kulusha killed the Buddhists in thousands and levelled

H"JUa,i)l~,H~,i) and citadels. It was during the course of Hinduvandalism that the Buddhist structures in Bamiyan, Gardez,and other places were disfigured or destroyed."UUUllJli)l." persecuted harshly by Brahmins, now became the

of Ibn Karami, a local Sufi Pir, and were called Karamis.a statue of Allah on his throne in place of BuddhaLotus.v'The Karami sect was the half-way between Buddhismand assumed great importance in the life of Ghur, Ghaznimentions that by 950 AD when the Hindu Shahi Kingdomits zenith, Kabul was Muslim." That was half a century before

Cf. Mohammad Habib and Khaliq Ahmad Nizami (Eds), A ComprehensiveIndia, Vol. V, (Delhi, 1987), p. 138.Kumar, The Making of A Nation: Essays in Indian History and1989), 179. 14. Sachau, n. 5, Vol II, pp, 10, & 361.Address(Medieval Section) Punjabi University,History Conference, Proceedings, March 17-19, 1989, PartStatue at Bamiyan in Afghanistan was disfigured in16. Habib & Nizami, n.ll,p.149.

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8 The Sikhs in HistorySultanMahmud of Ghazni began hiscampaigns in India.Mahmud appointedteachers to instruct the people of Ghur in the precepts of Islam after hiscampaign of India in lOlO-lOIUs Mahmud Ghazni 's campaigns againstthe places of Hindu worship in India including the breaking of Hindu idolsat Jawalamukhi, Mathura and Somnath temples were, in part, in retributionto earlier Hindu onslaught on theBuddhist places ofworship which rankledin the minds of the people. Brahminism had sowed the seeds of iconoclasmin the sub-continent and now theyreaped the whirlwind. Itmay bementionedhere that Mahmud Ghazni's general, Tilak or Tilaka, son of Jaisen.or,Jayasena, .educated in Kashmir, was a Buddhist.The destruction of Hindu places of worship from now on becamea regular feature with the Muslim invaders of India. For instance,Qutubuddin Aibak demolished 27 Hindu and Jain temples at Delhi andused the material for the construction of Qutab Minar." No Buddhistmonastery was destroyed as these had already been demolished by theHindus! Rather, placement of the only Buddhis ts structure, Ashok'siron pil lar, at the centre of Quwwat-ul-Islam (Power of Islam) mosquein the complex, was significant, and was indicative of the regard theearly Turkish invaders had for Buddhism." Qutab Minar was designedto teach the lesson of subjection to the Hindus! It also marked theend of the Indo-Aryan period ofIndian history. The contemporary Hinduwas conscious of that. Compilation of Shunya (Zero) Purana duringthe period was recognition of the Zero sum game.The Hindus straightaway developed a deep-rooted hatred of theMuslims and in the words of Al-Beruni enclosed themselves in ashell calling the new rulers mlechhas, impure. That coloured theHindu nationalism which was born from a sense of defeat. 21 Buddhismbecame extinct in India around that time, though Hinduism too wassubjugated for next eight centuries. That was the retribution metedout to Hinduism, or was the price paid by the Hindus for the crimeof violent extermination of Buddhism from the land of its birth.In short , there was precisely lit tle original in Adi Shankaracharya' sphilosophy. His lasting contribution was violent espousal of the casteideology, varnashramdharma, as enunciated by Manu, with Brahminas fulcrum of Indian or Hindu society. Whereas Buddhism had helpedto harmonise the Indian society, Shankaracharya caused dissensionsby laying emphasis on caste as a dominant factor. In the process,he excluded Shudras and the outcastes, a vast body of people, from17. Sachau, n.5. Vol. II, p. 395. 18. Cf.n. 15 op cit.19. In 1988 while carrying on repairs, the artisans of Archeological Survey of'India removed a disjointed slab for refixing and found the sculpture of aHindu goodess on the reverse side.20. It was in this spirit that later Feroze Shah Tughlaq (who for the first timeimposed Jaz iya tax on Brahmins) brought Ashok's Pillar from near Meerut,and installed it at Kotla Feroze Shah, Delhi, so that it reminds the Hindusof Buddhism which was now almost extinct.21. Nirad C. Chaudhuri, The Auto biography of an Unknown Indian (1951),

(London, 1987 pA04.)

The Sikh Problemany spiritual advancement, as they had been prohibited by Manufrom hearing, reciting and memorising the Vedas. Since, he playedaleading role in violent annihilation of Buddhism, he caused spiri tual!nsanity among the Hindus, and pushed the Hindu philosophy toIts lowest point, without attracting approbrium. He helped in en-slavement of the mind. This, in turn, helped in enslavement of theHindus by the Muslims. These twin enslavements helped AdiShankaracharya to emerge as the main philosopher of modern dayHinduism, pushing humanist philosophers like Ramanuja into theperiphery." It is this legacy of Adi Shankaracharya that makes thepsyche of modern day Hindu, and governs his attitude towards thepeople of non conforming faiths.22. Paradoxically , Musl im rule was not an unmit igated disaster for Brahminism.With the overthrow of the bulk of Hindu rulers, Brahmins gained tremend-ously as leaders of a decadent society, imposing wholesale caste system andrituali sm - priestcraf t, dark idolatory, rank inequit ies, b lack superst itions,&c - on all classes of non-Muslims, given the nomenclature of 'Hindu' bythe Muslim rulers. This helped to buttress Brahminism which now emergedas Hinduism of modern times. As quid pro quo, Brahmins cooperated withthe n~w rulers to quieten the countryside, in the process, making the templewith Images of gods and godesses, social inequities and extortion of wealth

from a hapless people, as centres "Ofvillage life. In reciprocity, the Sultansexempted Brahmins from payment of Jaziya, toll tax. Taking advantage ofthe Muslim rule, Brahmins also interpolated var ious Shastras, Smrities,Puranas and whole body of religious texts. They discarded Brahminism ofVedic Age which had been overtaken by Buddhism and introduced Kshat riyaPnnces, Lord Rama and Lord Krishna as apostles of reformed Brahminicalfaith. That also took care of their alignment with Rajput Princes. That buttressedtheir theocratic overlordship of Hindu society r ight from Rajputana to Indo-Gangetic valley to post-Shivaji Maharashtra to Bijapur and Golcunda. Theonly exeption was Punjab which came under the egalitarian influence of theSikh movement of Guru Nanak and his successors.When the Hindu and Muslim rule rs came under the Europeans, Brahminscollaborated with them and emerged as grea test benef iciaries. Like Hinduand Muslim rulers , the East India Company derived large annual prof its fromthe management of temples . The Engli sh emerged as patrons of Brahminicalo priestcraft and idolatory, and of temple-girls to satiate their carnal requirements. m the absence of Engli sh women from home. Fi rs t Governor General, WarrenHastings', establishing Caste Courts, to excommunicate one from Hinducaste, had devastating effect on recalcitrants who resisted writing of theiralongwith their names. S ir Wi ll iam Jones, appoin ted Judge of SupremeCourt in 1784, who emerged as the foremost Orientali st and founder of AsiaticSociety, in collaboration with Brahmins, brought out ar chaic Manu Smritiand other spurious and unjust Shastras, and enforced them as authorita tivetexts of Hindu law, on all non-Muslims and non-Chri st ians . With the Brit ishdivesting themselves of management of religious endowments in 1863,Brahmin's triumph was complete in taking over the management of Hindutemples, and enforcing a graded inequitous caste and entry system in to thetemples. That brought to a creeching halt efforts of social reformers tomodernise Hindunism. In short, Brahminism throughout h is tory has used allcontr ivances including cooperation with foreigners to uphold Brahminicalsupremacy and imper ialism over the general body of 'Hindus'.

Cf. Swami Dharma Theertha, TheMenace of Hindu Imperialism (Lahore,1946), chapters xii to xvi and ad passim. The auther is thankful to Mr. AjitSingh Sahota of Nepean, ONT, Canada for bringing this to his notice.

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10 The Sikhs in HistoryWith the Indian independence in 1947, Hindu revivalism underpinnedby the state power and machinery resumed its onward march aftera hiatus of one thousand years. The first task undertaken immediatelyafter independence by the new government, avowing secularism andcomposite nationalism, was the decision to reconstruct, at the stateexpenses, the Somnath Temple which, in the words ofK.M. Munshi,had served as a galling reminder of the degradation of the Hindus.And, the Cabinet meeting was presided over by Jawaharlal Nehru."Only a year earlier in his Discovery of India (1946) he had givenexpression to his atavistic perception of Hindu revivalism and in thewords of Shaikh Mohammad Abdullah (Atish-i-Chinar), he "regardedhimself as an instrument to establish, once again, that old dispensation".Itwas another matter that he was later acclaimed the apostle of Indiansecularism. That was anupshot ofMaulana Abul Kalam Azad' sworkingon his megalomania, especially after Sardar Vallabhbhai JhaverbhaiPatel 's death in December 1950. Presently, the mosque constructedat the site in the 17th century was demolished. Itwas contended thatprotagonists of Allah had migrated to Pakistan, and those who standup for the mosque would be made to do so. Sikhism which cameup during this thousand-year interregnum, as a distinct religion, hassince been the butt of Hinduism.The story as to how the Sikhs, who were the third party at thetime of Indian independence, have been reduced to a non-existentrole, and how using the Hindu card, the leadership of the IndianNational Congress (which has been in power during the last 43 outof 47 years) has gradually pushed the Sikhs out of the nationalmainstream which enabled. Indira Gandhi to launch her Sikh war,makes a grim reading.To begin with, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the acclaimedfather of the nation, did not accept Sikhism as a religion distinctfrom Hinduism; and the Sikhs trustingly - a trust that immediatelyafter independence was betrayed - placed all their eggs in the Congressbasket without suspecting the Hindus. They are now paying the pricefor that trust. As of now, thinking Sikhs all over the world areapprehensive of the very existence of Sikhism in India as a vibrantfaith. With their back to the wall, the Sikhs face Hobson's choice.In retrospect, Hinduism's extermination of Buddhism did notlead to wholesome results. The cost-benefit ratio was in an adversescale. But the Hindus have learnt one thing from history that theycannot learn anything. This is not the first time that the Sikhs faceextinction in India. Attempts have been made earlier as well.How will the Sikhs fare now? Will history repeat itself? Or,will itbe rewritten, this way orthat? Only time will tell- the gruesometime that lies ahead.23. Cf. V.B. Kulkarni, K.M.Munshi(Builders of Modern India)(Delh i, Publ ica-tion Division, Government of India, 1982) p.216. At Gandhi's instance, the

funds for the temple were raised by voluntary contributions.

BOOK TWO

SIKHISM IN MEDIEVAL HISTORY


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The Sikhs in History6 Evolution of the Sikh Panth 17parasitic and irresponsible. Even the Bhaktas, who were critical and Semitic _ in India and abroad, as his revelation hadthe caste system and repudiated essentials of validity, and he had the consciousness or moral obligationadvocated individual moksha. They were not for acceptance his precept to all. And, he established centres forsocial responsibility. None of them, in conson~~ce with of his mission all over the places. The first center hethought, raised his voice against the prevalent political was headed by Sajjan, a reformed Thug! For hisdespite some of them including Kabir and Namdev Sajjan was maintaining both a temple and a mosque.persecution at the hands of the r~lers .. A sor~ of he came under the influence of Guru Nanak, he gave upcharacterised all classes of the Hmdus mcludmg the upper and was a transformed man. He was now eminentlymiddle classes, and induced docility. Their pacifism helped to head a socio-religious centre for humanity, cuttingfurther consolidate socio-political isolation of the Hindu sectarian lines.

The perspective with the Muslim.s, b~ing the ruling The odysseys took Guru Nanak to all parts of the sub-continentincluding the Indian Muslims, was qurte different. beyond to Tibet, Middle East and Central Asia. There 'areIt was reserved for Guru Nanak to charter a new order local sources in Assamese Vehis (regarding visit tointermixture in equal measure of religious, soc~al and ....vu..~~.. and Ceylonese history, 13 besides an inscriptionresponsibilities into a composite whole, encompassmg both language with an admixture of Arabic inand temporal spheres. 8 He envisioned a social testifying to Guru Nanak's visits to those parts. 14 Guruwould pull down the tyrants and exploi~ers, and el~vate th~ the young son of the then successor of Abdul Qadirand the meek. His metaphysical expenence confirmed hIS also known as Ghaus-i-Pak and Pir Dastgir (whoseformulations. is in the heart of Baghdad) ' to a trans-region journeyShortly, when Guru Nanak started on world tour which, UH.'UYi.. outer-world, forms part of Baghdadi folk lore.any other prophet much less a Hindu religious teacher, took are three Baghdadi folk sayings about Baba Nanak. Theseto all parts of the sub-continent and beyond, he was .confronted Baba Nanak (Are you Baba Nanak?), A 'balak BabaShaikh Brahm or Ibrahim with the cardinal question, was if, he is Baba Nanak, or he pretends to be Baba Nanak),Hindu or a Muslim? To Guru Nanak such type of questions Mu Baba Nanak (I am not Baba Nanak). These were theirrelevant. He averred, "If I say I am a Hindu, I tell a lie. I am i :m ~ r i >Bllghlda,dipeople's common reaction to all those who till the secondnot a Muslim. " Similarly at Mecca, he skirted the question in this century talked about or enquired of the visit ofinter-se position of Hinduism and Islam, by saying that some at regular intervals, from the outergood deeds, both Hindus and Muslims in the Co~rt of God world. For Baghdadi common man, only Baba Nanakrue the day. It was in this vein that Guru Arjan later Singh, "Guru Nanak at Puri with Sri Chaitanya and His followers"Kabir's hymn that" We are neither Hindus, nor Muslims. (Ed) Sources on the Life and Teachings of Guru Nanak,One, Allah-Ram is breath of our body." To the specific Punjab Past and_Present (Hereinafter PP&P), Vol III, 1969, pp.334-by Siddhas as to "Who is thy Guru", Guru Nanak stated Sikh Review Calcutta Vol XVIII, Guru Nanak Fifth Centenarythat the Word (of Lord) was the Guru. 10 October-November 1969, pp.58-61. There is also mention of GuruThroughout his discourses in the .sub-continent and . campanion Mardana.Guru Nanak did not quote Hindu scnptures as an authonty "GuruNanak Visited Ceylon", The Sikh Review,what he was saying. He was relying on the r.e~elation, hi.s (195), October-November 1969, pp. 84-85.experience of the Lord. That was an overr~dmg authonty for of inscription at Baghdad see, Ibid, opposite p.122; also,views he formulated and the course of action he adopted. Nanak and the Sikh Religion, (Oxford, 1968), p.131-

Guru Nanak launched on four odysseys to "search for Menage, Reader in Turkish at School of Oriental Studies,who was commissioned by Mcl.eod admits his lack of knowledgesaints".l1 He went to places for worship of al! language used in the inscription. Nonetheless, he proceeds8. Cf. Sunita Puri, "Socio- Political Content of the Teachings of Guru same. He concedes that f irst six or seven s yllables in the secondin Studies in Sikhism and Contemporry Rel igion, New Delhi Vol VII ( Saba Nanak Faqir or Baba Nanak-i-Faqir but says that this does2), April-October 1988, p. 17. . meter and should be ignored. That suited very well McLeod's9. Bhai rau Mahla (hereinafter M. ) 5, 3(5), Adi Sri Guru Granth Sahib Guru Nanak did not travel outside his .surroundings. To ignore

inafter A.G.), p.1136. because it does not fit into one's contrived thesis, amounts10. Ramkali , Sidh, Goshati , 44, A.G., p.943. 11. Ibid, 18, A.G., p.939. dishonesty.


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Evolution of the Sikh Panth 1514 The Sikhs in Historyin the words of A. L. Srivastava, "The Turko-Afghanproduced an unhealthy result on the character and dignity ofrace. Our upper and middle class people, who had to comedaily contact with the rulers, were obliged to conceal theirfeelings about their religion, culture and sundry other mattersto develop a kind of servility of character in order to get onworld, Many of our men imbibed low cunning and deceit.

hpn"+,cw the Hindus, in general, lost manliness of character andof behaviour. "5'. emergence o~ Sufi mystics on the social horizon helped tom an era of discourse within Hinduism" and within Islam?at places between the two.Punj~b ~as in the throes of social convulsions. Pakpattan,and Sirhind emerged as main Sufi centres, while traditional

,Jl:S on. asceticism and world-withdrawing doctrinesgl,BVVal1"I;;U withdrawal from productive work and dependence on

sustenance, the Hindu socio-religious orders had become'. . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ._-History of India. 1000-1707, (Agra,1964), p.31O.

process of discourse within Hindisum that gave birth to Bhaktiin var ious parts of India . The Hindu society's closing i tself behind

Dharma had left the Sudras and the outcastes unprotected.movement broadly produced Bhakts or Sain ts from lower classesY/>,w!lbsbUght init ia te the process of inner reformation by asser ting the futi lity

yield the meaning "by the favour of the Guru"."Guru Nanak during the process of revelation gained newof cosmic consciousness that divine light permeates theuniverse and is the only source of light in all humanUniversal brotherhood of humankind and common heritage,of any limiting angularities, formed an essential part ofrevelation. At the time, he recited a couple of hymnsof God's greatness, His infinite wisdom and Hisparticipation in human affairs vis a vis his own limitations.in short, is One, (and he said so in digit 1 to prevent a changemeanings and emphasise that He is indivisible), Ineffable, hA,,,,,,,,no", UOcomprehension and expression, and full of Grace. Above all,of Guru Nanak's concept was the sole fulcrum of hisand far exceeded the concept of God in Vedas, Shastras,nay the whole gamut of Hindu philosophy.Guru N anak' s experience was infinite. But this had toexpressed within the limitations of human expression,limitations of the language. At times, Guru Nanak'sterse and impregnated with philosophical meanings andThe first statement made by Guru Nanak after hiswas na koi Hindu, na Musalman - there was neither aa Muslim. He in the process asserted universal humanism.was the child of one God.This cryptic statement has also been interpreted to mean thatwas no true Hindu or true Muslim. And that, neither Hinduism norwas relevant; what was relevant was his personal experience.That, Guru Nanak was able to make a statementthe supremacy, if not the validity, of Islam at the close ofcentury and go unpunished by the Muslim rulers for b ...."..,uvu,was reflective of the change in the social milieu.To begin with, Hindus declared Muslims mlechhas, unclean,Muslims reciprocated by declaring Hindus infidels. In the face ofarmed superiority of Muslims, Hindus were quick to' shut tnemselvtbehind the caste hierarchy, and narrow the parameters of social interactioIn the words of,L1 J1}ia, "They abandoned honesty and smcentstraightforwardness and integrity of character and imbibed vicesselfishness, cleverness and skill in deceit and evasion" whichcharacterise the Hindu society. 4New Muslim rulers - the Turks and Afghans - werein temperament to the early Arab invaders. The mass-sdestruction of Hindu places of worship under Mahmudand later Mohamad Ghori was gradually followed by lesseningthe harshness of the earlier aggressive Muslim demeanHy

to Islam, there arose third or fourth generation Muslims ofwho sought equality with Turks/Aghans. But the immigrantvalues were affected by Brahminical hierachy and they t reated

as an inferior cla ss, inter alia , introducing new stra instheology.3. Max Arthur Macauliffe, The Sikh Religion, (Oxford, 1909), Vol.1., p. 35;p.195. 4. B.N.Lunia, Evolut ion of Indian Cul ture, (Agra,1970) , p .3


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Evolution of the Sikh Panth 198 The Sikhs in Historyknew as he had demonstrated the truth during his visit in the he brought fusion of all four castes, nay those within the caste16th century. 15 system and the outcastes.'? In that context, he at times reconstructedGuru Nanak's mission had all the elements of a HHl"VT/ both Hinduism and Islam, and wanted their protagonists - the Naths,protagonist. At places, he entered into bitter debates. Yogis, Brahmins, Vedantists, Vaishnavas, Shaivas, Buddhists,Kurukshetra, he cooked meat (of a stag killed in game and Jains, Shaikhs, Maulvis, Qazis - to rise above the mundaneby a devotee) on the solar eclipse which led to an c?nsiderations to the essence of religion - a social and spiritualdebate with Brahmins about what constituted legitimate and interaction with humanity. He gave his own version of whatlegitimate or violence and non-violence in human affairs. constituted a true yogi, a true Brahmin, a true Muslim and whatcondemned human exploitation and hypocrisy. 16 At Haridwar, to recite five Muslim prayers. In the process, he revealedsimple act of offering water in reverse direction, towards the superiority of his transcendent experience and vision.(which showed Guru Nanak had some land at that place He repudiated all the essentials of Hinduism. He regarded thissustenance of his family and where he finally settled during as an abode of God, a place for practising positive.vgood,last two decades or so of his life) challenged the validity of . He stood for living the life of a householder and not runningBrahmins' beliefs (they were offering water to the rising sun), from the problems of the world. He struck at the roots ofled to the raising of tempers. He severely condemned the a ashram dharma, condemned caste system, and renunciationpractices, raised a furore at Mecca by asserting the omnipre for spiritual attainment. His repudiation of the conceptof God and oneness of humanity. At Baghdad, his talk of thou arvad, of God's taking a human birth, was inherent in oneof upper and nether regions invited the wrath of the orthodoxy. attributes in mul mantra, of ajuni, un-incarnated, not beingthe last phase of his life, he entered into an acrimonious to birth and death. He highlighted the evils of Brahminicalwith Jogis or Yogis at Achal Batala, .on and berated the cowardice of the people and many

Throughout his life, Guru Nanak preached universal ils of the contemporary society. He was for a socialHis teachings were for all, irrespective of their present . that would generate a self-propelling social growth.orientations or caste predilections. In the words of Bhai di Var, a composition of Guru Nanak, sung in early hoursnAUVU1~J1H.1l1~n Sikh shrines, highlights the salient contradictionsuism and Guru Nanak' s teachings.however, set apart Guru Nanak's mission was hison, or delving into, the political situation. He called forsponsibility in public administration and introduction ofof welfare state."in the context of the totality of societal involvementNanak reviewed the contemporary political situation.T~"VV .....c'"TlDI'}I"-the rulers to butchers, and administrators to dogs,

and exploited the people in and out, without anycondemned the rampant corruption in the.on, including the maladministration of justice byreprimanded the Kshatriyas (warrior caste amongstgiving up their role as defenders of the society andlaborating with the oppressive rulers. He condemnedtheir pusillanimity, unreasoning and ignorance. He. .,.., ._ .....wntrodden to ameliorate their place in society. He"H~'U.lUll11>C;lfith them instead of the aristocracy. Similarly,women equal status in society, in sharp contrast topractices. Following him, Bhai Gurdas mentions18. Sri Rag M. 1,3(4), A.G. p.15

15. Shaikh Jalal al Hanafi, Imam, Juma-e-Khulfa (Caliph's Mosque), themosque in Baghdad, in several conversations with the author, who wasSecretary in the Indian Embassy in Baghdad during 1989-90. The 76old Shaikh Hanafi who sometimes was Imam of Juma Mosque inin China, is a renowned authority on Baghdadi folklore. Accordingtestimony of Bhai Gurdas, Guru Nanak atBaghdad had not only talkedhundreds of thousands of upper and nether regions, but also taken theson of Pir Dastgir ( the then successor of the Dastgirs shrine) to avoyage through his cosmic powers and shown him the regions. Inthe regions, the young boy, probably Zainuddin, successor to theFirst Ashraf who died in 981 A.H. at a ripe old age, was served prasadhe had with him on coming back from the voyage, as an evidence ofhe had experienced.Guru Nanak at Baghdad blessed the wife of the governor with a son.she got pregnant. The Governor, in thanksgiving, conferred on Gurua Baghdadi Choga, flowing dress, with verses from Qoran on it (alsoas Qoranic Choga) on Guru Nanak. This Choga is presently at DeraNanak in Punjab.The Qoranic verses have since been tampered with because of thepetuous actions ofBedi custodians of the shrine. They have got theseby some Qadianis who contend that Guru Nanak was a muslim.Itwas customary for Baghdadi rulers to confer Qoranic Chogasappreciation. Another such Qoranic Choga conferred by the ruler of

Shaikh Badiuddin Shahmadari is available at Manakpur near16. Var Malar M. 1,25(2), A.G., pp.1289-90varn avarn ik karaya,1,22(2), A.G.,p.1288.


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20 The Sikhs in Historywoman or wife as one-half, man being the other half, to make a which made one's living haram, sinful." These concepts of Gurucomposite social unit. Nanak later laid the foundations of the Khalsa on the basis of self-Guru Nanaks views were made further explicit in his sacrifice and martyrdom.hymns depicting conditions of India at the time of Babur' Guru Nanak castoff the costume of a hermit, and spent theinvasion." He portrayed a heart-rending scene of conditions last 18 years of his life as a householder at Kartarpur off-Ravi, aboth the aristocracy and the laity - both Hindus and town early in 16th century founded by him. Here, he set up airrespective of creed. He spoke against tyranny in the human laboratory to practise the new faith, the Sikh Panth, to giveblood and tears. He condemned the Lodhi rulers for their a practical shape to his over two decades of teachings. It was notand disfiguring the gem of Hindustan. He set new standards based on synthesis of Hinduism and Islam. Neither was it ajudge politicai authorities. Through freedom of expression, culmination of Sufi movement of the Muslims, nor of the Bhaktigenerated national awareness. "The differentiation of the movement of the Hindus. Both of these stressed renunciation ofelite brought a new level of tension andnew possibility of the world, and reflected a broad spectrum of cynicism, pessimismand change into the social scene. It implied that political and escapism of a morally sick society. All these had no impactcould be judged in terms of standards that the political on Guru Nanak. He reflected a positive and healthy attitude towardscannot fully control.'?' As such, Guru Nanak's teachings life. His emphasis on nam (Name) or shabad (Word) was allthe ideology and social cohesion for resistance to oppression. inclusive. The Dharamsal (the place of religious congregation) heGuru Nanak, Lord was destroyer of the demons." He constructed, constituted the nerve centre of Sikhism in action.submission to tyranny with disdain. Here was Guru Nanak, tilling his land, living with his wifeGuru Nanak took a special note of Babur's use of III>ILI- and sons, the name of God and his philosophy, a positivegun which according to Babur's Memoirs proved decisive in of equality of all human beings and their right to a. v ictory. Guru Nanak, like Lord Krishna in Mahabharta, was life, free from religious coercion, social bondage andagainst war, as such. He, however, wanted the people to oppression. He was setting a new trail of religion. Athemselves with sophisticated weapons to create a strategic travelled householder, he had emerged as a prophet havingof forces, or a balance of terror (which in itself is sufficient "',>i>.../ i~I".rUIJIJ devotees closely following his teachings, apart fromprevent a war), to pave the way for an equal contest, if need following all over the subcontinent and beyond.

It was Guru Nanak who laid the foundations of martyrdom Nanak laid down strict ethical tests for his disciples. HeSikhism. He said, "If you want to play the game of devotion, that though, "Truth is higher than everything, higheryour head on the palm of your hand, and follow my way. truthful living.":" As such, he laid down guidelines, of ayou take a step in this direction, you should not hesitate in cardinal virtues as essentials for the religious disciplinedown your life, and not look back. tl24 Again, "0 Lord, if it Trilochan Singh sums these up as follows:Thee, one plies the sword, and the head is chopped off the neck.Life and death is in the hands of Lord, and giving and taking santokh, vicar; truth, contentment and reflection;it is not in the hands of man. One need not be afraid of death. dharam, dan; compas-sion, righteousness and charity;die is the right of the brave, if one dies for an approved cause. sabar, sanjam : faith, tolerance and restraint;One such cause he mentioned was to five with dignity, the loss garibi, seva : forgiveness, humility and service;(gyan) and work (krit).2920. Asa M. 1,39, A.G. p. 360; Asa Ashtapadis, 11-12, A.G., pp, 417-18

Tilang M. 1,5, A.G. pp.722-23.Salok 27, AG. p. 1412 refers tocapture of Lahore in 1524: "For quarter to four hours, the city ofwas ravaged by the wrath and tyranny" of Babur.

21. Cf. Surji t Hans, A Reconstruction of Sikh History f rom Sikh(Jalandhar, 1988), p.2l. 22. Maru M. 1,9(1), A.G., p.1028.

23. Asa M. 1, 39 (Pause), A.G., p.360.24. Salok Varan te Vadheek, 20,A.G., p.1412.25. Rag Majh, Salok M.1, 15(1), A.G.,pp. 144-45.26. Wadhans M. 1, elegies, (2(3), A.G., pp. 579-80.27. Ibid: also Rag Majh, Salok M. I, 10(1) A.G., p. 142.

Evolution of the Sikh Panth 21

japo, kirat karo, wand chhako - to meditate Trueto earn through honest and creativeearnings with others - became the hallmark of the14(5)., A.G.,p. 62.

y~,,~u vabU "Guru Nanak's Religion: A Comparative Study of Reli-UUHI",-" Nihal Singh, n.2,p. 97.


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22 The Sikhs in Historynew society. What rightfully belonged to others was likened toswine for the Muslim and kine for the Hindu i. e. morallydegrading. Living on alms was positively looked down upon.Recitation of Japji in the morning, sodar at sunset and sohilaat night became the regular features of the congregation. Japjiincidentally sums up the entire gamut of Sikh philosophy. Singingof shabad (weld) which is synonym with naam (Name), and GuruNanak's discourses widened the horizon of devotees and inculcatedin them the faculty of discernment and perception.This was especially so as Guru Nanak preached in the languageof the people, Punjabi, which had its own Gurmukhi script". GuruNanak perfected the script with acrophils, and laid down the rulesof grammar closely following those of Prakrit. The texture ofGuru Nanak's hymns in multiple Ragas and containing deepphilosophical precepts in pithy language, also points to his perfectcontrol over the language, both written and spoken.Guru Nanak also instituted the concept of sangat and pangat.Sangat, or congregation, was the mixing together of devotees inworship - recitation of hymns and singing of shabad, and listeningto discourses. The sangats were established all over the placesvisited by Guru Nanak right from the beginning, and eventuallyemerged as missionary centres of Sikhism. That infused a socialspirit and formed an attempt at communal living apart from groupmoksha, (deliverance from birth and death) instead of emphasison individualism and individual moksha in Hinduism. It alsoprovided the people a platform to exchange views on commonproblems, and generate a feeling of communal and nationalconsciousness at a time when sense of nationalism was absentamong the populace.Guru Nanak's instituting the langar, common kitchen, andpang at, sitting together in a row by all the devotees irrespectiveof caste, creed or sex, was revolutionary in seeking to mitigate theprevalent taboos. The devotees were inculcated to sing, "0 sire, Iam not high, neither low, nor middling. I am God's devotee andseek His protection. "31 They were asked to rise above narrowsectarianism. Bhai Gurdas tells us that the devout Sikhs of GuruNanak included persons - men and women - of all classes, includingsudras and outcastes.

Evolution of the Sikh Panth 23The congregation at Kartarpur was convinced of its relevanceto the contemporary world. It was aware of its minority character,but it had a perception of ideal living. All the more so, as thedisciples had an incontrovertible faith in Guru Nanak's spiritualparamountcy. They constituted a distinct socio-religious andproselytising group.Guru Nanak' s greatest contribution for consolidation of hismission was appointment of a successor to carryon his work toits fruition. And, the successor(s) was moulded in the image ofGuru Nanak himself to faithfully carryon the master's work. Afterstrict tests, eventually two men were shortlisted - Bhai Lehna andBaba Buddha. Bhai Lehna 'was eventually chosen not because hewas a Khatri in preference to Baba Buddha a Jat, as Some motivateddenigrators, nindaks, in the last few years would imply." Accordingto contemporary Sikh traditions, Guru Nanak kindled his own lightinto that of Lehna who became Angad, the part of Guru's body.Guru Nanak's sons were ignored as they. were found wanting.In short, Guru Nanak had dilated on almost all aspects ofhuman endeavours in religious, social and political spheres. Theuse of political terminology, of Guru Nanak's establishing raj and

Bhai Lehna 's patrimony of sword, power and heroism in the contextof.his succession by Bhai Balwand, in what is known as ballad ofsuccession in Adi Granth (Ramkali di Var), was indicative of theSikh movement's providing overall leadership to the society. 33 Itwas this concept of an admixture of raj and jog that pointed tomiri and piri under Guru Hargobind and eventually led to theemergence of the Khalsa - a perfect saint-soldier. It was reservedf()rhis successors to build upon that foundation. And they did itwithout deviation.In nominating Bhai Lehna (b. March 1504), Guru Nanak wasunaware that he was separating the personality of the Guruthat of his light. In order to avoid a possible conflict with his34 Guru Nanak wanted Guru Angad to settle in Khadur wherewife and children lived. He thus separated the insti tutionfrom the family and its location.

was spiri tual successor of Guru Nanak, and completelyhimself with the founder-Guru as part and parcel of hisHis importance lay in the fact that he reemphasised inNanak's mission. Guru Nanak had dwelt on multiple------W.H. McLeod,Evolution of Sikh Community (Oxford , 1975) , ad pass im.product of McLeod's malefic mind and never came up earlier in Sikh

history.Coronation Ode by Satta and Balwand, A.G., pp.966-68. See also SwayePahle Ke, (A.G. pp.1389-90) for Guru Nanak's establ ishing raj andjog. 34. Ibid.

30 Guru Nanak wrote an acrostic on the basis of 35 Gurmukhi 'Uf'"'tl)"L~instance, letter;r was added to the script to represent sound be twen hard'd'and 'r '. Devnagri and Persian scripts later made provision for thissound.Gurumukhi also reminded the people of Guru' s mouth, or Guru's wordand Gurmukh, guru oriented Kabir 's acrost ic based on Gurmukhi characterswhich finds place in A.G., pp.340-43 and also in Kabir Bajak does not usethe alphabet ;r.31. Gujri Ashtpadis, 4, A.G., p. 504.


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strands. Guru Angad did not fall into the trap of over-emphasisingsome aspects and under-emphasising others. He squarely met thethreat posed by Baba Sri Chand, eldest son of Guru Nanak whofounded the sect of Udasis - imbued in deep ascetic traditions ofthe Hindu social order. That caused first schism in the followersof Guru Nanak, though of minor order. Guru Angad emphasisedthe term manmukh - self-centred or ego-oriented - for such persons."He steered Sikhism clear from asceticism by reiterating Guru Nanak'smessage in down to earth manner. According to Prof Teja Singh,Guru Angad did vigorous preaching and at his behest as many as131 sangats were established.Guru Angad had the hard task to shape up the followers oncorrect lines and prevent deviation. In parenthesis, it seems a simpletask. I~ was not. The spiritual side was taken care of by keepingthe dally chore, of sangat and pangat at Khadur, of recitation andsinging of shabad (hymns), Guru's discourses, and langar. Heintrod~ced physical well-being of the community by ordaining awrestling ground including sports for children which incidentallywas a small step towards an admixture of bhakti and shakti, in theprocess inculcating martial spirit .Guru Angad greatly propagated the use of Gurmukhiin his drive for literacy among his followers. Copies GuruNanak's hymns were made for distribution to various centres. GuruNanak's biography (Janamsakhi) was also prepared to serve as aguideline for the Sikhs."Guru Angad after 12 1/ 2 years (September 1539-Marchfound that his end was drawing near. He chose his devoutAmar Das (b. April 1509) who had a rigorous training for8 yea~s to succeed him. He was also told to hold his congregationat Gomdwal, (newly established by the Guru with assistanceAmar Das in 1546), away from Khadur to avoid conflict withGuru Angad's sons who were not found up to the mark.Guru Angad performed the herculean task of strictlythe tenets of the founding -Guru and laid down the guidelineshis successors.The period of Guru Amar Das (March 1552-August 1574)quite eventful in further development of Sikhism. He was a L.v


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marriages and other occasions. It freed the Sikhs from sectarianservices of Brahmins.2.He further improved the quality of food served in Guru kaLangar which new included choicest food and dainty dishes(though he himself partook only saltless rice, lentils and curd).He also made partaking of food in Guru Ka Langar compulsoryfor anyone wishing to see him. This applied even to emperorAkbar and upper caste Rajput Raja of Haripur during theirvisit. The food was prepared by people of all castes; that wasto weld his followers in one human family.3.To administer to the needs of the growing community, heestablished 22 Manjis, dioceses or preaching districts, with aresponsible position conferred upon its head to administercharanpahul (baptism) and admit new people within the Sikhfo~d. O~~ Muslim Allah Yar and some women too occupiedthis pOSItIOnof responsibility. The manjis covered areas fromKabul in Afghanistan to Bengal." Then there were 52 Pirhas,smaller centres under manjis, to cater to local congregations.4. To kno~ each other and develop fellow feelings among thecommunity, a) he fixed Bisova Divas, i. e. first day of monthof Baisakh for an annual get together of Sikhs all over atGuru's place. He later added divali for annual get together, ...> ...making it biannual. Baisakhi and diwali were selected becausethese were well-known events to the people who did not keepcalender~. b) To cater to the growing need for drinking wa~nd bathing, he go~ constructed a Baoli, a large oblongin 1556, together WIth covered chambers at Goindwal.of low level of water, it needed 84 steps, a mysticnumber, to reach the water." Bathing of the people ofcastes in the same Baoli helped to create a feeling of vUvW~""and shedding of caste prejudices.5.He went in for social reform in a major way: a) He wasfirst social reformer to condemn the practice of sati ( .burning). He advocated widow remarriage, removal of ~.,vrl'."(veil) and equal treatment to women (as in histo head Manjis). b) He re-emphasised the irrelevance ofsystem, and advocated inter-caste marriages amongfollowers. He recognised the spiritual achievements ofDev the Calico-printer, and Kabir the weaver, whosewere being sung by the masses." That was also indicative

46. There has been some controversy about location ofvarious Manjis.Forl is ts, see PP&P, Vol. XIII, pp.319, 467~68.47. Itwas later represented that a recitation of Japji with a bath from theof Baoli at each step would lead to salvation from 84 lakh existences,mentioned in Indian religious traditions.48. Sri Rag, Ashtpadi 5, A.G., p. 67.

28 The Sikhs in History Evolution of the Sikh Panth 29outcastes becoming his followers in increasing numbers.6.He got prepared authentic pothis(volumes) of hymns of hispredeces~ors as w~ll as his own and some Bhaktas to preventinterpolation. He declared that sight of Guru was notfor one's liberation:. it lay in contemplation overword, as GurU.49actively preached prohibition and encouraged economicallybeneficial trades and crafts.Amar Das produced in his followers .a .feelingof brotherhood.re, 0 Brother,. ~as a specific form of address in his hymns.

'''',LH,",U.vU a spmt of fearlessness in his devotees who rosedistinctions between 'inferiors' and 'superiors'. He re-v.u!-'.uu.:,. ~od as asur sanghar, destroyer of the wicked.P Thekings ~ere unreal - those who fought for temporal gainsto go into the cycle of birth and death. As against that,. s~o~n his grace to his saints. The Sikh who puts himselfdiscipline for regeneration, could very well qualify to rule

51 yer~,ly, "the Sikh spirit w~s already spi~ling into thepolitics , and the mass awakening was changing the socialof power.?Das c?mposed hymns of vivid spiritual insight.Song of Bliss, :vas. a grand exposition of gurmat sahajs path of eqmpOIse, and masterpiece of unbound enthe True Guru. He imbued the sangat of this feelingand cosmic music of the formless creator. He gavea feeling of being a distinct entity.Amar Das, Sikhism made rapid strides. It wasway to becoming a universal community, withil!IStl~ution of Guruship greatly strengthened.> A . reference may be made here to sadd, Call, recorded byl

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The Sikhs in History-01