International Journal of Research in Economics and Social Sciences(IJRESS) Available online at: http://euroasiapub.org Vol. 9 Issue 5, May- 2019 ISSN(o): 2249-7382 | Impact Factor: 6.939 |

S.G.P.C. : CIRCUMSTANCES LEADING TO ITS FORMATION

Dr. Jaspal Singh Assistant Professor in History’ University College Ghudda, Bathinda,

The Shiroinard Parbandhak Committee came into being as statutory religious body of the in the early part of the 20th century in the midst of the religious reform movement having strong political moorings. It was constituted for the avowed purpose of superintendence and control of the . It was formed on 15th November

1920. Before its formation Gurdwaras were run and controlled by the Mahants who happened to be the loyalist and also well wishers of the British Government in the Punjab. They were corrupt, immoral and away from the pious teachings of the .1

Let us discuss the circumstances leading to the formation of the S.G.P.C. during the period of long Sikh history. The Sikhs religious institutions Gurdwaras played an important role in the Sikhism. For Sikhs, Gurdwaras were the central point in their religious, social, cultural and political lives,2 with the growth of Sikhism, these institutions were also developed rapidly. Dev Ji the founder of the Sikhism preached a religion of humanity and equality, to make an actual beginning in this direction. He initiated the egalitarian practices of '' and 'Pangat'.3 Guru Ji asked his followers to construct a

Dharmshala to enable them to sit together. Many of the Dharmshalas were constructed by his followers where they sat together and listened Shabad twice i.e. in the morning and

1 File No. 942/1922, Home Political, National Archives•of India, New Delhi, (There after NAI); Ruchi Ram Sahni, Struggle for Reform in Sin, Shrines p. 60. (Ed. Ganda Singh), Amritsar, 1965. 2 Ruchi Ram Sahni, op. cit., p. 60. 3 Puratan Janam Sakti', Bhai Vir Singh (Ed.). 5th Edition p;. 74; Kushwant Singh, A History of the Sikhs, Vol. 1, p. 47 Princepon University Press 1963.

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International Journal of Research in Economics and Social Sciences(IJRESS) Available online at: http://euroasiapub.org Vol. 9 Issue 5, May- 2019 ISSN(o): 2249-7382 | Impact Factor: 6.939 |

then in the evening.4 With the passing of time these Dharmshalas' became schools for the students, centres of spiritual knowledge for the believers, hospitals for the sick, places of food for the hungry, forts for security of the women folk and inns for the travelers.5

In the period of Guru Agand Dev Ji institution of Sangat and Pangat also developed.

Guru Amar Das Ji, third in the line also gave his contribution towards these institutions.

Guru's 22 religious centres also knows as 'Manjis, the manjis were under manjiclars, who were fully conversant with the doctrines of the faith to organize worship and collection the offerings.6 'Masand' system was started by Guru Ramdas and soon became more popular in the period of Dev Ji. Guru Arjan had to raise money for the building of religious places temple. All Sikhs were asked to donate one tenth of their earnings () so that development work could continues and institution of could too be further strengthened.7 In the beginning, Masands played an important role and carried out many works for the development of Sikhism. Later on they became corrupt and immoral. For Guru

Tegh Bahadur the door of the Harmandir were slammed in his face by the Masands. Many

Masands had established themselves as Gurus in their respective districts. They began propagating Sikhism and did not forward the money. They collected in the name of the Guru.

4 gfjb/ r[fo T[gd/P d/; f;Zy g?oh gkJ/] ;kX ;zrfs efo Xow;kb f;y ;/tk bkJ/] GkfJ Grfs G? ;/td/ r[og[op eokJ/] Ppd ;[ofs fbt ehosB ;fu w/fb wbkJ/] (tko GkJh r[odk;, 9L17) xfo xfo nzdfo Xow;kb j't? ehosB[ ;dk ft;'nk] (tkoK GkJh r[odk;, 1L27) 5 Kahan Singh Nabha, Mahan K6sh, pp. 16-17.Patiala 1963 6 Sroop Das Bhalla, Mehma Parkash, Vartak, College, Amritsar, 1964, p. 40; Dr. Fauja Singh, Guru Amardas : Life and Teachings, Sterling Publishers, New Delhi, 1979, p. 117; Amar Kavi Glifu Amar Das,Language Dept. Punjab, Patiala, 1975, p. 57. 7 Varan Bhai Gurdas, Vaar 1" XIII; Harbans Singh, The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism, Vol. 111, p. 64. Punjabi University Patiala 2002. Teja Singh and Dr. Ganda Singh, Short History of the Sikhs, p. 27. Calcutta 1950.

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International Journal of Research in Economics and Social Sciences(IJRESS) Available online at: http://euroasiapub.org Vol. 9 Issue 5, May- 2019 ISSN(o): 2249-7382 | Impact Factor: 6.939 |

Of course some part of the collection was sent to the Guru. Most of them used the money for their comforts. They were used this money in lending and trading. Thus the offerings they extorted from the poor were misused. They became corrupt and luxurious. Guru Gobind

Singh had fully realized that the abolition of the masands would for some time deprive his central exchequer of its only source of income Nevertheless, he felt that the risk was worth taking and might in the end prove beneficial. He did not compromise on half measures like trying to reform the masands or separating the less corrupt from the thoroughly corrupt; so with one stroke of his pen the both master pronounced the abolition of this system as well as the masands.8

During the dark period in the history of the Sikhs religious places i.e. Gurdwaras passes in the hands of ' Mahants', who were highly respected by the Sikhs for their saintly disposition and unimpeachable moral behaviour, who began to be addressed as

'Mahants in the due course of time, remained quite amendable to the Sikh public opinion up to the end of the Sikh rule in the Punjab.9 Some of these Gurdwars had a large income from the daily offerings and the attached Jagirs which they had got from source misldars and

Maharaja in particular. When the British after having annexed Punjab, constructed canals and provided other agricultural facilities to the zamindars as a result of

8 Gyani Gyan Singh, Shri Guru Panth Parkash, p. 160-161 Delhi, 1880; Kuir Singh , Gur Bilas Patshahi, Das, p. 132. Patiala 1968; Macauliffe, The Sikh Religion, Vol. IV, pp. 316-317, oxford , 1909; Teja Singh Genda Singh, op. cit., p. 52; Khushwant Sibgh, op. cit„ p. 99. 9 John Campbel, Punjab Past and Present, Sept. 1969; The Order of the . pp. 190-191, Punjabi University, Patiala 10.

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which the value of land rose considerably in the Punjab. The Mahants developed a vested interest in the Gurdwaras property.10

Under the new settlement, by the British Government, Mahants, with the help of the

British officials, they could transferred the Gurdwaras property in their own name,11 the government hand appointed some of the Mahants as honorary magistrates and the members of municipalities. Under the fostering care of the British government the Mahants had been leading luxurious life and squandered large earnings of Gurdwara on wine and women.12

Many of the Mahants followed Hindu practices, including idol worship, which was quite contrary to the principles of Sikhism. They did not care much about Sikhs and their sentiments. Their attitudes towards Sikhs were of indifference and irresponsiveness. They were well wishers of British government. They always worked in the interests of the British

Government.13 Gurdwaras had a strong religious appeal for the Sikhs. But the British government had been using them for political purposes.14 Even the Sarbrah of the Harmandir

Sahib was appointed by the government. He worked as a agent of the British government. In the beginning of the 20th century, Arur Singh was the Sarbrah of Harmandir Sahib who was loyal to the British government. During the Agrarian agitation in 1907, he issued a hukamnama in that he asked the Sikhs to be loyal and show the same to the British government. On the eve of the first world war, a Akand Path was held at Harimandir Sahib

10 The Collected Words of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. XIX, p. 423. Ahmedabad, 1964; Teja Singh, The Gurdwara Reform Movement and the Sikh Awakening, p. 17, Jallundhar, 1922. 11 Teja Singh, op. cit., p. 17. 12 File 942/1922, Home Political NAI; Ruchi Ram Sahni, op. cit., p. 60; The Collected Works of Mahatma Gairdhi, Vol. XIX, p. 422, Ahmedabad, 1964. 13 Sohan Singh Josh, Akall Morchan Da Itihas, p. 17. Delhi, 1975; History of the Indian National Congress, Vol. 1, pp, 262-263, Allahabad, 1958. 14 Sohan Singh Josh, allcit, p. 17; Ruchi Ram Sahni, op. cit, p. 60.

International Journal of Research in Economics and Social Science (IJRESS) 488 Email:- [email protected], http://www.euroasiapub.org (An open access scholarly, peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary, monthly, and fully refereed journal.)

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for the victory of the British. In 1915 Akal Takhat issued a Hukainnama against the Gadar party. Arur Singh had even presented a Saropa to General Dyar in the Harimandir Sahib after

Jallianwala Bagh tragedy.15

The objective, programme and activities of the had not brought only socio-religious awakening but political consciousness among the Sikhs as well.

The Singh Sabha was the first movement among the Sikhs which possessed a definite constitution to regulate its affairs and to carry out its programmes and policies. The previous reform movements of the Sikhs differed from the Singh Sabha in character and organizational approach. The first Singh Sabha was formed at Amritsar in 1873 with the purpose of purifying Sikh religion and spread education among the Sikhs.16 Prof. Gurmukh Singh of oriental college, opened an important centre of Singh Sabha at Lahore in 1879. A Khalsa

Tract Society was established to issue monthly tracts on Sikh religion. A large number of books were also written on Sikhism to assert and to keep intact its distinct identity. The

Khalsa college was established at Amritsar to spread higher education in the community and to inculcate the teachings of Sikhism among the Students. Singh Sabha movement played a very important role to spread Sikh religion and political awareness among the Sikhs. The leaders of Singh Sabha remained loyal towards British government. The main purpose of their loyalty was to secure British's support for their movement and separate identity of the

Sikhs.17

15 V.N. Dam, Amritsar ; Past and Present, p. 89; Amritsar, 1967;"The Tribune, 16 August 1914; The Akali 17 December, 1921. 16 Gurdazshan Singh Dhillon, Character and hnpat of Singh Sabha Movement on the History of Pdnjab, Ph.D. Thesis, Punjabi University, Patiala, 1973, pp. 15-20. 17 D. Petrie, Secret, CID, Memorandum on Some Recent Development in Sikh Politics, Punjab Past and Present, October 1970, Punjabi University, Patiala, p. 308; Gurdarshan Singh Dhillon, op. cit., pp. 51-54.

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The Chief Khalsa Diwan was formed at Amritsar on October 30th, 1902. Whose principal object was to uplift the Sikhs spiritually, morally, socially, intellectually and economically as well. The leaders of Chief Khalsa Diwan belonged to educate Sikh aristocracy and middle class. The middle class leaders preferred to believe in social equality and the development of education. The Chief Khala Diwan became the spokesman of the

Sikhs.18

With the emergence of reform movements and the spread of education among the

Sikhs, they felt a strong need for the reforms in the management of Gurdwaras. In the beginning of the twentieth century, the vernacular newspapers like Khalsa Samachar, Khalsa

Advocate, Khalsa Sewak and Punjab had widely published the deteriorating conditions of

Gurdwaras and strongly urged reform in them.19 The Chief Khalsa Diwan passed a resolution in 1906, requesting the government that the Dastur-ul-Amal of the community to appoint its manage and other officials, but this request was not fulfilled. Thereafter, a forum known as the Central Sikh League was formed on 2nd December, 1919 to safeguar the inaugural session, passed the following resolution.

"That this league representing the Sikh Community expresses the strong conviction that the management and control of Sikh temples and endowments should no longer be with held from the community itself, an imperatively called for in the best interests of these endowments and the Sikhs".20

18 Loyal Gazette, December 19, 1919; Oral Interview of Jodh Singh; Nahru Mamorial Musiuem and Library New Delhi; Gurdarashan Singh Dhillon, op. cit., p. 336. 19. 19 Teja Singh, op. cit., p. 92. 20 The Tribune, January 14, 1920.

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Baba was elected as its President in October 1920 at Lahore, when its second session was held. Soon a mass agitation was started by the league against the British government for the liberation of the religious places i.e. Gurdwaras. The mass movement which was started to liberate the religious institutions of the Sikh community mingled with the Akali movement. Finally, Hukamnama was issued by the Jathedar of Akal Takhat for a public meeting to be held on November 15, 1920. Every Sikh organization was invited on this day. This way a new forum known as Shiromani Gurdwara 'Prabandhi Committee was constituted, Initially it had 175 members including 36 members of the provisional committee

constituted by the government. Sundar Singh Majithia, Harbans Singh Attari and Sardar Sunder Singh Ramgarhia were appointed its President, Vice President and

Secretary respectively, in December 1920.21 Since then this body has been dominating the

Sikh Community, politics and all the socio-religious cultural as well as educational affairs of this very community.

21 File 459/11/1922 Home Political, NAI; Khushwant Singh,pp. cit., Vol. 2. p. 198.

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