Sikhism Reinterpreted: the Creation of Sikh Identity
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Lake Forest College Lake Forest College Publications Senior Theses Student Publications 4-16-2014 Sikhism Reinterpreted: The rC eation of Sikh Identity Brittany Fay Puller Lake Forest College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://publications.lakeforest.edu/seniortheses Part of the Asian History Commons, History of Religion Commons, and the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Puller, Brittany Fay, "Sikhism Reinterpreted: The rC eation of Sikh Identity" (2014). Senior Theses. This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Publications at Lake Forest College Publications. It has been accepted for inclusion in Senior Theses by an authorized administrator of Lake Forest College Publications. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Sikhism Reinterpreted: The rC eation of Sikh Identity Abstract The iS kh identity has been misinterpreted and redefined amidst the contemporary political inclinations of elitist Sikh organizations and the British census, which caused the revival and alteration of Sikh history. This thesis serves as a historical timeline of Punjab’s religious transitions, first identifying Sikhism’s emergence and pluralism among Bhakti Hinduism and Chishti Sufism, then analyzing the effects of Sikhism’s conduct codes in favor of militancy following the human Guruship’s termination, and finally recognizing the identity-driven politics of colonialism that led to the partition of Punjabi land and identity in 1947. Contemporary practices of ritualism within Hinduism, Chishti Sufism, and Sikhism were also explored through research at the Golden Temple, Gurudwara Tapiana Sahib Bhagat Namdevji, and Haider Shaikh dargah, which were found to share identical features of Punjabi religious worship tradition that dated back to their origins. This thesis intends to reinterpret Sikh history, being impartial of political and religious connotations. Document Type Thesis Distinguished Thesis Yes Degree Name Bachelor of Arts (BA) Department or Program Asian Studies First Advisor Fatima Imam Second Advisor Catherine Benton Third Advisor Benjamin Zeller Keywords Sikhism, Sikhs, religion in Punjab, ritualism, Hinduism, Chishti Sufism Subject Categories Asian History | History of Religion | Religion This thesis is available at Lake Forest College Publications: http://publications.lakeforest.edu/seniortheses/20 Lake Forest College Archives Your thesis will be deposited in the Lake Forest College Archives and the College’s online digital repository, Lake Forest College Publications. This agreement grants Lake Forest College the non-exclusive right to distribute your thesis to researchers and over the Internet and make it part of the Lake Forest College Publications site. You warrant: • that you have the full power and authority to make this agreement; • that you retain literary property rights (the copyright) to your work. 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Printed Name: Brittany Fay Puller Thesis Title: Sikhism Reinterpreted: The rC eation of Sikh Identity This thesis is available at Lake Forest College Publications: http://publications.lakeforest.edu/seniortheses/20 LAKE FOREST COLLEGE Senior Thesis Sikhism Reinterpreted: The Creation of Sikh Identity by Brittany Fay Puller April 16, 2014 The report of the investigation as a Senior Thesis, to carry two courses of credit in the Program of Asian Studies. _______________________________ ________________________ Michael T. Orr Fatima Imam, Chairperson Krebs Provost and Dean of the Faculty ________________________ Catherine Benton ________________________ Benjamin Zeller Abstract The Sikh identity has been misinterpreted and redefined amidst the contemporary political inclinations of elitist Sikh organizations and the British census, which caused the revival and alteration of Sikh history. This thesis serves as a historical timeline of Punjab’s religious transitions, first identifying Sikhism’s emergence and pluralism among Bhakti Hinduism and Chishti Sufism, then analyzing the effects of Sikhism’s conduct codes in favor of militancy following the human Guruship’s termination, and finally recognizing the identity-driven politics of colonialism that led to the partition of Punjabi land and identity in 1947. Contemporary practices of ritualism within Hinduism, Chishti Sufism, and Sikhism were also explored through research at the Golden Temple, Gurudwara Tapiana Sahib Bhagat Namdevji, and Haider Shaikh dargah, which were found to share identical features of Punjabi religious worship tradition that dated back to their origins. This thesis intends to reinterpret Sikh history, being impartial of political and religious connotations. This thesis is dedicated to Sajid Hussain for all of his support throughout the years. Thank you for believing in me. Acknowledgments First, I would like to thank Dr. Fatima Imam for her guidance, patience, and support throughout my thesis research and writing. I hope that my work will be a testament to her teachings, for I credit my passion and knowledge for South Asian Studies to her. Second, I wish to acknowledge my young translator at the Gurudwara Tapiana Sahib Bhagat Namdevji in Ghoman, Punjab—Sartaj Singh. Without him, my research would never have been completed. I am giving a special thanks to Raman, who served as a caretaker and translator during my stay in Ghoman. Third, I wish to acknowledge Umesh Gupta, who was my caretaker, translator, and guide to the city of Malerkotla, Punjab. I would finally like to acknowledge Dr. Catherine Benton and Dr. Benjamin Zeller for being a part of my thesis committee. I greatly appreciate all of their time and criticism during this tremendous project. 1 Introduction In the modern political landscape of Indian and Pakistani Punjab, the issue of religious identity presides over the strong regional identity that once joined the two nations together—that of a unified, pluralistic Punjab. This is not the case for medieval Punjab, which provided a landscape for religious pluralism and coexistence between the Bhakti tradition of Hinduism, Chishti Sufism, and Sikhism. The peaceful religious history of Punjab has often been misinterpreted and rewritten in light of 20th century political communalism, which was only enhanced under the partition of the province in 1947. The militant history of Sikhs has especially undergone stereotyping, altering the facts surrounding the need for militarization in the first place—a Punjab independent from Mughal rule. The modern notion of Sikhs pitted against Muslims has often been taken out of political context, the historical reality behind religious coexistence often ignored. The creation of the “other” in terms of religion is a recent phenomenon that I wanted to explore during my research of two influential spiritual sites of medieval Punjab—that of Ghoman and Malerkotla. The histories of both sites were unique and shared a history of religious cooperation, which I hoped to find still intact. I wanted to begin my research by looking at known sites of religious significance to see if religious pluralism still presides over the boundaries of religious identity that contemporary Punjab has become infatuated with. My first site in my research was the isolated village of Ghoman, the village that once gained popularity in the 14th century as the residency for the Bhakti saint Namdev. After many questions and busses, I found my way to the largely unknown village, which was located 60 kilometers south of Amritsar. 2 This village was a prominent Bhakti center for the saint Namdev’s devotees during his time in Punjab, but today, the incident has chiefly been forgotten. I came across the large gurudwara from a distance, realizing after much questioning through the translations of a young boy (Sartaj Singh) that Namdev’s shrine was located within the complex. At the gurudwara, I met with Baba Bachan Singh, who served as a teacher for the gurudwara’s school and as a volunteer reader of the Guru Granth Sahib. I also met with a respected Sikh elder named Gurdeep Singh, who advised the teacher. They both concluded that the shrine and town were built by Namdev, a Marathi poet who came to Ghoman in 1270, staying in the forests for eighteen years while gathering a large following. The elders described Namdev’s teachings as Guru Nanak’s, as Namdev was said to be a devotee of the Guru. The men regarded Namdev as a Sikh, as he had contributed 61 banis (hymns) to the Guru Granth Sahib. In my questioning, I asked if that could’ve been possible, as Namdev was regarded elsewhere as a Hindu saint that was born over 100 years before the Guru. Both were offended with my question and restated their answers. Gurdeep Singh later translated the Punjabi writings along the wall: “Baba Namdev was born Sunday, 26th October 1270 and was a Narsi Brahmani from Solarpur, Maharashtra. He