A Brief History and Philosophy of the Sikh Reliqion

) CHAPTER ONB A BRIEF HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE SIKH RELIQION 1 INTRODUCnOM Sikhiann is essentially a religion preadhing a particular way of life. I-t lays more emphasis on life and experience rather than on philosophical reasoning. It is therefore better understood as a way of life rather than a philosophy. However there can be no practice without a doctrine.^ftUâm also has its tenets and doctrine laid down in its holy book Sri Guru Granth Sahib which expoxinds the concept r^gaitdlttff the reality, the cosmos, the man and tJieir relatloiuftiip with each other From the very birth Sikhism had to face the political tyranny of the then rulers on the one hazKi, and opposition from tha closed society of upper caste and class Hladyui as it preadied against the Brahraanical ^ Hindu oode of 80<slal class structured discipline and religious rituals and forma- lian on tha other hand. It is due to this r«ason that Sikhiam emerged as a practical religion/ primarily laying stress on the way of life rather than philosophical rMison- ing. Therefore it is necessary that a glimpse of the historical facts regarding the origin, development and 1, Niharranjan Rays HAS, Volune I Vs **Slkhian and Xndiaa Society", pp. 4,5. - 2 - transformation of Sikhlam Is taken# before we study the various aspects of the Sikh philosophy. This chapter dealing with the brief history of Sikhs# Sri Guru Granth Sahib and the philosophy of Sikh religion has been included in the present work so as to give a synoptic view of the Sikh religion and to facilitate under standing of the arguments developed in order to elucidate the conc^ts of man and of world in Sikhiam. 2 BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SIKHS • ' » / The word slkh is the punJabi form of jsant^rit Sloya ^ I c h Is Interpreted to mean a disciple and a learner. The Sikhs are the disciples and followers of Guxru Nanak and his nine successors who created out of the caste-ridden, class- structured and disunited society in Northern India# a tanlted# well-knit and organized society of people, devoted to the cause of righteousness and service of mankind. The SLkh community emerged as a definite religious and socio-political entity, democratised in its organizational structure, a well- organized force ready to fight if necessary, against tyranny and injustice against any challenge to one's faith and freedom, yet basically adhering steadfast to its devotional and dedicated way of life. This did not certainly happen in a day. It took Guru Nanak and his successors about 200 - 3 - years to bring about such a metamorphosis In the society. Quru Nanak Guru Nanak the founder of ^Lkhlisa was b o m at Talwandi Ral Bhoi Sahib/ now called Nankana Sahibs In 1469. He believed that political, religious and cxiltural domination of the people by the ruling and priestly classes was respon sible for their degeneration. Their emancipation could only be brought about by bringing in an awakening in the masses of the equality and fraternity of the man. He refused to recognize the discrimination between man and man and between the sexes created by the then caste and class system, and other orthodox sodal conventions* To bring them together both in thou^t and deed, he inculcated a common mode of worship and common social organization based on equality of man, in the forms of Sangat and Pangat. Disciples met in Sangat (mixed congregations) everyday and sang the hymns of Giunxs in praise of the Creator. After which they sat in Pangat (same row) regardless of caste, creed, or status in life, to take food from the Giaru-ka-langar (free community kitchen) • Thus the Bralvnins and the Shudras, Hindus and Muslims and the king and the cobbler were brought to a common social level by Guru Nanak. Unlike many other saints and refozners in India, Guru Nanak refused to sit idle in meditation while his people - 4 - groaned under the heel of the oppressor. He Instilled a new political consciousness in the people and upbraided the tyrannical rulers by saying# "Kings are butchers, cruelty their knife# and the sense of duty and responsibility "2 has taken wings and vanished. He demanded liberty and freedOTi from foreign yoke, religious bondage and social slavery. He laid greatest stress on freedom of consci«nce, whicSi is a pre-requisite for downtrodden people. This was the message of hope to the masses. His message shook off their cowardice and degenerative slianber. Ouru Ninak's effort was to raise the lowest of the lowly to the highest pedestral.^ The common mode of worship and the common social organizations^ which took expression in the form of Gurudwara (Sikh temple), Sangat^-Pangat and Quru-ka-langar^ brou^t before the people a classless demo crat ic society where all could claim equal statusj at a time 2. Kal kSti raje kasai dharam pankh kar ud reS. Kur amavas sach chandraraa dise nahi kaih diarea. A.G, p. 145. 3(a) Nicha andar nich jat nichi hu at nich. Nanak tin ke sang sath vadian siu kia ris. Jithe nich samaliai tithe nadar teri baksheesh. A.G. p. 9. - 5 - when brahmanlcal autocracy axid social division based on Ccste and class had disunited and weakened the Indian society. It was not then without reason that amall peasants/ artisans and traders flocked into his fold and found there a heaven changes of hope and sectirity. The process of social/had slowly set in. Guru Nanak became a symbol of manly independence and self reliance. T o r forty long years Guru Nanak travelled throuôut the length and breadth of India and far off in the foreign lands to preach his message of the brotherhood of mankind as sons of the Divine Father. He went to A r ^ i a and Iraq and met the Muslin Hajis and divines in Mecca and Ba^:âd; he went to Abyssinia and some islands of Indian ocean; he went to Tibet, Ceylon and Burma and met Bu<Miist there# Wherever he went he proclaimed that there was but one God, not of Hindus, nor of Muslims# but of all mankind. Under whatever name he is worshipped vdiether Ram or Allah, He is the One, formless, invisible, uncreated Creator, omnipresent, omnipotent, cminisclent, merciful, foargiving and bountiful. The worship of God Is not the exclusive privilege of the priestly class. He protested against idolatory, blind super stitions and en^ty rituals which had sapped religious faith and morality and parted the hearts of men from the Creator• - 6 - Guru N w a k did not advocate ropivmciation or ascetlam. He enjoined his disciples to live a householder's life and to serve the mankind so that they may find a seat in the Court o£ trie Lord.^ He laid great stress on purity of life^ loyalty/ chastity^ honesty/ Justice/ mercy/ contentment and teiupereiice in the secudar affairs of man. Qxiru Nâk,not only gave his people a living philosophy/ a distinct outlook on life^but also a rich literary tradition, He was a great poet, Sri G\iru Qranth Sahib contains his 976 hymns. He adopted punJabi/ his mother tongue as the medium of his expression. G\iru Nan&k was held in affection net only by his Sikli disciples but also by his Hindu and Muhsnmedan countrymen who revered him as a holy saint and called him Baba Nanak or Nanak Shah. On his death in 1539 at Kartaxpiu; both Hiiidus and Muhanmedans claimed him as their own and raised musolexms in their own fashion with a oommon wall between them. ^ tonique thing in the history of religions. guru Anqad Ouru Angad took Guru Nanak's torch as his successor and carrJ.ed forward the work of consolidation. He strength ened the unified institutions of Sangat and Pangat and 4. Vich dtjnia sev kamaltt.i ta darg^ baisan palai.. A.G. p. 26. - 7 - popularised the Fiinjabi scaript# the (runaukhi# by recording th«re-in the biography and hymns of Guru Nanak. He thus made the Sikhs independent of the priestly class whose dorai- nation rested on the knowledge of Sanskrit. Guru Angad b o m on 31st March 1504# served as Guru from 1539 to 1552 when he handed over the torch of Giiru Nanak to his 73 year-old devout disciple Anardas. G\iru Amardas was a great social reformer. He stood for the emancipation of wsmen, and opposed the practice of iûrdah, the veiling of wcsnen and led a vigorous campaign against Sati system, the burning alive of widows on the funeral pyres of their dead husbands. He said that the love and remembrance and not the flames shoxild consxane the body of the widow. He was an active preacher# a great organiser and an administrator of the high order. He organized Sikhs into 22 Sangat centres (congregations) called Manjis. He further strengthened the institution of Langar (free kitchen) as it played a far reaching role of bringing social equality not only among his disciples but al30 others who visited him. Guru Amardas b o m on 5th May 1479 served as third Guru of the Sikhs from 1552-1574. 5. SatTa" dti na akhian Jo maria lag Jalan. Nanak satia Janian je birhe diot maran. A.G. p* 787. - 8 - Gvaryx RaiBdaa Q n r a Ramdas b o m on 24th September 1534 carried the torch of Oxiru Nanak from 1574 to 1581 as the fourth OiMtu of the Sikhs* He gave to the Sikhs a rallying centre Amritsar, where in 1574 he laid the foundation of the ]^r«s«nt city and excavated the famous tank there in 1577.

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