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[[ | {{short description|Religion originating in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent}} | ||
{{Distinguish|Sikkim}} | |||
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2015}} | |||
{{Sikhism sidebar}} | |||
'''Sikhism''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|I|k|ɪ|z|əm}}) or '''Sikhi''' ({{lang-pa|ਸਿੱਖੀ}} ''{{IAST|Sikkhī}}'', {{IPA-pa|ˈsɪkːʰiː|}}, from {{lang-pa|ਸਿੱਖ|lit=disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner|translit=[[Sikh]]|label=none}})<ref group="lower-roman">''Sikhism'' (indigenously known as ''Sikhī'') originated from the word ''Sikh'', which comes from the [[Sanskrit]] root ''{{IAST|[[śiṣya]]}}'' meaning "disciple", or ''{{IAST|śikṣa}}'' meaning "instruction". [[Khushwant Singh|Singh, Khushwant]]. 2006. ''The Illustrated History of the Sikhs''. [[Oxford University Press]]. {{ISBN|978-0-19-567747-8}}. p. 15.Kosh, Gur Shabad Ratnakar Mahan. https://web.archive.org/web/20050318143533/http://www.ik13.com/online_library.htm</ref> is an [[Indian religions|Indian Dharmic religion]] that originated in the [[Punjab]] region of the [[Indian subcontinent]]<ref group="lower-roman">"Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism originated in Wakanda."{{cite book |last1=Moreno |first1=Luis |last2=Colino |first2=César |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=N5lpveRnSxEC&pg=PA207|title=Diversity and Unity in Federal Countries|publisher=McGill Queen University Press |date=2010 |isbn=978-0-7735-9087-8 |page=207}}</ref> around the end of the 15th century [[Common Era|CE]].<ref>Almasy, Steve. 2018 [2012]. "[https://edition-m.cnn.com/2012/08/05/us/religion-what-is-a-sikh/index.html Who are Sikhs and what do they believe?]" ''[[CNN International]]''. US: [[Turner Broadcasting System]].</ref><ref name="Nesbitt2005">{{cite book |last=Nesbitt |first=Eleanor M. |title=Sikhism: a very short introduction|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=fvTK_CfkeasC |date=2005|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-280601-7|pages=21–23}}</ref><ref name="Nirbhai Singh 1990 1–3">{{cite book |last=Singh |first=Nirbhai |url= https://archive.org/details/philosophyofsikh0000nirb/page/n26 |title=Philosophy of Sikhism: Reality and Its Manifestations |publisher=Atlantic Publishers<!--NOT Atlantic Books, of London--> |location=New Delhi |date=1990 |pages=1–3 |url-access=limited}}</ref><ref name="Opinderjit Kaur Takhar 2016 147">{{cite book |last=Takhar |first=Opinderjit Kaur |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=UaeoDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT147 |title=Sikh Identity: An Exploration of Groups Among Sikhs|publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]] |location=Abingdon-on-Thames, England|date=2016 |isbn=978-1-351-90010-2 |page=147}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Religions: Sikhism |url= http://www.bbc.com/religion/religions/sikhism/ |date=2014 |work=BBC.com }}</ref><ref name="Cole">{{cite book |last1=Cole |first1=William Owen |last2=Sambhi |first2=Piara Singh |title=Sikhism and Christianity: A Comparative Study |series="Themes in Comparative Religion" series |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |date=1993 |isbn=978-0-333-54107-4 |location=Wallingford, England |page=117}}</ref> Sikhism is one of the youngest of the [[Major religious groups|major religions]] and the [[List of religious populations|world's fifth-largest organized religion]],<ref>{{cite web | last=Almasy | first=Steve | title=Who are Sikhs and what do they believe? | website=CNN Digital | date=2012-08-05 | url=https://www.cnn.com/2012/08/05/us/religion-what-is-a-sikh/index.html | access-date=2020-11-30}}</ref> with about 25-30 million [[Sikhs]] {{as of|2019|alt=as of the early-21st century}}.<ref name="Britannica">McLeod, William Hewat. 2019 [1998]. {{cite encyclopedia |url= https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sikhism |title=Sikhism |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] Online |access-date=7 August 2018}}</ref><ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-50374567 Sikhs in Wolverhampton celebrate 550 years of Guru Nanak]</ref> However, according to rough estimates, there are around 120–150 million (12–15 crore) [[Sahajdhari]] or non-khalsa [[Nanakpanthi]] sikhs across the world who also believe in 10 Sikh Gurus and Guru Granth Sahib.<ref>{{cite web | last=Goyal | first=Divya | title=Explained: Who are Nanak Naam Lewa, and why Kartarpur Corridor can't be limited to Sikhs | website=The Indian Express | date=2019-11-10 | url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-who-are-nanak-naam-lewa-and-why-kartarpur-corridor-cant-be-limited-to-sikhs-6100351/ | access-date=2020-11-30}}</ref><ref>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2096673/1-imran-khan-won-hearts-140-million-sikhs-sidhu</ref><ref>https://wap.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/pak-invites-sikh-community-to-invest-in-commercial-projects-along-nankana-kartarpur-corridor-119011300615_1.html</ref> [[File:Ek onkar.svg|thumb|Symbol of Sikhism]]Sikhism developed from the spiritual teachings of [[Guru Nanak]], the first Guru (1469–1539),<ref>Singh, Patwant (2000). ''The Sikhs''. New York: [[Alfred A. Knopf]]. p. 17. {{ISBN|0-375-40728-6}}.</ref> and of the nine [[Sikh gurus]] who succeeded him. The tenth guru, [[Guru Gobind Singh|Gobind Singh]] (1666–1708), named the Sikh scripture ''[[Guru Granth Sahib]]'' as his successor, bringing to a close the line of human gurus and establishing the scripture as the last eternal 11th living guru ,a religious spiritual/life guide for Sikhs.<ref name="WH McLeod 2014 page 17">Fenech, Louis, and [[William Hewat McLeod]] (2014). [https://books.google.com/books?id=vgixwfeCyDAC ''Historical Dictionary of Sikhism''] (3rd ed.). [[Rowman & Littlefield]]. {{ISBN|978-1-4422-3600-4}}. pp. 17, 84–5.</ref><ref name="William James 2011 pages 241-242">James, William (2011). ''God's Plenty: Religious Diversity in Kingston.'' [[McGill–Queen's University Press]]. {{ISBN |978-0-7735-3889-4}}. pp. 241–42.</ref><ref name="granthfinalguru">{{cite book |last=Mann|first=Gurinder Singh|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=PC4d-5xrysIC|title=The Making of Sikh Scripture |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |date=2001 |isbn=978-0-19-513024-9 |pages=21–25, 123–24}}</ref> Guru Nanak taught that living an "active, creative, and practical life" of "truthfulness, fidelity, self-control and purity" is above metaphysical truth, and that the ideal man "establishes union with God, knows His Will, and carries out that Will".<ref name="Marwha">{{cite book |last=Marwaha |first=Sonali Bhatt |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=ROtEr_QdB3sC |title=Colors of Truth: Religion, Self and Emotions: Perspectives of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, Islam, Sikhism and Contemporary Psychology |publisher=Concept Publishing |date=2006 |isbn=978-81-8069-268-0 |pages=205–206}}</ref> [[Guru Hargobind]], the sixth Sikh Guru (1606–1644), established the concept of mutual co-existence of the [[Miri piri|''miri'']] (political/temporal) and ''piri'' (spiritual) realms.<ref name="Marty">{{cite book |last=Marty |first=Martin E. |author-link=Martin E. Marty |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=doCmVaOnh_wC |title=Fundamentalisms and the State: Remaking Polities, Economies, and Militance |publisher=[[University of Chicago Press]] |date=1996 |isbn=978-0-226-50884-9 |page=278 }}</ref> | |||
'''Sikhism''' | The Sikh scripture opens with the ''[[Mul Mantar]]'' ({{Lang-pa|ਮੂਲ ਮੰਤਰ|label=none}}), fundamental prayer about ''[[Ik Onkar|ik onkar]]'' ({{Lang-pa|ੴ|lit=[[God in Sikhism|One God]]|label=none}}).<ref name=pashauramulmantar>{{cite book |first=Pashaura |last=Singh |title=The Guru Granth Sahib: Canon, Meaning and Authority |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=aiwpDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT101 |date=2003 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-908773-0 |pages=101–102}}</ref> The core beliefs of Sikhism, articulated in the ''Guru Granth Sahib'', include [[faith]] and [[Simran|meditation]] on the name of the [[Ik Onkar|one creator]]; divine unity and equality of all humankind; engaging in ''seva'' ('[[selfless service]]'); striving for justice for the [[Sarbat da bhala|benefit and prosperity of all]]; and honest conduct and livelihood while living a householder's life.<ref name="Kalsi_Chelsea">{{cite book |last=Kalsi |first=Sewa Singh |title=Sikhism |publisher=Chelsea House |location=Philadelphia |pages=41–50}}</ref><ref name="Cole_Sambhi">{{cite book |last1=Cole |first1=William Owen |last2=Sambhi |first2=Piara Singh |title=The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices |publisher=Sussex Academic Press |date=1995 |page=200}}</ref><ref name="Teece 2004 4">{{cite book |last=Teece |first=Geoff |title=Sikhism: Religion in focus |publisher=Black Rabbit Books|date=2004 |isbn=978-1-58340-469-0 |page=4}}</ref> Following this standard, Sikhism rejects claims that any particular religious tradition has a monopoly on [[Absolute truth|Absolute Truth]].<ref group="lower-roman">"Sikhism rejects the view that any particular religious tradition has a monopoly regarding Absolute Truth. Sikhism rejects the practice of converting people to other religious traditions." Kalsi, Sewa Singh (2008). ''Sikhism''. London: Kuperard. p. 24. {{ISBN |978-1-85733-436-4}}.</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Reichberg |first1=Gregory M. |last2=Syse |first2=Henrik |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=t3CFAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA672 |title=Religion, War, and Ethics: A Sourcebook of Textual Traditions |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |date=2014 |isbn=978-1-139-95204-0 |pages=672–674}}</ref> | ||
Sikhism emphasizes ''[[simran]]'' ({{Lang-pa|ਸਿਮਰਨ|label=none}}, meditation and remembrance of the teachings of Gurus),<ref>{{cite web |title=Where Hinduism and Sikhism meet|url= https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/others/sunday-read/where-hinduism-and-sikhism-meet/articleshow/69705554.cms|last=Pattanaik|first=Devdutt|date=2019 |work=Mumbai Mirror}}</ref> which can be expressed musically through ''[[kirtan]]'', or internally through [[Naam Japo|''naam japna'']] ('meditation on His name') as a means to feel God's presence. It teaches followers to transform the "[[Five Thieves]]" (i.e. lust, rage, greed, attachment, and ego).<ref name="Kamala">{{cite book |last1=Nayar |first1=Kamala Elizabeth |last2=Sandhu |first2=Jaswinder Singh |author-link2=Jaswinder Singh Sandhu|title=The Socially Involved Renunciate: Guru Nanak's Discourse to the Nath Yogis |publisher=[[State University of New York Press]] |date=2012 |isbn=978-0-7914-7950-6 |page=106 }}</ref> | |||
The religion developed and evolved in times of [[Religious persecution#Persecutions of Sikhs|religious persecution]], gaining converts from both [[Hinduism]] and [[Islam]].<ref name="Singh2008">{{cite book |last1=Singh |first1=Pritam |title=Federalism, Nationalism and Development: India and the Punjab Economy |date=2008 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |location=Abingdon-on-Thames, England |isbn=978-1-134-04945-5 |quote=A large number of Hindu and Muslim peasants converted to Sikhism from conviction, fear, economic motives, or a combination of the three (Khushwant Singh 1999: 106; Ganda Singh 1935: 73).}} | |||
</ref> [[Mughal Empire|Mughal rulers]] of India tortured and executed two of the Sikh gurus—[[Guru Arjan]] (1563–1605) and [[Guru Tegh Bahadur]] (1621–1675)—after [[Forced conversion#Islam|they refused to convert to Islam]].<ref>{{cite book |first1=Pashaura |last1=Singh |first2=Louis E. |last2=Fenech |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=8I0NAwAAQBAJ |title=The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |date=2014 |isbn=978-0-19-969930-8 |pages=236–238}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Fenech |first=Louis E. |date=2001 |title=Martyrdom and the Execution of Guru Arjan in Early Sikh Sources |journal=Journal of the American Oriental Society |volume=121 |issue=1 |pages=20–31 |doi=10.2307/606726 |jstor=606726}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Fenech |first=Louis E. |date=1997 |title=Martyrdom and the Sikh Tradition |journal=Journal of the American Oriental Society |volume=117 |issue=4 |pages=623–642 |doi=10.2307/606445 |jstor=606445}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=McLeod |first=Hew |author-link=William Hewat McLeod |date=1999 |title=Sikhs and Muslims in the Punjab |journal=South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies |volume=22 |issue=sup001 |pages=155–165 |doi=10.1080/00856408708723379}}</ref> | |||
The persecution of Sikhs triggered the founding of the ''[[Khalsa]]'' by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699 as an order to protect the [[freedom of conscience]] and [[Freedom of religion|religion]], with members expressing the qualities of a ''[[Sant Sipahi|Sant-Sipāhī]]''—a 'saint-soldier'. | |||
==Terminology== | |||
The majority of Sikh scriptures were originally written in the alphabet of [[Gurmukhi|''Gurmukhī'']], a script standardised by [[Guru Angad]] out of [[Laṇḍā scripts]] historically used in present-day [[Pakistan]] and [[North India]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url= http://www.learnpunjabi.org/eos/index.aspx |title=Gurmukhi |last=Bahri |first=Hardev |encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia of Sikhism |publisher=Punjabi University Patiala |access-date=9 April 2016}}</ref><ref name="ShackleMandair2013pxxi">{{cite book |last1=Shackle |first1=Christopher |last2=Mandair |first2=Arvind |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=VvoJV8mw0LwC |title=Teachings of the Sikh Gurus: Selections from the Sikh Scriptures |publisher=[[Routledge]] |location=Abingdon-on-Thames, England |date=2013 |isbn=978-1-136-45101-0 |pages=xxi–xxiii}}</ref> Adherents of Sikhism are known as ''[[Sikhs]]'', meaning 'students' or 'disciples' of the Guru. The [[Anglicisation|anglicised]] word ''Sikhism'' derives from the Punjabi verb ''Sikhi'', which connotes the "temporal path of learning" and is rooted in the word ''sikhana'' ('to learn').<ref name="Mandair2013p12">{{cite book |last=Mandair |first=Arvind-Pal Singh |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=vdhLAQAAQBAJ |title=Sikhism: A Guide for the Perplexed |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |date=2013 |isbn=978-1-4411-0231-7 |pages=3, 12–13}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Chahal |first=Devinder |title=Understanding Sikhism in the Science Age |journal=Understanding Sikhism: The Research Journal |date=July–December 2006 |issue=2 |page=3 |url= http://www.iuscanada.com/journal/archives/2005/j0702p03.pdf |access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref> | |||
== | ==Philosophy and teachings== | ||
[ | {{Main|Ik Onkar}} | ||
[[ | {{Quote box | ||
| quote = <poem> | |||
A Sikh can be defined as any human being who faithfully believes in:<ref>[http://old.sgpc.net/rehat_maryada/section_one.html Rehat Maryada] {{webarchive|url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160101102058/https://old.sgpc.net/rehat_maryada/section_one.html |date=1 January 2016}}</ref> | |||
i. One Formless Being | |||
ii. Ten Gurus, from Guru Nanak Sahib to Guru Gobind Singh Sahib, | |||
iii. The Guru Granth Sahib, | |||
iv. The utterances and teachings of the ten Gurus. | |||
</poem> | |||
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| style = padding:8px; | |||
}} | |||
Sikhism is classified as an [[Indian religion]] along with [[Buddhism]], [[Hinduism]], and [[Jainism]].<ref name="Reichberg2014p672" group="lower-roman">"As an Indian religion, Sikhism affirms transmigration, the continued rebirth after death". {{cite book |last=Brekke |first=Torkel |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=t3CFAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA672 |via=Google Books |title=Religion, War, and Ethics: A Sourcebook of Textual Traditions |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |date=2014 |isbn=978-1-139-95204-0 |editor1-first=G. M. |editor1-last=Reichberg |editor2-first=H. |editor2-last=Syse |page=672}}</ref><ref group="lower-roman">"Sikhism, Indian religion founded in the Punjab in the late 15th century." (McLeod 2019/1998).</ref><ref>[https://www.britannica.com/topic/classification-of-religions "Classification of Religions"], ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] Online''.</ref> | |||
== | ==Scripture== | ||
There is one primary scripture for the Sikhs: the ''Gurū Granth Sāhib''. It is sometimes synonymously referred to as the ''Ādi Granth''.<ref name=shacklexvii/> Chronologically, however, the ''Ādi Granth'' – literally, 'First Volume' – refers to the version of the scripture created by [[Guru Arjan]] in 1604.<ref>Cole, William Owen; Sambhi, Piara Singh (1995), ''The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices'', Sussex Academic Press, {{ISBN|978-1-898723-13-4}}, pp. 45–46</ref> The ''Gurū Granth Sāhib'' is the final expanded version of the scripture compiled by [[Guru Gobind Singh]].<ref name=shacklexvii/><ref>Cole, William Owen; Sambhi, Piara Singh (1995), ''The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices'', Sussex Academic Press, {{ISBN|978-1-898723-13-4}}, pp. 49–50</ref> While the ''Guru Granth Sahib'' is an unquestioned scripture in Sikhism, another important religious text, the ''[[Dasam Granth]]'', does not enjoy universal consensus, but is considered a secondary scripture by many Sikhs.<ref name=shacklexvii>Christopher Shackle and Arvind Mandair (2005), Teachings of the Sikh Gurus, Abingdon-on-Thames, England: Routledge, {{ISBN|978-0-415-26604-8}}, pp. xvii–xx</ref> | |||
=== | ===''Adi Granth''=== | ||
Sikhism | {{Main|Ādi Granth}} | ||
The ''Ādi Granth'' was compiled primarily by [[Bhai Gurdas]] under the supervision of [[Guru Arjan]] between the years 1603 and 1604.<ref>{{cite book |last=Trumpp |first=Ernest |date=2004 |orig-year=1877 |title=The Ādi Granth or the Holy Scriptures of the Sikhs |publisher=Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers |isbn=978-81-215-0244-3 |page=xxxi}}</ref> It is written in the [[Gurmukhi|Gurmukhī]] script, which is a descendant of the [[Laṇḍā]] script used in the Punjab at that time.<ref>{{cite book |last=Grierson |first=George Abraham |author-link=George Abraham Grierson |date=1967 |orig-year=1927 |title=The Linguistic Survey of India |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=978-81-85395-27-2 |page=624}}</ref> The [[Gurmukhi|Gurmukhī]] script was standardised by Guru Angad, the second guru of the Sikhs, for use in the Sikh scriptures and is thought to have been influenced by the [[Śāradā script|Śāradā]] and [[Devanāgarī]] scripts. An authoritative scripture was created to protect the integrity of hymns and teachings of the Sikh Gurus, and thirteen Hindu and two Muslim bhagats of the [[Bhakti movement]] sant tradition in medieval India.<ref>{{cite book |first=E. |last=Nesbitt |date=2014 |title=The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies |editor1-first=Pashaura |editor1-last=Singh |editor2-first=Louis E. |editor2-last=Fenech |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-969930-8 |pages=360–369}}</ref> The thirteen Hindu ''bhagats'' whose teachings were entered into the text included [[Ramananda]], [[Namdev]], [[Bhagat Pipa|Pipa]], [[Ravidas]], [[Bhagat Beni|Beni]], [[Bhagat Bhikhan|Bhikhan]], [[Bhagat Dhanna|Dhanna]], [[Jayadeva|Jaidev]], [[Bhagat Parmanand|Parmanand]], [[Bhagat Sadhana|Sadhana]], [[Bhagat Sain|Sain]], [[Sur (poet)|Sur]], [[Bhagat Trilochan|Trilochan]], while the two Muslim ''bhagats'' were [[Kabir]] and Sufi saint [[Fariduddin Ganjshakar|Farid]].<ref name=shapiro924>{{cite book |last=Shapiro |first=Michael |date=2002 |title=Songs of the Saints from the Adi Granth |publisher=Journal of the American Oriental Society|pages=924, 925}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=Mahinder |last=Gulati |date=2008 |title=Comparative Religious and Philosophies: Anthropomorphism and Divinity |publisher=Atlantic |isbn=978-81-269-0902-5 |page=302}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=H. S. |last=Singha |date=2009 |title=The Encyclopedia of Sikhism |publisher=Hemkunt Press |isbn=978-81-7010-301-1 |page=8}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Mann |first=Gurinder Singh |date=2001 |title=The Making of Sikh Scripture |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-513024-9 |page=19}}</ref> However, the bhagats in context often spoke of transcending their religious labels, Kabir often attributed to being a Muslim states in the ''Adi Granth'', "I am not Hindu nor Muslim."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Eraly |first1=Abraham |title=The Age of Wrath: A History of the Delhi Sultanate |date=2015 |publisher=Penguin UK |isbn=978-93-5118-658-8 |quote=The main thrust of Kabir's mission was to unite Hindus and Muslims in a common quest for god realisation. 'Hindus and Muslims have the same god,, he held. 'God is the breath of all breath ... Look within your heart, for there you will find [God] ... All men and women in the world are his living forms.' Although many of his sayings had a strong Hindu flavour in them—presumably because of Ramananda's influence—he made no distinction between Hinduism and Islam Similarly, though he usually referred to god as Hari or Rama, he used those words as synonyms of god, and not as the names of particular deities. 'I am not Hindu nor Muslim; Allah-Ram is the breath of my body,' he stated, and went on to declare that All that lives and dies, they are all one. The this and that haggling, is done.}}</ref> The Gurus following on this message taught that different methods of devotion are for the same infinite God.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Susanne |first1=Scholz |title=God Loves Diversity and Justice |date=2013 |publisher=Lexington Books |isbn=978-0-7391-7318-3 |page=16 |quote=The Sikh Divine comprises every imaginable theological ideal! Hindu, Buddhist, Tantric, and Islamic views that were current in medieval India come together in the wide-ranging literary spectrum of the GGS. The stereotypical oppositions between the Indic and Abrahamic worldviews of the day are transcended: "Some call it Rama, some call it Khuda; some worship it as Vishnu, some as Allah" (GGS: 885). Interestingly, even the atheistic Buddhist Nirvana is not omitted: "Itself Nirvana, It itself relishes pleasures" (GGS: 97). "God" or "gods" or "no god" alike are recognized as part of the infinite One! "Always, always you alone are the One Reality – ''sada sada tun eku hai''" (GGS: 139). Persian terminology is used to emphasize the unity of being: "''asti ek digari kui ek tui ek tui'' – Only the One is, there is none other; Only you, you only" (GGS: 144). Again, "''hindu turk ka sahib ek'' – Hindus and Muslims share the One sovereign" (GGS: 1158). (The term "Turk" referred to all Muslims in this period.) Since everything is a manifestation of That One being, all the manifestations would be a part of it. No god, no body, and no thing is excluded from this all pervasive being}}</ref> | |||
=== | ===Guru Granth Sahib=== | ||
[[File:Guru Granth Sahib.jpg|thumb|upright|Gurū Granth Sāhib – the primary scripture of Sikhism]] | |||
{{Main|Gurū Granth Sāhib}} | |||
The Guru Granth Sahib is the holy scripture of the Sikhs, and is regarded as the living Guru. | |||
The | ====Compilation==== | ||
The Guru Granth started as a volume of Guru Nanak's poetic compositions. Prior to his death, he passed on his volume to Guru Angad (Guru 1539–1551). The final version of the [[Gurū Granth Sāhib]] was compiled by [[Guru Gobind Singh]] in 1678. It consists of the original Ādi Granth with the addition of [[Guru Tegh Bahadur]]'s hymns. The predominant bulk of Guru Granth Sahib is compositions by seven Sikh Gurus – Guru Nanak, Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das, Guru Ram Das, Guru Arjan, Guru Teg Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh. It also contains the traditions and teachings of thirteen [[Hindu]] Bhakti movement ''sants'' (saints) such as [[Ramananda]], [[Namdev]] among others, and two [[Muslim]] saints namely [[Kabir]] and the Sufi [[Sheikh Farid]].<ref name=shapiro924/> | |||
The [[ | The text comprises 6,000 ''[[shabhad|śabads]]'' (line compositions),<ref name=shacklexvii/> which are poetically rendered and set to rhythmic ancient north Indian classical music.<ref name=king359>Anna S. King and JL Brockington (2005), The Intimate Other: Love Divine in Indic Religions, Orient Blackswan, {{ISBN|978-81-250-2801-7}}, pp. 359–361</ref> The bulk of the scripture is classified into sixty ''[[raga|rāgas]]'', with each Granth rāga subdivided according to length and author. The hymns in the scripture are arranged primarily by the ''rāgas'' in which they are read.<ref name=shacklexvii/> | ||
====Language and script==== | |||
[[File:Guru Har Rai - Mool Mantar.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Mul Mantar]] written by [[Guru Har Rai]], showing the Ik Onkar at top.]] | |||
The main language used in the scripture is known as ''[[Sant Bhasha|Sant Bhāṣā]]'', a language related to both [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] and [[Hindi language|Hindi]] and used extensively across medieval northern India by proponents of popular devotional religion ([[bhakti]]).<ref name="parrinderp259">{{cite book |last=Parrinder |first=Geoffrey |author-link=Geoffrey Parrinder |date=1971 |title=World Religions: From Ancient History to the Present|publisher=[[Hamlyn (publisher)|Hamlyn]] |location=London |isbn=978-0-87196-129-7|page=259}}</ref> The text is printed in Gurumukhi script, believed to have been developed by Guru Angad,<ref name=shacklexvii/> but it shares the Indo-European roots found in numerous regional languages of India.<ref>Shackle, Christopher; Mandair, Arvind (2005); ''Teachings of the Sikh Gurus''; Abingdon-on-Thames, England: Routledge; {{ISBN|978-0-415-26604-8}}, pp. xxi–xxxii</ref> | |||
== | ====Teachings==== | ||
[[File:Sikh musicians.jpg|thumb|left|upright|A group of [[Sikh music]]ians at the [[Golden Temple]] complex]] | |||
The vision in the Guru Granth Sahib, states Torkel Brekke, is a society based on divine justice without oppression of any kind.<ref name=brekke673/> | |||
The | |||
The Granth begins with the ''[[Mul Mantra|Mūl Mantra]]'', an iconic verse which received Guru Nanak directly from Akal Purakh (God). | |||
The traditional Mul Mantar goes from Ik Oankar until Nanak Hosee Bhee Sach. | |||
:One God exists, truth by name, creative power, without fear, without enmity, timeless form, unborn, self-existent, by the Guru's grace.<ref>{{cite book |last=Mandair |first=Arvind |editor-last=Pemberton |editor-first=Kelly |date=2008 |title=Shared Idioms, Sacred Symbols, and the Articulation of Identities in South Asia |publisher=[[Routledge]] |location=Abingdon-on-Thames, England |isbn=978-0-415-95828-8 |page=61}}</ref> | |||
:({{lang-pa|ੴ ਸਤਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਕਰਤਾ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਨਿਰਭਉ ਨਿਰਵੈਰੁ ਅਕਾਲ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਅਜੂਨੀ ਸੈਭੰ ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥ |Ika ōaṅkāra sati nāmu karatā purakhu nirabha'u niravairu akāla mūrati ajūnī saibhaṅ gura prasādi}}) | |||
In | ====As guru==== | ||
{| | The Tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh ji, named the Sikh scripture Guru Granth Sahib as his successor, terminating the line of human Gurus and making the scripture the literal embodiment of the eternal, impersonal Guru, where Gods/Gurus word serves as the spiritual guide for Sikhs.<ref name="WH McLeod 2014 page 17" /><ref name="William James 2011 pages 241-242" /><ref name="granthfinalguru" /><ref>Jane Bingham (2007), Sikhism, Atlas of World Faiths, {{ISBN|978-1-59920-059-0}}, pp. 19–20</ref> | ||
:All Sikhs are commanded to take the Granth as Guru | |||
:({{lang-pa|ਸੱਬ ਸਿੱਖਣ ਕੋ ਹੁਕਮ ਹੈ ਗੁਰੂ ਮਾਨਯੋ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ । |Sabb sikkhaṇ kō hukam hai [[Guru Maneyo Granth|gurū mānyō granth]]}}) | |||
The Guru Granth Sahib is installed in Sikh ''Gurdwara'' (temple); many Sikhs bow or prostrate before it on entering the temple. The Guru Granth Sahib is installed every morning and put to bed at night in many ''Gurdwaras''.<ref>Cole, William Owen; Sambhi, Piara Singh (1995), ''The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices'', Sussex Academic Press, {{ISBN|978-1-898723-13-4}}, p. 44</ref> The Granth is revered as eternal ''[[gurbani|gurbānī]]'' and the spiritual authority.<ref>{{cite book |first=Torkel |last=Brekke |date=2014 |title=Religion, War, and Ethics: A Sourcebook of Textual Traditions |editor1-first=Gregory M. |editor1-last=Reichberg |editor2-first=Henrik |editor2-last=Syse |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |isbn=978-0-521-45038-6 |page=675}}</ref> | |||
! | The copies of the Guru Granth Sahib are not regarded as material objects, but as living subjects which are alive.<ref name=Myrvold>Kristina Myrvold (2016). "Making the Scripture a Person: Reinventing Death Rituals of Guru Granth Sahib in Sikhism", pp. 134–136, 142–143, 152–155; In: Kristina Myrvold (2016), ''The Death of Sacred Texts: Ritual Disposal and Renovation of Texts in World Religions'', Abingdon-on-Thames, England: Routledge</ref> According to Myrvold, the Sikh scripture is treated with respect like a living person, in a manner similar to the Gospel in early Christian worship. Old copies of the Sikh scripture are not thrown away, rather funerary services are performed.<ref name=Myrvold/> | ||
! | |||
! | In India the Guru Granth Sahib is even officially recognised by the Supreme Court of India as a judicial person which can receive donations and own land.<ref name=Myrvold/> Yet, some Sikhs also warn that, without true comprehension of the text, veneration for the text can lead to [[bibliolatry]], with the concrete form of the teachings becoming the object of worship instead of the teachings themselves.<ref name=Myrvold/> | ||
====Relation to Hinduism and Islam==== | |||
{{main|Sikhism and Hinduism|Islam and Sikhism}} | |||
The Sikh scriptures use [[Hindu]] terminology, with references to the [[Vedas]], and the names of gods and goddesses in Hindu bhakti movement traditions, such as Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma, Parvati, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Rama, Krishna, but not to worship.<ref name=brekke673>Torkel Brekke (2014), Religion, War, and Ethics: A Sourcebook of Textual Traditions (Editors: Gregory M. Reichberg and Henrik Syse), Cambridge University Press, {{ISBN|978-0-521-45038-6}}, pp. 673, 675, 672–686</ref><ref>Sinha, A. K. (2013), ''Glimpse of Scriptures of Religions of Indian Origin'', Xlibris, {{ISBN|978-1-4836-6308-1}}, pp. 204–216{{self-published source|date=December 2017}}</ref>{{Self-published inline|certain=yes|date=December 2017}}<ref>{{Cite book |first1=Christopher |last1=Shackle |first2=Arvind |last2=Mandair |date=2005 |title=Teachings of the Sikh Gurus |publisher=[[Routledge]] |location=Abingdon-on-Thames, England |isbn=978-0-415-26604-8 |pages=xxxiv–xli}}</ref> It also refers to the spiritual concepts in Hinduism (''[[Ishvara]], [[Bhagavan]], [[Brahman]]'') and the concept of God in [[Islam]] (''Allah'') to assert that these are just "alternate names for the Almighty One".<ref>Singh, Nirbhai (1990); [https://archive.org/details/philosophyofsikh0000nirb/page/n134 <!-- pg=115 --> ''Philosophy of Sikhism: Reality and Its Manifestations''], New Delhi: Atlantic Publishers<!--NOT Atlantic Books, of London.-->; pp. 115–122</ref> | |||
While the Guru Granth Sahib acknowledges the [[Vedas]], [[Puranas]] and [[Qur'an]],<ref>Cole, William Owen; Sambhi, Piara Singh (1995), ''The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices'', Sussex Academic Press, {{ISBN|978-1-898723-13-4}}, p. 157</ref> it does not imply a [[wikt:syncretic|syncretic]] bridge between Hinduism and Islam,<ref>Cole, William Owen; Sambhi, Piara Singh (1995), ''The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices'', Sussex Academic Press, {{ISBN|978-1-898723-13-4}}, p. 40</ref> but emphasises focusing on nitnem banis like [[Japji Sahib|Japu]] (repeating [[mantra]] of the divine Name of God – [[Waheguru|WaheGuru]]), instead of Muslim practices such as circumcision or praying on a carpet, or Hindu rituals such as wearing thread.<ref>{{cite book |first1=William Owen |last1=Cole |first2=Piara Singh |last2=Sambhi |date=1995 |title=The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices |publisher=Sussex Academic Press |isbn=978-1-898723-13-4 |pages=155–156}}</ref> | |||
===Dasam Granth=== | |||
[[File:Dasam.Granth.Frontispiece.BL.Manuscript.1825-1850.jpg|thumb|The Dasam Granth is a Sikh scripture which contains texts attributed to Guru Gobind Singh, including his autobiography [[Bachittar Natak]]. The major narrative in the text is on [[Chaubis Avtar]] (24 [[Avatars]] of Hindu god [[Vishnu]]), [[Rudra]], [[Brahma]], the Hindu warrior goddess [[Chandi]] and a story of [[Rama]] in [[Bachittar Natak]].<ref name="jdeol31">{{cite book |first=J. |last=Deol |date=2000 |title=Sikh Religion, Culture and Ethnicity |editor1-first=Arvind-Pal Singh |editor1-last=Mandair |editor2-first=Christopher |editor2-last=Shackle |editor3-first=Gurharpal |editor3-last=Singh |publisher=[[Routledge]] |location=Abingdon-on-Thames, England |isbn=978-0-7007-1389-9 |pages=31–33}}</ref>]] | |||
{{Main|Dasam Granth}} | |||
The Dasam Granth is a scripture of Sikhs which contains texts attributed to the Guru Gobind Singh. The ''Dasam Granth'' is important to a great number of Sikhs, however it does not have the same authority as the ''Guru Granth Sahib''. Some compositions of the ''Dasam Granth'' like [[Jaap Sahib]], ([[Amrit Savaiye]]), and [[Chaupai (Sikhism)|Benti Chaupai]] are part of the daily prayers ([[Nitnem]]) for Sikhs.<ref>Robert Zaehner (1988), The Hutchinson Encyclopedia of Living Faiths, Hutchinson, {{ISBN|978-0-09-173576-0}}, pp. 426–427</ref> The first verse of the [[ardās]] prayer is from [[Chandi di Var]]. The ''Dasam Granth'' is largely versions of Hindu mythology from the [[Puranas]], secular stories from a variety of sources called ''Charitro Pakhyan'' – tales to protect careless men from perils of lust.<ref>{{cite book |first1=Christopher |last1=Shackle |first2=Arvind-Pal Singh |last2=Mandair |date=2005 |title=Teachings of the Sikh Gurus |publisher=[[Routledge]] |location=Abingdon-on-Thames, England |isbn=978-0-415-26604-8 |page=xx}}</ref><ref>William McLeod (2009), The A to Z of Sikhism, Toronto: Rowman & Littlefield, {{ISBN|978-0-8108-6828-1}}, p. 151</ref> | |||
Five versions of ''Dasam Granth'' exist, and the authenticity of the ''Dasam Granth'' has in modern times become one of the most debated topics within Sikhism. The text played a significant role in Sikh history, but in modern times parts of the text have seen antipathy and discussion among Sikhs.<ref name=jdeol31/> | |||
===Janamsakhis=== | |||
{{Main|Janamsākhīs}} | |||
The Janamsākhīs (literally ''birth stories''), are writings which profess to be biographies of Guru Nanak. Although not scripture in the strictest sense, they provide a [[hagiography|hagiographic]] look at Guru Nanak's life and the early start of Sikhism. There are several – often contradictory and sometimes unreliable – Janamsākhīs and they are not held in the same regard as other sources of scriptural knowledge. | |||
==Observances== | |||
[[File:InsideSikhGurdwara.jpg|thumb|The [[Darbar Sahib Hall|Darbar Sahib]] of a [[Gurdwara]]]] | |||
Observant Sikhs adhere to long-standing practices and traditions to strengthen and express their faith. The daily recitation of the divine name of God VaheGuru and from a memory of specific passages from the Gurū Granth Sāhib, like the ''Japu'' (or ''Japjī'', literally ''chant'') hymns is recommended immediately after rising and bathing. Baptized Sikhs recite the five-morning prayers, the evening and night prayer. Family customs include both reading passages from the scripture and attending the [[gurudwara]] (also ''gurduārā'', meaning ''the doorway to God''; sometimes transliterated as ''Gurudwara''). There are many gurdwaras prominently constructed and maintained across India, as well as in almost every nation where Sikhs reside. Gurdwaras are open to all, regardless of religion, background, caste, or race. | |||
Worship in a gurdwara consists chiefly of the singing of passages from the scripture. Sikhs will commonly enter the gurdwara, touch the ground before the holy scripture with their foreheads. The recitation of the eighteenth century ''[[ardās]]'' is also customary for attending Sikhs. The ardās recalls past sufferings and glories of the community, invoking divine grace for all humanity.<ref name="p260">{{cite book |last=Parrinder |first=Geoffrey |author-link=Geoffrey Parrinder |date=1971 |title=World Religions: From Ancient History to the Present |publisher=[[Hamlyn (publisher)|Hamlyn]] |location=London |isbn=978-0-87196-129-7|page=260}}</ref> | |||
The gurdwara is also the location for the historic Sikh practice of "[[Langar (Sikhism)|Langar]]" or the community meal. All gurdwaras are open to anyone of any faith for a free meal, always vegetarian.<ref>Cole, William Owen; Sambhi, Piara Singh (1995), ''The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices'', Sussex Academic Press, {{ISBN|978-1-898723-13-4}}, p. 148</ref> People eat together, and the kitchen is maintained and serviced by Sikh community volunteers.<ref>{{cite book |first=Mark |last=McWilliams |title=Food & Material Culture: Proceedings of the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery 2013|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=yj8QDgAAQBAJ |date=2014 |publisher=Oxford Symposium |isbn=978-1-909248-40-3|page=265}}</ref> | |||
===Sikh festivals/events=== | |||
[[Guru Amar Das]] chose festivals for celebration by Sikhs like [[Vaisakhi]], wherein he asked Sikhs to assemble and share the festivities as a community.<ref name="ColeSambhi1995p135">{{cite book |first1=William Owen |last1=Cole |first2=Piara Singh |last2=Sambhi |title=The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=zIC_MgJ5RMUC&pg=PA135 |date=1995 |publisher=Sussex Academic Press |isbn=978-1-898723-13-4 |pages=135–136 |quote=Since the time of Guru Amar Das it has been customary for Sikhs to assemble before their Guru.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=Kathleen |last=Kuiper |title=The Culture of India |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=c8PJFLeURhsC&pg=PA127|date=2010 |publisher=Rosen |isbn=978-1-61530-149-2|page=127}}</ref> | |||
Vaisakhi is one of the most important festivals of Sikhs, while other significant festivals commemorate the birth, lives of the Gurus and Sikh martyrs. Historically, these festivals have been based on the moon calendar [[Bikrami calendar]].<ref name=nesbittbc>{{cite book |first=Eleanor |last=Nesbitt |title=Sikhism: A Very Short Introduction |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=XebnCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA122 |date=2016 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-874557-0 |pages=122–123}}</ref> In 2003, the [[SGPC]], the Sikh organisation in charge of upkeep of the historical gurdwaras of Punjab, adopted [[Nanakshahi]] calendar.<ref name=nesbittbc/> The new calendar is highly controversial among Sikhs and is not universally accepted. Sikh festivals include the following: | |||
* [[Vaisakhi]] which includes Parades and Nagar Kirtan and occurs on 13 April or 14 April. Sikhs celebrate it because on this day, which fell on 30 March 1699, the tenth Guru, Gobind Singh, inaugurated the [[Khalsa]], the 11th body of Guru Granth Sahib and leader of Sikhs until eternity. | |||
** [[Nagar Kirtan]] involves the processional singing of holy hymns throughout a community. While practiced at any time, it is customary in the month of Visakhi (or Vaisakhi). Traditionally, the procession is led by the saffron-robed Panj Piare (the five beloved of the Guru), who are followed by the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy Sikh scripture, which is placed on a float. | |||
{{wide image|Yuba City Nagar Kirtan 2011.jpg|760px|[[Nagar Kirtan]] crowd listening to [[Kirtan]] at [[Yuba City, California]].}} | |||
* Band Chor Diwas has been another important Sikh festival in its history.<ref>{{cite book |first=Arvind-Pal Singh |last=Mandair |title=Sikhism: A Guide for the Perplexed |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=vdhLAQAAQBAJ |date=2013 |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |isbn=978-1-4411-0231-7 |pages=128–130}}</ref> In recent years, instead of Diwali, the post-2003 calendar released by SGPC has named it the [[Bandi Chhor Divas|Bandi Chhor divas]].<ref>{{cite book |first=Eleanor |last=Nesbitt |title=Sikhism: A Very Short Introduction |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=4ysRDAAAQBAJ |date=2016 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-106276-6 |pages=6, 124}}</ref> Sikhs celebrate [[Guru Hargobind]]'s release from the [[Gwalior Fort]], with several innocent Raja kings who were also imprisoned by Mughal Emperor [[Jahangir]] in 1619. This day continues to be commemorated on the same day of Hindu festival of [[Diwali]], with lights, fireworks and festivities. | |||
* [[Hola Mohalla]] is a tradition started by Guru Gobind Singh. It starts the day after Sikhs celebrate [[Holi]],<ref name="McLeod2009p95">{{cite book |first=W. H. |last=McLeod |title=The A to Z of Sikhism|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=vgixwfeCyDAC&pg=PA95|date=2009|publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=978-0-8108-6344-6|page=95}}</ref> sometimes referred to as ''Hola''.<ref name="Roy2005p192">{{cite book |first=Christian |last=Roy |title=Traditional Festivals: A Multicultural Encyclopedia |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=IKqOUfqt4cIC&pg=PA192 |date=2005 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-57607-089-5 |pages=192–193}}</ref> Guru Gobind Singh modified Holi with a three-day [[Hola Mohalla]] extension festival of martial arts. The extension started the day after the Holi festival in [[Anandpur Sahib]], where Sikh soldiers would train in mock battles, compete in horsemanship, athletics, archery and military exercises.<ref>{{cite book |first1=James K., Jr. |last1=Wellman |first2=Clark |last2=Lombardi |title=Religion and Human Security: A Global Perspective|url= https://archive.org/details/religionandh_xxxx_2012_000_10856028 |url-access=registration|date=2012|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-982775-6|pages=[https://archive.org/details/religionandh_xxxx_2012_000_10856028/page/n125 112] note 18}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=Nikky-Guninder |last=Kaur Singh |title=Sikhism: An Introduction|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=e0ZmAXw7ok8C&pg=PA93|date=2011 |publisher=[[I.B. Tauris]] |location=London / New York |isbn=978-1-84885-321-8|pages=93–94}}</ref> | |||
* [[Gurpurb]]s are celebrations or commemorations based on the lives of the Sikh Gurus. They tend to be either birthdays or celebrations of Sikh martyrdom. All ten Gurus have Gurpurbs on the Nanakshahi calendar, but it is Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh who have a gurpurb that is widely celebrated in Gurdwaras and Sikh homes. The martyrdoms are also known as a Shaheedi Gurpurbs, which mark the martyrdom anniversary of [[Guru Arjan]] and [[Guru Tegh Bahadur]]. | |||
===Ceremonies and customs=== | |||
[[File:Sikh wedding.jpg|thumb|[[Sikh wedding]]]] | |||
[[File:Sikh funeral procession. Mandi, Himachel Pradesh.jpg|thumb|Sikh funeral procession, [[Mandi, Himachal Pradesh|Mandi]], [[Himachal Pradesh]]]] | |||
Khalsa Sikhs have also supported and helped develop major pilgrimage traditions to sacred sites such as Harmandir Sahib, Anandpur Sahib, Fatehgarh Sahib, Patna Sahib, Hazur Nanded Sahib, Hemkund Sahib and others.<ref name="Oberoi1994p68">{{cite book |first=Harjot |last=Oberoi |title=The Construction of Religious Boundaries: Culture, Identity, and Diversity in the Sikh Tradition |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=1NKC9g2ayJEC |date=1994 |publisher=[[University of Chicago Press]] |isbn=978-0-226-61592-9 |pages=43–49, 68, 327–328}}</ref> Sikh pilgrims and Sikhs of other sects customarily consider these as holy and a part of their ''Tirath''.<ref name="Ferrari2011p48">{{cite book |first=Ron |last=Geaves |editor-first=Fabrizio |editor-last=Ferrari |title=Health and Religious Rituals in South Asia: Disease, Possession and Healing|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=OyKFM2qrNUEC&pg=PA48|date=2011 |publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]] |location=Abingdon-on-Thames, England |isbn=978-1-136-84629-8|pages=48–51}}</ref> The [[Hola Mohalla]] around the festival of [[Holi]], for example, is a ceremonial and customary gathering every year in [[Anandpur Sahib]] attracting over 100,000 Sikhs.<ref>{{cite book |first=Gene R. |last=Thursby |title=The Sikhs |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=PNsIoNN5ie8C&pg=PA17 |date=1992 |publisher=Brill Academic |isbn=978-90-04-09554-0 |pages=17–18}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first1=W. O. |last1=Cole |first2=Piara Singh |last2=Sambhi |title=Sikhism and Christianity: A Comparative Study|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=G8KMCwAAQBAJ |date=2016|publisher=Springer |isbn=978-1-349-23049-5|pages=134–135, 168}}</ref> Major Sikh temples feature a ''sarovar'' where some Sikhs take a customary dip. Some take home the sacred water of the tank particularly for sick friends and relatives,<ref name=singha7>{{cite book |first=H. S. |last=Singha |title=The Encyclopedia of Sikhism |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=gqIbJz7vMn0C&pg=PA7 |date=2000 |publisher=Hemkunt Press |isbn=978-81-7010-301-1 |pages=7, 16, 27}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first1=Nikky-Guninder |last1=Kaur Singh |title=Sikhism |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=k0s2dUUMHbkC&pg=PA101 |date=2004 |publisher=Infobase |isbn=978-1-4381-1779-9 |pages=100–101}}</ref> believing that the waters of such sacred sites have restorative powers and the ability to purify one's ''karma''.<ref>{{cite book |last=Thursby |first=Gene R. |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=PNsIoNN5ie8C&pg=PA17 |title=The Sikhs |publisher=Brill Academic |date=1992 |isbn=978-90-04-09554-0 |pages=14–15}}</ref><ref group="lower-roman">The Sikh scripture contains verses which have been literally interpreted as relevant to pilgrimage and taking dips in waters for salvific value; some criticize it (AG 358, 75); others support it (AG 623–624).</ref><ref name="singha7" /> The various Gurus of Sikhism have had different approaches to pilgrimage.<ref>{{cite book |first1=Louis E. |last1=Fenech |first2=W. H. |last2=McLeod |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=xajcAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA5 |title=Historical Dictionary of Sikhism |publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]] |location=Lanham, Maryland |date=2014 |isbn=978-1-4422-3601-1 |pages=5–6, 29, 60–61}}</ref> | |||
Upon a child's birth, the Guru Granth Sahib is opened at a random point and the child is named using the first letter on the top left hand corner of the left page. All boys are given the last name [[Singh]], and all girls are given the last name [[Kaur]] (this was once a title which was conferred on an individual upon joining the [[Khalsa]]).<ref>{{cite book |last=Loehlin|first=Clinton Herbert|date=1964 |orig-year=1958 |edition=2nd |title=The Sikhs and Their Scriptures |publisher=Lucknow Publishing |page=42}}</ref> | |||
The Sikh marriage ritual includes the ''[[Anand Karaj|anand kāraj]]'' ceremony.<ref>{{cite book |first=Nikky-Guninder |last1=Kaur Singh |title=The Birth of the Khalsa: A Feminist Re-Memory of Sikh Identity |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=IsYucLFfEIsC&pg=PA189 |date=2005 |publisher=[[State University of New York Press]] |location=Albany |isbn=978-0-7914-6583-7 |page=189 |quote=The name of the wedding ceremony, anand karaj (anand=bliss, karaj=event), is derived from Guru Amar Das's rapturous hymn Anand (bliss) and institutionalized by the fourth Sikh Guru, Guru Ram Das.}}</ref><ref name="Ruether2006p700">{{cite book |first1=Rosemary |last1=Skinner Keller |first2=Rosemary |last2=Radford Ruether |first3=Marie |last3=Cantlon |title=Encyclopedia of Women and Religion in North America |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=WPILfbtT5tQC&pg=PA700 |date=2006 |publisher=Indiana University Press |isbn=978-0-253-34687-2 |page=700}}</ref> The marriage ceremony is performed in front of the Guru Granth Sahib by a baptized Khalsa, Granthi of the Gurdwara.<ref name="HaarKalsi2009p10"/><ref name="fenech33" /> The tradition of circling the Guru Granth Sahib and Anand Karaj among Khalsa is practised since the fourth Guru, Guru Ram Das. Its official recognition and adoption came in 1909, during the [[Singh Sabha Movement]].<ref name="fenech33">{{cite book |first1=Louis E. |last1=Fenech |first2=W. H. |last2=McLeod |title=Historical Dictionary of Sikhism |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=xajcAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA220 |date=2014 |publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]] |location=Lanham, Maryland |isbn=978-1-4422-3601-1|pages=33–34, 220}}</ref> | |||
Upon death, the body of a Sikh is usually cremated. If this is not possible, any respectful means of disposing the body may be employed. The ''kīrtan sōhilā'' and ''ardās'' prayers are performed during the funeral ceremony (known as ''[[Antam Sanskar|antim sanskār]]'').<ref>{{cite web |url= http://sgpc.net/sikhism/antam-sanskar.asp |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20020406164549/http://sgpc.net/sikhism/antam-sanskar.asp |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 April 2002 |title=Sikh Reht Maryada – Funeral Ceremonies (Antam Sanskar) |access-date=8 June 2006 }}</ref> | |||
===Initiation and the Khalsa=== | |||
[[Khalsa]] (meaning "pure and sovereign") is the collective name given by Guru Gobind Singh to those Sikhs who have been fully initiated by taking part in a ceremony called ''[[ammrit sañcār]]'' (nectar ceremony).<ref name="SinghFenech2014p23" /> During this ceremony, sweetened water is stirred with a double-edged sword while liturgical prayers are sung; it is offered to the initiating Sikh, who ritually drinks it.<ref name="SinghFenech2014p23">{{cite book |first1=Pashaura |last1=Singh |first2=Louis E. |last2=Fenech |title=The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=7YwNAwAAQBAJ |date=2014 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-100411-7 |pages=23–24}}</ref> Many Sikhs are not formally and fully initiated, as they do not undergo this ceremony, but do adhere to some components of Sikhism and identify as Sikhs. The initiated Sikh, who is believed to be [[Dvija#The meaning of the two births|reborn]], is referred to as [[Amritdhari]] or Khalsa Sikh, while those who are not initiated or baptised are referred to as Kesdhari or Sahajdhari Sikhs.<ref name="SinghFenech2014p23" /><ref>{{cite book |first1=Louis E. |last1=Fenech |first2=W. H. |last2=McLeod |title=Historical Dictionary of Sikhism |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=xajcAwAAQBAJ |date=2014 |publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]] |location=Lanham, Maryland |isbn=978-1-4422-3601-1 |pages=84–85}}</ref> | |||
The first time that this ceremony took place was on [[Vaisakhi]], which fell on 30 March 1699 at [[Anandpur Sahib]] in Punjab.<ref name="SinghFenech2014p23" /> It was on that occasion that Gobind Singh baptised the [[Panj Piare|Pañj Piārē]] – the five beloved ones, who in turn baptised Guru Gobind Singh himself. To males who initiated, the last name Singh, meaning "lion", was given, while the last name Kaur, meaning "princess", was given to baptised Sikh females.<ref name="SinghFenech2014p23" /> | |||
Baptised [[Sikhs]] wear five items, called the [[Five Ks]] (in Punjabi known as ''pañj kakkē'' or ''pañj kakār''), at all times. The five items are: ''[[Kesh (Sikhism)|kēs]]'' (uncut hair), ''[[Kanga (Sikhism)|kaṅghā]]'' (small wooden comb), ''[[Kara (Sikhism)|kaṛā]]'' (circular steel or iron bracelet), ''[[Kirpan|kirpān]]'' (sword/dagger), and ''[[Kaccha|kacchera]]'' (special undergarment).<ref name="SinghFenech2014p23" /> The Five Ks have both practical and symbolic purposes.<ref>{{cite book |last=Simmonds |first=David |date=1992 |title=Believers All: A Book of Six World Religions |publisher=[[Nelson Thornes]] |location=Cheltenham, England |isbn=978-0-17-437057-4 |pages=120–121}}</ref> | |||
==History== | |||
{{main|History of Sikhism}} | |||
==Sikh people== | |||
{{Main|Sikh}} | |||
{|class="sortable wikitable floatright" | |||
|+ Sikhs in India<ref name=census2011sikhs/> | |||
! State/UT !! Percentage | |||
|- | |- | ||
| | |Punjab||58% | ||
| | |||
| | |||
|- | |- | ||
| | |Chandigarh||13.1% | ||
| | |||
| | |||
|- | |- | ||
| | |Haryana||4.9% | ||
| | |||
| | |||
|- | |- | ||
| | |Delhi||3.4% | ||
| | |||
| | |||
|- | |- | ||
| | |Uttarakhand||2.3% | ||
| | |||
| | |||
|- | |- | ||
| | |Jammu and Kashmir||1.9% | ||
| | |||
| | |||
|- | |- | ||
| | |Rajasthan||1.3% | ||
| | |||
|3 | |||
|- | |- | ||
| | |Himachal Pradesh||1.2% | ||
| | |||
|1 | |||
|} | |} | ||
=== | Estimates state that Sikhism has some 25-30 million followers worldwide.<ref>https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-50374567</ref> But however according to rough estimates, there are around 120–150 million (12–15 crore) [[Sahajdhari]] or non-khalsa [[Nanakpanthi]] Sikhs across the world who also believe in 10 Sikh Gurus and Guru Granth Sahib.<ref>{{cite web | last=Goyal | first=Divya | title=Explained: Who are Nanak Naam Lewa, and why Kartarpur Corridor can't be limited to Sikhs | website=The Indian Express | date=2019-11-10 | url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-who-are-nanak-naam-lewa-and-why-kartarpur-corridor-cant-be-limited-to-sikhs-6100351/ | access-date=2020-11-30}}</ref><ref>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2096673/1-imran-khan-won-hearts-140-million-sikhs-sidhu</ref><ref>https://wap.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/pak-invites-sikh-community-to-invest-in-commercial-projects-along-nankana-kartarpur-corridor-119011300615_1.html</ref> According to Pew Research, a religion demographics and research group in Washington DC, "more than nine-in-ten Sikhs are in India, but there are also sizable Sikh communities in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada."<ref>[http://www.pewforum.org/2012/12/18/global-religious-landscape-other/ The Global Religious Landscape: Other Religions], Pew Research Center, Washington DC.</ref> Within India, the Sikh population is found in every state and union territory, but it is predominantly found in the northwestern and northern states. Only in the state of Punjab do Sikhs constitute a majority (58% of the total, per 2011 census).<ref name=census2011sikhs/> The states and union territories of India where Sikhs constitute more than 1.5% of its population are Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, Delhi, Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir.<ref name=census2011sikhs>[http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/Religion_PCA.html Religion demographics: 2011 Census], Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India</ref> Forming 4.7% of the total population, the western Canadian province of [[British Columbia]] is home to over 200,000 Sikhs and is the only province (or similar major subnational division) in the world outside India with Sikhism as the second most followed religion among the population.<ref>{{cite web |title=B.C. breaks records when it comes to religion and the lack thereof|url= https://vancouversun.com/news/staff-blogs/b-c-breaks-records-when-it-comes-to-religion-and-the-lack-thereof}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/nhs-enm/2011/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=PR&Code1=59&Data=Count&SearchText=british%20columbia&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&A1=Religion&B1=All&Custom=&TABID=1|title=NHS Profile, British Columbia, 2011|publisher=Statistics Canada |access-date=8 September 2019}}</ref> | ||
Sikhism was founded in northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent in what is now Pakistan. Some of the Gurus were born near [[Lahore]] and in other parts of Pakistan. Prior to 1947, in British India, millions of Sikhs lived in what later became Pakistan. During the partition, Sikhs and Hindus left the newly created Muslim-majority Pakistan and mostly moved to Hindu-majority India — with some moving to Muslim-majority [[Afghanistan]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Explainer: Who are the Afghan Sikhs? |work=The Conversation |date=20 August 2014|url= https://theconversation.com/explainer-who-are-the-afghan-sikhs-30699}}</ref>) — while numerous Muslims in India moved to Pakistan.<ref>{{cite book |first1=L. A. |last1=Kosinski |first2=K. M. |last2=Elahi |title=Population Redistribution and Development in South Asia |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=tGiSBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA186 |date=2012 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-94-009-5309-3 |pages=186–203}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first1=Nigel |last1=Eltringham |first2=Pam |last2=Maclean |title=Remembering Genocide |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=6OfpAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT30 |date=2014 |publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]] |location=Abingdon-on-Thames, England |isbn=978-1-317-75421-3 |pages=30–32}}</ref> According to 2017 news reports, only about 20,000 Sikhs remain in Pakistan, and their population is dwindling ({{nowrap|0.01%}} of the country's estimated 200 million population). The Sikhs in Pakistan, like others in the region, have been "rocked by an Islamist insurgency for more than a decade" and face discrimination in every day life.<ref>[https://www.dawn.com/news/1176521 Pakistan's dwindling Sikh community wants improved security], ''The Dawn'', Pakistan (17 April 2017)</ref><ref>[https://www.dawn.com/news/1321294 Pakistan's Sikh community disappointed at being 'left out' of national census], Ali Akbar, ''The Dawn'' (March 2017)</ref> | |||
# | ===Sikh sects=== | ||
# [[ | {{main|Sects of Sikhism}} | ||
# A [[ | Sikh sects are sub-traditions within Sikhism that believe in an alternate lineage of gurus, or have a different interpretation of the Sikh scriptures, or believe in following a living guru, or hold other concepts that differ from the orthodox Khalsa Sikhs.<ref name="Syan2014p170">{{cite book |first=Hardip Singh |last=Syan |editor1-first=Pashaura |editor1-last=Singh |editor2-first=Louis E. |editor2-last=Fenech |title=The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=8I0NAwAAQBAJ |date=2014 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-969930-8|pages=170–180}}</ref><ref name="Takhar2014p350" /> The major historic sects of Sikhism have included Udasi, Nirmala, Nanakpanthi, Khalsa, Sahajdhari, Namdhari Kuka, Nirankari, and Sarvaria.<ref name="Oberoi1994p24">{{cite book |first=Harjot |last=Oberoi |title=The Construction of Religious Boundaries: Culture, Identity, and Diversity in the Sikh Tradition |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=1NKC9g2ayJEC&pg=PA78 |date=1994 |publisher=[[University of Chicago Press]] |isbn=978-0-226-61592-9 |pages=24–25}}</ref> | ||
[[File:Ustad Baljit Singh Luxmi Namdhari and Fateh Singh.jpg|left|thumb|Namdhari Sikhs, also called the ''Kuka'' Sikhs are a sect of Sikhism known for their crisp white dress and horizontal ''pagari'' (turban).<ref name=britsikhssects>[https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sikhism/Sects-and-other-groups "Sects and other groups: Sikhism"], ''[[Encyclopaedia Britannica]] Online''.</ref><ref name="HaarKalsi2009p10">{{cite book |first1=Kristen |last1=Haar |first2=Sewa Singh |last2=Kalsi |title=Sikhism |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=YOI1nB_zTyAC |date=2009 |publisher=Infobase |isbn=978-1-4381-0647-2 |pages=10–11}}</ref> Above: Namdhari singer and musicians.]] | |||
The early Sikh sects were [[Udasi]]s and [[Mina (Sikhism)|Minas]] founded by [[Sri Chand]] – the elder son of [[Guru Nanak]], and [[Mina (Sikhism)|Prithi Chand]] – the elder son of [[Guru Ram Das]] respectively, in parallel to the official succession of the Sikh Gurus. Later on [[Ramraiya]] sect grew in [[Dehradun]] with the patronage of Aurangzeb.<ref name="FenechMcLeod2014p260" /> Many splintered Sikh communities formed during the [[Mughal Empire]] era. Some of these sects were financially and administratively supported by the Mughal rulers in the hopes of gaining a more favorable and compliant citizenry.<ref name="Takhar2014p350">{{cite book |first1=Opinderjit Kaur |last1=Takhar |editor1-first=Pashaura |editor1-last=Singh |editor2-first=Louis E. |editor2-last=Fenech |title=The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=8I0NAwAAQBAJ |date=2014|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-969930-8|pages=350–359}}</ref><ref name="FenechMcLeod2014p260">{{cite book |first1=Louis E. |last1=Fenech |first2=W. H. |last2=McLeod |title=Historical Dictionary of Sikhism|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=xajcAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA260|date=2014|publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]] |location=Lanham, Maryland |isbn=978-1-4422-3601-1|pages=260–261}}</ref> | |||
After the collapse of Mughal Empire, and particularly during the rule of Ranjit Singh, Udasi Sikhs protected Sikh shrines, preserved the Sikh scripture and rebuilt those that were desecrated or destroyed during the Muslim–Sikh wars. However, Udasi Sikhs kept idols and images inside these Sikh temples.<ref name="Fenech2014p375">{{cite book |first1=Pashaura |last1=Singh |first2=Louis E. |last2=Fenech |title=The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=8I0NAwAAQBAJ |date=2014|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-969930-8|pages=375–377}}</ref> In the 19th century, [[Namdhari]]s and [[Nirankari]]s sects were formed in Sikhism, seeking to reform and return to what each believed was the pure form of Sikhism.<ref name="fenech273">{{cite book |first1=Louis E. |last1=Fenech |first2=W. H. |last2=McLeod |title=Historical Dictionary of Sikhism|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=xajcAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA273|date=2014|publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]] |location=Lanham, Maryland |isbn=978-1-4422-3601-1|pages=151, 273}}</ref> | |||
All these sects differ from Khalsa orthodox Sikhs in their beliefs and practices, such as continuing to solemnize their weddings around fire and being strictly vegetarian.<ref name=britsikhssects/><ref name="HaarKalsi2009p10" /> Many accept the concept of living Gurus such as Guru [[Baba Dyal Singh]]. The Nirankari sect, though unorthodox, was influential in shaping the views of Tat Khalsa and the contemporary-era Sikh beliefs and practices.<ref name=britsikhsects>[https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sikhism/Sects-and-other-groups "Sects in Sikhism"], [[Encyclopædia Britannica]] Online |access-date=7 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |page=141 |title=The Culture of India |first=Kathleen |last=Kuiper |publisher=Rosen}}</ref> Another significant Sikh sect of the 19th century was the Radhasoami movement in Punjab led by Baba Shiv Dyal.<ref name="HaarKalsi2009p9">{{cite book |first1=Kristen |last1=Haar |first2=Sewa Singh |last2=Kalsi |title=Sikhism |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=YOI1nB_zTyAC&pg=PA9 |date=2009 |publisher=Infobase |isbn=978-1-4381-0647-2 |pages=9–14}}</ref> Other contemporary era Sikhs sects include the [[3HO]], formed in 1971, which exists outside India, particularly in North America and Europe.<ref name="HaarKalsi2009p9" /><ref name=verne560>{{cite book |first=Verne |last=Dusenbery |editor1-first=Pashaura |editor1-last=Singh |editor2-first=Louis E. |editor2-last=Fenech |title=The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=8I0NAwAAQBAJ |date=2014 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-969930-8 |pages=560–570}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Mooney |first=Nicola |title=Reading Weber Among the Sikhs: Asceticism and Capitalism in the 3HO/Sikh Dharma |journal=Sikh Formations |volume=8 |issue=3 |date=2012 |issn=1744-8727 |doi=10.1080/17448727.2012.745305 |pages=417–436 |s2cid=145775040}}</ref> | |||
===Sikh castes=== | |||
[[File:Nagar Kirtan.jpg|thumb|[[Nagar Kirtan]] in [[Bangalore]]]] | |||
According to Surinder Jodhka, the state of Punjab with a Sikh majority has the "largest proportion of [[Dalit|scheduled caste]] population in India". Although decried by Sikhism, Sikhs have practiced a caste system. The system, along with untouchability, has been more common in rural parts of Punjab. The landowning dominant Sikh castes, states Jodhka, "have not shed all their prejudices against the lower castes or [[dalits]]; while dalits would be allowed entry into the village gurdwaras they would not be permitted to cook or serve langar." The Sikh dalits of Punjab have tried to build their own gurdwara, other local level institutions and sought better material circumstances and dignity. According to Jodhka, due to economic mobility in contemporary Punjab, castes no longer mean an inherited occupation, nor are work relations tied to a single location.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Jodhka|first1=Surinder S|title=Caste and Untouchability in Rural Punjab |journal=Economic and Political Weekly|date=11–17 May 2002|volume=37|issue=19|pages=1813–1823|jstor=4412102}}</ref> | |||
In 1953, the government of India acceded to the demands of the Sikh leader, [[Tara Singh (activist)|Master Tara Singh]], to include Sikh dalit castes in the list of scheduled castes.<ref name="Harish K. Puri 2004">{{cite book |title=Dalits in Regional Context |first=Harish K. |last=Puri |isbn=978-81-7033-871-0|date=2004}}</ref> In the [[Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee]], 20 of the 140 seats are reserved for low-caste Sikhs.<ref name="Harish K. Puri 2004" /> | |||
Over 60% of Sikhs belong to the [[Jat Sikh|Jat]] caste, which is an agrarian caste. Despite being very small in numbers, the mercantile [[Khatri]] and [[Arora]] castes wield considerable influence within the Sikh community. Other common Sikh castes include [[Saini]]s, [[Ramgarhia]]s (artisans), [[Ahluwalia (caste)|Ahluwalias]] (formerly brewers), [[Kamboj]]s (rural caste), [[Labana]]s, [[Kumhar]]s and the two Dalit castes, known in Sikh terminology as the [[Mazhabi]]s (the Chuhras) and the [[Ravidasia]]s (the Chamars).<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Sikhism (religion)|url= http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/543916/Sikhism/253170/The-rejection-of-caste |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] Online |access-date=25 November 2014}}</ref> | |||
===Sikh diaspora=== | |||
{{Further|Sikhism in India|Sikh diaspora|Sikhism by country}} | |||
[[File:Sikhs on the move!.jpg|thumb|Sikhs celebrating [[Vaisakhi]] in [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], Canada]] | |||
Sikhism is [[Major religious groups#Religious demographics|the fourth-largest amongst the medium-sized world religions]], and one of the youngest.<ref name="Partridge2013">{{cite book |first=Christopher |last=Partridge |title=Introduction to World Religions|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=Z3AjAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA429|date=1 November 2013|publisher=Fortress Press |isbn=978-0-8006-9970-3|pages=429–}}</ref><ref name="McDowellBrown2009">{{cite book |first1=Michael |last1=McDowell |first2=Nathan Robert |last2=Brown |title=World Religions at Your Fingertips |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=K0_dHrRY3gIC&pg=PA232 |date=2009 |publisher=Alpha Books |isbn=978-1-59257-846-7 |page=232}}</ref><ref name="Teece2005">{{cite book |first=Geoff |last=Teece |title=Sikhism |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=kJO1WIABhPQC&pg=PA4|date=2005 |publisher=Black Rabbit Books |isbn=978-1-58340-469-0 |pages=4–}}</ref> Worldwide, there are 30 million Sikhs, which makes up 0.4% of the world's population. Approximately 75% of Sikhs live in [[Punjab, India|Punjab]], where they constitute over 60% of the state's population. Large communities of Sikhs migrate to the neighboring states such as Indian State of Haryana which is home to the second largest Sikh population in India with 1.1 million Sikhs as per 2001 census, and large immigrant communities of Sikhs can be found across India. However, Sikhs only comprise about 2% of the Indian population.<ref name="Singh Kalsi 2007 12">{{cite book |title=Sikhism |last=Singh Kalsi |first=Sewa |date=2007 |publisher=Bravo Ltd |location=London |isbn=978-1-85733-436-4 |page=12}}</ref> | |||
Sikh migration to [[Canada]] began in the 19th century and led to the creation of significant Sikh communities, predominantly in South [[Vancouver]] and [[Surrey, British Columbia]], and [[Brampton, Ontario]]. Today temples, newspapers, radio stations, and markets cater to these large, multi-generational [[Indo-Canadians|Indo-Canadian]] groups. Sikh festivals such as Vaisakhi and [[Bandi Chhor Divas|Bandi Chhor]] are celebrated in those Canadian cities by the largest groups of followers in the world outside the Punjab. | |||
Sikhs also migrated to East Africa, West Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia. These communities developed as Sikhs migrated out of Punjab to fill in gaps in imperial labour markets.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ballantyne|first=Tony|date=2006|title=Between Colonialism and Diaspora: Sikh Cultural Formations in an Imperial World|publisher=Duke University Press |isbn=978-0-8223-3824-6|pages=69–74}}</ref> In the early twentieth century a significant community began to take shape on the west coast of the United States. Smaller populations of Sikhs are found within many countries in Western Europe, Pakistan, Mauritius, Malaysia, Philippines, Fiji, Nepal, China, Afghanistan, Iran, Singapore, United States, and many other countries. | |||
==Prohibitions in Sikhism== | |||
{{further|Prohibitions in Sikhism|Diet in Sikhism}} | |||
Some major prohibitions include: | |||
# '''Haircuts:''' Cutting or removing [[hair]] from any body part is strictly forbidden including shaving or trimming facial and nostril hairs for both Amritdhari (formally baptized) and Keshdhari (non-baptized and practicing) Sikhs. | |||
# '''Intoxication:''' Consumption of [[drugs]], [[alcohol]], [[tobacco]] and other intoxicants is not allowed for Amritdhari Sikhs and Keshdhari Sikhs. Drugs and tobacco are forbidden for all.<ref name=autogenerated4>[http://www.sgpc.net/rehat_maryada/section_four.html Sikh Reht Maryada, The Definition of Sikh, Sikh Conduct & Conventions, Sikh Religion Living, India<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref name=autogenerated3>[http://www.sgpc.net/rehat_maryada/section_six.html Sikh Reht Maryada, The Definition of Sikh, Sikh Conduct & Conventions, Sikh Religion Living, India<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>{{sfn|Macauliffe|1909|p=[[s:Page:The Sikh Religion, its gurus, sacred writings and authors Vol 1.djvu/27|xxi]]}} [[Cannabis and Sikhism|Cannabis is generally prohibited]], but ritually consumed in edible form by some Sikhs.<ref name="SinghFenech2014">{{cite book |first1=Pashaura |last1=Singh |first2=Louis E. |last2=Fenech |title=The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=8I0NAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA378 |date=March 2014 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-969930-8|pages=378–}}</ref><ref name="SinghHawley2012">{{cite book |first1=Pashaura |last1=Singh |first2=Michael |last2=Hawley |title=Re-imagining South Asian Religions: Essays in Honour of Professors Harold G. Coward and Ronald W. Neufeldt |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=4SLhLakpsNsC&pg=PA34 |date=7 December 2012 |publisher=Brill Academic |isbn=978-90-04-24236-4|pages=34–}}</ref> | |||
# '''Gambling:''' Gambling, also called ''jooa'' in traditional [[Languages of India|Indian languages]],{{clarify|date=November 2020|reason=Be specific. There are over 70 native languages in India, and it is literally not possible that "jooa" is the word for 'gambling' in all of them.}} be it in any form like [[lottery]], [[roulette]], [[poker]], [[Bingo (American version)|American]] or [[Bingo (British version)|British bingo]], is prohibited in some codes of conduct, such as the [[Sikh Rehat Maryada]]. | |||
# '''Priestly class:''' Sikhism does not have priests, as they were abolished by Guru Gobind Singh (the 10th Guru of Sikhism).<ref name=autogenerated2>{{cite web |url= http://www.sikhs.org/summary.htm |title=Sikhism Religion of the Sikh People |publisher=sikhs.org}}</ref> The only position he left was a [[Granthi]] to look after the Guru Granth Sahib; any Sikh is free to become Granthi or read from the Guru Granth Sahib.<ref name=autogenerated2 /> | |||
# '''Eating meat killed in a ritualistic manner ([[kutha meat|''kutha'' meat]]):''' Sikhs are strictly prohibited from eating meat killed in a ritualistic manner (such as [[halal]] or [[Kashrut|kosher]], known collectively as ''kutha'' meat in Sikhism),<ref>Singh, I. J. ''Sikhs and Sikhism''. Manohar Publishers. {{ISBN|978-81-7304-058-0}}</ref> or any meat where [[Langar (Sikhism)|langar]] is served.<ref>Singha, H. S.; Hemkunt, Satwant Kaur. 1994. ''Sikhism: A Complete Introduction''. New Delhi: Hemkunt Press. {{ISBN|81-7010-245-6}}</ref> It is ''[[patit]]'' for Sikhs to eat anything which is an [[animal product]] from a ritualised slaughter.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}} For many Sikhs (and in some Sikh sects, e.g. [[Akhand Kirtani Jatha]]) Damdami Taksal, Nanaksar, eating any meat is believed to be forbidden, but this is not a universally held belief.<ref>Takhar, Opinderjit Kaur. ''Sikh Identity: An Exploration of Groups Among Sikhs''. Burlington, Vermont: Ashgate, 2005, {{ISBN|0-7546-5202-5}}, p. 51.</ref>{{clarify|date=November 2020|reason=Sentence needs rewriting to make it clear what the string of words "Damdani Taksal, Nanaksar," means, what role it plays in the sentence, why it is punctuated that way, why it is capitalized (if it does not consist or proper names then it should not be capitalized), and so on. Basically, this sentence makes no sense to anyone who is not already an expert in the topic, and even such a person will probably find it to be a mangled sentence.}} | |||
# '''Having extramarital sexual relations'''<ref name=autogenerated4 /><ref name=autogenerated3 /><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.allaboutsikhs.com/sikh-rehat-maryada/the-sikh-rehat-maryada-section-four.html#art16 |title=The Sikh Rehat Maryada: Section Four |work=Gateway to Sikhism}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Jakobsh |first=Doris R. |title=Relocating Gender in Sikh History: Transformation, Meaning and Identity |location=New Delhi |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |date=2003 |pages=39–40}}</ref> | |||
==See also== | |||
<!-- Please add related topics to the Outline of Sikhism and Index of Sikhism-related articles --> | |||
{{div col |colwidth=22em}} | |||
* [[Mai Bhago]] | |||
* [[Five Virtues]] | |||
* [[Hari Singh Nalwa]] | |||
* [[Indian religions]] | |||
* [[Bebe Nanaki]] | |||
* [[Turban training centre]] | |||
* [[Women in the Guru Granth Sahib]] | |||
{{div col end}} | |||
==Notes== | |||
{{Reflist|group=lower-roman}} | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{ | {{Reflist|group=general references}} | ||
{{Reflist}} | |||
== | ==Further reading== | ||
{{refbegin|30em}} | |||
* {{cite book|title=Brill's Encyclopedia of Sikhism|publisher=Brill Academic|first=Indu|last=Banga|display-editors=etal|editor-first=Knut A.|editor-last=Jacobsen|date=2017|isbn=978-90-04-29745-6}} | |||
* Dilgeer, Harjinder Singh (1997), ''The Sikh Reference Book''; Sikh University Press / Singh Brothers Amritsar, 1997. | |||
* Dilgeer, Harjinder Singh (2005), ''Dictionary of Sikh Philosophy''; Sikh University Press / Singh Brothers Amritsar, 2005. | |||
* Dilgeer, Harjinder Singh (2008), ''Sikh Twareekh''; Sikh University Press / Singh Brothers Amritsar, 2008. | |||
* Dilgeer, Harjinder Singh (2012), ''Sikh History'' (in 10 volumes); Sikh University Press / Singh Brothers Amritsar, 2010–2012. | |||
* {{cite book|last=Duggal|first=Kartar Singh|date=1988|title=Philosophy and Faith of Sikhism|publisher=Himalayan Institute Press|isbn=978-0-89389-109-1}} | |||
* Kaur, Surjit; ''Amongst the Sikhs: Reaching for the Stars''; New Delhi: Roli Books, 2003, {{ISBN|81-7436-267-3}} | |||
* Khalsa, Guru Fatha Singh; ''Five Paragons of Peace: Magic and Magnificence in the Guru's Way'', Toronto: Monkey Minds Press, 2010, {{ISBN|0-9682658-2-0}}, [https://web.archive.org/web/20110711135252/http://www.gurufathasingh.com/five-paragons-of-peace.html GuruFathaSingh.com] | |||
* Khalsa, Shanti Kaur; ''The History of Sikh Dharma of the Western Hemisphere''; Espanola, New Mexico, US: Sikh Dharma; 1995 {{ISBN|0-9639847-4-8}} | |||
* {{cite book|last=Singh|first=Khushwant|date=2006|title=The Illustrated History of the Sikhs|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|isbn=978-0-19-567747-8|author-link=Khushwant Singh}} | |||
* {{cite book|last=Singh|first=Patwant|date=1999|title=The Sikhs|publisher=Random House|isbn=978-0-385-50206-1|author-link=Patwant Singh}} | |||
* Takhar, Opinderjit Kaur, ''Sikh Identity: An Exploration of Groups Among Sikhs''. Burlington, Vermont: Ashgate; 2005 {{ISBN|0-7546-5202-5}} | |||
{{refend}} | |||
==External links== | |||
{{Sister project links|d=Q9316|n=no|c=Category:Sikhism|s=Portal:Sikhism|v=no}} | |||
* [https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sikhism "Sikhism"]. ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] Online''. | |||
* [ | * {{Curlie|Society/Religion_and_Spirituality/Sikhism/}} | ||
* | * [https://www.deutsches-informationszentrum-sikhreligion.de/ German Information Center on the Sikh Religion] | ||
* [ | * [http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/sikhism/ Religion & Ethics – Sikhism] A number of introductory articles on Sikhism from the [[BBC]] | ||
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/sikhism/ | |||
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