Singh Sabha Movement isMG sBw lhr

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Singh Sabha Movement isMG sBw lhr
ltsiqgur pRswid
Sikh Network Workshop
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Part I - History

• Rediscovering the Sikh Identity

Objective To discover the reasons for the revival
of Sikhism and for the reassertion of Sikh
identity through critical examination of
historical events from 1849-1925 to appreciate
one of the major accomplishments of the Sikh
Sabha Lehir - the Sikh Rehat Maryada and to
initiate a dialog to address present-day problems
besetting the Panth.
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Topics of Discussion

• Background History
• Inciting events for Reform
• Individual reform movements
• Consolidation of Resources
• Limitations and Time for Change

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Background History

• British Rule
• Religious Climate
• Cultural and Historical Confusion
• Precursor Movements
• Sikh Spirit

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British Rule

• Fall of Sikh Raj by 1849
• Punjab government
• White Mans Burden

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Religious Climate

• Strife amongst Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs
• Arya Samaj (Hindu reform movement) -- Sikhs were
  a sect of Hindus
• Rituals in Sikh institutions and assimilation of
  Hinduism
• Untouchables still not recognized.
• Conversion to Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism

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Cultural and Historical Confusion

• Census of 1855 listed Sikhs as Hindus (not until
  1871 were they considered separate)
• Historical documents destroyed

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Precursor Movements

• Namdharis
• Nirankaris
• Other Movements
• Udasis
• Sehajdharis

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Sikh Spirit

• Apathy rampant
• British authors commented on Sikhs being their
  own worst enemy.
• Many predictions that Sikhism would soon die.

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Inciting Events for Reform

• German linguist translation of Adi Granth
  ridiculed Sikh doctrine and assumed Sikhs were
  Hindus, thus fueling Arya Samaj movement.
• Conversion of 4 kids in Amritsar Mission School
  to Christianity amongst numerous other converts.
• Communication of events now facilitated by
  newspapers, railroads, postal service.

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Brainstorming Session

• Education
• Identity / Sikh Morale
• Political Power
• Economic Improvement
• Gurudwaras
• Constants / Other issues

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Individual Reform Movements

• Amritsar Singh Sabha (1873)
• Lahore Singh Sabha (1879)
• Other Singh Sabhas

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Amritsar Singh Sabha

• Baba Khem Singh Bedi
• Maharaja of Faridkot
• Expansion of education
• Defend against infiltration by Muslims and
  Christians
• Elitist and more traditional
• Sikhs as reformists within greater Hinduism
• Udasis and Sehajdharis accepted

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Lahore Singh Sabha

• Prof. Gurmukh Singh -- professor of mathematics
  and Punjab
• Lower-caste Sikhs and professional or
  middle-class Sikhs involved in education and
  journalism.
• Sikh separateness
• Attacked popular customs

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Other Singh Sabhas

• Local offshoots
• International involvement (e.g. Burma, Malaysia,
  North America, Africa)

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Consolidation of Resources

• Local Singh Sabhas formed coalitions for
  efficiency and political leverage.
• Lahore Singh Sabha
• Amritsar Singh Sabha
• Chief Khalsa Diwan

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Chief Khalsa Diwan

• accommodate Singh Sabhas
• efficiency and cohesiveness
• allied with British
• communication
• reestablish lost ties.
• extend internationally
• building hospitals and orphanages

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Events

• 1905 idols removed from Golden Temple
• 1908 first Sikh Educational Conference
• 1908 Khalsa Biradhari
• 1909 Macauliffes The Sikh Religion published
  in 6 volumes
• 1912 legalization of Anand karaj
• 1914 kirpaan exempted from the Arms Act

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Communication

• newsletters
• questionnaires
• fundraising efforts
• accountability of highest priority
• reported earnings and expenditures
• documented human resources.

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Limitations and Time for Change

• Akali Movement
• Gurudwara Reform Movement
• SGPC
• Sikh Rehat Maryada

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Akali movement seeds were sown

• Disenchantment with compromises with the British
• More fundamentalist Sikh beliefs
• Generally more rural and lower-caste involvement
• Spirit of independence and stronger political
  power

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Gurudwara Reform Movement

• Gradual liberation of many gurudwaras already
  taking place
• Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC)
• Wrestle gurudwaras free from Mahants
• Common practices in common places of worship
• Overcoming bloody hostility

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Call for Unity, Focus on Naam

• hoie iekqR imlhu myry BweI duibDw dUir krhu ilv
  lwie hir nwmY ky hovhu joVI gurmuiK bYshu sPw
  ivCwie  1 
• Come and join together, O my Siblings of Destiny
  dispel your sense of duality and let yourselves
  be lovingly absorbed in the Lord. Let yourselves
  be joined to the Name of the Lord become
  Gurmukh, spread out your mat, and sit down. 1
  
• ien_at_ ibiD pwsw Fwlhu bIr gurmuiK nwmu jphu idnu
  rwqI AMq kwil nh lwgY pIr  1  rhwau
• In this way, throw the dice, O brothers. As
  Gurmukh, chant the Naam, the Name of the Lord,
  day and night. At the very last moment, you shall
  not have to suffer in pain. 1
• krm Drm qum_at_ caupiV swjhu squ krhu qum_at_ swrI
  kwmu koDu loBu mohu jIqhu AYsI Kyl hir ipAwrI
   2 
• Let righteous actions be your gameboard, and let
  the truth be your dice. Conquer sexual desire,
  anger, greed and worldly attachment only such a
  game as this is dear to the Lord.2
• auiT iesnwnu krhu prBwqy soey hir AwrwDy ibKVy
  dwau lµGwvY myrw siqguru suK shj syqI Gir jwqy
   3 
• Rise in the early hours of the morning, and take
  your cleansing bath. Before you go to bed at
  night, remember to worship the Lord. My True Guru
  will assist you, even on your most difficult
  moves you shall reach your true home in
  celestial peace and poise. 3
• pg 1187 SGGS

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Part II - Rehat

• Sikh Rehat Maryada - Forming a Consensus in the
  Panth

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Which Rehat to use?

• 37 different rehats available in 1925
• Orally communicated or written texts of notable
  Sikhs
• Bhai Nand Lal ji
• Bhai Daya Singh ji
• Bhai Chaupa Singh
• Bhai Desa Singh

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Mission - Consensus

• In 1927 the SGPC appointed a 25 member rahu-reet
  sub-committee
• to prepare a draft rahu-reet in the light of
  rahitnamas and other Sikh texts and in
  consultation with leading Sikh scholars.
• Professor Teja Singh ji was the convener of this
  committee
• Bhai Vir Singh ji, Bhai Kahn Singh ji (Nabha),
  Akali Kaur Singh ji , Bhai Randhir Singh ji,
  Professor Jodh Singh ji etc.

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Mission - Consensus

• First draft available in 1931
• Sent out to all Sikh institutions around India
  and abroad (Burma, Malay, USA, Canada)
• Finally in 1945 the SGPC approved the current
  version of the Sikh Rehat Maryada.
• Three changes thus far

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Rehat Maryada Contents

• Definition of a Sikh

Any human being who faithfully believes in One
Immortal Being, Ten Gurus, from Guru Nanak Dev to
Guru Gobind Singh, the Guru Granth Sahib, the
utterances and teachings of the ten Gurus and
keeps nischae in the baptism bequeathed by the
tenth Guru and who does not owe allegiance to any
other religion, is a Sikh
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Individual living (SKsI rihxI)

• Meditating on Nam and Scriptures (nwm bwxI dw
  AiBAwis))
• nitnem
• ardas
• how to act in sangat and gurudwara
• how to take hukam
• how to perform sadharan paath, akhand path
• karah parshad, kirtan, kathaa

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Individual living (SKsI rihxI)

• Living in consonance with Gurus tenets (gurmq dI
  rihxI)
• rules of moral and social conduct
• birth and naming ceremony
• marriage ceremony (anand karaj)
• death ceremony
• Selfless Service (syvw)
• Guru ka langar
• teaches selfless service
• banish distinction of caste and status

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Corporate Sikh Life (pNQk rihxI)

• The Guru Panth
• The Guru Panth (Panths status of Guruhood)
  means the whole body of committed baptised Sikhs.
  This body was fostered by all the ten Gurus and
  the tenth Guru gave it its final shape and
  invested it with Guruhood.
• Amrit ceremony
• Method of imposing chastisement - Tankhaa
• Procedure to adopt Gurmatta
• Appeal local decisions at Akal Takhat

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Rehats importance

• rihq ipAwrI muJ kau, isK ipAwrw nwih
• Rehat piaaree mujh kou, sikh piaaraa naahi.
• rihxI rhY soeI isK myrw Ehu swihb mY aus kw
  cyrw
• Rehnee rahai soee sikh mera. Oh sahib mai us ka
  chera.
• rihq ibnW nih isK khwvY rihq ibnW dr cotW KwvY
  
• Rehat binaa(n) nahi sikh kahaavai. Rehat binaa
  dar choTa(n) khaavai.
• rihq ibn suK kbhuM n lhy qW qy rhiq su idRV kr
  rhY
• Rehat bin sukh kabhoo(n) na lahe. Taa(n) te
  rehat su drirr kar rahai.
• (rihqnwmw Bw dysw isMG jI)
• pg. 1015 Amrit Kirtan

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References

• History of the Sikhs by Dr. Sangat Singh
• Essays in Sikhism by Principal Teja Singh
• The Singh Sabha and Other Socioeconomic
  Movements, edited by Dr. Ganda Singh
• Construction of Religious Boundaries by Harjot
  Oberi
• Mahan Kosh by Khan Singh Nabha
• Singh Sabha Lehar by Sikh Missionary College
  (Punjabi)
• Essays by Harbans Singh and others in Essays in
  the Honor of Dr. Ganda Singh