Sikhism

Overview

Sikhs believe in one God, eternal and formless. Three principles sum up the path:

• Naam japna: remembering God's name.
• Kirat karni: earning an honest living.
• Vand chakna: sharing with others.

The place of worship is the gurdwara, and every gurdwara runs a langar: a community kitchen that serves a free meal to anyone, regardless of religion or status. Sikhs initiated into the Khalsa keep the five "K"s, including uncut hair, covered by a turban, and a small ceremonial sword (kirpan).

Origins and History

Guru Nanak (1469–1539) was born into a Hindu family in Punjab. According to tradition, after a spiritual experience he declared: "There is no Hindu and no Muslim", meaning all people are equal before God. Nine Gurus followed him:

• The fifth Guru, Arjan, compiled the scripture and built the Golden Temple in Amritsar. He was executed by the Mughal authorities.
• The tenth Guru, Gobind Singh, founded the Khalsa in 1699, a brotherhood of committed believers. Before his death he declared that the scripture would be the Guru after him.

Development and Branches

• The 19th century: from 1799 to 1849 a Sikh empire, founded by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, existed in Punjab, until the British conquered and annexed it in 1849.
• The Partition of India (1947): Punjab was divided, and millions of Sikhs moved to India.
• The 20th century: a demand arose for an independent Sikh state, "Khalistan".

How It Spread and Grew

🗺️ Maps of how the five largest religions spread →

Sikhism grew mainly in Punjab, and its egalitarian message appealed especially to people of lower castes. In the modern era many Sikhs emigrated to Britain, Canada, the US and Australia, where there are large and visible communities. The religion does not seek converts, so its growth comes mainly from natural increase.

Influence on the World

• The langar is a worldwide model of community service. Sikh aid organisations reach disaster zones all over the world.
• The military: Sikhs have a prominent place in the Indian army and historically in the British army.
• Punjab: they have also contributed to Punjab's agriculture and culture.

What Draws Believers (Strengths)

• Radical equality between men and women and between castes, at least in principle.
• Combining spirituality with work and family life, without celibacy.
• Service to others (seva) as a central part of the religion.
• A strong and proud community identity.

Criticism and Challenges

• Gap between principle and reality: critics, and Sikhs themselves, point to a gap between the egalitarian principle and continuing caste distinctions, for example in marriage and in caste-separated gurdwaras.
• Patriarchy: there is also criticism of patriarchy in institutions.
• Preserving identity: keeping the identity alive among the younger generation in the diaspora is difficult.

Human Life, War and Peace – What It Teaches

• All human beings are equal and sacred, because God is present in each one.
• The ideal of the "saint-soldier" (sant-sipahi): to protect the weak and religious freedom, for every religion.
• Guru Gobind Singh wrote to Emperor Aurangzeb (in the letter "Zafarnama", 1705) that when all means of redressing a wrong have failed, it is right to take up the sword. Many interpreters take this to mean that a Sikh should never be the first to draw the sword, and that the tradition offers no justification for pre-emptive war.
• Service to others (seva) and feeding everyone (langar) express the value of life.
• Compared with other religions: Sanctity of Life Across Religions

Religion, Power and Violence

Armed struggle:

• The Khalsa: Sikhism took on a military character in response to Mughal persecution, in which two Gurus were executed: Arjan (1606) and Tegh Bahadur (1675). The sixth Guru, Hargobind, who succeeded his father Arjan, already carried two swords symbolising spiritual and temporal authority (miri-piri). The Khalsa was founded as a brotherhood of "saint-soldiers", on the principle that force is justified only as a last resort, to protect the weak and resist tyranny.
• The Khalistan struggle: in the 1980s an armed struggle for Khalistan took place. In 1984 an Indian military operation at the Golden Temple ended with heavy loss of life. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was then assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards, and anti-Sikh pogroms followed in which thousands were killed.
• Terrorism: in June 1985 an Air India plane (Flight 182) was bombed over the Atlantic, and all 329 passengers and crew were killed. Responsibility is attributed to the Sikh separatist group Babbar Khalsa (only one person was convicted, of manslaughter). Until the September 11, 2001 attacks it was the deadliest terrorist attack in aviation history.

When Sikhs were victims:

• The execution of two Gurus by the Mughal authorities, and persecution of Sikhs in the 18th century.
• The 1984 pogroms (see above).
• Oak Creek (2012): a man with white-supremacist views opened fire on worshippers at a gurdwara in Wisconsin, USA, killing six. A seventh victim died of his wounds in 2020. After the September 11 attacks a rise in hate crimes against Sikhs was also reported, some of whom were mistaken for Muslims.

A tradition of nonviolent struggle: in the Akali movement (1920–1925), which campaigned for control of the historic gurdwaras, protesters used nonviolent methods, and many took beatings and arrests without striking back. In the Nankana Sahib massacre (1921) more than a hundred of them were killed by the guards of the shrine's custodian. The struggle ended with a 1925 law that placed the shrines under an elected Sikh committee.

The other side: the great majority of Sikhs worldwide have nothing to do with violence, and many see the kirpan as a symbol of defending justice, not a weapon.

Frequently asked questions

Who are the Sikhs?

Sikhs are the followers of Sikhism, a monotheistic religion founded in Punjab at the end of the 15th century by Guru Nanak. There are about 25–30 million Sikhs worldwide (an estimate). According to India's census (2011), about 20.8 million Sikhs live in India, about 1.7% of the population. About 16 million of them live in the state of Punjab, where they make up about 58% of the population.

Why do Sikhs wear a turban?

One of the duties of initiated Sikhs is not to cut their hair (kesh). The turban (dastar) covers and protects the long hair. It is not one of the Five Ks, but it is seen as a symbol of dignity, equality and commitment to the faith. Most observant Sikh men wear a turban, and so do some women.

What are the Five Ks?

Five articles whose Punjabi names begin with the letter K, set by Guru Gobind Singh when he founded the Khalsa in 1699: kesh (uncut hair), kangha (a wooden comb), kara (a steel bracelet), kachera (a cotton undergarment) and kirpan (a small ceremonial sword). The duty applies to initiated men and women alike.

Is Sikhism a branch of Hinduism, or a blend of Hinduism and Islam?

Some describe it that way, but most scholars and Sikhs themselves see it as an independent religion. Guru Nanak was born into a Hindu family, and Sikhism shares concepts such as karma and rebirth with India's other religions, but it has its own scripture, institutions and beliefs. The Guru Granth Sahib also includes hymns by Hindu and Muslim poets, such as Kabir and Sheikh Farid.

What is langar?

A community kitchen that runs in every gurdwara and serves a free vegetarian meal to everyone who comes, regardless of religion, caste or origin. Diners sit together on the floor as an expression of equality. The langar at the Golden Temple in Amritsar feeds tens of thousands of people a day (an estimate).