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A Sikh state is a political entity that is ruled by Sikhs. [1] [2] There were various Sikh republics, monarchies and dynasties, beginning with the First Sikh State to the Sikh-ruled princely states of British India.
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| Sikhism |
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A Sikh state is a political entity that is ruled by Sikhs. [1] [2] There were various Sikh republics, monarchies and dynasties, beginning with the First Sikh State to the Sikh-ruled princely states of British India.
The bards Satta Doom and Balvand Rai state the following in the Guru Granth Sahib regarding Guru Nanak establishing a raj (regime): [3] [4]
Nanak established the regime by raising
the fort of Truth on firm foundations …
With might and bravery of One’s wisdom-sword,
Perfection bestowed the gift of life …
The Light and the method were same,
the Sovereign only changed the body.
Impeccable Divine canopy waves,
the Throne of Guru-ship is occupied.— Satta Doom and Balvand Rai, Guru Granth Sahib, page 966
The Sikh concept of miri-piri emphasizes that spirituality and temporality are intrinsically linked to one another, legitimizing Sikh aims to establish their own sovereignty. [3] Guru Gobind Singh taught the principles of Raj Karega Khalsa as forming the basis for Sikh-rule. [3] In-response to a question posed by Bhai Nand Lal, the tenth guru responded as follows on the issue of sovereignty: [3]
Nand Lal, listen to this truth:
I will establish the Raj (regime). (56)
The four categories will become one category,
I will recite Vahiguru (name of God) recitation. (57)
[They will] mount horses and fly hawks,
The Turks (Mughals) will flee seeing them. (58)
I will make one fight a hundred and twenty-five thousand.
I will free those Singhs (warriors) who ascend (die). (59)
The spears will wave and the elephants will be caparisoned,
The nine-instruments will resound from gate to gate. (60)
When a hundred and twenty-five thousand guns will discharge,
Then the Khalsa will be victorious from wherever the sun shines and sets. (61)
The Khalsa will rule and no rebels shall exist, [5]
All will separated ones will reunite, those who take refuge will survive. (62) [6]— Bhai Nand Lal of Goya, Nasihatnamah/Tankhahnamah, stanzas 56-62
The first Sikh state, [7] [8] albeit a short-lived one, was founded by Banda Singh Bahadur in 1710, after his forces captured Sirhind and issued silver rupee coinage from the Lohgarh Fort based near Bilaspur. [9] This was a republic that existed from 1710 to 1716. [3] The issuing of coinage was a mark of sovereignty, marking the beginning of Banda's rule over Sirhind. [9] Furthermore, Banda rejected using both the traditional Indic Bikrami calendar and the Islamic calendar, creating the Nanakshahi calendar where the first year commenced on the birth year of Guru Nanak. [10] Banda's state issued coins in the name of the Sikh gurus. [9]
Between the period of 1726–1733, Zakaria Khan, the Mughal governor of Lahore province, enacted a genocidal policy against the Sikhs. [11] After the oppressive anti-Sikh government policy failed to get rid of the Sikh threat, the Mughal government decided to try pacifying the Sikhs by granting them an official jagir (estate) grant. [11] Upon Sikh request, a Nawab title was offered to the Sikhs, which was bestowed upon Kapur Singh in 1733 (since Darbara Singh had rejected it), alongside a khilat and bag of gold. [11] In 1734, Nawab Kapur Singh divided the Sikh congregation into two groups: the Taruna Dal and the Buddha Dal. [11] Each of these dals (brigades) were further sub-divided into five groups (with Kapur Singh's own grouping being the additional). [11] After a short period of peace between the Mughals and Sikhs, differences between them started to grow again due to the restless and provocative antics of the Taruna Dal, and the Nawab-ship that was bestowed upon the Sikhs earlier by the Mughal Empire was revoked and the jagir was confiscated in 1735. [11] Thus, the former anti-Sikh genocidal policies of the Mughals was put in-place again and the Sikhs once again had to disperse to places of safe haven, such as the Lakhi Jungle. [11] With the invasion of India by Nadir Shah between January–May 1739 and the total destruction of the Mughal administration in the Punjab as a result, the Sikhs saw an opportunity for themselves and pillaged and sought revenge on their enemies. [11] On 1 July 1745, Zakarian Khan died and he was succeeded by less-effective Mughal administrators, such as Yahiya Khan. [11] After this point, Kapur Singh divided the Sikh congregation into twenty-five jathas (troops) [12] , with each troop consisting of about a hundred young Sikh men under the command of a respective leader. [11] With this reform, a basic confederation structure for military activities of the Sikhs was forming shape. [11] After an initial invasion of India by Ahmed Shah Durrani, Kapur Singh realized that the Afghan invader would surely return for more plunder, additionally due to the strict ruling-style of Moin-ul-Mulk, Kapur Singh resolved to reform the then sixty-five (the number of Sikh troops had since swelled from the twenty-five troops that had been established earlier) Sikh troops into eleven misls on the annual Vaisakhi gathering at Amritsar on 29 March 1748, establishing the Sikh Confederacy and its constituent misls, with the united army of all the Sikhs called the Dal Khalsa . [11] The earlier Taruna Dal and Buddha Dal division system that was established earlier in 1734 was retained, with each of the eleven misls being assigned as part of a dal, with the seminal division being as follows: [11]
After the fall of Sirhind in 1763, many Sikh monarchies began to take root after being founded by sardars of the precursory Sikh misls, such as Patiala, Jind, Nabha, Kalsia, Manimajra, and Kaithal. [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] The sarkar of Sirhind was cut-up and distributed amongst hundreds of both petty and prominent Sikh sardars. [19] The Sukerchakia Misl formed the Sikh Empire after the capture of Lahore in 1799. [20] [21]
Some segments of the Sikh community advocate for an independent state called Khalistan. [22]
Parganas , 'ilaqa, and ta'alluqa administrative divisions of Sikh polities tended to much smaller scale in-size compared to the Mughal administrative system and more numerous. [19] An example of this is the Gujranwala district, which consisted of twenty-six ta'alluqas during Sikh-rule but three or four parganas during Mughal-rule. [19] An explanation of this is when Sikhs occupied formerly Mughal-controlled territory, they divvied up the Mughal parganas amongst the Sikh sardars . [19] A subdivision of a pargana or ta'alluqa was a tappa or topes. [19] Sikh-rule over Kashmir led to the establishment of four new Kashmiri parganas. [19] The Mughal pargana was comparable in-nature to the Sikh ta'alluqa. [19] At the ta'alluqa-level, the Mughal office of the 'amil was comparable to the Sikh office of the kardar. [19] The basis of revenue administration came from the positions of the muqaddam, chaudhari , and the qanungo. [19]
The Sikh polities did not made radical changes to the pre-existing system but rather made slight changes, which do make them discernible from their predecessors. [19] Whilst in main areas during the Mughal-period the zabt method was predominant, during Sikh-rule it was the ghallabakhshi and kankut that were dominant. [19] However, the most dominant systems of assessment and collection during Sikh-rule were the batai and kankut, however the zabt method was employed in some areas. [19] Outside of main areas, older methods continued unabated for the most part. [19] The ijara practice became popularized during Sikh-rule but this method led to lower shares of produce being received by the state due to lower rates of assessment. [19]
The jagirs bestowed by Sikh states were similar to the mansabdari jagirs that were granted by the Mughals. [19] The dharmarth grants issued by Sikh states were similar to the madad-i-ma'ash grants of the Mughals. [19] A key difference however was the proportion of revenue alienated by the way of jagir was much smaller during Sikh-rule in-comparison to Mughal-rule. [19] However, the proportion of revenue alienated by the way of dharmarth was much larger during Sikh-rule compared to the predecessor Mughals. [19] Another difference was that the proportion of hereditary jagirs was larger during Sikh-rule. [19]
The three classes in-relation to land tenures was the same between Mughal and Sikh-rule: [19]
During Sikh-rule, the position of the peasant proprietor improved in-relation to the ta'alluqdar whilst the position of the tenant improved in-relation to the other two classes above it. [19] Sikh ruling classes received a relatively smaller share of surplus land revenue in-comparison to their Mughal counterparts, with the revenue during Sikh-rule being distributed to many sardars and rajas (with both being relatively equal in importance). [19] Thus, the peasant proprietor and tenant classes were able to enjoy much of the produce they produced. [19] During the reign of Ranjit Sikh of Lahore State, there were no instances of agricultural crises. [19]
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The following list enumerates historical Sikh states, empires, and dynasties in chronological order, ordered by their establishment year: [23]
The Sukerchakia Misl was a Punjabi state and one of twelve misls in the Sikh Confederacy during the 18th century, initially concentrated in Gujranwala and Hafizabad districts in western Punjab. The misl, or grouping with its own guerilla militia (jatha), was founded by Charat Singh of Sandhawalia, grandfather of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, in 1748. The last Sukerchakia Misldar was Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Towards the end of the eighteenth century, Maharaja Ranjit Singh united Punjab, drove the Durrani Empire out and established an independent Sikh Empire.
Dal Khalsa was the name of the combined military forces of 11 Sikh misls that operated in the 18th century (1748–1799) in the Punjab region. It was established by Nawab Kapur Singh in late 1740s.
The Sikh Confederacy was a confederation of twelve sovereign Sikh states which rose during the 18th century in the Punjab region in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent and is cited as one of the causes of the weakening of the Mughal Empire prior to Nader Shah's invasion of India (1738–1740).
Guru Nanak founded the Sikh religion in the Punjab region of the northern part of the Indian subcontinent in the 15th century and opposed many traditional practices like fasting, Upanayana, idolatry, caste system, ascetism, azan, economic materialism, and gender discrimination.
Nawab Kapur Singh was a major Sikh leader who led the community during the early-to-mid 18th century. He was the organizer of the Sikh Confederacy and its military force, the Dal Khalsa. He is held in high regards by Sikhs.
Jassa Singh Ahluwalia was a Sikh leader during the period of the Sikh Confederacy, being the supreme leader of the Dal Khalsa. He was also Misldar of the Ahluwalia Misl. This period was an interlude, lasting roughly from the time of the death of Banda Bahadur in 1716 to the founding of the Sikh Empire in 1801. He founded the Kapurthala State in 1772.
Baba Deep Singh is revered among Sikhs as one of the most hallowed martyrs in Sikhism. He is remembered for his sacrifice and devotion to the teachings of the Sikh Gurus. Baba Deep Singh was the first head of Misl Shaheedan Tarna Dal – an order of the Khalsa military established by Nawab Kapur Singh, the then head of Sharomani Panth Akali Buddha Dal. The Damdami Taksal also state that he was the first head of their order.
Sarbat Khalsa, was a biannual deliberative assembly of the Sikhs held at Amritsar in Punjab during the 18th century. It literally translates to the "entire Sikh Nation" but as a political institution it refers to the meetings of the Dal Khalsa and the legislature of the Sikh Confederacy.
A Gurmata, alternatively romanized as Gurumatta, is an order upon a subject that affects the fundamental principles of Sikh religion and is binding upon all Sikhs.
Sardar Hari Singh Dhillon was an 18th century Sikh warrior and the chief of Bhangi Misl. During the formation of the Dal Khalsa he was acknowledged as leader of Tarna Dal, and he was made chief of Bhangi Misl following the death of Bhuma Singh Dhillion, who he was an adopted son of, in 1748. Hari Singh made the Bhangi Misl the most powerful of all the Misls. He was described as brave, fearless and a great warrior. Under Hari Singh the Bhang Misl expanded to Jammu, Lahore, Chiniot, Buria, Jagadhari, Firozpur, Kushab, Majha, Malwa, Sandal Bar and Jhang.
Baghel Singh was a warrior leader in the Punjab region in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. He rose to prominence in the area around Sutlej and Yamuna. He joined the Singh Krora Misl, one of the Misls during Sikh Confederacy. In 1765, Singh became the leader of the Misl.
The Phulkian Dynasty of Maharajas or sardars were Sikh royals and aristocrats in the Punjab region of India. Members of the dynasty ruled the states of Badrukhan, Bhadaur, Faridkot, Jind, Malaudh, Nabha, and Patiala, allying themselves with the British Empire according to the terms of the Cis-Sutlej treaty of 1809. The dynasty is named after Phul Sidhu-Brar, the 17th-century common ancestor of the Phulkian states and the founder of the Phulkian Misl. Members of the Phulkian dynasty, who are the direct descendants of Rawal Jaisal Singh, the founder and ruler of the Kingdom of Jaisalmer, migrated to the present-day Malwa region in Punjab.
Sirhind is the older name of Fatehgarh Sahib, a city and Sikh pilgrimage site in Punjab, India. It is situated on the Delhi to Lahore Highway. It has a population of about 60,851 . It is now a district headquarters in the state of Punjab; the name of the district is Fatehgarh Sahib.
A Jatha is an armed body of Sikhs that has existed in Sikh tradition since 1699, the beginning of the Khalsa. A Jatha basically means a group of people.
Sardar Charat Singh, also romanised as Charhat Singh, was the founder of Sukerchakia Misl, father of Mahan Singh, and the grandfather of Ranjit Singh, the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire. He distinguished himself at an early age in campaigns against Ahmad Shah Abdali and along with 150 horsemen split from the Singhpuria Misl to establish the Sukerchakia Misl, a separate grouping with its distinct guerilla militia.
The Sikh Rule in Lahore initiated from the conquest and rule of the Sikh Misls and extended till the Sikh Empire of Ranjit Singh which ended in 1849. The Sikhs began gaining power following the decline of the Mughal Empire in Punjab and consisted of a collection of autonomous Punjabi Misls, which were governed by Misldars, mainly in the Punjab region.
Binod Singh, a Trehan Khatri and a descendant of Guru Angad, was an army man and disciple of Guru Gobind Singh and was among few Sikhs who accompanied him to Nanded in 1706. In Budha Dal Chronicles, Guru Gobind Singh made Baba Binod Singh the head of the Khalsa.
Baba Darbara Singh, also known as Diwan Darbara Singh, was second Jathedar of Budha Dal and third leader of the Akal Takht. He should not be confused with other Darbara Singh of Sirhind who fought in the Battle of Anandpur.
The Jathedar of the Akal Takht is the head of the Akal Takht and head of the Sikhs worldwide. The jathedar has the de facto power as the supreme spokesperson of the Khalsa to summon, trial and sentence any person who identifies as a Sikh from the Akal Takht.
Sardar Gulab Singh was the founder of Dallewalia Misl, one of the sovereign states of the Sikh confederacy that rose during the 18th century in the Punjab region. The Dallewalia and Nishanwalia Misl were stationed as a reserve force at Amritsar to protect the holy city and tackle any emergency. The Amritsar and the Punjab region was subject to raids by the Afghans led by Ahmad Shah Abdali therefore the Sikhs had created misls to defend the Punjab region and push back the invaders.
