khalsa panth

 Guru Ji asks for a sacrifice.
Guru Ji prepares the Amrit. Mata Sahib Devan adds the patasey (suger candy)


Guru Ji prepares the Amrit by reciting the panj banies (five morning prayers)
Many explanations have been given for the ceremony of baptism. Apart from the profoundly spiritual nature of the communion , making people of different castes drink Amrit from the same bowl broke down some orthodox Hindu practices. Guru Ji gave the final form to the Sikh faith. He declared the institution of the Guruship at an end and ordered all Sikhs to bow down infornt of the Guru Granth Sahib Ji the holy scriptures of the Sikhs.
Guru Gobind Singh Ji's life was a long series of battles fought against heavy odds. Guru Ji laid the foundations of the Sikh military might by setting up a tradition of reckless valour which became a distinguished feature of Sikh soldiery. They came to believe in the triumph of their own cause as an article of faith, and like their Guru asked for no nobler end then on the battlefield. What Guru Ji succeeded in doing was to 'teach the sparrow to hunt the hawk and one man fight a legion'.


Guru Ji was a prolific writer and a poet of rare quality, in everything he wrote or spoke there was a note of buoyant hope and the conviction then even if he lost his life, his mission would succeed.


  O Lord, these boons of Thee I ask, Let me never shun a righteous task.
Let me be fearless when I go into battle, Give me faith that victory will be mine. 
Give me power to sing Thy praise, And when comes the time to end my life.
Let me fall in mighty strife.
After Guru Gobind Singh ascended to the heavens in 1708, his ardent follower, Banda Singh Bahadur (1670-1716) a Hindu ascetic converted to Sikhism set about trying to create a Sikh homeland in the Punjab. In a series of ferocious and bloody battles he managed this, if be it temporarily. But his ragged army impressed their adversaries with their often suicidal valour. Overwhelming odds only served to put them on their mettle, and their prowess in the field of battle filled the Moghals, the Afghans and later the British with wonder and an almost superstitious dread.


Nadir Shah was a Persian chieftain who made repeated invasions into India through the Punjab plains in his attempts to subdue the moghal government. In the 1750's the Sikhs numbered no more then 100,000 but they resisted each and every battle they faced. On one of his expeditions after defeating the Moghals he was returning to his native country of Iran with thousands of captives and looted gold and valuables including the famous peacock throne. Upon reaching the Punjab the Sikhs harassed him all the way lightening his load of booty and rescuing many of the slaves. Nadirs forces were no match for bands of 30-50 Sikhs who would use guerilla tactics to attack from the sides do their damage and rescue more of the captives. In one instance Nadir ordered his forces to follow them for as long as it takes. The Sikhs attacked and when they retreated the forces followed them, suddenly the Sikhs turned and fought head on mercilessly killing all the pursuers. The Persian was astonished by the daring exhibited by the Sikhs. He called a halt at Lahore and questioned the Governor Zakariya Khan (who had a price on the head of every Sikh , dead or alive) 'Whence come these long haired barbarians who dare to molest me?' he demanded.


 
'Who are these mischief makers ?' Zakariya Khan replied ' they are a group of fakirs (godly people) who visit their Guru's tank of Amrit twice a year , and, after bathing in it, disappear'. 'Where do they live?' asked Nadir Shah. 'Their homes are the saddles on their horses, they exist by eating the leaves of the trees' came the reply. 'Take care' said Nadir ' the day is not too distant when these rebels will take possession of your country'.


The struggle with the Moghals and afghans continued and was instrumental in weakening the Moghals and also the Afghan hold over the North-West. The Sikhs began to spread and gain control of the Punjab including important cities such as Lahore in 1764. At the same time they were starting to formalize and politicise their own structure. The body of the Khalsa was formed into the Buddha Dhal (army of veterans) and the Taruna Dhal (army of youth). The Buudha Dhal were given the responsibility of looking after the Sikh holy sites and the women and children, while the Taurana Dhal began a process of territorial acquisition. They split into five self-contained yet interconnected units called Misls, and by the end of the 18th century these had expanded to twelve. Their levels of strength and power differed greatly, some numbering a few hundred men while others contained tens of thousands. In 1792 Ranjit Singh (1780-1839) (see picture in the Gallery) the heir to the Sukerchkia misl had succeeded to its leadership, he was to change the face of the Punjab. He incidentally employed American, French and Italian officers in his army, some who had fought in the Napoleonic wars. By 1801 Ranjit Singh had carved out a Kingdom and was anointed Maharaja.