SIKH

Sant-Sipahi & Dharam-Yudh

Understanding the martial dimension of Sikh identity and practice

Title: Legacy; Artist; Intrinsikh

Context of Mughal India

During the first fifty years of Guru Nanak’s life, northern India was ruled by an Afghan dynasty known as the Lodhis. It was then invaded several times by Babur, who established the Mughal dynasty in India in 1526. Babur was a descendant of the notorious Mongol leader, Timur Lane, whose armies had violently ravaged the Punjab just over a century earlier. Hence widespread acts of brutality, destruction, plunder, rape and the abduction of women were in the collective Punjabi memory.

Such violence now became part of Guru Nanak’s contemporary reality, as he observed how the best and worst of human nature can shape the condition of society whilst events also unfold according to a divine will. In passages of verse known as Bābar Vāni, his observations on people’s helplessness include this line:

ਕੋਟੀ ਹੂ ਪੀਰ ਵਰਜਿ ਰਹਾਏ ਜਾ ਮੀਰੁ ਸੁਣਿਆ ਧਾਇਆ ॥
Millions of spiritual leaders (pir) were unable to stop the mighty ruler (mir)
When they heard news of the invasion
– Guru Nanak, Guru Granth Sāhib, p. 417

Accounts of Guru Nanak’s life tell of his imprisonment by Babur’s forces and a subsequent meeting with Babur himself. This meeting is said to have provoked some inward change in Babur as he embarked on his rule of India. Once Mughal rule was established, the Sikh faith initially developed under mostly stable conditions. During the reign of emperor Akbar, who was known for his tolerance towards non-Muslims, the fourth and fifth Sikh Gurus constructed the Harmandir Sahib (later known as the ‘Golden Temple’) and developed Amritsar as a thriving town and commercial hub. Guru Arjan Dev also compiled the volume of scripture which, in 1604, he then enthroned in the new place of worship. Whilst both the scripture and the sacred complex fostered inter-religious harmony, they also sharpened the distinctive identity of the growing Sikh faith.

When Akbar’s son, Jahangir, succeeded to the throne in 1605, there was a dramatic change in the political climate. Jahangir took a harder line in his treatment of non-Muslims and his chronicles reveal his suspicions about the growth of the Sikh faith. Moreover, Jehangir was aware of the cordial relations between Guru Arjan Dev and his own son, Khusrau, who was a favoured heir to his grandfather Akbar’s throne. A combination of reasons led to Guru Arjan’s arrest in 1606 under Jehangir’s orders. For five days, he was brutally tortured. Despite offers to intercede for his release, the Guru indicated his equanimity and acceptance of God’s will. Sikhs often refer to Guru Arjan Dev’s subsequent passing away as a ‘shahīdī’ (which is a term of Islamic origin) or as the Guru’s ‘martyrdom’. It is worth pointing out, however, that the Guru was not in this instance actively challenging the emperor or defending a cause; he simply agreed to being summoned and faced the consequences with equanimity. His torture and death marked a turning point, which led to the assertion of the sant sipāhī concept under the leadership of subsequent Gurus.

Advancing the concept of Miri Piri

Under the first five Sikh Gurus, the Sikh panth (body or movement of followers) had already begun to form ‘a kind of state within the Mughal empire’. Under the sixth Guru and his successors, this socio-political aspect of Sikh identity became sharpened.

Guru Hargobind was the longest serving Guru, presiding for some 37 years over a critical period in the faith’s history. He was the only child of Guru Arjan Dev, born following a blessing given by a revered elderly Sikh known respectfully as Baba Budda Ji, who predicted the child-to-be would have the power to ‘crush tyrants’. Baba Budda had met Guru Nanak as a young boy and, ever since, he had remained an eminent Sikh disciple. Both he and Bhai Gurdas were tutors to the young Hargobind, imparting knowledge from their many decades of close association with the early Sikh Gurus.

Before he passed away, Guru Arjan appointed his 11-year-old son as the next Guru, instructing him to sit courageously on the seat of Guruship and maintain a defensive force. In an unprecedentedly threatening political climate, the young Hargobind donned two swords at his inauguration as Guru. These, he explained, signified two types of leadership: mirī (involving worldly, secular or political ability) and pirī (involving spiritual wisdom). These twin terms are drawn from Persian, the language of successive Muslim empires in India (note how Guru Nanak had once used them, in the quote above about Babur’s invasion). Similarly, using rhyming terminology from Hindu tradition, the two swords were said to represent shakti (power and agency) and bhakti (spiritual devotion).

For Sikhs, this dramatic gesture acknowledged that mirī is vital to uplift our temporal and material condition in the world, just as pirī uplifts the more perennial aspects of the human condition, which influence our conduct in the world. It thus indicated that the Guru’s role did not solely involve spiritual leadership, turning a blind eye to worldly affairs; it involved responsible social and political leadership too, which would remain bold in times oppression. By fusing both concepts together, the Guru proclaimed that any worldly leadership must be guided by spiritual attributes to avoid the abuse of power. His gesture drew, too, on the positive symbolism of the sword; whilst it can be used an instrument of aggression, it many cultures it has long represented leadership, sovereignty, courage, resilience, dignity, honour and the safeguarding of others. The Guru was signalling these values just as shockwaves were being felt after the devastating loss of Guru Arjan Dev and the next moves of a now hostile emperor were unclear.

A temporal and spiritual leader

The role Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji was asserting, as a temporal as well as spiritual leader, was reflected in several key developments during his Guruship. This was at a time when the state restricted non-Muslims from bearing arms, riding horses or suggesting sovereignty e.g. by sitting on elevated platforms.

Opposite the Harmandir Sahib (which had been completed by his father) he built the Akāl Takhat, a seat of temporal authority to deliberate on matters of social and political concern (the word takhat means throne, and rather than attaching the name of any person to it, the Guru named it after Akāl, the Timeless Being).

On the outskirts of Amritsar, he built Lohgarh, or the ‘Iron Fort’, and thus he also established a military base. He developed a military force, the Akāl Sena (army of the Immortal One) and had Sikhs trained in the martial arts. Such developments are seen by Sikhs as commensurate with the threat of tyranny which was presenting itself.

Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji was making a statement that, in the face of looming political threat, the Sikh presence was resilient, prepared and protected.

Other details from Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji’s life reinforce for Sikhs his non-partisan, spiritual temperament whilst he fortified the Sikh faith. These include the building of a mosque in Hargobindpur, the town that he founded. Known as ‘Guru Ki Maseet’, this historic building was recognised by UNESCO as part of its ‘Culture of Peace’ programme.

In a well-known account or sākhī, Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji instructs his grandson (who became the seventh Guru) not to carelessly damage flowers with the edge of his robe as they strolled together through a garden, with the lesson that one should be continuously mindful of one’s actions.

When Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji was held captive with political prisoners in an imperial fort, Jehangir’s recognition of his spiritual standing is seen as a factor in his release.

To sum up Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji’s life, Sikhs sometimes recall his encounter with contemporary a saintly leader, as described in a collection of accounts known as Panjāh Sākhiān. In sākhī 39, he is asked whether, by taking up the ways of a ruler and warrior, he had departed from the ways of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, who had renounced the world.

Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji, replies that he is ‘internally a hermit and externally a prince (bātan fakīrī, zāhir amīrī); the bearing of arms was for the protection of the poor and the destruction of tyrants and; Nanak had not, in fact, renounced the world – instead he had renounced māyā, or illusory, ego-centred attachment to worldly things’.

‘To safeguard an orchard, one must fence it with the thorny kikar bush’
– Bhai Gurdas, vār 26, paurī 25.

During his long years of Guruship, Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji’s forces won some defensive battles against the larger and more strongly equipped Mughal army, revealing the power of indigenous resistance against the might of external imperial rule. He did not compose verse of his own, but he travelled extensively to spread the teachings of his predecessors. These involvements reflect his role as both preserver and propagator of the legacy of the Sikh Gurus now entrusted to him.

Still today, when Sikhs remember Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji, they will refer to him as ‘Mīrī Pīrī de Mālik’ or ‘Master of Mīrī Pīrī’. His contributions not only strengthened Sikhs as a social and political force; they also shaped and reinforced aspects of Sikh philosophy.

Consolidating the concept of sant sipāhī

Over the last five Guruships, the role of the Guru as a worldly as well as saintly leader remained underscored, following the new developments introduced by Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji. Just as the early Gurus had done, the later Gurus engaged with the Mughal rulers of their time, be it under hostile or peaceful circumstances.

To understand Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s consolidation of the sant sipāhī concept, we need to take account of the political events which led to his Guruship and to his establishment of the Khalsa order.

Jehangir, who later became more cordial towards Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji, was succeeded by his son, Shah Jahan, and then, in 1658, by his grandson, the more dogmatic and expansionist emperor Aurangzeb, who ruled for almost half a century. Under him, the Mughal empire spread to cover most of India and became the world’s largest economy.

Aurangzeb was vehement in his religious intolerance, to a degree not earlier witnessed in the Mughal dynasty. It was under such circumstances that the ninth Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji sacrificed his life for the religious freedoms of others.

Like Guru Hargobind before him, Guru Gobind Singh was the only son of a Guru put to death under order of the Mughals. He was aged nine when Guru Tegh Bahadur was executed.

One Sikh had valiantly rescued the Guru’s body, cremating it by setting his own house alight, and another rescued the Guru’s severed head. Risking his life, he travelled to the Guru’s family residence in the Punjab and devotedly brought it before the young Guru, his mother and grandmother.

The head of Guru Tegh Bahadur was then cremated in the city of Anandpur. For Guru Gobind Rai (as he was known before he took the Khalsa initiation), the city would no doubt always hold the memory of that fateful day. It was here that he established the Khalsa order by calling an immense gathering of Sikhs and asking who out of them would be willing to give their head. This dramatic test of courage and devotion can be read in the light of Guru Tegh Bahadur’s willingness to give his head for a righteous cause and of the inward strength, selflessness and sacrifice he had demonstrated.

In Punjabi, the Khalsa’s creation is described as a ‘birth’ or ‘unveiling’ (when, according to the tenth Guru, the Khalsa became ‘pargat’ or ‘visible’ to the world). This echoes the view that the sant sipāhī ideal had been nurtured over the previous nine Guruships, before the tenth Guru brought it fully into view.

Khalsa and the sant sipāhī

With the emergence of the Khalsa order, the sant sipāhī identity moved from being an aspect within Sikh society to characterising the nature of Sikh discipleship itself; since Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji’s time, the saintly warrior ideal had been epitomised by the Guru and by a limited military contingent; now, the Khalsa initiation required every initiated disciple to embody this ideal.

In the verses which Guru Gobind Singh Ji penned in praise of the Khalsa order, he declared it was ‘Akāl Purakh kī fauj’ – the army of the Timeless Creator – and that it also mirrored his very own ‘rūp’ or form, in both a spiritual and material sense. The traits or inward face of the Khalsa order would be the values the Guru was entrusted to carry forward from his predecessors. Its physical appearance would reflect the identity which the initiated Guru now shared with the panj pyāre. Sikhs understand this to be the wearing of the panj kakkār (5Ks) and dastār (turban), as insignia for those inward values.

Authors interested in Sikh military history note how the panj kakkār reflected the role of the warrior who was saintly at heart. Whilst they could function as weaponry, the sheathed kirpan and steel karā served as constant reminders to focus on virtuous, ethical action. The loose Indian cloth wrap or dhoti was replaced by securely fastened breeches (kachhehrā). Whilst allowing flexibility and agility of movement, these also indicated the maintenance of high moral standards, to ensure no one became the victim of sexual abuse or violence, which armies were known to commonly inflict. The neatly tied kes was to be combed with a kangā, to reflect a tidiness and discipline in one’s thinking.

Rather like knights in European tradition, who were bestowed with titles to reflect their elevated position and responsibilities, Sikh men were given the name ‘Singh’, meaning lion or tiger, often used by Rajput ruling classes in India, who descended from Hindu warrior clans. This princely status was
also reflected in the name ‘Kaur’, which Sikh women came to take on. The steps taken by Guru Gobind Singh to rouse a sense of sovereignty and
strength in ordinary people is also reflected in a saying from Sikh oral tradition, where he declares that his name, Guru Gobind Singh, will be
measured by his ability to ‘make sparrows fight hawks, make lions fight jackals, make the lowly rise and make a single person fight 125,000 others’.

Whilst a warrior is often associated with masculinity, authors such as contemporary scholar, Nikki Guninder Kaur Singh, note how the five Ks symbolise those spiritual attributes which, in Sikh scripture, are very often viewed through the lens of female human experience. There are clues to this understanding in the very establishment of the Khalsa, when Guru Gobind Singh welcomed an esteemed Sikh female to sweeten the holy water, as it was being sanctified in an iron bowl with a khandā or double-edge sword. This is understood to reflect the fusing of martial and spiritual qualities in the Khalsa personality. The first of the panj pyāre was Daya Singh and the second was Dharam Singh. From this, Sikhs read that dayā (compassion) must always underlie dharam (dutiful living).

This fusion is also reflected in other details and events from the time. When a Sikh water-carrier, Bhai Kanhaiya, was criticised by fellow disciples for
offering water to wounded Mughal soldiers, as well as to the Guru’s own forces, Guru Gobind Singh praised him for seeing God in all. Sikhs also recount how the tenth Guru’s arrows were tipped with gold, to provide for the families of deceased soldiers, so revealing his humanitarianism. In a famous letter, known as the Zafarnāmā, which Guru Gobind Singh wrote to the emperor Aurangzeb, he sums up the oaths which the emperor had consecutively broken following the steps the Guru had taken to reach an agreement with him. In it, the Guru underlines that it is only under circumstances of persistent deceit and failure to establish peace that it becomes justifiable to take up arms. The Guru’s aim in writing the letter was to propose a face-to-face meeting between them to avoid further bloodshed. Rather than being embittered towards Aurangzeb (it was under the emperor’s regime that Guru Gobind Singh had lost his father, mother and four sons), he encourages him to soul-search and consider the qualities he ought to demonstrate as a devout Muslim blessed to rule over people.

The very title which the Guru gave to the letter (Zafarnāmā, meaning ‘Epistle of Victory’) asserted his faith in the victory of virtue, echoing the following Sikh teaching that, in the end, it is the people who practise deceit, corruption and hypocrisy who lose the game of life:

ਤੇਰੈ ਨਾਇ ਰਤੇ ਸੇ ਜਿਣਿ ਗਏ ਹਾਰਿ ਗਏ ਸਿ ਠਗਣ ਵਾਲਿਆ ॥
Those who are imbued with Your Name and essence,
They win the game; it is the cheaters who ultimately lose.
– Asa Kī Vār, Guru Granth Sāhib, p. 463

Guru Gobind Singh passed away in 1708, less than a decade after establishing the Khalsa order. Events over the next two centuries made the
militaristic dimension of the sant sipāhī identity further pronounced. Over the 18th century, as the Mughals tried to hold on to power, northern India was violently plundered by Persian and Afghan invaders. As they retaliated against both ruling and invading forces, Khalsa forces grew both in number and in their reputation as formidable fighters, whilst Sikhs also experienced unprecedented levels of persecution and torture. This explains why valour and sacrifice are much-depicted in paintings which relate these chapters of Sikh history. The role of the Khalsa as a military force became yet still more pronounced when the Punjab came under Sikh rule at the start of the 19th century and then under British rule from 1849-1947.

Initiated Sikhs were actively recruited into British Empire’s Indian army. Later they became significantly involved, alongside other Indian troops, in the allied forces during both world wars. The sant sipāhī concept consolidated by the tenth Guru thus took on new forms of relevance across further periods of social and political change. Today, Sikh scholars and faith practitioners are revisiting this legacy in order to better understand it, both through the lens of history as well as the lens of Sikh scriptural teachings.

Character expectations and duties of a sant

In Sikh scripture, a sant is a person who fulfils the Sikh Gurus’ vision of an ideal human being, i.e. someone of the highest spiritual calibre who also makes a difference in the world. The teachings build a qualitative understanding of who a sant is, in terms of such a person’s characteristics and impact on others. Observing how easy it was for people to put on religious robes and give wellspoken sermons as a show of saintliness, Guru Arjan stresses that the path of a sant is by no means easy – it is as fine as a sword’s edge:

ਮਾਨ ਮੋਹ ਮੇਰ ਤੇਰ ਬਿਬਰਜਿਤ ਏਹੁ ਮਾਰਗੁ ਖੰਡੇ ਧਾਰ ॥੩॥
To truly forsake selfish pride, attachment and possessiveness
Is to walk the path of the double-edged sword
– Guru Arjan Dev (fifth Guru), Guru Granth Sāhib, p. 534

In their scriptural analogies, the Gurus showed how qualities which society traditionally conceived as feminine attributes (e.g. compassion, truth, contentment, humility and love) are the very qualities which all humans are to embody and which must thus be evident in the life of a sant. This underlines the high expectations associated with being a sant. In the following verse, there are six key expectations which are highlighted:

ਮੰਤ੍ਰੰ ਰਾਮ ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮੰ ਧੵਾਨੰ ਸਰਬਤ੍ਰ ਪੂਰਨਹ ॥ ਗੵਾਨੰ ਸਮ ਦੁਖ ਸੁਖੰ ਜੁਗਤਿ ਨਿਰਮਲ ਨਿਰਵੈਰਣਹ ॥…
Through continuous meditation, they focus on the All-pervading Creator
With wisdom, they respond with equanimity to pain and pleasure
Their way of living is pure, it is free of hate or vengeance
They are kind to all beings and have conquered the five inner thieves
Their nourishment is kīrtan, the singing of God’s praises,
Like the lotus flower blossoming in muddy waters,
They remain detached from the delusory pull of the material world
Steeped in devotion, they share teachings with friend and foe alike
They listen not to slander and, shunning vanity and self-importance,
They become the dust of all by exercising profound humility
Whoever maintains these six qualities is a true saint and friend.
– Guru Arjan Dev, Guru Granth Sāhib, p. 1357

Subsequently, a sant is expected to:

maintain a constant meditative awareness;
remain impartial, clear-minded and free of hatred;
be compassionate and liberated from impulses of the selfish ego
regularly take inspiration from scriptural teachings and not get entrenched in worldly attachments;
uplift all, without bias, by sharing the teachings;
neutralise any sense of self-importance by ignoring slander and showing humility before all.

In an oral analysis of this verse, Bhai Pinderpal Singh adds that a sant, according to Sikh teaching, is: a jīvan mukat (one who lives, spiritually liberated, in the here and now, one who has conquered one’s inner demons, one whose speech and actions serve to uplift others and hence one who is a parupkarī (magnanimous person). Importantly a sant does not just impart knowledge but brings about change by the nature of his or her very presence:

ਹਰਿ ਸੰਗਿ ਹਰੀ ਸਤਸੰਗੁ ਭਏ ਹਰਿ ਕੰਚਨੁ ਚੰਦਨੁ ਕੀਨੇ ॥
By keeping saintly company, my inner self has become transformed
Like base metal turning to into gold, and dry wood into sandalwood
– Guru Granth Sāhib, p. 668

Whilst Sikh teachings emphasise that to find a true sant is very rare (indeed, for some Sikhs, sant can refer only to the Sikh Gurus and exceptional saintly personalities), to be a sant – and a resilient and courageous sant sipāhī – became an ideal which the Gurus laid before their disciples to strive for.

Sant sipāhī and dharam

The Punjabi word dharam contains the Sanskrit root is ‘dhr’ which means to hold, bear, support or maintain. In Indian religions, the term dharma can refer to the cosmic order which holds everything together, or a ‘right way’ of being in the world, or a body of teaching which upholds this. In Hindu tradition, dharma sometimes indicates the duties associated with one’s role in the traditional social hierarchy or at successive life stages. For Sikhs, the Punjabi word dharam suggests a way of being in the world which is aligned to an underlying spiritual identity shared by all people. When our way of being is out of line with this ‘true’ identity, we are described in Sikh teaching as ‘betāl’. This word means both ‘out of rhythm’ and also ‘phantom’. It suggests that, when we do not live in harmony with our spiritual identity, and allow ego-driven values to overpower us, we live as lesser human beings, or as phantoms of the kind people we were meant to be:

ਸਚਿ ਕਾਲੁ ਕੂੜੁ ਵਰਤਿਆ ਕਲਿ ਕਾਲਖ ਬੇਤਾਲ ॥ ਬੀਉ ਬੀਜਿ ਪਤਿ ਲੈ ਗਏ ਅਬ ਕਿਉ ਉਗਵੈ ਦਾਲਿ ॥
There is a famine of truth, we have lost integrity and falsehood prevails
Out of sync with the Divine presence, we live as phantoms
Tarnished by this dark age of spiritual ignorance and neglect.
– Asa Kī Vār, Guru Granth Sāhib, p. 468

Dharam in turn leads us to live in the world with loving responsibility (in ways that show integrity, thankfulness, accountability, a willingness to serve others and make sacrifices). Dharam is thus associated with harmony, duty and responsibility, virtuous living and right conduct (or what Sikhs might refer to as ‘righteous’ conduct). In Sikh teaching, the bedrock of dharam is dayā (compassion) and it is dharam which guides the heart of a sant:

ਸੰਤ ਜਨਾ ਕੈ ਹਿਰਦੈ ਸਭਿ ਧਰਮ ॥
In the heart of saintly people, everything is dharam
– Guru Granth Sāhib, p. 294

As well as seeing the human heart as a home for dharam, Sikh teaching views the cultivation of dharam as the purpose of our collective life on earth. In Jap Ji Sahib (verse 34), Guru Nanak describes dhartī (the earth, which bears and supports life) as a dharamsāl (place to practise dharam). He also marvels that the universe holds countless forms of ‘karam bhūmi’ or fields of action. When our inner world and outer world are envisioned as fields of action, the role of the sant sipāhī is to uphold dharam in both domains, i.e. to conquer the challenges which arise within the self and to safeguard dharam in society, e.g. in the face of tyranny, injustice or corruption. A dharmic mindset (thinking which is aligned to dharam) encourages the detachment of a sant (who oes not get consumed by the world) and involvement of a sipāhī (who is ever-ready for action).

From a Sikh perspective, the upholding of dharam involves the application of saintly attributes (e.g. love, compassion, truth, contentment, humility and wisdom) and warriorlike abilities (e.g. to have initiative, courage, resilience, positivity and perseverance), i.e. the characteristics which are integrated into the ideal of the sant sipāhī. This explains why the concept of ‘yudh’ (battling or striving) is used alongside dharam.

The principle of dharam yudh and related rules of the Khalsa

The word yudh in Sanskrit means struggle, combat or war to overcome a threat. Usually it has a positive or noble connotation. From it comes the
Sanskrit word for warrior, yodha (or, in Punjabi, jodh). For Sikhs, dharam yudh has been understood in both general and more specific ways as:

a striving to uphold virtuous living and responsible conduct wherever it is threatened, both in the world and within one’s own self;
a striving to defend the Sikh dharam or faith, its principles, practices and institutions, where its survival or existence may be threatened.

If we look specifically at the creation of the Khalsa order in 1699, the rules governing it would have fallen in line with Guru Gobind Singh’s teachings on dharam, on the need to combat one’s internal demons and on the ethics of entering into armed combat, which we will examine below. The Sikh Rehat Maryada, published in 1950, provides guidelines for the Khalsa discipline based on ideas drawn from the teachings of the Sikh Gurus and accounts of historical Sikh figures who lived during and after the life of the tenth Guru.

In the rules of the Khalsa, there is an emphasis on daily discipline. This include daily meditation, the daily recitation of scriptural compositions, daily forms of service to others and attending to the duties of family and working life. At the time, it includes the wearing of what came to be formulated as the panj kakkār or 5Ks and (especially for men) of the dastār or turban. These form a constant physical identity, which evokes the ethos of the sant sipāhī. The daily morning prayers, which include three key compositions by Guru Gobind Singh, also reinforce this ethos.

In this way, the daily discipline of the Khalsa can be understood as dharam yudh, i.e. a constant striving to uphold dharmic principles in one’s mind, actions and life pursuits. A yudh in this context can be seen as one’s daily striving in life against any odds, or in the face of adversity. This everyday sense of yudh is brought out in the following line by Guru Gobind Singh:

ਧੰਨਿ ਜੀਓ ਤਿਹ ਕੋ ਜਗ ਮੈ ਮੁਖ ਤੇ ਹਰਿ ਚਿਤ ਮੈ ਜੁਧੁ ਬਿਚਾਰੈ ॥
In this world, blessed is that person whose lips ever resound with God’s
name and whose mind ever strives to do what is good and right.
– Dasam Granth Sāhib, Krishnā Avtār verse 2492

This idea of continuous striving is reinforced in the tenth Guru’s famous verse which begins with the words ‘Deh Shivā’ (often described as the Sikh
‘anthem’. Its words inspire a mindset which does not shy away from doing ‘what is good and right’ and is ever-ready to face life’s battles with courage and conviction, throughout one’s lifetime and until one’s last breath. This drives home for Sikhs that dharam yudh is a continuous internal process of rising to the best in oneself, as reinforced by aspects of the Khalsa identity (e.g. by the turban and kirpān, which suggest wise governance, dignity, sovereignty and accomplishment).

Concerning any decisions to enter into armed combat, Sikhs will often quote the following verse by the tenth Guru:

ਚੁ ਕਾਰ ਅਜ਼ ਹਮਹ ਹੀਲਤੇ ਦਰ ਗੁਜ਼ਸ਼ਤ ॥ ਹਲਾਲ ਅਸਤੁ ਬੁਰਦਨ ਬ ਸ਼ਮਸ਼ੇਰ ਦਸਤ ॥੨੨॥
When all peaceful strategies for solving problems are exhausted
Only then is it legitimate to take up the sword
– Zafarnāma, Dasam Granth Sāhib, p. 1390

From this they understand that military action can only be taken up when extensive peaceful efforts to establish agreement and foster cohesion have failed. They also understand that such action cannot be motivated by the desire for personal gain (e.g. to acquire territory or wealth) and must involve minimal suffering. In this way, the dharam yudh principle reflects aspects of the ‘just war’ theory developed by Christian theologians to guide any decision-making for military action and for the means employed. It is also infused with broader philosophical understandings from Sikh scriptural
teaching, on the limits of seeking justice (where it involves retribution) and on the need to recognise that no one is, ultimately, an enemy or foe:

ਨਾ ਕੋ ਬੈਰੀ ਨਹੀ ਬਿਗਾਨਾ ਸਗਲ ਸੰਗਿ ਹਮ ਕਉ ਬਨਿ ਆਈ ॥੧॥
No longer do I see anyone as a foe, as a stranger or an alien ‘other’;
I’ve come to feel allied and interconnected to all.
– Guru Granth Sāhib, p. 1299

The teachings that the Khalsa are expected to follow therefore bring together philosophical as well as ethical perspectives to living as a sant sipāhī, whether dharam yudh is practised as an inner striving, a social striving through good words and actions, or an armed striving if circumstances were ever to demand.

Sacrifices and martyrdoms

In Sikh history, there have been numerous examples of persecution and martyrdoms. These examples showcase the power of saintliness and strong convictions, in the face of injustice and tyranny.

During the time of the Gurus, these included:

the martyrdom of the 5th Guru,
the martyrdom of the 9th Guru and his companions,
the martyrdom of the 10th Guru’s four sons. The elder two on the battlefield and younger two who were bricked alive.
the ‘fourty liberated ones’
Banda Singh Bahadur, a devote Sikh in the time of Guru Gobind Singh Ji

In the post-Guru period, there were many more martyrdoms that occured, including those featured below.

Bhai Taru Singh Ji

Event: The torture of a humble Sikh whose scalp was chiselled off when he refused to allow the cutting of his natural hair (non-cutting of hair is a sacred principle of the Sikh Dharam).

Cause: Persecuted for giving refuge to Sikhs and refusing to renounce his faith.

Significance: Symbol of devotion and honour in the Sikh Dharam.

Baba Deep Singh Ji

Event:. Martyred in the Battle of Amritsar while defending Harmandir Sahib

Cause: Moves by Afghan invaders to desecrate Sri Harmandir Sahib

Significance: Fought with unwavering spirit, remembered for continuing to fight in battle despite asevere blow to the neck that left him mortally wounded and debilitated

Female Sikh Martyrs in Mir Manu’s Prison

Event: The cruel and brutal torture of Sikh women imprisoned in Lahore, who were forced to wear garlands of the flesh of their butchered children as they were made to grind corn. Some of these women also jumped into the well to avoid further persecution.

Cause: Ongoing persecution, where women and children of martyred Sikh men were rounded up and defiantly resisted religious conversion.

Significance: Remembered in the daily ardas prayer, the memory of these Singhnis (lionesses) spurs Sikhs defend religious freedoms against tyranny by honouring the strength and sacrifice of mothers.

Bhai Mani Singh Ji

Event: Dismembered alive in Lahore for refusing to convert to Islam and for organising Gurpurab gatherings to commemorate the lives of the Gurus.

Cause: Non-collection of the expected taxes from Sikh devotees – following prior knowledge of a surprise Mughal attack on Sri Harminder Sahib he had advised them not to come. His subsequent refusal to convert to Islam if the taxes could not be paid.

Significance: Preserver of Sikh scripture and traditions; his martyrdom is a cornerstone in Sikh history.

Bhai Subeg Singh Ji and Bhai Shahbaz Singh Ji

Event: Execution in Lahore.

Cause: Refused to convert to Islam following attempted peace negotiations with the Mughals.

Significance: Father and son duo whose martyrdom continued to inspire Sikh resistance.

Saka Panja Sahib

Event: Sikh passengers blocked a British military train at Panja Sahib to protect the starving Guru ka Langar volunteers (Akali protesters), and in retaliation the British opened fire, killing and wounding multiple Sikhs.

Cause: The Sikhs at Panja Sahib sought to uphold the sanctity of Guru ka Langar and support the Gurdwara Reform (Akali) Movement, resisting British interference in Sikh religious institutions.

Significance: The martyrs of Saka Panja Sahib are remembered for their self-sacrifice to defend Sikh religious rights and communal service, becoming symbols of courage during the wider struggle for Sikh gurdwara independence and justice under colonial rule.

The Khandā emblem

The spiritual and social outlook of the Sikh Gurus is summarised in the khandā emblem. This evolving symbol was standardised after the ten Guru period. It was popularised as initiated Sikhs were recruited into the colonial British army, spurred by the principle of defending others for a noble cause.

Overlapping an upright, double-edged sword, the central circle is flanked by two curved kirpāns (noble swords of dignity and mercy). These represent the twin concepts of mirī (worldly leadership) and pirī (spiritually enlightened leadership). It indicates that, to curb the forces of tyranny, corruption, indifference and neglect, and support sarbat da bhalla, or collective flourishing, we must play an active part in worldly life, guided and empowered by spiritual values.

The khandā has been associated with an earlier Sikh slogan, ‘Degh Tegh Fateh’. This salutes the power to feed the hungry and protect the weak, symbolised by the circular rim of a cooking pot overlayed with the outline of a protective sword. This image also evokes the preparation of amrit or sanctified water for initiation, where, in a large steel bowl, sweetened water is prayerfully moved back and forth with a double-edged sword, to inspire a life of saintliness, compassion and courage.

The Creator

The central circle of this emblem evokes the circular metal chakkar, used since ancient times in battle. This represents the infinite presence and power of the One Creator, as a constant, enduring truth in a world of change. Its also serves as a frame — to see the vast and infinite context of our present human journey, amidst the ongoing cycles of existence.

The circular shape reminds Sikhs too of the kara, the steel or cast-iron wristlet that marks their allegiance to the Guru’s path. By inspiring unbroken remembrance of the Creator, it spurs a hands-on life of creative and virtuous action, the application of Divine wisdom and sustained accountability.

The Responsibility

The word kirpān implies a noble sword, associated with values of kindness and mercy (kirpā) along with dignity and honour (ān). The two kirpāns on the outer edges of the symbol represent mirī (worldly leadership) and pirī (spiritually enlightened leadership). They underline that we must live mindfully and responsibly in the world, ensuring the power we have is not fuelled by ego but by the best in us. Flanked by the symbols of miri-piri, the central circle comes to evoke a wise and virtuous human consciousness.

The Commitment

The central double-edged sword is also referred to as the khandā. It represents a commitment to upholding goodness, and human empowerment inspired by Divine wisdom and virtue. As such, it is a metaphor for walking the path of dharam.

Scripturally, this journey is depicted as walking along the thin edge of a double-edged sword, as the need for subtle perception, discernment and self-control come into play. Because the khandā evokes the preparation of amrit for initiation, it reinforces a commitment to the path of faith practice and to its tenets.

The Transformation

When placed together, the elements of the khandā emblem evoke the transformation of our human self, from a state of spiritual forgetfulness to one where we constantly remembering the Divine. This inspires us to serve and protect the welfare of all. As a complete symbol, it conveys refuge and safety when placed on the nishan sahib flag that marks a gurudwara, or Sikh place of worship.