The Sikhs Essay, Research Paper
In the twelvemonth 1469 a adult male named
Guru Nanak was born into a Punjabi-Hindu household. His
name means “ He who was born at the place of his female parent & # 8217 ; s
parents ” , which was in Talwandi, near Labone ( “ Sikhs ”
647 ) . We know small about Nanak & # 8217 ; s life but a batch about his
beliefs from a book called “ Adi Granth ” or “ Granth Sahib ” ,
which means holy book. Some of his beliefs were the world
of “ karma ” and “ reincarnation ” .These are beliefs that our
actions in this life find how high or low we & # 8217 ; ll be in our
following life. The Hindus and Muslims believe it is best to
worship, missionize, survey and compose the sacred Bibles,
and other spiritual public actions and behaviours. Nanak
believed that this is incorrect. He felt that the people should be
involved in inward speculation to the God, Akal Purakh
( Nanak was a monotheist, believing in one God ) . Nanak
believed that Akal Purakh is the all-powerful Godhead and
upholder of the existence and he has no signifier. If one is genuinely
devoted to Akal so Akal may uncover himself to you in
“ nam ” or the Godhead name. Since Akal created the universe and
everything in it so, the universe can be considered an
look of “ nam ” , ( McLeod 5 ) . Akal, to uncover himself
through “ nam ” , speaks the “ sabad ” or divine word, through a
loyal truster. This truster acts as the ageless guru, or
instructor, speech production in the mystical voice of Akal through the
“ sabad ” . A guru can accomplish this Godhead harmoniousness with Akal
by the pattern of “ nam simaran ” . This can be accomplished
in many ways. One manner is by the repetition of a “ mantra ” , a
word that expresses the Godhead world. Another manner is to sing
devotional vocals or even to hold deep mystical
concentration. Guru Nanak attracted many adherents, or
“ sikha ” ( this is where the name Sikh comes from ) . These
“ sikhas ” were the original Sikhs. Before Guru Nanak died he
appointed a replacement from among his adherents to be the
2nd guru. This started the concatenation of the 10 Sikh gurus
which lasted 439 old ages from the birth of Nanak to the decease
of Gobind Singh, the ten percent guru, in the twelvemonth 1708, ( “ Hindus
and Sikhs ” 11 ) . Nanak appointed as his replacement Lehna or
Lahina, who subsequently changed his name to Angad ( Angada was
a lesser legendary hero of that clip ) . Guru Angad is the
individual responsible for the believing up the thought of a “ Granth
Sahib ” , the holy book. Angad appointed as his replacement
Amar Das, who did two things that differed from Nanak & # 8217 ; s
beliefs. He made his ain small town, Goindual, a metropolis for
pilgrims, though Nanak said that missionizing was non good.
In add-on, Amar Das collected stuffs for the forming of
“ Granth Sahib ” , though Nanak said you shouldn & # 8217 ; Ts make
sacred Hagiographas. Guru Amar Das appointed, as his
replacement, his son-in-law Jetha or Ram Das. Guru Ram Das
built the aureate temple in Amritsar on the land given to him
by emperor Akbor. Before so the Guru- ship was given to
person who deserved it, but from that point on it was
given to a household member. So, Ram Das gave it to his 3rd
boy Arjan Dev, a legendary hero of his clip. Guru Arjan
Dev put together the “ Granth Sahib ” , purportedly taking it
from the plants of Amar Das. Before he died, Guru Arjan
told his boy Hargobind to have on, when he became Guru, non
one but two blades because one stood for “ piri ” , the
go oning authorization of the Guru and the other stood for
“ Miri ” the freshly assumed secular authorization ( McLeod 4 ) . It
was from his secular authorization that the Panth or Sikh
community developed, ever build uping themselves out of fright
of the Mughal forces. The decease of Arjan is non clear but it
likely did happen while he was in Mughal detention. Guru
Hargobind was forced to alter the Panth from
Sodium
nak-Panth, the Panth similar to the yearss of Nanak, to a
military Panth. After Guru Hargobind, Hari Rai took over. In
his yearss, and in the short yearss of the following guru, Guru Hari
Krishan, the Mughal governments didn & # 8217 ; t upset the Sikhs.
After these two gurus, Tegh Bahadun became the following guru.
Guru Tegh Bahadun was beheaded by Aurangzeb in 1675
for non accepting Islam ( “ Sikhs ” 647 ) . After him came the
last guru, Guru Gobind Singh. Gobind Singh had to make
“ pahul ” , the Sikh induction. The Sikh induction involves stirring
together sugar with H2O with a reversible sticker. This
mixture must be drunk by the individual about to be inititated.
After this ritual H2O, H2O and sugar, imbibing, the individual
purifies himself five times. After this, he so yells the Sikh
war call and everlastingly wears the five K & # 8217 ; s. They are “ kes ” which
is untrimmed hair, “ kachh ” , bloomerss making merely to the articulatio genus,
“ kara ” , an Fe bracelet, “ kirpan ” , a blade ( or “ khanda ” , a
little sticker ) , and “ khanga ” , a hair comb. The first four of
five K & # 8217 ; s have soldierlike utilizations and Guru Gobind Singh was an
first-class warrior. He besides instituted the “ kara parshad ” ,
when flour is assorted with butter and sugar and all castes eat it
together. This was done in order to destruct the caste system
so that no 1 could experience superior to their neighbour. In 1708
Guru Gobind Singh was assassinated at Nander in the
Deccan. Nowadays, the Sikhs are contending with the Indian
authorities for a separate fatherland for themselves in
Punjab. In 1984, after the Sikhs assassinated the Prime
Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, Hindus rioted and killed
100s of Sikhs. Since that clip, the sum of violent
offenses and slayings by Sikhs and to Sikhs has been turning
quickly. Sikh terrorists, or instead activists, freedom-fighters
or “ majheddin ” , as they like to be called, killed over one
thousand people in 1987 and about twice that sum in
1988, ( “ Hindus and Sikhs ” 11 ) . In 1990, the Sikhs killed
about four 1000 five 100 people in their effort to
addition independency, the highest sum for any twelvemonth,
( “ Throwing Punches ” 30 ) . Newspapers and magazines in the
United States have written about many of the atrocious Acts of the Apostless of
panic happening right now in India. One article told of Sikh
activists contending Indian constabulary in Bombay, seven
hundred-eighty stat mis southwest of Punjab ( “ Sikhs Attack
Bombay ” A12 ) . The Indian constabulary seem to be really afraid of
the force of the Sikhs. It has been reported that the constabulary
are willing to pay kids 30 rupees, the equivalent of
$ 1.70 a twenty-four hours, to contend Sikhs. Unfortunately, many of these
kids either run off with the guns given to them by the
constabularies or fall in the Sikh activists, ( “ Throwing Punches ” 30 ) It
is really unsafe for journalists to compose about the Sikhs. In
the past few old ages. 17 journalists have been killed by
the Sikhs because they have written unfavourable articles
about the Sikhs and their terrorist activities, ( “ Throwing
Punchs ” 30 ) . A recent Sikh terrorist act involved Sikh
“ freedom-fighters ” halting a train in Punjab. They boarded
the train and killed 47 guiltless people,
( “ Forty-seven Killed ” A1 ) . Sikhism has changed from the
clip of Guru Nanak, where it was a peaceable, inward faith
to the present where there is much force by the Sikhs and
pride in their violent ways. Bibliography “ Forty-seven Killed
by Sikh Militants ” . Wall Street Journal 27 Dec. 1991: A1
“ Hindus and Sikhs ” . Scholastic Update 10 Mar. 1989: 11
McLeod, W. H. The Sikhs. N.Y. : Columbia University
Imperativeness, 1986. “ Sikhs ” . Encyclopedia Brittanica. 1963 edition.
“ Sikhs Attack Bombay ” New York Times 6 Mar. 1992:
A12 “ Throwing Punches in Punjab ” The Economist 5 Jan.
1991: 30