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Sikhs

January 18, 2023

"Sikh" redirects here. For the Sikh religion, see Sikhism. For a similar word, see Sik.

Sikhs (/siːk/ or /sɪk/; Punjabi: ਸਿੱਖ, sikkh [sɪkkʰ] Devanagari: सिख) are an ethno‐religious nation who adhere to Sikhism (Sikhi), a monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak.[54] The term Sikh has its origin in the Sanskrit word śiṣya (शिष्य), meaning 'disciple' or 'student'.[55][56][57]

Sikhs
Maharaja Ranjit Singh listening to Guru Granth Sahib being recited at the Golden Temple, Amritsar
Total population
c. 25-30 million
(0.40% of the global population)[1][2][3][4][5]
Founder
Guru Nanak Dev
Regions with significant populations
 India24,000,000-28,000,000[6][7][8][9]
 Canada771,790[10][11]
 United Kingdom524,000[12][13][14]
 United States500,000[nb 1] [17]
 Australia210,400[18]
 Italy150,000[19][20][21]
 Malaysia120,000[22][23][24]
 UAE52,000[25]
 Philippines50,000[26][27]
 New Zealand40,908[28]
 Thailand40,000[29]
 Oman35,540[30]
 Spain26,000[31]
 Germany15,000[32]
 Hong Kong15,000[33]
 Kuwait15,000[34][35]
 Cyprus13,280[36][37]
 Singapore12,000[38]
 Indonesia10,000[39]
 Belgium10,000[40]
 Austria9,000[41]
 France8,000[42]
 Portugal7,000[43]
 Saudi Arabia6,700[44]
 Pakistan6,146[45]
 Kenya6,000[46]
 Norway4,080[47]
 Denmark4,000[48]
 Sweden4,000[49]
Religions
Sikhism
Scriptures
Guru Granth Sahib, Dasam Bani
Languages
Primary - Punjabi and its dialects (Gurmukhi script);[50][51] Guru Gobind Singh wrote letters to Aurangzeb—Zafarnama and the Hikaaitaan—written in the Persian alphabet; Sikh coins were minted in Gurmukhi and Persian during misls and Sikh Empire[52]

Secondary - Largely Influenced by Nationality English · Hindi · French · Italian · Malay · Arabic · Filipino · Thai · Spanish · German · Chinese · Greek · Turkish · Indonesian · Dutch · Portuguese · Urdu · Swahili · Norwegian · Danish · Swedish

Liturgical - Sant Bhasha[53]
This article contains Indic text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks or boxes, misplaced vowels or missing conjuncts instead of Indic text.

Male Sikhs generally have Singh ('lion') as their last name, though not all Singhs are necessarily Sikhs; likewise, female Sikhs have Kaur ('princess') as their last name. These unique last names were given by the Gurus to allow Sikhs to stand out and also as an act of defiance to India's caste system, which the Gurus were always against. Sikhs strongly believe in the idea of "Sarbat Da Bhala" - "Welfare of all" and are often seen on the frontline to provide humanitarian aid across the world.

Sikhs who have undergone the Amrit Sanchar ('baptism by Khanda'), an initiation ceremony, are from the day of their initiation known as Khalsa, and they must at all times have on their bodies five Ks:

  1. kesh, uncut hair usually kept covered by a dastār, also known as a turban;
  2. kara, an iron or steel bracelet;
  3. kirpan, a dagger-like sword tucked into a gatra strap or a kamar kasa waistband;
  4. kachera, a cotton undergarment; and
  5. kanga, a small wooden comb.

The Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent has been the historic homeland of the Sikhs, having even been ruled by the Sikhs for significant parts of the 18th and 19th centuries. Today, Canada has the largest national Sikh proportion (2.1%) in the world,[10] while Punjab state in India has the largest Sikh proportion (58%) amongst all administrative divisions in the world. Many countries, such as Canada and the United Kingdom, recognize Sikhs as a designated religion on their censuses,[58] and, as of 2020, Sikhs are considered as a separate ethnic group in the United States.[59]

History

Main article: History of Sikhism
 
Gurdwara Janam Asthan, the birthplace of Guru Nanak

Guru Nanak (1469–1539), the founder of Sikhism, was born in a Hindu family to Mehta Kalu and Mata Tripta in the village of Talwandi, present-day Nankana Sahib, near Lahore.[60] Throughout his life, Guru Nanak was a religious leader and social reformer. However, Sikh political history may be said to begin in 1606, with the death of the fifth Sikh guru, Guru Arjan Dev.[61] Religious practices were formalised by Guru Gobind Singh on 30 March 1699, when the Guru initiated five people from a variety of social backgrounds, known as the Panj Piare ("beloved five"), to form a collective body of initiated Sikhs, known as the Khalsa ("pure").[62]

The early followers of Guru Nanak were Khatris, but later a large number of Jats joined the faith.[63] Khatris and Brahmins opposed "the demand that the Sikhs set aside the distinctive customs of their castes and families, including the older rituals."[64]

 
The Sikh Empire at its greatest extent

During the rule of the Mughal Empire in India, two Sikh gurus were martyred. (Guru Arjan was martyred on suspicion of helping in betrayal of Mughal Emperor Jahangir and Guru Tegh Bahadur was martyred by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb)[65] As the Sikh faith grew, the Sikhs subsequently militarized to oppose Mughal rule.[citation needed] Guru Gobind Singh Ji was assassinated in 1708 by two pathans.[citation needed]

 
A Sikh Khalsa Army sowar's battle helmet

After defeating the Afghans and Mughals, sovereign states called Misls were formed under Jassa Singh Ahluwalia. The Confederacy of these states was unified and transformed into the Sikh Empire under Maharaja Ranjit Singh. This era was characterised by religious tolerance and pluralism, including Christians, Muslims, and Hindus in positions of power. Its secular administration implemented military, economic, and governmental reforms. The empire is considered the zenith of political Sikhism,[66] encompassing Kashmir, Ladakh, and Peshawar. Hari Singh Nalwa, the commander-in-chief of the Sikh Khalsa Army in the North-West Frontier, expanded the confederacy to the Khyber Pass.

British rule in India

 
Sikh armour and weapons
 
“Sikh Sardar”, photograph by John McCosh taken in circa 1848-49

After the annexation of the Sikh kingdom by the British, the British Army began recruiting significant numbers of Sikhs and Punjabis.[citation needed] During the 1857 Indian mutiny, the Sikhs stayed loyal to the British, resulting in heavy recruitment from Punjab to the British Indian Army for the next 90 years of the British Raj in colonial India.[67] The distinct turban that differentiates a Sikh from other turban wearers is a relic of the rules of the British Indian Army.[68] The British colonial rule saw the emergence of many reform movements in India, including Punjab, such as the formation of the First and Second Singh Sabha in 1873 and 1879 respectively. The Sikh leaders of the Singh Sabha worked to offer a clear definition of Sikh identity and tried to purify Sikh belief and practice.[69]

The later years of British colonial rule saw the emergence of the Akali movement to bring reform in the gurdwaras during the early 1920s. The movement led to the introduction of Sikh Gurdwara Bill in 1925, which placed all the historical Sikh shrines in India under the control of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.[70]

Partition and post-Partition

At the time of the Indian independence movement, the Sikh ruler of the Kapurthala State fought to oppose the partition of India and advocated for a united, secular country.[71] Sikh organizations, including the Chief Khalsa Dewan and Shiromani Akali Dal led by Master Tara Singh, condemned the Lahore Resolution and the movement to create Pakistan, viewing it as inviting possible persecution. The Sikhs therefore strongly fought against the partition of India.[72] The months leading up to the 1947 partition of India were marked by conflict in the Punjab between Sikhs and Muslims.[73] This caused the religious migration of Punjabi Sikhs and Hindus from West Punjab to the east (modern India), mirroring a simultaneous religious migration of Punjabi Muslims from East Punjab to the west (modern Pakistan).[74]

Following partition, the Government of India had begun to redraw states corresponding to demographic and linguistic boundaries. However, this was not effective in the northern part of the country,[75] as the government reconsidered redrawing states in the north. [76] While states across the country were extensively redrawn on linguistic lines at the behest of linguistic groups, the only languages not considered for statehood were Punjabi, Sindhi and Urdu. [77] Leading to the launch of the Punjabi Suba movement and the presentation for a Punjabi Suba as a policy in April 1948 by Master Tara Singh. Also, on 26 January 1950 Sikh representatives refused to sign the Indian constitution. As Sikhs were recognized as Hindus and Sikhs were not provided with scheduled castes concessions given to Hindu scheduled castes.

The Punjab Suba experienced heavy government crackdown with the Congress Government arresting as many as 21,000 people. Attempted negotiations with Congress-led the agitation to be adjourned twice, though Jawaharlal Nehru continued to reject the demand.[78][79] On 4 July 1955, government police forces, led by DIG Ashwini Kumar,[80] would forced entry into the Golden Temple premises and heavy-handedly arrested protestors and took them into custody, along with the head granthis of the Akal Takht and Golden Temple, volunteer protestors, and even cooks of the temple's langar.[81] The Guru Ram Das Serai and Shiromani Akali Dal offices were also raided, and batons used and tear gas and shells were fired to disperse the protestors gathered on the periphery of the temple, damaging the periphery and Sarovar, or pool, of the temple.[81][82] The government stopped volunteers on the way to the Golden Temple, and troops were ordered to flag-march through the bazaars and streets surrounding the site.[82] Over 200 protestors were killed, thousands arrested,[82] and thousands, including women and children, were injured.

The Congress government agreed to the Punjab Suba in 1966 after protests and recommendation of the States Reorganisation Commission.[83] The state of East Punjab was later split into the states of Himachal Pradesh, the new state Haryana and current day Punjab.[84] However, there was a growing alienation between Punjabi Sikh and Hindu populations. The latter of which reported Hindi rather than Punjabi as their primary language. The result was that Punjabi-speaking areas were left out of the new state and given to Haryana and Himachal Pradesh[85] resulting in the state of Punjab to be roughly 35,000 square miles smaller than the Punjabi-speaking areas based on pre-1947 census figures. Moreover, the 1966 reorganization left Sikhs highly dissatisfied, with the capital Chandigarh being made into a shared a union territory and the capital of Punjab and Haryana.

In the late 1960s, the Green Revolution in India was first introduced in Punjab as part of a development program issued by international donor agencies and the Government of India.[86] While, Green Revolution in Punjab had several positive impacts, the introduction of the mechanised agricultural techniques led to uneven distribution of wealth. The industrial development was not done at the same pace as agricultural development, the Indian government had been reluctant to set up heavy industries in Punjab due to its status as a high-risk border state with Pakistan.[87] The rapid increase in the higher education opportunities without an adequate rise in the jobs resulted in the increase in the unemployment of educated youth.[83]

In 1973 as a result, of unaddressed grievances and increasing inequality the Akali Dal put forward the Anandpur Sahib Resolution.[88] The resolution included both religious and political issues. It asked for recognising Sikhism as a religion, it also demanded the devolution of power from the Central to state governments.[83] The Anandpur Resolution was rejected by the government as a secessionist document. Thousands of people joined the movement, feeling that it represented a real solution to demands such as a larger share of water for irrigation and the return of Chandigarh to Punjab.[89]

After unsuccessful negotiations the Dharam Yuddh Morcha ("righteous campaign")[90] was launched on 4 August 1982,[citation needed] by the Akali Dal in partnership with Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, with its stated aim being the fulfillment of a set of devolutionary objectives based on the Anandpur Sahib Resolution.[90] Indian police responded to protestors with high-handed police methods creating state repression affecting a very large segment of Punjab's population. Police brutality resulted in retaliatory violence from a section of the Sikh population, widening the scope of the conflict by the use of violence of the state on its own people. [91] A "state of chaos and repressive police methods" combined to create "a mood of overwhelming anger and resentment in the Sikh masses against the authorities". Leading to Sikh leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale gaining prominence and demands of independence gain currency, even amongst moderates and Sikh intellectuals.[91] In, 1982 and early 1983 extrajudicial killings by the police of orthodox Sikh youth in rural areas in Punjab provoked reprisals.[92] Over 190 Sikhs had been killed in the first 19 months of the protest movement.[93]

In May 1984, a Grain Roko morcha was planned and to be initiated on 3 June[94] with protestors practising civil disobedience by refusing to pay land revenue, water or electricity bills, and blocking the flow of grain out of Punjab. Indian Prime minister Indira Gandhi launched Operation Blue Star on 1 June prior to the Grain Roko morcha in order to remove Bhindranwale from the Golden Temple. This subsequently lead to Gandhi's assassination by her Sikh bodyguards.[95] Her assassination was followed by riots against Sikh communities and the killing of thousands of Sikhs throughout India. These events triggered an Insurgency in Punjab which would consume Punjab until the early 1990s.

During the day of Vaisakhi in 1999, Sikhs worldwide celebrated the 300th anniversary of the creation of the Khalsa. Canada Post honoured Sikh Canadians with a commemorative stamp in conjunction with the anniversary. Likewise, on 9 April 1999, Indian president K. R. Narayanan issued a stamp commemorating the 300th anniversary of the Khalsa as well.[96]

Culture and religious observations

According to Article I of Chapter 1 of the Sikh Rehat Maryada ('code of conduct'), the definition of Sikh is:[97]

Any human being who faithfully believes in i. One Immortal Being, ii. Ten Gurus, from Guru Nanak Sahib to Guru Gobind Singh Sahib, iii. The Guru Granth Sahib, iv. The utterances and teachings of the ten Gurus and

v. the baptism bequeathed by the tenth Guru, and who does not owe allegiance to any other religion, is a Sikh.

Daily routine

From the Guru Granth Sahib:[98]

One who calls themself a Sikh of the Guru, the True Guru, shall rise in the early morning hours and meditate on the Lord's Name. Upon arising early in the morning, he is to bathe and cleanse himself in the pool of nectar. Following the Instructions of the Guru, he is to chant the Name of the Lord, "Har, Har." All sins, misdeeds, and negativity shall be then erased. Then, at the rising of the sun, he is to sing Gurbani; whether sitting down or standing up, he is to meditate on the Lord's Name. One who meditates on my Lord, Har, Har, with every breath and every morsel of food and – that GurSikh becomes pleasing to the Guru's Mind. That person, unto whom my Lord and Master is kind and compassionate – upon that GurSikh, the Guru's Teachings are bestowed. Servant Nanak begs for the dust of the feet of that GurSikh, who himself chants the Naam, and inspires others to chant it.

— Fourth Mehl (Guru Ram Das), Guru Granth Sahib, p. 305

The Sikh Rahit Maryada (Code of Conduct) clearly states that baptized Amritdhari Khalsa Sikhs must recite or listen to the recitation of Japji Sahib, Jaap Sahib, the 10 Sawayyas, Sodar Rehraas, and Sohila.[99][100] Every Sikh is also supposed take the Hukam (divine order) from the Guru Granth Sahib after awakening in the ambrosial hours of the morning (three hours before the dawn) before eating.[101]

In his 52 Hukams, Guru Gobind Singh orders his followers to arise during Amritvela (early morning) and to recite the late evening prayer "Sohila" and the verse "Pavan guru pani pita..." before sleeping.

Five Ks

Main articles: The Five Ks, Khalsa, and Sahajdhari
 
Kanga, Kara and Kirpan: three of the five Sikh articles of faith

The five Ks (panj kakaar) are five articles of faith which all baptized (Amritdhari) Sikhs are obliged to wear. The symbols represent the ideals of Sikhism: honesty, equality, fidelity, meditating on Waheguru, and never bowing to tyranny.[102] The five symbols are:

  1. Kesh: Uncut hair, usually tied and wrapped in a turban.
  2. Kanga: A wooden comb, usually worn under a turban to always also keep one's hair clean and well-groomed.
  3. Kachera: Cotton undergarments, worn by both sexes; the kachera is a symbol of chastity, and also a symbol of cleanliness. It is also historically appropriate in battle due to increased mobility and comfort when compared to a dhoti.
  4. Kara: An iron bracelet, a symbol of eternity, strength, and a constant reminder of the strength of will to keep hands away from any kind of unethical practices.
  5. Kirpan: An iron blade in different sizes. In the UK, Sikhs can wear a small dagger, but in Punjab, they might wear a traditional curved sword from one to three feet in length. Kirpan is only a weapon of defense and religious protection, used to serve humanity and to be used against oppression.

Music and instruments

 
Woman playing the dilruba
Main article: Sikh music

The Sikhs have a number of musical instruments, including the rebab, dilruba, taus, jori, and sarinda. Playing the sarangi was encouraged by Guru Hargobind. The rebab was played by Bhai Mardana as he accompanied Guru Nanak on his journeys. The jori and sarinda were introduced to Sikh devotional music by Guru Arjan. The taus (Persian for "peacock") was designed by Guru Hargobind, who supposedly heard a peacock singing and wanted to create an instrument mimicking its sounds. The dilruba was designed by Guru Gobind Singh at the request of his followers, who wanted a smaller instrument than the taus. After Japji Sahib, all of the shabad in the Guru Granth Sahib were composed as raags. This type of singing is known as Gurmat Sangeet.

When they marched into battle, the Sikhs would play a Ranjit nagara ("victory drum") to boost morale. Nagaras (usually two to three feet in diameter, although some were up to five feet in diameter) are played with two sticks. The beat of the large drums, and the raising of the Nishan Sahib, meant that the Singhs were on their way.

Demographics

Main article: Sikh diaspora
 
India's Sikh population and their percentage of the total population

Sikhs number about 25-30 million worldwide, of whom 24–28 million live in India, which thus represents around 90% of the total Sikh population.[103][104][105][106][9][107] About 76% of all Indian Sikhs live in the northern Indian State of Punjab, forming a majority of about 58 per cent of the state's population, roughly around 16 million.[108][109][110] Karnail Singh Panjoli, member of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, says that there are several communities within the term Nanakpanthis too. Apart from Sindhi Hindus, "There are groups like Sikhligarh, Vanjaarey, Nirmaley, Lubaney, Johri, Satnamiye, Udaasiyas, Punjabi Hindus, etc. who call themselves Nanakpanthis despite being Hindus.[111] Substantial communities of Sikhs live in the Indian states or union territories of Haryana, where they number around 1.2 million and form 4.91% of the population, Rajasthan (872k, or 1.27% of the population), Uttar Pradesh (643k, 0.32%), Delhi (570k, 3.4%), Uttarakhand (236k, 2.34%), Jammu and Kashmir (234k, 1.87%), Chandigarh (138k, 13.11%) and Himachal Pradesh (86k, 1.16%).

Canada is home to the largest national Sikh proportion (2.1 percent of the total population) in the world.[10] A substantial community of Sikhs exist in the western province of British Columbia, numbering nearly 300,000 persons and forming approximately 5.9 percent of the total population. This represents the third-largest Sikh proportion amongst all global administrative divisions, behind only Punjab and Chandigarh in India. Furthermore, British Columbia,[112] Manitoba, and Yukon hold the distinction of being three of the only four administrative divisions in the world with Sikhism as the second most followed religion among the population.[115]

Migration

Sikh migration from British India began in earnest during the second half of the 19th century, when the British completed their annexation of the Punjab, which led to Sikh migration throughout India and the British Empire. During the Raj, semiskilled Sikh artisans were transported from the Punjab to British East Africa to help build railroads. Sikhs emigrated from India after World War II, most going to the United Kingdom but many also to North America. Some Sikhs who had settled in eastern Africa were expelled by Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in 1972.[116] Economics is a major factor in Sikh migration, and significant communities exist in the United Kingdom, the United States, Malaysia, East Africa, Australia, Singapore and Thailand.

 
Map showing world Sikh population areas and historical migration patterns (2004 estimate)[117]

After the Partition of India in 1947, many Sikhs from what would become the Punjab of Pakistan migrated to India as well as to Afghanistan due to fear of persecution. Afghanistan was home to hundreds of thousands of Sikhs and Hindus as of the 1970s, but due to the wars in Afghanistan in the 2010s, the vast majority of Afghan Sikhs had migrated to India, Pakistan or the west.[118][119][120]

Although the rate of Sikh migration from the Punjab has remained high, traditional patterns of Sikh migration favouring English-speaking countries (particularly the United Kingdom) have changed during the past decade due to stricter immigration laws. Moliner (2006) wrote that as a consequence of Sikh migration to the UK becoming "virtually impossible since the late 1970s," migration patterns evolved to continental Europe.[121] Italy is a rapidly growing destination for Sikh migration,[122] with Reggio Emilia and Vicenza having significant Sikh population clusters.[123] Italian Sikhs are generally involved in agriculture, agricultural processing, the manufacture of machine tools, and horticulture.[124]

Growth

 
A group of Sikh people

Johnson and Barrett (2004) estimate that the global Sikh population increases annually by 392,633 (1.7% per year, based on 2004 figures); this percentage includes births, deaths, and conversions. Primarily for socio-economic reasons, Indian Sikhs have the lowest adjusted growth rate of any major religious group in India, at 16.9 percent per decade (estimated from 1991 to 2001) and it have further declined to just 8.4 per cent in 2011 census report.[125][126] Sikhs in the world have the lowest fertility rate of 1.6 children per women as per (2019–20) estimation research.[127][128] The Sikh population has the lowest gender balance in India, with only 903 women per 1,000 men according to the 2011 Indian census.[129] The estimated world's Sikh population was over 30 million in 2020, and it will reach 42 million by 2050. It is expected to increase up to 62 million by 2100, given that the anticipated growth rate of 1.7% per year and adding at least 400,000 followers annually.[130][126]

Sikhism is the fastest growing religion in Canada, Australia and New Zealand.[131][10][132][133]

Castes

Since Sikhism has never actively sought converts, Sikhs have remained a relatively homogeneous ethnic group. Caste may still be practiced by some Sikhs, despite Guru Nanak's calls for treating everyone equally in Sri Granth Sahib.[134][note 1]

Along with Guru Nanak, other Sikh gurus had also denounced the hierarchy of the caste system, however, they all belonged to the same caste, the Khatris.[138] Most Sikhs belong to the Jat (Jatt), traditionally agrarian in occupation.[139] Despite being very small in numbers, the Khatri and Arora (Moneylenders) castes also wield considerable influence within the Sikh community. Other common Sikh castes include Ahluwalias (brewers), Kambojs or Kambos (rural caste), Ramgarhias (artisans), Brahman (Priestly class), Rajputs (kshatriyas), Sainis (agrarian), Rai Sikh (rural caste), Labanas (merchants), Kumhars, Mazhabi and the Ramdasia/Ravidasias(Chamar).[140]

Some Sikhs, especially those belonging to the landowning dominant castes, have not shed all their prejudices against the Dalits. While Dalits were allowed entry into the village gurdwaras, in some gurdwaras, they were not be permitted to cook or serve langar (communal meal). Therefore, wherever they could mobilize resources, the Sikh Dalits of Punjab have tried to construct their own gurdwara and other local level institutions in order to attain a certain degree of cultural autonomy.[134] In 1953, Sikh leader and activist Master Tara Singh succeeded in persuading the Indian government to include Sikh castes of the converted untouchables in the list of scheduled castes.[141] In the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, 20 of the 140 seats are reserved for low-caste Sikhs.[141]

Other castes (over 1,000 members) include the Arain, Bhatra, Bairagi, Bania, Basith, Bawaria, Bazigar, Bhabra, Chamar, Chhimba (cotton farmers), Darzi, Dhobi, Gujar, Jhinwar, Kahar, Kalal, Kumhar, Lohar, Mahtam, Megh, Mirasi, Mochi, Nai, Ramgharia, Sansi, Sudh, Tarkhan and Kashyap[citation needed]

3HO

The 3HO(Healthy, Happy, Holy) organization or Sikh Dharma International claims to have inspired a moderate growth in non-Indian adherents of Sikhism.[142] They are mainly centered around Española, New Mexico, and Los Angeles, California, United States of America.

Diaspora

As Sikhs wear turbans and keep beards, Sikh men in Western countries have been mistaken for Muslim, Arabic, and/or Afghan since the September 11 attacks and the Iraq War.[143][144] Several days after the 9/11 attacks, Sikh-American gas station owner Balbir Singh Sodhi was murdered in Arizona by a man who took Sodhi to be a member of al-Qaeda, marking the first recorded hate-crime in America motivated by 9/11. CNN would go on to suggest an increase in hate crimes against Sikh men in the US and the UK after the 9/11 attacks.[143][144]

In an attempt to foster Sikh leaders in the Western world, youth initiatives by a number of organisations exist. The Sikh Youth Alliance of North America sponsors an annual Sikh Youth Symposium.

The Sikh diaspora has been most successful in the UK, and UK Sikhs have the highest percentage of home ownership (82%) of any religious community.[145] UK Sikhs are the second-wealthiest religious group in the UK (after the Jewish community), with a median total household wealth of £229,000.[146]

In May 2019, the UK government exempted "Kirpan" from the list of banned knives. The U.K. government passed an amendment by which Sikhs in the country would be allowed to carry kirpans and use them during religious and cultural functions. The bill was amended to ensure that it would not impact the right of the British Sikh community to possess and supply kirpans, or religious swords.[147][148] Similarly, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund overturned a 1925 Oregon law banning the wearing of turbans by teachers and government officials in 2010.[149]

Agriculture

Historically, most Indians have been farmers and 66 per cent of the Indian population are engaged in agriculture.[150] Indian Sikhs are employed in agriculture to a lesser extent; India's 2001 census found 39 per cent of the working population of the Punjab employed in this sector.[151] According to the Swedish political scientist Ishtiaq Ahmad, a factor in the success of the Indian green revolution was the "Sikh cultivator, often the Jat and Kamboj or Kamboh, whose courage, perseverance, spirit of enterprise and muscle prowess proved crucial."[152] However, Indian physicist Vandana Shiva[153] wrote that the green revolution made the "negative and destructive impacts of science (i.e. the green revolution) on nature and society" invisible, and was a catalyst for Punjabi Sikh and Hindu tensions despite a growth in material wealth.

Sikhs in modern history

Main article: List of Sikhs

Manmohan Singh is an Indian economist, academic, and politician who served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014. The first and only Sikh and non-Hindu in office, Singh was also the first prime minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to be re-elected after completing a full five-year term.

Notable Sikhs in science include nuclear scientist Piara Singh Gill, fibre-optics pioneer Narinder Singh Kapany; and physicist, science writer and broadcaster Simon Singh.

In business, the UK-based clothing retailers New Look and the Thai-based JASPAL[154] were founded by Sikhs. India's largest pharmaceutical company, Ranbaxy Laboratories, is headed by Sikhs.[155] Apollo Tyres is headed by Onkar Singh Kanwar. In Singapore, Kartar Singh Thakral expanded his family's trading business, Thakral Holdings,[156] into assets totalling almost US$1.4 billion and is Singapore's 25th-richest person. Sikh Bob Singh Dhillon is the first Indo-Canadian billionaire. Mastercard's CEO was a Sikh named Ajaypal Singh Banga.

In sports, Sikhs include England cricketer Monty Panesar; former 400-metre runner Milkha Singh; his son, professional golfer Jeev Milkha Singh; Indian wrestler and actor Dara Singh; former Indian hockey team captains Sandeep Singh, Ajitpal Singh and Balbir Singh Sr.; former Indian cricket captain Bishen Singh Bedi; Harbhajan Singh, India's most successful off spin cricket bowler; Yuvraj Singh, World Cup winning allrounder; Maninder Singh, World Cup winning off spinner; and Navjot Singh Sidhu, former Indian cricketer-turned-politician.

Sikhs in Bollywood, in the arts in general, include poet and lyricist Rajkavi Inderjeet Singh Tulsi; Gulzar; Jagjit Singh; Dharmendra; Sunny Deol; writer Khushwant Singh; actresses Neetu Singh, Simran Judge, Poonam Dhillon, Mahi Gill, Esha Deol, Parminder Nagra, Gul Panag, Mona Singh, Namrata Singh Gujral; and directors Gurinder Chadha and Parminder Gill.

Sikhs in Punjabi Music industry include Sidhu Moosewala, Diljit Dosanjh, Babu Singh Maan, Surjit Bindrakhia, Ammy Virk, Karan Aujla, Jazzy B, Miss Pooja.

In the Indian and British armies

Main article: Sikhs in the British Indian Army

According to a 1994 estimate, Punjabi Sikhs and Hindus comprised 10 to 15% of all ranks in the Indian Army. The Indian government does not release religious or ethnic origins of a military personnel, but a 1991 report by Tim McGirk estimated that 20% of Indian Army officers were Sikhs.[157] Together with the Gurkhas recruited from Nepal, the Maratha Light Infantry from Maharashtra and the Jat Regiment, the Sikhs are one of the few communities to have exclusive regiments in the Indian Army.[157] The Sikh Regiment is one of the most-decorated regiments in the army,[158] with 73 Battle Honours, 14 Victoria Crosses,[159] 21 first-class Indian Orders of Merit (equivalent to the Victoria Cross),[160] 15 Theatre Honours, 5 COAS Unit Citations, two Param Vir Chakras, 14 Maha Vir Chakras, 5 Kirti Chakras, 67 Vir Chakras, and 1,596 other awards. The highest-ranking general in the history of the Indian Air Force is a Punjabi Sikh, Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh.[161] Plans by the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence for a Sikh infantry regiment were scrapped in June 2007.[162]

Sikhs supported the British during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.[163] By the beginning of World War I, Sikhs in the British Indian Army totaled over 100,000 (20 per cent of the force). Until 1945, fourteen Victoria Crosses (VC) were awarded to Sikhs, a per-capita regimental record.[159] In 2002, the names of all Sikh VC and George Cross recipients were inscribed on the monument of the Memorial Gates[164] on Constitution Hill, next to Buckingham Palace.[165] Chanan Singh Dhillon was instrumental in campaigning for the memorial.

During World War I, Sikh battalions fought in Egypt, Palestine, Mesopotamia, Gallipoli and France. Six battalions of the Sikh Regiment were raised during World War II, serving in the Second Battle of El Alamein, the Burma and Italian campaigns and in Iraq, receiving 27 battle honours. Around the world, Sikhs are commemorated in Commonwealth cemeteries.[166]

  •  

    Sikhs in the First World War, marching with their scripture, Guru Granth Sahib

  •  

    French postcard depicting the arrival of the 15th Sikh Regiment in France during World War I; the bilingual postcard reads, "Gentlemen of India marching to chasten the German hooligans"

  •  

    Indian Sikh soldiers in the Italian campaign

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    Sikh soldier with captured Swastika flag of Nazi Germany

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    Japanese soldiers shooting blindfolded Sikh prisoners in World War II

Khalistan movement

 
Sikhs in London protesting against Indian government actions

The Khalistan movement is a Sikh separatist movement, which seeks to create a separate country called Khalistān ("The Land of the Khalsa") in the Punjab region of South Asia to serve as a homeland for Sikhs.[167] The territorial definition of the proposed country Khalistan consists of both the Punjab, India, along with Punjab, Pakistan, and includes parts of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Rajasthan.[168][169][170]

Khalistan movement began as an expatriate venture.[171] In 1971, the first explicit call for Khalistan was made in an advertisement published in the New York Times by an expat (Jagjit Singh Chohan).[172] By proclaiming the formation of Khalistan, he was able to collect millions of dollars from the Sikh diaspora.[173] On 12 April 1980, he declared the formation of the "National Council of Khalistan", at Anandpur Sahib.[174] He declared himself as the President of the council, and named Balbir Singh Sandhu as its Secretary General. In May 1980, Chohan traveled to London and announced the formation of Khalistan. A similar announcement was made by Balbir Singh Sandhu in Amritsar, where he began releasing stamps and currency of Khalistan. The inaction of the authorities in Amritsar and elsewhere was decried as a political stunt by the Congress(I) party of Indira Gandhi by the Akali Dal, headed by the Sikh leader Harchand Singh Longowal.[175]

The movement flourished in the Indian state of Punjab following Operation Blue Star. As proponents were able to generate funding from a grieving diaspora. In June 1985, Air India Flight 182 was bombed by Babbar Khalsa, a pro-Khalistani terrorist organization.[176] In January 1986, the Golden Temple was occupied by militants belonging to All India Sikh Students Federation and Damdami Taksal.[177] On 26 January 1986, a gathering known as the Sarbat Khalsa (a de facto parliament) passed a resolution (gurmattā) favouring the creation of Khalistan. Subsequently, a number of rebel militant groups in favour of Khalistan waged a major insurgency against the government of India. Indian security forces suppressed the insurgency in the early 1990s, but Sikh political groups such as the Khalsa Raj Party and SAD (A) continued to pursue an independent Khalistan through non-violent means.[178][179][180] Pro-Khalistan organisations such as Dal Khalsa (International) are also active outside India, supported by a section of the Sikh diaspora.[181]

In the 1990s, the insurgency abated,[182] and the movement failed to reach its objective due to multiple reasons including a heavy police crackdown on separatists, divisions among the Sikhs and loss of support from the Sikh population.[183] However, various pro-Khalistan groups, both political and militant, remain committed to the separatist movement. There are claims of funding from Sikhs outside India to attract young people into militant groups.[184]

Art and culture

Main articles: Sikh art and culture and Punjabi culture
 
Opaque watercolour-on-paper Nakashi art; about 1880, by an unknown artist from Lahore or Amritsar, and used to decorate the walls of Harmandir Sahib
 
Darbar Sahib, circa 1870

Sikh art and culture are nearly synonymous with that of Punjab, and Sikhs are easily recognised by their distinctive turban (Dastar). Punjab has been called India's melting pot, due to the confluence of invading cultures from the rivers from which the region gets its name. Sikh culture is therefore a synthesis of cultures. Sikhism has forged a unique architecture, which S. S. Bhatti described as "inspired by Guru Nanak's creative mysticism" and "is a mute harbinger of holistic humanism based on pragmatic spirituality".[185] The American non-profit organization United Sikhs has fought to have Sikh included on the U.S. census as well, arguing that Sikhs "self-identify as an ethnic minority" and believe "that they are more than just a religion".[186]

During the Mughal and Afghan persecution of the Sikhs during the 17th and 18th centuries,[187] the latter were concerned with preserving their religion and gave little thought to art and culture. With the rise of Ranjit Singh and the Sikh Raj in Lahore and Delhi, there was a change in the landscape of art and culture in Punjab; Hindus and Sikhs could build decorated shrines without the fear of destruction or looting.[188]

The Sikh Confederacy was the catalyst for a uniquely Sikh form of expression, with Ranjit Singh commissioning forts, palaces, bungas (residential places), and colleges in a Sikh style. Sikh architecture is characterised by gilded fluted domes, cupolas, kiosks, stone lanterns, ornate balusters, and square roofs. A pinnacle of Sikh style is Harmandir Sahib (also known as the Golden Temple) in Amritsar.

Sikh culture is influenced by militaristic motifs (with the Khanda the most obvious), and most Sikh artifacts—except for the relics of the Gurus—have a military theme. This theme is evident in the Sikh festivals of Hola Mohalla and Vaisakhi, which feature marching and displays of valor.

Although the art and culture of the Sikh diaspora have merged with that of other Indo-immigrant groups into categories like "British Asian", "Indo-Canadian" and "Desi-Culture", a minor cultural phenomenon that can be described as "political Sikh" has arisen.[189] The art of diaspora Sikhs like Amarjeet Kaur Nandhra, and Amrit and Rabindra Kaur Singh (The Singh Twins)[190] is influenced by their Sikhism and current affairs in Punjab.

Bhangra and Giddha are two forms of Punjabi folk dancing which have been adapted and pioneered by Sikhs. Punjabi Sikhs have championed these forms of expression worldwide, resulting in Sikh culture becoming linked to Bhangra (although "Bhangra is not a Sikh institution but a Punjabi one").[191]

Painting

 
Painting of Guru Nanak with companions, Bhai Mardana and Bhai Bala, in debate with the Siddhs

Sikh painting is a direct offshoot of the Kangra school of painting. In 1810, Ranjeet Singh (1780–1839) occupied Kangra Fort and appointed Sardar Desa Singh Majithia his governor of the Punjab hills. In 1813, the Sikh army occupied Guler State, and Raja Bhup Singh became a vassal of the Sikhs. With the Sikh kingdom of Lahore becoming the paramount power, some of the Pahari painters from Guler migrated to Lahore for the patronage of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh and his Sardars.

The Sikh school adapted Kangra painting to Sikh needs and ideals. Its main subjects are the ten Sikh gurus and stories from Guru Nanak's Janamsakhis. The tenth Guru, Gobind Singh, left a deep impression on the followers of the new faith because of his courage and sacrifices. Hunting scenes and portraits are also common in Sikh painting.

From 2007 to present renowned[peacock prose] Sikh painter Kanwar Singh has been creating exceptional paintings exclusively devoted to the Sikh religion and history for over ten years. His work is continually exhibited world-wide in prominent heritage sites such as the Virasat-e-Khalsa museum at Anandpur Sahib. A travelling art exhibition has been launched called, Journey of the Mind commencing its UK tour in the city of Birmingham before moving onto Bristol, Nottingham, Glasgow and London throughout 2022 and 2023.

Shrines

There is an old Sikh shrine called 'Prachin Guru Nanak Math', which lies at a small hill, just next to Bishnumati bridge at Balaju. Guru Nanak is said to have visited Nepal during his third Udasi while returning from Mount Kailash in Tibet. Nanak is said to have stayed at Balaju and Thapathali in Kathmandu. The Nanal Math shrine at Balaju is managed by the Guru-Ji and the Udasin Akardha, a sect developed by Guru Nanak's son, Sri Chandra.[192][193]

See also

Explanatory notes

  1. ^

    Guru Nanak has mentioned in his first composition of Jap Ji Sahib, which is recited daily by all practicing Sikhs that all souls are to be treated with care and respect as Waheguru is the Giver of all souls.

    "The Guru has given me this one understanding: there is only the One, the Giver of all souls. May I never forget Him!", Guru Granth Sahib, 2[135]

    Guru Nanak said that blessings are rained down when the lowly person, regardless of any background are cared for.

    "In that place where the lowly are cared for-there, the Blessings of Your Glance of Grace rain down.", Guru Granth Sahib, 15[136]

    Guru Nanak had spoken we need to prize humility above all and thus caste is not an issue.

    "One who takes pride in wealth and lands is a fool, blind and ignorant.

    One whose heart is mercifully blessed with abiding humility,

    O Nanak, is liberated here, and obtains peace hereafter." Granth Sahib, 278.[137]

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General and cited sources

  1. ^ The United States does not measure religion during its censuses. However, the 2021 American Community Survey found that 318,588 Americans spoke Punjabi at home.[15] The 2021 Canadian census found that 520,390 Canadians spoke Punjabi at home, and 771,790 were Sikhs.[16] Thus, it can be roughly estimated that there are around 472,498 Sikhs in the United States, using the ratio of Punjabi speakers to Sikhs.
  • Fair, C. Christine (2005). "Diaspora Involvement in Insurgencies: Insights from the Khalistan and Tamil Eelam Movements". Nationalism and Ethnic Politics. 11: 125–156. doi:10.1080/13537110590927845. S2CID 145552863.
  • Van Dyke, Virginia (2009). "The Khalistan Movement in Punjab, India, and the Post-Militancy Era: Structural Change and New Political Compulsions". Asian Survey. 49 (6): 975–997. doi:10.1525/as.2009.49.6.975.

Further reading

  • The Sikhs in History: A Millennium Study by Sangat Singh, Noel Quinton King. New York, 1995. ISBN 81-900650-2-5.
  • A History of the Sikhs: Volume 1: 1469–1838 by Khushwant Singh. Oxford India Paperbacks (13 January 2005). ISBN 0-19-567308-5.
  • The Sikhs by Patwant Singh. Image (17 July 2001). ISBN 0-385-50206-0
  • The Sikhs of the Punjab by J. S. Grewal. Published by Cambridge University Press (28 October 1998). ISBN 0-521-63764-3.
  • The Sikhs: History, Religion, and Society by W. H. McLeod. Published by Columbia University Press (15 April 1989). ISBN 0-231-06815-8
  • The Sikh Diaspora: Tradition and Change in an Immigrant Community (Asian Americans — Reconceptualising Culture, History, Politics) by Michael Angelo. Published by Routledge (1 September 1997). ISBN 0-8153-2985-7.
  • Glory of Sikhism by R. M. Chopra, Sanbun Publishers, 2001, OCLC 499896556, Glory of Sikhism at Google Books.
  • The Philosophical and Religious Thought of Sikhism by R. M. Chopra, 2014, Sparrow Publication, Kolkata, ISBN 978-81-89140-99-1.
  • The Construction of Religious Boundaries: Culture, Identity, and Diversity in the Sikh Tradition - H Oberoi - 1994 University of Chicago Press, ISBN 0-226-61592-8.
  • Architectural Heritage of a Sikh State: Faridkot by Subhash Parihar, Delhi: Aryan Books International, 2009, ISBN 978-81-7305-386-3.
  • A Study of Religions by R. M. Chopra, Anuradha Prakashan, New Delhi, 2015. ISBN 978-93-82339-94-6.

External links

 
Look up Sikh in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sikhs.
  • Sikhism at the BBC

January 18, 2023
sikhs, sikh, redirects, here, sikh, religion, sikhism, similar, word, punjabi, sikkh, sɪkkʰ, devanagari, ethno, religious, nation, adhere, sikhism, sikhi, monotheistic, religion, that, originated, late, 15th, century, punjab, region, indian, subcontinent, base. Sikh redirects here For the Sikh religion see Sikhism For a similar word see Sik Sikhs s iː k or s ɪ k Punjabi ਸ ਖ sikkh sɪkkʰ Devanagari स ख are an ethno religious nation who adhere to Sikhism Sikhi a monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent based on the revelation of Guru Nanak 54 The term Sikh has its origin in the Sanskrit word siṣya श ष य meaning disciple or student 55 56 57 SikhsMaharaja Ranjit Singh listening to Guru Granth Sahib being recited at the Golden Temple AmritsarTotal populationc 25 30 million 0 40 of the global population 1 2 3 4 5 FounderGuru Nanak DevRegions with significant populations India24 000 000 28 000 000 6 7 8 9 Canada771 790 10 11 United Kingdom524 000 12 13 14 United States500 000 nb 1 17 Australia210 400 18 Italy150 000 19 20 21 Malaysia120 000 22 23 24 UAE52 000 25 Philippines50 000 26 27 New Zealand40 908 28 Thailand40 000 29 Oman35 540 30 Spain26 000 31 Germany15 000 32 Hong Kong15 000 33 Kuwait15 000 34 35 Cyprus13 280 36 37 Singapore12 000 38 Indonesia10 000 39 Belgium10 000 40 Austria9 000 41 France8 000 42 Portugal7 000 43 Saudi Arabia6 700 44 Pakistan6 146 45 Kenya6 000 46 Norway4 080 47 Denmark4 000 48 Sweden4 000 49 ReligionsSikhismScripturesGuru Granth Sahib Dasam BaniLanguagesPrimary Punjabi and its dialects Gurmukhi script 50 51 Guru Gobind Singh wrote letters to Aurangzeb Zafarnama and the Hikaaitaan written in the Persian alphabet Sikh coins were minted in Gurmukhi and Persian during misls and Sikh Empire 52 Secondary Largely Influenced by Nationality English Hindi French Italian Malay Arabic Filipino Thai Spanish German Chinese Greek Turkish Indonesian Dutch Portuguese Urdu Swahili Norwegian Danish Swedish Liturgical Sant Bhasha 53 This article contains Indic text Without proper rendering support you may see question marks or boxes misplaced vowels or missing conjuncts instead of Indic text Male Sikhs generally have Singh lion as their last name though not all Singhs are necessarily Sikhs likewise female Sikhs have Kaur princess as their last name These unique last names were given by the Gurus to allow Sikhs to stand out and also as an act of defiance to India s caste system which the Gurus were always against Sikhs strongly believe in the idea of Sarbat Da Bhala Welfare of all and are often seen on the frontline to provide humanitarian aid across the world Sikhs who have undergone the Amrit Sanchar baptism by Khanda an initiation ceremony are from the day of their initiation known as Khalsa and they must at all times have on their bodies five Ks kesh uncut hair usually kept covered by a dastar also known as a turban kara an iron or steel bracelet kirpan a dagger like sword tucked into a gatra strap or a kamar kasa waistband kachera a cotton undergarment and kanga a small wooden comb The Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent has been the historic homeland of the Sikhs having even been ruled by the Sikhs for significant parts of the 18th and 19th centuries Today Canada has the largest national Sikh proportion 2 1 in the world 10 while Punjab state in India has the largest Sikh proportion 58 amongst all administrative divisions in the world Many countries such as Canada and the United Kingdom recognize Sikhs as a designated religion on their censuses 58 and as of 2020 Sikhs are considered as a separate ethnic group in the United States 59 Contents 1 History 1 1 British rule in India 1 2 Partition and post Partition 2 Culture and religious observations 2 1 Daily routine 2 2 Five Ks 2 3 Music and instruments 3 Demographics 3 1 Migration 3 2 Growth 3 3 Castes 3 4 3HO 4 Diaspora 5 Agriculture 6 Sikhs in modern history 7 In the Indian and British armies 8 Khalistan movement 9 Art and culture 9 1 Painting 9 2 Shrines 10 See also 11 Explanatory notes 12 References 12 1 Citations 12 2 General and cited sources 13 Further reading 14 External linksHistory EditMain article History of Sikhism Gurdwara Janam Asthan the birthplace of Guru Nanak Guru Nanak 1469 1539 the founder of Sikhism was born in a Hindu family to Mehta Kalu and Mata Tripta in the village of Talwandi present day Nankana Sahib near Lahore 60 Throughout his life Guru Nanak was a religious leader and social reformer However Sikh political history may be said to begin in 1606 with the death of the fifth Sikh guru Guru Arjan Dev 61 Religious practices were formalised by Guru Gobind Singh on 30 March 1699 when the Guru initiated five people from a variety of social backgrounds known as the Panj Piare beloved five to form a collective body of initiated Sikhs known as the Khalsa pure 62 The early followers of Guru Nanak were Khatris but later a large number of Jats joined the faith 63 Khatris and Brahmins opposed the demand that the Sikhs set aside the distinctive customs of their castes and families including the older rituals 64 The Sikh Empire at its greatest extent During the rule of the Mughal Empire in India two Sikh gurus were martyred Guru Arjan was martyred on suspicion of helping in betrayal of Mughal Emperor Jahangir and Guru Tegh Bahadur was martyred by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb 65 As the Sikh faith grew the Sikhs subsequently militarized to oppose Mughal rule citation needed Guru Gobind Singh Ji was assassinated in 1708 by two pathans citation needed The Samadhi of Emperor Ranjit Singh in Lahore Pakistan The Golden Temple A Sikh Khalsa Army sowar s battle helmet After defeating the Afghans and Mughals sovereign states called Misls were formed under Jassa Singh Ahluwalia The Confederacy of these states was unified and transformed into the Sikh Empire under Maharaja Ranjit Singh This era was characterised by religious tolerance and pluralism including Christians Muslims and Hindus in positions of power Its secular administration implemented military economic and governmental reforms The empire is considered the zenith of political Sikhism 66 encompassing Kashmir Ladakh and Peshawar Hari Singh Nalwa the commander in chief of the Sikh Khalsa Army in the North West Frontier expanded the confederacy to the Khyber Pass British rule in India Edit Sikh armour and weapons Sikh Sardar photograph by John McCosh taken in circa 1848 49 After the annexation of the Sikh kingdom by the British the British Army began recruiting significant numbers of Sikhs and Punjabis citation needed During the 1857 Indian mutiny the Sikhs stayed loyal to the British resulting in heavy recruitment from Punjab to the British Indian Army for the next 90 years of the British Raj in colonial India 67 The distinct turban that differentiates a Sikh from other turban wearers is a relic of the rules of the British Indian Army 68 The British colonial rule saw the emergence of many reform movements in India including Punjab such as the formation of the First and Second Singh Sabha in 1873 and 1879 respectively The Sikh leaders of the Singh Sabha worked to offer a clear definition of Sikh identity and tried to purify Sikh belief and practice 69 The later years of British colonial rule saw the emergence of the Akali movement to bring reform in the gurdwaras during the early 1920s The movement led to the introduction of Sikh Gurdwara Bill in 1925 which placed all the historical Sikh shrines in India under the control of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee 70 Partition and post Partition Edit At the time of the Indian independence movement the Sikh ruler of the Kapurthala State fought to oppose the partition of India and advocated for a united secular country 71 Sikh organizations including the Chief Khalsa Dewan and Shiromani Akali Dal led by Master Tara Singh condemned the Lahore Resolution and the movement to create Pakistan viewing it as inviting possible persecution The Sikhs therefore strongly fought against the partition of India 72 The months leading up to the 1947 partition of India were marked by conflict in the Punjab between Sikhs and Muslims 73 This caused the religious migration of Punjabi Sikhs and Hindus from West Punjab to the east modern India mirroring a simultaneous religious migration of Punjabi Muslims from East Punjab to the west modern Pakistan 74 Following partition the Government of India had begun to redraw states corresponding to demographic and linguistic boundaries However this was not effective in the northern part of the country 75 as the government reconsidered redrawing states in the north 76 While states across the country were extensively redrawn on linguistic lines at the behest of linguistic groups the only languages not considered for statehood were Punjabi Sindhi and Urdu 77 Leading to the launch of the Punjabi Suba movement and the presentation for a Punjabi Suba as a policy in April 1948 by Master Tara Singh Also on 26 January 1950 Sikh representatives refused to sign the Indian constitution As Sikhs were recognized as Hindus and Sikhs were not provided with scheduled castes concessions given to Hindu scheduled castes The Punjab Suba experienced heavy government crackdown with the Congress Government arresting as many as 21 000 people Attempted negotiations with Congress led the agitation to be adjourned twice though Jawaharlal Nehru continued to reject the demand 78 79 On 4 July 1955 government police forces led by DIG Ashwini Kumar 80 would forced entry into the Golden Temple premises and heavy handedly arrested protestors and took them into custody along with the head granthis of the Akal Takht and Golden Temple volunteer protestors and even cooks of the temple s langar 81 The Guru Ram Das Serai and Shiromani Akali Dal offices were also raided and batons used and tear gas and shells were fired to disperse the protestors gathered on the periphery of the temple damaging the periphery and Sarovar or pool of the temple 81 82 The government stopped volunteers on the way to the Golden Temple and troops were ordered to flag march through the bazaars and streets surrounding the site 82 Over 200 protestors were killed thousands arrested 82 and thousands including women and children were injured The Congress government agreed to the Punjab Suba in 1966 after protests and recommendation of the States Reorganisation Commission 83 The state of East Punjab was later split into the states of Himachal Pradesh the new state Haryana and current day Punjab 84 However there was a growing alienation between Punjabi Sikh and Hindu populations The latter of which reported Hindi rather than Punjabi as their primary language The result was that Punjabi speaking areas were left out of the new state and given to Haryana and Himachal Pradesh 85 resulting in the state of Punjab to be roughly 35 000 square miles smaller than the Punjabi speaking areas based on pre 1947 census figures Moreover the 1966 reorganization left Sikhs highly dissatisfied with the capital Chandigarh being made into a shared a union territory and the capital of Punjab and Haryana In the late 1960s the Green Revolution in India was first introduced in Punjab as part of a development program issued by international donor agencies and the Government of India 86 While Green Revolution in Punjab had several positive impacts the introduction of the mechanised agricultural techniques led to uneven distribution of wealth The industrial development was not done at the same pace as agricultural development the Indian government had been reluctant to set up heavy industries in Punjab due to its status as a high risk border state with Pakistan 87 The rapid increase in the higher education opportunities without an adequate rise in the jobs resulted in the increase in the unemployment of educated youth 83 In 1973 as a result of unaddressed grievances and increasing inequality the Akali Dal put forward the Anandpur Sahib Resolution 88 The resolution included both religious and political issues It asked for recognising Sikhism as a religion it also demanded the devolution of power from the Central to state governments 83 The Anandpur Resolution was rejected by the government as a secessionist document Thousands of people joined the movement feeling that it represented a real solution to demands such as a larger share of water for irrigation and the return of Chandigarh to Punjab 89 After unsuccessful negotiations the Dharam Yuddh Morcha righteous campaign 90 was launched on 4 August 1982 citation needed by the Akali Dal in partnership with Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale with its stated aim being the fulfillment of a set of devolutionary objectives based on the Anandpur Sahib Resolution 90 Indian police responded to protestors with high handed police methods creating state repression affecting a very large segment of Punjab s population Police brutality resulted in retaliatory violence from a section of the Sikh population widening the scope of the conflict by the use of violence of the state on its own people 91 A state of chaos and repressive police methods combined to create a mood of overwhelming anger and resentment in the Sikh masses against the authorities Leading to Sikh leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale gaining prominence and demands of independence gain currency even amongst moderates and Sikh intellectuals 91 In 1982 and early 1983 extrajudicial killings by the police of orthodox Sikh youth in rural areas in Punjab provoked reprisals 92 Over 190 Sikhs had been killed in the first 19 months of the protest movement 93 In May 1984 a Grain Roko morcha was planned and to be initiated on 3 June 94 with protestors practising civil disobedience by refusing to pay land revenue water or electricity bills and blocking the flow of grain out of Punjab Indian Prime minister Indira Gandhi launched Operation Blue Star on 1 June prior to the Grain Roko morcha in order to remove Bhindranwale from the Golden Temple This subsequently lead to Gandhi s assassination by her Sikh bodyguards 95 Her assassination was followed by riots against Sikh communities and the killing of thousands of Sikhs throughout India These events triggered an Insurgency in Punjab which would consume Punjab until the early 1990s During the day of Vaisakhi in 1999 Sikhs worldwide celebrated the 300th anniversary of the creation of the Khalsa Canada Post honoured Sikh Canadians with a commemorative stamp in conjunction with the anniversary Likewise on 9 April 1999 Indian president K R Narayanan issued a stamp commemorating the 300th anniversary of the Khalsa as well 96 Culture and religious observations EditAccording to Article I of Chapter 1 of the Sikh Rehat Maryada code of conduct the definition of Sikh is 97 Any human being who faithfully believes in i One Immortal Being ii Ten Gurus from Guru Nanak Sahib to Guru Gobind Singh Sahib iii The Guru Granth Sahib iv The utterances and teachings of the ten Gurus andv the baptism bequeathed by the tenth Guru and who does not owe allegiance to any other religion is a Sikh Daily routine Edit From the Guru Granth Sahib 98 One who calls themself a Sikh of the Guru the True Guru shall rise in the early morning hours and meditate on the Lord s Name Upon arising early in the morning he is to bathe and cleanse himself in the pool of nectar Following the Instructions of the Guru he is to chant the Name of the Lord Har Har All sins misdeeds and negativity shall be then erased Then at the rising of the sun he is to sing Gurbani whether sitting down or standing up he is to meditate on the Lord s Name One who meditates on my Lord Har Har with every breath and every morsel of food and that GurSikh becomes pleasing to the Guru s Mind That person unto whom my Lord and Master is kind and compassionate upon that GurSikh the Guru s Teachings are bestowed Servant Nanak begs for the dust of the feet of that GurSikh who himself chants the Naam and inspires others to chant it Fourth Mehl Guru Ram Das Guru Granth Sahib p 305 The Sikh Rahit Maryada Code of Conduct clearly states that baptized Amritdhari Khalsa Sikhs must recite or listen to the recitation of Japji Sahib Jaap Sahib the 10 Sawayyas Sodar Rehraas and Sohila 99 100 Every Sikh is also supposed take the Hukam divine order from the Guru Granth Sahib after awakening in the ambrosial hours of the morning three hours before the dawn before eating 101 In his 52 Hukams Guru Gobind Singh orders his followers to arise during Amritvela early morning and to recite the late evening prayer Sohila and the verse Pavan guru pani pita before sleeping Five Ks Edit Main articles The Five Ks Khalsa and Sahajdhari Kanga Kara and Kirpan three of the five Sikh articles of faith The five Ks panj kakaar are five articles of faith which all baptized Amritdhari Sikhs are obliged to wear The symbols represent the ideals of Sikhism honesty equality fidelity meditating on Waheguru and never bowing to tyranny 102 The five symbols are Kesh Uncut hair usually tied and wrapped in a turban Kanga A wooden comb usually worn under a turban to always also keep one s hair clean and well groomed Kachera Cotton undergarments worn by both sexes the kachera is a symbol of chastity and also a symbol of cleanliness It is also historically appropriate in battle due to increased mobility and comfort when compared to a dhoti Kara An iron bracelet a symbol of eternity strength and a constant reminder of the strength of will to keep hands away from any kind of unethical practices Kirpan An iron blade in different sizes In the UK Sikhs can wear a small dagger but in Punjab they might wear a traditional curved sword from one to three feet in length Kirpan is only a weapon of defense and religious protection used to serve humanity and to be used against oppression Music and instruments Edit Woman playing the dilruba Main article Sikh music The Sikhs have a number of musical instruments including the rebab dilruba taus jori and sarinda Playing the sarangi was encouraged by Guru Hargobind The rebab was played by Bhai Mardana as he accompanied Guru Nanak on his journeys The jori and sarinda were introduced to Sikh devotional music by Guru Arjan The taus Persian for peacock was designed by Guru Hargobind who supposedly heard a peacock singing and wanted to create an instrument mimicking its sounds The dilruba was designed by Guru Gobind Singh at the request of his followers who wanted a smaller instrument than the taus After Japji Sahib all of the shabad in the Guru Granth Sahib were composed as raags This type of singing is known as Gurmat Sangeet When they marched into battle the Sikhs would play a Ranjit nagara victory drum to boost morale Nagaras usually two to three feet in diameter although some were up to five feet in diameter are played with two sticks The beat of the large drums and the raising of the Nishan Sahib meant that the Singhs were on their way Demographics EditMain article Sikh diaspora India s Sikh population and their percentage of the total population Sikhs number about 25 30 million worldwide of whom 24 28 million live in India which thus represents around 90 of the total Sikh population 103 104 105 106 9 107 About 76 of all Indian Sikhs live in the northern Indian State of Punjab forming a majority of about 58 per cent of the state s population roughly around 16 million 108 109 110 Karnail Singh Panjoli member of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee says that there are several communities within the term Nanakpanthis too Apart from Sindhi Hindus There are groups like Sikhligarh Vanjaarey Nirmaley Lubaney Johri Satnamiye Udaasiyas Punjabi Hindus etc who call themselves Nanakpanthis despite being Hindus 111 Substantial communities of Sikhs live in the Indian states or union territories of Haryana where they number around 1 2 million and form 4 91 of the population Rajasthan 872k or 1 27 of the population Uttar Pradesh 643k 0 32 Delhi 570k 3 4 Uttarakhand 236k 2 34 Jammu and Kashmir 234k 1 87 Chandigarh 138k 13 11 and Himachal Pradesh 86k 1 16 Canada is home to the largest national Sikh proportion 2 1 percent of the total population in the world 10 A substantial community of Sikhs exist in the western province of British Columbia numbering nearly 300 000 persons and forming approximately 5 9 percent of the total population This represents the third largest Sikh proportion amongst all global administrative divisions behind only Punjab and Chandigarh in India Furthermore British Columbia 112 Manitoba and Yukon hold the distinction of being three of the only four administrative divisions in the world with Sikhism as the second most followed religion among the population 115 Migration Edit Sikh migration from British India began in earnest during the second half of the 19th century when the British completed their annexation of the Punjab which led to Sikh migration throughout India and the British Empire During the Raj semiskilled Sikh artisans were transported from the Punjab to British East Africa to help build railroads Sikhs emigrated from India after World War II most going to the United Kingdom but many also to North America Some Sikhs who had settled in eastern Africa were expelled by Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in 1972 116 Economics is a major factor in Sikh migration and significant communities exist in the United Kingdom the United States Malaysia East Africa Australia Singapore and Thailand Map showing world Sikh population areas and historical migration patterns 2004 estimate 117 After the Partition of India in 1947 many Sikhs from what would become the Punjab of Pakistan migrated to India as well as to Afghanistan due to fear of persecution Afghanistan was home to hundreds of thousands of Sikhs and Hindus as of the 1970s but due to the wars in Afghanistan in the 2010s the vast majority of Afghan Sikhs had migrated to India Pakistan or the west 118 119 120 Although the rate of Sikh migration from the Punjab has remained high traditional patterns of Sikh migration favouring English speaking countries particularly the United Kingdom have changed during the past decade due to stricter immigration laws Moliner 2006 wrote that as a consequence of Sikh migration to the UK becoming virtually impossible since the late 1970s migration patterns evolved to continental Europe 121 Italy is a rapidly growing destination for Sikh migration 122 with Reggio Emilia and Vicenza having significant Sikh population clusters 123 Italian Sikhs are generally involved in agriculture agricultural processing the manufacture of machine tools and horticulture 124 Growth Edit A group of Sikh people Johnson and Barrett 2004 estimate that the global Sikh population increases annually by 392 633 1 7 per year based on 2004 figures this percentage includes births deaths and conversions Primarily for socio economic reasons Indian Sikhs have the lowest adjusted growth rate of any major religious group in India at 16 9 percent per decade estimated from 1991 to 2001 and it have further declined to just 8 4 per cent in 2011 census report 125 126 Sikhs in the world have the lowest fertility rate of 1 6 children per women as per 2019 20 estimation research 127 128 The Sikh population has the lowest gender balance in India with only 903 women per 1 000 men according to the 2011 Indian census 129 The estimated world s Sikh population was over 30 million in 2020 and it will reach 42 million by 2050 It is expected to increase up to 62 million by 2100 given that the anticipated growth rate of 1 7 per year and adding at least 400 000 followers annually 130 126 Sikhism is the fastest growing religion in Canada Australia and New Zealand 131 10 132 133 Castes Edit Since Sikhism has never actively sought converts Sikhs have remained a relatively homogeneous ethnic group Caste may still be practiced by some Sikhs despite Guru Nanak s calls for treating everyone equally in Sri Granth Sahib 134 note 1 Along with Guru Nanak other Sikh gurus had also denounced the hierarchy of the caste system however they all belonged to the same caste the Khatris 138 Most Sikhs belong to the Jat Jatt traditionally agrarian in occupation 139 Despite being very small in numbers the Khatri and Arora Moneylenders castes also wield considerable influence within the Sikh community Other common Sikh castes include Ahluwalias brewers Kambojs or Kambos rural caste Ramgarhias artisans Brahman Priestly class Rajputs kshatriyas Sainis agrarian Rai Sikh rural caste Labanas merchants Kumhars Mazhabi and the Ramdasia Ravidasias Chamar 140 Some Sikhs especially those belonging to the landowning dominant castes have not shed all their prejudices against the Dalits While Dalits were allowed entry into the village gurdwaras in some gurdwaras they were not be permitted to cook or serve langar communal meal Therefore wherever they could mobilize resources the Sikh Dalits of Punjab have tried to construct their own gurdwara and other local level institutions in order to attain a certain degree of cultural autonomy 134 In 1953 Sikh leader and activist Master Tara Singh succeeded in persuading the Indian government to include Sikh castes of the converted untouchables in the list of scheduled castes 141 In the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee 20 of the 140 seats are reserved for low caste Sikhs 141 Other castes over 1 000 members include the Arain Bhatra Bairagi Bania Basith Bawaria Bazigar Bhabra Chamar Chhimba cotton farmers Darzi Dhobi Gujar Jhinwar Kahar Kalal Kumhar Lohar Mahtam Megh Mirasi Mochi Nai Ramgharia Sansi Sudh Tarkhan and Kashyap citation needed 3HO Edit The 3HO Healthy Happy Holy organization or Sikh Dharma International claims to have inspired a moderate growth in non Indian adherents of Sikhism 142 They are mainly centered around Espanola New Mexico and Los Angeles California United States of America Diaspora EditAs Sikhs wear turbans and keep beards Sikh men in Western countries have been mistaken for Muslim Arabic and or Afghan since the September 11 attacks and the Iraq War 143 144 Several days after the 9 11 attacks Sikh American gas station owner Balbir Singh Sodhi was murdered in Arizona by a man who took Sodhi to be a member of al Qaeda marking the first recorded hate crime in America motivated by 9 11 CNN would go on to suggest an increase in hate crimes against Sikh men in the US and the UK after the 9 11 attacks 143 144 In an attempt to foster Sikh leaders in the Western world youth initiatives by a number of organisations exist The Sikh Youth Alliance of North America sponsors an annual Sikh Youth Symposium The Sikh diaspora has been most successful in the UK and UK Sikhs have the highest percentage of home ownership 82 of any religious community 145 UK Sikhs are the second wealthiest religious group in the UK after the Jewish community with a median total household wealth of 229 000 146 In May 2019 the UK government exempted Kirpan from the list of banned knives The U K government passed an amendment by which Sikhs in the country would be allowed to carry kirpans and use them during religious and cultural functions The bill was amended to ensure that it would not impact the right of the British Sikh community to possess and supply kirpans or religious swords 147 148 Similarly the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund overturned a 1925 Oregon law banning the wearing of turbans by teachers and government officials in 2010 149 Agriculture EditHistorically most Indians have been farmers and 66 per cent of the Indian population are engaged in agriculture 150 Indian Sikhs are employed in agriculture to a lesser extent India s 2001 census found 39 per cent of the working population of the Punjab employed in this sector 151 According to the Swedish political scientist Ishtiaq Ahmad a factor in the success of the Indian green revolution was the Sikh cultivator often the Jat and Kamboj or Kamboh whose courage perseverance spirit of enterprise and muscle prowess proved crucial 152 However Indian physicist Vandana Shiva 153 wrote that the green revolution made the negative and destructive impacts of science i e the green revolution on nature and society invisible and was a catalyst for Punjabi Sikh and Hindu tensions despite a growth in material wealth Sikhs in modern history EditMain article List of Sikhs Manmohan Singh is an Indian economist academic and politician who served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014 The first and only Sikh and non Hindu in office Singh was also the first prime minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to be re elected after completing a full five year term Notable Sikhs in science include nuclear scientist Piara Singh Gill fibre optics pioneer Narinder Singh Kapany and physicist science writer and broadcaster Simon Singh In business the UK based clothing retailers New Look and the Thai based JASPAL 154 were founded by Sikhs India s largest pharmaceutical company Ranbaxy Laboratories is headed by Sikhs 155 Apollo Tyres is headed by Onkar Singh Kanwar In Singapore Kartar Singh Thakral expanded his family s trading business Thakral Holdings 156 into assets totalling almost US 1 4 billion and is Singapore s 25th richest person Sikh Bob Singh Dhillon is the first Indo Canadian billionaire Mastercard s CEO was a Sikh named Ajaypal Singh Banga In sports Sikhs include England cricketer Monty Panesar former 400 metre runner Milkha Singh his son professional golfer Jeev Milkha Singh Indian wrestler and actor Dara Singh former Indian hockey team captains Sandeep Singh Ajitpal Singh and Balbir Singh Sr former Indian cricket captain Bishen Singh Bedi Harbhajan Singh India s most successful off spin cricket bowler Yuvraj Singh World Cup winning allrounder Maninder Singh World Cup winning off spinner and Navjot Singh Sidhu former Indian cricketer turned politician Sikhs in Bollywood in the arts in general include poet and lyricist Rajkavi Inderjeet Singh Tulsi Gulzar Jagjit Singh Dharmendra Sunny Deol writer Khushwant Singh actresses Neetu Singh Simran Judge Poonam Dhillon Mahi Gill Esha Deol Parminder Nagra Gul Panag Mona Singh Namrata Singh Gujral and directors Gurinder Chadha and Parminder Gill Sikhs in Punjabi Music industry include Sidhu Moosewala Diljit Dosanjh Babu Singh Maan Surjit Bindrakhia Ammy Virk Karan Aujla Jazzy B Miss Pooja In the Indian and British armies EditMain article Sikhs in the British Indian Army According to a 1994 estimate Punjabi Sikhs and Hindus comprised 10 to 15 of all ranks in the Indian Army The Indian government does not release religious or ethnic origins of a military personnel but a 1991 report by Tim McGirk estimated that 20 of Indian Army officers were Sikhs 157 Together with the Gurkhas recruited from Nepal the Maratha Light Infantry from Maharashtra and the Jat Regiment the Sikhs are one of the few communities to have exclusive regiments in the Indian Army 157 The Sikh Regiment is one of the most decorated regiments in the army 158 with 73 Battle Honours 14 Victoria Crosses 159 21 first class Indian Orders of Merit equivalent to the Victoria Cross 160 15 Theatre Honours 5 COAS Unit Citations two Param Vir Chakras 14 Maha Vir Chakras 5 Kirti Chakras 67 Vir Chakras and 1 596 other awards The highest ranking general in the history of the Indian Air Force is a Punjabi Sikh Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh 161 Plans by the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence for a Sikh infantry regiment were scrapped in June 2007 162 Sikhs supported the British during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 163 By the beginning of World War I Sikhs in the British Indian Army totaled over 100 000 20 per cent of the force Until 1945 fourteen Victoria Crosses VC were awarded to Sikhs a per capita regimental record 159 In 2002 the names of all Sikh VC and George Cross recipients were inscribed on the monument of the Memorial Gates 164 on Constitution Hill next to Buckingham Palace 165 Chanan Singh Dhillon was instrumental in campaigning for the memorial During World War I Sikh battalions fought in Egypt Palestine Mesopotamia Gallipoli and France Six battalions of the Sikh Regiment were raised during World War II serving in the Second Battle of El Alamein the Burma and Italian campaigns and in Iraq receiving 27 battle honours Around the world Sikhs are commemorated in Commonwealth cemeteries 166 Sikhs in the First World War marching with their scripture Guru Granth Sahib French postcard depicting the arrival of the 15th Sikh Regiment in France during World War I the bilingual postcard reads Gentlemen of India marching to chasten the German hooligans Indian Sikh soldiers in the Italian campaign Sikh soldier with captured Swastika flag of Nazi Germany Japanese soldiers shooting blindfolded Sikh prisoners in World War IIKhalistan movement Edit Sikhs in London protesting against Indian government actions The Khalistan movement is a Sikh separatist movement which seeks to create a separate country called Khalistan The Land of the Khalsa in the Punjab region of South Asia to serve as a homeland for Sikhs 167 The territorial definition of the proposed country Khalistan consists of both the Punjab India along with Punjab Pakistan and includes parts of Haryana Himachal Pradesh Jammu and Kashmir and Rajasthan 168 169 170 Khalistan movement began as an expatriate venture 171 In 1971 the first explicit call for Khalistan was made in an advertisement published in the New York Times by an expat Jagjit Singh Chohan 172 By proclaiming the formation of Khalistan he was able to collect millions of dollars from the Sikh diaspora 173 On 12 April 1980 he declared the formation of the National Council of Khalistan at Anandpur Sahib 174 He declared himself as the President of the council and named Balbir Singh Sandhu as its Secretary General In May 1980 Chohan traveled to London and announced the formation of Khalistan A similar announcement was made by Balbir Singh Sandhu in Amritsar where he began releasing stamps and currency of Khalistan The inaction of the authorities in Amritsar and elsewhere was decried as a political stunt by the Congress I party of Indira Gandhi by the Akali Dal headed by the Sikh leader Harchand Singh Longowal 175 The movement flourished in the Indian state of Punjab following Operation Blue Star As proponents were able to generate funding from a grieving diaspora In June 1985 Air India Flight 182 was bombed by Babbar Khalsa a pro Khalistani terrorist organization 176 In January 1986 the Golden Temple was occupied by militants belonging to All India Sikh Students Federation and Damdami Taksal 177 On 26 January 1986 a gathering known as the Sarbat Khalsa a de facto parliament passed a resolution gurmatta favouring the creation of Khalistan Subsequently a number of rebel militant groups in favour of Khalistan waged a major insurgency against the government of India Indian security forces suppressed the insurgency in the early 1990s but Sikh political groups such as the Khalsa Raj Party and SAD A continued to pursue an independent Khalistan through non violent means 178 179 180 Pro Khalistan organisations such as Dal Khalsa International are also active outside India supported by a section of the Sikh diaspora 181 In the 1990s the insurgency abated 182 and the movement failed to reach its objective due to multiple reasons including a heavy police crackdown on separatists divisions among the Sikhs and loss of support from the Sikh population 183 However various pro Khalistan groups both political and militant remain committed to the separatist movement There are claims of funding from Sikhs outside India to attract young people into militant groups 184 Art and culture EditMain articles Sikh art and culture and Punjabi culture Opaque watercolour on paper Nakashi art about 1880 by an unknown artist from Lahore or Amritsar and used to decorate the walls of Harmandir Sahib Darbar Sahib circa 1870 Sikh art and culture are nearly synonymous with that of Punjab and Sikhs are easily recognised by their distinctive turban Dastar Punjab has been called India s melting pot due to the confluence of invading cultures from the rivers from which the region gets its name Sikh culture is therefore a synthesis of cultures Sikhism has forged a unique architecture which S S Bhatti described as inspired by Guru Nanak s creative mysticism and is a mute harbinger of holistic humanism based on pragmatic spirituality 185 The American non profit organization United Sikhs has fought to have Sikh included on the U S census as well arguing that Sikhs self identify as an ethnic minority and believe that they are more than just a religion 186 During the Mughal and Afghan persecution of the Sikhs during the 17th and 18th centuries 187 the latter were concerned with preserving their religion and gave little thought to art and culture With the rise of Ranjit Singh and the Sikh Raj in Lahore and Delhi there was a change in the landscape of art and culture in Punjab Hindus and Sikhs could build decorated shrines without the fear of destruction or looting 188 The Sikh Confederacy was the catalyst for a uniquely Sikh form of expression with Ranjit Singh commissioning forts palaces bungas residential places and colleges in a Sikh style Sikh architecture is characterised by gilded fluted domes cupolas kiosks stone lanterns ornate balusters and square roofs A pinnacle of Sikh style is Harmandir Sahib also known as the Golden Temple in Amritsar Sikh culture is influenced by militaristic motifs with the Khanda the most obvious and most Sikh artifacts except for the relics of the Gurus have a military theme This theme is evident in the Sikh festivals of Hola Mohalla and Vaisakhi which feature marching and displays of valor Although the art and culture of the Sikh diaspora have merged with that of other Indo immigrant groups into categories like British Asian Indo Canadian and Desi Culture a minor cultural phenomenon that can be described as political Sikh has arisen 189 The art of diaspora Sikhs like Amarjeet Kaur Nandhra and Amrit and Rabindra Kaur Singh The Singh Twins 190 is influenced by their Sikhism and current affairs in Punjab Bhangra and Giddha are two forms of Punjabi folk dancing which have been adapted and pioneered by Sikhs Punjabi Sikhs have championed these forms of expression worldwide resulting in Sikh culture becoming linked to Bhangra although Bhangra is not a Sikh institution but a Punjabi one 191 Painting Edit Painting of Guru Nanak with companions Bhai Mardana and Bhai Bala in debate with the Siddhs Sikh painting is a direct offshoot of the Kangra school of painting In 1810 Ranjeet Singh 1780 1839 occupied Kangra Fort and appointed Sardar Desa Singh Majithia his governor of the Punjab hills In 1813 the Sikh army occupied Guler State and Raja Bhup Singh became a vassal of the Sikhs With the Sikh kingdom of Lahore becoming the paramount power some of the Pahari painters from Guler migrated to Lahore for the patronage of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh and his Sardars The Sikh school adapted Kangra painting to Sikh needs and ideals Its main subjects are the ten Sikh gurus and stories from Guru Nanak s Janamsakhis The tenth Guru Gobind Singh left a deep impression on the followers of the new faith because of his courage and sacrifices Hunting scenes and portraits are also common in Sikh painting From 2007 to present renowned peacock prose Sikh painter Kanwar Singh has been creating exceptional paintings exclusively devoted to the Sikh religion and history for over ten years His work is continually exhibited world wide in prominent heritage sites such as the Virasat e Khalsa museum at Anandpur Sahib A travelling art exhibition has been launched called Journey of the Mind commencing its UK tour in the city of Birmingham before moving onto Bristol Nottingham Glasgow and London throughout 2022 and 2023 Shrines Edit There is an old Sikh shrine called Prachin Guru Nanak Math which lies at a small hill just next to Bishnumati bridge at Balaju Guru Nanak is said to have visited Nepal during his third Udasi while returning from Mount Kailash in Tibet Nanak is said to have stayed at Balaju and Thapathali in Kathmandu The Nanal Math shrine at Balaju is managed by the Guru Ji and the Udasin Akardha a sect developed by Guru Nanak s son Sri Chandra 192 193 See also EditHistory of Punjab Ganga Sagar urn Jat Sikh List of British Sikhs Mazhabi Sikh Sikhism by country Sikhism in India Turban training centreExplanatory notes Edit Guru Nanak has mentioned in his first composition of Jap Ji Sahib which is recited daily by all practicing Sikhs that all souls are to be treated with care and respect as Waheguru is the Giver of all souls The Guru has given me this one understanding there is only the One the Giver of all souls May I never forget Him Guru Granth Sahib 2 135 Guru Nanak said that blessings are rained down when the lowly person regardless of any background are cared for In that place wherethelowly are cared for there the Blessings of Your Glance of Grace rain down Guru Granth Sahib 15 136 Guru Nanak had spoken we need to prize humility above all and thus caste is not an issue One who takes pride in wealth and lands is a fool blind and ignorant One whose heart is mercifully blessed with abiding humility O Nanak is liberated here and obtains peace hereafter Granth Sahib 278 137 References EditCitations Edit Religion Information Data Explorer GRF www globalreligiousfutures org Sikhism Encyclopaedia Britannica Retrieved 6 October 2022 In the early 21st century there were nearly 25 million Sikhs worldwide the great majority of them living in the Indian state of Punjab US officials probing claims of turbans of Sikhs being confiscated at Mexico border 5 August 2022 Fake Alert Sidhu wrongly quotes Sikh population as 14 crores Times of India The Times of India Sikhs and Hindus at the crossroads The Times of India 23 November 2019 Office of the Registrar General amp Census Commissioner India Retrieved 4 April 2008 The source state Out of approximately 30 million Sikhs in the world the majority of them 22 million live in India Half a million Sikhs have made Canada their home and even though they constitute just 1 4 of the total population Times of India 23 November 2019 Sikh Population in World Sikh Population in India 2022 22 December 2021 a b Why Sikhism As Registered Religion in Austria Matters Indian Express 10 November 2019 a b c d e Government of Canada Statistics Canada 26 October 2022 Religion by visible minority and generation status Canada provinces and territories census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts www12 statcan gc ca Retrieved 1 December 2022 Government of Canada Statistics Canada 26 October 2022 The Daily The Canadian census A rich portrait of the country s religious and ethnocultural diversity www150 statcan gc ca Retrieved 26 October 2022 Religion England and Wales Office for National Statistics www ons gov uk Religion detailed All people PDF National Records of Scotland Retrieved 8 April 2017 Religion Full Detail QS218NI Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency Retrieved 8 April 2017 B16001 Language Spoken at Home by Ability to Speak English for the Population 5 Years and Over data census gov Retrieved 23 November 2022 Census Profile 2021 Census of Population statcan gc ca Retrieved 23 November 2022 https www washingtonpost com outlook 2021 04 26 sikh american tradition resilience Religious affiliation in Australia Australian Bureau of Statistics www abs gov au 7 April 2022 The Continuing Struggle for Religious Freedom by Italy s Sikh Community The Wire How the recent Punjabi migration to Spain amp Italy is a departure for the diaspora The Economic Times How Sikhs saved the Italian cheese industry https www msu com my Malhi Ranjit Singh 7 November 2021 Outsized contributions of Malaysian Sikhs Malaysiakini Gobind Singh Deo is Malaysia s first Sikh minister The Economic Times Gokulan Dhanusha Sikhs in UAE hail country s year of respect inclusion Khaleej Times Punjabi Community Involved in Money Lending in Philippines Braces for Crackdown by New President 18 May 2016 2011 Gurdwara Philippines Sikh Population of the Philippines Archived from the original on 1 December 2011 Retrieved 11 June 2011 Losing our religion Stats NZ Thailand U S Department of State National Profiles Garha Nachatter Singh 6 February 2020 Masculinity in the Sikh Community in Italy and Spain Expectations and Challenges Religions 11 2 76 doi 10 3390 rel11020076 Must leave Sikh temple vandalised with racist graffiti in Germany SBS Language Hong Kong stories Getting to know the city s Sikh community Young Post Kuwait To Seek Closure Of Illegal Sikh Temple outlookindia com 3 February 2022 Sikh Gurdwara discovered by intrepid local reporter timeskuwait com 14 August 2019 Retrieved 7 December 2022 https acninternational org religiousfreedomreport wp content uploads 2021 04 Cyprus pdf http www thearda com internationaldata index asp Kaur Arunajeet 6 December 2008 Religious Diversity in Singapore ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute pp 275 297 via Cambridge University Press Orang orang Sikh di Indonesia kumparan in Indonesian https brill com display book edcoll 9789004432284 BP000040 xml https timesofindia indiatimes com world europe why sikhism as registered religion in austria matters articleshow 80021881 cms text According 20to 20Hardeep 20Singh 20Maan around 209 2C000 20Sikhs 20in 20Austria French Sikhs threaten to leave country the Guardian 23 January 2004 Lisbongurudwara lisbongurudwara yolasite com https www state gov reports 2021 report on international religious freedom saudi arabia Pakistan s Religious Minorities Say They Were Undercounted in Census VOA Adam Michel 1 September 2013 A diversity with several levels Kenyan politics of integration and the Kenyan minorities of Indian origin Les Cahiers d Afrique de l Est The East African Review 47 23 32 doi 10 4000 eastafrica 402 ISSN 2071 7245 S2CID 199837942 Retrieved 4 September 2020 https www ssb no en kultur og fritid statistikker trosamf aar 2020 12 08 Singh Pashaura 18 April 2019 A Dictionary of Sikh Studies Oxford University Press doi 10 1093 acref 9780191831874 001 0001 ISBN 978 0 19 183187 4 via www oxfordreference com Swedes Neil Shipley s watching the 26 February 2019 Diverse Sweden Part 1 Swedish Sikhs Sikh Rehat Maryada Section Four Chapter X Article XVI g Sikh Rehat Maryada Section Six Chapter XIII Article XXIV p Catalogue of Sikh Coins in the British Museum Chapter 4 Mann Gurinder Singh 2001 The Making of Sikh scripture Oxford Oxford University Press p 5 ISBN 9780195130249 Nikky Guninder Kaur Singh 22 February 2011 Sikhism An Introduction I B Tauris pp 61 ISBN 978 0 85773 549 2 Singh Khushwant 2006 The Illustrated History of the Sikhs India Oxford University Press p 15 ISBN 0 19 567747 1 Nabha Kahan Singh 1930 ਗ ਰ ਸ ਬਦ ਰਤਨ ਕਰ ਮਹ ਨ ਕ ਸ Gur Shabad Ratnakar Mahan Kosh in Punjabi p 720 Archived from the original on 18 March 2005 Retrieved 29 May 2006 carolyn 17 March 2022 SIKH NATIONALISM From a Dominant Minority to an Ethno Religious Diaspora By Gurharpal Singh and Giorgio Shani Pacific Affairs UBC Journal Retrieved 9 January 2023 ONS 11 December 2012 Religion in England and Wales 2011 Office for National Statistics UK Statistics Authority Retrieved 24 November 2018 Press Trust of India 15 January 2020 Sikhs to be counted as separate ethnic group in 2020 US Census community hails recognition of distinct language culture Firstpost Singh Khushwant 2006 The Illustrated History of the Sikhs India Oxford University Press pp 12 13 ISBN 0 19 567747 1 The Khalsa History of Sikhism Sikhism BBC Religion amp Ethics BBC 29 August 2003 Retrieved 4 April 2008 Singh Patwant 2000 The Sikhs New York Knopf p 14 ISBN 978 0 375 40728 4 via Internet Archive Richard M Eaton 2019 India in the Persianate Age 1000 1765 Penguin pp 168 169 ISBN 9780141966557 The Sikh community grew rapidly in the sixteenth century Nanak s earliest followers had been fellow Khatris engaged in petty trade shopkeeping or lower level civil service in the Lodi or Mughal bureaucracies But as the movement grew it experienced a significant influx of Jat cultivators Dhavan Purnima 2011 When Sparrows Became Hawks The Making of the Sikh Warrior Tradition 1699 1799 Oxford University Press pp 42 47 184 ISBN 978 0 19987 717 1 McLeod Hew 1987 Sikhs and Muslims in the Punjab South Asia Journal of South Asian Studies 22 s1 155 165 doi 10 1080 00856408708723379 Lafont Jean Marie 16 May 2002 Maharaja Ranjit Singh Lord of the Five Rivers French Sources of Indian History Sources New York Oxford University Press pp 23 29 ISBN 0 19 566111 7 Ballantyne Tony 2006 Between Colonialism and Diaspora Sikh Cultural Formations in an Imperial World United states Duke University Press p 66 ISBN 0822388111 Retrieved 21 January 2015 Cohn Bernard S 1996 Colonialism and Its Forms of Knowledge The British in India Princeton NJ Princeton University Press pp 107 109 ISBN 0691000433 Retrieved 26 January 2015 Oberoi Harjot 1994 The Construction of Religious Boundaries Culture Identity and Diversity in the Sikh Tradition Chicago University of Chicago Press p 494 ISBN 9780226615929 Retrieved 18 September 2013 Nesbitt Eleanor 2005 Sikhism A Very Short Introduction Very Short Introductions Oxford Oxford University Press ISBN 0 19 280601 7 Retrieved 14 January 2016 via Google Books An undivided India NDTV 29 August 2009 Retrieved 19 October 2020 Kudaisya Gyanesh Yong Tan Tai 2004 The Aftermath of Partition in South Asia Abingdon on Thames England Routledge p 100 ISBN 978 1 134 44048 1 No sooner was it made public than the Sikhs launched a virulent campaign against the Lahore Resolution Pakistan was portrayed as a possible return to an unhappy past when Sikhs were persecuted and Muslims the persecutor Public speeches by various Sikh political leaders on the subject of Pakistan invariably raised images of atrocities committed by Muslims on Sikhs and of the martyrdom of their gurus and heroes Reactions to the Lahore Resolution were uniformly negative and Sikh leaders of all political persuasions made it clear that Pakistan would be wholeheartedly resisted The Shiromani Akali Dal the party with a substantial following amongst the rural Sikhs organized several well attended conferences in Lahore to condemn the Muslim League Master Tara Singh leader of the Akali Dal declared that his party would fight Pakistan tooth and nail Not be outdone other Sikh political organizations rivals to the Akali Dal namely the Central Khalsa Young Men Union and the moderate and loyalist Chief Khalsa Dewan declared in equally strong language their unequivocal opposition to the Pakistan scheme Abid Abdul Majeed 29 December 2014 The forgotten massacre The Nation On the same dates Muslim League led mobs fell with determination and full preparations on the helpless Hindus and Sikhs scattered in the villages of Multan Rawalpindi Campbellpur Jhelum and Sargodha The murderous mobs were well supplied with arms such as daggers swords spears and firearms A former civil servant mentioned in his autobiography that weapon supplies had been sent from NWFP and money was supplied by Delhi based politicians They had bands of stabbers and their auxiliaries who covered the assailant ambushed the victim and if necessary disposed of his body These bands were subsidized monetarily by the Muslim League and cash payments were made to individual assassins based on the numbers of Hindus and Sikhs killed There were also regular patrolling parties in jeeps that went about sniping and picking off any stray Hindu or Sikh Thousands of non combatants including women and children were killed or injured by mobs supported by the All India Muslim League Dutt Amitava Devgun Surinder 23 September 1977 Diffusion of Sikhism and recent migration patterns of Sikhs in India GeoJournal 1 5 81 89 doi 10 1007 BF00704966 ISSN 1572 9893 S2CID 189881872 dead link Doad 1997 p 392 sfn error no target CITEREFDoad1997 help Grewal 1998 p 186 sfn error no target CITEREFGrewal1998 help Deol 2000 p 93 sfn error no target CITEREFDeol2000 help Deol 2000 p 96 sfn error no target CITEREFDeol2000 help Grewal 1998 p 188 sfn error no target CITEREFGrewal1998 help Dhillon Kirpal S 2006 Identity and Survival Sikh Militancy in India 1978 1993 London United Kingdom Penguin Books p 60 ISBN 9780143100362 a b Bal 1985 p 426 sfn error no target CITEREFBal1985 help a b c Grewal 1998 p 189 sfn error no target CITEREFGrewal1998 help a b c Ray Jayanta Kumar 2007 Aspects of India s International Relations 1700 to 2000 South Asia and the World Pearson Education India p 484 ISBN 978 81 317 0834 7 Singh Atamjit The Language Divide in Punjab South Asian Graduate Research Journal Apna 4 1 Spring 1997 Retrieved 4 April 2013 Grewal 1998 p 205 sfn error no target CITEREFGrewal1998 help Dutta Swarup June 2012 Green Revolution Revisited The Contemporary Agrarian Situation in Punjab India Social Change 42 2 229 247 doi 10 1177 004908571204200205 ISSN 0049 0857 S2CID 55847236 Sumit Ganguly Larry Diamond Marc F Plattner 2007 The State of India s Democracy JHU Press p 56 ISBN 978 0 8018 8791 8 Retrieved 18 August 2013 Karim 1991 p 30 sfn error no target CITEREFKarim1991 help Akshayakumar Ramanlal Desai 1991 Expanding Governmental Lawlessness and Organized Struggles Popular Prakashan pp 64 66 ISBN 978 81 7154 529 2 a b Bakke 2015 p 143 sfn error no target CITEREFBakke2015 help a b Karim 1991 pp 32 33 sfn error no target CITEREFKarim1991 help Pettigrew Joyce 1987 In Search of a New Kingdom of Lahore Pacific Affairs 60 1 24 doi 10 2307 2758827 JSTOR 2758827 Dhillon Gurdarshan Singh 1996 Truth about Punjab SGPC White Paper 1st ed Amritsar Punjab Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee p 198 ISBN 978 0836456547 Grewal 1998 p 226 sfn error no target CITEREFGrewal1998 help Pace Eric 1 November 1984 Assassination in India Sikhs at the centre of the drama Sikh separation dates back to 47 The New York Times p 24 Canada Post to honour Sikh Canadians with a commemorative stamp Tribune India The Tribune Archived from the original on 29 January 2021 Retrieved 26 March 2013 Sikh Reht Maryada Sikh Code of Conduct and Conventions Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee Archived from the original on 10 October 2008 Retrieved 6 November 2008 Sri Guru Granth Sahib Translation Sikhs org p 305 Retrieved 29 January 2016 Sikh Reht Maryada the Definition of Sikh Sikh Conduct amp Conventions Sikh Religion Living India Sikh Reht Maryada the Definition of Sikh Sikh Conduct amp Conventions Sikh Religion Living India Sikh Reht Maryada the Definition of Sikh Sikh Conduct amp Conventions Sikh Religion Living India Nesbitt Eleanor 2005 Sikhism A Very Short Introduction Oxford University Press pp 40 43 ISBN 978 0 19 280601 7 https www findeasy in sikh population in india Sikhism History Doctrines Practice amp Literature Why Sikhism as registered religion in Austria matters Times of India The Times of India The source state Out of approximately 30 million Sikhs in the world the majority of them 22 million live in India Times of India 23 November 2019 Why Sikhism as registered religion in Austria matters Times of India The Times of India Nearly 10 million Sikhs have lost their religion because of this organisation Sikhs in Punjab Globalsecurity org Retrieved on 6 October 2011 Pak invites Sikh community to invest in commercial projects along Nankana Kartarpur Corridor Business Standard India 13 January 2019 Explained Who are Nanak Naam Lewa and why Kartarpur Corridor can t be limited to Sikhs 10 November 2019 B C breaks records when it comes to religion and the lack thereof Population by religion community 2011 The Registrar General amp Census Commissioner India Archived from the original on 23 September 2015 Census of India 2011 Chandigarh PDF Archived PDF from the original on 21 August 2017 Retrieved 28 July 2017 Per the 2021 Canadian census Sikhism is the second largest religion in British Columbia Manitoba and Yukon 10 Per the 2011 Indian census Sikhism is the largest religion in Punjab and second in Chandigarh These are the only two Indian states UTs where Sikhism is one of the two most common religions 113 114 Sikhism Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica 2007 http www britannica com eb article 253167 Sikhism Johnson Todd M Barrett David B 2004 Quantifying Alternate Futures of Religion and Religions Futures 36 9 947 960 doi 10 1016 j futures 2004 02 009 Afghan Sikhs are targeted by the Taliban and unable to even bury their dead The Week 12 November 2019 Nearly 99 Of Hindus Sikhs Left Afghanistan in Last Three decades TOLOnews 20 June 2016 Little reason to migrate to India say Afghan Sikhs AA 17 December 2019 Moliner Christine 2006 Sikhs in France Migration Patterns Workshop on Indian Migration Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales EHESS Laboratoire d Anthropologie Urbaine CNRS abstract Archived from the original on 17 November 2006 Ciprani Ralph 14 May 2006 Sikh Storia e immigrazione The Sikhs History and Immigration International Sociology 21 3 474 476 doi 10 1177 026858090602100331 S2CID 144768462 IANS 15 September 2004 Now Sikhs Do a Canada in Italy NRIinternet Retrieved 4 April 2008 Singh Kulwinder 11 August 2007 Italy may open VISA office in Chandigarh very soon NRIinternet Retrieved 4 April 2008 We need to worry about the decline in Sikh numbers Dailyo in 27 August 2015 Retrieved 25 May 2022 a b Proportion and growth rate of population by religious communities India 1961 2001 PDF Office of the Registrar General India CensusIndia 6 September 2004 Archived from the original PDF on 27 September 2007 Retrieved 4 April 2008 India witnesses decline in population growth rate and fertility across religious groups The News Minute 4 October 2021 Retrieved 25 May 2022 Krishna Veera Vanamali 18 May 2022 India s fertility rate dips below replacement level What does it mean Business Standard News Business Standard India Wap business standard com Retrieved 25 May 2022 Tandon Aditi 27 August 2015 Census shocker Sikhs report lowest sex ratio Tribune India Singh Rupinder Mohan 28 January 2016 There could be more Sikhs in the future maybe Government of Canada Statistics Canada 23 January 2019 2011 National Household Survey Data tables Religion 108 Immigrant Status and Period of Immigration 11 Age Groups 10 and Sex 3 for the Population in Private Households of Canada Provinces Territories Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations 2011 National Household Survey www12 statcan gc ca Retrieved 8 September 2022 What is the Fastest Growing Religion in Australia Worldatlas 10 June 2020 Sikhs fastest growing minority in NZ Census a b Jodhka Surinder S 11 17 May 2002 Caste and Untouchability in Rural Punjab Economic and Political Weekly 37 19 1822 JSTOR 4412102 Singh Khalsa Sant Sri Guru Granth Sahib Translation p 2 Srigranth org Retrieved 10 January 2017 Singh Khalsa Sant Sri Guru Granth Sahib Translation p 15 Srigranth org Retrieved 10 January 2017 Singh Khalsa Sant Sri Guru Granth Sahib Translation p 278 Srigranth org Retrieved 10 January 2017 Oberoi Harjot 1994 The Construction of Religious Boundaries Culture Identity and Diversity in the Sikh Tradition Chicago Oxford p 109 ISBN 978 0226615936 Retrieved 15 January 2017 id Don 2015 South Asian Politics and Religion Princeton University Press p 155 Sikhism History Doctrines Practice amp Literature Encyclopaedia Britannica Retrieved 26 December 2017 a b Puri Harish K 2003 The Scheduled Castes in the Sikh Community A Historical Perspective Economic amp Political Weekly 38 26 2693 701 JSTOR 4413731 Republished in Dalits in Regional Context 2004 ISBN 978 81 7033 871 0 3HO Healthy Happy Holy Organisation About 3HO 3HO org Archived from the original on 24 April 2008 Retrieved 4 April 2008 a b Hate crime reports up in wake of terrorist attacks US News CNN 17 September 2001 Archived from the original on 15 April 2008 Retrieved 4 April 2008 a b Sikhs Urging Action on Faith Hate UK News BBC News 5 November 2006 Retrieved 4 April 2008 ONS 11 October 2004 Housing Sikhs most likely to own their own homes Religion Office of National Statistics UK Statistics Authority Archived from the original on 26 February 2008 Retrieved 4 April 2008 An Anatomy of Economic Inequality in the UK PDF Report of the National Equality Panel The London School of Economics The Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion 29 January 2010 Retrieved 1 February 2010 U K gets a new law secures rights of Sikhs to carry kirpans newstracklive com 19 May 2019 Retrieved 21 May 2019 UK gets new weapons act secures Sikh right to carry kirpans The Economic Times 18 May 2019 Retrieved 21 May 2019 Sikh Teachers Are Now Able to Teach in Oregon Public Schools SALDEF Saldef org 2 April 2010 Retrieved on 6 October 2011 World Bank Loan for India Farmers BBC News 27 June 2007 Retrieved 4 April 2008 Government of Punjab Agriculture and Allied Sector Economy and Infrastructure Government of Punjab Archived from the original on 10 March 2008 Retrieved 4 April 2008 Ishtiaq Ahmad 8 February 2005 West and East Punjab Agriculture A Comparison Comment Daily Times Archived from the original on 3 February 2008 Retrieved 4 April 2008 Guus Geurts Studentnummer 5 March 2001 The cause and effects of the Green Revolution in Punjab India critical analysis of The Violence of the Green Revolution by Vandana Shiva 1991 Katholieke Universiteit Nijmegen Archived from the original MS Word on 26 March 2009 Retrieved 12 September 2007 JASPAL Group 2011 About JASPAL Group JASPAL Group Retrieved 15 April 2020 India s Richest 24 Malvinder amp Shivinder Singh Forbes 16 November 2006 Archived from the original on 5 May 2008 Retrieved 4 April 2008 Singapore s 40 Richest 25 Kartar Singh Thakral Forbes 24 August 2006 Retrieved 4 April 2008 a b Kundu Apurba Spring 1994 The Indian Armed Forces Sikh and Non Sikh Officers Opinions of Operation Blue Star Pacific Affairs 67 1 48 49 doi 10 2307 2760119 JSTOR 2760119 Sikh Regiment India World Military Global Security 2011 Retrieved 4 April 2008 a b TNN The success story that UK s 4 lakh Sikhs are NRI Internet excerpts from talk by British High Commissioner Michael Arthur Retrieved 4 April 2008 History of Sikh Gallantry The Daily Telegraph London 24 June 2007 Archived from the original on 27 February 2008 Retrieved 4 April 2008 Pillarisetti Jagan Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh Bharat Rakshak Archived from the original on 27 March 2008 Retrieved 4 April 2008 Rayment Sean 24 June 2007 Sikh Regiment Dumped over Racism Fears The Telegraph London Archived from the original on 18 November 2007 Kennedy Trevaskis Hugh 1928 The Land of Five Rivers An Economic History of the Punjab from Earliest Times to the Year of Grace 1890 London Oxford University Press pp 216 217 Memorial Gates Official Website Retrieved 4 April 2008 UK Government Report on the memorial Archived from the original on 6 December 2008 Retrieved 4 April 2008 India s High Commission in London Sikhs Pioneered Britain s Multi Cultural Society Archived from the original on 13 December 2007 Retrieved 4 April 2008 Kinnvall Catarina 24 January 2007 Globalization and Religious Nationalism in India ISBN 9781134135707 Crenshaw Martha 1995 Terrorism in Context Pennsylvania State University p 364 ISBN 978 0 271 01015 1 The foreign policy of Pakistan ethnic impacts on diplomacy 1971 1994 ISBN 1 86064 169 5 Mehtab Ali Shah Such is the political psychological and religious attachment of the Sikhs to that city that a Khalistan without Lahore would be like a Germany without Berlin Amritsar to Lahore A Journey Across the India Pakistan Border Stephen Alter ISBN 0 8122 1743 8 Ever since the separatist movement gathered force in the 1980s Pakistan has sided with the Sikhs the territorial ambitions of Khalistan have at times included Chandigarh sections of the Indian Punjab including whole North India and some parts of western states of India Pruthi Raj 2004 Sikhism and Indian Civilization Discovery Publishing House p 169 ISBN 9788171418794 Retrieved 25 October 2018 Van Dyke 2009 p 976 Haresh Pandya 11 April 2007 Jagjit Singh Chauhan Sikh Militant Leader in India Dies at 80 The New York Times Retrieved 28 August 2008 Nayar Kuldip Kushwant Singh 1985 Tragedy of Punjab Vision Books p 51 ISBN 1 85127 069 8 Singh Satinder 1982 Khalistan An Academic Analysis Delhi amp Punjab Amar Prakashan p 114 Jagmeet Singh Now Rejects Glorification of Air India Bombing mastermind CBC News 15 March 2018 Retrieved 30 April 2018 The 18 month long Air India inquiry led by former Supreme Court justice John Major pointed to Parmar as the chief terrorist behind the bombing A separate inquiry carried out by former Ontario NDP premier and Liberal MP Bob Rae also fingered Parmar as the architect of the 1985 bombing that left 329 people dead 268 of them Canadians Sikh Temple Sit In Is a Challenge for Punjab The New York Times 2 February 1986 Amnesty International report on Punjab Amnesty International 20 January 2003 Archived from the original on 3 December 2006 Retrieved 11 January 2010 The Tribune Chandigarh India Punjab Tribuneindia com Retrieved 27 September 2015 SAD A to Contest the Coming SGPC Elections on Khalistan Issue Mann PunjabNewsline com 14 January 2010 Archived from the original on 15 July 2011 Retrieved 22 January 2010 Punj Balbair 16 June 2005 The Ghost of Khalistan Sikh Times Retrieved 11 January 2010 India gives Trudeau list of suspected Sikh separatists in Canada Reuters The Sikh insurgency petered out in the 1990s He told state leaders his country would not support anyone trying to reignite the movement for an independent Sikh homeland called Khalistan 22 February 2018 Retrieved 22 May 2018 New brand of Sikh militancy Suave tech savvy pro Khalistan youth radicalised on social media Hindustan Times Retrieved 27 April 2018 Sikh separatists funded from UK BBC 4 March 2008 Retrieved 28 August 2008 The Magnificence of Sikh Architecture Archived from the original on 14 December 2007 Retrieved 4 April 2008 Memorandum Regarding the Tabulation of Sikh Ethnicity in the United States Census PDF Retrieved 20 November 2014 Sian Katy 2013 Unsettling Sikh and Muslim Conflict Mistaken Identities Forced Conversions and Postcolonial Formations Rowman amp Littlefield p 32 ISBN 9780739178744 Srivastava R P 1983 Punjab Painting Study in Art and Culture Abhinav Publications p 13 ISBN 9788170171744 Art and Culture of the Diaspora Retrieved 4 April 2008 Singh Twins Art Launches Liverpool Fest Retrieved 4 April 2008 Bhangra amp Sikhi by Harjinder Singh Retrieved 4 April 2008 Guru Nanak Math On Verge Of Vanishing New Spotlight Magazine Nepal Retrieved 19 March 2022 Gurudwara Guru Nanak Math Kathmandu World Gurudwaras Retrieved 19 March 2022 General and cited sources Edit The United States does not measure religion during its censuses However the 2021 American Community Survey found that 318 588 Americans spoke Punjabi at home 15 The 2021 Canadian census found that 520 390 Canadians spoke Punjabi at home and 771 790 were Sikhs 16 Thus it can be roughly estimated that there are around 472 498 Sikhs in the United States using the ratio of Punjabi speakers to Sikhs Fair C Christine 2005 Diaspora Involvement in Insurgencies Insights from the Khalistan and Tamil Eelam Movements Nationalism and Ethnic Politics 11 125 156 doi 10 1080 13537110590927845 S2CID 145552863 Van Dyke Virginia 2009 The Khalistan Movement in Punjab India and the Post Militancy Era Structural Change and New Political Compulsions Asian Survey 49 6 975 997 doi 10 1525 as 2009 49 6 975 Further reading EditThe Sikhs in History A Millennium Study by Sangat Singh Noel Quinton King New York 1995 ISBN 81 900650 2 5 A History of the Sikhs Volume 1 1469 1838 by Khushwant Singh Oxford India Paperbacks 13 January 2005 ISBN 0 19 567308 5 The Sikhs by Patwant Singh Image 17 July 2001 ISBN 0 385 50206 0 The Sikhs of the Punjab by J S Grewal Published by Cambridge University Press 28 October 1998 ISBN 0 521 63764 3 The Sikhs History Religion and Society by W H McLeod Published by Columbia University Press 15 April 1989 ISBN 0 231 06815 8 The Sikh Diaspora Tradition and Change in an Immigrant Community Asian Americans Reconceptualising Culture History Politics by Michael Angelo Published by Routledge 1 September 1997 ISBN 0 8153 2985 7 Glory of Sikhism by R M Chopra Sanbun Publishers 2001 OCLC 499896556 Glory of Sikhism at Google Books The Philosophical and Religious Thought of Sikhism by R M Chopra 2014 Sparrow Publication Kolkata ISBN 978 81 89140 99 1 The Construction of Religious Boundaries Culture Identity and Diversity in the Sikh Tradition H Oberoi 1994 University of Chicago Press ISBN 0 226 61592 8 Architectural Heritage of a Sikh State Faridkot by Subhash Parihar Delhi Aryan Books International 2009 ISBN 978 81 7305 386 3 A Study of Religions by R M Chopra Anuradha Prakashan New Delhi 2015 ISBN 978 93 82339 94 6 External links Edit Look up Sikh in Wiktionary the free dictionary Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sikhs Sikhism at the BBC Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w 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