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The sect of the Akalis differs essentially from all other Sikh orders in being a militant organisation, corresponding to the Nagas or Gosains among the Hindus. Their foundation is ascribed to [[Guru Gobind Singh]] himself, and they steadfastly opposed Banda's attempted innovations.


The term 'Akali' is sometimes said to be derived from 'Akal-purusha' - 'worshipper of the Eternal.' But Akal means 'deathless', i.e. 'God', and Akali is simply 'God worshipper.' The Akali wear blue chequered dresses, and bangles or bracelets of steel round their wrists, and quoits of steel in their lofty conical blue turbans, together with miniature daggers, knives, and an iron chain
'''Akalis/Nihangs Doctrines'''
The Akalis (later known as Nihangs) believed in asceticism and celibacy. They also believed in the use of bhang (hashish) also called Sukha or Sukh Nidhan (treasure of bliss) for meditative purposes. They believe in three Granths: The Adi Granth (Primal/First Book), the Dasam Granth (Book of the Tenth Guru) and the Sarob Loh Granth (Book of the All-Steel). They believe that all have equal status and supplement each other; in the Akali/Nihang perspective it is not possible to fully comprehend the Adi Granth without the other two Granths. The Akalis also believe in the itinerant idea of chakravorty, that is to be always on the move. They believe that they are the fifth and only moving Takht (throne of authority) that keeps a check on the four stationary Takhts - which have become institutionalised. However this is not recognised by orthodox Sikhs. The Nihangs believe in the oral tradition of giving kathas (oral discourses on the scripture), and do not write down their history. Today not all Nihangs are celibate, some marry and some till the land. Nihangs believe that they are the real Khalsa who practice martial arts and live their lives as Guru Gobind Singh outlined. The Nihangs therefore strongly believe and rigidly adhere to the rahit (code of conduct).


In their military capacity the Akalis were called [[Nihang]] or reckless, and played a considerable part in the Sikh history, forming the Shahids or first of the four dehras.
==History==


==Mala Singh==
The Akalis (Immortals, or Followers of the Timeless One), or as they are now known Nihangs (meaning 'free from worldly cares'), were at their most numerous and impressive in the 18th and early 19th centuries. At this time they were called Akalis and were known to be fearless, skilled and resolute warriors. They saw themselves as forming the elite corpus of the Khalsa. Their origins cannot be substantiated by written sources; however, from their oral tradition, they believe themselves to have originated from the times of Guru Gobind Singh. The Akalis earned a reputation for being valiant soldiers during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The Akalis, as armed groups on horseback, offered Sikhs protection from Muslim persecution in the 1750s to the late 1780s. These army groups had various divisions (called misls) which eventually gained control over areas of varying sizes. Initially these groups of horsemen were fighting the Mughals, then the Afghans and finally as the Muslim threats receded, started fighting amongst themselves for land. The eventual conqueror was Ranjit Singh who absorbed and united all the misl groups and ruled an undivided Panjab in the 1800s. One of Ranjit Singh's most renowned warrior was the celibate Akali Phula Singh (c. 1716-1823), who was the Nihangs greatest leader.
At the siege of Multan in 1818 a few Akali fanatics (They were headed by one Jassa Singh, called Mala (rosary) Singh, from his piety. He denied himself the use of bhang, the only intoxicating drug in use among the Akalis.) carried the faussebraye by surprise and precipitated the fall of that fortress.The Nihangs played a major part in the history of Sikhism. The first Shahids (martyrs)of the four dehras (hospices) were Nihangs. Among the men taking part in the siege of the fort of Multan in 1818 was an Akali jatha (band) headed by one Jassa Singh (called Mala (rosary) Singh because of his piety). He denied himself the use of bhang (hempweed or cannabis), the only intoxicating drug in use among the Akalis, carried the faussebraye by surprise and precipitated the fall of that fortress.


==Akali Phula Singh==
==Symbols==


The career of Phula Singh illustrates both their defects and their qualities. This great Akali first came into notice as the leader of the attack on Metcalfe's escort at Amritsar in 1809. He was then employed by Ranjit Singh, who stood in considerable awe of him, as a leader in the Indus valley, where he was guilty of atrocious cruelty towards the Mohammedan population, and in Kashmir. Finally, Phula Singh and his Akalis contributed to, or rather virtually won for Ranjit Singh, the great Sikh victory over the Yusafzais at Teri in 1823. In this battle Phula Singh met with a heroic death, and his tomb at Naushehra is now an object of pilgrimage to Hindus and Mohammedans alike. (see also [[Akali Phula Singh]] in 'Warriors' section) Under Phula Singh's earlier leadership, and perhaps befor his rise, the Akalis had become a terror to friends and for alike, and the Sikh chiefs, from whom they often levied contribution, dreaded them by force. Ranjit Singh, after 1823, ddid much to reduce their power, and the order lost its importance.  
The Nihangs dress is the most distinct and outstanding of all the Sikhs, for they are rigorous followers of the code set down in the rahit literature. They are all therefore Keshdhari (uncut hair), they wear weapons most notably the sword and the steel quoits around their blue turbans. Their overall dress colour is blue, with a long blue shirt (chola). The style of their turbans is also quite unique. It is very tall and probably three to four times the length of normal Khalsa Singh's turbans. The tall turban called a damala is surmounted by a cloth or a flag (pharhara). Around this turban are placed one or two steel or iron rings/quoits. The vertical position of where this ring is worn signifies the individuals spiritual attainment; the higher the ring the greater the spiritual development. There main diagrammatic symbol for explaining their idea of chakravorty is the swastika: which symbolises rotational movement through four static points around a centre. The four points represent the four established Takhts, and the rotation through them represent the moving fifth Takht of the Nihangs that is meant to keep the four stationary Takhts in check.
The Nihangs are divided into four Dals (armies): Tarna Dal, Bab Bidhi Chand Dal, Baba Bhindran Dal, and Baba Budha Dal, (which are named after Akali Leaders known as Jathedars). The supreme commander will nominate a successor, usually a celibate like himself.


The career of the Akali, Phula Singh illustrates both their defects and their abilities. Phula Singh first came into notice as the leader who led the attack on Thomas Metcalfe's escort at Amritsar in 1809. He was then employed by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, as a leader in the Indus valley, where he was guilty of atrocious cruelty towards the Muslim population, and in Kashmir. Finally, Phula Singh and his Akalis contributed to, or rather virtually won for Ranjit Singh, the great Sikh victory over the Yusafzai Pashtuns at Teri in 1823. In this battle, Phula Singh met with a heroic death, and his tomb at Nowshera is now an object of pilgrimage to Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs alike.
==Adherents==


Under Phula Singh's leadership, and perhaps before his rise, the Akalis had become a terror to friends and foes alike, and the Sikh chiefs, from whom they often levied taxes (Raakhi), dreaded them by force. Ranjit Singh, after 1823, did much to reduce their power, and the order lost its importance.
Numbers have considerably dropped after many battles. In the 1891 census 231 Hindus and 1,586 Sikhs returned themselves as 'Akalis'. (Census of India, 1891, Vol.XX and Vol.XXI, The Punjab and its Feudatories, by E.D. Maclagan, Part II and III, Calcutta, 1892, pp.826-9 and pp.572-3.) Today they represent a relatively small number of the overall Sikh population. However there are no official, contemporary numbers, (see also the note at the end of the Explanatory Introduction).


It is widely known that Ranjit Singh respected him greatly. He was unafraid of the emperor and punished him for disrespecting a Nauch girl. The emperior dared not disobey Phula Singh and had to pay Tankhah(get punished) after his guilt was proved.
==Headquarters/Main Centre==


The Nihangs spend half their time moving around the Panjab on horseback and half settled cultivating the land. Whilst moving they set up camps (deras) at various locations. The Five Takhts are: Akal Takht in Amritsar is paramount; Keshgarh Sahib in Anandpur, Harimandir Sahib in Patna, Huzur Sahib in Nander, and Damdama Sahib in southern Panjab. These four are all located at sites historically linked with Guru Gobind Singh. Decisions are made (hukam-namas) by the Sarbat Khalsa ('all' the represented community) binding on all the Sikhs. These type of orders only issue from the Akal Takht in Amritsar, which conflicts with the present Nihangs and their ostracised position. Nihangs converge on various festivals, most notably at Anandpur for the Holla Mahalla festival, where they demonstrate their martial prowess and give discourses their scriptures.


The Akali headquarters were the Akal Bunga at Amritsar, where they assumed the direction of religious ceremonies and the duty of convoking the 'Gurmatta'; indeed, they laid claim to exercise a general leadership of the Khalsa. Since Ranjit Singh's time Anandpur has been their real headquarters, but their influence has to a large extent passed away, and some of them have degenerated into mere buffoons.
* Above article with thanks to [http://philtar.ucsm.ac.uk/encyclopedia/sikhism/akalis.html philtar.ucsm.ac.uk]
 
As an order the Akalsi are celibate. They have , says Trumpp, no regular chief or disciple, yet one hears of their Guru, whose leavings are eaten by their disciples (sewak or chela). They do not eat meat or drink spirits, as other Sikhs do, but consume inordinate quantities of bhang.  
 
These are inter-related with nihangs
''View Article [[Nihang]]''


{{Sects & Cults}}
{{Sects & Cults}}
[[category:Sikh Sects]]
[[category:Sikh Sects]]

Latest revision as of 11:48, 31 March 2007

Akalis/Nihangs Doctrines

The Akalis (later known as Nihangs) believed in asceticism and celibacy. They also believed in the use of bhang (hashish) also called Sukha or Sukh Nidhan (treasure of bliss) for meditative purposes. They believe in three Granths: The Adi Granth (Primal/First Book), the Dasam Granth (Book of the Tenth Guru) and the Sarob Loh Granth (Book of the All-Steel). They believe that all have equal status and supplement each other; in the Akali/Nihang perspective it is not possible to fully comprehend the Adi Granth without the other two Granths. The Akalis also believe in the itinerant idea of chakravorty, that is to be always on the move. They believe that they are the fifth and only moving Takht (throne of authority) that keeps a check on the four stationary Takhts - which have become institutionalised. However this is not recognised by orthodox Sikhs. The Nihangs believe in the oral tradition of giving kathas (oral discourses on the scripture), and do not write down their history. Today not all Nihangs are celibate, some marry and some till the land. Nihangs believe that they are the real Khalsa who practice martial arts and live their lives as Guru Gobind Singh outlined. The Nihangs therefore strongly believe and rigidly adhere to the rahit (code of conduct).

History

The Akalis (Immortals, or Followers of the Timeless One), or as they are now known Nihangs (meaning 'free from worldly cares'), were at their most numerous and impressive in the 18th and early 19th centuries. At this time they were called Akalis and were known to be fearless, skilled and resolute warriors. They saw themselves as forming the elite corpus of the Khalsa. Their origins cannot be substantiated by written sources; however, from their oral tradition, they believe themselves to have originated from the times of Guru Gobind Singh. The Akalis earned a reputation for being valiant soldiers during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The Akalis, as armed groups on horseback, offered Sikhs protection from Muslim persecution in the 1750s to the late 1780s. These army groups had various divisions (called misls) which eventually gained control over areas of varying sizes. Initially these groups of horsemen were fighting the Mughals, then the Afghans and finally as the Muslim threats receded, started fighting amongst themselves for land. The eventual conqueror was Ranjit Singh who absorbed and united all the misl groups and ruled an undivided Panjab in the 1800s. One of Ranjit Singh's most renowned warrior was the celibate Akali Phula Singh (c. 1716-1823), who was the Nihangs greatest leader.

Symbols

The Nihangs dress is the most distinct and outstanding of all the Sikhs, for they are rigorous followers of the code set down in the rahit literature. They are all therefore Keshdhari (uncut hair), they wear weapons most notably the sword and the steel quoits around their blue turbans. Their overall dress colour is blue, with a long blue shirt (chola). The style of their turbans is also quite unique. It is very tall and probably three to four times the length of normal Khalsa Singh's turbans. The tall turban called a damala is surmounted by a cloth or a flag (pharhara). Around this turban are placed one or two steel or iron rings/quoits. The vertical position of where this ring is worn signifies the individuals spiritual attainment; the higher the ring the greater the spiritual development. There main diagrammatic symbol for explaining their idea of chakravorty is the swastika: which symbolises rotational movement through four static points around a centre. The four points represent the four established Takhts, and the rotation through them represent the moving fifth Takht of the Nihangs that is meant to keep the four stationary Takhts in check. The Nihangs are divided into four Dals (armies): Tarna Dal, Bab Bidhi Chand Dal, Baba Bhindran Dal, and Baba Budha Dal, (which are named after Akali Leaders known as Jathedars). The supreme commander will nominate a successor, usually a celibate like himself.

Adherents

Numbers have considerably dropped after many battles. In the 1891 census 231 Hindus and 1,586 Sikhs returned themselves as 'Akalis'. (Census of India, 1891, Vol.XX and Vol.XXI, The Punjab and its Feudatories, by E.D. Maclagan, Part II and III, Calcutta, 1892, pp.826-9 and pp.572-3.) Today they represent a relatively small number of the overall Sikh population. However there are no official, contemporary numbers, (see also the note at the end of the Explanatory Introduction).

Headquarters/Main Centre

The Nihangs spend half their time moving around the Panjab on horseback and half settled cultivating the land. Whilst moving they set up camps (deras) at various locations. The Five Takhts are: Akal Takht in Amritsar is paramount; Keshgarh Sahib in Anandpur, Harimandir Sahib in Patna, Huzur Sahib in Nander, and Damdama Sahib in southern Panjab. These four are all located at sites historically linked with Guru Gobind Singh. Decisions are made (hukam-namas) by the Sarbat Khalsa ('all' the represented community) binding on all the Sikhs. These type of orders only issue from the Akal Takht in Amritsar, which conflicts with the present Nihangs and their ostracised position. Nihangs converge on various festivals, most notably at Anandpur for the Holla Mahalla festival, where they demonstrate their martial prowess and give discourses their scriptures.

Sects & Cults

♣♣ Ad Dharm ♣♣ Akalis ♣♣ Bandai Sikhs ♣♣ Balmiki ♣♣ Bhatra ♣♣ Brindaban Matt ♣♣ Daya Singh Samparda ♣♣ Dhir Malias ♣♣ Handalis ♣♣ Kabir Panthi ♣♣ Kirtan jatha Group ♣♣ Kooka ♣♣ Kutta Marg ♣♣ Majhabi ♣♣ Manjis ♣♣ Masand ♣♣ Merhbanieh ♣♣ Mihan Sahibs ♣♣ Minas ♣♣ Nirankari ♣♣ Nanak panthi ♣♣ Nanakpanthi Sindhis ♣♣ Namdev Panthi ♣♣ Namdhari ♣♣ Nanaksaria ♣♣ Nihang ♣♣ Nikalsaini ♣♣ Niranjaniye ♣♣ Nirmala ♣♣ Panch Khalsa Diwan ♣♣ Parsadi Sikhs ♣♣ Phul Sahib dhuan ♣♣ Radha Swami ♣♣ Ram Raiyas ♣♣ Ravidasi ♣♣ Ridváni Sikhs ♣♣ Suthra Shahi ♣♣ Sewapanthi ♣♣ Sat kartaria ♣♣ Sant Nirankaris ♣♣ Sanwal Shahis ♣♣ Sanatan Singh Sabhais ♣♣ Sachkhand Nanak Dhaam ♣♣ Samparda Bhindra ♣♣ Tat Khalsa ♣♣ Sikligars ♣♣ Pachhada Jats ♣♣ Satnami's ♣♣ Udasi Sikhs ♣♣

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