Bandai Khalsa: Difference between revisions

Time of origin: circa 1712

History

Banda Singh Bahadur

In the year 1656, in the household of Ramdev Rajput was born Lachman Dev. Legend has it that as a teenager, Lachman went out hunting and killed a pregnant deer. Overcome by sadness of his action, he ran away from home and joined a Hindu religious order of ‘Viragi Sadhus’ (wandering ascetics). The Sadhus renamed him Madho Das. Madho Das spent many years wandering with these Sadhus accumulating a tremendous amount of knowledge - some accounts even state that he possessed miraculous powers. Eventually, he established his ‘Ashram’ (abode) near the river Godavari in Nanded, Maharastra. The Ashram was a refuge for all animal life.

Guru Gobind Singh had heard of the haughty Vairagi Madho Das who reveled in playing magic tricks on other holy men. In 1708, during the month of September, the Guru decided to pay a visit to Madho Das at his Ashram. Upon arrival at the Ashram, the Guru ordered his Khalsa warriors to ‘Chatka’ (kill with a single blow) and cook some goats that were wandering around within the Ashram.

Madho Das, on hearing that an armed stranger had not only settled himself at his Ashram, but had also killed and cooked his beloved goats was enraged. Arriving at the Ashram, Madho Das attempted to utilize his miraculous powers to overturn the bedstead where the Guru was seated. He had succeeded in scaring away other holy men in the past, however, this time he failed to do so. Realizing that he had met his match, Madho Das humbled himself before the Guru and declared himself ‘Banda’ (slave) to the Guru. Akali Nihang Guru Gobind Singh titled him ‘Bahadur’ (brave) and made Banda the commander-in-chief of the Khalsa armies. He was given the mission of punishing the Moghal regime that had taken over Punjab.

It has to be noted that although Madho Das, who became to be known as Banda Bahadur was made commander-in-chief of the Khalsa armies, it was Akali Nihang Baba Binod Singh who was the first Jathedar of the Akal Takht and who had overall control of the Sikh nation.

According to various Sikhs historical texts such as 'Pracheen Panth Prakash', 'Suraj Prakash', and Budha Dal oral tradition as told by the elderly Baba Mehr Singh, etc., Banda Bahadur, although a Sikh, was never initiated as Khalsa as modern Sikhs believe.

In 1709, Banda and the Akali Nihangs entered Punjab disguised as merchants. Armed with letters from Akali Nihang Guru Gobind Singh, and backed up by the Akali Nihangs, he quickly gathered a large Sikh army. This army became the scourge of the Moghal regime in the Punjab. In a short span of seven years Banda near enough eradicated all Moghal rule in the Punjab and established the first Khalsa Raj in name of ‘Guru Nanak Gobind’.

According to orthodox Sanatan Sikh tradition and Budha Dal oral tradition as recounted in Pracheen Panth Prakash, over time, Banda was overwhelmed with false pride and became arrogant. His mistreatment of the Khalsa, and alterations of the Guru-ordained Khalsa traditions, resulted in the Khalsa warriors loosing respect for him. Banda declared himself a Guru, advocated teetotalism (a throwback to his earlier life as a Vairagi), altered the Khalsa salutation, stopped wearing blue, etc. The mighty Akali Nihang Singh Khalsa, lead by Akali Nihang Baba Binod Singh and his son, Akali Nihang Baba Kahn Singh opposed these Hindu Vairagi innovations of Banda. Such was the fighting that the Akali Nihang warriors risked martyrdom in order to oppose Banda:

‘Banda wished to make Sikh abandon their blue dress, 
to refrain from drinking and eating flesh: 
and instead of exclaiming Wa! Guruji ki Futteh! 
Wa! Khalsaji ki Futteh! The salutations directed by Govind, 
he directed them to exclaim, Futteh D’herm! Futteh dersan! 
Which means, ‘Success to piety! Success to the sect!’ 
These innovations were very generally resisted: 
but the dreaded severity of Banda, made many conform
to his orders. The class of Acalis, or immortals, who had been 
established by Guru Govind, continued to oppose the 
innovations with  great obstinacy: and many of them suffered 
martyrdom, rather than change either their mode of salutation, 
diet or dress: and, at the death of Banda, their cause triumphed. 
All the institutions of Guru Govind were restored.’
‘Sketch Of The Sikhs’, by J.C. Malcolm, 1812, P. 83

Aside from confusing the Sikh salutation, everything stated by Malcolm in the quote can be collaborated by Akali Nihang oral tradition, Rattan Singh Bhangu’s 'Pracheen Panth Prakash', and Giani Gian Singh Nirmala’s 'Naveen Panth Prakash'. Banda was eventually declared an apostate and excommunicated from the Sikh faith. With this split within the Khalsa, two factions arose – the followers of Banda became to be known as ‘Bandai Khalsa’, and the Akali Nihang Khalsa came to be referred to as the ‘Tat’ (pure) Khalsa or ‘Akal Purkhieh’ (those believing in the Immortal Almighty).

The Khalsa, split by internal conflict, was eventually defeated by the Moghals and Banda was captured in December 1715. At the age of 46, he and his captured men died a heroic death in Delhi in 1716.Another parallel avenue of thought holds that Banda, through his immense knowledge of Yogic breathing exercises of ‘Pranayam’, faked his death. Banda had undergone terrible mutilation at the hands of the Moghals who had torn off his flesh by hot pincers. As his apparently lifeless corpse was left at the banks of the river Jamuna by the Moghals, some Bandai Khalsa, disguised as Muslims retrieved the body and brought it to his wife, Ram Daiee. Ram Daiee, using traditional methods of healing awakened him. Banda went into hiding for the rest of his life in the state of Jamu. This above tale has been taken from ‘Twarikh Guru Khalsa’, but variations of this account can be found in 'Pracheen Panth Prakash' and 'Mahan Kosh'.After Banda, there was a short but bloody conflict between the remaining Bandai Khalsa and Tat Khalsa. The Tat Khalsa Akali Nihangs won, and the majority of the defeated Bandai Khalsa were made to eat ‘Dalley’ (meat) in order to accept them back into the Akali Nihang Singh Khalsa ranks. Other Bandi Khalsa faded into obscurity and established themselves in Jamu with Banda’s second wife and his son Ranjit/Ajit Singh.

Ranjit Singh was succeeded by his son, Jujhar Singh, who was in turn succeeded by his son, Fateh Singh. The descendants of Jujhar Singh’s younger brother, Zorawar Singh, became the successors to the pontiff ship of Banda.

On 6th April 1948, a Sikh named Sardool Singh Bandi succeeded a one Teja Singh as the leader of the Bandai Khalsa. In the late 1970’s, his son, Jatinderpal Singh, a resident of Rohtak village was named as the leader of the Bandai. Early last century, Pandit Ganesha Singh Nirmala spoke of the Bandai:

‘They initiate through ‘Charna Amrit’, keep ‘Janju’ 
(Hindu caste string signifying Brahmin lineage), wear 
white clothes, black or green clothes they never wear, 
they wear breaches coming below knee. On meeting they say, 
‘Darshan Ji Ka Khalsa Darshan Ji Ki Fateh’. 
At the end of their name they either have title of Singh or Das.’
‘Bharat Mat Darpan’, by Pandit Ganesha Singh Nirmala, 1926, Pa. 234

Symbols

The inauguration of the Khalsa was a symbolic event: to transform sparrows into hawks, deer into lions, saints into soldiers. This is further evidenced by the assumption of a new name, a new code of conduct and a new dress or uniform. The latter consisted of the "five K's", or "Panj Kakke": Kesh (uncut hair), Kangha (comb), Kara (iron or steel bangle), Kirpan (sword, dagger), Kach (shorts). The uniform evidently kept the persecuted Sikhs united, and distinct. This is the traditional account, however. Not all the five K's are mentioned in the relevant literature only three: Kesh, Kirpan and Kach, and when five are mentioned it adds Bani (i.e. the Word of the Gurus written as scripture) and Sadhsangat (the company of saints). It is only in the 19th century that the five traditional K's are mentioned. Either way this highly visible identity had a symbolic gesture: to show all, especially the Mughals, that this is who Sikhs were, Warrior Singhs, and that they were immanently prepared to die fighting for their faith. The uncut hair signified traditional ascetic renunciation but it was tamed by the comb which did not allow it to become matted thus symbolising continued participation in the world; the sword symbolises political and religious justice. Yet it too is balanced by the iron bangle or bani, which symbolises the unity of humankind with Akal Purakh. The shorts were pragmatic for a warrior who needs ease of movement, but also symbolised chastity, another aspect reminiscent of ascetic celibacy. However, again, this is balanced with the Sikh ideal of a family life (grihasti). Altogether they symbolise the Sant-Sipahi ideal of a human being who is neither too worldly nor too other-worldly, but a moderate wo/man. The Khalsa's warrior clothing was always of a blue colour.