Sikh sects: Difference between revisions

MIHAN SAHIBS

A Sikh sect founded by one Ramdewa who used to draw water for the Guru Teg Bahadur's followers and horses. Seeing his zeal the Guru one day said, "Brother, you pour water like the rain (Minh)." Thenceforth he was styled Mihan and the guru invested him with a seli (a woollen cord) or hair necklace, a cap (topi), a drum (nagara) and the gift of apostleship. Thus he became a sadh and made converts. When Guru Teg Bahadur became Guru, Ramdewa went to Anandpur, but hearing his drum, the Guru bade his followers take it away. Ramdewa nevertheless brought an offering to the Guru who asked him if he cared nothing for the loss of his drum. Ramdewa replied, "It is thine, thou hast given and thou hast taken away." The Guru gave him half his own turban and the title of Mihan Sahib, and also returned his drum. The mahant of the sect still wears half a turban and his followers are also called Bakhshish sadhus from Bakhsh (the gift of apostleship). They have a dera at Patiala. (The Phul Sahib dhuan of the Udasis is also called Mian Sahib. It is said to have its shrines (dera) at Bahadurpur and Chinighati. Is there any connection between the Mihan Sahibs and Phul Sahib dhuan of the Udasis?)

The Minas

A Sikh sect which owes its origin to Pirthi Chand, the eldest son of Ramdas, the 4th Guru, whose claim to succeed his father was based mainly on the primitive theory that sanctity descended in the physical sense. Orthodox Sikhs aver that Ramdas stigmatised Pirthi Chand as Mina (a nickname given by the Sikh Gurus to those who pretended to become Gurus, though unfit for the noble work as mina masandia) or 'deceitful', on account of his unfilial lack of obedience, and excluded him from the succession. Miharban, Pirthi Chands's son, wrote a janam sakhi of Guru Nanak, wherein he eulogised his father.

Namdeo Panthi

A bhagat of fame, said to have been one of the disciples of Ramanand, was Baba Namdeo, the Chhimba or cotton-carder. He is said to have been born in Marwar in Samvat 1500 (AD1443), and to have flourished in the days of Sikandar Lodhi (1488-1512). According to one account he was a Marathi, and was born at Pandharpur in the Deccan. He is said to have been persecuted by the Musalmaans, who tried to persuade him to repeat the words "Allah, Allah", instead of his favourite ,"Ram, Ram", but by a variety of astonishing miracles he escaped from their hands. After a considerable amount of travelling to and fro, he at last settled in the village of Ghuman, in the Batala tehsil of the Gurdaspur District, where he died. A shrine known as the "Darbar", was erected in his honour in Ghuman, and on the Sangrand day of every Magh, a crowded fair is held there in his honour. His followers can scarcely be said to constitute a sect. They are almost entirely, if not entirely, Chhimbas or Dhobis by caste. Their founder appears to have resisted stoutly the pretensions of Muhammedanism, and was looked on as a follower of Ramchandra, but his Hinduism was by no means of the ordinary type. He taught emphatically the unity of God and the uselessness of ceremonial; and his doctrines would appear to have approached fairly closely to those of Nanak and the earlier Sikhs; and several of his poems are incorporated in the Sikh Adi Granth. At any rate the followers of Baba Namdeo are very largely Sikhs by religion and they are said, whether Hindus or Sikhs, to hold the Granth in reverence and to follow many Sikh customs. They have no distinctive worship of their own. The Hindu Namdeo-panthis are found mainly in Jalandhar, Gurdaspur and Hissar, and the Sikh mainly in Gurdaspur. The saint's name is pronounced, and often spelt Namdev; and his followers call themselves Sikh Namdev, Namabansi, Baba Nam ke Sewak, and the like. (Chhimbas are Kashatryias by caste. Chhimba means a calico printer/tailor.)

Nanak-Panthi

The Sikh sect founded by Nanak, a Khatri of Talwandi, in Lahore. 'Nanak', wrote Maclagan in 1892, was born in 1469 AD and died in 1538 or 1539, and of his life and miracles many wonderful stories are told. There is nothing in his doctrine to distinguish it in any marked way from that of the other saints, who taught the higher forms of Hinduism in Northern India. The unity of God, the absence of any real distinction between Hindu. and Musalmans, the uselessness of ceremonial, the vanity of earthly wishes, even the equality of castes, are topics common to Nanak and the Bhagats; and the Adi-Granth, or sacred book, compiled by Nanak, is full of quotations from elder or contemporary teachers, who taught essentially the same doctrine as Nanak himself. Nor, in spite of the legends relating to him, does he appear to have had any very remarkable following during his lifetime. And yet the persons now returning themselves as his special adherents very largely outnumber the followers of any of the Bhagats or reformers of the same period. The particular success of Nanak's teachings, as compared with that of the other reforming preachers, had its foundation in a variety of circumstances, of which not the least important were the character of his successors and the nature of the people who listened to hint. Most of the other Bhagats were men of the southeast, teachers from Benares, Rajpu'ttana, or Delhi. Nanak alone had his origin in the Punjab Proper, removed equally from the centre of the empire and of Hinduism, and found his following among castes who possessed such sterling qualities us the Punjabi Khatris and Jats. But if Nanak had had no successors, or successors of no moment, his following would doubtless have remained a trifling one; and it must not be supposed that the large number of Nanak-panthis shown in our tables would have been so returned if Sikhism had not a subsequent political history.

The Nanak-panthis of the 16th and 17th centuries were a sect much as the Kabir-panthis and the Dadu-panthis are sects - a sect with certain wide opinions differing from ordinary Hindu orthodoxy and dis-tinguished from other sects more by the character of its Gurus and the organisation of their adherents than by any remarkable differences of doctrine. The Nanak-panthis of to-day are known roughly as Sikhs who are not Singhs, followers of the earlier gurus, who do not think it necessary to follow the ceremonial and social observances inculcated by Guru Gobind Singh. Their characteristics are, therefore, mainly negative; they do not forbid smoking; they do 'tot insist on long hair, or the other four kakka; they are not baptised with the pahul; they do not look on the Brahman as a superfluity, and so forth. The chief external difference between the Nanak-panthi Sikh and the followers of Guru Gobind Singh is the disposal of the hair; the former, like the Hindu, shaves all but the scalp-lock (bodi or choti), and hence is often known as a Mona (shaven) or Bodiwala Sikh, while the Sikh proper wears long hair. They are also known as Sahjdhari. The only form of baptism known among the Nanak-panthis is the ordinary Hindu practice of drinking the foot-nectar of the Gurus and even this is not very common. It will thus be seen that from one point of view there is very little difference between a Nanak-panthi and an ordinary lax Hindu. On the other hand, all Sikhs are followers of Nanak, and hence in a sense Nanak-panthis; and a very large number of the Sikhs of the Province have at the present Census returned themse1ves as Nanak-panthis by sect. This may mean nothing more than that the men were Sikhs, who being Sikhs reverenced Baba Nanak, and having no other definite sect returned themselves in the sect column as followers of Nanak. Or it may mean that many Mona Sikhs-men who smoke and cut their hair-have, in spite of the instructions issued to the supervising agency before the Census, returned themselves as Sikhs by religion, but modified this by giving their sect as Nanak-panthi'. The extreme uncertainty prevalent in the use of the term is well illustrated Shahpur district. "Of the Hindus," he writes, "12,539, or 20 per cent., and of the Sikhs 9,016, or 22 per cent., have returned them-selves as belonging to the Nanak-panthi sect, i.e., as followers of Baba Nanak, the first Sikh Guru. (With this may be taken the 405 returned as Hindu Sikh.) There is no clear distinction between these two classes; nor, indeed, is the distinction between- Nanak-panthi Hindus and orthodox Hindus at all clear. The fact is that the Aroras and Khatris of this neighbourhood are, as a rule, very lax in their religious ceremonies and doctrines, and have been very much influenced by the liberal teachings of Guru Nanak and his followers. Those who are most under the influence of the Brahmans and most particular about carrying out the ceremonial observances of the Puranas call themselves Vaishnav Hindus. Those who have been most influenc-ed by the teaching of the Sikh Gurus and of their sacred book, the Granth, and especially those who have adopted the Sikh religion as taught by Guru Gobind Singh, call themselves Nanak-panthis, or pure Sikhs. But these latter are few in numbers. There are few men who maintain all the outward forms and rules of conduct of the recognised Sikh religion (Census report, 1881, ~ 284, 265) and who can be con-sidered true Sikhs of that type. But many keep the hair unshorn, abstain from tobacco, do not worship idols or revere Brahmans to any great extent, and follow the teachings of the Granth. These also call themselves Nanak-panthi Sikhs. Others, again, while they revere the Granth, yet revere Brahmans also, worship idols now and then, do not abstain from tobacco, and shave their heads. Some of these call them-selves Nanak-panthi Sikhs, and others Nanak-panthi Hindus; so that there is no clear line of distinction between them. Thus Nanak-panthi in this district means little more than a lax Hindu. Sikhism of this type is said to be spreading at the cost of orthodox Hinduism and it is probable that the spread of education, commerce and knowledge is tending to loosen the bands of caste, and encourage a laxity of opinion and of ceremonial observance, such as was taught by the Guru Nanak," The term being so uncertain in its application, there is little to be learnt from the figures which our tables supply as to the respective strength of the Nanak-panthis in various parts of the Province. These figures do not bear out the view generally held that this sect is especially prevalent on the frontier; at the same time there is no doubt that the Hindus on the frontier were, and probably still are, to some considerable extent, Nanak-panthis. There are well-known colonies of them in Tirah and its neighbourhood beyond the Kohat border, and they are found in all the frontier districts; The Aroras of Kohat are commonly divided into two classes-the Bhumi or autochthonous, who are mostly Hindus and worshippers at the Jogi shrine at Kohat; and the Lamochars, or immigrants from the south and west, who are mainly Nanak-panthis. The formers are known as Sewaks, and the latter as Sikhs. These Nanak-panthi Aroras keep their hair uncut, and though they touch and sell tobacco, will not smoke it. They do not, however, as a rule, take the pahul or observe the four remaining kakkas of Gobind Singh's ordinances. They eat the meat of animals whose throats have been cut after the Muhammadan fashion (kutha) and not that of animals whose necks have been cut by the Sikh method of jhatka. Except that they will go every morning to the dharamsala, or Sikh place of worship, to listen to recitations from the Adi-Granth, and that they use the Sikh forms of morning and evening prayers (Japji and Rehras), they are in all respects as other Hindus are on the frontier. It is not improbable that followers of Nanak are diminishing on the frontier as the fanaticism of their Muhammadan neighbour cools down'; for it is now possible for Hindus to worship idols openly in the towns, whereas in former days the Hindus of those parts were obliged for fear of their lives to profess some form of their faith which, like the doctrines of Nanak, dispensed with the worship of idols. The term Nanak-panthi, as well as those of Sikh and Hindu, are applied in common parlance in a very loose and confused way. The followers of Nanak returned themselves under various appellations; such as Nanak Shahi,, Nanak-dasi, Sikh Nanak-dasi, Sewak Guru Nanak, Nanak-math, Nanak-padri, Baba-panthi, etc. Possibly some of those returned as Adpanthls may really belong to the same sect; the term implying an adherence to the original' faith.

Masands (Although not a sect, but a class-during Guru time)

A body of Sikh devotees who appear to have been employed as collectors of religious offerings for the Gurus until their exaction led to their suppression and almost complete extermination, though a few scattered families still survive. The story goes that Guru' Ram Rai who was an adept in yoga was in a trance when the masands burnt his body. His widow wrote to Sri Hargovind, his father, to complain of this hasty act in particular and of the peculation and vices of the masands. Sri Hargovind accordingly proceeded to Dehradun and there burnt 11 masands alive.A Guru Govind Singh also was asked by his Sikhs whether the pujaris whom he had sent out t9 preach, but who applied the offerings collected by them to their own use, were called masands, but in spite of their reiterated complaints the Guru was reluctant to take action. At last a band of mimics (naqlias) visited the Guru and he asked them to perform a farce representing the doings of the Masands. They accordingly gave a dramatic representation of the wasteful extortion and immorality attributed to these votaries, and so excited the Guru's compassion for his disciples that he had the masands all captured and brought to Anandpur where he destroyed them, to the number of 2200, in boiling oil and by other torments, in Samvat 1757. A few however escaped and were excommunicated or eventually pardoned.

Nikalsaini or Narangkaria

a sect of faqirs whose origin is thus described :-

"After the battle of Gujrat and the pursuit of the enemy by Sir Walter Gilbert, the Khalsa (Sikh) army surrendered at Rawalpindi, and giving up their arms and receiving a gratuity of a rupee each, they were permitted to disperse to their homes. A great panic prevailed among the Sikhs of the District: very many cut off their kes or long hair, and were in great dread of being forcibly converted to Christianity. Some months after three men were seen going about the cantonments of Rawalpindi, dressed up in the cast-off clothes and hats of Europeans, and with shaven heads and face.. The eldest gave himself out to be the mahant or chief of a sect, and the others to be his chelas or disciples. The mahant played upon a two-stringed instrument known as the 'dutara' and he and his chelas. sang songs in praise of the English in general, and of John Nicholson in particular, whom they declared to he their guru. It should be borne in mind that during the Sikh rule it was by no means uncommon for faqirs to receive, through the good offices of the kardars or district officers, assignments of land-revenue from the central government at Lahore, for the maintenance of religions or quasi-religious institutions. John Nicholson was well known to the people of Rawalpindi. He had waged in the neighbourhood a guerrilla warfare during the hot weather of 1848 with Sir Chatar Singh and other rebels, and when by the proclamation of the Governor-General, dated the 29th March 1849, the Punjab was annexed, John Nicholson was appointed the first Deputy Commissioner of Rawalpindi. Therefore these men, by calling themselves Nikalsaini faqirs, were under the idea that the Deputy Commissioner of the District would feel flattered at being associated with a new sect, whose Guru he was acknowledged to be and would no doubt get them a handsome jagir or free grant with which to establish a dharmsala or. monastery all to themselves! But when they found that they were un-cared for by Nicho1son (I have been told that he had them flogged once), and got nothing for their pains, their enthusiasm cooled down, and after two or three years they were heard of no more. I often saw them and once or twice spoke to them in 1850, and, as far as I can remember,. they had not a particle of an idea concerning any of the doctrines of Christianity. They affirmed that the Bible was true, like-wise the Quran and the Granth! Indeed, I fancy that they were the originators of the Narangkarias, Nirankari, a sect of schismatic Sikhs, which sprang up in the Rawalpindi District about the time, and which 20 years ago, promised to bring every Hindu in the Sind Sagar Doab into its fold; but afterwards, for some unknown reason, a considerable number of the converts slid back into orthodoxy, and I believe there are few Narangkarias in Rawalpindi District now. The monument to general Nicholson is at the head of the Margala Pass, about 16 miles from Rawalpindi, on the Peshawar Road. I never heard of any Nikalsaini faqirs there: indeed, I never heard of the existence of any since 1852 or 1853, certainly never since the mutiny."

Sanwal Shahis

1n the Indus valley is found a Sikh sect called Sanwal or Some Shahis, from a Guru Sanwal Shah, a disciple whom Baba Nanak deputed in 1489 to preach his doctrine in the south-west Punjab. The title Shah appears, however, to have given rise to other stories, according to one of which Sanwal Shah was an Arora of Amritsar whose father supplied Guru Ram Das with funds for the building of the Golden Temple. Under Guru Govind Singh, Sanwal Shah Singh preached Sikhism on the frontier, and Some Shah was his brother. The sect, or rather the followers of Sanwal Shah, Some Shah, and the formers descendant Bawa Shah are found in Dera Ismail Khan, Multan and Muzaffargarh, and even beyond the frontier.

SEWAPANTHI

A Sikh sect. Guru Tegh Bahadur had a personal follower, one Kanhaya Lal a Dhamman (Dhiman) Khatri of Sodhra in Gujranwala. Originally an officer in the service of the Mughals, he became a drawer of water to.the Guru's horses and to all with him and a menial at his table day and night. The Guru taught him and invested him with the seli and topi. On Guru' Tegh Bahadur's death Kanhaya Lal remained in Govind Singh's service and was with him at the siege of Anandpur. One day he heard some one say: "0 heart, love God," and accordingly in the battle that ensued he gave water to the wounded on either side, justifying his act by a Sikh text. From his personal service (sewa) or more probably from Sewa Ram, his first disciple, his followers are called Sewa-panthis: but in Amritsar they are known as Adan-Shahis, from Adan Shah, another disciple of Kanhaya' Lal, and ' a rich banker who devoted his wealth and leisure to the propagation of their doctrines'. Their charity to travellers and persons in distress is proverbial. Kanhaya' Lal is said to have been commissioned by Guru Govind Singh to preach Sikhism in the south-west and he founded his first dharamsala in the Thal or steppe of the Sind Sagar Doab. His followers are mainly Khatris and Aroras of that tract and the disciples are styled Nanak-Shahis, make ropes for a livelihood, refus-ing all alms and oblations. Some Sewapanthis are said to shave, others not. They are celibate and eat and share property together. Flesh, liquor and hemp are avoided. Their dress is white. Macauliffe describes them as an orthodox and honourable sect who live by honest labour.

SUTHRA SHAHI

An order of Sikh devotees whose origin is thus described:- When Teg Shah - a faqir was alive, a boy was born of dark complexion, (or with a black mark on his forehead) and moustache, and with his teeth already cut---and his parents exposed him, - a child so born is unlucky. The sixth Guru Hargobind, happened to find the child and told his disciples to take him up but they refused, saying that he was kuthra, or dirty. The Guru replied 'he was Suthra or clean' and they then obeyed. This boy was the founder of the Suthra-Shahi sect.

The Kangra version adds -Twelve years later, in the reign of Aurangzeb, the Hindus were persecuted and the emperor removed every day one and a quarter maunds of sacred threads (janeoo), erased the tilaks from their foreheads, and compelled Hindu faqirs to show him miracles. The Guru then sent the boy Suthra to Delhi to exhibit miracles to the emperor and to convert him to the right path. On reaching Delhi the boy had a pair of shoes, l ¼ haths long, made at a cost of 1 ¼ lakhs of rupees. One night he put one of these shoes in the Delhi mosque, together with a lota (the vessel used for washing the hands and feet before prayer). Next morning the Muhammadans prostrated themselves before the lota and shoe, considering them to he sacred, and their fame spread throughout the city. One day the boy tied the other shoe to a stick and wended his way through the city, crying that he had been robbed of the other shoe. News of this event reached Aurangzeb who sent for the boy and asked him whether the shoe found in the mosque was his. He said it was, whereupon the emperor said that, if it were found not to fit him, he would be beheaded. The boy agreed and, calling on his Guru's name, put on the shoe, which he found a little, too small. At this his face lit up, so that the emperor in amaze bade him ask any boon he chose.

The boy warned Aurangzeb against further persecution of the Hin-dus, and the emperor assented. Moreover he decreed that all his subjects should at every wedding pay one gold mohar and 1 ¼ rupees per shop to the boy, who refused to accept more than 1 ¼ rupee at each wedding and a pice from each shop. This decree wag engraved on a copper-plate. Then the boy went to Lahore and built himself a house outside the Masti Gate. He made 4 chelas, Bawa Nihal Shah, B. Gulab Shah, B. Didar Shah and B. Changar Shah. In the plains the tax is still paid to the Suthra Shahis~, but in the hills it is not paid in full owing to the poverty of the people. The boy Suthra composed a 'baramasa' in which the above history is given. Another version adds various details, prefixed to the above account It makes the boy go to Delhi of his own accord, put on a boar's Intestines as a janeoo and apply a tilak of ashes to his forehead. The Qazi of Delhi orders this janeoo to be broken, but in vain, so he licks it away and in consequence an evil smell issues from his mouth. The Suthra is then arrested, but the emperor Aurangzeb keeps him near the royal person and early next morning sees his face. As a result his breakfast turns into loathsome insects and he orders the Suthra to exe-cution. The latter demands to see the emperor and protests his innocence whereupon Aurangzeb declares that the sight of his unfortunate face early that morning had deprived him of food all day. To this the Suthra forcibly rejoins that the sight of Aurangzeb's unlucky face had led to his being condemned to death. So the emperor set him free and he took up his abode in a takia behind the Jama Masjid at Delhi. He had the shoes l ¼ hathas long made and a lota of earth set with precious stones. Going one night to the mosque to recite his prayers he fled in the morning from the mosque out of fear of the Muhammedans and left one shoe and the lota behind him. When he came before the emperor he found the shoe too small, but it just fitted Aurangzeb. At the Suthra's instance the emperor closes his eyes and finds himself alone with the Suthra in a terrible place. The Suthra mockingly asks him where are now his troops, and why he persecutes the Hindu faqirs. After craving his pardon Aurangzeb opens his eyes and finds himself back in the Delhi Fort. THE SUTHRA PANTH OR SECT OF THE SUTHRAS Both Hindus and Muhammedans enter this panth whose members are called Suthra Shah or Benawa. Muhammadan Suthras carry a danda (staff) with which they strike their iron bracelet (churis). Hindu Suthras claim to be Udasis, are followers of Guru Nanak,: and are said to have been founded by Hari Chand, his elder son. In theory they are monotheists, but as they have to beg from Hindus they also worship the Hindu gods. Their gaddis in the larger towns have deras attached to, and dependent on, them in the neighbouring villages. They contain no idols, except the Samadhs of deceased mahants, and to these they offer dhup dip. They chant the sabda of Guru Arjan. The Suthras are celibate, but make chelas. They wear a seli of black wool round the neck, and carry black dandas which they knock together, demanding a pice from each shop. If this demand be refused they blacken their faces, burn their clothes and expose themselves naked in public, refusing to leave the shop until paid. Mode of initiation.-- The candidate for admission into the panth is dissuaded, but if he persists in his resolve to become a Suthra, he is warned that he will have to subsist by begging, remain celibate and not quarrel, even if abused, His beard and moustache are then shaved off by a barber, but his top knot is left to be cut off by his guru', before whom the candidate lays a razor and asks that he will shave off his top knot. The guru' repeatedly refuses to do so, returning the razor to him several times, but finally the candidate's prayer is granted, his topknot cut off and a mantra whispered in his ear by the guru'. The initiate's clothes are given to the barber. Karah is made and distributed among those present. The initiate is invested with a seli or necklet of black wool, and a cotton janeoo or sacred thread worn by a Brahman. The two dandas are also given him and his initiation is complete. Suthras must not wear anything but a dhoti and cannot wear coloured dopattas (shawls). Liquor and flesh are avoided but not tobacco. All castes are now admitted into the order, though formerly, it is alleged, only Brah-mans, Kashatriyas and Vaisyas were initiated Rites at death.-AII the Brahminical rites are observed at death, and a Brahman is called in to perform the kiria karam, but it is said that a Sikh is also called in to read the Granth. The Sawarni and satarhwin rites of the Hindus are also performed, The body is cremated and the ashes taken to the Ganges, but a small quantity mixed with Ganges water and cow's urine is also placed in the dera and a samadh built thereon.

Mazhabi

or more correctly Mazhabi, is a Chuhra who has become a Sikh. Sikh Chu'hras are almost confined to the Districts and States immediately east and southeast of Lahore, which form the centre of Sikhism. Mazbi means nothing more than a member of the scavenger class converted to Sikhism. The Mazbis take the pahul wear their hair long, and abstain from tobacco, and they apparently refuse to touch night-soil, though performing all the other offices hereditary to the Chuhra caste. Their great guru is Tegh Bahadur, whose mutilated body was brought back from Delhi by Chuhras who were then and there admitted to the faith by Guru Gobind as a reward for their devotion. But though good Sikhs so far as religious observance is concerned, the taint of hereditary pollution is upon them and Sikhs of other castes refuse to associate with them even in religious ceremonies. They often intermarry with the Lal Begi or Hindu Chuhra. They make capital soldiers and some of our Pioneer regiments are wholly composed of Masbis. One of the bravest of the generals of the Gurus, was Jiwan Singh, a Masbi, whose tomb is still shown at Chamkaur in Ambala. He fell at its siege in 1705-06. During the' Muhammadan persecution of the Sikhs they dropped out of notice and failing a supporter in the place of Guru Govind, they never came to the front as a class, although Maharaja Ranjit Singh had a great admiration for their bravery and enlisted them freely. Being afraid, however, to form them into separate corps, he attached a company to various battalions. They were, however, looked down upon by the other men and naturally became discontented. When the Punjab was annexed, the Mazbi was a dacoit, a robber and often a thug. In this capacity he was generally styled a Rangretha. The latter are a class of Mazbi apparently found only in Ambala, Ludhiana, and the neighbourhood who consider themselves socially superior to the rest. The origin of their superiority, according to Srt. Denail Ibbetson 's information, lies in the fact that they were once notorious as highway robbers! But it appears that the Rangrethas have very generally abandoned scavenging for leather-work, and this would at once account for their rise in the social scale. In the hills Rangretha is often used as synonymous with Rangrez, or Chhimba or Lilari, to denote the cotton dyer and stamper, and in Sirsa the Sikhs will often call any Chuhra whom they wish to please Rangretha, and a rhyme is current Rangretha, Guru ka beta, or "the Rangretba is the son of the Guru'." The Mazbis have social distinctions among themselves. The descendants of the true Mazbis who rescued Tegh Bahaldur's body (Head) are strictly speaking, the only asl or real Mazbis, but the term is applied loosely to more recent converts. Recent converts are looked upon more or less with a critical eye and are termed Malwais. This term was probably a geographical distinction at first, but is now merely a caste one. It takes some generations to make a Mazbi, but how many he cannot say. Much depends on circumstances, and on the strictness of the convert's adherence to the faith as to when he may be admitted to an equal footing with a true Mazbi. For this reason the asl Mazbi is scarce and his physique is falling off. Until quite lately he was never found in large numbers in any special locality, except for the purpose of work on a new canal or railway. Two or three Mazbi houses are attached to the villages where they work as labourers. Grants of land have, however, been made in Gujranwala to pensioners of Pioneer regiments. The Mazbi gots are numerous and many of them are the same as those of the Jat, doubtless following the family or group whose hereditary servants they were. In their customs too, at weddings, etc., they conform to a great extent to those prevalent among the Jats.

Sahijdhari

Apparently from 'sahij', 'easy, gently' so easygoing or conforming, as opposed to Kesdhari, the Sikhs who wear the kes, i. e. do not cut the hair at all, and refrain from smoking tobacco. Generally speaking the Keshadhari may be defined as followers of Guru Govind Singh while the Sahjdhari may be roughly equated with the NANAK-PANTHI or followers of Guru' Nanak. Recent movements in the Sikh fold have tended to "raise the status of the Kesdhari Sikhs, so much so that while formerly Kesdharis and Sahjdharis of the same caste inter-married without distinction, a Kesdhari will usually not give his daughter to a Sahjdhari now unless he takes the pahul, although - he does not mind marrying the daughter of a Sahjdhari. In other words, the Kes-dharis are beginning to establish themselves as a hypergamous group."' On the other hand: "the relations of Sikh., whether Kesdharis or Sahjdharis, with Hindus pure and simple are so close that it is im-possible to draw a clear line of distinction. Even amongst the Keshadharis who are the followers of Guru' Gobind Singh a large number---e.g. the Manjha Jats in the Lahore and Amritsar Districts-allow boys to have their hair cut, up to about 15 years, when they take the pahul (receive initiation) and begin' to wear the kes, but all the time the boys are as good Sikhs as the parents. Then in one and the same family, one brother may be a Keshadhari, another a sahijdhari and the third while wearing .the kes may be a sarwaria who smokes the hukka. In numerous cases the father is a Kesdhdri, the son does not wear the kes and the grandson is again initiated and becomes a follower of the precepts of Guru' Gobind Singh in an office of the N.-W. Railway, there is an Arora calling himself a Kesdhari Sikh, who wears the kes but shaves his beard. His brothers are sahajdharis. There are several instances in which the wife of a Sahijdhari Sikh vows to make her first son a Kesadhari. The younger sons remain sahijdharis. A Keshadhari marries the daughter of a Sahijdhari and the daughters of Keshadharis marry sahijdharis. Indeed intermarriage between Keshdari and sahijdhari Sikhs and ordinary Hindus are still matters of everyday occurrence, although the modern movement has succeeded to a considerable extent in confining the followers of Guru Gobind Singh in a water-tight compartment, restricting intermarriage with non-keshadharis and enforcing the initiation on all male descendants of Keshadharis. But to this day, instances of Sahijdhari sons of Keshdhari fathers, particularly in the educated community, are fairly numerous.

TAT KHALSA

Tthe 'pure' Khalsa, or those of the elect among the Sikhs who adhere to the doctrines of Guru Govind Singh. The term dates back to the time of Baba Banda trusted disciple of that Guru, who, after his death proclaimed himself as the eleventh Guru. Those who accepted his claims came to be known Bandai-Khalsa but others who did not adhere to this and under the guidance of Mata Sundri (wife of Guru Gobind Singh), became 'Tat Khalsa' (pure Khalsa). With the fall of Banda bahaddur, his following gradually melted away and the term Tat Khalsa also fell into disuse. It has been revived recently, by the class known as the Neo-Sikh party (a term disliked by the Sikhs of that class) who are wholly and solely devoted to the tenets of the 10 Gurus and do not like their religion to be corrupted by association with any non-Sikh belief. They are trying to restore the faith to what they consider its pristine purity. The term Tat Khalsa appears to have been taken up by the Hindus who are opposed to the separatist movement of the Sikhs as a nickname and is now resented by the followers of this new reform movement. The members of this group disregard caste and restrictions on eating and drinking, and aim at establishing a universal brotherhood amongst the Sikhs, with views, liberal in some respects and orthodox in others, based mainly upon convenience. The movement is more or less reac-tionary and although averse to fanaticism it enjoins a very strong esprit de corps. The chief centre of the movement is Amritsar. Khalsa means 'the pick' and implies the true followers of Guru Gobind Singh. The term is applied generally to all keshadharis, but has recently acquired a special significance similar to that of Tat Khalsa. Punjab Census Rep./, 1912.

The Bandai Sikhs

The regime founded by Govind Singh was however destined, even before its birth, to be profoundly affected by separatism and even schism. The principal exponent of a more violent policy than the Guru's was the famous Banda. The death of Aurangzeb in 1707 was followed by dissension among his sons. Govind Singh found a protector or at least a sympathiser in the emperor Bahadur Shah, but he was not able or willing to restrain the activities of Banda. This man had a curious history. By birth a Rajput' of Rajauri in Kashmir he had changed his name of Lachhman Bala to Narain Das at the shrine of Ram Thamman near Kasur and became a Bairagi in 1686. But in 1691 he became a Jogi and an adept in occult science' with the name of Madho Das. Meeting the Guru, probably at Nader,1 'he was given the title of Bahadur, with that of Banda which he had earned by his ,submission to the Guru', together with five arrows and other weapons But he was not initiated with the pahul (other authorities say he was so initiated) and while imparting to him his spiritual power the Guru enjoined on him five rules according to which he was to remain strictly celibate and truthful, not to start a new sect or use a cushion in a Sikh temple, or allow himself to be styled Guru, but live in peace with the Singhs. Banda proceeded to wage open and relentless war on all Muhamdans and he was joined by the Singhs. He exacted vengeance for the execution of Guru Tegbahadur and for the treachery of the Pathans of Damla. Moreover he reduced Sadhaura in spite of its adherence to the Guru and some four months before his death he destroyed Sirhind with merciless slaughter. To its province he appointed a governor and a diwan, organised its administration and the collection of its revenues. This victory made many join the Khalsa, but it was not followed up atleast by Banda himself. One of his first acts was to chastise the Ram Raias of Pael (in Patiala) and then after exacting contributions from Malerkotla and Raikot, he retreated to Mukhlasgarh in the hills, renamed it Lohgarh, and provided it with immense stores, but he himself retired into the Joharsar Hills for religious meditation Meanwhile the Sikhs met with defeats at Tirauri and Khrar but were joined by Banda at Burail and a victory there enabled them to regain Sirhind, which they had lost. But he failed to take Jalalabad by siege and after defeats at Ladwa and Shahabad in 1709 Sirhind was reoccupied by the Muhammadans and the Sikhs retired to the hills.Banda had apparently again retired to Lohgarh whence lie emerged for another advance on Sirhind and regained all the country lost by the Sikhs. But again his triumph was short lived for he met with a crushing reverse af Saharanpur-Buria at the hands of prince Rafi-us-shan and was driven back to Lohgarh. Thence he escaped in disguise, fleeing into the hills and getting possession of Sirhind again, but only for a short time as in 1711 the emperor's appearance in person made him seek refuge in the hills once more. At Pathankot, he had a successful encounter with the Mughals, killing Shams Khan, a faujdar, and Bazid Khan. The emperor issued an edict that Hindus should shave off their beards and that all Singh should be indiscriminately massacred, a step which led to the slaughter of thousands of Hindus on suspicion. Bahadur Shah's death in I712 led to the usual strife amongst his sons for sovereignty and Banda took fall advantage of it to occupy Sirhind again and compel the Rajas of Sirmur, nalagarh and Bilaspur to submit formally to his allegiance. He reduced the Muhammadan jagirdars of Ropar, Bassi, Kiri and Bahlolpur to a similar position, and in 1714 was strong enough to hold a regal darbar at Amritsar, at which he appeared in royal dress with an aigrette on his head. His next step was to take Gurdaspur, Pathankot and Batala, which last named town he gave up to indiscriminate pillage and massacre, beginning with its wealthiest quarter, the muhalla of the Qazis. These events were followed by the reluctant submission of the Kangra chiefs. In 1713 Farrukhsiar's reign began and he promptly attacked the Sikhs on two sides, calling in a large army from Kashmir and sending picked forces from the east against them at the same time. The Sikhs rallied at Sirhind, but were compelled to fall hack on Lohgarh which was besieged, until Banda sallied forth from his hill fastness and drove back the imperialists, thus bringing the country between Lahore and the Jumna under Sikh control. Farrukhsiar next tried to use the influence of Guru Govind Singh's widow against Banda, who was excom-municated on eight counts in that he had married, started a new creed, substituted a charan pahul for the Sikh khanda pahul, invented the war-cry of,"Fathe daras" (victory of faith), in lien of the Sikh war-cry, attired himself in royal robes, styled himself the 11th Guru and claimed to rule the Sikhs, his followers being called Bandai instead of the Singhs of the Guru'. Banda's answer to these charges was significant. He said he was merely a Bairagi faqir and not the follower of Govind Singh: yet that he was merely carrying out his orders for the campaign of vengeance and the protection of the Khalsa. This edict led to the disruption of the Sikhs, the true or Tat Khalsa holding Amritsar, while Banda went to Gurdaspur. His power lay chief-ly along the Jammu border as far as Attock, hut he had adherents also in Ambala whose faujdar they defeated. But all his efforts at reconciliation with the Tat Khalsa failed and in 1711 he was captured at the siege of Gurdapur. He is generally said to have been put to death with great cruelty at Dehli, but another tradition is that by a mental pro-cess he survived his tortures and resuscitated himself. Refusing the offer of some Singhs to place themselves under his leadership he retired to Bhabhar on the Chenab in the Rusi pargama of Jammu where he died in 1741, leaving a son whose descendants still hold charge of his shrine. Banda's relations to the Tat Khalsa are not very clear. It certain-ly fought against him at his siege of Lahore, but generally refused to do so. It had made terms with the Mughal governors, but was certainly reluctant to join them in repressing Banda. The Imperialist attitude to the Sikhs indeed changed as soon as Banda had been captured, and the Singhs retaliated. In 1725 they proclaimed their intention of holding the Diwali fair at Amritsar, but the Bandai Sikhs, still more numerous than the Singhs, disputed the claim. It was settled by lot and most of the Bandai Sikhs went over to the Tat Khalsa, being initiated by the khanda pahul. Confused, desultory fighting ensued with the Imperialists, but in 1731 a Sjkh force surprised their main body at Bhilowal 20 miles from Lahore, and then Farrukhsiar weakly offered them a jagir of Rs. 100,000, with the title of Nawab to cease their depredations. This latter offer the Sikh leaders one and all rejected, but Kapur Singh of Faizullpur then working a hand.pankha was decked in the imperial robe, and proclaimed Nawab. Whatever the truth of this story may be, Kapur Singb became a notable figure among the Sikhs. He had succeeded his father, as leader of the Singhs who subsequently formed the Faizlapuria misl, and in various battles received no less than 43 wounds. It was considered a great honour to be initiated by him and among many others Ala Singh, of Patiala, and many of his relations received the pahul at his hands He paved the way for the Khalsa's rise to power and its transformation into a monarchy. He appears to have designated Jassa Singh Ahluwalia as his successor in the leader-ship of the Khalsa. The Singhs or their leaders however certainly accepted the Dipalpur, Kanganwal and Jhabal parganas in jagir and abandoning plunder contrived to subsist on its income. but as their numbers increased they divided in 1734 into two dals or armies, one called the Budha or veteran, the other the Tarn or young. The latter had five jatthas, companies or groups, viz; the Shahids, Amritsarias (headed bv Khatris of Amritsar),the Dallewalias (headed by Khatris of Dallewala that of Baba Kahn Singh, and the Ramdasias (headed by Ramdasis or Mazhabi Singhs) These dals fought in unison, especially in the submontane tracts along the Jammu border, and the division had no religious significance. The events of the next few years can only be very briefly touched upon It is however necessary to hark back first for a moment to Banda's relations with the Rajput chiefs of the Kangra hills and the adjoining tracts in the north-west corner of the Punjab plains. As already described the Kangra chiefs had reluctantly submitted to him in 1714, and he had undoubtedly found allies in the hills whence he de-scended in that year to fall upon the country round Batala and Kalanaur, and whither he fled when imperial troops were sent against him. In I 716 however he again emerged from his strongholds, falling upon the two towns just mentioned and sacking them with much slaughter of the Muhammadans, including the famous family of Shaikh-ul-Ahmad. But some of the hill Rajas sided with the Mughal governors, for Abdul Samad DalerJang, governor of Lahore, set out in pursuit of him assisted not only by the hakims of Eminabad, Pasrur, Patti and Kalanaur but also by Raja Bhim Singh of Katoch and Dhru'va Deva of Jasrota. But Nadir Shah's invasion in 1738-9 appears to have led indirectly ly to a general combination between the Mughal governors and the Hill Rajas to put down the Sikhs, although they had fiercely assailed the invader on his retreat. The Sikhs had seized the opportunity allowed them by the confusion created by the invasion to plunder Muhammadan villages and Nawab Kapur Singh had refused to join Nawab Zakaria Khan, governor of Lahore, in resisting them. A demand for restitution of half the booty wrested from Nadir Shah was rejected by the Sikhs and this exposed them to the enmity of Hindus as well as Muhammadans. After Ahmad Shah's invasion of I1748 a proclamation issued for their extermination. About 15000 Sikhs had collected in the dense jungle of Kahnuwan which Lakhpat Rai Khatri, chief minister to the governor at Lahore, invested. His blockade lasted three months and when the Sikhs had exhausted their ammunition they tried to Cut their way out towards the hills through Pathankot, only to find the passes all blocked by the Hill rajasd under orders from the Governor of Lahore. Finally they broke through towards the south and directed their course towards the MAlwa. This fight was known as the Chhota Ghalughara. Again in 1756 when Adina Beg, governor of Lahore, fled before Ahmed Shah Abdali's invasion of that year he sought protection under the Hill Rajas. After Banda's execution the Sikhs waged implacable war against the Muhammadans, but made no attempt to establish an organised government. In 1748, Cunningham states, the dal of the Khalsa, 'the army of the elect, ' was proclaimed by Jassa Siugh Kalal, one of their ablest leaders and head of the Ahluwalia misl and a few years later he struck coins in the Mughal mint at Lahore with the legend: "Coined by the grace of the KhAlsa in the country of Ahmad, conquered by Jassa the Kalal." In 1761 when Ahmed Shah retired from the Punjab after his great victory at Panipat, Jassa Singh attacked him while he was crossing the Bias and released about 22,OOO Hindu captives, male and female. For this feat he was popularly known as Bandichhor or ' the liberator.' He also occupied Lahore. But the Sikhs had to cope with internal dissension, for about this time the rnahant who was Hindal's successor at his shrine in JandiAla, turned against the Singhs and tampered with Nanak's biography. He had destroyed hundreds of innocent Singhs and now called in the aid of the Abdali whose forces in l862 raised the siege of Jandiala, which the Sikhs abandoned, concentrating at the siege of Sirhind which they would probably have taken in that year but for the advance of the Shah's forces, allied to the Muhammadan chiefs of Maler Kotla, Baroch and other places. Their great defeat at the hands of the Abdali near Hatbur-the vada Ghalughara or great defeat-followed in the same year. Nevertheless in 1763 the Sikhs took Sirhind, sacked and destroyed it. This event virtually decided the fate of the Punjab proper far as the Abdalis were concerned, and the generally received account is that in 1762. Ala Singh of Patiala received the first title of Raja ever bestowed on a Sikh chieftain and, though no coins of his appear to be extant he seems to have minted rupees in 1763 or two years before his death which occurred in 1765. The Sikh policy was radically changed from that time. The Phulkian chiefs became sovereigns in their own states. Tradition indeed describes how after their victory at Sirhind in 1763 ' the Sikhs dispersed as soon as the battle was won, and how riding day and night, each horseman would throw his belt and scabbard, his articles of dress and accoutrement, until he was almost naked, into successive villages, to mark them as his." This description may well have been true of their earlier conquests, but the old Mughal province of Sirhind was partitioned in a much more systematic way. In 1764 the Sikh chiefs assembled at Amritsar and proclaimed their supremacy and struck the Nanakshahi and Govindshahi rupee, which bore the inscription - Deg wa teg wa fatih nusrat be drang Yaft az Nanak Guru Govind Singh. "Guru Govind Singh received from Nanak, The Sword, the Bowl and Victory unfailing". This inscription adhered to in the main by later Sikh chiefs, including Ranjit Singh, though petty chiefs occasionally inserted the emperor's name. It was also retained by Nabha, but never adopted by the other two Phulkian States. From time to time attempts were made to restore the Sikh theocracy, under representatives of the sacred Khatri families. For instance in 1800 Sahib Singh Bedi, a descendant of Ba'ba Nanak, 'pretended to religious inspiration.' Collected a large force, invested Ludhiana, took Malerkotla and 'called on George Thomas to obey him as the true representative of the Sikh prophet. But the time had gone by for militant religious leaders and the Bedi soon retired north of the Satluj. 1. This is very uncertain, as indeed is the whole question of Banda's relations with Govind Singh: see Khazan Singh (pages 198-200). There seems some reason to believe that he had been active before the death of Govind Singh and possibly it was that Guru's death, which caused the leaderless Sikhs to flock to his standard.

Niranjaniye

Handal Jat of the village Jandiala was born in Samvat 1630. He was married to Uttami daughter of Hamza Chahal and they had a son named Bidhi Chand. Bhai Handal was a devout Sikh of Guru Amardas (the 4th Guru). Guru Amardas blessed him with a 'manji' for his devotion and preaching of Sikhism and for carrying on with the tradition of langar. The name of his village was hence called 'Guru ka Jandiala' . All the time Handal used to pronounce the word 'Niranjan-Niranjan', because of it his followers were called 'Niranjanias'. Handal died in Samvat 1705. Handal's son 'Bidhi Chand' was a nefarious person and he corrupted the 'Janam Sakhi' of Guru Nanak by altering many sakhis. Also he is responsible for altering the date of birth of Guru Nanak from 'Katak to Vasakh'.

KABIR PANTHI

A follower of Kabir (above). A life of Kabir, who was a little earlier than Luther, having been born in 1440, and who died in l5l8 A. D. Of all the fourteen persons usually classed as Bhagats or saints, viz., Beni, Bhikhan, Dhanna, Shaikh Farid, Jaidev, Kabir, Namdeo, Pipa, Ramanand, Ravidas, Sadhna, Saina, Su'rdas and Trilochan (whose lives are) for the most part, given in the Bhaktamaal, or the North Indian ' Lives of the Saints) Kabir and Tulsi Das have had the greatest influence for good on the unedu-cated masses of Northern and central India. A mystery hangs over Kabir's birth, but it appears that whoever his parents may have been, he was brought up in a family of Musalman weavers at Benares. He is generally looked on as having been a weaver by caste, and the weavers of the country by a process well known in eastern ethnology are fond of calling themselves as the descendants of this celebrated member of their caste. Many of the julahas in the Punjab return their caste as Kabirpanthi and many of those who return their sect as Kabirbansi or Kabirpanthi, are probably little more than ordinary weavers who have no idea of distinguishing themselves from other Hindu weavers in matters of doctrines. However, Kabir9 whatever his caste may really have been, is said to have been a pupil of Ramanand and whether this be true or not, it is beyond doubt that he imbibed a good deal of that master's teaching. From one point of view the Kabirpanthis are merely Ramanandis who refuse to worship idols. In the 14th century Ramanand, the founder of the Bairagis, lived at Benares. One day he went to gather flowers for worship in his garden, but there he was seized and taken by the gardener's daughter to one of the rulers of that period. The girl took with her also the flowers, which she herself had picked, and on the road found that they had turned into a handsome child. Thinking Ramanand a wizard she left both him and the child on the spot and fled homewards. Ramdnand then gave the child to a newly wedded Muhammadan Julaha and his wife who chanced to pass that way, and they brought the boy up as their own son. Another version is that a Brahman's wife craved the boon of a son and used to do homage to her sadhu for one. But one day her husband's sister went to do him reverence in her stead, and it was to her that the sadhu granted the desired boon, though she was a virgin. On learning this the Sadhu declared himself unable to recall his gift, and in due course a child was born to her from a boil which formed on her hand when it was scratched by the rope at a well. In her shame she secretly cast the child into a stream, where it was found by a weaver and his wife on their way home after their muklawa. The child was named Kabir, from kur, palm, and bir, a son, and one-day his adoptive mother took him to a tank to bathe. There too came Ramanand and hurt the boy with his sandals, but when he began to cry, he endowed him with miraculous powers. On his death Hindus and Muhammadans disputed for possession of his body, so it was placed under a cloth and when that was again removed it had disappeared. Half the cloth was then burnt by the Hindus and the other half buried by the Muhammadans. " In the midst of the dispute," says Professor Wiksn, " Kabir himself appeared amongst them and desiring them to look under cloth supposed to cover his mortal remains, immediately vanished. Obeying his instructions they found nothing under the cloth but a heap of flowers." The Hindus took a half of them and burnt them at Benares ; the Mohammadans took the other half and buried them in Gurakhpur, 'where his death is said to have occurred. Flower-born Kabir at his death turned to flowers again Kabir is in many ways rather a literary, than a religious celebrity and his writings in the common Bhasha are very voluminous. The Adi.Granth of the Sikhs is full of quotations from him, and he is more often quoted there than any other of the Bhagats. His apothems are constantly on the lips of the educated classes, whether Mussalman, even at the present day ; and possibly there is no native author whose words are more often quoted than those of Kabir It is noticeable, too, that Kabir instead of impressing on his disciples like most Hindu leaders, the necessity of absolute adherence to the Guru, was fond of stimulating enquiry and encouraging criticisms of his own utterances. Kabir was probably a Muhammadan Sufi, but as a sufi his teaching was addressed to Hindus as well as Muhammadans. Wilson's description of the Kabirpanthi doctrines is still exact:- "The Kabirpanthis, in consequence of their master having been a reputed disciple of Ramanand and of their paying more respect to Vishnu than the other members of the Hindu triad, are always included among the Vaishnava sects and maintain, with most of them, the kamawats especially, a friendly intercourse and political alliance. It no part of their faith, however, to worship any Hindu deity, or to observe any of the rites or ceremonials of the Hindus, whether orthodox or schismatically. Such of their members as are living in the world conform outwardly to all the usage of their tribes and caste, end some of them even pretend to worship the usual divinities, although this is considered as going rather further than is justifiable. Those, however, who have abandoned the fetters of society abstain from all the ordinary practices and address the homage chiefly in chanting hymns exclusively to the invisible Kabir. They use no mantra nor fixed form of salutation; they have no peculiar mode of dress, and some of them go nearly naked, without objecting, however, to clothe themselves in order to dressed when clothing is considered decent or respectful.. The mahants wear a small scull cap; the frontal marks, if wore, are usually those of the Vaishnava sects, or they make a streak with sandal or gopichandan along the ridge of the nose; a necklace and rosary of tulsi are also worn by them, but all these outward signs are considered of no importance and the inward man is the only essential point to be attended to." It is however very doubtful if the view that Kablr was probably a Muhammadan Sufi can be accepted with confidence, and Dr. G. A. Grierson would regard the sect founded by Kabir as one of the bhakti-sects. A common feature of many of these sects is the maha prasada or sacramental meal. On the evening of the appointed day the worshippers assemble And the mahant, or leading celebrant, reads a brief address, and then allows a short interval for prayer and meditation. All who feel themselves unworthy to proceed further then withdraw to a distance. Those that remain approach the senior celebrant in turn, and placing their hands together receive into the palm of the right hand, which is uppermost, a small consecrated wafer and two other articles of consecrated food. They then approach another celebrant, who pours into the palm of the right hand a few drops of water, which they drink. This food and water are regarded as Kabir's Special gift, and it is said that all who receive it worthily will have eternal life. Part of the sacramental food is 'reserved' and is carefully kept from pollution for administration to the sick. After the sacra-ment there is a substantial meal which all attend, and which in its character closely resembles the early Christian love-feasts. It is possi-ble that this rite was borrowed rein the Jesuit missionaries at Agra, but the headquarters of the Kebir.panthi sect are at Benares, and the rite is now likely to be a survival of historian influences. The Kabirpanthi sadhs or faqirs in this Province wear generally clothes dyed with brickdust colour (geru); and both they and the laity abstain from flesh and spirits. The present f0llowers of Kabir hold an intermediate position between idolatry and monotheism, but the mission of Kabir himself is generally looked on as one directed against idolatry; and at Kanwsrdeh, near Ballabgarh, in the Delhi district, there is a community of Kabirpanthis descended from an Argarwal Bania of Puri, who used to travel with 52 cart-loads of Shivs and Salgirams behind him, but who was convinced by Kabir of the error of his ways. The sect of Kabirpanthis is probably better known in the Gangetic Valley than in the Punjab, and the Kabirpanthis are largely found in the south-east of the Province ; but considerable numbers are also returned from Sialkot and Gurdaspur, and it is said that the Meghs and Batwals, so common in those districts, are very generally Kabirpanthis. The sect is also very largely recruited from the Chamar (leather worker) and Julaha (weaver) castes, and it is open to men of all classes to become Kabirpanthis. The Kabirpanthi will almost always describe himself as a Hindu, but a certain number have returned the name as that of an independent religion, and some as a sect of the Sikhs. An offshoot of the sect is the Dharm Dasias, founded by a wealthy merchant of Benaras who turned sadhu. The Dharm Dasis, however, appear to differ in no way from the Kabirpanthis in doctrine, and they are very rarely found in the Punjab.

NIRMALA SIKHS

The Nirmalasa, like the Udasis, commanded considerable influence under the Sikh rulers of the Punjab, but unlike them they have been able to preserve at least a measure of that earlier respect. By tradition the Nirmala order was founded by Guru Gobind Singh, who dispatched five Sikhs to learn Sanskrit. This is highly improbable, and the Nirmala order is scarcely mentioned in Sikh literature until the late eighteenth century. At that time the references rapidly multiply, largely in land grants and religious endowments made by Sikh rulers.

During the first four decades of the nineteenth century, the Nirmalas continued to prosper under Maharaja Ranjit Singh. As with the Udasis their centres were known as 'akharas', each headed by a mahant. Each akhara would accommodate varying numbers of celibate Nirmalas initiated by the mahant. Within it their time would be occupied in meditation, yoga and scriptural study. The books they were required to study would obviously include the Adi Granth, but they also spent much time on such Hindu works as the Vedas, the Shastras, Puranas and the Epics. Although the Nirmalas are accepted as a part of the Panth, ascetic discipline and the strongly Hindu nature of their study deviate sharply from the teachings of the Tat Khalsa. Members of the order wear saffron robes and observe celibacy, and the teachings they receive and impart are strongly Vedantic. As itinerant preachers, they did much to commend Sikh teachings beyond the Punjab (particularly in such centres of Hindu pilgrimage as Hardwar and Allahabad), and although some of their doctrines met with strong disapproval from Khalsa, they were regarded cordially by Sanatan Sikhs. In the controversies that enlivened Singh Sabha days, their fortunes declined with those of the Sanatan Sikhs, but never to the point of being totally eclipsed. They still exercise some influence within the Panth particularly in the Patiala area. Prominent writers like Bhai Santokh Singh, Tara Singh Narottam and Giani Gian Singh Ji were from this sect (Kanwal)

UDASI SIKHS

The ascetic son of Guru Nanak,Baba Sri Chand Ji the founder of the Udasi sect. The Udasis by Hugh Mcleod The Earliest of these sects is unquestionably that of the Udasis, though its importance is historic rather than contemporary. Modern sikhism is generally opposed to asceticism and for that reason alone it has little place for the Udasis. This was not always the case. Prior to the period of the Singh Sabha movement (the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries), the Udasi way enjoyed considerable prestige, and under the Sikh rulers of the Punjab its practitioners were recipients of substantial land grants. The eclipse of asceticism in general and of the Udasis in particular reflects the convictions of the Tat Khalsa. Today one finds few Udasi centres, the yogis of the Udasi way being banished to the outer fringes of the Sikh Panth. Many Sikhs refuse to accept them as their co-religionists. The Udasis were an ascetic group, claiming descent from Siri Chand (one of Guru Nanak's two sons) and following the path of renunciation (udas). Their austerities, their celibacy and their refusal to acknowledge such practices as keeping their hair uncut made them very different from the Khalsa, but they nevertheless maintained they were Sikhs. Although they recognized the line of ten Gurus from Nanak to Gobind Singh the Udasis were much more interested in the chain of succession, which descended from Siri Chand down to the reigning Mahant (Superior)of the branch they followed. They revered the Adi Granth, imparting to its teachings a distinctly Hindu twist. Like other Sikhs they wrote commentaries on particular portions of the Sikh scripture, together with janam-sakhis and gur-bilas works. Never uniform in terms of organization or doctrine, the Udasis numbered more than a dozen orders by the end of Sikh rule in 1849. By this tirne they had more than 250 akharas or centres. They were respected by the early Panth, particularly as Gurditta (the eldest son of Guru Hargobind) evidently favoured them. During the eighteenth century they were not targeted by the rulers, as were the orthodox Khalsa, with the result that many gurdwaras evldently passed into their care. Certainly the mahants of the late nineteenth century frequently claimed an Udasi descent, though their lifestyle was by this time very different from that of the traditional Udasis. Khalsa Sikhs, as we have seen, became increasingly uneasy about Udasi authority over gurdwaras, and during the Gurdwara Reform Movement of the early 1920s all the so-called Udasis were summarily ejected from positions of control.' The turning-point of the campaign came in 1921 when the Mahant of Nankana Sahib (who had declared himself to be an Udasi) caused the massacre of a large group of Akalis, an event that branded all Udasis as the enemies of the true Khalsa. During Singh Sabha days they had been targeted by the Tat Khalsa as prime examples of Hindu influence and are now but the palest shadow of their earlier wealth and power. the following detailed account of the Udasis has been taken from the book by H.A.Rose - "A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and the North-West Frontier Province." written around 1892 AD Udasi.-Syn. Nanak-putra: the principal religions order of the Sikhs. The Udasis are almost certainly the oldest of the Sikh orders, and trace their foundation to Sri Chand,1 the elder son cf Guru Nanak. 'The term 'Udasi' means a sorrow' or sadness, from Sanskrit Udas, 'sad' and their separation, which has sometimes been wrongly termed excommunication, by the 3rd Guru', Amar Das, is described in Vol.1 under Sikhism. 'this separation is sometimes ascribed to Guru' Arjan. The Udasi tenets, though largely tinctured with Hindu asceticism, found many proselytes among the descendants and followers of the orthodox Guru's, and Har Gobind,the 6th Guru, bestowed Gurditta,2 his eldest son on Sri Chand. Gurditta had four disciples who founded as many chapters (dhuan) of the order. These were Baba3 Hasan, PhuI4, Gonda5 and Almast 6, whose followers constitute the bara akhara, or senior assembly. Pheru, a disciple of Har Rai, the 7th Guru', established another chapter, called the chhota akhara 7 The Uddasis are celibate, at least in theory, and when so in practice are called Udasi Nanga or' naked.' But Maclagan gives a different explanation of this term as will - be seen from the following extract from his account of the order -" The Udasi's are recruited from all castes and will eat food from any Hindu. They are almost always celibates, and are sometimes,though not usually, congregated in monasteries. They are generally found wandering to and from their sacred p laces, such as Amritsar, Dera Nanak, Kartarpur, and the like. They are said to be numerous in Malwa and in Benares. In our Census returns they appear strongest in Jullundur, Rohtak, and Ferozepnr. It is a mistake to say that they are not generally recognised. as Sikhs ; they pay special reverence to the Adi-granth, but also respect the Granth of Gobind Singh, and attend the same shrines as the Sikhs generally. Their service consists of a ringing of bells and blare of instruments and chanting of hymns and waving of lights before the Adi granth and the picture of Baba Nanak. They are, however, by no means uniform in their customs. Some wear long hair, some wear matted locks, and others cut their hair. Some wear tilaks or caste-marks; others do not. Some burn the dead in the ordinary Hindu way; some after burning erect samadhs or monuments; other, apparently bury the dead. They are for the most part ascetics, but some are said to be engaged in ordinary secular pursuits. The ordinary dress of the ascetics is of a red colour, but a large section of them go entirely naked, except for the waistcloth, and rub ashes over their bodies. These, like the naked sections of other orders1 are known as Nange; they pay special reverence to the ashes with which they smear their bodies, and which are said to protect them equally from either extreme of temperature. Their most binding oath is on a ball of ashes. In Ludhiana the Udasis are described as mostly Jats by origin, the chela or disciple and successor, being usually chosen from this tribe and are found to be in possession of the dharamsalas in Hindu villages, where they distribute food to such as come for it and read the granth both of Baba Nanak and of Guru Gobind Singh although they do not attach much importance to the latter. The head of the college is called a mahant and the disciples chelas. They live in Sikh as well as in Hindu villages, and it is probably on this account that they do not quite neglect Guru Gobind Singh. They rarely marry; and if they do so, generally lose all influence, for the dharmsala soon becomes a private residence closed to strangers. But in some few families, such as that. of Jaspal Bangar, which keeps a large langar or almshouse going, it has always been the custom to marry, the endowments being large enough to support the family and maintain the institutions; but the eldest son does not in this case succeed as a matter of course. A chela is chosen by the Mahant, or by the family. If a mahant whose predecessors have not married should do so, he would lose all his weight with the people. The great shrine at Dera Baba Nanak, in the Gurdaspur district is in the custody of a community of Udasi Sadhs, whose mahant used to be appointed with the consent of the Bedis Another shrine at the same place, known as Tahli Sahib, froom a large Tahli or Shisham tree, which grew close to it, was founded by Sri Chand, and is also looked after by mahants of the Udasi order." Another chapter of the Udasi order, said sometimes to be one of the four dhua'n, is called the Bhagat Bhagwan. Once Bhagatgir, a Sanni-asi going on a pilgrimage to Hinglaj, with a band of disciplea, and visited Baba Nanak's dera on his way. Nanak's grandson, Dharm Chand, poured food into the howl of Bhagatgir, who had asked to be served first, but it was not filled. A pinch of karah prasad, however, given with the words, 'Sri Waheguru', filled the bowl at once. The visitors kept a vigil before the dera and the goddess Hinglaj appeared to them, so that the object of their pilgrimage was attained. Bhagatgir then became Dharm Chand's convert, as did all his followers, under the name of Bhagat Bhagwan. The great akhara of the sect is by the Bibiksar tank at Amritsar, but it also has akharas at Ladda, Bareily, Magla, Rajgiri, Patna and Bihar, with 870 gaddis in Eastern India. The Bhagat Bhagwans wear the Jatta or matted hair, with a chain round the waist, and smear themselves with ashes like Sanniassis. In their belief, and in their rules as to eating and the like they follow Nanak's precepts. The Sangat Sahib also appears to be a chapter of the Udasi order, though it is not one of the four dhuans. In Sambat 1697 a son was born to Binna, an Uppal Khatri of Ambmari in the pargana of Miske Naur,* between Lahore and Multan. The boy was named Pheru, and in 1713 he became cook to Guru' Har Rai, who taught him and invested him with the seli and topi and sent him as a masand to the Lamma (his native country - simply means WEST) and the Nakka (towards Shahpur) where he made converts. When Guru Govind Singh destroyed the masands, by pouring hot oil on their heads, Sikhs were sent to seize Pheru, but non-dared do so, though he made no resistance. Seizing his own beard Pheru came of his own accord to the Guru' who, seeing his righteousness, gave him half his pagri and seated him by himself, promising that his sect should prosper. The Guru also gave him the title of Sangat Sahib or 'companion of the Guru and sent him back as mesand to the Lamma and Nakka where he made more converts. In 1896: the Sangat Sahib made a travelling akhara like the Udasis. One of their most noted disciples. Santokh Das, worked many miracles, and became an ascetic. This order is also said to be called Bakhahish Sangat Sahib in Patiala, where it is said to pay special reverence to the Adi Granth and to have an akhara of its own, separate from the four dhuans. Other accounts say that the Sangat Sahibia sub-order was founded by one Bhai Bhalu who was a Jat 'merchant' of the Malwa or a carpenter of Amritsar. When unregenerate he was a follower of Sultan Sakhi Sarwar, but was persuaded by Guru Govind Singh to abandon that cult. A large number of Jats, carpenters and Lohars are said to belong to this suborder. Besides a Gurdwara in Lahore it holds the Brahmbhut akhara at Amritsar. Another Udasi suborder is that of the Ramdas Udasis. Its founda-tion is ascribed to Gurditta (not the eldest son of Guru Hargobind but a grandson of Baba Bandha, one of Baba Nanak's converts ?). Gurditta was established by Guru Amardeo (?Amardas) on a gaddi at Ramdas, in the Ajnala tehsil of Amritsar, where there is a fine temple. The suborder also has deras at Nawekot, Muradabad and elsewhere. The Hiradasis of our Censas returns appear to be either named after a Mochi who joined the order or after a Bairagi saint of the Muzaffar-garh district. Each subdivision of the Udasis has a complete organisation for collect-ing and spending money, and is presided over by a principal mahant called Sri Mahant, with subordinate mahants under him. 1. Malcolm says Dharm Chand, clearly an error. 2. On a hill near Rawalpindi lived Budhan Shah, a Muhammadan faqir, to whom Baba Nanak had entrusted some milk till his successor should come to claim it. Seeing Gurditta approaching Budhan Shah begged him to assume Nanak's form. This Gurditta did and thereby earned the title and dignity of Baba: Maclagan, . He lived mainly at Kartarpur but died at Kiratpur where he has a handsome shrine. From another shrine there, called the Manji Sahib he is said to have shot an arrow which fell in the plain below at a place called Patalpuri., long used as a burning ground for the Sodhi Khatris. 3. Baba Hasna's shrine is at Charankaul, near Anandpur. 4. Phul Sahib's shrines are at Bahdurpur and Chinighat in Hoshiarpur. 5. Gonda Sahib is represented at Shikarpur in Sind and at the Sangalwala Gurdwara in Amritsar. 6, Almast Sahib is represented at Jagannath and Naini Tal: Maclagan, § 90. 7. This appears to be the Sangat Sahib.

Sri 108 Mahant Bhagat Ram of dera Dharam Das Ji Maharaj - village Bara Pind, Jalandhar. He installed this sculptor of Baba Siri Chand (BELOW)in 1921. This sculptor is over 112 years old.

Baba Sri Chand

Sri 108 Mahant Baba Ghanshyam Das Ji

Sri 1008 Nirban Pritam Das Ji Maharaj of Akhara Sangal Wala, Amritsar

Mahan Kavi Sant Rein who wrote 'Guru Nanak Vijay Granth', the 3rd edition has been printed by Bhasha Vibhag, Punjab.

The geneological tree of Guru Nanak

RADHASOAMIS

Merging the Soul With Eternal Reality A simple step was taken in colonial India over a century and half ago in the city of eternal love, the abode of the Taj Mahal, Agra. The man who took that step was Swami Shiv Dayal Singh Ji Maharaj, and today that one step has emerged into one of the largest spiritual movements in the world known as the Radhasoami Satsang, with a following of over two million people world-wide. Swami Shiv Dayal Singh, popularly known as Soamiji Maharaj, was somewhat of a mystic. He imagined the human soul to be Radha, whose goal is its merger with her Soami, the eternal reality, hence the name Radha Soami. This is somewhat in keeping with the Vaishnav tradition, which too lays emphasis on vegetarianism and refraining from alcohol. Soamiji Maharaj was not much in favor of spreading his thoughts or woo disciples to his fold. In fact, he ruled out systematic advertisements for his newly founded satsang in Agra. He used to insist that anyone who chose to follow him must give up non-vegetarian food, abstain from alcohol, lead a high moral life and engage in over two hours of shabd yoga meditation. In the mid 1850s, Soamiji Maharaj had a handful of followers in Agra. However, his teachings attracted disciples from across the country and at the time of his death in 1878, Soamiji already had several thousands of followers. Despite having a strong following, Soamiji Maharaj did not appoint a successor, therefore following his demise commotion ruled the roost till sometime. Several disciples emerged as would-be successors, which led to a split in the group and six successors led the movement forward. Although this split remains till date, ironically, this is the very reason for the Radhasoami movement to move outside Agra and spread to the rest of the country. Soamiji's wife Radhaji, Rai Salig Ram, Sanmukh Das, Gharib Das and Partap Singh, Soamiji's younger brother are some of his prominent followers who branched off, forming individual satsangs. This splintering off, led to the propagation of Radhasoami teachings to a wider audience although with slightly varied interpretations. Jaimal Singh, another of Soamiji's disciples, established his satsang on the banks of the river Beas in undivided Punjab. And today this satsang is the most famous of the Radhasoami satsangs across the world. In fact, its followers number more than the followers of the rest of the satsangs put together. Clearly the most successful Radhasoami branch in the world is the Beas Satsang, with a following that surpasses all of the other satsangs combined. Jaimal Singh Ji Maharaj, also called Babaji Maharaj, established his satsang in Beas in 1891. And today the Beas satsang is an autonomous body, which doesn't bear allegiance to any of the other Radhasoami satsangs. Jaimal Singh hailed from a Punjabi Sikh family. He was inspired by the talks of Soamiji Maharaj and became his follower. After his guru's demise he set up his dera(camp) three miles to the east of village Beas, near Baba Bakala town on the northern bank of river Beas. At that time, that place came to be known as Dera Baba Jaimal Singh and is called the same even today. This is the present center of the Radhasoami sect in Punjab. Baba Jaimal Singh's successor was Baba Sawan Singh, who also was a Sikh by birth, hailing from the Narangwal village in Ludhiana district in Punjab. Baba Sawan Singh was succeeded by Baba Charan Singh Ji. The latter three heads maintained the Dera Baba Jaimal Singh at Beas as their headquarters.

The followers of this sect draw heavily from the holy book of the Sikhs, the Granth Sahib. Yet, throughout their history they haven't tried to intercede with the regular proceedings of the mainstream Sikh religion or try to portray their leaders in the same vein as the 10 gurus of the Sikhs.

At the time when Babaji Maharaj established Dera Baba Jaimal Singh, he had built a small hut, about nine square feet in area. Today at the same place stands a beautiful colony, all-pervading calm and peace being the hallmark of the ashram. Maharaj Sawan Singh Ji, succeeded Babaji Maharaj after the latter's demise on 29th of December 1903. And he immediately got busy with the business of propagating the teachings of the Radhasoami movement, winning followers from as far as Europe, North America, Africa and Asia of course. His tenure saw immense progress in the fortunes of the Beas ashram. In His time, 1903-1948, the Dera made phenomenal progress in all its aspects. The Beas ashram grew both in fame and size, with its boundaries growing to several thousand square yards. Initially, on its properties were built a number of small rooms. This cluster later took shape of a huge colony of beautiful houses. When he passed away at the age of 90 plus in 1948, his will was read out according to which his personal and private property was bequeathed to his family and the religious property, which he held as the spiritual master of the Dera was given to his successor as the head of the movement. His successor Sardar Bahadur Jagat Singh Ji demise came soon after his guru's on October 22, 1951. And his nomination to the post of master was Sri Satguru Partap Singh Ji (Namdhari) at the 'Dastarbandi' ceremony of Maharaj Charan Singh Ji died on June 1, 1990, of a heart failure. But two days prior to his death, he dictated in his last will that his nephew, Gurinder Singh Dhillon would succeed him as both the Spiritual Master of the Dera and the Patron of its many activities. Gurinder Singh is the current spiritual head of the sect.

The objectives of the movement: 

These are very clearly defined by the sect and they are: Diffusion of knowledge useful for spiritual and moral advancement according to the traditions and tenets of Radha Soami Faith as propounded by the Sant Sat Gurus of Radha Soami Colony Beas (Dera Baba Jaimal Singh.) To provide and make arrangement for holding Satsangs (religious sermons) and Bhandaras(large gatherings) at the colony and other places. To run a Langar (kitchen for providing free meals) and lodgings for the Sadhus, Sewadars, Satsangis and others and to look after their needs. To arrange for the printing, publication, sale as well as dissemination of literature on Radha Soami Faith in India. To establish and/or run a hospital and/or dispensary at or near the said Colony. Radhasoamis in the West: Thanks to United States tolerance of varied cultures and religions; most Indian religions and sects have prospered in the country. The Radhasoami movement is not any different. In 1933, Maharaj Sawan Singh Ji appointed Harvey Myers as his representative of the faith in the United States. James Replogle, another initiate, was asked to conduct initiations in the Midwest and East, while Myers retained the West Coast. Myers served under both Maharaj Sawan Singh Ji as well as his successor Sardar Bahadur Jagat Singh. In 1951, after Maharaj Charan Singh Ji assumed the spiritual mastership at the Dera, the Radhasoami membership saw exponential growth in the United States. While under the former two gurus, there were only several hundred initiates, under Maharaj Charan Singh Ji, the figure rose to over 10,000. Currently, a formal body in the United States oversees the administration of the numerous satsangs across the country. The non-profit, California Corporation, the R.S.S.B. (Radha Soami Society Beas) is governed by a Board of Trustees composed of the Master's representatives and seven satsangis appointed by the Master for specific, stated terms. The present master Gurinder Singh has firmed up the Radhasoami Beas organization worldwide. He has centralized the appointment of Satsang leaders (the guru personally approves each appointee) and has increased the number of satsangis involved in various seva(free service) projects. The credit for the smooth operations of the movement in the United States goes entirely to Gurinder Singh who has improved the infrastructure of the Radhasoami organization. He was responsible for fixing an age limit of 25 for initiation seekers. He has revamped the printed initiation instructions. He overlooks the editing of local newsletters and building of new Radhasoami centers across the globe. Each year he travels extensively to countries outside India, to spread the message of the Radhasoami movement. This has probably resulted in making the Radhasoami Satsang Beas as being the most organized and popular Radhasoami groups of all. The ashram at Beas is a picture of calm and beauty. It has guestrooms where people, who are interested in taking initiation into the sect, can come and stay. At the ashram is present a 300-bed hospital, which provides free medical care to both members of the Radhasoami movement as well as non-members and the needy. Maharaj Sawan Singh Charitable Hospital: The MSS Charitable hospital is a vast complex near the Dera, at Beas, on the Grant Trunk Road between Amritsar and Jallandhar. A team of highly qualified and experienced doctors mans this 35-acre hospital, built at a cost of nearly Rs 40 million. Both, the para-medical staff, and other skilled and unskilled employees are housed in a well laid-out residential colony planned to provide all necessary amenities. Visiting doctors, both Indian and foreign, who serve at the hospital for short periods, are also provided with residential accommodation. The hospital complex also encompasses a serai(inn) for the free accommodation of relatives and dependants accompanying the patients. The serai has a capacity to accommodate 450 people. One of the special features of the hospital is its annual eye camp, the first of which was organized in 1965. The purpose of this is to give medical aid to people suffering from eye-ailments, particularly surgical removal of cataracts from the eye.

NIRANKARI

Baba Hardev Ji, the Spiritual head of the Sant Nirankari Mandal For in depth information kindly go to www.nirankari.com And for activities in the Midlands UK: www.nirankari.com/birmingham The Sant Nirankari Mission "Know One Believe and Become One" - The Nirankari Baba Sant Nirankari Mission, popularly known as the Universal Brotherhood, is an all-embracing spiritual movement, dedicated to peace, love and human fraternity. Through spiritual awakening, the Mission seeks to overcome the barriers that have increasingly separated human beings from each other and from God. The central premise of the Mission is that such an awakening is possible, in the company of a 'Guru', or spiritual guide, who is personally living in this state of enlightenment. The Guru is that, catalyst, which allows the fervent seeker to establish a pure, living and eternal relation with the Supreme Power. Having high regard for all religious and spiritual movements, the Mission is founded on the belief that 'True Religion Unites, Never Divides'. These are the words of Nirankari Baba Hardev Ji, the fountain- head of spiritual knowledge and leader of the Mission today. Baba Ji does not seek to remove individuality, or create uniformity. Rather, he promotes and celebrates unity in diversity. A Brief History of the Mission

The Mission made it's beginnings in 1929 in Peshawar, India, when Baba Buta Ji raised the voice of Truth, inspiring a small network of individuals whilst on his working travels. Accompanied by his most devoted disciple Baba Avtar Ji, they worked virtuously day and night to share their divine experience with as many people as possible. Baba Buta Ji breathed his last in 1943, bestowing responsibility for carrying the Mission onwards upon Baba Avtar Ji. 
Such was the extra-ordinary personality of Baba Avtar Ji. His teachings had such an awe-inspiring impact upon devotees, that they were compiled during his lifetime in the form of the Sampuran Avtar Bani. The writings were in prose, which crystallised the very essence of spiritual living on earth in a simple, yet very moving language.

In 1962, Baba Avtar Ji took the remarkable decision to proclaim Baba Gurbachan Ji (above) as the manifest Satguru, and reverted himself to the life of discipleship. Baba Gurbachan Ji, who had already endeared himself as a devoted Missionary, carried the teachings abroad for the first time, establishing followings in almost every continent of the world. He prioritised a social welfare agenda, and set-up the 'Sewadal', the Mission's Voluntary Corps, to perform all manner of community support duties, relief work and charitable activities. Baba Gurbachan Ji's contribution to the noble cause was beyond measure

Before his departure from earth, Baba Gurbachan Ji was able to proclaim Baba Hardev Ji (above) as the Spiritual Master who would take the mission forward. This divine personality is working tirelessly to inspire people to realise the supreme purpose of their lives, and guiding the world towards an enduring relationship with God. Today, the Sant Nirankari Mission is truly a global spiritual movement, having centres in every corner of the world. The eternal Mission continues to move onwards… The Knowledge of God (Brahm-Gyan) The Mission is fundamentally a platform for spiritual awakening - this is its primary purpose. The experience Baba Ji shares to foster this awakening is known as Brahm-Gyan - literally, the Knowledge of God, although it has been referred to in various ways within the sacred scriptures of centuries gone-by. The Knowledge of God should not be confused as being something taught from a book, or passed on in the form of a sermon or lecture. The Knowledge of God is nothing less than a lasting perception of the Eternal Truth- a moment of intuitive insight and sublime awareness, in which God is seen to permeate in all things, and all things experienced to be within God. Many hundreds of thousands of people the world over have been wonder-struck by the simplicity of the Knowledge, and the revolution it has generated in hearts and mind. Baba Ji shares the Knowledge freely, with any one who asks in sincerity to know it, and become one with his eternal nature. If there is any pre-condition to the sharing of the Knowledge, it is contained within Five Noble Pledges that Baba Ji asks seekers to promise to uphold. These pledges are once again, beautifully simple, yet they carry the promise of securing the most elusive commodity on earth - peace itself. Five Noble Pledges The first pledge surrounds the subject of submission. One is required to accept wholeheartedly that all that you are, and all that you consider your own, are gifts from God, in order to guard against these things becoming a source of greed, arrogance or false pride. Rather, one is to vow to utilise his body, mind and wealth for the wider good, in the understanding that he is a mere trustee of these things. Baba Ji often refers to this state of being as samurpan - utter surrender to God. Secondly, to avoid judgement, condemnation and hatred of any being, and to live above worldly divisions such as those of nationality, race, colour or creed. Rather, to accept one and all without prejudice, as members of one world family, created by the One Divine Maker. Baba Ji can be heard referring to this pledge as samdrishti - literally, looking upon all with one vision and without duality. The context of the third pledge sets out that one is to rise above petty discriminations on the basis of lifestyle, diet or dress. These factors are often geographically, historically and culturally determined, and all too often become a source of conflict and unrest in the world. Any person who commits to the third pledge, learns to live and let live, observing his own independent lifestyle depending simply upon on the one formless Nirarkara and comprehending a deep respect and tolerance for diversity. Baba Ji may talk of this promise as vishaalta- - to be large of heart and broad in mind. Fourthly, to live a dutiful and honest life, fulfilling any responsibility that has come your way. There is really no need to renounce the world, or indulge in penances, to come closer to God. Rather, pledge to live in the world as a good citizen, sharing in the burden of others, but never becoming a burden upon others and to promote and work for community cohesion. Baba Ji calls this the path of karma yoga - where one's practical living becomes an act of worship. The fifth pledge is to honour the sanctity of the Brahm Gyan as a divine blessing. In order to avoid misinterpretation and confusion, the Knowledge should not be divulged without permission of the living spiritual master. The Knowledge, in it's essence, is more than words can contain. It can only be expressed by subtle intent. When a Guru or enlightened authority speaks, it is a conversation of spirit, which transcends all physical boundaries. When the Guru perceives that an individual has grasped the essence of the Knowledge, he gladly asks that individual to share his bliss with others. Three supports Brahm-Gyan is not an isolated experience, which occurs once in a lifetime. Whilst there is no doubt that this revelation precipitates a spiritual rebirth, Baba Ji advocates the use of three supporting tools to keep the awakening alive in heart and mind. If the Knowledge is the lighting of the lamp, these tools are the fuels that keep it burning. They are; Satsang - literally translated, this means a joining in truth. It is the engagement with fellow devotees in regular, collective worship of God. The company of like-minded individuals helps to deepen one's understanding of the Knowledge, and the application of the Five Noble Pledges in life. Satsang's within the Mission are spontaneous and refreshing affairs, characterised by spiritual song, poetry and inspirational talks upon God and noble living. Men, women and children from all walks of life share their spiritual experiences with one another. Seva - is the practical expression of goodwill. Seva may take many forms, as long as it benefits fellow beings and is performed with humility, and without wish for reward or recognition. Devotees of the Mission tune in to opportunities for seva - for example, they may engage in the preparation of community meals, charitable donations for the needy or the donation of blood for the sick and injured. A supportive thought, smile or gesture may be an example of a more quiet and personal seva. Really, the form of the seva is not nearly as important as the intent with which it is carried out. Simran - is the remembrance of God by way of prayer. The Mission advocates that prayer should not be a mechanical formality, but a natural and personal communication with the loving All Pervading Lord. In a state of spiritual awakening, God is experienced within, and all around. One peaceful moment in whole awareness of God, is considered better than a thousand utterances and calls devoid of such awareness. Baba Ji often says, 'work, rest and play in remembrance of God', which is a continued form of meditation for the seeker allowing him to practice the Brahm Gyan without restriction at anytime of the day at any moment. Continual Guidance It is the good fortune of all seekers that they are provided with Continued Guidance from the spiritual master through his regular discourse. In recent times Baba Ji has commented on many subjects including Brotherhood, Humility, Unity in Diversity, Oneness, Guidance as found hereunder. Brotherhood When we talk of brotherhood we do not mean that we are here to create a world community of Gujarati's or Sindhi's or British or American people. Such categorisations have their limitations. As the creator is unlimited and we are connected to the creator so his community ought to bear his hallmarks. That is to be beyond all limits. Hence, discussing such union is the thought of one world family being all inclusive and non-exclusive, living above the barriers of culture, religion, nationality, class discrimination, race and language. Such a world family would depict mutual understanding the spirit of love, spiritual maturity and will allow us to create Universal Brotherhood. Humility One observes a fruit tree at the high point of the harvest season being laden with fruit. The more produce found within the tree the greater will be its weight, the fruit expressing its authority compelling the tree to bow down. The yield will be plentiful and will always benefit others being similar to the way of the Devotee. When you look at any aspect of his life you will detect a helpful nature together with sweetness. This person acts like the tree being free from influence providing only fruit and that too by bowing down for any person willing to accept it. The nature of such a personality is transparent as he views the beloved in every perspective. Unity in Diversity This world we see is so diverse forming a part of the many other planets in our Solar System. The earth is one, but man tries to locate alternative human life and life forms on other planets. However, to date humans have only been found on this planet. If God wanted, he could have created different earths for different communities or classes of people. But this did not happen. God created one earth for all diverse peoples to live in unity. Humans are so wide-ranging in nature and appearance, that even a simple fingerprint does not match that of another person. God did not make all to look alike. He created diversity. When a person realises truth, he finds unity within and all around. Love We have been taught by the Great Master Jesus Christ to 'Love thy neighbour.' Who is our neighbour? This is not only restricted to the person who physically lives next door to our homes. Wherever we are, we have a different fellow citizen next to us and embedding this thought in our minds, our love must extend in all directions towards the whole of humanity. Communities neighbour other communities as do countries borders meet with other countries borders and scrutinizing this thought we should harbour feelings of love for them all. Strength in Spirituality We all attempt to live the lives of devotional and spiritually uplifted people, but do we really have any strength in our spirituality? The acid test to evaluate our achievement is to gaze within ourselves and see how many times in the day we get disturbed. If we remain calm throughout our lives we can consider ourselves as being spiritually mature people. Of course if we do not we are identified as lacking the said depth of spirituality. Contentment Man today say's that he is too hot but instead of seeking shade or cooling off in water, he settles in close proximity to a furnace where he encounters greater heat. Onlookers will shout out and say, "If you are so hot and you desire calm and relief from the heat, why do you not move away?" Man however, in his ignorance will stay put and in doing so remains tense. Correspondingly, we see that the search for boundless joy is ignored and that which provides temporary pleasure is given greater regard. Man dwells in the heat of material possession alone and fails to achieve real happiness, thinking he can triumph and achieve inner calm through the attainment of such possessions alone. This is not the case. Such heat is attractive to the mind and man will stand near the furnace absorbing the heat and attracting greater discomfort. He fails to move away, which should be his prime prerogative. Even when one recommends a change in direction he will ignore the advice and will suffer from the burning attractions of materialism. So how can he be contented? Oneness The slogan, "God is One," has been reiterated by all the great philosophers of times gone by. If this is truly the case can Allah be any different from Ram? If one has not arrived at this sense of one realisation, this happens to become a rationale for proposing differing views on religion. If one discovers discrimination over the names of God, it is inevitable that man will also classify the masters who gave this world those religions. Such views will escort discrimination between humans. Why? For the reason, that we have not realised One God. If we know this one, then we can believe in one and finally become one. Without the foundation of oneness, there will always remain differences. Water as a product is one although it has different names in different languages. We know this to be one and hence there is no argument. It is believers of an unknown God who create religious differences. Once God is known as one, all differences are abandoned Guidance Without an instructor one cannot move forward and mature upon the ladder of divinity. A school may preserve a grand building and education enhancing facilities, which promote learning but if there is no teacher what will the students be taught? Will they be able to profit from, proper edification and instruction or not? Contrarily, we sometimes observe in rural villages that there are little or no facilities, but a teacher takes his class under the shade of a tree adjacent the road-side. This is not the perfect learning environment, but the pupils will still attain knowledge because of the presence of the teacher. Of course, it helps to have an environment conducive to learning, but the greatest need is the appointment of a teacher who will train by example rather than mere precept. If an apprentice mechanic were to equip himself with a tool kit and then present himself to a garage owner, would he be able to repair a car without any guidance? of course not. An instructor is always required to learn a subject and in the realms of divinity, guidance is always needed to establish a complete and unending awareness of God. To conclude Baba Hardev Ji is a living spiritual guide, on earth at this moment in time. The Sant Nirankari Mission is the vehicle by which Baba Ji is working to spread the Knowledge of God, the creation and the path for living meaningfully within it. Baba Ji is sharing his Knowledge freely, with anyone who is seeking a spiritual awakening. Recently a new Bhavan was opened by Baba hardev Ji at Wednesbury in the Midlands, U.K. Here are some photos of that occasion:-

NIHANGS

Nihang is a Persian word meaning crocodile. Nihangs were suicide squads of the Mughal army and wore blue uniforms. The Sikhs took the name and the uniform from theMughals. Nihangs constitute an order of Sikhs who, abandoning the fear of death, are ever ready for martyrdom and remain unsullied by worldly possessions. A Nihang is one who has nothing and is free from anxiety. The order is said to have been founded by Guru Gobind Singh himself as a fighting body of the Khalsa. The Nihangs were also called Akalis (servitors of the Timeless God) which term has now become synonymous with the members of a political party in Punjab. (Most of them wear blue turbans). Nihangs can be recognized from a distance as they wear dark blue robes with their legs bare below the knees and high blue and yellow turbans laced with steel discs. They usually carry spears, swords, daggers and shields. They use a charming vocabulary of Braggadocio, which has found its way into the Punjabi language.

Nihangs in battle - One with the quoit and the other with a gun. A sketch by a European Artist - from the Illustrated Weekly News, London Nihangs in a final procession at the Kesgarh Sahib Gurdwara on the occasion of Hola Mohalla (photo courtesy Raghu Rai - "The Sikhs")

Falconry: Nihangs gather to admire a hawk (Symbolic of Guru Gobind Singh) trained to capture small birds. (photo courtesy-Raghu Rai) Nihang Horsemanship: Baba Santa Singh leader of the Buddha Dal, in a display of equestrian prowess. (photo courtesy - Raghu Rai -"The Sikhs")

AKALI NIHANGS

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 Govind 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

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

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.

SACHKHAND NANAK DHAAM

The spiritual mission of Sachkhand Nanak Dham (‘true house of God’) was founded by Mahraz Darshan Das (1953–1987) in Batala, Punjab in 1973. Mahraz Ji first visited England during the winter of 1979. There followed many other visits, and the numbers of followers grew rapidly. They included people of all walks of life, Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Sikhs: Mahraz Ji encouraged people to follow the truth—that is God—within their own faith and to recognise that truth in each person. Mahraz Ji preached that the spiritual journey that every human being must undertake for a better understanding of self and of the One God must be undertaken under the guidance of a living spiritual Master. The year 1980 saw the inauguration of Das Dharam, the practical arm of the Mission: members are encouraged to serve all humanity on a voluntary basis. The Punjabi slogan he gave to his followers was nanak naam chardi kala tere bhane sarbat da bhala, which translates roughly as: “In the name of the Supreme Power, do something good for someone else in your life.” Members are encouraged to lead a teetotal and vegetarian lifestyle and adopt the fundamental principles of Das Dharam, which are: speak the truth, be content, follow the guidance of a spiritual master and put yourself out for someone else in your life. A permanent centre was established in Handsworth, Birmingham in 1982. During the turbulent year of 1984, Mahraz spoke out against the injustices and intolerances then afflicting the Punjab. He was assassinated in a school hall in Southall during a prayer meeting in November 1987. A beautiful DERA has been built at Batala, the birthplace of Maharaz Ji as can be seen as under.

Satsang celebrations on the 50th birth anniversary of Maharaz Darshan Das. His son Tirlochan Maharaz addressing the congregation.

NAMDHARI OR KUKAS

 The Namdhari Sikhs known as Kukas in the political annals of India are rightly called the 'Torch bearers of Indias' Freedom struggle". As Pathfinders of political liberty from the bondage of the Imperialist British masters of India, they hold a unique place in the resistance movement. The members of the sect from the very inception are ordained and pledged to follow the multiple cult of political freedom, Panchayati Raj", combined with moral upliftment, social emancipation, and physical rejuvenation. The aims of the ingenious architect of this utilitarian socio-political edifice was to produce men of high moral character gifted with patriotic feelings ready to sacrifice their all for the sake of truth, righteousness and Motherland.

The founder Guru Ram Singh had witnessed the ruination of the Sovereign State of the Punjab with his own eyes. He had studied at close quarters and on the spot, the causes of its downfall. He had reached the conclusion, that men of high moral character only can win back freedom from the British. In April 1857, one month before the first shot of the misnamed Indian mutiny was fired, Guru Ram Singh had raised high the Triangular white flag of Indian Independence at Bhaini Sahib his native village in Ludhiana district. The gathering was called for a specific purpose and with a particular aim. It was attended by typical village-dwellers the surrounding area; toiling peasants field labourers, tailors, carpenters, workers in leather and, the so-called un-touchables- the real backbone of Indian masses. None of them was rich. They ware honest, and hardworking simple village-folks. Beside his sermon on the religious and moral teachings, he enunciated his political programme of Swedeshi, complete Non-co-operation with the foreign rulers, and Boycott of foreign-made goods. All were exhorted to follow these injunctions and programme with an ultimate aim of achieving Freedom and establishing Panchayti Raj. The Namdharies have a unique and distinct record of sacrifices made, and services rendered in the cause of Indian freedom. From 14th April 1857 to 14th August 1947, they strictly followed the cult of Swadeshi, Non-co-operation and Boycott. Guru Ram Singh and his 11 chief local organisers called Subahs were arrested and detained under the Bengal Regulation III of 1818 in January 1872. They were kept as State prisoners for indefinite period in different jails at Rangoon, Moulmein and Mergui in Burma, Aden port, a British possession in the Arabian Peninsula beyond the Arabian sea, Hazaribagh Jail, Chunar and Asir-garh forts. Later on Baba Gurcharan Siugh was arrested and detained in Multan Jail as a most dangerous Namdhari who had been carrying on intrigues with the Russians against the British. In the year 1881, the number of Kuka State prisoners detained under Bengal Regulation III of 1818 was 14, out of nearly 80, in whole of British India. Some of them died in jails. A few were released, when they had become too weak and emaciated under the rigours of solitary jail life.

The spirit of patriotism infused into the minds of the Namdharies by Guru Ram Singh debarred them from appealing to the sense of justice of their foreign matters. They did not ask for mercy nor were they given one. Like a wounded deer chased by bloodthirsty hounds, the Namdharies licked their wounds for the little intervals, when the hounds lost the trail. The British officers, their Indian stooges, princes and boot lickers, took pleasure in condemning them as rebels fit to be hanged at first sight. The Namdharies suffered sorrows in silence. They did not utter any cries of pain or disappointment. They were always ready for receiving the whip of the tyrant on the back and dagger at the throat.

The headquarters of the Namdharies; the suc-ceeding Guru Hari Singh Ji, his wife and his sons were under the strict watch of the policeman station-ed at the entrance of his residential house. The inmates of the house were searched each time they went out and came in. Satguru Partap Singh Ji Maharaj, and his younger brothers were born in this state of semi-captivity. In the year 1919, the Namdharies as a class joined the swadeshi, non-co-operation and Boycott programme of Mahatma Gandhi. They entered the congress en mass by the orders of Guru Maharaj Partap Singh Ji. At the time of the historical session of the Indian National Congress at Lahore in 1929, the Namdharies openly cooperated with the National Movement of the country and stead-fastly carried out the decisions made there. With the fuller awakenings of political consciousness in India in the twenties the leaders of National Movement, became attracted towards the Namdhari politi-cal ideology which had the genesis of great and effective consequences in its basic principles. Doctor Shri Rajindar Prasad, the Indian President paid a visit to Bhaini Sahib in the twenties. Shri Jawaharlal Nehru, India's Premier and one of the greatest men of the world, visited Bhaini Sahib twice in the years 1935 and 1953. Since 1919, the words 'Namdhari' and 'Congress' had become co-terminus and synonymous. In all political elections, in which the Congress took part since 1919, the Namdharies supported the Congress candidates. The noble and superhuman part played by the Namdharies during the darkest days of Punjab history after the partition, in the year 1947, forms a solitary chapter, full of virtuous deeds, worthy of angles, in such circumstances and under such conditions of life. Not a single Namdhari besmeared the fair name of his sect by following the evil ways of killing Muslims, looting and destroying the evacuee property and, abduction of Muslim women. Guru Partap Singh Ji Maharaj had emphatically ordered the Namdharies to desist from such evil actions, under threat of invoking God's curse on all such persons and also expulsion from the Namdhari organisation. No other organisation in India or Pakistan, can claim or boast of keeping its members under such a rigid control. "According to the belief of the Namdharies battle of freedom is not yet over. The outer wounds have been healed leaving ugly scars. The inner cancers throwing up poisonous virus and retarding the production of balanced growth of economic, social and political life, are still there." As a class, they are always ready for the selfless service to the Motherland-Bharat.

KIRTAN JATHA GROUP

They believe in the efficacy of kirtan (devotional singing) and regularly hold overnight sessions (rain sabai). This group also attaches particular importance to the meditation and repetition of the Sikh mantra 'Vahiguru' ('wonderful guru'). The group observes strict vegetarianism and will only cook with, and eat out of, iron utensils. All references to caste distinctions are strictly forbidden. They reject the list of musical modes at the end of the Adi Granth (rag-mala) and do not repeat it when there is a complete reading of the scripture. However, believing that the words of the Guru Granth are literally the words of the Guru, they can be called fundamentalists. Furthermore there is no interpretative explanation (katha) given of scriptural passages, since the meaning is assumed to be clear and transparent. The group replaces the original uncut hair (kesh) with a small under-turban (keshki), which both women and men wear. In such beliefs the group reject the general code of conduct known as the Sikh Rahit Marayada of the S.G.P.C., and produced their own called rahit-bibek (bibek means discrimination, discernment, insight). They also believe in a different Khalsa initiation ceremony, wherein the five beloved ones, or five Gursikhs place their right hand on the neophyte's head and meditatively repeat the mantra "Vahiguru", revolving around the initiate for five or so minutes. Bhai Randhir Singh (1878-1961) (above), initiated the movement from his long periods in prison - since he vehemently opposed British rule. He caused considerable consternation with his vehement demands that he abide by his Khalsa's rahit (code of conduct) whilst in prison. His rigorous interpretation did not allow him to eat out of anything not made in an all-iron vessel (Sarob Loh, echoing Guru Gobind Singh's term for God). He was associated with Teja Singh of Bhasaur and his Panch Khalsa Divan. However, he cut all ties with him when Teja Singh was excommunicated. His followers are known as the Bhai Randhir Singh da Jatha, which is used interchangeably with the Akhand Kirtani Jatha. There was an extremist off-shoot of the Akhand Kirtani Jatha in the form of the Babbar Khalsa who claimed responsibility for killing many Sant Nirankaris in the 1980s. The women are expected to wear the turban (Keski) as well as the usual kesh (uncut hair). The importance of the keski is justified by the fact that all the other five K's are external and additional to the natural human form, except for the uncut hair (kesh). Therefore it requires special external treatment.