Sikh History

The name of the religion means learner. It is often mispronounced 'seek' It should be pronounced 'se-ikh', with the final 'kh' sound like the 'kh' in Mikhail.

Its founder was Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, (1469-1538) who was born in the Punjab area of what is now Pakistan. At Sultanpur, he received a vision to preach the way to enlightenment and God. He is responsible for the saying "There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim" which has since become one of the pillars of Sikhism. Guru Nanak and Panth (his followers) later built the first Sikh temple at Katarpur.

A succession of nine Gurus led the movement during the period from Guru Nanak's death until 1708. At that time, the holy book of the Sikhs took up the functions of the Guru and proclaimed so by the last Guru, Siri Guru Granth Sahib JI. This holy book embodies the philosophy and fundamentals of Sikhism.

Mogul emperors ruled a large area of South Asia from the 16th century until the end of the 18th century. They attempted to convert the Sikhs to Islam, but were unsuccessful.

Sikhism flourished under Marahaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839) and in 1801, the Sikh state of Punjab was founded in Northern India.  But rivals bickered following his death, weakening the leadership.

Consequently, the Sikh kingdom was left vulnerable to British empire-builders of the East India Company. The invasion by Great Britain triggered the Sikh Wars (1845-1849). The British successfully gained control over all of India.  The cause of the Sikhs was laid low for half a century.  Its resurgence mirrored a general desire for independence held among Indians of all faiths.  In 1919 British soldiers opened fire on thousands of peaceful demonstrators for liberation from British rule. That day in Amritsar, sparked a civil disobedience orchestrated by Mohandas Gandhi.  Over 2,000 men and boys were killed or wounded in the massacre.

After independence in 1947, occupied India was partitioned on religious grounds into a mostly Muslim Pakistan and mostly Hindu India. A mass migration of Sikhs from Pakistan to India and a reverse migration of Muslims resulted. Some Sikhs have been seeking an independent homeland since the late 1940's.

Feeling increasingly frustrated and ever-more radical in response, the Sikh faith had further difficulties. In 1984 in Amritsar, at the same time as pilgrims were gathering to mark the anniversary of the death of Guru Arjan Dev, there was a standoff between Sikhs and army troops and violence erupted killing many on both sides.  By the time the Indian Army gained control of the town, hundreds of Sikhs had been killed.

The results were desecration to many holy places, sacred books were destroyed and the Golden Temple was sprayed by more than 300 bullets.  And the Akal Takht, the center of Sikh religious and political authority was destroyed.  The Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was held blame and five months later she was shot by her two Sikh bodyguards.  Hitherto, they had been faithful servants, but were tested to their limits by the injustices they witnessed.  This incurred intense backlash against the Sikhs from the Hindus.

Sikhs number about 20 million worldwide, with the majority living in the Punjab region.  The next largest concentrations are in Canada and the United Kingdom.
 

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