Anandpuria

Piara Singh Padam in his book Rahitname says at page 35 that noRahetnma lists the five items or Kakars together. Still none of these items can be ignored. Anywhere else word Kakar is not found till after arrival of the Britsh. After the British disarmed and disbanded the Sikh army keeping arms was prohibited. Baba Ram Singh Namdhari was forced to advise his sikhs newly administered Khande Di Pahul in 1857 April to keep a Sota or thick bamboo staff instead of a Sri Sahib. Other Sikhs too resorted keeping atiny replica about two or three inches long in their turban. Ultimately in early 20th century after the Kirpan morcha British Govt. agreed only to allow a nine incches long 'Karad' that we now call a Kirpan. The actual Kirpan ordained by tenth Guru ji after Khande the Pahul was around two and a half feet minimum. So, except for a few Jathedar or Nihangs most Singhs are wearing including this writer the version of 'Kirpan' not specified by tenth Guru ji but by the British authorities.

Sikh Khoj "There is a strong traditio that Guru Nanak Ji taught Shaster Vidya to Baba Budha....." Baba Buddha ji did not have to be taught Shastar Vidya by Guru Nanak ji. Let us not start manufacturing history by relying on Unsubstantiated claims mostly by Nihags to justify their attempt to stretch their origins to Guru Nanak. Those who haven't grown up in a village cannot understand many things. Right upto middle of last century village youth used to play not just Kabaddi but Gatka and other athletic exercises. A village vetern of Gatka would see to it that capable and enthusiastic young men excelled in wielding all sorts of weapons such as Kirpan spear, Lathi and quoits or Chakkars. I was inspired by such an elderly vetern in the neighbouring village. On joining Khalsa College at Jallandhar I joined the Gatka team and we were university champions 1959 defeating Khalsa College Amritsar and others. The Gatka matches were not for show off in front of media as we see in Nagar Kirtans. These were real fights with several players being seriously injured. We learnt actual fights with kirpans and spears and single fighter taking on half a dozen opponents in a circular paintras. The point I wish to emphasise is that in Panjabi villages the village veterns were competent teachers. Thus Baba Buddha ji learnt so called Shaster Vidya (Nidder Singh coined term) in his village Kathunangal. It was part of growing up. Bidhi Chand Chhina too learnt in village. In the event of an external attack village youth picked up their swords and spears and confronted the invader.

"Satguru gave us a new script called Gurumukhi. One can write any language in that script." Gurmukhi script existed long before Guru Period. Guru Nanak Dev ji lists all the thirty five characters of this script in his composition 'Patti Asa' pronouncing all the letter names and their order as it exists to this day. Before Guru Period three scripts existed in Punjab: Sharda, Takri, and Lande (also known as Mahajani). Gurmakhi name was given to the 'Lande' script by adding vowel signs to the Landa letters. Guru Nanak Dev ji was sent to the Pandha to study 'Takri and Shastri script'. Landa script was taught at home by Khatri parents to their children as a traditional script for writing business accounts since Khatris were mainly shopkeepers or accountants for rulers. Sharda script was popular in Kashmir and still is. Takri was the script in the Punjab hills. Takri is very much like Gurmukhi. All these scripts evolved from Brahmi. In a place near village Hathoor in Sangroor area there existed a place known as Phirozshah da Maqbra. It was visited by devotees and vistors would write their names and dates on the walls. There exist some names and dates written in the Gurmukhi script that predate Guru Angad Dev thereby proving false the claim that Guru Angad Dev was the originator of Gurmukhi script. Name 'Gurmukhi' does not mean the script of Sikh Gurus. The followers of Gorkh Nath were also known as 'Gurmukh' and this script was also used by them long before Guru Nanak De. Guru ji uses the word 'Gurmukh' in Sidhgost conversing with the Sidhs. It is intriguing to find that the Arabic Numerals (1,2,3,4,5 etc) now used worldwide were borrowed by Europeans from Arabs way back during first milleneum. Arabs do not claim these to be their own but call them 'Hindsa' or borrowed from Hind or India. These Hind people were Panjabi Khatris trading in Baghdad area. These numeral are nothing but the firts letters of Panjabi words for One, Two, three etc. Thus 2 is the first letter ਦ of the word ਦੋ, 3 is the first letter ਤ of the word ਤਿੰਨ and so on.

Shaheedyan ji, It is interesting to see my friend Serjinder Singh's write up. He is basically a scientist. I came across this pharase Sarva Loha while reading Arthashastara. I thought a scientist would better understand the science behind this mixture of metals. He explained many things about it and sent this information to Sikhnet. He explained that Since gold does not interact with oxygen in air so it does no rust. Gold therefore is found quite pure in nature and shining. Silver also is similar to some extent. These two are therefore known as noble metals. Third metal to be easily available is copper because it can be easily prepared from its ore by heating it in a relatively simple fire. Since copper was red coloured like blood or Lohu in Sanskrit, it began to be called Loha in early vedic period. After discovery of other metals such as tin, zinc, murcury, lead etc, mixtures of these non-Noble metals began to be callrd Sarva Loh. the importance of Sarva Loh apart from Chankya's reference is that even today these mixtures of metals are melted and cast into statues of goddesses. Generally it is called Sarabloh. Hence when In Dasam Granth we see this word it refers to goddess or Shiv. Even these days statues are made from five metals and the mixture when molten is called Panchloh. Google this word and see. During ancient times whatever metals could be collected to either make a weapon or to make statue of goddess or Shiv was called Sarva Loh. Shiv was both Sarabloh as a mixed metal statue of Shiv as well as Sarabkal as death. During pre-vedic period only Shiv and goddess are believed to have been worshipped on the basis seals depicting prototypes of these deities. Vishnu appeared quite late just before the Christian era. Iron was not that easily available during the Rigvedic period. Only meteoritic iron was known and sparingly used particularly for important statues or weapons such as Axe of Prsuram or the Bajjar of Indra. Metallurgy of iron was not well known at that time. Iron at that time was known as Ayas. Word Asi in Dasam Granth refers to a weapon made of iron as in Asiket or Asidhuj. Asi is a distortion of Sanskrit word Ayas.

I met him during the eighties in a seminar in Amritsar. He was very polite and reserved, and would give his opinion in very precise words. I really admired him for his objective approach. There wasn't any history postgraduate claas at Khalsa College Jallandhar but Pajabi MA. However, he was invited to give special talks to undergraduate students on Sikh history. I remember listening to him about Persian sources such as Tuzak-i-jahangiri on Guru Arjan Dev ji's martyredom. Satbir Singh had been telling us alwats about Chandu and Pirthi Chand.

Three oldest copies of Chaupa Singh Rahitnama that HW McLeod says existed before 1984 were one in Sikh Reference Library, another one in Guru Nanak Dev University, and the third one at Khalsa College Amritsar. He copied the one at Sikh reference Library before Blue Star in 1982. he compared his copy notes meticulously with the. other two at Khalsa College and Guru Nanak University. They all seemrd to be copy of a single source. he later found that the source was a copythat ued to be at Damdama Sahib. Ultimately he published his book Chaupa Singh Rahitnama by crefully comparing and using the texts from the three sources. He is not alive today however, he had deposited all his notes and papers on this with Guru Nank Dev University. Incidently, All the three versions have the same sentence "Jo Sikhni nu Khande di Pahul deve so tankhahia". The only variant version in print is that published by Piara Singh Padam that has the same sentence with added word 'na' in it making it, "Jo Sikhni nu Khande di Pahul na deve so Tankhahia". Padam hasn't given any satisfactory source reference helping the reader to confirm it.

I was able to locate 52 bachans in Principal Satbir Singh's book 'Aad Sikh te Aad Sakhian' published in 1987. It is the last sakhi of the book. He does not mention the original source. Somewhere else Satbir Singh is said to have said that he had seen these bachans in 'Gurdware Darshan' published by Giani Thakur Singh in 1915. I had a look at this book. However I was unable to find these in it. Principal Satbir Singh used to be a lecturer of history at Lyallpur Khalsa College Jallandhar during late fifties when I was a student there. I had seen him critisising teachers of history and literature for their political views that according to him they should have been deeply religious and pro-Akali being teachers in a Khalsa college. Teacher of literature criticised was Sant Singh Sekhon teaching Panjabi M A classes part-time. While in hostel I saw him beat a sweeper who was smoking going home after work. I wasn't much impressed by his scholarship, particularly originality in history as a subject compared with Ganda Singh who used to come occasionally to give a talk to history postgraduate students.

Certainly. One can converse with the Guru or Akalpurkh anywhere, anytime. This is what I believe.

Just keeping aside the important debate about feminism, could someone help me? I am trying to write about the Baisakhi 1699 event. We all are aware that Guru ji ordained that a male Sikh on having been administered Khande di Pahul should append 'Singh' epithet to his first name. All early references confirm this. However, I haven't been able to locate the earliest reference ordaining a female to append 'Kaur' to her first name. Almost all references during and after Singh Sabha movement say so. I would be grateful if I could find the original reference closer to1699 during the 18th century. I feel the issue being debated about 'Women as Guru' falls broadly in a similar category.

Problem is, the mainstream Namdharis at present do not follow Baba Ram Singh. They follow his son Budh Singh, Nidhan Singh Alam, and Sant Inder Singh Chakarvarti who concocted a far-fetched story linking Balak Singh with tenth Guruji and calling Balak Singh the 11th Guru and Baba Ram Singh the 12th Guru. Baba Ram Singh never called or believed himself to be a Guru. His letters from exile are the first hand proof of this. One must read these letters in 'Kookian di Vithia' by Ganda Singh.

While studying all the sources available on the descendents of Baba Buddhaji particularly those living at Jhande Ramdas for a different project I never came across any mention of these bachans or anything like that. There is detail given of Bhai Ram Kaur's return from Nander alongwith his mother who had gone to bring him back with Guruji's permission. However there is no mention of any bachans. It in my opinion is a very recent creation..

Interestingly, S. Kartar Singh Khalsa, Jatha Bhindran (Mehta) quoted Bhayee Chaupa Singh, “Jo Sikh, Sikhani Noo Khande Dee Pahul Na Deve, So Tankhahiya” (The Sikh, who does not give ‘Khande Dee Pahul’ to Sikhani (Sikh-woman), is a culprit). (See: ‘Khalsa Jeevan and Gurmat Rahat Maryada’ written by Sant Kartar Singh Khalsa, Jatha Bhindran (Mehta), page 180, edition 1977).

The oldest manuscripts of Chaupa Singh have the sentence "Jo sikh, sikhni noo khande di pahul deve so tankhahyia". An oldest copy was lying in Sikh Reference Library. Fortunately it was copied before blue star. It has the sentence "Jo sikh, sikhni nu khande di pahul deve so tankhahia". It is available in print to verify.

Question is not whether men and women are equal or not. We in this day and age all agree and believe they are equal except anatomically. We also believe they must have equal access to participate in rituals as equals. My question is historical. Why names Mata Sundari ji and Mata Sahib Devi ji exists without second part of name and is not Kaur in letters or hukamnamas they wrote to Sikhs during 1720's, long after Guruji passed away in 1708 and even long after 1699 when they are supposed to have taken Khande di Pahul. In histrical sources for 1700 to 1750 period, it is hard to find a female with a Kaur despite their husbands being Singhs. Only three possibilities come to my mind: 1. The wives of Singhs did not get Khande di Pahul. 2. The Sikh females did get Khandey di Pahul but it was not ordained by Guruji for baptised females to add Kaur to their name. We do not find any suggestion in details of 1699 Baisakhi in historical sources that they should be baptised identically except asking Kaur to be added to their name. 3. The female Sikhs were given only Charan Pahul or Kirpan da Amrit. I would like us to stay away from the easy escapist options declaring without any evidence 'Guru ji said this or Guru ji couldn't have said that based on our twentieth or 21st century notions.

Which is the earliest reference about 52 Bachans to really convince ourselves that it is really Guruji's. First time I came across these was in Amritsar plastered on street walls during few weeks after Blue Star. Any clue on historiography of these modern looking numbered lines.