Encyclopedia
A
Sikh is an adherent of
Sikhism. The term originates from the
Punjabi language where it means student or disciple.
Most Sikhs come from the
Punjab region although converts from across the globe are increasingly prevalent.
Definition
The SGPC defines a Sikh in the Rehat Maryada as a person who believes in:
Such a person is defined as a Sikh as long as said person does not owe allegiance to any other religion.
Some Sikh sects that do not subscribe to the SGPC's Rehat Maryada may have differing definitions of a Sikh. However, generally speaking, these prerequisites hold.
Distribution
Worldwide, Sikhs number approximately 23 million, but more than 60 percent of Sikhs live in the Indian state of
Punjab, where they form close to 66% of the population. Large communities of Sikhs live in the neighbouring states of
Haryana,
Himachal Pradesh,
Jammu and Kashmir,
Rajasthan,
Uttar Pradesh,
Uttaranchal, and the cities of
Delhi and
Mumbai. However Sikhs compose approximately only 1.9% of the Indian population. Migration beginning from the nineteenth century have found significant communities in
Canada, the
United Kingdom, the
Middle East,
East Africa,
Southeast Asia and more recently, the
United States,
Western Europe,
Australia and
New Zealand.
Despite their comparatively small population, Sikhs are highly represented in various sectors of Indian life. They compose a significant segment of
India's military services and are significant participants in sports such as
field hockey,
cricket and politics. Sikh political leaders of the past and present include
Master Tara Singh, Sardul Singh Caveeshar, Baldev Singh, former president of India
Zail Singh and present prime minister of India
Manmohan Singh; in addition the first
Indian American, or
Asian American for that matter, elected to the
United States Congress was Dalip Singh Saund, who had campaigned for the Indian American right to U.S. citizenship in the
1950s. Sikh intellectuals, sportsmen and artists such as
Khushwant Singh, Monty Panesar, Jaspal Bhatti, Milkha Singh , Bishen Singh Bedi,
Navjot Singh Sidhu and Harbhajan Singh are an integral part of popular culture. Sikh communities also enjoy comparatively greater economic prosperity - the state of Punjab is known as India's
breadbasket, owing to its significant production of food crops, and one of the most industrialized economies in the nation. In India and across the world, Sikhs are an important mercantile class, as well as employed in skilled professions. This is primarily owed to a close-knit community structure, progressive farming techniques and a cultural emphasis on education.
Sikhs enjoy representation in India's civil services. Relations with
Hindu communities have generally been amicable and friendly, although recent years have seen antagonism between the two, particularly in the 1980s. In recent years, the number of younger Sikhs who are not well-versed with religious scriptures and long-held traditions, and do not observe many religious injunctions has increased in some communities in Western Europe and North America.
Five k's
The Five Ks, or panj kakaar/kakke, are five items of faith that baptised Khalsa Sikhs wear at all times at the command of the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh who so ordered at the Baisakhi Amrit Sanchar in 1699. The Five Ks are not merely symbols but articles of faith which collectively form the external visible symbols to identify and clearly and outwardly advertise and display ones commitment and dedication to the order of the tenth master. Guru Gobind Singh ordered his followers to wear the Five Ks so that they could actively use them to make a difference to their own and to others' spirituality. However, Sikhism recognises the concept of a multi-level approach to achieving one's target as a disciple of the faith as well. For example, "Sahajdhari" are those Sikhs who have not yet donned the full Five Ks.
Note: In certain places where it is inappropriate to wear most of 5 K’s , one can remove them to preserve and show respect for cleanliness of 5 Kakars but these must be readily available to the Sikh instantly.
1.Kaccha
2.Kirpan
3.Kanga
4.Kada
5.kesh
links=
Names
The surname or middle name Singh is given to males when they become a Sikh. Similarly, Kaur is given to women. Of course, not all people named Singh or Kaur are necessarily Sikhs. The name Singh is closely linked to the martial antiquities of North India dating back to at least the Eighth Century CE. Sikh forenames are unisexual; the "Singh" and "Kaur" monikers are hence useful in clarifying the person's sex. Additionaly, giving the last name Kaur to a woman is meant to empower her: no longer does she take her husband's last name when married. Changing of the last name to Singh or Kaur was also decreed by the Gurus so as to eliminate discrimination based on one's family name. By casting off one's family name, every Sikh acknowledges that all humans are equal; that no one shall be treated differently just because of the family name. However, most Sikhs retain their original surnames and use "Singh" and "Kaur" as a middle name instead.
Castes and tribes
Despite its emphasis on equality and brotherhood , socio-economic divisions have developed between Sikhs of the urban mercantile "castes" such as
Rajput,
Khatri,
Arora and Bhatia Sikhs.
Ramgharia,
Jat, Gujjar, Tarkhan,
Kamboj, Saini, Kalal, Labana are other Sikh castes or communities. There are also Sikhs of
Brahmin and Dalit extraction/ancestry. The majority of Sikhism is composed of
Jats. This re-emergence of the caste system is strictly forbidden in Sikhism, as all men and women are equal.
There has also emerged a specialized group of Sikhs calling themselves Akalis and there are Prasadis, which have existed for some time but have recently become more vocal.
See also
An index of the most important pages on Sikhism can be found at the list of Sikhism-related topics.Sikhism and Science: http://www.freewebs.com/wgjkkwgjkf/divinegurugranthsahib.htm
Sikhism and critisizm: http://www.amritbani.com/documents/Atheist%20Society%20looks%20at%20Sikh%20Dharam.pdf
Notes
External links
- - General resource site with books, videos and articles about Sikhism.
- - General resource site introducing the main concepts of Sikhism.
- - Sikhism resource site.
- - Guru Granth Sahib search engine with additional scriptural resources.
- - Collaborative Sikh encyclopedia.
- - Popular Sikh community website.
- Broad coverage of Sikhi including Literature, Gurbani, Kirtan, Video, etc
- - Movie clip shot at Lahore
- An informative Website on the Sikh religion with amazing Articles as well as pictures relating to Sikhism.
