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====Bengali Sikhs====
====Bengali Sikhs====
'''Sikhism in [[Bengal region]]''' dates back to 1504 but has declined after the partition.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/magazine/2012/07/01/heritage.htm|title=Prayers from Punjab|newspaper=The Daily Star|access-date=2016-12-20}}</ref> Sikhism first emerged in Bengal when [[Guru Nanak]] visited Bengal in 1504 and established a number of Gurdwaras.<ref name="banglapedia" /> [[Gurdwara Nanak Shahi]] is the principal [[Sikh]] Gurdwara (prayer hall) in [[Dhaka]], Bangladesh. It is located at the campus of the [[University of Dhaka]] and considered to be the biggest of the 7 Gurdwaras in the country. After the Partition of India, the Sikh community left for India.<ref name=banglapedia>{{Cite Banglapedia|article=Sikhs, The|author=Nasrin Akhter}}</ref>
Sikhism in the [[Bengal region]] dates back to 1504 but has declined after the partition.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/magazine/2012/07/01/heritage.htm|title=Prayers from Punjab|newspaper=The Daily Star|access-date=2016-12-20}}</ref> Sikhism first emerged in Bengal when [[Guru Nanak]] visited Bengal in 1504 and established a number of Gurdwaras.<ref name="banglapedia" />

By the early 18th century, there were a few Sikhs living in the region of Bengal.<ref name=":0">Hardgrave, R. L. (1996). An Early Portrayal of the Sikhs: Two 18th Century Etchings by Baltazard Solvyns. ''International Journal of Punjab Studies'', ''3''(2), 213-27. Accessed via: https://www.laits.utexas.edu/solvyns-project/sikhs.html</ref> One famous Sikh who lived during this time period was [[Omichund|Omichand]], a local [[Khatri]] Sikh banker and landlord who participate in the conspiracy against ''[[Nawab]]'' [[Siraj ud-Daulah]] with the [[East India Company]].<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Mandair |first=Arvind-pal Singh |title=Sikhism: with 64 figures |last2=Singh |first2=Sunit |date=2017 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-94-024-0845-4 |series=Encyclopedia of Indian Religions |location=Dordrecht |pages=290–91 |chapter=Orientalism (Sikhism)}}</ref> The Flemish artist [[Frans Balthazar Solvyns|Frans Baltazard Solvyns]] arrived in Calcutta in 1791 and observed many Sikhs, whom one could differentiate from the rest of the land's inhabitants by their garbs and traditions.<ref name=":0" /> He etched depictions of a [[Khalsa|Khalsa Sikh]] and a [[Nanakpanthi]], which was published in 1799.<ref name=":0" />

[[Gurdwara Nanak Shahi]] is the principal [[Sikh]] Gurdwara (prayer hall) in [[Dhaka]], Bangladesh. It is located at the campus of the [[University of Dhaka]] and considered to be the biggest of the 7 Gurdwaras in the country. After the Partition of India, the Sikh community left for India.<ref name="banglapedia">{{Cite Banglapedia|article=Sikhs, The|author=Nasrin Akhter}}</ref>


After the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]] and [[Bangladesh Liberation War]], Indian Sikh soldiers helped renovate the [[Gurdwara]]s left in Bangladesh.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}} [[Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur ji]] visited Dhaka. There is another Sikh temple known as the Gurudwara Sangat Tola. Many Sikhs also used to visit a well at the ruins of Jafarabad which they believed has waters with curative powers.<ref name=allen>{{cite book|title=Eastern Bengal District Gazetteers: Dacca|url=https://archive.org/details/daccaallen00alle/page/62/mode/2up|year=1912|first=Basil Copleston|last=Allen|publisher=The Pioneer Press|location=[[Allahabad]]}}</ref>
After the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]] and [[Bangladesh Liberation War]], Indian Sikh soldiers helped renovate the [[Gurdwara]]s left in Bangladesh.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}} [[Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur ji]] visited Dhaka. There is another Sikh temple known as the Gurudwara Sangat Tola. Many Sikhs also used to visit a well at the ruins of Jafarabad which they believed has waters with curative powers.<ref name=allen>{{cite book|title=Eastern Bengal District Gazetteers: Dacca|url=https://archive.org/details/daccaallen00alle/page/62/mode/2up|year=1912|first=Basil Copleston|last=Allen|publisher=The Pioneer Press|location=[[Allahabad]]}}</ref>
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*[[Sikhism]]
*[[Sikhism]]
*[[Sikhism in Pakistan]]
*[[Sikhism in Pakistan]]
*[[Sikh culture]]


==Further reading==
==Further reading==

Revision as of 03:22, 10 September 2023

This article is about Sikhism in India. For Sikhism as a religion, see Sikhism.
Indian Sikhs (ਭਾਰਤੀ ਸਿੱਖ)
Gurdwara Harmandir Sahib, or the Golden Temple, in Amritsar, Punjab.
Total population
20,833,116 Increase
1.72% of the total Indian population Decrease (2011)
Regions with significant populations
Punjab16,004,754 (57.69%)
Haryana1,243,752 (4.91%)
Rajasthan872,930 (1.27%)
Uttar Pradesh643,500 (0.32%)
Delhi570,581 (3.40%)
Religions
Sikhism
Languages
Punjabi • Hindi • Indian English
Kashmiri • Marathi • Bengali
Historical Sikh Population
YearPop.±%
1800s752,232—    
1881 1,853,426+146.4%
1891 1,907,883+2.9%
1901 2,195,339+15.1%
1911 3,014,466+37.3%
1921 3,238,803+7.4%
1931 4,306,442+33.0%
1941 5,691,447+32.2%
1951 6,862,283+20.6%
1961 7,862,303+14.6%
1971 10,360,218+31.8%
1981 13,119,919+26.6%
1991 16,420,685+25.2%
2001 19,237,391+17.2%
2011 20,833,116+8.3%
Source: census of India[1][2][3]
Part of a series on
Sikhism
Khanda
Sikh gurus
Selected revered saints
Philosophy
Practices
Scripture
Places and Takhts
General topics and terminology
Sikhism and other religions

Indian Sikhs number approximately 21 million people and account for 1.7% of India's population as of 2011, forming the country's fourth-largest religious group. The majority of the nation's Sikhs live in the northern state of Punjab, which is the only Sikh-majority administrative division in the world.

India is home to the majority of the global Sikh population, and also has the second-largest Sikh proportion in the world, behind Canada.

History

Main article: History of Sikhism

Partition

Sikh organizations, including the Chief Khalsa Dewan and Shiromani Akali Dal led by Master Tara Singh, strongly opposed the partition of India, viewing the possibility of the creation of Pakistan as inviting persecution.[4]

Demography

The Gurdwara Bangla Sahib

Population

India's Sikh population stands at 20.8 million, which is only 1.72% of the country's total population. Out of approximately 25-30 million Sikhs in the world, the majority of them, 20.8-22 million, live in India that is about (83.2%-84.1%) of the world's Sikh population.[5][6] Sikhs have a fertility rate of 1.6 in India, which is the lowest in the nation as per as according to year 2019-21 estimation.[7] Half a million Sikhs have made Canada their home, and though they constitute 1.4% of the total population, they have had a notable impact on Canadian society and national politics.[8]

Out of the total Sikhs in India, 77% are concentrated in state of Punjab. Sikhism is the dominant religion in Punjab, India, where it is followed by 16 million constituting 57.7% of the population, the only Indian state where Sikhism is the majority faith. By 2050, according to Pew research center based on growth rate of current Sikh population between (2001-2011), India will have 30,012,386 Sikhs by half-century which will be more than that of any country including the west.[9]

National and ethnic origins

Although Punjabi Sikhs form the majority of the Sikh population, the Sikh community is varied and includes people who speak the Pashto language, the Brahui language, the Telugu language, Marathi language, Assamese language, Hindi language, Sindhi language, Bengali language and many more. The many communities following Sikhism is detailed below.

Afghan Sikhs

Main article: Sikhism in Afghanistan

The Sikhs of Afghanistan are primarily Punjabi merchants and immigrants.[10][11] They speak the Punjabi language within themselves but are usually fluent in Dari and occasionally Pashto as well.[12]

Bengali Sikhs

Sikhism in the Bengal region dates back to 1504 but has declined after the partition.[13] Sikhism first emerged in Bengal when Guru Nanak visited Bengal in 1504 and established a number of Gurdwaras.[14]

By the early 18th century, there were a few Sikhs living in the region of Bengal.[15] One famous Sikh who lived during this time period was Omichand, a local Khatri Sikh banker and landlord who participate in the conspiracy against Nawab Siraj ud-Daulah with the East India Company.[15][16] The Flemish artist Frans Baltazard Solvyns arrived in Calcutta in 1791 and observed many Sikhs, whom one could differentiate from the rest of the land's inhabitants by their garbs and traditions.[15] He etched depictions of a Khalsa Sikh and a Nanakpanthi, which was published in 1799.[15]

Gurdwara Nanak Shahi is the principal Sikh Gurdwara (prayer hall) in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is located at the campus of the University of Dhaka and considered to be the biggest of the 7 Gurdwaras in the country. After the Partition of India, the Sikh community left for India.[14]

After the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and Bangladesh Liberation War, Indian Sikh soldiers helped renovate the Gurdwaras left in Bangladesh.[citation needed] Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur ji visited Dhaka. There is another Sikh temple known as the Gurudwara Sangat Tola. Many Sikhs also used to visit a well at the ruins of Jafarabad which they believed has waters with curative powers.[17]

There was a presence of Sikhism in Sylhet Division after Guru Nanak's visit in 1508. Kahn Singh Nabha has stated that in memory of Nanak's visit, Gurdwara Sahib Sylhet was established.[citation needed] This Gurdwara was visited twice by Tegh Bahadur and many hukamnamas were issued to this temple by Guru Gobind Singh. In 1897, the gurdwara fell down after the earthquake. Nearly all the Sikhs of Sylhet in the early 18th century were found in North Cachar where they used to work for the Assam Bengal Railway.[18] There are around 1 lakh Bengali people who follow Sikhism as their religion in both West Bengal and Bangladesh.[19]

Assamese Sikhs

The presence of Sikhism has been existing in Assam[20] for over 200 years. The community traces its origins to the times of Maharaja Ranjit Singh who took his army to Assam and put some influence of the religion towards the locals. According to the 2001 census, there were 22,519 Sikhs in Assam,[21] out of which 4,000 are Assamese Sikhs.[19]

Assamese Sikhs follow the Sikh religion and celebrate Sikh festivals as they also celebrate cultural festivals such as Magh Bihu and wear traditional Assamese dress. Their language is the Assamese language.[19][22]

Agrahari Sikhs

Agrahari Sikh is a Sikh community found in Bihar and Jharkhand. Agrahari Sikhs, also known as Bihari Sikhs, have existed for centuries in Bihar and Jharkhand.[23]

Bihari Sikhs share their culture with the local Bihari community. The men generally wear the local dhoti and women wear the Sari. They also celebrate Hindu festivals such as the Chath festival.[24]

Dakhni Sikhs

Dakhni Sikhs are from the Deccan Plateau in India located within the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.[25] The traditional dress of women is the sari. The native language of Dakhni Sikhs is the Telugu language.[26]

Kashmiri Sikhs

Ethnic Kashmiri Sikhs speak the Kashmiri language and observe Kashmiri culture. They trace their religious heritage to the influence of Sikh soldiers who settled in Kashmir under the Maharaja Ranjit Singh rule in 1819. However, the soldiers permanently settled in Kashmir.[27]

Punjabi Sikhs

Punjabi Sikhs are the native Sikhs of undivided Punjab region who speaks the Punjabi language as their mother tongue and practice Punjabi culture. Their traditional dress includes the Punjabi Salwar Suit, Punjabi Tamba and Kurta, Punjabi juti and Patiala salwar.

In addition to the Sikh festivals using the Nanakshahi calendar, Punjabi Sikhs observe traditional Punjabi festivals using the Punjabi calendar.

Sindhi Sikhs

Main article: Sindhis in India
See also: Sikhism in Pakistan

In addition to celebrating Sikh festivals, Sindhi Sikhs celebrate cultural festivals such as Cheti Chand, the Sindhi new year. Sindhi Sikhs speak the Sindhi language. Most of the Sindhi Hindus are Nanak Panthis who believe in 10 Sikh Gurus and regularly go to guru dwara and most of the Marriage also takes place in Gurudwara.[28]

South Indian Sikhs

There are Sikh communities in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra who converted to Sikhism centuries ago.

The Sikhs comprise Banjara and Satnami. The process of blending the religion into southern India for the Sikligars began at the time of 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh, who came to the Deccan and died in 1708 at Nanded (Maharashtra).

It all came by the Sikligars as they came to southern India as expert arms-making camp followers of the tenth Guru. Sikligar is a compound of the Persian words `saiqal` and `gar` meaning a polisher of metal.[25] The traditional occupation of the Sikligars is crafting kitchen implements.

Banjaras are a nomadic tribe who traditionally travelled with merchandise and are found across a large swathe of northern India, as well as in the south. Sikh Banjaras too travelled with armies of the past supplying them with provisions.[25]

Geographical distribution

Sikhs as percentage of total population in different districts of India, 2011 Census
Indian Sikhs by state and union territory
State/U.T. 2011 Indian Census[29]
Pop. %
Punjab 16,004,754 57.69%
Haryana 1,243,752 4.91%
Rajasthan 872,930 1.27%
Uttar Pradesh 643,500 0.32%
Delhi 570,581 3.4%
Uttarakhand 236,340 2.34%
Jammu and Kashmir 232,585 1.9%
Maharashtra 223,247 0.2%
Madhya Pradesh 151,412 0.21%
Chandigarh 138,329 13.11%
Himachal Pradesh 79,896 1.16%
Jharkhand 71,422 0.22%
Chhattisgarh 70,036 0.27%
File:Flag of West Bengal.svg West Bengal 63,523 0.07%
Gujarat 58,246 0.1%
Telangana 30,340 0.09%
Karnataka 28,773 0.05%
Bihar 23,779 0.02%
Odisha 21,991 0.05%
Assam 20,672 0.07%
Tamil Nadu 14,601 0.02%
Andhra Pradesh 9,904 0.02%
Kerala 3,814 0.01%
Arunachal Pradesh 3,287 0.24%
Meghalaya 3,045 0.1%
Ladakh 2,263 0.83%
Nagaland 1,890 0.1%
Sikkim 1,868 0.31%
Manipur 1,527 0.05%
Goa 1,473 0.1%
Andaman and Nicobar Islands 1,286 0.34%
Tripura 1,070 0.03%
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu 389 0.07%
Puducherry 297 0.02%
Mizoram 286 0.03%
Lakshadweep 8 0.01%
India 20,833,116 1.72%

Notable Indian Sikhs

Main article: List of Sikhs

Though Sikhs are a minority in India, the community occupies a significant place in the country. The former Chief Justice of India, Jagdish Singh Khehar, and the former Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh[30] are Sikh, as is former President of India Gyani Zail Singh. Almost every council of ministers in India has included Sikh representatives.

Sikhs are also conspicuous in the Indian army, primarily because of their history as defenders of righteousness, they formed the sword arm of the British empire. The Late Indian officer with a 5 star rank, Arjan Singh, is a Sikh. Sikhs have also led the Indian army through JJ Singh and the Indian Air Force was led by Air Chief Marshal Dilbagh Singh. Sikhs have been prominent in Indian sports, with the Indian individual gold medalist in Olympics, Abhinav Bindra, being a Sikh. Similarly they occupy important official positions, like Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia;[31] governor Surjit Singh Barnala.

Sikhs are also known for entrepreneurial business in India. Milkha Singh, also known as The Flying Sikh, is a former Indian track and field sprinter who was introduced to the sport while serving in the Indian Army. One reason for visibility of Sikhs in the Indian spectrum is the disproportionate role played by the Sikh community during the Indian freedom struggle, with Bhagat Singh remaining a youth icon to Indian youth.[32]

See also

Further reading

  • Fauja, S., & Talib, Gurbachan Singh (1996). Guru Tegh Bahadur: Martyr and teacher. Patiala: Punjabi University.

References

  1. ^ Barwiński, Marek; Musiaka, Łukasz (2019). "The Sikhs – religion and nation. Chosen political and social determinants of functioning". Studia Z Geografii Politycznej I Historycznej. 8: 167–182. doi:10.18778/2300-0562.08.09. hdl:11089/38783. S2CID 226730777 – via ResearchGate.
  2. ^ "Sikh-population-as-per-census".
  3. ^ Puri, Harish K. (June–July 2003). "Scheduled Castes in Sikh Community: A Historical Perspective". Economic and Political Weekly. 38 (26). Economic and Political Weekly: 2693–2701. JSTOR 4413731.
  4. ^ Kudaisya, Gyanesh; Yong, Tan Tai (2004). The Aftermath of Partition in South Asia. Routledge. p. 100. ISBN 978-1-134-44048-1. No sooner was it made public than the Sikhs launched a virulent campaign against the Lahore Resolution. Pakistan was portrayed as a possible return to an unhappy past when Sikhs were persecuted and Muslims the persecutor. Public speeches by various Sikh political leaders on the subject of Pakistan invariably raised images of atrocities committed by Muslims on Sikhs and of the martyrdom of their gurus and heroes. Reactions to the Lahore Resolution were uniformly negative and Sikh leaders of all political persuasions made it clear that Pakistan would be 'wholeheartedly resisted'. The Shiromani Akali Dal, the party with a substantial following amongst the rural Sikhs, organized several well-attended conferences in Lahore to condemn the Muslim League. Master Tara Singh, leader of the Akali Dal, declared that his party would fight Pakistan 'tooth and nail'. Not be outdone, other Sikh political organizations, rival to the Akali Dal, namely the Central Khalsa Young Men Union and the moderate and loyalist Chief Khalsa Dewan, declared in equally strong language their unequivocal opposition to the Pakistan scheme.
  5. ^ "Why Sikhism as registered religion in Austria matters - Times of India". The Times of India.
  6. ^ "Sikhs and Hindus at the crossroads". The Times of India. 23 November 2019.
  7. ^ "Total fertility rate down across all communities | India News - Times of India". The Times of India.
  8. ^ "Sikhs and Hindus at the crossroads". The Times of India. 23 November 2019.
  9. ^ Singh, Rupinder Mohan (January 28, 2016). "There could be more Sikhs in the future — maybe".
  10. ^ Kahlon, Swarn Singh (2020-11-25). Sikhs in Continental Europe: From Norway to Greece and Russia to Portugal. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-000-29473-6. The Afghan Sikh population grew in 1947 as Sikhs [...] of the newly created Pakistan arrived
  11. ^ Dupree, Louis (2014-07-14). Afghanistan. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-1-4008-5891-0. Sikhs: Same as Hindu, mainly Punjabi or Lahnda
  12. ^ Dupree, Louis (2014-07-14). Afghanistan. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-1-4008-5891-0.
  13. ^ "Prayers from Punjab". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2016-12-20.
  14. ^ a b Nasrin Akhter (2012). "Sikhs, The". In Sirajul Islam; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir (eds.). Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 984-32-0576-6. OCLC 52727562. OL 30677644M. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  15. ^ a b c d Hardgrave, R. L. (1996). An Early Portrayal of the Sikhs: Two 18th Century Etchings by Baltazard Solvyns. International Journal of Punjab Studies, 3(2), 213-27. Accessed via: https://www.laits.utexas.edu/solvyns-project/sikhs.html
  16. ^ Mandair, Arvind-pal Singh; Singh, Sunit (2017). "Orientalism (Sikhism)". Sikhism: with 64 figures. Encyclopedia of Indian Religions. Dordrecht: Springer. pp. 290–91. ISBN 978-94-024-0845-4.
  17. ^ Allen, Basil Copleston (1912). Eastern Bengal District Gazetteers: Dacca. Allahabad: The Pioneer Press.
  18. ^ B C Allen (1905). Assam District Gazetteers. Vol. 1: Cachar. Calcutta: Government of Assam.
  19. ^ a b c "The Sunday Tribune - Spectrum - Literature". www.tribuneindia.com.
  20. ^ "Institute of Sikh Studies, Chandigarh". sikhinstitute.org.
  21. ^ Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner (2001). "Census of India 2001: Population by religious communities". Government of India. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  22. ^ "Though nearly 200 years in Assam, Sikhs say they are neglected". Deccan Herald. April 23, 2012.
  23. ^ "Sikhs and Sikhism in Eastern and North-Eastern India". Institute of Sikh Studies.
  24. ^ Calcutta Mosaic: Essays and Interviews on the Minority Communities of Calcutta : edited by Nilanjana Gupta, Himadri Banerjee, Sipra Mukherjee [1]
  25. ^ a b c "Away from Punjab - the south Indian Sikhs". Zee News. October 18, 2011.
  26. ^ The Tribune 28 10 2014 Birinder Pal Singh
  27. ^ Raina, Mohini Qasba (October 28, 2013). Kashur The Kashmiri Speaking People. Trafford Publishing. ISBN 9781490701653 – via Google Books.
  28. ^ Singh, Inderjeet (2017). "Sindhi Hindus & Nanakpanthis in Pakistan". Abstracts of Sikh Studies. XIX (4): 35–43 – via ResearchGate.
  29. ^ "Census of India – Religious Composition". Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs. Archived from the original on 13 September 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  30. ^ "India Swears In 13th Prime Minister and First Sikh in Job". The New York Times. 23 May 2004.
  31. ^ "India's Most Influential". 15 August 2007. Archived from the original on May 2, 2008 – via www.time.com.
  32. ^ IndiaToday.in (23 March 2015). "Bhagat Singh, a Sandhu Jat, was born in September 1907 to a Sikh family in Banga village, Jaranwala Tehsil in the Lyallpur district of the Punjab Province of British India (now in Pakistan)". IndiaToday.in. Retrieved 7 September 2015.

External links

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