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Things mentioned in other points like fasting etc. are also rituals so this point is repititive. Also, this point is not adding anything as prayers have already been discussed in other points. So, removing Rituals point
Adding Veil section. Copied content from Veil; see that page's history for attribution.
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[[Sikh Gurus]] vehemently protested against the institution of slavery and preached that the multitudes of slaves were not supposed to toil and sweat in the tirless service of privileged one.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=luoKAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA65| title=Studies in Sikhism and Comparative Religion, Volumes 25-26 | publisher=Guru Nanak Foundation| year=2006| pages=65}}</ref> Many Sikh warriors of 18th century played an important role in fight against slavery and freeing of slaves. For example, [[Banda Singh Bahadur]] is known to have halted the [[Zamindar]]i and [[Taluqdar]]i system in the time he was active and gave the farmers proprietorship of their own land.<ref>{{cite book|last=Jawandha|first=Nahar|title=Glimpses of Sikhism|year=2010|publisher=Sanbun Publishers|location=New Delhi|isbn=9789380213255|page=81}}</ref> The Zamindars, or landlords, were usually from the higher castes. Lower caste individuals borrowed money against their holdings from the landlords for marriage expenses, housing, or farming costs. On defaulting, they would find themselves obliged to repay the debt through labour. Hereditary relationships continued between debtors and their masters, as generations found themselves in [[debt bondage]], leading to slavery. <ref>[[#British and Foreign Anti-slavery Society|British and Foreign Anti-slavery Society]] 1841, p. 5</ref> During Ahmad Shah Abdali's invasion of 1757, Sikhs, under the leadership of [[Baba Deep Singh]], not only plundered his loot and but also rescued captive Hindu women. These women were captured by [[Ahmad Shah Abdali]] to sell them as maidens and slaves.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=yCdSAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA68| title=Dreams After Darkness: A Search for the Life Ordinary Under the Shadow of 1984 | publisher=Rupa & Company| last=Grewal| first=Manraj| year=2004| pages=68}}</ref>
[[Sikh Gurus]] vehemently protested against the institution of slavery and preached that the multitudes of slaves were not supposed to toil and sweat in the tirless service of privileged one.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=luoKAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA65| title=Studies in Sikhism and Comparative Religion, Volumes 25-26 | publisher=Guru Nanak Foundation| year=2006| pages=65}}</ref> Many Sikh warriors of 18th century played an important role in fight against slavery and freeing of slaves. For example, [[Banda Singh Bahadur]] is known to have halted the [[Zamindar]]i and [[Taluqdar]]i system in the time he was active and gave the farmers proprietorship of their own land.<ref>{{cite book|last=Jawandha|first=Nahar|title=Glimpses of Sikhism|year=2010|publisher=Sanbun Publishers|location=New Delhi|isbn=9789380213255|page=81}}</ref> The Zamindars, or landlords, were usually from the higher castes. Lower caste individuals borrowed money against their holdings from the landlords for marriage expenses, housing, or farming costs. On defaulting, they would find themselves obliged to repay the debt through labour. Hereditary relationships continued between debtors and their masters, as generations found themselves in [[debt bondage]], leading to slavery. <ref>[[#British and Foreign Anti-slavery Society|British and Foreign Anti-slavery Society]] 1841, p. 5</ref> During Ahmad Shah Abdali's invasion of 1757, Sikhs, under the leadership of [[Baba Deep Singh]], not only plundered his loot and but also rescued captive Hindu women. These women were captured by [[Ahmad Shah Abdali]] to sell them as maidens and slaves.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=yCdSAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA68| title=Dreams After Darkness: A Search for the Life Ordinary Under the Shadow of 1984 | publisher=Rupa & Company| last=Grewal| first=Manraj| year=2004| pages=68}}</ref>

===Veil===
In [[Indian subcontinent]], from 1st century B.C., societies advocated the use of the [[veil]] for married [[Hindu]] women which came to be known as [[Ghoonghat]].<ref name=":7">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Position_of_Women_in_Hindu_Civilizat.html?id=VYG4K0yYHQgC|title=The Position of Women in Hindu Civilization, from Prehistoric Times to the Present Day|last=Sadashiv Altekar|first=Anant|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|year=1956|isbn=9788120803244|pages=171–175}}</ref> Buddhists attempted to counter this growing practice around 3rd century CE.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Gautama Buddha in Life and Legend|last=Kelen|first=Betty|publisher=Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Company|year=1967|pages=7–8}}</ref> Rational opposition against veiling and seclusion from spirited ladies resulted in system not becoming popular for several centuries. Under the Medieval Islamic [[Mughal Empire]], various aspects of veiling and seclusion of women was adopted, such as the concept of [[Purdah]] and [[Zenana]], partly as an additional protection for women. [[Purdah]] became common in the 15th and 16th century, as both ''Vidyāpati'' and ''Chaitanya'' mention it.<ref name=":7" />

Sikhism is highly critical of all forms of strict veiling, [[Sikh Gurus]] condemned it and rejected seclusion and veiling of women, which saw decline of veiling among some classes during late medieval period.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Position of Women in Hindu Civilization|last=Singh|first=Sardar Harjeet|year=2009|pages=259}}</ref> For example, in the following hymn of [[Guru Granth Sahib]], [[Bhagat Kabir]] asks her daughter-in-law to not to cover her face with veil.

{{Quotation|<poem>Stay, stay, O daughter-in-law - do not cover your face with a veil. In the end, this shall not bring you even half a shell. The one before you used to veil her face; do not follow in her footsteps. The only merit in veiling your face is that for a few days, people will say, "What a noble bride has come". Your veil shall be true only if you skip, dance and sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord. Says Kabeer, the soul-bride shall win, only if she passes her life singing the Lord's Praises.</poem>|Bhagat Kabir|Guru Granth Sahib 484 <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=484|title=Sri Granth: Sri Guru Granth Sahib}}</ref>}}


==Similarities==
==Similarities==

Revision as of 16:23, 23 February 2020

Hinduism and Sikhism are Dharmic religions that originated in the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is an older religion, while Sikhism was founded in the 15th-century by Guru Nanak.[1][2]

Both religions share many philosophical concepts such as Karma, Dharma, Mukti, Maya and Saṃsāra.[3][4] In the days of the Mughal Empire, the Sikh community came to the defence of Hindus who were being forcibly converted to Islam.[5][6][7]

History of similarities and differences

Most scholars believe Hinduism started somewhere between 2300 B.C. and 1500 B.C. in the Indus Valley, near modern-day Pakistan. But many Hindus argue that their faith is timeless and has always existed. Unlike other religions, Hinduism has no one founder but is instead a fusion of various beliefs.[8]

Scholars state that the origins of Sikhism were influenced by the nirgun (“without form”) and not sagun (“with form”) conception of God of the Bhakti movement in medieval India.[1][9] The roots of Sikhism can be traced to the Sants of northern India,[1] whose ideology grew to become the Bhakti movement.[1][10] Furthermore, "Indic mythology permeates the Sikh Sacred canon, the Guru Granth Sahib and adds delicate nuance and substance to the sacred symbolic universe of the Sikhs of today and of their past ancestors".[11]

Iconography

Ik Onkar, iconically represented as in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (although sometimes spelt out in full as ਓਅੰਕਾਰ) is the iconographic statement in Sikhism that is 'there is one God'.[12][13] The phrase is an expression of monotheistic unity of God.[14]

Some Hindus think Onkar in () Sikhism is related to Om () of Hinduism.[14] Some Sikhs disagree that Ik Onkar is same as Om.[14] Onkar is, states Wazir Singh, a "variation of Om (Aum) of the ancient Indian scriptures (with a slight change in its orthography), implying the seed-force that evolves as the universe".[15] In Ek Onkar, explains Gulati, "Ek" means One, and Onkar is "equivalent of the Hindu "Om" (Aum)".[16]

However, both of them are different as far as Sikhs believe because Oankar refers to the total primary lord God.

Oankar One God, True Name, Creator Being, No Fear, No Hatred, Timeless Form, Beyond Birth, Self-Existent, By Guru's Grace.
Raaj Gauri Sukhmani

"Ik Onkar” is in the opening verses of Guru Nanak’s Jap Ji (Morning Prayer), along with countless other references to Ekankar (Ik Onkar ੴ, ਇਕ ਓਅੰਕਾਰ) found in the Adi Granth/Sikh Scriptures. Ik Onkar is also the first phrase in the Mool Mantra, the opening phrase of Guru Nanak’s Jap Ji (Morning Prayer) in the Guru Granth (Sikh Scriptures or Adi Granth).

Guru Tegh Bahadur

During the Mughal Empire period, the Sikh and Hindu traditions believe that Sikhs helped protect Hindus from Islamic persecution, and this caused martyrdom of their Guru.[19] The Sikh historians, for example, record that the Sikh movement was rapidly growing in northwest India, and Guru Tegh Bahadur was openly encouraging Sikhs to, "be fearless in their pursuit of just society: he who holds none in fear, nor is afraid of anyone, is acknowledged as a man of true wisdom", a statement recorded in Adi Granth 1427.[20][21][22] While Guru Tegh Bahadur influence was rising, Aurangzeb had imposed Islamic laws, demolished Hindu schools and temples, and enforced new taxes on non-Muslims.[21][23][24]

According to records written by his son Guru Gobind Singh, the Guru had resisted persecution, adopted and promised to protect Kashmiri Hindus.[20][22] The Guru was summoned to Delhi by Aurangzeb on a pretext, but when he arrived with his colleagues, he was offered, "to abandon his faith, and convert to Islam".[20][22] Guru Tegh Bahadur and his colleagues refused, he and his associates were arrested, tortured for many weeks.[22][25][26] The Guru himself was beheaded in public.[21][27][28]

Differences

Concept of God

Sikhism is a monotheistic religion; Sikhs believe there is only one God, who has infinite qualities and names. It also encompass beliefs of panentheism, pantheism and monism.[29][30][31] According to Eleanor Nesbitt, English renderings of Sikhism as a monotheistic religion "tend misleadingly to reinforce a Semitic understanding of monotheism, rather than Guru Nanak's mystical awareness of the one that is expressed through the many. However, what is not in doubt is the emphasis on 'one'".[32]

Hinduism is a diverse system of thought with beliefs spanning monotheism, polytheism, panentheism, pantheism, monism, agnosticism, deism and atheism.[33]

Caste System

Hinduism splits people into 4 groups,[34] namely Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishyas and Shudras. But the terms varna (theoretical classification based on occupation) and jāti (caste) are two distinct concepts. Jāti (community) refers to the thousands of endogamous groups prevalent across the subcontinent. A jati may be divided into exogamous groups based on the same gotras. The classical authors scarcely speak of anything other than the varnas; even Indologists sometimes confuse the two.

Sikhism treats all people equally and founds systems such as Langar and Pangat[35] to help play this out in daily life.[36] Once a person initiates into the Khalsa (Sikh Baptism) it is said that they no longer belong to any caste.[37] This, however, does not imply that the practice of caste hierarchy is absent within the adherents of Sikhism. Caste hierarchy is generally a social reality within the Indian subcontinent regardless of religious affiliation.

Idol worship

Sikhs shun idol worship as a part of their faith.[38]

Hindus accept the worship facilitated with images or murtis (idols), particularly in Agamic traditions, such as Vaishnavism and Shaivism.[39] Some scholars state it is incorrect to state that all Hindus worship idols, and more correct to state that for some the idol is a means to focus their thoughts, for some idol is a manifestation of spirituality that is everywhere, and for some even a linga, a sunrise or a river or a flower serves the same purpose.[40][41] Hindu temples are called Mandirs, while Sikh temples are called Gurdwaras. However, the most famous Sikh shrine is called Harmandir Sahib(The Golden Temple)

Scriptures

Hindus believe that the Vedas texts are of divine origin and the term śruti ("what is heard") refers to this. The Hindu belief that the cosmos(not universe) is eternal; was not created and will always exist, also applies to the Hindu view of the Vedas. The Vedas is the eternal divine knowledge that is "heard" by humans and are apauruṣeya, "not of human agency". The Vedas is integrated into the life of Hindus, though many Hindus have never read it. Vedic mantras are recited at Hindu prayers, religious functions and other auspicious occasions.

Sikhism accepts Guru Granth Sahib Ji as their scripture and accepts only those Sakhis and religious books that are in accord with Guru Granth Sahib Ji. This is the instruction of the Guru.

Only reading the books and scriptures, O Siblings of Destiny; they do not relieve the anxiety of the heart.

— Guru Granth Sahib, P727-7[42]

One may read all the books of the Vedas, the Bible, the Simritees and the Shaastras, but they will not bring liberation.

— Guru Granth Sahib, P747-18[43]

Soteriology

The Sikh concept of salvation is called mukti (moksha) referring to spiritual liberation.[44] It is described in Sikhism as the state that breaks the cycle of rebirths.[44] Mukti is obtained according to Sikhism, states Singha, through "God's grace".[45] In the teachings of the Sikh scripture Guru Granth Sahib, the devotion to God is viewed as more important than the desire for Mukti.[45]

I desire neither worldly power nor liberation. I desire nothing but seeing the Lord.
Brahma, Shiva, the Siddhas, the silent sages and Indra – I seek only the Blessed Vision of my Lord and Master's Darshan.
I have come, helpless, to Your Door, O Lord Master; I am exhausted – I seek the Sanctuary of the Saints.
Says Nanak, I have met my Enticing Lord God; my mind is cooled and soothed – it blossoms forth in joy.

Sikhism recommends Naam Simran as the way to mukti, which is meditating.[44][45]

The six major orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy offer diverse soteriological views on moksha, including whether moksha can be achieved in this life, or after this life.[47] The Nyaya, Vaisesika and Mimamsa schools of Hinduism consider moksha as possible only after death.[47][48] Samkhya and Yoga schools consider moksha as possible in this life. In Vedanta school, the Advaita sub-school concludes moksha is possible in this life.[47] The Dvaita and Visistadvaita sub-schools of Vedanta tradition, highlighted by many poet-saints of the Bhakti movement, believe that moksha is a continuous event, one assisted by loving devotion to God, that extends from this life to post-mortem. Beyond these six orthodox schools, some heterodox schools of Hindu tradition, such as Carvaka, deny there is a soul or after life moksha.[49]

Dietary requirements

Hinduism does not explicitly prohibit eating meat, but it does strongly recommend Ahimsa – the concept of non-violence against all life forms including animals.[50][51] As a consequence, many Hindus prefer vegetarian or lacto-vegetarian lifestyle, and methods of food production that is in harmony with nature and compassionate, respectful of other life forms as well as nature.[50]

The tenets of Sikhism do not advocate a particular stance on either vegetarianism[52] or the consumption of meat,[52][53] but rather leave the decision of diet to the individual. Sikh sects and groups that have a "Vashnavite" influence (AKJ, GNNSJ, 3HO, Namdhari's etc.) tend to be vegetarians.[52][53] Other Sikhs eat meat that has been prepared by the Jhatka method (meat prepared by sudden death of the animal), and consider only that meat as expressly forbidden that is ritually slaughtered like Kosher or Halal (Kutha meat, the meat of animals prepared by slowly bleeding it to death). HS Singha explains the Jhatka meat requirement to have support in the Hindu tradition as well, as follows,

According to the ancient Aryan Hindu tradition, only such meat as is obtained from an animal which is killed with one stroke of the weapon causing instantaneous death is fit for human consumption. However, with the coming of Islam into India and the Muslim political hegemony, it became a state policy not to permit slaughter of animals for food, in any other manner, except as laid down in the Quran – the halal meat prepared by severing the main blood artery of the throat of the animal while reciting verses from the Quran. Guru Gobind Singh took a rather serious view of this aspect of the whole matter. He, therefore, while permitting flesh to be taken as food repudiated the whole theory of this expiatory sacrifice and the right of ruling Muslims to impose it on the non-Muslims. Accordingly, he made jhatka meat obligatory for those Sikhs who may be interested in taking meat as a part of their food.

— HS Singha, Sikhism, A Complete Introduction[54]

Heaven and Hell

Svarga (Template:Lang-sa) is the Hindu equivalent of Heaven. It is one of the seven higher lokas (esotericism plane) in Hindu cosmology. The seven lokas consist of Bhuloka, Bhuvar loka, Svarga loka (Indraloka), Maharloka, Janaloka, Taparloka, Satyaloka.[55] Naraka (Template:Lang-sa) is the Hindu equivalent of Hell, where sinners are tormented after death.[56] It is also the abode of Yama, the god of Death. It is described as located in the south of the universe and beneath the earth. The number and names of hells, as well as the type of sinners sent to a particular hell, varies from text to text; however, many scriptures describe 28 hells.[56] After death, messengers of Yama called Yamadutas bring all beings to the court of Yama, where he weighs the virtues and the vices of the being and passes a judgement, sending the virtuous to heaven and the sinners to one of the hells. The stay in Swarga or Naraka is generally described as temporary. After the quantum of punishment is over, the souls are reborn as lower or higher beings as per their merits.[56]

In Sikh thought, heaven and hell are not places for living hereafter, they are part of spiritual topography of man and do not exist otherwise. They refer to good and evil stages of life respectively and can be lived now and here during our earthly existence.[57] For example, Bhagat Kabir rejects the otherworldly heaven in Guru Granth Sahib and says that one can experience heaven on this Earth by doing company of holy.

He claims to know the Lord, who is beyond measure and beyond thought; By mere words, he plans to enter heaven. I do not know where heaven is. Everyone claims that he plans to go there. By mere talk, the mind is not appeased. The mind is only appeased, when egotism is conquered. As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven, He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this? The Company of the Holy is heaven.

— Bhagat Kabir, Guru Granth Sahib 325, [58]

Similarly, Guru Arjan explains that people who are entangled in emotional attachment and doubt are living in hell on this Earth i.e. their life is hellish.[59]

So many are being drowned in emotional attachment and doubt; they dwell in the most horrible hell.

— Guru Arjan, Guru Granth Sahib 297, [59]

Pilgrimage

According to Karel Werner's Popular Dictionary of Hinduism, "most Hindu places of pilgrimage are associated with legendary events from the lives of various gods. Almost any place can become a focus for pilgrimage, but in most cases they are sacred cities, rivers, lakes, and mountains."[60] Hindus are encouraged to undertake pilgrimages during their lifetime, though this practice is not considered absolutely mandatory.

The Sikh religion does not place great importance on pilgrimage.[61] For example, in the following hymn of Guru Granth Sahib, Guru Arjan asks to do company of holy instead of bathing at sacred shrines of pilgrimage.

Let the Company of the Holy, be your cleansing baths at the sixty-eight sacred shrines of pilgrimage.

— Guru Arjan, Guru Granth Sahib 47 [62]

Menstruation

In Hinduism, menstruating women are traditionally advised rules to follow. During menstruation, women are advised not to “enter temple, work in kitchen, wear flowers, have sex, touch other males or females, or come in contact with any creative energies to ensure free flow of Apana.”[63] Menstruation is seen as a period of purification, and women are often separated from place of worship or any object pertaining to it, for the length of their period. This forms the basis of most of the cultural practices and restrictions around menstruation in Hinduism.[64]

Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, condemned the practice of treating women as impure while menstruating.[65] The Guru makes it very clear that the menstrual cycle is a God-given process. The blood of a woman is required for the creation of any human being.[66] Those who are impure from within are the truly impure ones.[67] In The Feminine Principle in the Sikh vision of the transcendent, Nikky Guninder Kaur-Singh writes:

'The denigration of the female body "expressed in many cultural and religious taboos surrounding menstruation and child-Birth" is absent in the Sikh worldview. Guru Nanak openly chides those who attribute pollution to women because of menstruation'.[68]

Childbirth Rituals

Sūtak are Hindu rules of impurity to be followed after the birth of a child (vṛddhi sūtak).[69] Sūtak involves the practice of keeping socially isolated from relatives and community by abstention of mealtaking with family, engaging in customary religious activities, and leaving the home.[70] A mother must practice sūtak for 10 to 30 days, depending upon her caste, while the father may become purified immediately after the birth of his child by ritual purification (ritualistic bathing).[71]

Sikhism does not believe in sūtak, there are many references in Gurbani against this practice and refer to purity in regards to higher living, not just washing the body or refraining from eating with others.[72][73]

Fasting

Fasting is an integral part of Hinduism. Fasting during religious festivals is very common. Common examples are Maha Shivaratri (Most people conduct a strict fast on Maha Shivratri, not even consuming a drop of water ), or the nine days of Navratri (which occurs twice a year in the months of April and October/November during Vijayadashami just before Diwali, as per the Hindu calendar). Karwa Chauth is a form of fasting practised in some parts of India where married women undertake a fast for the well-being, prosperity, and longevity of their husbands. The fast is broken after the wife views the moon through a sieve. In the fifth month (Shravan Maas) of the Hindu calendar, many celebrate Shraavana. During this time some will fast on the day of the week that is reserved for worship of their chosen god(s), while others will fast during the entire month.[74]

Sikhism does not promote fasting except for medical reasons. Fasting as an austerity, as a ritual, as the mortification of the body by wilful hunger is condemned as Sikh Gurus proclaimed that it "brings no spiritual benefit to the person".[75] The Sikh Scripture, Guru Granth Sahib proclaims:

Fasting, daily rituals, and austere self-discipline – those who keep the practice of these, are rewarded with less than a shell.

— Guru Arjan, Guru Granth Sahib 216 [76]

Śrāddha

Śrāddha (Template:Lang-sa), in Hinduism, is a ritual that one performs to pay homage to one's ancestors, especially to one's dead parents. Conceptually, it is a way for people to express heartfelt gratitude and thanks towards their parents and ancestors, for having helped them to be what they are and praying for their peace. It also can be thought of as a "day of remembrance". It is performed for both the father and mother separately, on their respective 'thithi' - death anniversaries as per Indian calender. In addition it is performed for the entire community of 'pitr' - both from paternal and maternal side - collectively during the Pitru Paksha or Shraaddha Paksha (Fortnight of ancestors), right before Sharad Navaratri in autumn.[77][78][79]

Sikh Gurus proclaimed that the ritual of Śrāddha has no religious merit and stressed on taking care of parents while they are alive.[80] For example, consider the following hymn of Bhagat Kabir.

He does not honor his ancestors while they are alive, but he holds feasts in their honor after they have died. Tell me, how can his poor ancestors receive what the crows and the dogs have eaten up? If only someone would tell me what real happiness is! Speaking of happiness and joy, the world is perishing. How can happiness be found? Making gods and goddesses out of clay, people sacrifice living beings to them. Such are your dead ancestors, who cannot ask for what they want.

— Bhagat Kabir, Guru Granth Sahib 332 [81]

Auspicious Days

It is a common practice in Hinduism to perform or avoid activities like important religious ceremonies on the basis of the quality of a particular Muhurta. One or more Muhūrtas are recommended by the Vedic scriptures when performing rituals and other ceremonies.[82][83] Akshaya Tritiya is an annual spring time festival of the Hindus. It falls on the third Tithi (lunar day) of Bright Half (Shukla Paksha) of Vaisakha (Chaitra or Chithira) month.[84][85][86] The day is considered auspicious by Hindus in many regions of India for new ventures, marriages, expensive investments such as in gold or other property, and any new beginnings. It is also a day of remembrance for the loved ones who have died.[87]

Belief in auspicious days and time is rejected in Sikhism. Sikh Gurus rejected the theory that certain days are auspicious while some others are not.[88] For example, consider the following hymn of Guru Granth Sahib.

The omens and days all come and go. But the Word of the Guru's Shabad is eternal and unchanging. Through it, one merges in the True Lord. The days are auspicious, when one is imbued with Truth.

— Guru Amardas, Guru Granth Sahib 842 [89]

Slavery

Hindu Vedas regard liberation to be the ultimate goal which is contrary to slavery.[90] Hindu Smritis condemn slavery.[91] The term "dasa" (dāsa) in ancient Hindu text is loosely translated as "slave."[92] However, the meaning of the term varied over time. R. S. Sharma, in his 1958 book, for example, states that the only word which could possibly mean slave in Rigveda is dāsa, and this sense of use is traceable to four later verses in Rigveda.[93] The word dāsi is found in Rigveda and Atharvaveda, states R.S. Sharma, which he states represented "a small servile class of women slaves".[94] Slavery in Vedic period, according to him, was mostly confined to women employed as domestic workers.[95] Towards the end of the Vedic period (600 BCE), a new system of varnas had appeared, with people called shudras replacing the erstwhile dasas. Some of the shudras were employed as labouring masses on farm land.[96] The term dasa was now employed to designate such enslaved people.[97] Slavery arose out of debt, sale by parents or oneself (due to famines), judicial decree or fear. While this could happen to a person of any varna, shudras were much more likely to be reduced to slavery.[98][92]

Sikh Gurus vehemently protested against the institution of slavery and preached that the multitudes of slaves were not supposed to toil and sweat in the tirless service of privileged one.[99] Many Sikh warriors of 18th century played an important role in fight against slavery and freeing of slaves. For example, Banda Singh Bahadur is known to have halted the Zamindari and Taluqdari system in the time he was active and gave the farmers proprietorship of their own land.[100] The Zamindars, or landlords, were usually from the higher castes. Lower caste individuals borrowed money against their holdings from the landlords for marriage expenses, housing, or farming costs. On defaulting, they would find themselves obliged to repay the debt through labour. Hereditary relationships continued between debtors and their masters, as generations found themselves in debt bondage, leading to slavery. [101] During Ahmad Shah Abdali's invasion of 1757, Sikhs, under the leadership of Baba Deep Singh, not only plundered his loot and but also rescued captive Hindu women. These women were captured by Ahmad Shah Abdali to sell them as maidens and slaves.[102]

Veil

In Indian subcontinent, from 1st century B.C., societies advocated the use of the veil for married Hindu women which came to be known as Ghoonghat.[103] Buddhists attempted to counter this growing practice around 3rd century CE.[104] Rational opposition against veiling and seclusion from spirited ladies resulted in system not becoming popular for several centuries. Under the Medieval Islamic Mughal Empire, various aspects of veiling and seclusion of women was adopted, such as the concept of Purdah and Zenana, partly as an additional protection for women. Purdah became common in the 15th and 16th century, as both Vidyāpati and Chaitanya mention it.[103]

Sikhism is highly critical of all forms of strict veiling, Sikh Gurus condemned it and rejected seclusion and veiling of women, which saw decline of veiling among some classes during late medieval period.[105] For example, in the following hymn of Guru Granth Sahib, Bhagat Kabir asks her daughter-in-law to not to cover her face with veil.

Stay, stay, O daughter-in-law - do not cover your face with a veil. In the end, this shall not bring you even half a shell. The one before you used to veil her face; do not follow in her footsteps. The only merit in veiling your face is that for a few days, people will say, "What a noble bride has come". Your veil shall be true only if you skip, dance and sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord. Says Kabeer, the soul-bride shall win, only if she passes her life singing the Lord's Praises.

— Bhagat Kabir, Guru Granth Sahib 484 [106]

Similarities

  • Both Hindus and Sikh are cremated after death[107]
  • Both believe in karma[108]
  • Both Sikhs and Hindus revere the concept of a Guru.[109]
  • Hindus and Sikhs use the word Atma or atman to describe the "Self, Soul".[110]

In the Hindu and Sikh traditions, there is a distinction between religion and culture, and ethical decisions are grounded in both religious beliefs and cultural values. Both Hindu and Sikh ethics are primarily duty based. Traditional teachings deal with the duties of individuals and families to maintain a lifestyle conducive to physical, mental and spiritual health. These traditions share a culture and world view that includes ideas of karma and rebirth, collective versus individual identity, and a strong emphasis on spiritual purity.[1]

The notion of dharma, karma, moksha are very important for both Hindus and Sikhs. Unlike the linear view of life, death, heaven or hell taken in Abrahamic religions, for Hindus and Sikhs believe in the concept of Saṃsāra, that is life, birth and death are repeated, for each soul, in a cycle until one reaches mukti or moksha.[111][112]

Culture and intermarriage

There is an organic relation of Sikhs to Hindus, states Zaehner, both in religious thought and their communities, and virtually all Sikhs' ancestors were Hindus.[113] Some Hindu groups, like the BJP and related nationalist organizations, view Sikhism as a tradition within Hinduism along with other Dharmic faiths (such as some Hindus referring to Sikhs as Keshdhari Hindus),[114] even though the Sikh faith is a distinct religion.[113] Historically, Sikhs were seen as the protectors of Hindus, among others, and were even considered by some right-wing Hindu political organizations like the RSS as the "sword arm" of Hinduism.[115][116] This status as protectors of Hindus was strong enough that Punjabi Hindus would often raise their eldest son as a Sikh.[115] Most Sikhs are ethnically Punjabis, whereas Hindus belong to a variety of ethnic groups worldwide (including Punjabis).

Marriages between Sikhs and Hindus, particularly among Khatris,[113] are frequent.[113] Dogra states that there has always been inter-marriage between the Hindu and the Sikh communities.[117] Charing and Cole state that "Sikhism originated and developed within Hinduism. Hindus and Sikhs, in initial years of Sikhism, used to have what is termed as Roti Beti di Sanjh; that is they eat together and intermarry".[118] William Owen Cole and Piara Singh Sambhi state that for some Sikhs, intermarriage between Hindus and Sikhs of same community was preferable than other communities.[119]

Sikh scriptures are venerated by certain Hindu communities,[115] often by syncretic sects.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d McLeod, William H. (2014). "Sikhism: History and Doctrine". britannica.com. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 15 January 2019. Sikhs claim that their tradition has always been separate from Hinduism. Nevertheless, many Western scholars argue that in its earliest stage Sikhism was a movement within the Hindu tradition; Nanak, they point out, was raised a Hindu and eventually belonged to the Sant tradition of northern India, a movement associated with the great poet and mystic Kabir (1440–1518). The Sants, most of whom were poor, dispossessed, and illiterate, composed hymns of great beauty expressing their experience of the divine, which they saw in all things. Their tradition drew heavily on the Vaishnava bhakti (the devotional movement within the Hindu tradition that worships the god Vishnu), though there were important differences between the two. Like the followers of bhakti, the Sants believed that devotion to God is essential to liberation from the cycle of rebirth in which all human beings are trapped; unlike the followers of bhakti, however, the Sants maintained that God is nirgun ("without form") and not sagun ("with form"). For the Sants, God can be neither incarnated nor represented in concrete terms.
  2. ^ "Sikh world history". BBC. 30 September 2009. Retrieved 15 January 2019. Sikhism was born in the Punjab area of South Asia, which now falls into the present day states of India and Pakistan. The main religions of the area at the time were Hinduism and Islam. The Sikh faith began around 1500 CE, when Guru Nanak began teaching a faith that was quite distinct from Hinduism and Islam. Nine Gurus followed Nanak and developed the Sikh faith and community over the next centuries.
  3. ^ Sikhism and death BBC
  4. ^ Reincarnation and Sikhism (religion), Encyclopædia Britannica
  5. ^ Stephen Neill (2004). A History of Christianity in India: The Beginnings to AD 1707. Cambridge University Press. p. 267. ISBN 978-0-521-54885-4.;
    Pashaura Singh and Louis Fenech (2014). The Oxford handbook of Sikh studies. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. pp. 236–245, 444–446. ISBN 978-0-19-969930-8.
  6. ^ Arvind-Pal Singh Mandair (2013). Sikhism: A Guide for the Perplexed. Bloomsbury Academic. pp. 53–54. ISBN 978-1-4411-0231-7.
  7. ^ Singh, Harbans. Guru Nanak and origins of the Sikh faith. Asia Publication House. p. 11.
  8. ^ History of Hinduism, BBC
  9. ^ David Lorenzen (1995), Bhakti Religion in North India: Community Identity and Political Action, State University of New York Press, ISBN 978-0791420256, pp. 1–2, Quote: "Historically, Sikh religion derives from this nirguni current of Bhakti religion".
  10. ^ Louis Fenech (2014), in The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies (Editors: Pashaura Singh, Louis E. Fenech), Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0199699308, page 35, Quote: "Technically this would place the Sikh community's origins at a much further remove than 1469, perhaps to the dawning of the Sant movement, which possesses clear affinities to Guru Nanak's thought sometime in the tenth century. The predominant ideology of the Sant parampara in turn corresponds in many respects to the much wider devotional Bhakti tradition in northern India."
  11. ^ Louis Fenech (2014), in The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies (Editors: Pashaura Singh, Louis E. Fenech), Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0199699308, page 36, Quote: "Few Sikhs would mention these Indic texts and ideologies in the same breadth as the Sikh tradition, let alone trace elements of their tradition to this chronological and ideological point, despite the fact that the Indic mythology permeates the Sikh sacred canon, the Guru Granth Sahib and the secondary canon, the Dasam Granth (Rinehart 2011), and adds delicate nuance and substance to the sacred symbolic universe of the Sikhs of today and of their past ancestors."
  12. ^ Singh, Wazir (1969). Aspects of Guru Nanak's philosophy. Lahore Book Shop. p. 20. Retrieved 2015-09-17. the 'a,' 'u,' and 'm' of aum have also been explained as signifying the three principles of creation, sustenance and annihilation. ... aumkār in relation to existence implies plurality, ... but its substitute Ekonkar definitely implies singularity in spite of the seeming multiplicity of existence. ...
  13. ^ Singh, Khushwant (2002). "The Sikhs". In Kitagawa, Joseph Mitsuo (ed.). The religious traditions of Asia: religion, history, and culture. London: RoutledgeCurzon. p. 114. ISBN 0-7007-1762-5. {{cite book}}: External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help)
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  17. ^ Guru Granth Sahib P281
  18. ^ Guru Granth Sahib P282
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Cited sources

  • Shackle, Christopher; Mandair, Arvind-Pal Singh (2005). Teachings of the Sikh Gurus: Selections from the Sikh Scriptures. United Kingdom: Routledge, xiii–xiv. ISBN 0-415-26604-1.
  • Rosetta William, Sikh Gurus, Har-Anand Publications PVT Ltd (India), 2002, First edition, ISBN 8124107165
  • Professor Kartar Singh, Biography of Guru Nanak, Hemkunt Press (India), 1995, Sixth edition, ISBN 81-7010-162-X

Further reading

  • K.P. Agrawala: Adi Shrî Gurû Granth Sâhib kî Mahimâ (Hindi: "The greatness of the original sacred Guru scripture")
  • Elst, Koenraad: Who is a Hindu?, 2001. ISBN 81-85990-74-3 [2]
  • Rajendra Singh Nirala: Ham Hindu Hain, 1989. Ham Hindu Kyon, 1990. Delhi: Voice of India.
  • E. Trumpp. Adi Granth or the Holy Scripture of the Sikhs, Munshiram Manoharlal, Delhi 1970.
  • McLeod, W.H.:(ed.) Textual Sources for the Study of Sikhism. Manchester University Press, Manchester 1984., -: Who Is a Sikh? The Problem of Sikh Identity. Clarendon Press, Oxford 1989.
  • Harjot Oberoi, The Construction of Religious Boundaries : Culture, Identity, and Diversity in the Sikh Tradition, University Of Chicago Press 1994.
  • Rajendra Singh: Sikkha Itihâsa mein Râma Janmabhûmi.
  • Swarup, Ram: Hindu-Sikh Relationship. Voice of India, Delhi 1985. -: Whither Sikhism? Voice of India, Delhi 1991.
  • Talib, Gurbachan (1950). Muslim League Attack on Sikhs and Hindus in the Punjab 1947. India: Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee.Online 1 Online 2 Online 3 (A free copy of this book can be read from any 3 of the included "Online Sources" of this free "Online Book")