Sikhi

Sikhi or Sikhism is a monotheistic religion with a revolutionary and community-based tradition.

Sikhi respects the prophets Jesus and Mohammed and their religions, considering them as alternate paths to unity with God. The Sikh book, Guru Granth Sahib, says, "The One Lord is within both Hindu and Muslim." Even atheists may meet God if they do good deeds and do not live by ego.

Sikhi grew out of the meditations of Guru Nanak and the following nine Gurus. Nanak was originally a Hindu but met with holy men of Islam, especially the Sufis, Buddhism, and more. He criticized the Hindu caste system and oppression of women, forming a new religion.

Sikhi discarded rituals like the sacraments, criticizing the Pharasaical corrupt pretenses of established religions, and focused on getting the soul closer to God through understanding. "Sikh" means "student", and Sikhs reject the need for miracles because a prophet's message is more important.

Sikhi believes that this world is temporary, and our souls grow apart from God due to a delusional attachment to this world, such as in ego, greed, and lust. The pillars of Sikh practice are Naam Simran i.e. meditation, Sangat i.e. community, and Seva i.e. selfless service. The meaning of Sangat is that God is not found in reclusion, in asceticism or abandoning the world - rather, Sikhi believes in living as a normal person in a strong community and finding God in the people around you.

Though favored by the great Mughal Emperor Akbar, Sikhs were forced into conflict by his tyrant grandson Aurangzeb. The Sikh community took up arms and fought a bourgeois-democratic revolution based in the peasants and workers. This is why Sikhs still refuse to cut their hair: At the time, it openly marked them as rebels.

The Sikh teaching of equality (their effort to reconcile Hinduism and Islam) became the ideology of the peasant movement against the Indian feudals and Afghan invaders in the late 17th century.

- Institute of Marxism-Leninism of the CC of the CPSU(p. 186)

Multiple Sikh Gurus were martyred by the Mughals. In the Maoist style, the Sikh guerrillas finally won and established the Sikh Confederacy. This was a New Democracy dominated by the proletariat, via the Panchayat system of Khalsa army councils.

The proto-Dengist Khalsa harnessed the bourgeois to accelerate the productive forces. However, the Sikh bourgeois betrayed the Khalsa to the British Empire.

In spite of the fine organisation of their army, which fought against the British with stubborn bravery, the Sikhs were defeated.... The chief cause of the defeat was treachery on the part of their supreme command. (p. 195)

In 1845, the British colonialists enlisted the support of traitors among the Sikh gentry to provoke a conflict with the Sikhs, and in 1846 succeeded in turning the Sikh state into a vassal principality. In 1848 the Sikhs revolted, but were totally subjugated in 1849. With the conquest of Punjab all India became a British colony. (p. 186)

- Institute of Marxism-Leninism of the CC of the CPSU

The Sikhs are remembered by historians, Punjabis, British, and Russians universally as ferocious enemies of the British.

The Sikhs were always the most formidable opponents of the British among the natives of India.

- Marx and Engels(p. 163)

History

Conflict with the Mughals

Sikhs got along with the great Mughal Emperor Akbar.

In 1605, Akbar's son Jahangir took the throne, promising orthodox Muslims he would be conservative.

Jahangir was secular, but he came into conflict with the Sikhs. In 1606, Jahangir's son Khusrau Mirza rose up against Jahangir, and was defeated, imprisoned, tortured, and blinded before being set free. The 5th Sikh Guru, Arjan Dev, helped Khusrau and consequently was executed.

As a result, the 6th Guru, Hargobind, at 11 years old, began to militarize the Sikhs, ordering them all to take up arms. He declared the "miri-piri" slogan, meaning world and spirit, representing the Sikhs' decision to command worldly and not just spiritual authority. He began to offer employment (naukari) rather than just organizing service (seva).

In 1609, Guru Hargobind was imprisoned. Two years later, he was released. While redoubling efforts at militarization, he mended ties with Jahangir and helped him defeat a local Chand warlord. In 1621, Hargobind fought and routed a Mughal regiment at Rohilla.

Meanwhile, in 1622 Jahangir's other son Shah Jahan launched a rebellion against Jahangir, and murdered the blind Khusrau Mirza. In 1625, Shah Jahan was subdued.

In 1627, Jahangir died. His youngest son, Shahryar Mirza, tried to seize the throne, but he was defeated by Shah Jahan. Shah Jahan began religious repression.

In 1628, a hunting conflict led to war between Shah Jahan and Guru Hargobind. At one point, the Sikhs captured the official who had ordered the torture of Guru Arjan, and the torturer of Guru Arjan, who had converted to Sikhi, poured hot sand down that official's throat.

Shah Jahan attempted to undermine the Sikh state by promoting the pro-Mughal grandson of Guru Hargobind, but it failed. Guru Hargobind's son Har Rai became 7th Guru.

In 1657, Shah Jahan tried to appoint his son Dara Shikoh as his successor, who was more tolerant and allied with the Sikhs. But Dara Shikoh was defeated by Aurangzeb. This began a period of intense repression of the Sikhs and full on war. 8th Guru Tegh Bahadur fell to Aurangzeb in 1675. The 10th Guru, Gobind Singh, established the holy book, the Granth Sahib, as eternal Guru, preparing for his own death.

In 1705 Guru Gobind Singh began negotiations with Aurangzeb. But in 1707 Aurangzeb died and his successor, Bahadur Shah, refused to concede to the Sikhs. In 1708 Guru Gobind Singh was assassinated by the Mughals.

The Sikhs then led a serious rebellion against the Mughals, capturing key cities, but Bahadur Shah recovered them.