Sanatan Sikh (

Gurmukhi Gurmukhī ( pa, ਗੁਰਮੁਖੀ, , Shahmukhi: ) is an abugida developed from the Laṇḍā scripts, standardized and used by the second Sikh guru, Guru Angad (1504–1552). It is used by Punjabi Sikhs to write the language, commonly ...

: ਸਨਾਤਨ ਸਿੱਖ ''sanātana sikha''), a term and formulation coined by Harjot Oberoi, referred to Sikhs who formed a traditionalist faction during the

Singh Sabha Movement The Singh Sabha Movement was a Sikh movement that began in Punjab in the 1870s in reaction to the proselytising activities of Christians, Hindu reform movements ( Brahmo Samajis, Arya Samaj) and Muslims (Aligarh movement and Ahmadiyah). The mov ...

in 1873. They campaigned for a Dharmic interpretation that accepted a wide range of beliefs drawn from

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

. The Amritsar Singh Sabha was led by Khem Singh Bedi, Avtar Singh Vahiria and others. Sanatan Sikhs accept beliefs and practices such as the belief in the teachings of the

Veda upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''. The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the ...

Purana Purana (; sa, , '; literally meaning "ancient, old"Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature (1995 Edition), Article on Puranas, , page 915) is a vast genre of Indian literature about a wide range of topics, particularly about legends an ...

s, and Hindu epics. They also were tolerant to the use of idols and images of Sikh Gurus as well as other icons within Gurdwaras. Instead of treating scripture as the only guru, Sanatan Sikhs campaigned for acceptability of living gurus to guide those Sikhs who seek one. Amid factional rivalry, the influence of the dominant

Tat Khalsa __NOTOC__ The Tat Khalsa (Gurmukhi: ਤੱਤ ਖਾਲਸਾ, translit. ''Tata khālasā''), also romanised as Tatt Khalsa, was a Sikh faction that arose from the schism following the passing of Guru Gobind Singh in 1708, led by his widow Mata ...

("true Khalsa"), due to the support of the Sikh masses, resulted in the decline of Sanatan Sikhs. Today, it is a marginalized interpretation of Sikhism.

References

Sikh politics {{Sikhism-stub

See also

References