A ''Sant Sipahi'' (Punjabi: ਸੰਤ-ਸਿਪਾਹੀ, meaning 'Saint-Soldier') is a
Sikh
Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...
that aims to become both spiritually and martially skilled, as per the teachings of the 6th Sikh Guru,
Guru Hargobind
Gurū Hargobind (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਹਰਿਗੋਬਿੰਦ, pronunciation: l 19 June 1595 – 28 February 1644), revered as the ''sixth Nānak'', was the sixth of ten Gurus of the Sikh religion. He had become Guru at the young age of e ...
. Guru Hargobind is credited with the initial militarization of the Sikhs, and the term represents an ideological shift brought on by the execution of his father and predecessor,
Guru Arjan Dev
Guru Arjan (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਅਰਜਨ, pronunciation: ; 15 April 1563 – 30 May 1606) was the first of the two Gurus martyred in the Sikh faith and the fifth of the ten total Sikh Gurus. He compiled the first official edition of th ...
, by the Mughal Emperor
Jahangir
Nur-ud-Din Muhammad Salim (30 August 1569 – 28 October 1627), known by his imperial name Jahangir (; ), was the fourth Mughal Emperor, who ruled from 1605 until he died in 1627. He was named after the Indian Sufi saint, Salim Chishti.
Ear ...
, for his refusal to convert to
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
and alter Sikh scripture.
''
Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh (; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708), born Gobind Das or Gobind Rai the tenth Sikh Guru, a spiritual master, warrior, poet and philosopher. When his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, was executed by Aurangzeb, Guru Gobind Sing ...
'', the tenth Guru, solidified the concept of a ''Sant Sipahi'' with the founding of the
Khalsa
Khalsa ( pa, ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ, , ) refers to both a community that considers Sikhism as its faith,[Kha ...]
. The militarization of Sikhs was further enhanced by the development of
Shastar Vidya
Shastar Vidya ( pa, ਸ਼ਸਤਰ-ਵਿੱਦਿਆ), also known as Sanatan Shastar Vidya ( pa, ਸਨਾਤਨ ਸ਼ਸਤਰ ਵਿੱਦਿਆ), is a centuries-old Indian battlefield art which translates to "the science of weapons".
H ...
, the Sikh martial art.
A Sant Sipahi is meant to embrace Sikh religious and spiritual philosophy, while being prepared to use necessary violence to defend the rights of the innocent. A Sant Sipahi is not permitted to use their martial skills in pursuit of material gain or personal glory.
[ ]
References
Sikh terminology
{{Sikhism-stub