Sarbat Khalsa
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Sarbat Khalsa (lit. meaning ''all the
Khalsa Khalsa ( pa, ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ, , ) refers to both a community that considers Sikhism as its faith,Kha ...
''; Punjabi: (
Gurumukhi 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 r ...
)
), was a biannual
deliberative assembly A deliberative assembly is a meeting of members who use parliamentary procedure. Etymology In a speech to the electorate at Bristol in 1774, Edmund Burke described the British Parliament as a "deliberative assembly," and the expression became the ...
(on the same lines as a
Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
in a
Direct Democracy Direct democracy or pure democracy is a form of democracy in which the Election#Electorate, electorate decides on policy initiatives without legislator, elected representatives as proxies. This differs from the majority of currently establishe ...
) of the
Sikhs Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism (Sikhi), a monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ...
held at
Amritsar Amritsar (), historically also known as Rāmdāspur and colloquially as ''Ambarsar'', is the second largest city in the Indian state of Punjab, after Ludhiana. It is a major cultural, transportation and economic centre, located in the Majha r ...
in Panjab during the 18th century. It literally translates to the "entire Sikh
Nation A nation is a community of people formed on the basis of a combination of shared features such as language, history, ethnicity, culture and/or society. A nation is thus the collective identity of a group of people understood as defined by those ...
" but as a political institution it refers to the meetings of the Dal Khalsa,
Sikh Misls The Misls (derived from an Arabic word مِثْل meaning 'equal') were the twelve sovereign states of the Sikh Confederacy, which rose during the 18th century in the Punjab region in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent and is cit ...
, and the
legislature A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its p ...
of the
Sikh Empire The Sikh Empire was a state originating in the Indian subcontinent, formed under the leadership of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who established an empire based in the Punjab. The empire existed from 1799, when Maharaja Ranjit Singh captured Lahor ...
. The first Sarbat Khalsa was called by the tenth guru,
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 ...
before his death in 1708 and the tradition of calling Sarbat Khalsa has continued ever since at times of hardship or conflict. After the demolition of the Mahant System by the Khalsa Panth, S. Kartar Singh Jhabbar called the Sarbat Khalsa in 1920. He was not the Jathedar of the Akal Takht but a Sikh leader. In the resolution of that Sarbat Khalsa, Teja Singh Bhuchhar was announced as the Jathedar of the Akal Takht. The next known meeting of the Sarbat Khalsa took place on the occasion of Divali in 1723 when a clash between Tat Khalsa and the Bandais (owing fealty to Banda Singh Bahadur) was averted and amicably settled through the intervention and wise counsel of Bhai Mani Singh. The next notable Sarbat Khalsa, which was held soon after the martyrdom of
Bhai Tara Singh Wan Bhai Tara Singh Wan (1687–30 March 1726) was an eighteenth-century Sikh martyr. He was from the village of Wan, Punjab, Wan, also known as ''Wan Tara Singh'' and ''Dall-Wan'' now in Tarn taran district tehsil bhikhiwind of the Punjab, India, Ea ...
in 1726, passed a
gurmata A Gurmata ( Punjabi: ਗੁਰਮਤਾ, literally, 'Guru's intention' or 'advice of the Guru'), alternatively romanized as Gurumatta, is an order upon a subject that affects the fundamental principles of Sikh religion and is binding upon all ...
(the decisions of the Sarbat Khalsa), laying down a threefold plan of action: to plunder government treasures in transit between local and regional offices and the central treasury; to raid government armouries for weapons and government stables for horses and carriages; and to eliminate government informers and lackeys. Another Sarbat Khalsa assembled in 1733 to deliberate upon and accept the government's offer of a Nawabship and jagir to the Panth. Under a
gurmata A Gurmata ( Punjabi: ਗੁਰਮਤਾ, literally, 'Guru's intention' or 'advice of the Guru'), alternatively romanized as Gurumatta, is an order upon a subject that affects the fundamental principles of Sikh religion and is binding upon all ...
of the Sarbat Khalsa on 14 October (Divali day) 1745, the active fighting force of the Sikhs was reorganized into 25 jathas (bands) of about 100 each. A further reorganization into 11 misls (divisions) forming the Dal Khalsa was made by the Sarbat Khalsa on Baisakhi, 29 March 1748. Thus, Sarbat Khalsa became the central body of what J.D. Cunningham, in his book, ''A history of the Sikhs'', terms a “theocratic confederate feudalism” established by the misls. On 29 April 1986, a Sarbat Khalsa at the Golden Temple declared the rebuilding of
Akal Takht The Akal Takht ("Throne of the Timeless One") is one of five takhts (seats of power) of the Sikhs. It is located in the Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) complex in Amritsar, Punjab, India. The Akal Takht (originally called Akal Bunga) was built by ...
.


History

After the death of
Banda Singh Bahadur Banda Singh Bahadur (born Lachman Dev) (27 October 1670 – 9 June 1716), was a Sikh warrior and a commander of Khalsa army. At age 15, he left home to become an ascetic, and was given the name Madho Das Bairagi. He established a monastery ...
in 1716 the
Khalsa Khalsa ( pa, ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ, , ) refers to both a community that considers Sikhism as its faith,Kha ...
was in disarray. After 1716, the Mughal government began a campaign of
genocide Genocide is the intentional destruction of a people—usually defined as an ethnic, national, racial, or religious group—in whole or in part. Raphael Lemkin coined the term in 1944, combining the Greek word (, "race, people") with the Latin ...
against
Sikhs Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism (Sikhi), a monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ...
led by
Abdus Samad Khan Nawab Abdul Samad Khan Bahadur (1861–1943) was the Nawab of Chhatari and Nawab of Talibnagar in the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. He belonged to the Lalkhani family of Muslim Rajputs. Early life He selected trustee of the Old Party in ...
and later his son Zakariya Khan that was carried out by in the form of a standing army dedicated to eliminating Sikhs, daily public executions, and monetary rewards for the heads of killed Sikhs. The Dal Khalsa "retaliated by killing government functionaries and plundering Mughal posts, arsenals, and treasuries". In 1733, because of the failure of the Mughal government to subdue the Sikhs they were offered a
jagir A jagir ( fa, , translit=Jāgir), also spelled as jageer, was a type of feudal land grant in the Indian subcontinent at the foundation of its Jagirdar (Zamindar) system. It developed during the Islamic rule era of the Indian subcontinent, start ...
in 1733.
Nawab Kapur Singh Nawab Kapur Singh Virk (1697–1753) is considered one of the major figures in Sikh history, under whose leadership the Sikh community traversed one of the darkest periods of its history. He was the organizer of the Sikh Confederacy and the ...
was appointed head of the Dal Khalsa and he reorganized the Sikhs into the Taruna Dal and Budda Dal. The Taruna Dal formed the basis of the
Sikh Misls The Misls (derived from an Arabic word مِثْل meaning 'equal') were the twelve sovereign states of the Sikh Confederacy, which rose during the 18th century in the Punjab region in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent and is cit ...
.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ranjit Singh (13 November 1780 – 27 June 1839), popularly known as Sher-e-Punjab or "Lion of Punjab", was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire, which ruled the northwest Indian subcontinent in the early half of the 19th century. He s ...
banned the Sarbat Khalsa in 1805 but it has recently been revived.


Significant Gurmatas


Procedure

Meetings of the Sarbat Khalsa began with an
Ardās The Ardās ( pa, ਅਰਦਾਸ) is a set prayer in Sikhism. It is a part of worship service in a Gurdwara (Sikh temple), daily rituals such as the opening the ''Guru Granth Sahib'' for ''prakash'' (morning light) or closing it for ''sukhasa ...
, 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 ...
prayer for guidance. The body then chose Panj Piare, or five members, to act as the governing body of the
mass meeting In parliamentary law, a mass meeting is a type of deliberative assembly or popular assembly, which in a publicized or selectively distributed notice known as the call of the meeting - has been announced: (RONR) *as called to take appropriate acti ...
. To become one of the Panj Piare members would have to be nominated, answer objections from the assembly, and be subject to a
direct vote Direct election is a system of choosing political officeholders in which the voters directly cast ballots for the persons or political party that they desire to see elected. The method by which the winner or winners of a direct election are cho ...
. After their election the Panj Piare sat next to the
Guru Granth Sahib The Guru Granth Sahib ( pa, ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and Guru Maneyo Granth, eternal Guru following the lineage of the Sikh gur ...
on the
Akal Takht The Akal Takht ("Throne of the Timeless One") is one of five takhts (seats of power) of the Sikhs. It is located in the Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) complex in Amritsar, Punjab, India. The Akal Takht (originally called Akal Bunga) was built by ...
of Harmandir Sahib. Members put proposals up for consideration and the Panj Piare intervened in disputes that came up during the assembly. A proposal passed by the Sarbat Khalsa, known as a ''Gurmata'' (The Guru's decision) was binding on all Sikhs.


Sarbat Khalsa 2015

Sarbat Khalsa 2015 was held on November 10, 2015 in Chabba village on the outskirts of
Amritsar Amritsar (), historically also known as Rāmdāspur and colloquially as ''Ambarsar'', is the second largest city in the Indian state of Punjab, after Ludhiana. It is a major cultural, transportation and economic centre, located in the Majha r ...
, with the purpose to strengthen all Sikh institutions and traditions. As many as 550,000 to over 600,000 Sikhs from around the world attended the event. A few Sikh organizations in support of the
Shiromani Akali Dal The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) (translation: ''Supreme Akali Party'') is a centre-right sikh-centric state political party in Punjab, India. The party is the second-oldest in India, after Congress, being founded in 1920. Although there are many ...
did not attend the event and refused to recognize the resolutions passed. The event was also opposed by Punjab Chief Minister
Parkash Singh Badal Parkash Singh Badal ( pa, ਪ੍ਰਕਾਸ਼ ਸਿੰਘ ਬਾਦਲ; born 8 December 1927) is an Indian politician who was Chief Minister of Punjab state from 1970 to 1971, from 1977 to 1980, from 1997 to 2002, and from 2007 to 2017. He i ...
and his Party Akali dal. But Few Sikh organizations supported to Sarbat Khalsa attended the event and recognized the resolutions passed. The event was called by
Simranjit Singh Mann Simranjit Singh Mann (born 20 May 1945) is a separatist politician and an MP representing the constituency of Sangrur since 2022. He is the president of the political party Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar). Mann is a three-time MP; once from Ta ...
and
Mohkam Singh Mohkam Singh ( ; 6 June 1663 – 7 December 1704 or 1705), born Mohkam Chand (his given name is also transliterated as Muhkam or Mohkhum), one of the Panj Pyare or the Five Beloved of honoured memory in the Sikh tradition, was the son of Tirath ...
, leaders of
Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) is separatist political party led by Simranjit Singh Mann, it is a splinter group of the Shiromani Akali Dal. Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) was formed on the 1st of May 1994. Electoral success The party's most s ...
and
United Akali Dal United Akali Dal (Muttahida Akali Dal) is a Sikhism-centric political party floated on 22 November 2014 at Amritsar by leaders of United Sikh Movement and Insaf Lehar have played leading role in setting up this party. This party is led by Bhai ...
respectively. The Sikh congregation passed 13 resolutions to be implemented.


Resolutions

# Absolves the four current Jathedars from their duties:
Giani Gurbachan Singh Gurbachan Singh ( pa, ਗੁਰਬਚਨ ਸਿੰਘ; born 6 April 1948) is a Sikh preacher who has served as the jathedar of the Akal Takht from 2008 to 2018. Early life Gurbachan Singh was born in village Chakk Baja of Muktsar, Punjab, Indi ...
, Giani Mal Singh, Giani Gurmukh Singh, Giani Iqbal Singh. Appoints the following interim Jathedars till Vasiakhi 2016 as follows: Bhai
Jagtar Singh Hawara Jagtar Singh Hawara ( pa, ਜਗਤਾਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਹਵਾਰਾ; born 16 May 1973) is a Sikh political prisoner and member of Babbar Khalsa who has been serving as the Sarbat Khalsa appointed jathedar of the Akal Takht since 2015. He wa ...
Jathedar (Sri Akal Takht Sahib), Bhai Dhian Singh Mand Acting Jathedar (Sri Akal Takht Sahib), Bhai Amrik Singh Ajnala Jathedar (Sri Kesgarh Sahib) and Bhai Baljit Singh Daduwal Jathedar (Sri Damdama Sahib) # Reaffirms Akal Takht Sahib is a guru-gifted sovereign Sikh institution which must become fully independent again. A draft committee is to be constituted composed of Sikhs both from the Homeland and Diaspora by 30 Nov 2015 to report on Akal Takht Sahib system which includes Sarbat Khalsa and Jathedars governance and process. Plan to be adopted by Vaisakhi 2016 when next Sarbat Khalsa is to be held. # Declares
Kanwar Pal Singh Gill Kanwar Pal Singh Gill (29 December 1934 – 26 May 2017) was an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer. He served twice as DGP for the state of Punjab, India, where he is credited with having brought the Punjab insurgency under control. While man ...
and
Kuldip Singh Brar Lieutenant General Kuldip Singh Brar, PVSM, AVSM, VrC (born 1934) is a retired Indian Army officer, who was involved in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. As a major general, he commanded Operation Blue Star. Early days K S Brar was born in 1934 i ...
''tankhaiya'' (chastised) for anti-Sikh genocidal campaigns and summons them at Akal Takht Sahib to present themselves by 30 Nov 2015. # Finds
Prakash Singh Badal Parkash Singh Badal ( pa, ਪ੍ਰਕਾਸ਼ ਸਿੰਘ ਬਾਦਲ; born 8 December 1927) is an Indian politician who was Chief Minister of Punjab state from 1970 to 1971, from 1977 to 1980, from 1997 to 2002, and from 2007 to 2017. He ...
, Sukhbir Singh Badal and Avtar Singh Makkar guilty of undermining and misusing the Sikh institutions of
Panj Piare Panj Pyare ( pa, ਪੰਜ ਪਿਆਰੇ, ', the five beloved ones) is the collective name given to five men − Daya Singh, Dharam Singh, Himmat Singh, Mohkam Singh and Sahib Singh Sahib Singh (Gurmukhi: ਸਾਹਿਬ ਸਿੰਘ) (1 ...
and
Akal Takht The Akal Takht ("Throne of the Timeless One") is one of five takhts (seats of power) of the Sikhs. It is located in the Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) complex in Amritsar, Punjab, India. The Akal Takht (originally called Akal Bunga) was built by ...
Sahib. Nullifies Prakash Singh Badal's Fakhar-e-Qaum and Panth Rattan and Avtar Singh Makkar's Shiromani Sewak awards. # Creates World Sikh Parliament to represent global Sikhs under aegis of Akal Takht Sahib. A draft committee is to be constituted of Sikhs both from the Homeland and the Diaspora by 30 Nov 2015 to report on its structure and governance. Plan to be adopted by Vaisakhi 2016. # Calls on all Sikhs to safeguard sanctity of Guru Granth Sahib and aptly deliver justice, in accordance with the Khalsa traditions, to those disrespecting the eternal Guru. # Recognizes the Sikh political prisoners as the Sikh nation's assets. Holds the state responsible for the resultant consequences due to Jathedar
Surat Singh Raja Surat Singh (1810–1881) was a Punjabi Jagirdar, a military officer in the Khalsa Army, and a member of the renowned Majithia family. Biography He was born in Majitha to Sardar Attar Singh of the Sher-Gill Jat clan. With his father, he ...
's struggle. Demands all political prisoners of any movement in India such as Sikhs, Naxalites, Kashmiris, Nagas, and others, be released unconditionally now. # Revive the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbadhak Committee's democratic representation system to manage the internal Sikh affairs which have been suspended by the state over the years. # Orders all Sikhs to fully refrain from all internal divisive doctrinal debate until the sovereignty of Akal Takht Sahib is fully restored. # Recognizes the Sikh nation must establish a unifying independent Sikh calendar. # Aspires for
Vatican Vatican may refer to: Vatican City, the city-state ruled by the pope in Rome, including St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum The Holy See * The Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church and sovereign entity recognized ...
-like status for Harmandar Sahib Complex to ensure every Sikh's birthright to visit and deliberate at the Akal Takht Sahib. # Reaffirms the resolutions adopted by the Sarbat Khalsa held on 26 Jan 1986. # Embraces the disenfranchised fellow human beings be treated with dignity and respect; appeals to stop the construction of caste-based gurdwaras and cremation grounds.


See also

* Sarv Khap system of
Haryana Haryana (; ) is an Indian state located in the northern part of the country. It was carved out of the former state of East Punjab on 1 Nov 1966 on a linguistic basis. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with less than 1.4% () of India's land ar ...
and
Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...
is similar to ''Sarbat Khalsa'' *
Jathedar of Akal Takht The Jathedar of the Akal Takht ( pa, ਜੱਥੇਦਾਰ ਅਕਾਲ ਤਖ਼ਤ ਸਾਹਿਬ) is the head of the Akal Takht and head of the Sikhs worldwide. The jathedar has the de facto power as the supreme spokesperson of the Khalsa t ...
*
Gurmata A Gurmata ( Punjabi: ਗੁਰਮਤਾ, literally, 'Guru's intention' or 'advice of the Guru'), alternatively romanized as Gurumatta, is an order upon a subject that affects the fundamental principles of Sikh religion and is binding upon all ...
, a term used to refer to resolutions passed by the ''Sarbat Khalsa'' *
Hukamnama A Hukamnama (Punjabi: ਹੁਕਮਨਾਮਾ, translit. ''Hukamanāmā''), in modern-times, refers to a hymn from the Guru Granth Sahib which is given as an injunction, order, or edict to Sikhs. It also refers to edicts issued by the contempor ...
, an injunction or edict issued by the Sikh gurus, their officiated followers, the Takhts, or taken from the Guru Granth Sahib


References


Further reading

*''Volume 2: Evolution of Sikh Confederacies (1708-1769)'' by Hari Ram Gupta. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers, 1999, , Pages: 383 pages, illustrated. *''The Heritage of the Sikhs'' by Harbans Singh. 1994, . *''Sikh Domination of the Mughal Empire''. 2000, second edition. . *''The Sikh Commonwealth or Rise and Fall of Sikh Misls''. 2001, revised edition. . *''Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Lord of the Five Rivers'' by Jean-Marie Lafont. Oxford University Press. 2002, {{ISBN, 0-19-566111-7. *''History of Panjab'' by Dr L. M. Joshi and Dr Fauja Singh. Sikh politics History of Punjab