|
Panth Prakash
''Panth Prakash'' (Gurmukhi: ਪੰਥ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਸ਼), also called ''Prācīn Panth Prakāsh'' ("Old Panth Prakash", not to be confused with the "''Naveen'' [new] ''Panth Prakash''" by Giani Gian Singh) (Gurmukhi: ਪ੍ਰਾਚੀਨ ਪੰਥ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਸ਼ ''lit.'' "The Rise of the Honorable Guru Panth/Sikh Community"), is a historical text about History of Sikhism, Sikh history in the 1700s by Rattan Singh Bhangu and was completed in the early 1810s. The text's opening foundation briefly covers the lives of the ten Sikh Gurus, then traces the accomplishments of the Sikh community from 1708 to the establishment of Sikh rule in Punjab. The text provides the most comprehensive compilation of stories related to the feats of Sikh warriors in the 18th century, the evolving Sikh martial formations, and the internal power dynamics between Sikh Misl groups. Description The original title of the work is ''Sri Gur Panth Prakash''. The work can be divided into two part ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Braj Bhasha
Braj is a language within the Indo-Aryan language family spoken in the Braj region in Western Uttar Pradesh centered on Mathura. Along with Awadhi, it was one of the two predominant literary languages of North-Central India before gradually merging and contributing to the development of standardized Hindi in the 19th century. It is spoken today in its unique form in many districts of Western Uttar Pradesh, often referred to as 'Central Braj Bhasha'. The language was historically used for Vaishnavite poetry dedicated to Krishna, whose life was associated with sites in the Braj region. There were also early prose works in terms of the hagiographical ''vārtā'' literature of the Vallabha sect. Braj is considered by scholars to be a more conservative example of the Central Indo-Aryan languages compared to the Hindustani language, which has been influenced by Panjabi and intermediate dialects. Geographical distribution Braj Bhasha is spoken in the nebulous Braj region c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hindu Mythology
Hindu mythology refers to the collection of myths associated with Hinduism, derived from various Hindu texts and traditions. These myths are found in sacred texts such as the Vedas, the Itihasas (the ''Mahabharata'' and the ''Ramayana''), and the Puranas. They also appear in regional and ethnolinguistic texts, including the Bengali ''Mangal Kavya'' and the Tamil '' Periya Puranam'' and ''Divya Prabandham''. Additionally, Hindu myths are also found in widely translated fables like the ''Panchatantra'' and the '' Hitopadesha'', as well as in Southeast Asian texts influenced by Hindu traditions. Meaning of "myth" Myth is a genre of folklore or theology consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. For folklorists, historians, philosophers or theologians this is very different from the use of "myth" simply indicating that something is not true. Instead, the truth value of a myth is not a def ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Akal Ustat
Akal Ustat (, , lit. ‘the praise of the Timeless One’) is the name given to the second Bani (sacred composition) present in the second holy scriptures of the Sikhs called the Dasam Granth. It is composed of 271 verses, and is largely devotional in nature. Synopsis The word "Akal" mean the "timeless primal being" and the word "Ustat" (from the Sanskrit word 'stuti') means "praise". So together, the words "Akal Ustat" mean "the praise of the Timeless One". In it, Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru writes that God is worshipped by various peoples in many different ways, and with varying names and methods: The scripture is notable for its unalloyed disavowal of the caste system, and of cultural elitism in general. At various points in this composition, Guru Gobind Singh speaks out against the belief that some people are superior to others, by virtue of belonging to a particular religion, region, history, culture, colour or creed. Instead, he clearly and firmly states t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jaap Sahib
Jaap Sahib (or Japu Sahib; , pronunciation: ) is the morning prayer of the Sikhs. The beaded prayers were composed by the Tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh and is found at the start of the Sikh scripture Dasam Granth. This Bani is an important Sikh prayer, and is recited by the ''Panj Pyare'' while preparing ''Amrit'' on the occasion of '' Amrit Sanchar'' (initiation), a ceremony held to Amrit initiates into the Khalsa and it is a part of a Sikh's '' Nitnem'' (daily meditation). The ''Jaap Sahib'' is reminiscent of ''Japji Sahib'' composed by Guru Nanak, and both praise God. Meaning of ''jaap'' Following are some accepted meanings of ''jaap'': * The popular meanings of Jaap is ''to recite'', to repeat, or ''to chant''.S Deol (1998), Japji: The Path of Devotional Meditation, , page 11 * ''Jaap'' also means ''to understand''. Gurbani cites ''Aisa Giaan Japo Man Mere, Hovo Chakar Sache Kere'', where Jap word means to understand wisdom. ''Jaap'' is a Sanskrit word meaning "to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dasam Granth
The ( Gurmukhi: ਦਸਮ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ''dasama gratha'') is a collection of various poetic compositions attributed to Guru Gobind Singh.Dasam Granth Encyclopædia Britannica, pages 2, 67 The text previously enjoyed an equal status with the Adi Granth, or Guru Granth Sahib, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and were installed side by side on the same platform. The ''Dasam Granth'' lost favor during the colonial period when reformist Singh Sabha Movement scholars couldn't contextualize the reworkings of Puranic stories or the vast collection of 'Tale ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bhai Gurdas
Bhai Gurdas (1551 – 25 August 1636) was a Sikh writer, historian and preacher who served as the Jathedar of the Akal Takht from 1606 to his death in 1636. He was the original scribe of the early version of Guru Granth Sahib, having served as the amanuensis of Guru Arjan in its compilation. Early life Bhai Gurdas was possibly born in 1551 (exact year unknown but likely between 1543 and 1553) at Basarke Gillan, a small village in the Punjab. He was the only child of Bhai Ishar Das and Mata Jivani. Gurdas' father, Ishar Das, was the youngest brother of Guru Amar Das, therefore Gurdas was the nephew of Guru Amar Das. Gurdas was born into the Bhalla clan of Khatris. Bhai Gurdas was near 3 years of age when his mother died.Bhai GURDAS (1551–1636) – SikhHistory.com After being orphaned at the age of 12, he was ado ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Varan Bhai Gurdas
Varan Bhai Gurdas (Gurmukhi: ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ ''vārāṁ bhā'ī guradāsa''; meaning "ballads of Bhai Gurdas"), also known as Varan Gyan Ratnavali (), is the name given to the 40 Var (poetry), ''vars'' (a form of Punjabi poetry) which is traditionally attributed to Bhai Gurdas. History Background The first widely-accepted and available extant Sikh writings were put-down to writing in the 1570's, namely being the two extant recensions (out of four originally) of the ''Goindwal Pothis'' and the ''Puratan Janamsakhi''. Later, the MS 1245 was written in around 1600, with the Adi Granth being finished and installed in 1604 in the form of the ''Kartarpur Pothi''. Bhai Gurdas is claimed to have been the amanuensis of the original Kartarpur Pothi, which itself would be copied multiple times in the early 17th century. Bhai Gurdas was a first cousin of Mata Bhani, mother of Guru Arjan Dev. He was the first scribe of Guru Granth Sahib and a scholar of grea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Janamsakhis
The Janamsakhis (, IAST: , ), are popular hagiographies of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. Considered by scholars as semi-legendary biographies, they were based on a Sikh oral tradition of historical fact, homily, and legend, with the first ''janamsakhi'' were composed between 50 and 80 years after his death.Guru Nanak Encyclopaedia Britannica, Brian Duignan (2017) Many more were written in the 17th and 18th century. The largest ''Guru Nanak Prakash'', with about 9,700 verses, was written in the early 19th century by . The four ''janamsakhi'' traditions that have survived into the modern era ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Persian Language
Persian ( ), also known by its endonym and exonym, endonym Farsi (, Fārsī ), is a Western Iranian languages, Western Iranian language belonging to the Iranian languages, Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian languages, Indo-Iranian subdivision of the Indo-European languages. Persian is a pluricentric language predominantly spoken and used officially within Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan in three mutual intelligibility, mutually intelligible standard language, standard varieties, respectively Iranian Persian (officially known as ''Persian''), Dari, Dari Persian (officially known as ''Dari'' since 1964), and Tajik language, Tajiki Persian (officially known as ''Tajik'' since 1999).Siddikzoda, S. "Tajik Language: Farsi or not Farsi?" in ''Media Insight Central Asia #27'', August 2002. It is also spoken natively in the Tajik variety by a significant population within Uzbekistan, as well as within other regions with a Persianate society, Persianate history in the cultural sphere o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gurinder Singh Mann
Gurinder Singh Mann is a Punjabi-American scholar and professor of Sikh studies, and the author of multiple books on Sikh religion and society. Mann taught religion at Columbia University from 1988 to 1999 and then held the Kundan Kaur Kapany Chair in Sikh Studies from 1999 to 2015 at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He retired from Santa Barbara in 2015, and founded the Global Institute for Sikh Studies in New York City, which he presently directs. Education Mann studied for a master's degree in English from Baring Union Christian College in Batala, Punjab, from 1965 to 1971, and then completed a diploma in English Studies at the Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages in Hyderabad, India, in 1975. He earned a second master's degree in English from the University of Kent at Canterbury, England, in 1976. From 1984 to 1987 he studied for Master of Theological Studies at Harvard University. He joined the doctoral program in Religion at Columbia University ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mehtab Singh Bhangu
Mehtab Singh (d. 1745) was a Sikh warrior and martyr. He is remembered for being one of the two assassins of Massa Ranghar, alongside Sukha Singh. Background Mehtab Singh was a Jat Sikh of the Bhangu clan hailing from Mirankot. Revenge at Harmandir Sahib On August 11, 1740 A.D. they dressed up as landlords from Patti and entered the city of Amritsar. They reached Harmandir Sahib and then tied their horses to the berry tree and went inside Harmandir Sahib carrying the bags. Massa Ranghar was smoking shisha and watching dancing girls. The Sikhs threw the bags under Massa's bed and said that they had come to pay the revenue. Massa bent downwards to have a look at the bags. Mehtab Singh immediately took his sword and slashed it at Massa's neck and instantly severed his head. Sukha Singh finished off the guards of Massa Ranghar. They put Massa's head in a bag and rode their horses back to Talwandi Sabo the same evening. The next day they reached Bikaner and presented Massa Rangh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nihang
The Nihang (also spelt as Nihung lit. "Crocodiles") or Akali (lit. "Immortals"), also known as '' Dal Khalsa'', is an armed Sikh warrior order originating in the Indian subcontinent. Nihangs are believed to have originated either from Fateh Singh and the attire he wore or from the " Akal Sena" (lit. Army of the Immortal) started by Guru Hargobind. Early Sikh military history was dominated by the Nihang, known for their victories where they were heavily outnumbered. Traditionally known for their bravery and ruthlessness in the battlefield, the Nihang once formed the irregular guerrilla squads of the armed forces of the Sikh Empire, the Sikh Khalsa Army. Etymology The word ''Nihang'' may come from the Persian word for a mythical sea creature (). The term owes its origin to Mughal historians, who compared the ferocity of the Akāli with that of crocodiles. The meaning of Akali in Sikhism however, is the immortal army of Akāl (God). According to Harjinder Singh Dilgeer, trac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
