Explore the rise of Sikh Army Panchayats in post-Ranjit Singh Punjab, their role in governance, and their stand against British influence on the frontier.
Explore the legacy of Sant Giani Sundar Singh, a prominent Sikh teacher who shaped the Bhindrarivala school of Sikh learning. Discover his life's journey and impact.
Explore the evolution of Sikh salutations from Sati Kartar to Vahiguru, reflecting the faith's monotheistic roots since Guru Gobind Singh in 1699.
AKIL DAS, an eighteenth century head of the Handali sect of Jandiala in Amritsar district of the Punjab, also known as Haribhagat Niranjania, was an inveterate enemy of the Sikhs. Giani Gian Singh, Shamsher Khalsa, describes him as "Akul Das who basked in the name of Haribhagat." He was a State informer and revelled in spying on the Sikhs. He had had many of them arrested and executed. Most prominent among his victims were Bhai Taru Singh and Bhai Matab Singh Mirankotia.
BHAGAT MAL, subtitled SakhiBhai Gurdas Ji ki Var Varvfri Sikhan di Bhagatmala, is an anonymous manuscript (Kirpal Singh, A Catalogue of Punjabi and Urdu Manuscripts, attributes it to one Kirpa Ram, though in the work itself no reference to this name exists) held in the Khalsa College, Amritsar, under MS. No. 2300, bound with several other works all of which are written in the same hand. The manuscript comprises 83 folios and is undated. The opening page of the full volume, however, carries the date 1896 Bk/AD 1839 which may be the year of its transcription. Bhagat Mal is a parallel work to the more famous Bhagatmala by Bhai Mani Singh and is, like the latter, meant to be an elaboration of Bhai Gurdas`s eleventh Var, listing the more prominent of the Sikhs of Guru Nanak`s time.
DAL KHALSA is the term used to describe the militia which came into being during the turbulent period of the second half of the eighteenth century and which became a formidable fighting force of the Sikhs in the northwestern part of India. The first Khalsa army formed and led by the creator of the Khalsa, Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708), had broken up at the time of the evacuation of Anandpur in December 1705. Another force, at one time 40,000 strong, raised by Banda Singh Bahadur (1670-1716) was scattered after the caputre and execution of its leader.
GIANI SAMPRADAI is one of three major schools of Sikhs theologians and expositors of the Sikh scripture, the other two being the Udasis and the Nirmalas. Giani, the Punjabi form of Sanskrit jndni from the rootjnd (to know), originally meant a scholar of high learning. In Sikh tradition, a gidmis a learned man of pious character, competent to recite faultlessly, interpret and expound the Guru Granth Sahib and other Sikh religious texts. Sampraddi denotes a sectarian system or school of thought of accredited standing. It is claimed that the school of Gianis originated with Bhai Mani Singh (d. 1737) who had the privilege of receiving instruction from Guru Tegh Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh.
Explore the remarkable journey of Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, founder of the Ahluwalias and leader of the Dal Khalsa who declared Sikh sovereignty in 1761.
Explore Khalsa Diwan Lahore's role in Sikhism's revival, education advocacy, and Punjabi promotion, as led by Bhai Gurmukh Singh and associates.
Discover the legacy of Man Singh, a brave warrior who fought alongside Guru Gobind Singh and survived the Battle of Chamkaur. His story inspires the Nihang Sikh order.
