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Kirpan
The kirpan (; pronunciation: Help:IPA/Punjabi, [kɪɾpaːn]) is a blade that Khalsa Sikhs are required to wear as part of their religious uniform, as prescribed by the Rehat, Sikh Code of Conduct. Traditionally, the kirpan was a full-sized ''talwar'' at around 76 cm (30 inches) long; however, British colonial policies and laws introduced in the 19th century reduced the length of the blade, and in the modern day, the kirpan is typically a dagger between 5 to 12 inches. According to the Sikh Code of Conduct, "The length of the sword to be worn is not prescribed", but must be curved and single edged (as its original sword form was). It is part of a religious commandment given by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699, founding the Khalsa order and introducing The Five Ks, the five articles of faith (the five Ks) which must be worn at all times. A Kirpan is held in a holster known as a gatra, which is worn over the right shoulder and across the body. Etymology The Punjabi word ਕਿਰਪ� ...
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Sikhs
Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a 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 ''Sikh'' has its origin in the Sanskrit word ', meaning 'seeker', or . According to Article I of Chapter 1 of the Sikh Rehat Maryada, Sikh ''Rehat Maryada'' (), the definition of Sikh is: Any human being who faithfully believes in One Immortal Being Ten Gurus, from Guru Nanak Sahib to Guru Gobind Singh Sahib The Guru Granth Sahib The utterances and teachings of the ten Gurus and The initiation, known as the Amrit Sanskar, Amrit Sanchar, bequeathed by the tenth Guru and who does not owe allegiance to any other religion, is a Sikh. Male Sikhs generally have ''Singh'' () as their last name, though not all Singhs are necessarily Sikhs; likewise, female Sikhs have ''Kaur'' () as their last name. These unique last names were given by the Gurus to ...
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The Five Ks
In Sikhism, the Five Ks (, , ) are five items that Guru Gobind Singh, in 1699, commanded Khalsa Sikhs to wear at all times. They are: ''kesh'' (, , unshorn hair and beard since the Sikh decided to keep it), '' kangha ('', , a comb for the kesh, usually wood), ''kara'' (, , a bracelet, usually made of iron or steel), '' kachhera'' (, , an undergarment), and ''kirpan ('', , a small curved sword or knife made of iron or steel). The Five Ks are not just symbols, but articles of faith that collectively form the external identity and the Khalsa devotee's commitment to the ''Sikh rehni,'' 'Sikh way of life'. A Sikh who has taken Amrit and keeps all five Ks is known as ''Khalsa'' ('pure') or ''Amritdhari Sikh'' ('Amrit Sanskar participant'), a Sikh who has not taken Amrit but follows the teachings of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib is called a '' Sahajdhari Sikh''. ''Kesh'' The ''kesh,'' also known as ''kesa'', or uncut, long hair, is considered by Sikhs to be an indispensable part of th ...
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Kara (Sikhism)
A kara, or kada (), is a steel or cast iron bangle worn by Sikhs and sometimes Indian people of other religions. Sikhism preaches the importance of equality and having reverence for God at all times, which is represented through the five Ks—ceremonial items worn or used by Sikhs who have been initiated into the ''Khalsa'', of which kara is one. History The kara was instituted by the tenth Sikh guru, Gobind Singh, at the Baisakhi Amrit Sanchar, in 1699. It is a symbol of unbreakable attachment and commitment to God. Meaning and usage Sikhs The kara is a symbol of unbreakable attachment and commitment to God. Non-Sikhs The kara is also worn by many ethnic Punjabis and other non-Punjabi Hindu families across states in the north, northwest, and west of India (such as Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra). Controversies India In 2022, a female Sikh candidate, Manharleen Kaur, was barred from taking a competitive examination by the Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board ( ...
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Amrit Sanskar
Amrit Sanskar (, pronunciation: , lit. "nectar ceremony") is one of the four Sikh Samskara (rite of passage), Sanskaars. The Amrit Sanskar is the initiation rite introduced by Guru Gobind Singh when he founded the Khalsa in 1699. A Sikh who has been initiated into the Khalsa ('pure'; the Sikh brotherhood) is considered to be ''Amritdhari'' (baptised) () or ''Khalsa'' ('pure'). Those who undergo initiation are expected to dedicate themselves to ''Waheguru'' (Almighty God) and work toward the establishment of the Raj Karega Khalsa, Khalsa Raj. Names The Amrit Sanskar ceremony has many alternative names, such as ''Amrit Parchar'', ''Amrit Sanchar'', ''Khande di Pahul'', ''Khande Batte di Pahul'' (), or ''khande-baate da amrit''. History Charan-Pahul The original Sikh initiation ceremony, ever since the Guru Gaddi, guruship period of Guru Nanak, was known as ''Charan-Pahul'' (), ''Pagpahul'', or ''Charan Amrit'' (). It involved pouring water over the toes of the Sikh guru an ...
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Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh (; born Gobind Das; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708) was the tenth and last human Sikh gurus, Sikh Guru. He was a warrior, poet, and philosopher. In 1675, at the age of nine he was formally installed as the leader of the Sikhs after his father Guru Tegh Bahadur was executed by Emperor Aurangzeb. His father was the ninth Sikh Guru. His four biological sons died during his lifetime – two in battle and two executed by the Mughal Empire, Mughal governor Wazir Khan (Sirhind), Wazir Khan.; Among his notable contributions to Sikhism are founding the ''Sikh'' warrior community called ''Khalsa'' in 1699 and introducing ''the Five Ks'', the five articles of faith that Khalsa Sikhs wear at all times. Guru Gobind Singh is credited with the ''Dasam Granth'' whose hymns are a sacred part of Sikh prayers and Khalsa rituals. He is also credited as the one who finalized and enshrined the ''Guru Granth Sahib'' as Sikhism's primary holy religious scripture and the eternal ...
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Guru Granth Sahib
The Guru Granth Sahib (, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and eternal Guru following the lineage of the ten human gurus of the religion. The Adi Granth (), its first rendition, was compiled by the fifth guru, Guru Arjan (1564–1606). Its compilation was completed on 29 August 1604 and first installed inside the Golden Temple in Amritsar on 1 September 1604. Baba Buddha was appointed the first Granthi of the Golden Temple. Shortly afterwards Guru Hargobind added Ramkali Ki Vaar. Later, Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh guru, added hymns of Guru Tegh Bahadur to the Adi Granth and affirmed the text as his successor. This second rendition became known as the Guru Granth Sahib and is also sometimes referred to as the Adi Granth.Adi Granth
Encyclopaedia Brit ...
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Sikhism
Sikhism is an Indian religion and Indian philosophy, philosophy that originated in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent around the end of the 15th century CE. It is one of the most recently founded major religious groups, major religions and among the largest in the world with about 25–30million adherents, known as Sikhs. Sikhism developed from the spiritual teachings of Guru Nanak (1469–1539), the faith's first guru, and the nine Sikh gurus who succeeded him. The tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh (1666–1708), named the Guru Granth Sahib, which is the central religious scripture in Sikhism, was their successor. This brought the line of human gurus to a close. Sikhs regard the Guru Granth Sahib as the 11th and eternally living guru. The core beliefs and practices of Sikhism, articulated in the Guru Granth Sahib and other Sikh scriptures, include faith and meditation in the name of the one creator (''Ik Onkar''), the divine unity and equality of all humankind, engaging ...
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Guru Arjan
Guru Arjan (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਅਰਜਨ, pronunciation: ; 15 April 1563 – 30 May 1606) was the fifth of the ten total Sikh Gurus. He compiled the first official edition of the Sikh scripture called the Adi Granth, which later expanded into the Guru Granth Sahib. He is regarded as the first of the two Gurus martyred in the Sikh faith. Guru Arjan was born in Goindval, in the Punjab, the youngest son of Bhai Jetha, who later became Guru Ram Das, and Mata Bhani, the daughter of Guru Amar Das. He completed the construction of the Darbar Sahib at Amritsar, after the fourth Sikh Guru founded the town and built a sarovar. Arjan compiled the hymns of previous Gurus and of other saints into Adi Granth, the first edition of the Sikh scripture, and installed it in the Harimandir Sahib. Guru Arjan reorganized the masand system initiated by Guru Ram Das, by suggesting that the Sikhs donate, if possible, one-tenth of their income, goods or service to the Sikh organization ...
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Guru Hargobind
Guru Hargobind (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਹਰਿਗੋਬਿੰਦ, pronunciation: l 19 June 1595 – 28 February 1644) was the sixth of ten Gurus of the Sikh religion. He had become Guru at the young age of eleven, after the execution of his father, Guru Arjan, by the Mughal emperor Jahangir.HS Syan (2013), Sikh Militancy in the Seventeenth Century, IB Tauris, , pages 48–55 Guru Hargobind introduced the process of militarization to Sikhism, likely as a response to his father's execution and to protect the Sikh community.Hargobind: Sikh Guru
Encyclopedia Britannica, Quote: "Guru Hargobind, sixth Sikh Guru, who developed a strong Sikh army and gave the Sikh religion its military character, in accord with the instructions of his father, Guru Arjan (1563–1606), the first Sikh martyr, who had been executed on the ord ...
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Guru Arjan Dev
Guru Arjan (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਅਰਜਨ, pronunciation: ; 15 April 1563 – 30 May 1606) was the fifth of the ten total Sikh Gurus. He compiled the first official edition of the Sikh scripture called the Adi Granth, which later expanded into the Guru Granth Sahib. He is regarded as the first of the two Gurus martyred in the Sikh faith. Guru Arjan was born in Goindval, in the Punjab, the youngest son of Bhai Jetha, who later became Guru Ram Das, and Mata Bhani, the daughter of Guru Amar Das. He completed the construction of the Darbar Sahib at Amritsar, after the fourth Sikh Guru founded the town and built a sarovar. Arjan compiled the hymns of previous Gurus and of other saints into Adi Granth, the first edition of the Sikh scripture, and installed it in the Harimandir Sahib. Guru Arjan reorganized the masand system initiated by Guru Ram Das, by suggesting that the Sikhs donate, if possible, one-tenth of their income, goods or service to the Sikh organization (''d ...
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Jizya
Jizya (), or jizyah, is a type of taxation levied on non-Muslim subjects of a state governed by Sharia, Islamic law. The Quran and hadiths mention jizya without specifying its rate or amount,Sabet, Amr (2006), ''The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences'' 24:4, Oxford; pp. 99–100. and the application of jizya varied in the course of Islamic history. However, scholars largely agree that early Muslim rulers adapted some of the existing systems of taxation and modified them according to Islamic religious law.online Historically, the jizya tax has been understood in Islam as a fee for protection provided by the Muslim ruler to non-Muslims, for the exemption from military service for non-Muslims, for the permission to practice a non-Muslim faith with some communal autonomy in a Muslim state, and as material proof of the non-Muslims' allegiance to the Muslim state and its laws. The majority of Muslim jurists required adult, free, sane men, males among the dhimma community to pay ...
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Guru Nanak
Gurū Nānak (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539; Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ; pronunciation: , ), also known as ('Father Nanak'), was an Indian spiritual teacher, mystic and poet, who is regarded as the founder of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. Nanak is said to have travelled far and wide across Asia teaching people the message of '' Ik Onkar'' (), who dwells in every one of his creations and constitutes the eternal Truth. With this concept, he would set up a unique spiritual, social, and political platform based on equality, fraternal love, goodness, and virtue. Nanak's words are registered in the form of 974 poetic hymns, or '' shabda'', in the holy religious scripture of Sikhism, the Guru Granth Sahib, with some of the major prayers being the '' Japji Sahib'' (; ''ji'' and ''sahib'' are suffixes signifying respect); the '' Asa di Var'' ('Ballad of Hope'); and the '' Sidh Gosht'' ('Discussion with the Siddhas'). It is part of Sikh religious b ...
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