A () is a
Sikh
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 ''Si ...
that aims to become both spiritually and martially skilled, as per the teachings of the sixth Sikh Guru,
Guru Hargobind. 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, by the
Mughal Emperor
The emperors of the Mughal Empire, who were all members of the Timurid dynasty (House of Babur), ruled the empire from its inception on 21 April 1526 to its dissolution on 21 September 1857. They were supreme monarchs of the Mughal Empire in ...
Jahangir
Nur-ud-din Muhammad Salim (31 August 1569 – 28 October 1627), known by his imperial name Jahangir (; ), was List of emperors of the Mughal Empire, Emperor of Hindustan from 1605 until his death in 1627, and the fourth Mughal emperors, Mughal ...
, for his refusal to convert to
Islam
Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
and alter Sikh scripture.
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 ...
, the tenth Guru, solidified the concept of a ''Sant Sipahi'' with the founding of the
Khalsa
The term ''Khalsa'' refers to both a community that follows Sikhism as its religion,[Khalsa: Sikhism< ...]
. The militarization of Sikhs was further enhanced by the development of
Shastar Vidya, 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.
[ ]
See also
*
Miri piri
References
Sikh philosophy
{{Sikh-philo-stub