French Sikhs are a growing but minority group in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. It is estimated there are about 30,000 Sikhs, most of whom are based in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

Bobigny Bobigny () is a commune, or town, in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, Île-de-France, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Bobigny is the prefecture (capital city) of the Seine-Saint-Denis department, as well as the seat of the ...

and

Île-de-France The Île-de-France (; ; ) is the most populous of the eighteen regions of France, with an official estimated population of 12,271,794 residents on 1 January 2023. Centered on the capital Paris, it is located in the north-central part of the cou ...

History

Sikh Empire

General Jean François Allard, a Frenchman served as the first foreign general under

Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ranjit Singh (13 November 1780 – 27 June 1839) was the founder and first maharaja of the Sikh Empire, in the northwest Indian subcontinent, ruling from 1801 until his death in 1839. Born to Maha Singh, the leader of the Sukerchakia Misl ...

, the last Sikh Maharaja of Punjab. General Allard issued commands in French but also learned Punjabi to communicate with his soldiers.

Saint-Tropez Saint-Tropez ( , ; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Var (department), Var departments of France, department and the regions of France, region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Southern France. It is west of Nice and east of Marseille, o ...

, a renowned coastal resort in France, is associated with this historical relationship. Within the town, a municipal park features a statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and General Allard. It was presented to the town by the Government of Punjab in 2016. General Allard and Maharaja Ranjit Singh formed a close friendship, and Allard played a pivotal role in establishing the Fauj-i-Khas, a well-structured brigade inspired by Napoleon's army, which contributed to the Sikh triumph in the first Anglo-Sikh war. During battles against the Afghans at the

Khyber Pass The Khyber Pass (Urdu: درۂ خیبر; ) is a mountain pass in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, on the border with the Nangarhar Province of Afghanistan. It connects the town of Landi Kotal to the Valley of Peshawar at Jamrud by tr ...

, the brigade's orders were conveyed in French, providing a tactical advantage. The connection between Punjab and

further encompasses the marriage of General Allard to Bannu Pan Deï, strategically arranged by Maharaja Ranjit Singh to strengthen Allard's ties with Punjab. Henri Prevost Allard, the great-grandson of General Allard and the deputy mayor of St Tropez, along with Ranjit Singh from the Sikh Council of France, had proposed the idea to celebrate this connection between the two communities.

Colonial Rule

The history of Sikhs in France dates back to the early 20th century. Sikhs first arrived in France during the colonial period when the country had overseas territories, particularly in Southeast Asia. Many Sikhs served as soldiers or laborers in the French colonies, including French Indochina (present-day Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia).

World War I

After

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, some Sikh soldiers who had fought in the French army chose to settle in France. They formed a small community, primarily centered around the cities of Marseille and Paris. These early Sikh immigrants faced numerous challenges, including language barriers and cultural differences. However, they established places of worship and gradually integrated into French society. In the mid-20th century, a significant influx of Sikhs arrived in France as a result of political and economic factors. The partition of India in 1947 and the subsequent creation of Pakistan led to communal tensions and violence. Many Sikhs migrated to various countries, including France. Additionally, in the 1960s and 1970s, economic opportunities in France attracted Sikh immigrants, from Punjab in northern India.

Demographics

* In 2004, according to ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'', there were estimated to be 8,000 Sikhs living in France with 5,000 of them living in Paris. * In 2017, there were estimated to be 30,000 Sikhs in France.

Turban ban

French Sikhs have been in the limelight since the 2004 turban ban, banning Sikhs and other religions from sporting a headwear. This has met with anger and worldwide protest by the

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'' ...

. At least five Sikhs wearing

turban A turban (from Persian language, Persian دولبند‌, ''dolband''; via Middle French ''turbant'') is a type of headwear based on cloth winding. Featuring many variations, it is worn as customary headwear by people of various cultures. Commun ...

s or cloth covers for their uncut hair were barred from classrooms near

. For three years, Sikhs petitioned the authorities to lift the ban on the turban.

List of French Sikhs

* Ranjit Singh Goraya – Deputy Mayor of Bobigny, first Sikh Deputy Mayor in France

Gurdwaras

Gurdwara A gurdwara or gurudwara () is a place of assembly and place of worship, worship in Sikhism, but its normal meaning is "place of guru" or "home of guru". Sikhism, Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as ''Gurdwara Sahib''. People from all faiths and rel ...

s in France include: *Gurudwara Singh Sabha Culte Sikh France, Bobigny *Gurdwara Sahib, Bourget *Gurudwara Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib, Bondy *Gurdwara Sant Baba Prem Singh Ji, La Courneuve *Gurdwara Shri Guru Ravidass, Paris

Sikh organisations and associations

*Singh Sabha Paris *Conseil Representatif des Sikhs de France * Sikhs de France * Sikh Council France * Sikhs Unis * Punjab Sports Club * Chardikala Sewak Jatha France * Nawjawan Sikh France * International Sikh Charity France * International Sikh Council France

Places with a significant Sikh population

Seine-Saint-Denis () is a department of France located in the Grand Paris metropolis in the region. In French, it is often referred to colloquially as ' or ' ("ninety-three" or "nine three"), after its official administrative number, 93. Its prefecture is Bobi ...

References

{{Sikhism Religion in France

Fra