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13 (Part III)
THE MILITARIZATION OF SIKH MOVEMENT
JAGJIT SINGH
7. CONCLUSION
Dr. McLeod’s hypothesis regarding the militarization of the Sikh movement is untenable on more than one count. The very basic assumptions on which his thesis rests are belied by facts. There is no data to infer that Jats were the predominant element among the Sikh when Guru Hargobind decided to militarize the movement, or in the battles of Guru Gobind Singh and those of Banda. Rather, all the available historical evidence points the other way. Similarly, there is nothing to suggest that the Jats used to come armed when they came to pay homage to the Gurus. Even this is a presumption that the Jats were the only people who bore arms, if the population was not disarmed.
Dr. McLeod’s other two basic assumptions are equally baseless.The keeping of sword (kirpan) and hair was not a speciality of Jat culture, which the Sikh movement is supposed to have borrowed from it. Nor did the Sikh movement need the inspiration of the Devi cult for its militancy. Guru Hargobind went to the hills after finishing all his battles in the plains, and no Devi cult survives among the Sikh Jats. Besides, it remains a mystery, how the Jats, without control of the leadership and the organization of the Khalsa in their own hands, could possibly manoeuvre it according to their own predilections.
The most important consideration, however, is that the Sikh Illilitancy has to be viewed, not in isolaton, but in its relation to the Sikh egalitarian revolution. The Sikh movement aimed at capturing political power by the Khalsa and the Sikh militancy was geared to achieve this purpose. The two should not be divorced from each other arbitrarily. As we have seen, the peasantry have lacked political initiative throughout the world, and peasants in India, including the Jats, were additionally inhibited by the caste ideology. Also, the Jat pattern of egalitarianism, which was limited to the Jat Bhaichara, cannot be equated or confused with the egalitarian character of Khalsa brotherhood in which ‘lowest were equal to the highest.’ 220 Therefore, it becomes pure speculation to assume that the Khalsa egalitarian political goal, and the militarization of the Sikhs for achieving that objective, evolved out of the interaction of Jat cultural traits with the environmental factors. Moreover neither the Jat pattern of social organization, nor their factional spirit, fit in with the organizational set-up of the Khalsa and the spirit of fraternization that prevailed in the Khalsa ranks.
It is surprising that Dr. McLeod and other scholars of his way of thinking, have completely ignored the basic issues noted above. Possibly, they have fallen into the error which Lefebure cautioned historians to avoid. There can be no revolution, much less an egalitarian one like the Sikh Revolution, without a “revolutionary psychology”. And “there is no true revolutionary spirit without the idealism which alone inspires sacrifice.” The Jats, in common with the peasantry in general, lack political initiative; they are governed by caste considerations in their dealings with the Sudras and they are generally indifferent towards idealism or higher religious aspirations. Therefore, it is too much ‘to surmise that the revolutionary psychology of the Sikh Revolution was a creation of the Jats. It is the Sikh ideology which inspired and sustained the Sikh revolution. It is the hold of this ideology which was the dominant feature of the revolutionary phase of the movement, and it was the extent to which this hold loosened which marred its postrevolutionary phase.
Another possible reason which misleads such scholars is that they either ignore the revolutionary phase altogether, or they lump it together with the post-revolutionary phase in a manner so as to undermine its distinctiveness, or they interpret it in the light of the latter. It is true that revolutionary upsurges do not last long because of the inherent limitations of human nature and of the environmental factors. But, besides inching humanity forward towards its ultimate goal of freedom and equality, the revolutionary movements provide a perpetual source of inspiration for future efforts. Nor are the revolutionary upsurges inconsequential in terms of tangible achievements. They are an integral part of the ‘historical process’. Without the impulse supplied by Islam, the Bedouins might have been content in plucking dates in the Arabian desert and not aspired to vast empires. Similarly, there would probably have been no Misals or Ranjit Singh without the guerrilla warfare waged by the Sikh revolutionaries. And this prolonged revolutionary guerrilla struggle is inconceivable if we take away the ideological lead and inspirations given by the Gurus and the deep commitment to the revolutionary cause provided by the Sikh ideology.
This is also true that such periods, when ideologies sway the minds of vast masses, are rare in history. But, they are to be valued on that very account. Because, they are exactly the occasions when humanity, or a section of it, is ‘on the move’ towards its progressive goals. The Sikh Revolution was such a one.
REFERENCES
* It is against the Sikh religion to differentiate Sikhs in terms of castes, but we are constrained to do so in order to meet Dr. McLeod’s arguments. Therefore, wherever we indicate the caste of a Sikh, it should be taken to mean the original stock from which he was derived.
1 Mcleod, W.H., The Evolution of the Sikh Community, pp. 12, 13
2 Macauliffe, The Sikh Religion, iv, p. 329
3 Sri Gur Sobha, pp. 28, 33, 43-46
4 Punjab District Gazetteer, Amritsar District, 1914, 1932
5 Ibid., Bhangu, p. 269; Rose, i, p. 702
6 Census Report, 1891, p. 158
7 Macauliffe, iii, pp. 91-92
8 Ibid, iv, p. 4.
9 Ibbetson, Punjab Castes, sec. 539
10 Ibid
11 Bhangu, Prachin panth Parkash, p. 216
12 Macauliffe, Hi, p. 99
13 Bhai Gurdas, Var 26, Pauri 24
14 Sri Gur Sohba, p. 33, Koer Singh, pp. 132-3
15 Koer Singh, Gurbilas Patshahi Das, pp. 127-128
16 Ibid., p. 134
17 Bhai Santokh Singh, Sri Gur Pratap Suraj Granth, edited by Bhai Vir Singh, Vol. 14, p. 6027
18 The Siyar-ul-Mutakherin, trans. by John Briggs, p. 75
19 M’Crindle, J.W. IA., Vol. 5 (1876)
20 Manrique 11, p. 272; Bernier, p. 205 (cited by Irfan Habibi Enquiry, No. 2 (1959), Delhi, p. 89)
21 Irfan Habibj Enquiry, No. 2, p. 92
22 Rehatname, p. 45
23 Haqiqat; I.H.Q., March 1942 sup., p. 4
24 Macauliffe, v, p. 301
25 Sri Gur Sohba, p. 21
26 Koer Singh, p. 67
27 Bhai Gurdas, Var 41; Rehatname, pp. 47, 115, 117
28 Sri Gur Sobba, pp. 21, 32
29 Jullundur District Gazetteer, 1904, Part A, p. 121, Crooke, W.; Races of Northern India, p. 93; Gurgaon Distt. Gazetteer, 1883-84, p. 41
30 Bhai Gurdas, Var 11
31 Dabistan, trans. by Dr. Ganda Singh; The Punjab Past and Present, Vol. iii (1969), p. 53
32 Gurbilas Chevin Patshahi, p. 143; Macauliffe, iv, p. 4
33 Macauliffe, iv, pp. 107, 197
34 Koer Singh, p. 90
35 Bichhitar Natak
36 Koer Singh, p. 131
37 Ibid., p. 134
38 Ibid., p. 196
39 Irvine, W. : Later Mughals, i, p. 94; Khafi Khan; Elliot and Dowson; The History of India as told by its own Historians, Vol. vii, p. 419
40 Irvine, i, p. 96
41 M. Gregor, W.L.; The History of the Sikhs, pp. 22-3
42 Manu, x. 79
43 Albernni’s India, i, p. 179
44 Rose, ii, p. 245
45 Rose, A Glossary of Tribes Castes etc., ii, p. 371
46 Gazetteer of Amritsar District (1892-93), p. 50
47 Mcleod, W.H.; The Evolution of the Sikh Community, pp. 98, 100
48 Macauliffe, v, pp. 93, 95; Malcolm, p. 221
49 Rehatname, pp. 88-89
50 Bhangu, Rattan Singh : Prachin Panth Parkash, pp. 49, 305
51 Sarkar, Jadunath : History of Auranrzeb, iii, pp. 298-301
52 Mcleod, p. 13
53 Macauliffe, iv, p. 218; Dabistan, pp. 66-68
54 Macauliffe, v, p. 94.
55 Ibid., pp. 262, 307
56 Rose, i, p. 326
57 Rose, Vol. I, p. 323
58 Gazetteer of Lahore District (1883-84), p. 60
59 Rose, Vol. I, pp. 323-24, 350-55
60 Ibid., p. 317
61 Qanungo, K.R: Historical Essays, p. 42. The figure giving the number of Jats obviously refers the period round about the year 1960 when the book was published 62 Baden-powell, p. 216, cited by M.C. Pradhan: The Political System of the jats of Northern India, p. 5
62 baden-powell, p. 216, cited by m.c. Pradhan : The political System of the Jas of Northern India, p. 5
63 Pradhan, p. I
64 Ibid., pp. 113-4
65 Ibid., p. 113
66 Ibid., p. 144
67 Ibid., p. 98
68 Ibid
69 Ibid., p. 105
70 Ibid., p. 107
71 Gazetteer of Karnal District (1918), p. 84
72 Gazetteer of Rohtak District (1883-84), p. 17
73 Gazetteer of Jullundur District (1904), p. 62
74 Settlement Report of Ludhiana District (1978-83), p. 46
75 Gazetteer of Ferozepur District (1915), p. 21
76 Ibid., p. 74
77 Ibid., p. 76
78 Bingley, A.H. : History, Caste and Culture of Jats and Gujars, p. 37
79 Punjab Castes, sec., 424
80 Gazetteer of Amritsar District (1892-3), pp. 52-3
81 Gazetteer of Amritsar District (1914), p. 19
82 Gazetteer of Amritsar District (1883-84), p. 24
83 Ibid
84 Ibid., (1914), p. 19
85 Ibid
86 Gazetteer of Gurgaon District (1910), p. 169
87 Gazetteer of Rohtak District (1883-84), p. 16
88 Gazetteer of Gurgaon District (1910), p. 24
89 Gazetteer of Rohtak District (1883-84), p. 27
90 Gazetteer of Karnal District (1918), pp. 24-5
91 Bingley, p. 91
92 Pradhan, p. 34
93 Ibid, p. 36
94 E.H.I., i, p. 151, cited by Rose, ii, p. 358
95 Ibid., p. 188, cited by Rose, H,. p. 358
96 Ibid., p. 128, cited by Rose, H, p. 359
97 Bingley, p. 15
98 Ibbetson, sec. 440
99 Pradhan, p. 48
100 Crooke, W.: The North Western Provinces of India, their History, Ethnology & Administration, p. 206
101 Ibid
102 Ibid., p. 244
103 Gazetteer of Gurgaon District (1910), p. 32
104 Gazetteer of Karnal District (1918), p. 89
105 Settlement Report Ludhiana District (1978-83)
106 Census Report (1891), p. 202; Rose, iii, p. 75
107 Bhangu, pp. 86, 212, 261, 436
108 Ibid., 215
109 Cited by Gurbax Singh; Punjab History Conference (Dec., 1973), Proceeding, pp. 55-6
110 Sujan Singh Bhandari; Khulosat-ut-Twarikh (trans. in Punjabi by Ranjit Singh Gill), p. 81
111 Siyar-ul-Mutakherin, trans. by John Briggs, p. 73
112 Ibid., foot-note
113 Haqiqat; Indian Historical Quarterly, March 1942 sup., p. 5
114 Ibid., p. 6
115 Roy, M.P.; Origin, Growth & Suppression of the Pindaries, p. 86
116 Ibid., p. 80
117 Ibid., p. 123
118 Ibid., p. 12
119 Irvine, William; Later Mughals, i, pp. 98-9
120 Ibid., p. 97
121 Cunningham, H.L.O.; History of the Sikhs, p. 159
122 Khushwaqt Rai: Tarikh Punjab Sikhan, pp. 63-64
123 Imadul-Saadat, p. 71
124 Haqiqat, cited by Gurbax Singh in Punjab History Conference (March 1978), Proceedings, pp. 89-90
125 Ibid., p. 86
126 Punjabi translation, p. 7
127 Bhai Gurdas, Var 41; Macauliffe, v, p. 258
128 Sinha, N.K.; Rise of the Sikh Power, p. 110
129 Ibid
130 Wilson; I.RA-S. (1846), p. 50; Princep, p. 23, Cunningham, pp. 9496; Malcolm, p. 222; Polier, Early European Accounts of the Sikhs, p. 197
131 Forster, i, p. 330
132 Ibid., p. 329
133 Cunningham, p. 151
134 Ibid., p. 151-2
135 Sohan Lal Suri; Umdat-ut-Tawarikh, Daftar iv, p. xviii
136 Ibid., pp. xvii-xviii
137 Ibid., p. xxii; Punjab Papers, edited by Hasrat, p. 66
138 Malcolm; Asiatic Researches, (1812), Vol. ii, p. 219
139 Scott, G.B.; Religion and Short History of the Sikhs, p. 40
140 Gurbilas Chevin Patshahi, p. 143
141 Macauliffe, iv, pp. 95-96
142 Bhangu, pp. 50, 58, 104, 236, 244, 262, 368
143 Ibid., p. 216
144 Ibid., p. 469
145 Ibid., p. 368
146 Irvine, pp. 94, 96, 98-99
147 Fatuhat Namah-i-Samdi, p. 28, cited by Gurbax Singh; Punjab HistoryConference (Dec. 1973), Proceedings, p. 55
148 Asrar-i-Samdi, trans. in Punjabi, p. 7
149 Elliot and Dowson. Vol. vii, pp. 419-420
150 Irvine, Vol. i. pp. 83-4
151 Early European Accounts of the Sikhs, edited by Ganda Singh, p. 192
152 Ibid., p. 228
153 Hugel, p. 281
154 Narang, Gokal Chand; Transformation of Sikhism, p. 81
155 Sri Gur Sobha, edited by Ganda Singh, p. 128
156 Bhangu, p. 131
157 Ibid., p. 215
158 Budh Singh Acora; Risala-i-Nanak Shah, cited by Gurbax Singh, Punjab History Conference (Nov., 1976), Proceeding, p. 79
159 E.E.A. of Sikhs, p. 197
160 Forster, i, p. 329
161 Griffin; Rajas of the Punjab, p. 16
162 Malik, Arjan Das; An Indian Guerrilla War, pp. 40-41
163 Malcolm; Asiatic Researches (1812), pp. 244, 246
164 Frederic Engels; The Peasant War in Germany, p. 29
165 Ibid., p. 129
166 Ibid., pp. 101, 102, 129
167 Ibid., pp. 100, 101, 105-6, 108
168 Wolf, Eric R.; Peasant Wars of the Twentieth Century, p. 9
169 Ibid., p. 31
170 Ibid., p. 83
171 Ibid., p. 141
172 Ibid., p. 150
173 Ibid., p. 185
174 Ibid., p. 269
175 Ibid., pp. 289-290
176 Ibid., p. 294
177 Roberts, J.M.; The French Revolution, p. 127
178 Rose, ii, p. 357
179 Ibid., p. 358
180 Kadryatsev, M.K.; On the Role oftheJats in Northern India’s Ethnic History,p. 6
181 Qanungo, K.R.; Studies in Rajput History, p. 63
182 Gazetteer of Rohtak District (1883-84), p. 19
183 Bingley, p. 15
184 Irvine, i, p. 323
185 Ibid., p. 327
186 Bingley, p. 18
187 Ibid., p. 19
188 Ibid
189 Bingley, p. 24
190 Ibid
191 Koer Singh, p. 99; Bhangu, p. 41
192 Bhangu, pp. 41-42
193 Lefebvre, Georges; The Coming of French Revolution, p. 50
194 Rude, George, Revolutionary Europe, p. 74
195 Forster, i, 312-313
196 Malik, Arjan Das; An Indian Guerrilla War, p. 3
197 Irvine, p. 317-318
198 Early European Accounts of Sikhs, p. 188
199 Elliot & Dowson, vii, p. 458
200 Latif, Syed Muhammed; History of the Punjab, p. 629
201 Malcolm, Brigadier General; Asiatic Researches, Vol. II, (1812), p. 239
202 Banerjee, A.C.; Guru Nanak to Guru Gobind Singh, p. 91
203 Cunningham, p. 75
204 Khushwaqt Rai, p. 71, cited by Gupta, History of the Sikhs,i, p. 12
205 Bhangu, pp. 30+305
206 Pradhan, p. 246, Gazetteer of Gurgaon District (1918), p. 67; Gazetteer of Karnal District (1918), p. 65; Settlement Report, Ludhiana District (1878-83), p. 54; Gazetteer of Jullundur District (1904), p. 121; Gazetteer of Lahore District(1883-84), p. 68
207 Jangnamah
208 Fatuhat Nam-i-Samdi; Forster, i, p. 333; Ahmed Shah, Sohan Lal, Alimud-din and Ganesh Das cited by Gupta; A History of the Sikhs, i, p. 195; Griffin; Rajas of the Punjab, p. 17
209 Pradhan, p. 3; Bingley, p. 101; Ibbetson, 424; Rose, ii, 357, 359; Administration Reports of the Punjab, (1851-53), p. 90 of 1953 to 1956), p. 7); Gazetteer of the Districts of Lahore (1883-84, p. 68); Amritsar (1947, p. 47), Ferozepur (1915, p. 69)
210 Fatuhat Namah-i-Samdi, cited in Punjab History Conference (Dec., 1973), Proceedings, pp. 55-56; Khulaset-ut-Twarikh (trans. in Punjabi), p. 81
211 Bhangu, p. 216
212 Ibid., p. 469
213 Ibid., p. 215
214 Ibid., pp. 80, 87
215 Macauliffe, v, p. 217
216 Bhangu, pp. 213-4
217 The Punjab Papers, edited by Bikrama Jit Hasrat, pp. 56, 86
218 Ibid
219 Forster, i, pp. 312-313
220 Cunningham, p. 63
