New Policy of Guru Hargobind

The nomination of Hargobind to the Guruship is of immense importance in the Sikh history. His predecessors had been busy in performing religious and spiritual activities, but now he started guiding his disciples in military fields as well. Thus he brought about the transformation in Sikhism and made an effort to make his followers the ‘Saint Soldiers’. The policy he carried out is known as the New Policy.

                        I.  Circumstances leading to the adoption of New Policy

This New Policy was not adopted by Guru Hargobind due to any particular reason, but was the outcome of a variety of factors. Dr. Indu Bhushan Banerjee states, “Both externally and internally the situation was changing and the policy of Guru Hargobind had perforce to be adjusted to the new environment.”

Externally, the organizational development had made much progress in the Majha and Doaba tracts under Guru Arjan Dev. By the foundation of new towns of Taran Taran, Kartarpur and Hargobindpur, the jats in these regions adopted Sikhism. Moreover, it was the simplicity of the new religion that had influenced the Jats to it. These Jats had some extra-ordinary characteristic instincts among them. They were very brave, courageous and freedom-lovers. They could never tolerate any sort of injustice being done to them. They were also flesh-eaters and this was so far abandoned in the Sikh church. Other Sikhs asked Guru Hargobind to oust them from Sikhism as flesh eating was not permitted by the earlier Gurus. But as the Sikhs had themselves seen with the martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev that it had become expedient for them to arm themselves in order to meet the existing danger to the Sikh church from the fanatic rule of the Mughals. These Jats could play an important role by taking arms in their hands. Therefore, Guru Hargobind permitted them eating flesh. Dr. W.H. McLeod writes, “The growth of military within the Panth must be traced primarily to the impact of Jat cultural patterns.”

Internally, it was quite important to cope with the tyrannical rule and the martyrdom of Guru Arjan. In fact, under the fifth Guru, the Sikh church had made much development during the reign of Akbar, who is believed to be a liberal-minded ruler. He never attempted to interfere in the organizational affairs of Sikhism. He had, however, offered his help in different ways to the Sikh Gurus. But after his death in 1605 AD, the period of religious tolerance in the country also came to an end. Its first example was the martyrdom of Guru Arjan at the orders of the new emperor, Jahangir. According to Dr. I.B. Banerjee, “The execution of Guru Arjan and Hargobind’s own imprisonment definitely showed that stern days were ahead and that the old policy of mere peaceful organization no longer sufficed.” Guru Arjan, before his death, had sent a message to his son and successor, Hargobind, “Let him sit fully armed on his throne and maintain an army to the best of his ability…. Let him hold Bhai Buddha in honour, and in all respects except the wearing of arms hereby enjoined, adopt the practices of the preceding Gurus.” It is felt that it was because of the parting message of Guru Arjan that Guru Hargobind decided to put in action the message of his father. But there is no denying the fact that it was the result of both the external as well as internal changing environment. Sir J.D. Cunningham observes, “The temper and the circumstances of Hargobind both prompted him to innovation.”

                                    II. Chief Characteristics of the New Policy

When Hargobind acceded to the throne, he decided to adopt a policy of transforming the peace-minded Sikhs into a race of militant warriors. He declared, “My Seli shall be a sword-belt, and I shall wear my turban with a royal aigrette.” By the time he became the Guru, he wore two swords—Miri and Piri. His Miri sword indicated his leadership for worldly matters, while the Piri sword was an indication of his guiding the Sikhs in spiritual affairs. His predecessors had led the Sikhs only in religious and spiritual affairs, but Guru Hargobind started guiding the Sikhs in the military field as well. He even crowned his turban with the Kalgi. He adopted all the symbols of royalty, and had even with him a band of 60 body-guards, which raised his royal prestige. The Sikh chronicler states that he sent for his arms and arrayed in martial style so that his splendor shone like sun.

Soon he informed the Sikhs about his New Policy. Accordingly, messages were sent to the Masands to collect mostly horses and arms from the Sikhs, and similarly the Sikhs were also directed. Immediately the message of the Guru was put in action, and in a short span of time, weapons and horses were collected in good number. It made very easy for him to organize an army.

Several warriors came to him for service and the Guru delightedly employed them. A number of Majha youth also enlisted his cause. Soon a body of 500 troops was established. Macauliffe states, “Several men out of employment and without a taste for manual labour flocked to the Guru’s standard,” and others also gathered “who were satisfied with two meals a day and a new uniform every half-year.” He had also organized an army of the Pathans, which according to Dr. A.C. Banerjee shows that “religious animosity against Mohammedans was not a factor in the arming of the Sikhs by Hargobind.” It is wrong to say that Guru Hargobind had taken in his service the rogues, dacoits and other convicts. There might be some who had entered his service in greed of loot and plunder. But mostly his army comprised of his devoted Sikhs.

The Guru also changed his daily routine and habits. He systematically turned his attention to chase and other war-like occupations. In the Harmandir, he gave religious directions to the Sikhs. He used to say that as long as he remained in the Harmandir, he should be reckoned ass a Saint, and in the Akal Bunga he should be looked upon as a King.

Guru Hargobind constructed a building near Harmandir and named it ‘Akal Takhat’ (Throne of the Almighty). It was here that the Guru guided his Sikhs on the political and military matters. He gave military education o his Sikhs, divided arms among them and made plans to fight the enemy out for the defense of their religion. Dr. Trilochan Singh observes, “The very erection of Akal Takhat was a challenge to all coercive authority of the Mughal Emperors.”

The Guru even fortified the city of Amritsar, feeling that the defense of the head-quarters was very necessary. A fort, named Lohgarh, was also constructed in the city of Amritsar.

                                                                III.   Assessment

When Guru Hargobind adopted the new policy, misunderstandings and many kinds of doubts came in the minds of many of the devoted Sikhs regarding the objectives of the Guru. Bhai Gurdas in a Pauri of Var 26 refers to the doubts in their minds, and says

                  “The truth within him cannot possibly be concealed

                              …………………………….....................

                  He supporteth a burden intolerable to others and asserteth not himself.”

It is said that some devoted followers of the Guru met him with Bhai Buddha, but the Guru satisfied them saying that he was taking every step for the goodness and welfare of his Sikhs.

There are certain writers who hold the opinion that the New Policy was justified under the existing circumstances. Dr. I. B. Banerjee comments that externally and internally the situation was changing. The Guru had felt that without adopting the arms it was not easy to defend the situation. Therefore, Dr. I. B. Banerjee observes, “The way in which the Guru met the situation speaks a good deal for his resourcefulness and shrewd practical sense.” Had he not followed this policy, the community would have either not survived or would have relapsed into the limited merit of utility of saints and faquirs.

It is wrong to observe, as some critics of the policy put it, that the lure of politics and the glamour of arms were leading him away from the true path of a religious and spiritual leader. It can’t be denied that like his predecessors, he efficiently guided his Sikhs in religious and spiritual matters. He used to impart some time daily in religious preaching. It is also a matter of fact that he spent the last ten years of his life in performing religious activities at Kiratpur. His military activities against the Mughals were truly in defense of the religion. He had no political ambitions behind such activities.

This policy was not entirely new. Guru Nanak had boldly criticized the tyrant rulers. He also criticized those who tolerate injustice. Guru Arjan had also started giving military training to his Sikhs. Thus this policy had already started during the period of Guru Arjan, but it was Guru Hargobind who gave it a practical shape. Dr. H.R. Gupta writes, “Hargobind carried the torch lit by Nanak; but he added to it the lustre of the sword.”

The New Policy brought a great change in the character of the Sikhs. The Sikhs were now transformed into Saint-Soldiers and gradually became a brave race of the warriors. The Jats, who had adopted Sikhism in a great number, got an opportunity to show the instincts of their bravery and courage. It was also a factor in his imprisonment for some time in the fort of Gwalior. But still the policy could not be ended. Instead, the Akal Takhat was constructed, Amritsar was fortified and an army was organized. He carried on his policy establishing friendly relations with Jahangir. However, with Shah Jahan as the new emperor, warfare became inevident and many battles were fought against the Mughals. Dr. E. Trumpp observes that the Mughal authorities “were either too short-sighted or indolent or too powerless to stop effectively the concourse of such a turbulent and dangerous crowd.” 

Janamsakhis as a Source for the study of Guru Nanak

The Janamsakhis are the major source related to the study of Guru Nanak. However, there are still some others which help us in getting the knowledge of the life and times of Guru Nanak. Some reliable sources can be mentioned as under.

                                                            I.   Vars of Bhai Gurdas

Bhai Gurdas was a nephew of the third Guru, Amar Das ji. He was a contemporary of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth Gurus. He was responsible for scripting the Adi Granth at the dictation of Guru Arjan Dev. He composed 39 Vars and 556 Kabits. Though his poetry was not included in the Adi Granth, Guru Arjan declared that the verses of Bhai Gurdas must be read first by a Sikh in order to understand fully the philosophy contained in the Holy Granth. The reader of these verses can gain spiritually and acquire the instructions regarding the teachings of the great Gurus. It is thus certain that the works of Bhai Gurdas existed even at the time of composition of the Adi Granth in 1604 AD and some of the Vars were written during the pontification of Guru Hargobind.

It is believed that Bhai Gurdas composed his Vaars about sixty years after the death of Guru Nanak, which give us a sketch of the life of Guru Nanak. The stanzas 23 to 45 of Var 1 and stanzas 13-14 of Var 11 provide us with a brief account of Guru Nanak. Mainly the religious aspect of Guru Nanak is dealt with in the Vars, while the Kabits contain merely ‘the Sikh tenets and a panegyric of the Gurus.’. Dr. Indu Bhushan Bannerjee writes that “it is important to note that they mark a definite  landmark in the evolution of Sikhism and should thus be regarded as extremely valuable.

                                                        II.   Janamsakhis

Janamsakhis are very important source to study the life of Guru Nanak Dev. There are many versions of the Janamsakhis.

1.      Puratan Janamsakhi or Janamsakhi by Sewa Das: The Janamsakhi by Bhai Sewa Das is probably the oldest of all the Janamsakhis. Two manuscripts of this Janamsakhi are available:

(a)    Colebrooke Manuscript: This manuscript was taken to London by Sir Thomas Colebrooke in 1815-16 A.D. and was donated to the Library of East India House. In 1872 AD, Dr. Ernest trump found it in India Office Library, London. The manuscript was published in 1877 AD. When the Sikhs of Punjab knew of it, they pleaded with Sir Charles Aitchison, the Lt. Governor of Punjab, that the Janamsakhis may be shown to them. The petition was accepted and the Government of India got its copy printed after photozincophing it. But in 1884 AD, the Singh Sabha of Lahore had lithographed its copy.

(b)   Hafizabad Manuscript: Bhai Gurmukh Singh of Lahore got this manuscript in Hafizabad and M.A. Macauliffe found some of its last pages missing, completed it by the Colebrooke manuscript. He has based his famous work, The Sikh Religion, on it.

Macauliffe is of the opinion that it was written in 1588 AD, half a century after the death of Guru Nanak. But most of the scholars are of the view that it was written in 1634-35 AD. It contains 57 sakhis and is considered to be the genuine source to study the life of Guru Nanak. Bhai Vir Singh published a sakhi based on it in 1926 AD.

When the accounts were written by Bhai Gurdas and Bhai Sewa Das, some of the disciples of Guru Nanak were still alive and “would have acted as a powerful check on the introduction of doubtful and exaggerated details.” Yet these cannot be concluded to be free from legendary myths and supernatural touches, even though scrappy. Bhai Gurdas has, however, avoided to give a complete life sketch of the Guru as its details could have been easily obtained at that time.

Whatever may be the nature of these accounts, we can’t omit its supernatural and mythical details, because by doing so, we will be having a bare skeleton which will be regarded as even the necessary minimum. Trumpp observes, “Compared with the later Janamsakhis, which enter into minute details in order to satisfy curiosity, and which have no sense but for the miraculous, however absurd, it is relatively sober.”

2.      Janamsakhi by Meharban Sodhi: Meherban was the son of Prithi Chand, elder brother of Guru Arjan Dev. Being related to the Guru family, he knew pretty well the traditions regarding Guru Nanak. This Sakhi was compiled probably during the Var 1 by Bhai Gurdas and the Janamsakhi of Sewa Das. The chief feature of this Janamsakhi is the account of Guru Nanak’s settlement in Kartarpur, which is not available in any other Janamsakhi.

Historically, this account is regarded very much valuable because

(a)    The names of persons and places mentioned in it are generally correct;

(b)    There are few miraculous stories in it; and

(c)    The dates given are quite accurate.

`                  3. Bhai Bala’s Janamsakhi : Bhai Bala’s Janamsakhi has been a controversial issue among the historians. According to the Sikh chronicles, Bhai Bala was one of the earliest accomplices of Guru Nanak. He is even stated to have accompanied Guru Nanak during his travels. The Sakhi is stated to have been written during the period of Guru Angad with Bala’s help, who dictated these to Paira Mokha. This Janamsakhi, as compared to other sakhis, contains a number of events in Nanak’s life.

                        However, today the authenticity of this Janamsakhi as well as its author is doubted. It is stated that when Bala came on a visit to Guru Nanak’s successor, Guru Angad, at Khadur, the new Guru sought his introduction as to whose disciple he was and also about his religious convictions. Bala informed that he was a disciple of Guru Nanak and had been very closely associated with Him since his early childhood. On hearing this, Guru Angad entrusted upon him the task to narrate the incidents of the Master’s life. Moreover, it is also said that one day Bhai Bala started making an enquiry to know about the successor of Guru Nanak.

                        Now how is it probable that two close associates of the same Guru are not familiar to each other, and Guru Angad had even sought Bala’s introduction. Also, Bhai Gurdas has mentioned the names of various eminent personalities associated with Guru Nanak, including Mardana, Bhai Budha, Daulat Khan Lodhi etc, but Bala’s reference does not come even once.

                        Again, it is believed that had Bala been a genuine person, he would not have mentioned the disparaging stories to show that Nanak was born again and again because of the result of the bad Karmas in his previous lives. According to the Sikh traditions, Nanak was sent by God to liberate mankind from sins and from the shackles of birth and rebirth.

                        Certain aspects are forwarded to prove that Bala’s Janamsakhi is spurious:

-          ‘Waheguru’ is the word used in this Sakhi. But it was used since the period of Guru Ramdas and not Guru Nanak.

-          Eminabad was the name given to the town during the period of Akbar and Guru Arjan Dev. During Guru Nanak’s period it was called Syedpur. However, Bala has used the name Eminabad for it.

-          A story in the Janamsakhi refers to Devlut Masand. However, it is a matter of fact that the Masand system was introduced by Guru Ramdas

-          The language in the Janamsakhi is also not of Guru Nanak’s age but much later than that.

Dr. W.H. McLeod believes, “The Bala version is, however, the least trustworthy of all the Janamsakhi traditions. Errors of fact occur with considerable frequency and the fabulous material which it incorporates far exceeds that of the other Janamsakhis, both in quantity and in degree.” Dr. Trilochan Singh, however, refutes this theory.

4.      Gyan Ratnavali: Bhai Mani Singh was initiated into the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh. His Gyan Ratnavali, also known as Mani Singh’s Janamsakhi, appears to be the expansion of Bha Gurdas’ Vaar 1 and includes the popular theories regarding Nanak in the age of Guru Gobind Singh.  

5.        Mahima Parkash : Mahima Parkash Vartik was written by Kirpal Singh in 1741 AD, while the Mahima Parkash Kavita was composed in 1776 AD by Sarup Das Bhalla. These accounts are the other important sources regarding the period of Guru Nanak. Basically, the two accounts appear the same, but Kirpal Singh’s Vartik is shorter. Sarup Das’ account of Guru Nanak is based on Puratan Janamsakhi. The later version is composed by imagination. He started writing at Varanasi and completed it at Amritsar. It is also known as Vairowal Wali Janamsakhi.

                                              III.             Nanak Prakash

It was composed by Bhai Santokh Singh in 1823 AD. Imagination was in full swings at this time. Taking the clue from Nanak’s visit to Ceylon, he narrates the meetings of Guru Nanak with Hanuman, Vibhishana, Prahlad, Dhruva and other bhaktas. To give it a touch of reality, he introduces long dialogues in this connection. Dr. I.B. Banerjee comments, “In fact, imagination once let loose, does not stop till it has effected a complete metamorphosis of the personality of Nanak and brought him into the line with the legendary figures of old.”

                                            IV.       Dabistan-e-Mujahib

The author of this work wrote under the pseudonym of Mohsin Fani. He was a contemporary of the fifth, sixth and seventh Sikh Gurus, and was a personal friend of Guru Hargobind. He has given a good account of the teachings of Guru Nanak. He seems to have deep regard and tolerance towards Sikhism. As Dr. I.B. Banerjee believes that his work is of special value as he is an independent witness. But he has also given a number of mythical stories, he heard from the Sikhs of his time.

These sources are not without their limitations. So far as the period of these sources is concerned, no account was written during the period of Guru Nanak. These sources were composed much after Nanak’s death. The Janamsakhis of Sewa Das, Meherban and Bala were written not before the first half of the 17^th century, while the versions of Mahima Prakash were written in the 18^th century. Moreover, these Sakhis were a mixture of legends, myths and supernatural elements. In fact, these were written by the devoted Sikhs for the faithful followers of Sikhism and not for the sake of historians.

Another drawback in these sources is that they are not arranged in chronological order. Therefore, it becomes difficult to arrange different aspects of the life of Guru Nanak in a chronological sequence.

Dr. W.H. McLeod writes, “The Janam Sakhis must be regarded as examples of hagiography and any inclination to treat them as biographies will distort both our understanding of Guru Nanak and our appreciation of the true value of Janam Sakhis themselves.”

Despite these shortcomings, we possess only Janamsakhis as a source of our knowledge for the life of Guru Nanak. Our chief aim is to find out how much material containing in these sakhis and other sources can be acceptable as historical, because as McLeod feels, “In spite of their manifest shortcomings, we are bound to rely on the Janamsakhis for almost all of our information concerning these events….”

Circumstances leading to the Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev

 The martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev was the cumulative result of a variety of factors. Now the controversy revolves around the issue whether the Guru was a political offender, as the Persian and other writers like Mohsin Fani, S.M. Latif, Jadu Nath Sarkar, J.D. Cunningham etc. contend; or he fell a prey to the religious fanaticism of the Mughal emperor as Dr. I.B. Banerjee, Sir G.C. Narang, Macauliffe, Dr. H.R. Gupta,  Dr. Ganda Singh, Pr. Teja Singh etc. state.

The theory that Guru Arjan was a political offender is based on an excerpt from Tuzuq-i-Jahangiri. The supporters of this theory believe that the Guru was politically ambitious to have power in his own hands. The works he carried out had behind them his political objectives. As a result of these, the Sikhs had come to acquire the position of an imperium in imperio. In this organizational development of the Sikhs, Jahangir, the Mughal emperor, saw the impending danger to the stability of the Mughal Empire. The realization of the tax from the Sikhs, called Daswand, the appointment of the representatives at different places— the Masands, the establishment of the Sikh troops and the encouragement to the trade in horses—all these indicate the objectives of Guru Arjan.

But majority of the writers refute these views, the reasons being clear. Daswand was not a tax at all, but the Guru had directed his Sikhs to contribute one-tenth of their income for the development of the Church. It was by this only that the Guru could arrange his budget with much more certainty. Moreover, the Masands were appointed by the Guru in order to cope with the difficulties raised by the rapid increase in the number of the Sikhs. These Masands were the spiritual rather than the political representatives of the Guru. The encouragement to trade in horses dealt “an effective blow at the stringency of caste and Hindu superstitions, in breaking down the barrier which prevented the Hindus from crossing the Indus.”

In the Tuzuq, there is a reference to the political offence of the Guru, i.e. Guru Arjan helped Prince Khusrau during his revolt against his father, Jahangir. According to it, he had done so in order to achieve his political ends. Jahangir could not tolerate these rebellious activities on the part of Guru Arjan, and tortured him to death.

However, going into the details of the Tuzuq itself, we do not find any such objectives behind the Guru. Firstly, in the Tuzuq there is a list of the helpers of Khusrau. These helpers were punished by the emperor according to the gravity of their offence. But the name of Guru Arjan does not figure in it. Had Guru Arjan, at that time, played his alleged role in the rebellion, his name would have been included in it. One thing more, had the Guru been active in connection with the revolt, he might have issued the Hukumnamas for his Sikhs to join the army of Khusrau. But no such Hukumnama is found.

Moreover, Jahangir in his auto-biography mentions that the Guru blessed Khusrau for success and also marked tilak on the prince’s forehead, which is believed fortunate enough. However, as Dr. Ganda Singh comments that the marking of tilak was not prevalent in the Guru family or in the Mughals. So this allegation also seems to be baseless.

The above statements prove that the efforts to involve Guru Arjan in the revolt of Khusrau are meaningless. Thus it was the religious fanaticism of Jahangir, which compelled him to torture the Guru to death.

The organizational development of Sikhism under Guru Arjan and his predecessors was not tolerated by Jahangir, who wanted to convert the Guru to Islam, either peacefully or by compulsion, when he writes in the Tuzuq, “In Gobindwal, which is on the river Biyah (Beas), there is a Hindu named Arjun, in the garments of sainthood and sanctity, so much so that he has captured many of the simple-hearted of the Hindus, and even of the ignorant and foolish followers of Islam, by his ways and manners, and they had loudly sounded the drum of his holiness…They call him Guru, and from all sides stupid people crowded to worship and manifest complete faith in him. For three or four generations (of spiritual successors) they have kept this shop warm. Many times it occurred to me that to put a stop to this vain affair or to bring him into the assembly of the people of Islam.” When Jahangir failed to convert Guru Arjan to Islam, he tortured him physically, which ultimately resulted to his death.

The nobility and the members of the Sunni order of Islam felt hatred for the organizational development of Sikhism. This development had reduced the numerical strength of the Muslims in Punjab, which would also reduce their influence in the empire.

The enemies and even the kith and kin of the Guru participated as a factor in the martyrdom of Guru Arjan. Chandu Shah, the Dewan of Lahore, offered his daughter’s hand for Hargobind, the son of Guru Arjan. But the Guru rejected the offer, because of the haughtiness of Chandu Shah. He became very angry at this attitude of the Guru, and as says Sir G.C. Narang, “The Dewan was exasperated and resolved to punish he Guru for his insolence.”  Further, he says, “In all likelihood the part that Chandu could have played in this tragic episode was that as an official of the Government, he made a report to the Central Government in his official capacity about the incident mentioned by the Emperor.”

Prithia, the elder brother of Guru Arjan, was kept away from the guruship and he could not tolerate it. He always sought an opportunity when he could take his revenge from the Guru. Both Chandu and Prithia poisoned the ears of the emperor through Qazi Suleh Khan.

Jahangir was already waiting for an opportunity to take action against the Guru, and Khusrau’s revolt provided it. Guru Arjan’s involvement in this revolt was alleged. By the orders of the emperor, Guru Arjan was imprisoned and brought before him. The emperor asked him why he helped the rebel prince. The Guru’s reply was that his assistance to the prince had nothing to do with his opposition to the emperor. “Had I failed to show some kindness to the grandson of my former benefactor (Akbar), it would have been the height of heartlessness and ingratitude on my part.” But this reply of the Guru had no impact upon Jahangir.  He fined the Guru for Rs. two lakh and also omit those verses from the Adi Granth which opposed the religious sentiments of the Hindus as well as the Muslims. But the Guru refused to omit even a single word from the Holy Granth. For the payment of fine, he said that he would not pay even a single penny because “whatever money I have is for the poor, the friendless and the stranger.” He even prevented his Sikhs when they tried to collect money for his release. When the Guru refused to accept the terms, he “was forced to submit to infinite tortures which ultimately led to his death.” The torturers of the Guru poured boiling sand on him, seated him on red hot cauldrons and bathed him in boiling water. These physical tortures led to his death in June 1606 AD. Thus Dr. I.B. Banerjee sums up the causes of Guru Arjan’s martyrdom in these words: “The organizational strength of Sikhism, the Guru’s position as the leader of a fairly compact community and the facts that he was called a Sacha Padshah by his followers, and that he had compiled a book which did not spare the current perversions of both Hinduism and Islam, were all used to create a prejudice against the Guru.”

The martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev is of great significance in the Sikh history. It brought about the transformation in the Sikh movement. So far, the Sikhs were known as a religious and spiritual community only, but now in self-defence they took to arms under the sixth Guru, Hargobind, for whom Guru Arjan had sent a message, “Let him sit fully armed on the throne and maintain an army to the best of his ability.” He organized his army and fortified the city of Amritsar, apart from giving military training to his Sikhs. This development was not ignored by the State “particularly as the organizational strength of Sikhism and its unified leadership made it a magnet which might at any time become a rallying point of disaffection.” Trumpp also observes that Guru Arjan’s martyrdom was a great turning point in the development of the Sikh community. With it started the struggle which changed the whole character of this reformatory religious movement.  Dr. Narang states that Guru Arjan opened the chapter of persecutions and he himself was destined to be the first to receive the ‘crown of martyrdom’.

Dr. I.B. Banerjee has approached the subject in these words: As a result of the reforms and more specially the organizational work carried out by Guru Arjan and his predecessors, ‘a State, peaceful and unobtrusive, had been slowly evolved and that the Sikh community had come to acquire the position of an imperium in imperio….By the year 1604, the Sikhs had become a more or less compact community, in command of an efficient and extensive organization reaching to the corners of the Province and even beyond….The spectacle of a religious teacher at the head of such an extensive organization and with a body of followers who had been taught that to sacrifice their all for the Guru was the highest and the most meritorious act, and whose sense of brotherhood and love for each other transcended all other feelings, could not but disturb the equanimity of the established State and clearly a crisis was coming when a direct conflict would be difficult to avoid.’

On the whole, it cannot be denied that it was the religious bigotry and cruelty of the Mohammedan government to which Guru Arjan fell a victim.

 

Development of Sikhism under Guru Arjan Dev

The pontificate of Guru Arjan Dev is very significant in the history of Sikhism. He adopted a number of measures for the development of the Sikh Church. He was a powerful organiser and a great statesman. That is why even the Muslim writer, S.M. Latif, also praises him, “He was an energetic and aspiring Guru, and his aims were high. He organised the Sikhs into a community, and devised measures for extending his spiritual authority.”
The first work undertaken by Guru Arjan was the construction of Harimandir in Amritsar. Guru Ram Das, the fourth Guru, had started the work of excavation of two tanks at Amritsar or 
Ramdaspur-- Amritsar and Santokhsar. As the work was left incomplete due to the death of Guru Ram Das, it was for Guru Arjan to complete it.
(A) Construction activities- 
(i) Construction of Harimandir- After the completion of both these tanks, Guru Arjan schemed to construct a temple in the midst of Amritsar. The temple was called Harimandir-- the Temple of God. The foundation stone of the temple was laid down by the famous Muslim Sufi saint-- Mian Mir, in 1589 AD. Some Sikhs counselled the Guru that the temple must be the highest of all other buildings nearby. But Guru Arjan denied it, because says the Guru : 
As the former Gurus had condemned the caste-system, Guru Arjan decided to stage four doors in this Temple, which meant that it is opened to all the persons belonging to any caste or any part of the world. A large number of Sikhs participated in this work of construction and performed the Sewa at the site as part of their daily routine. While the work was going on, the news about the outstanding project of the unique pilgrimage under construction spread far and wide. Devotees of the Guru contributed share from their earning to the construction fund. The construction of the Harimandir was completed in 1601 AD. 
The construction of the Harimandir was significant in many ways. Dr. I.B. Banerjee states, “This was of the greatest importance for the firm establishment of Sikhism, for the Sikhs obtained thereby a fixed central place of worship.” Secondly, the Guru declared that its travel would be equate 68 visits to the Hindu pilgimages. Now the Sikhs had no need to visit such places as Benaras, Hardwar etc. He even asked his Sikhs to settle in Amritsar and deal in trade. The Harimandir came to be known as the Mecca of the Sikhs. Sir G.C. Narang observes, “It became, in fact, the capital and metropolis of the infant commonwealth that the genius of Arjan was gradually and peacefully building up.”
(ii) Foundation of new towns- Twenty two miles towards south from Amritsar was founded the town of Tarn Taran. A tank was excavated and the Guru declared that whoever took bath in the tank would get salvation. An Ashram was founded for the lepers, and the arrangement was made of free food, dress and medicines for them. The foundation of this town is of immense importance in the development of Sikhism, for a number of Jats from Majha joined Sikhism and later on proved to be great soldiers. According to Dr. Banerjee, “People of this tract have always formed the backbone of the Sikh community.”
In 1593 AD, Guru Arjan lay down the foundation of a new town near Jalandhar-- Kartarpur, literally meaning the place of God. He also excavated a tank here, called Gangasar and declared that its water had the sacredness equal to the water of the Ganges. The new town became an important preaching centre in the Bist Doab.
On the banks of the river Beas, he founded the town of Hargobindpur in 1595 AD, on the birth of his son, Hargobind.
(iii) Construction of a Baoli- At Lahore, he made arrangements for the construction of a Baoli at Dabbi Bazar. The Baoli became another place of pilgrim for the Sikhs. It was, however, filled with mud in 1628 AD, on the orders of the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan.
(B) Masand system- The organization and development of the Masand system is one of his most important achievements. There is much controversy on the view whether it was Guru Ram Das or Guru Arjan Dev, who established the Masand system. Mostly, the historians stress on the fact that the system was established by Guru Ram Das. However, Dr. Hari Ram Gupta denies this opinion and states that it was in the days of Guru Arjan that the Masands were appointed.
Be whatsoever it may be, it can’t be denied that it was under Guru Arjan that the Masand system had been organized and fully developed. The number of the Sikhs, in fact, was increasing rapidly in the time of the fifth Guru. He had, therefore, taken in his hands the construction work of many tanks and towns. For this work and also to continue the Langar system started by Guru Nanak, money was needed badly. Money collected by the means of offerings by the Sikhs was not definite. Moreover, times were seen when contributions made by the Sikhs did not reach to the Guru. Therefore, the Guru ordered his Sikhs to pay one-tenth of their income, known as Daswand, for the Church. This Daswand was collected by the appointed deputies of the Guru, called the Masands. The Masands deposited all the money to the treasury of the Guru on the day of Baisakhi. Complete accounts of money were kept. The Masands were ordered by the Guru not to use even a single penny on themselves out of the collections, and warned of severe physical troubles to those who didi not abide by this order. The Masands had further appointed their own deputies, known as Masandias, to perform the duties for the Masands at the regions afar, where the Masands themselves could not go.
The Masands also preached the message of the Guru in their areas. When they visited Amritsar on the first day of Baisakh, to pay the contributions collected from the Sikhs, they informed the Guru about the Sikhs in their respective regions and sometimes even accompanied with them many devoted of them.
Some writers have charged the Guru having political motives behind the establishment of this institution. As Trumpp writes that “the Sikhs were gradually accustomed to a kind of government of their own and began to feel themselves as a firmly organised and strong party within the State.” S.M. Latif also confirms this contention, “He organised a system of taxation and appointed delegates for the purposes of collecting it from his followers throughout the country.... Thus were the Sikhs accustomed to a regular system of government, and, having been formed into a community, gradually developed into a real power.” But hardly does any truth appear in it, because
    - Daswand was not a tax, but a contribution or Nazrana.
    - The Masand were the deputies of the Guru, who preached the religious message of the Guru and           collected money from the Sikh followers.
    - Moreover, the title of Sacha Padshah, as the Sikhs used to address their Guru, indicated his spiritual        supremacy.
The institution of Masand left some important impact on the Sikh history. First of all, the Daswand gave the definite income to the Sikh Church. For this reason, the new towns could be established and the Langar system could be carried on successfully. Secondly, the Masands played an important role in the development of the Church. They brought the Sikhs quite close to the Guru in one instance, even though they were residing very far from the Punjab. They collected money from them and also gave them the mesage of the Guru. Dr. G.C. Narang observes, “The Guru could now arrange his budget with more certainty as the dues of the Guru were paid more readily and unfailingly than even the Mughal revenues.”
(C) Trade in horses- Guru Arjan encouraged his Sikhs to engage in the profession of trade in horses with the countries beyond the Indus. It became very significant for the Sikhs. It gave a severe death-blow to the caste-system. The Sikhs used to go beyond the Indus for this trade while the Hindu society prohibited to cross the oceans. This trade made the Sikhs a prosperous community and also increased the income of the Church. By trading in horses, the Sikhs were able to get knowledge of the best breed of horses, and it helped them in becoming a race of warriors.
(D) Compilation of the Adi Granth- The compilation of the Adi Granth is known as the crowning achievement of his life. The number of the Sikhs had increased rapidly during the life time of the fifth Guru. It was impossible for all the Sikhs to be present before the Guru. Moreover, many persons like Prithia, had started to narrate their own verses in the name of the Gurus. Therefore, to give the complete and authentic verses of the Gurus, Guru Arjan felt the neccesity to provide the Sikhs with a copy which consisted of all the verses of the Sikh Gurus.
Guru Arjan collected the verses of the first three Gurus from Baba Mohan, son of Guru Amar Das. The verses of Guru Ram Das were already with him, while he added his own to them. Guru Arjan also made selections from the compositions of various saints, both Hindu and Muslims. Whose principles he found in accordance with those of the Sikh Gurus, were also placed in the Granth, which was compiled on the banks of the tank Ramsar. The compilation of the Granth was named the ‘Adi Granth’. It was written out by Bhai Gurdas at the dictation of Guru Arjan, and the work was completed in 1604 AD after much arduous labour. The compilation was a very significant step of Guru Arjan. It gave the Sikhs a sacred religious Granth. It infused a new spirit into the minds of the followers of the Guru.
(E) Sacrifice for religion- Guru Arjan sacrificed his life for the sake of Sikhism. When Jahangir became the Mughal emperor in 1605 AD, he ordered for the execution of Guru Arjan, which is believed to be on the grounds of the rapid development of the mission under him. The revolt of Prince Khusro gave the emperor an opportunity to strike at. According to Sir G.C. Narang, “He was not only the first great organizer of the Sikh nation, but was also destined to be the first to receive the crown of martyrdom.”

The twenty-five years (1581-1606 AD) of the guruship of Arjan mark an important phase in the history of Sikhism. It was in this period that the Sikhism exhibited its independent identity and showed clear signs of difference from the Hindu orthodoxy. The Guru’s martyrdom brought transformation in the Sikh Church, when the Sikhs sought it expedient under Guru Hargobind to raise arms to defend their organised sect against the fanatic Islamic government.

Contribution of Guru Amar Das towards the development of Sikhism

Dr. I.B. Banerjee writes, “Guru Angad had, no doubt, done something to give the Sikhs an individuality of their own, but it was under Amar Das that the difference between a Sikh and an orthodox Hindu became more pronounced.”

Guru Nanak, after his enlightenment, strove hard to convey his message to as large a number of people as possible. For this purpose he first took long and arduous journeys not only within India but also abroad, and had converted a good number of people as his followers. But Nanak had laid stress, more or less, on the fundamentals of his teachings, leaving the details to take care of themselves. In fact, he had made no direct innovations, particularly so far as social usages were concerned and there was nothing much that could distinguish the followers of Nanak from the general Hindu mass.

The founder of the Sikh religion, being conscious of the incomplete nature of his work, had taken the necessary precaution of nominating one of his most trusted followers, Lehna, a house-holder, to the guruship as Guru Angad.

The supreme need of the moment was to clothe Guru’s message with some distinctive emblems which  might give it an individuality of its own. As such, Guru Angad being well-aware of his responsibility having ascended the guruship adopted a number of measures for the organizational development of Sikhism.

Guru Angad introduced or popularized the Gurumukhi script among the Sikhs.  This script reminded the Sikhs of their duty towards their Guru, and “constantly kept alive in their minds the consciousness that they were something distinct from the common mass of Hinduism.” It also gave a severe blow to the monopolistic language of Sanskrit and the priestly classes. On the whole, it gave a definite language for the scriptures of Sikhism, when later on Guru Arjan compiled the Adi Granth. Secondly, Guru Angad collected the verses of  Guru Nanak and added to them the verses of his own. Thus it avoided the verses from being forgotten or inter-mixed and also provided a barrier against the wrong-preachers in the name of Nanak. The institution of Langar was elaborated by Guru Angad by the joint efforts and sacrifices of the Sikhs. The Langar system played an important part to differentiate the Sikhs from the orthodox Hindus. It gave a severe blow to the caste-system. It served as a great bond of union among the Sikhs. Moreover, Guru Angad kept his Sikhs aloof from the Udasism of Baba Sri Chand, which was becoming a great danger to Sikhism. Guru Angad declared that Sikhism had no place for ascetics, but was wholly a religion for the house-holders. Due to this separation, the Sikhs got something of a social character in addition to the religious ties that held them together.

Thus Guru Angad had succeeded in giving a sort of local habitation and a name to the mission of Nanak. Besides the Guru, whose position as the sole and supreme religious leader was in itself a great source of unity and solidarity, the Sikhs had now the Guru’s hymns inscribed in their own Gurumukhi and the Langar maintained by their joint efforts and sacrifices. They could now claim an individuality of their own, however imperfect as yet it might have been.

But the danger of the absorption of the followers of Nanak still lingered on because there was nothing as yet which could distinguish the Sikhs as a distinct social community from that of the Hindus. As the followers of Sikhism still performed their social ceremonies connected with marriage, death etc. in the traditional Hindu way with the aid of the priestly classes, they continued to visit the places of pilgrimage of the Hindus as well.

Guru Amar Das immediately after his pontification realized the danger in which Sikhism stood and adopted the following distinctive measures to keep up their separate identity :

In 1552 AD, the work for the construction of a Baoli in Goindwal started. The Sikhs joined enthusiastically in the work of construction and after seven years, the task was accomplished. The Baoli was provided with 84 steps and Guru Amar Das said, “Whosoever should attentively and reverently repeat the Japji at every step, should escape from wandering in the wombs of 84 lakhs of living creatures.” In this way, Goindwal was raised to the status of a place of pilgrimage.Now the Sikhs felt no necessity to visit the pilgrim places of the Hindus. This measure of Guru Amar Das differentiate the Sikhs from the common Hindus.

Guru Angad had started the process of the compilation of the hymns, but the task could not be accomplished before his death. Guru Amar Das carried on this work with great enthusiasm and compiled the verses of Guru Nanak and Guru Angad. Sant Ram, the son of Baba Mohan (Guru Amar Das’ son), compiled 907 verses of his grand-father. Guru Amar Das ordered the compiler of the verses of the Gurus to “make a careful collection of the Gurus’ hymns and give them to the Sikhs in God’s name.” This measure of Guru Amar Das completely differentiated the Sikhs from the Hindus as the Sikhs got their own holy hymns and now felt no need to recite the Hindu scriptures.

The elaboration of the Langar institution under Guru Amar Das was another factor differing the Sikhs from Hinduism. The Langar was open to all. According to Macauliffe, “All who came to visit him were fed to repletion. None departed disappointed. What he daily received was daily spent and nothing was saved for the morrow.” The Guru even obliged all visitors and Sikhs to partake of food from the Langar before seeing him. In the Hindu society, people of high castes hated those of the lower castes. They were socially boycotted being considered as untouchables. But this institution knew no caste distinction and clarified that the Sikhs were different from the Hindus.

The institution of Manji was also an important factor which worked in differing the Sikhs from the Hindus. Guru Amar Das divided his spiritual empire into 22 units known as the Manjis. The head of each Manji was called Manjidar. Each Manji was sub-divided into Piris under the Piridars. This division was seen only in Sikhism and the Sikhs came into direct contact of the Guru through these Manjidars. These Manjidars acted as a binding the Guru and the Sikhs. They gave the message of the Guru to the Sikhs and collected donations from them, which were deposited with the Guru for the development activities. The Sikhs found themselves in contact with their Guru through these Manjidars. The Manjidars suppressed the importance of the priestly classes among the Sikhs as they were appointed by the Guru himself.

Guru Amar Das also undertook certain reformative tasks in the social field. There were many evils in the Hindu society; but people did not regard them as evils. However, to act upon them was considered   as performing a religious ceremony. The condition of women in the society was very deplorable. One such evil was the practice of Sati, i.e. the burning of widows at the funeral pyre of their husbands. But Guru Amar Das condemned this practice and prohibited his Sikhs to adopt it. In one of his verses he observed-

                “Women are burnt in the fire with their husbands,

                    If they appreciate their husbands they undergo sufficient pain by their death,

                    O Nanak! if they appreciate not their husbands, why should they be burnt?”

Not only did he condemn the Sati system, but also favoured widow remarriage and took several steps to popularize it. He also ordered the Sikh women to avoid the Purdah system as he considered the Purdah as an obstacle in the physical, mental and spiritual development of the women.

Guru Amar Das also criticized the use of intoxicants and ordered his Sikhs to abstain altogether from them. He told his Sikhs not to drink that false wine “by which man forgeteth God and receiveth punishment at His court.”

Guru Amar Das also directed his Sikhs to celebrate the festivals in different modes. The Sikhs were to celebrate only these festivals-- Baisakhi, Diwali and Maghi. On these auspicious occasions, the Sikhs were to reach Goindwal and then celebrate these fesivals at the direction of their Guru.

The performance of the ceremonies of birth, marriage and death also differed a Sikh from a Hindu. The Lavan composed by Bhai Jetha, the son-in-law of Guru Amar Das, on his marriage began to be recited on the marriage occasions by the Sikhs. Similarly, Guru Amar Das composed the Anand Geet (Song of Joy) of 38 Pauris, on the birth of his grandson, Sidh jogi. Since then this song is recited by the Sikhs on occasions of rejoicings. It was enjoined upon the Sikhs that the Guru’s words be recited while celebrating the marriages of their relatives. In the Sadd hymns, Guru Amar Das narrates to his Sikhs neither to call the Pandit nor to read the ‘Garuda Purana’ while performing the death ceremonies of their relatives. In this way, the Sikhs started to differ from Hinduism.

Dr. I.B. Banerjee feels that two parallel developments can be traced in Sikhism. On the one hand, the work begun by Guru Angad was earnestly continued and new religious ties were added one after another. On the other, there was a gradual drifting away from the orthodox Hindu society and attempts were made through innovations to bring into existence a new brotherhood, social as well as religious, self-sufficient and independent. Dr. G.C. Narang also states that from the outset Sikhism stood distinguished from other reform movements by its reconciliation with secular life.

Under the auspices of Guru Amar Das, the name of the infant Church spread far and wide, rudiments of a separate organisation were given to the Sikhs, and new forms and practices were introduced to supersede the old and bind the newly converts more closely together. Hence Dr. I.B. Banerjee rightly observes, “Guru Angad had, no doubt, done something to give the Sikhs an individuality of their own; but it was under Amar Das that the difference between a Hindu and a Sikh became more pronounced.”

Contribution of Guru Angad Dev towards the development of Sikhism

 

Dr. Indu Bhushan Banerjee has pointed out to the truest sense of the word that Guru Angad’s nomination is very significant in the Sikh history. Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, had strove hard after his enlightenment to convey his message to as large number of people as possible. Keeping this objective in mind, he first undertook long and arduous journeys not only within India but also abroad, and converted a large number of people as his followers. Nanak had, more or less, laid stress on the fundamentals of his teachings, leaving the details to take care of themselves. Still, being consciousness of the incomplete nature of his work, he had taken a very necessary precaution of nominating one of his trusted followers, Lehna, a householder, as his successor with the new name of Guru Angad.

This act of Guru Nanak was significant in more ways than one. Like other saints of the Bhakti cult, Guru Nanak had also laid stress upon the necessity of a Guru—a spiritual guide. In his verses he observed that a Guru is like a captain of a ship, who helps his followers to cross the ‘Bhav-Sagar’. Nanak not only observed likewise, but even translated his message, concerning the necessity of the Guru, into action by establishing the institution of Guruship and appointing Angad as the second Sikh Guru.

Guru Nanak had with his remarkable vigor and zeal given his message all over India and abroad. For this purpose, he had walked in all the four corners of India, Ceylon and the West Asian countries. But it seemed certain that after his death his teachings might be forgotten. A number of Hindus and Muslims had become his followers; but their disintegration was certain had Nanak not appointed any successor. Guru Angad carried on Nanak’s teachings amongst the Sikhs and thus saved this infant sect from its early death. Dr. G.C. Narang rightly points it, “Had Nanak died without a successor there would have been no Sikhism today or at the best simply another Kabirism.” The nomination placed the movement under the guidance of Angad and gave a distinct character to it.

The nomination of Guru Angad also avoided the hereditary conflicts, as were to be seen from the period of Guru Arjan Dev.

Moreover, Guru Nanak had in his teachings condemned the Sanyasis and yogis, who were opposed to the worldly or materialist life and gave stress only on the worship of God. According to them, the worldly cares a great hindrance in worshipping God whole-heartedly. Bu Guru Nanak had advised his followers to reconcile with the worldly life. He believed that the life of a house-holder is worth living. He even preferred Bhai Lehna, a house-holder, in nominating him to guruship in place of his own son, Sri Chand, who was a recluse.

Contribution of Guru Angad to the development of Sikhism

Following are the contributions made by Guru Angad towards the development of Sikhism:

1.      Introduction of the Gurumukhi script: The Sikh chronicles ascribe Guru Angad with the introduction of the Gurumukhi script. However, a group of writers refuse to accept it on two grounds-

(a)    Guru Angad was himself unlettered, as E. Trump writes, “Guru Angad was altogether unlettered and could himself neither read or write. The later tradition which makes him the inventor of the Gurumukhi letters, is therefore, without any foundation.”

(b)   In Rag Asa, there is a Patti of 35 verses, each beginning with a letter of the alphabet, which belong to the same 35 alphabets of Gurumukhi.

Trumpp’s view that Guru Angad was ‘unlettered’ and could neither read nor write does not seem plausible. In fact, as Macauliffe states, he adopted the Punjabi alphabet, brought about amendments in it and gave it the name of Gurumukhi. Grierson’s views also seem to be acceptable. According to him, the rue script of the Punjab was known as the Mahajani script (Landa). This script was defective and was usually misread. Being the son of a trader, he was also formal to it. Hence he borrowed from the Devnagri script and polished up the forms of the Mahajani script. This new script came to be known as the Gurumukhi script.

Dr. I.B. Banerjee observes that the verses of Nanak in Rag Asa might have been originally composed in the Mahajani script and later on transliterated into Gurumukhi with necessary amendments. He may not be the inventor, and had merely adopted and modified the one already existing and given it a new name.

The Gurumukhi script was remarkable in many ways-

-          It served the measures of Guru Angad. Mahajani script was knowledgable to the people. When Guru Angad made amendments in it, it became easier for the people to understand it.

-          He made it the script of the Sikhs. Now they used it even in their daily routine. It reminded at once that the user was a Sikh.

-          Its utilization also minimized the chances of the Sikhs being misled about what the Guru had said.

-          It gave a severe blow to the monopoly of Sanskrit as the only language of divinity. With the superiority of Sanskrit, the priestly class of the Hindu society had made itself important, because they were the only class well-versed in Sanskrit. With its help, they used to exploit the common masses. But the popularity of Gurumukhi among the Sikhs gave a severe blow to the Hindu priestly class.

-          It gave a definite script for the scriptures of Sikhism, when later on Guru Arjan Dev compiled the Adi Granth.

2.      Compilation of Nanak’s biography: According to the Sikh chronicles, Guru Angad got compiled a biography of Guru Nanak. Bhai Bala, a follower and a friend of Guru Nanak, was asked to narrate all the incidents of the life of Guru Nanak and a person, named Paira, was ordered  to write the same.

However. The above theory seems to be untenable on following grounds-

(a)    Bhai Bala was too close to Guru Nanak, but when he first visited Guru Angad, he had to introduce himself. How is it possible that the two close disciples of a Guru don’t know each other.

(b)   The language in this biography does not belong to the times of Guru Angad, but is of the early 17^th century.

(c)    There is no reference of Bhai Bala in any other biographies. No even Bhai Gurdas has mentioned his name in his Var I, while he has included the names of many others Bhai Mardana and Bhai Lehna in it.

It is suggested that Guru Angad had secured the horoscope of Guru Nanak from his uncle Lalu, and got it translated into Gurumukhi.

3.      Collection of the hymns of Guru Nanak- The hymns of Guru Nanak were scattered at various places. Guru Angad collected all of them which were known orally by then. The work continued in the days of Guru Amar Das as well. Thus Guru Angad got the started the work for the compilation of Adi Granth, which was ultimately compiled by Guru Arjan Dev.     

The collection of these hymns saved them from being forgotten or inter-mixed. It also provided a barrier against those selfish elements who had wrongly preached in the name of Nanak.

4.   Elaboration of the Langar institution- Guru Nanak had preached his message of Equality, when he started the institution of Sangat and Langar. Guru Angad not only continued the Langar, but contributed much for its stability and progress. More and more kitchens were started. It is stated that at Khadur Sahib, the system worked under Mata Khivi ji, the wife of Guru Angad. The Langar was prepared from one kitchen and all the followers of the Guru partook the food without any distinction of caste or creed. The faithful Sikhs made contributions for the maintenance of Langar institution. According to Dr. G.C. Narang, “The Langar of the Guru was probably the first to be supported by the combined contributions of a community, and it taught the Sikhs the first lesson of contributing money towards a common fund.” The Langar also served the poor and the orphans.

-          It played an important part to differentiate the Sikhs from the Hindus. It gave a severe blow to the caste-system.

-          It also served a great bond of unity among the Sikhs.

-          Moreover, as Dr. I.B. Banerjee comments, it proved a powerful aid in the propaganda work. It made Sikhism very much popular.

5.      Condemnation of Udasism- Guru Nanak had condemned asceticism. In his order, he had no room for it. He remained indifferent to all the worldly affairs. Even when he finally settled at Kartarpur, he resumed his family ties. Guru Nanak had told in his message that every man should lead his life in the family and only there should he try to find salvation, but “abide pure amidst the impurities of the world, so shall you succeed.”

After the death of Guru Nanak, his eldest son, Baba Sri Chand, set up a new order. He discarded the world and sought consolation in the undisturbed meditation of the True One in the solemn silence of the forest or the hill. A number of people, including the Sikhs, became his followers and came to known as the Udasis. Besides unmarried life and asceticism, the other tenets of the sect were the same those of Guru Nanak. The followers of this sect also had the same regard for the first Guru as the Sikhs had. The primary aim of Baba Sri Chand in setting up the Udasi sect , as Dr. Madanjit Kaur observes, was to propagate the mission of his father in his own way.

There was a danger that the Sikhs would mingle up with the Udasis. It became very important that the fundamental character of Sikhism was determined once for all, as the future of the movement depended upon it. Guru Angad very boldly told the Sikhs that the principles of Udasis were contrary to the message of Guru Nanak. Therefore, those Sikhs who had belief in asceticism, were not to be called the Sikhs. The result was that the Sikhs separated themselves from the passive and recluse Udasis. Consequently the Sikhs got something special as the sectarian ties held them together.

6.      Composition of the Hymns: Guru Angad himself composed 62 hymns, which are compiled in the Adi Granth.

7.      Foundation of Goindwal: Guru Angad founded a new town, Goindwal, near Khadur  Sahib. He entrusted one of his staunch follower, Amar Das, to accomplish this task. Later on, during the guruship of Amar Das ji, Goindwal became the main centre of the activities of Sikhim.

8.      Discipline in Sikhism: Guru Angad Dev laid stress on discipline among the Sikhs. He expelled the two singers—Satta and Balwand—from his court, as they had become haughty and even started claiming that they were the factors for the fame of the Guru. When the two singers observed their fault and repented. Later on, Guru Angad forgave them after he mediation of Bhai Laddha. However, this act of Guru Angad raised the importance of discipline among the Sikhs.

 Guru Angad carried on the tradition of nominating his successor. Before his death, he appointed his follower, Amar Das, as his successor.

It was thus because of this nomination that Sikhism carried on its consolidation and developed rapidly. Dr. Narang’s statement appears to be true to the point, “Had Nanak died without a successor, there would have been no Sikhism today or at the best another Kabirism.” Moreover, the organizational development of Sikhism would not have taken place in that case. Hence Dr. I.B. Banerjee aptly remarks, “The nomination of Angad to the Guruship is a fact of profoundest significance in Sikh history.”