Question

3. Describe the ways in which Sikh identity developed over the first few hundred years of the tradition, paying particular attention to contestation between Sikhs and other groups, as well as the development of the Khalsa and the gurdwara.

Answer 1

Note: This response is in UK English, please paste the response to MS Word and you should be able to spot discrepancies easily. You may elaborate the answer based on personal views or your classwork if necessary.

(Answer) Sikhism is one of the youngest religions of the world that began around the end of the 15^th century. The Sikhs are a sub-sect of Hindus in that they are known as the “warriors of Hinduism.” They are not warriors who incite hatred or hostility. However, they are warriors who would defend the honour of their people at a time of atrocity.

Since defending their honour is one of their major beliefs, the Sikhs are meant to carry a small knife for the purpose of their protection and the protection of their loved ones. Guru Gobind Singh was the last living Guru of the religion who formed the “Khalsa” sect. This is a sect of warriors of the Sikh religion that began after a few Sikhs underwent torture and atrocities by the Mughal rulers after they refused to convert to Islam. This would make them the “saint-soldier” especially since they have to give up greed, ego and pride in order to dedicate their lives and resources to the service of others.

The birthplace of this religion is the Punjab which is in the north of India. In order to commemorate this as a holy ground for the Sikhs, several gurudwaras where the fundamentals of their religion are preached and practised were established. One such gurudwara is the Golden Temple in Punjab. This place is known for serving thousands of free meals every day to all members of society in order to offer service to the society.