Sikhism is one of the religions of India which originated in the northwest region of Punjab. According to 1995 statistics, there are approximately 18.7 million Sikhs--about 1.9% of the Indian population. There are also Sikhs communities in Canada, East Africa, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Sikhism was founded by Guru Nanak (1469-1539). It was Guru Nanak's intention to amalgamate Hinduism and Islamic elements into a single religion.His own creed would recognize "the unity of God, brotherhood of man, rejection of caste and the futility of idol worship."

Politically, the Sikh movement also owes its historical origins to the 16th century invasion of the Punbjab by the Mughuls. Babar, the founder of the Mughul Dynasty in India, devastated the Punjab in 1525. In the ensuing years the Mughul regime destroyed Hindu temples and forced the local populations to convert to Islam. Under the military and spiritual leadership of Guru Nanak, the Sikh religion emerged as a counter force against Islamic overlordship.

Guru Nanak was followed by nine gurus the tenth and last of whom was Guru Gobind Singh (1666-708). During his term of leadership Sikhs were persecuted by the Muslim Mughul rulers until 1799. During this period, Sikhism developed its increasingly militant ethos. Under the leadership of Ranjit Singh (1780-1839), Sikhs were finally able to lay claim to territory in northwest India.

Following Ranjit's death, however, the Sikh kingdom fell into disarray. The British insurgence into the Punjab precipitated the Sikh Wars of 1845-46 and 1848-49. After their defeat by the British the Punjab was annexed.

It was not till this century that Sikhs were able to either recover their gurdwaras or sacred temples, hence regaining their religious autonomy. After Indian independence from the British, and the partitioning of India in 1947, west Punjab became Pakistani territory, while eastern Punjab became part of India. In the ensuing communal rioting, Sikhs were persecuted especially in Pakistani Punjab, and about two and a half million were moved from Pakistan into India.

The issue of a separate Sikh nation is still one that is being contested today. Since the 1980s the Sikh nationalist party, Akali Dalhas has been agitating for Sikh sovereignty in the Punjab. Fighting between Sikhs and Hindus was rampant in the 1980's and the Indian government sent troops to occupy Punjab and the neighboring state of Haryana.

Sikhism Home Page
Web Sites on Sikhism