On This Day in History: March 30

The beginning of the Sikh Khalsa

Subscribers can listen to the audio of today’s post here.

Khalsa means “to be pure, to be clear.” And it’s clear to anyone who reads Asian history that Sikh warriors are badass. Their reputation for fearlessness and prowess in battle came from being oppressed and deciding fuck this we’re fighting back.

--On This Day in History, Shit Went Down: March 30, 1699--

Sikhism began in the 15th century in what is now the Punjab province of Pakistan. It’s one of the smaller religions, with followers only making up 0.38% of the world’s population. They were soon enveloped by the Muslim Mughal Empire and were persecuted for not being Muslim. The Quran frowns upon converting people to Islam by force, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. They also made non-Muslims pay extra taxes. Continues below …

I just had a hefty tax bill assessed so yeah I could use a few more paying subscribers and there is a new weekly column I’m doing for subscribers only so click the green button.

In 1606 the fifth Guru of Sikhism, Guru Arjan Dev, was imprisoned, tortured, and executed by the empire because the emperor didn’t like the Sikh scriptures the Guru was writing. His son, Guru Hargobind, was pissed and militarized the Sikhs, emphasizing how spiritual power and earthly power were complementary. The ninth Guru did that dastardly thing of resisting the persecution of non-Muslims and the empire wasted him too. And then it was Guru Gobind Singh, the son of the ninth Guru, who used his father’s death to create the Khalsa as a warrior code to protect the innocent from religious persecution.

The Khalsa began on March 30, 1699, when Guru Singh asked the Sikhs to gather at the city of Anandpur. He emerged from a tent to speak to the assembled congregation and drew his sword. He asked for a volunteer who was willing to lose his head. Someone, definitely not me, stepped forward. They went into the tent together and Singh emerged with his bloody sword and said, “Who’s next?” He kept asking for volunteers, always getting them, coming out of the tent with his blade dripping blood four more times.

He then emerged with the five men who all still had their heads attached to their bodies and Guru Singh named them the Panj Pyare (“five beloved”). I have a suspicion they might have been in on it and knew what was going to happen. But this was the 17th century so who fucking knows? Anyway, he did a baptism thing with the five and they became his inner circle.

The Khalsa warriors were made to stick to a strict code regarding dress, diet, and behavior. No smoking or drinking or fucking around. But killing Muslims who persecute us is fine. And there was much killing. It was a time of war between Sikhs and the Mughal empire. The empire issued orders to not just kill Singh but his whole family. Two of the Guru’s sons died in battle, and another two who were only eight and five were captured by a Mughal governor and tortured to death when they refused to convert to Islam. The Guru’s mother died when she heard the news of the death of her grandsons.

Their reputation forged in blood fighting against oppression, Khalsa warriors became one of the most respected fighting forces in the world in the coming centuries.

Support keeping this daily column free and get access to subscriber only content:

Get the book On This Day in History Sh!t Went Down.