K 414 Sikhism
Singh, his contributions were added to the Adi
Granth, and then the book was declared to be
the new guru for the community. Since that time,
while there are teachers of Sikhism who convey
the faith to each new generation, there is no
human to whom the status of GURU (teacher) is
formerly ascribed.
Wherever Nanak traveled, he established local
groups called manjis. Over the years, these would
mature as gurudwaras, seats of the guru or Adi
Granth, the worship centers in which Sikh com-
munities gather on a weekly basis.
While it had been Nanak’s goal to create a
synthesis that would dissolve the differences
between Muslim and Hindu, both faiths contin-
ued and Nanak’s work had the effect of creating
a new religion. A minority community, Sikhs
were frequently forced to defend themselves and
emerged with a reputation as great warriors. At
times aligned with the British, they served with
distinction in battles throughout the 19th century,
in both India and abroad.
Since the death of the last guru, temporal
authority in the community passed to the Sri
AKAL TAKHT Sahib, a name used to refer to both
a building close to the Golden Temple and the
Sikh leader who operates from the building. All
the issues of import to Sikhs are debated there,
and the decrees issued from it are considered
binding on the entire community internationally.
Another important structure in the community is
the Shromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee
(S.G.P.C.). It oversees the administration of the
worship centers (gurudwaras) in India and car-
ries on an extensive publication and education
program. In the 1930s, the S.G.P.C. assembled
the most noted Sikh scholars and theologians to
produce a consensus statement on the standards
of Sikh belief and conduct. The result was the
Reht Maryada, a defining document of Sikhism,
which offers guidelines for conduct both inside
the gurudwaras and in the daily life of Sikhs.
The Sikh community declined in the 19th
century, in part because of the attractiveness of
some of the new movements of the Hindu renais-
sance, such as the BRAHMO SAMAJ, which shared
many affirmations (such as the idea of one God)
with the Sikhs. Many Hindus looked upon the
Sikhs as just another sect of Hinduism, a position
not accepted by most Sikhs. Several revitalization
efforts appeared, including the NIRANKARI and
SANT MAT movements, but with limited appeal.
However, it was the Singh Sabha, the govern-
ing body that oversees Sikh communities, that
seemed to have the greatest effect with its calling
the entire community to a new understanding
of itself and its heritage. It called for a new alle-
giance to the writings of the gurus and an end to
encroachments by Christianity and Hinduism into
the gurudwaras.
The reemergence of the Sikh community was
viewed with alarm in some quarters. Some saw it
as a challenge to government authority (i.e., Brit-
ish rule). The growing popularity of Sikhism set
the stage for the development of Sikh national-
ism, with its demands that the Punjab, territory
in which the Sikhs predominated, be separated
from Hindu India. In the decades since World War
I, the tension between the Sikhs and the British,
and later the Indian, government has waxed and
waned. More extreme elements among the Sikhs
responded to government attempts to suppress
nationalist aspirations with violence, followed by
retaliation by the Indian government.
The most significant event in the ongoing bat-
tles between the government and the Sikh com-
munity occurred in June 1984. Sant Jarnail Singh
Bhindranwale, a militant Sikh leader, and his fol-
lowers took refuge in the Golden Temple. Unable
to persuade him to surrender, under orders from
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the Indian army
invaded the temple, with significant damage to
the sacred property and loss of life. The event was
a call to arms for the community. Among other
consequences, Sikhs living outside India formed
the World Sikh Organization. Then in October,
Sikhs who served as Indira Gandhi’s bodyguards
turned on her and assassinated her. Though the