07: Notes for Week 7: Sikh Diaspora and Anti-Colonial Movements

Nirankari Movement

  • Leader: Baba Dayal Singh (1783-1855)
  • Mission: Reform within Sikhism; emphasis on the Nirankari tradition and its religious aims (as per transcript).
  • Context: 19th century new religious movements emerge within Sikh reform milieu.
  • Contribution: Introduction and propagation of Nirankari ideas within the Sikh reform landscape.
  • Divergencies: Distinct from other groups; Nanak Panthis mentioned as a related or competing stream.

Namdhari Movement

  • Alternative Guru lineage: Balak Singh
  • Namdhari Viewpoint: Follow the trend/model of Guru Granth Sahib and human Guru
  • Contribution: Institutional and doctrinal development under Namdhari leadership (as per transcript).
  • Diverging practices: Differences from other reform movements and Khalsa norms (as per transcript).

Singh Sabha Movements

  • Background context
    • Print technologies enabled reform discourse and dissemination.
    • Language/Script as religious identity: Urdu in Arabic-Persian script (Muslims/Islam), Hindi in Devanagari (Hindus/Hinduism), Punjabi in Gurmukhi (Sikhs/Sikhism).
    • Other reform movements: Arya Samaj; Gurdwara Reform as a focal aim.
  • Objective: Spearhead reform and reform-based religious identity within Sikhism; lead to Gurdwara reform.
  • Key Singh Sabha bodies and figures
    • Amritsar Singh Sabha – Key figure: Khem Singh Bedi (Hindu and Sikh interchangeable)
    • Lahore Singh Sabha – Key figure: Gurmukh Singh (middle ground)
    • Bhasaur Singh Sabha – Key figure: Teja Singh; Extreme view: non-Khalsa are NOT Sikhs

19th Century New Movements Emerge

  • Section/Heading indicating the rise of reform movements in the 19th century beyond earlier Misls and empires.

Ram Singh Namdhari

  • 12th Guru in Namdhari tradition: 12th Guru
  • Initiated self-rule against British imperialism
  • Called for non-cooperation and boycott of British goods
  • 1872: exiled to Rangoon (Burma) 18721872

Rakab Ganj Gurdwara

  • Gurdwara in Delhi
  • Associated with the 9th Guru (Guru Tegh Bahadur) in the context of martyrdom and Delhi-based history

Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

  • 1919: Amritsar
  • Notable markers: bullet marks preserved as a memorial of the massacre
  • Significance: Catalyst for intensified anti-colonial sentiment among Sikhs and wider Indian independence movement

Ghadar Movement

  • Sikh and Punjabi anti-colonial movement originating in the Pacific and among the Sikh diaspora
  • Key figures: Har Dyal, Sohan Singh Bhakna
  • Meaning: Ghadar = revolt in Punjabi and Urdu
  • Interpretations: Early theories vs later theories about the movement’s schools of thought

Udham Singh

  • Joined the Ghadar Party
  • 1940: Assassinated Michael O’Dwyer (session notes: instrumental figure in seeking justice post-Amritsar)
  • Ram Mohammad Singh Azad (alias/associated figure in the movement)
  • Oath anecdote: personal oath related to the anti-colonial struggle (as per transcript)

Treasury Keys Go Missing – Harmandir Sahib (1921-1922)

  • Incident: Treasury keys missing from Harmandir Sahib
  • Timeframe: 1921−19221921-1922
  • Context: Part of the Gurdwara reform and anti-colonial struggles within the temple complex

Akali Movement (Gurdwara Reform Movement)

  • Objective:
    • Fight corruption in the gurdwaras
    • Seek control back from the Udasi or Hindu mahants
    • Seek autonomy from the foreign government in gurdwara affairs
  • Akali Dal Party: Political wing associated with the reform movement
  • Sikh Gurdwaras Act of 19251925
  • Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee (SGPC): Administrative body formed to govern gurdwaras

Review: Udasi Sect

  • Note on term usage: udasi here differs from Guru Nanak’s Udāsīs (travels)
  • Fakirs at Amritsar: depiction of Amritsar as a wealthy city with sacred tank surroundings
  • Historical imagery: 1908 depiction by Underwood & Underwood; Golden Temple image

SIKH DIASPORA CONTEXT

  • Making of Sikh Diaspora: key idea that Sikh communities spread globally through migration and diasporic networks

Making of Sikh Diaspora: Early Sikh Migrations

  • Early migrations and settlement patterns include:
    • Southeast Asia
    • East Asia
    • North America
    • East Africa
    • United Kingdom

Guru Nanak Mining and Trust Company

  • Founded by Prof. Teja Singh in British Columbia
  • Incorporation details: under Columbia Companies Act (Province of British Columbia)
  • Capital: 50,00050{,}000 (50,000 shares of 11 each)
  • Share structure and certificate details indicate diaspora-driven entrepreneurship
  • Example certificate mentions full paid-up shares and transferability
  • Reflects transnational Sikh economic initiatives in the diaspora

Khalsa Diwan Society Vancouver

  • Diaspora-driven religious and community organization in Vancouver
  • Represents collaborative Sikh institutions abroad and their role in maintaining religious and cultural life

Ghadar Party and Movement

  • Founders/Key figures: Har Dyal, Sohan Singh Bhakna
  • Etymology: Ghadar means revolt; emphasises anti-colonial struggle and diaspora activism
  • Different interpretations within the movement: Early theories vs later formulations

Key Sikh Figures

  • Gulab Kaur
  • Kartar Singh Sarabha
  • Roles: symbolic and practical leadership within the Ghadar movement and diaspora activism

Ghadar Poetry

  • Notable lines by Kartar Singh Sarabha (translated sense):
    • "If they ask you who you are, tell them that your name is Rebel; that your occupation is to wipe out tyranny; that your work is to create ghadar; that this is your namaaz and your sandhya; that this is the only true religion; that this is your God (khuda) and Ram"
  • The poetry reflects the militant and spiritual ethos of the movement

Ghadar Movement – Key Documents and Events

  • 1914 Basakhi festival call ( Stockton Gurdwara, April 13):
    • Public note: elaborate Basakhi festival organized by a jatha (detachment) of foes of oppression; a call for Guru’s sons to appear and fulfill duty
    • Source: Ghadr Publication, 1914 (Stockton Gurdwara) [Source: Parmbir Singh Gill, 2014, Sikh Formations]

Gurdwaras of the Pacific

  • Transnational gurdwaras and diaspora hubs across the Pacific
  • Emphasizes the networked nature of Sikh religious life across oceans

Komagata Maru / Guru Nanak Jahaz

  • Komagata Maru ship/incident: a pivotal colonial-era transport and political episode involving Sikh passengers seeking to immigrate to Canada via sea routes
  • Guru Nanak Jahaz: reference to the voyage and its traveling migrants (Sikhs) and their stories
  • Visuals and maps show Asia-to-Canada routes via ports like Shanghai, Moji, Kobe/Yokohama, Victoria (Canada), Vancouver, Calcutta/Hong Kong, etc.
  • Context: part of wider anti-colonial and diaspora mobilization against discriminatory immigration laws

Guru Nanak Jahaz / Komagata Maru – Map and Route (Visual Summary)

  • Asia to Canada routes included multiple port stops (Shanghai, Moji, Kobe, Yokohama, Victoria, Vancouver, Calcutta, Hong Kong, etc.)
  • Demonstrates the cross-continental nature of Sikh diaspora movements and colonial controls over migration

Week 7 Review Questions (Study Prompts)

  • What were the Namdhari, Nirankari, and Singh Sabha movements?
  • What was the context for Singh Sabha movements? What were the different Singh Sabhas?
  • What were some reforms undertaken by these movements?
  • What were some major events that led to anti-colonialism among Sikhs?
  • What did early Sikh diaspora migrations look like?
  • Explain the Komagata Maru/Guru Nanak Jahaz incident and its relevance to colonial power and Sikh anti-colonial struggles.
  • Who were the Ghadris and what role did transnational gurdwaras play in the Ghadar movement?

End of Week 7 Notes