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'Khalsa' which means 'Pure' is the name given by Guru Gobind Singh to all Sikhs who have been baptised or initiated by taking Amrit in a ceremony called Amrit Sanchar. The first time that this ceremony took place was on Baisakhi, which fell on 13 April 1699 at Anandpur Sahib in India. The Sikhs celebrated the 300th anniversary of the day in 1999 with thousands of religious gatherings all over the world.
The Khalsa must carry the five symbols, ''Panj Kakka'', or the Five Ks:
# Kesh – uncut hair to represent the natural appearance of sainthood. It is argued by some that the requirement is Keski instead, a small turban to be worn underneath a bigger turban. However the latter idea is not contradictory to the former, since the purpose of the Keski is to preserve the kesh.
# Kanga – a small comb.
# Kaccha – warrior short trousers, also denotes chastity.
# Kara – iron bangle as a sign of restraint and bondage, and a symbol of dedication to the Guru. Guru Gobind Singh proclaimed that by wearing Kara all fears will be removed.
# Kirpan – a sword for defence. The Kirpan is a symbol of dignity, power and courage. Kirpan is from ''Kirpa'' (act of kindness, Sanskrit) + ''Aan'' (self respect, Persian).
He or she is to lead his or her life according to the Guru's teaching and repudiate non-Sikh rites and ceremonies. This includes abandoning the caste system. All Sikhs were taught to treat all in the community as equals; no distinction was made to be between the different professions.

Contents

The Beginning of the Khalsa

The Khalsa as a military force

Footnotes

Sources

External links

The Beginning of the Khalsa

The Khalsa began when Guru Govind Singh, holding a sword, asked a crowd of Sikhs which ones would die for their faith and for them to step into a tent. One man(name Bhai Daya Ram, later known as Bhai Daya Singh) walked into the tent and the Guru followed. A few seconds later only the Guru emerged holding his sword, covered in blood. After asking if there were any more, four people(Bhai Dharam Singh,Bhai Himmat Singh,Bhai Mohkam Singh, and Bhai Sahib Singh) strode into the tent, ready to be slaughtered for their faith. It was then that the crowd found out that none of the five men were actually killed, and these five men became The Khalsa Brotherhood. They were baptised and they could then baptise others that follow the "Five Ks" and the other requirements into the brotherhood (it should be noted that no restrictions exist for the baptism of females into the Khalsa).

The Khalsa as a military force

One of the duties of a Khalsa was to practice arms and be ready to defend the weak. This was deemed necessary due to the rising religious persecution from zealous Islamic Mughal rulers. The fifth Guru Arjan Dev was arrested and executed by Jahangir in 1606, and the persecution continued through the century. Jahangir's grandson Aurangzeb demanded that all Sikhs either convert to Islam or be killed.
In this context the Khalsa rose as a group as saint-warriors to withstand the Mughals. After the fall of the Mughal empire and the later establishment of a Sikh state in Punjab, the Khalsa became an instrument of the Punjab Maharajas: The Khalsa was a democratic body, and could oppose the Maharaja.
By the death of Ranjit Singh in 1839 the regular army of Punjab was assessed by Sir Lepel Griffin at 29000 men, with 192 artillery guns. The irregular levies were estimated at a similar number. ''Ranjit Singh and his white officers''. Major Hugh Pearse

Footnotes

Sources

★ Major Pearse, Hugh; ''Ranjit Singh and his white officers''. In The Fall of Sikh Empire, , Alexander, Gardner, National Book Shop, 1999, ISBN 81-7116-231-2

External links

★ Baisakhi1999.org

★ bbc.co.uk

★ Anandpursahib.org

★ Wealth of Khalsa information

★ Learn more about the Birth of the Khalsa (Vaisakhi)

★ Khalsa Camp

★ SikhLionz.com

★ AllaboutSikhs.com

★ Raj Karega Khalsa -> Sikhism Forums - Discuss on wide variety of topics related to Sikhism or others

★ Raj Karega Khalsa Network

★ Tapoban Message Board

★ Khalsa Talks

★ Vaisakhi - eBook