In the recent times, there’re doubts raised by the ‘academics’ about the existence of 5K. They’ve claimed that the 5Ks became part of Sikhi in the late 19th century, or Singh Sabha Movement had a role to make it mandatory for the Amritdhari Sikhs. A person, influenced by the ‘academic’ books, or a propaganda machinery, put a prize of 2.5mn Indian rupees if the evidence can be put forward for its existence.
We have to understand the psychology behind the denying of the 5K. Everybody who has read the Sikh history knows 5K are the core … or I can say the foundation of the outer appearance of the Khalsa, initiated by the tenth Sikh Guru in 1699 AD. If you want to shake any building, you have to strike at the base of its structure to make it fall quickly. Although it takes time to break the base, but eventually it breaks down. Similar attempts have been made by the professors and writers in the prestigious universities about the Sikh history. They would reject the core fundamental beliefs of the Sikhs by calling the Sikh historical scriptures as ‘traditional books’, but later use the same to prove their point.
One striking difference between the writers of the Singh Sabha and the current academia based on the Western Way of Analysing is that the latter don’t have a base … they don’t carry a standard to analyse any Sikh historical scripture. Yes, they can deny all the Sikh historical scriptures, but at least they shouldn’t be hypocrite and pick the verses/stories from them later to attack on Sikhi’s core beliefs. The former, i.e. the Singh Sabha writers, has Gurbani to compare with. If they found something against Gurbani’s teachings, they would reject it as it wouldn’t align with the Thought/Rules of the Guru. For them, the Gurus were Complete and Impeccable. For the latter, the Gurus were common people who could contradict each other and could make mistakes.
Yes, they can say it’s the belief of the Sikhs and can bring the arguments from the Sikh historical books to prove their point. What they can’t do is balance it with Gurbani. That makes the Singh Sabha members quite good while doing analysis of an incident. Bhai Vir Singh’s editing of the Suraj Parkash can’t be matched when it comes to reasoning to counter the history as well as the elements of philosophy in the historical literature.
Treh Mudra, 5K, and the commotion
Before moving on to the comments on 5K by some authors and their existence, I would like to talk a little on the misconception of Treh Mudra. Treh Mudra has the 3Ks of 5Ki: kes [hair], kirpan [sword], kachhehra [undershorts]. It doesn’t include kanga [comb] and kara [iron bracelet].
Bhai Santokh Singh’s Gurpartap Suraj Granth1 (1843 AD):
ਕੇਸ ਕੱਛ ਕਰਦ ਗੁਰੂ ਕੀ ਤੀਨ ਮੁੱਦ੍ਰਾ ਇਹ
ਪਾਸ ਤੇ ਨ ਦੂਰ ਕਰਹੁ ਸਦਾ ਅੰਗ ਸੰਗ ਧਰਿ ।।9।।
Kes, kach, karad, these are the Three [Treh] Mudra of the Guru
never forsake them, always keep them.
Bava Sumer Singh’s Sri Gur Pad Prem Parkash2 (after 1866 AD):
ਸਸਤਰਨ ਕੋ ਅਭਆਸ ਕਰਹੁ ਨਿਤ ਚਿਤ ਮਤ ਧਰਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਕੀ ।।
Practice with weapons every day, keep the words of the Guru in your mind.
ਨਿਯਮ ਕਛ ਅਰੁ ਕੇਸ ਕਰਦ ਕੋ ਰਾਖਹੁ ਅਦਬ ਸੁਰੂ ਕੀ ।।16।।
The rule of keeping the kach, kes, and karad should be respected as it’s from the beginning.
ਕੇਸ ਬਿਸੇਸ ਸਭਨ ਤੇ ਸਮਝਹੁ ਯਹ ਤ੍ਰੈ ਮੁਦਰਾ ਮੇਰੀ ।
Consider kes more important than everything else, these are my Treh Mudra.
Some mischievous men have made wrong conclusions based on this that 1) the Guru didn’t give 5K but 3K, 2) the 2K were added by the Singh Sabha to give a distinct identity to Sikhs. The second point is hilarious. How is adding kanga and kara going to give a new and distinct identity to Sikhs? What made them think the earlier 3 didn’t give a distinct identity but adding 2 more would? It is wrong on all grounds.
Treh Mudra has its own naming. Maybe the three Ks – kes, kirpan, and kacchehra – are known as Treh Mudra at the earlier time. Or perhaps the visible Ks were called Treh Mudra. Kes are visible. Kirpan is visible. Even kachehra would be visible if you consider the blue baana of the Khalsa. Kanga would never be visible as it’d be under dastaar. Kara may or may not be visible due to the cuff of the baana. Or kanga and kara were part of the Sikhs prior to Khalsa?
Treh Mudra doesn’t prove the non-existence of 5K but proves majorly, along with the 5K, that the Guru gave something to the Khalsa to have an outer appearance. Those who deny the distinct identity of Sikhs would deny the 5K first, and then say the earlier Sadhus/Rishis (or Jatts if you’re influenced by McLeod’s writingii) used to have long hair and other articles too. They aren’t consistent with their denial of both the Sikh identity and 5K. If some parts of the 5Ks were already existing and they believe Sikhi to be a continuation of Hinduism, then there shouldn’t be any doubt about the 5K. But they know it very well that Sikhi is distinct, and whenever the Sikhs bring the argument in terms of philosophy and history, they would claim them as theirs, or say it already existed. One should never be uncertain and inconsistent about their beliefs or propaganda.
Another reason of their denial is of their belief that the Khalsa was created/revealed by the Guru to protect the Hindus, and the Khalsa is nothing more than an army, and whatever they have at their disposal is for the battlefield. So, here, they would argue the kes and kanga aren’t needed in a battlefield, so the Guru would never have given it to the Sikhs. Their assumption of Khalsa just being an army limits their understanding of the Sikh identity3. So, they would bring the five weapons in the argument, that the Guru asked the Sikhs to wear five weapons, not five kakaars, to fight with the Mughals/oppressors, but later the Singh Sabha or Macauliffe changed the five weapons to five kakaars. This assumption and overenjoyed narrative are not only wrong but contradictory to history too.
The 5Ks aren’t just about the battlefield but the identity too. Why the Guru gave 5K, not 6K or 4K … that is unknown. As I always say history sometimes is about what it is, not why and how.
And then there are those who try to link the 5K/five-weapons to Durga that how she has five weapons in her hands, and the Guru was an alleged Durga-bhagat, he must have taken it from that. But if someone thinks without any bias, he will see the presence of five in Sikh philosophy long before the Khalsa creation: we have five sarovars in Amritsar, five banis of nitnem (even before the Khalsa!), five khands in Japji Sahib, five types of Sikhi, five vices, five gyanindriya, five elements, etc. And it’s not limited to these or 5K; we have five people who the Khalsa don’t meet, five beloved ones [panj pyaare], five weapons, five Takhats, etc. Sikhi has so many things around the number of five since the time of Guru Nanak Dev ji, nothing due to Durga or her weapons.
Sikh writers on 5K
Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha writes4:
Five (kakaar) word isn’t there in history and Rehatnaama, but the five is very beloved among the Khalsa, that’s why at the time of Budha Dal five word was used, since then it’s been in use. If one considers, the five Ks are confirmed to be given by the Guru. The person who grows hair would keep the kanga. In the Tankhahnama, it’s written ‘comb the hair twice a day’. Gurpartap Suraj has a story of the tenth Guru giving the iron kara to Har Gopal from Ujjain.
Professor Pyara Singh Padam writes on 5K5:
The True Guru emphasized to keep hair and removed the cap, which represented slavery, and put the dastaar on the head of Sikhs. Asked to wear the kirpan, he encouraged Sikhs to keep good weapons and horses for riding. War-drums and banners are symbols of sovereignty. Without the permission of the Mughal Emperor, no king could have kept these symbols, couldn’t build the forts either. The Guru made the Sikhs build the Lohgarh, had the banners flying, hit the war-drums, because these are the symbols of freedom, rule, and pride. To make Hindustan free from slavery, he made it mandatory for the Sikhs’ outer appearance to have kirpan and dastaar. Small dastaar was called keski by the Sikhs in the earlier times. And in the Bhat Wahi it’s added in the panj kakaar (see, Bhat Wahi Pargana Thanesar).
In Sarbloh Granth, kacchehra, kirpan, and kes – Treh Mudra – is mentioned. Hair was the natural symbol, kirpan was for the protection, kaccherha was a good garb. There were two types of clothes at that time – langot and dhoti. Langot was half-naked garb, and with dhoti the warrior actions couldn’t have been performed. So the kacchehra rule was adopted, so that the Sikhs can be always-ready in the form of Saint-Soldier. This garb has been adopted at the (Sikh?) national level.
Kara, however, was for the protection of the wielder of sword and bow. This iron kara became the symbol and the non-Sikhs started wearing it. The comb was used earlier too to remove the hair tangles. To keep the hair in good shape, it became part of the rule. So, this panj-kakaar rule is a symbol of the Karam-Yogi, which was mandatory at the earlier time and today too. None of the kakaars can be removed because the history has associated pride with them. Although none of the Rehatnamas has mentioned panj kakaar together, but they are mentioned at different placesiii. In the beginning of the nineteenth century, a Persian has made a sher [couplet] in the form of a ruleiv:
ਨਿਸ਼ਾਨਿ ਸਿਖੀ ਈਂ ਪੰਜ ਹਰਫ਼ਿ ਕਾਫ਼ । ਹਰਗਿਜ਼ ਨ ਬਾਸ਼ਦ ਈਂ ਪੰਜ ਮੁਆਫ਼ ।
ਕੜਾ ਕਾਰਦੋ ਕੱਛ ਕੰਘਾ ਬਿਦਾਂ । ਬਿਲਾ ਕੇਸ ਹੇਚ ‘ਅਸਤ ਜੁਮਲਾ ਨਿਸਾਂ ।’
Bhai Jodh Singh wrote in Gurmat Nirnay (1932) that this’s written in the bir of Dasam Granth Sahib at Maharaja Jind’s place, but that isn’t right. It isn’t there in this bir or any other bir of Dasam Granth Sahib. Late Prakaram Singh of Sangrur told me that it’s a sher written on a piece of paper, which’s put in the Dasam Granth Sahib as a bookmarker. Later it got dropped off somewhere or somebody took it.
Kanga and Kara
Pyara Singh Padam mentioned the presence of 5k in the Rehatnamas, even if not together. Let’s look at the presence of kanga and kara in them and other books/scriptures as Treh Mudra has already been discussed.
Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha rightly said that kanga is mentioned in the Tankhahnama (17th/18th century) of Bhai Nand Lal ji6.
ਕੰਘਾ ਦੋਨਉਂ ਵਕਤ ਕਰ ਪਾਗ ਚੁਨਹਿ ਕਰ ਬਾਂਧਈ ।
Comb the hair twice a day and tie the turban.
Koer Singh’s Gurbilas Patshahi Dasvi7 (1751 AD):
ਕੰਘਾਯੰ ਕਰੈ ਦੋਇ ਵਾਰੰ ਸੁਧਾਰੰ ।
Comb hair twice a day.
Bhai Desa Singh’s Rehatnama8 (18th century):
ਕੰਘਾ ਕਰਦ ਦਸਤਾਰਹਿ ਬਾਂਧੇ ।67। ...
Tie the turban and keep kanga and karad.
ਕੰਘਾ ਕਰਦ ਦਸਤਾਰ ਸਜਾਵੈ । ਇਹੀ ਰਹਤ ਸਿੰਘਨ ਸੋ ਭਾਵੈ ।68।
Keep the kanga and karad and tie the turban. This rehat should be considered/liked by the Singhs.
Sri Gur Pad Prem Parkash (after 1866 AD)9:
ਪਾਚਨ ਕੋ ਨਿਜ ਅਗ੍ਰ ਥਿਰਾਉ ਸਿਰ ਦਸਤਾਰ ਬੰਧਾਯੋ ।।
The turban was tied on the five [panj pyaare].
ਕਰਦ ਧਰਾਇ ਸੁ ਕੰਘਾ ਸੀਸਹਿ ਕੱਛ ਸਿਨਾਇ ਬਨਾਯੋ ।।3।।
Karad and kanga were put on the head, and kacchehra around the waist.
ਮਧਯ ਭਾਗ ਕਰ ਜੂਰੋ ਕੇਸਨ ਖੜਗ ਜਨੇਊ ਪਾਯੋ ।।
The hair bun was in the middle of the head, and kharag was put as a janeuv.
Similarly, kara has been part of the Khalsa from a long time, not only the Sikh sources of history but also the Europeans found the kara worn by the Khalsa.
Bhai Daya Singh’s Rehatnama10 (18th century):
ਕੱਛ ਬਿਨਾ ਨ ਰਹੇ ਕਰਦ ਕੜਾ ਛਾਪ ਰਖੇ
Never be without kachhehra, keep the articles of karad and kara.
Colonel A. L. H. Polier11 (1776 AD):
It is properly the snake with many heads. Each zemindar who from the Attock to Hansey Issar, and to the gates of Delhi lets his beard grow, cries Wah gorow, eats pork, wears an iron bracelet, drinks bang, abominates the smoking of tobacco and can command from ten followers on horseback to upwards, sets up immediately for a Seik Sirdar …
Colonel A. L. H. Polier12 (1780 AD):
This with repeating the symbol to Wah-Gorou, wearing an iron bracelet on one arm and letting the hair of the head and beard grow, forms the whole mystery of their religion …
George Forster 13 (1783):
The military Sicques permit the hair of the head and beard to grow long; they usually fix an iron bracelet on the left hand, and they are prohibited the use of tobacco.
James Browne14 (1787 AD):
From the time that he is admitted into the fraternity, he wears a steel ring round one of his wrists, lets his hair and beard grow to full length …
Historical references to Panj Kakaar
I have already made a detailed video on the existence of Panj Kakaar in Dec 2022. But I thought there’s a need to write an article too because I stumbled upon more references after making the video. You can’t change a video on YouTube, but new references can be added anytime in articles. Dr Gurminder Singh Roopowali also provided the references of Panj Kakaar in his article Sikh itehaas de sarota vich Panj Kakaar in SGPC’s Gurmat Parkash of April 2024 (pages 54-61). You can read that too.
1. The first and the foremost important reference to Panj Kakaar is in Shri Gur Katha15 by Bhai Jeevan Singh, martyred in 1704 AD.
ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾਨ ਕੜਾ ਕਛ ਕੇਸ ਕੰਕਤ ਕਰ ਦੀਨਹਿੰ ਨਿਸਚੈ ਪਾਂਚ ਕਕਾਰੇ ।
ਪਾਂਚ ਕਕਾਰ ਦੀਏ ਗੁਰ ਨੇ ਪੁੰਜ ਪਾਂਚ ਕਾ ਪਾਂਚ ਵਿਕਾਰਨ ਮਾਰੇ ।
Kirpan, kara, kach, kes, kanga, panj kakaars were given.
Panj kakaars were given by the Guru, like a fist of five fingers to kill the five evils.
Neeti Singh has translated the work into English. Raj Kumar Hans in its introduction writes16:
None of the earlier sources, not even the late-eighteenth or early nineteenth century, talks of ‘Panj Kakkars’. Ever since the Singh Sabha’s authoritative sanction to the Guru's injunctions in this respect in the last quarter of the nineteenth century it has occupied the attention and energy of the Sikh scholars to find academic answers to the opaqueness about such a central issue in the sources. In an exhaustive analysis of these sources and also of their twentieth century interpretations, W.H. McLeod while accepting the possibility of the five items having been worn by the Khalsa Sikhs since the earliest days of the order reaches a conclusion that there is no evidence that Guru Gobind Singh decreed the Five Ks and promulgated at the inauguration of the Khalsa. One wishes he had seen and studied Sri Gur Katha as well to clear the fog with his own mind.
In another article, he says17:
Sri Gur Katha is a powerful and evocative epic, a ‘story’ of Guru Gobind Singh’s life which has potential of settling a few important controversies generated by contentious interpretations of the Sikh tradition. Produced by a Khalsa Sikh unlike most of the early poets and writers, it lends a ring of proximity and authenticity to the central events of the tradition. It emerges as the first contemporary source to talk explicitly about the 5Ks (panj kakkars), a detailed description of ‘amrit bidhi’ (khande di pahul), the initiation rite, and the ‘rahit’ (code of conduct) as enunciated by the Tenth Master. Being a record by the closest of witnesses, it does not mention any devi puja by the Guru while narrating the Khalsa event.
2. A couplet of 5Kvi:
ਨਿਸ਼ਾਨਿ ਸਿਖੀ ਈਂ ਪੰਜ ਹਰਫ਼ਿ ਕਾਫ਼ । ਹਰਗਿਜ਼ ਨ ਬਾਸ਼ਦ ਈਂ ਪੰਜ ਮੁਆਫ਼ ।
ਕੜਾ ਕਾਰਦੋ ਕੱਛ ਕੰਘਾ ਬਿਦਾਂ । ਬਿਲਾ ਕੇਸ ਹੇਚ ‘ਅਸਤ ਜੁਮਲਾ ਨਿਸਾਂ ।’
The symbol of Sikhi are the articles starting from the letter K. They aren’t forgivable, meaning should always be kept. Kara, karad, kacch, kanga. But without kes, they [the other Ks] are not complete, meaning hair is the most important part.
3. Bhat Wahi Bhadso Pargna Thanesar18 (18th century?):
ਗੁਰੂ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਸਿੰਘ ਜੀ ਮਹਲ ਦਸਮਾ, ਬੇਟਾ ਗੁਰੂ ਤੇਗ ਬਹਾਦਰ ਜੀ ਕਾ ਸਾਲ ਸਤਰਾਂ ਸੈ ਪਚਾਵਨ ਮੰਗਲਵਾਰ ਵੈਸਾਖੀ ਕੇ ਦਿਹੁੰ ਪਾਂਚ ਸਿਖੋਂ ਕੋ ਖਾਂਡੇ ਕੀ ਪਾਹੁਲ ਦੀ, ਸਿੰਘ ਨਾਮ ਰਾਖਾ । ਪ੍ਰਿਥਮੈ ਦੈਆਰਾਮ ਸੋਪਤੀ ਖਤਰੀ ਬਾਸੀ ਲਾਹੌਰ ਖਲਾ ਹੂਆ, ਪਾਛੈ ਮੋਹਕਮ ਚੰਦ ਛੀਪਾ ਬਾਸੀ ਦਵਾਰਕਾ, ਸਾਹਿਬ ਚੰਦ ਨਾਈ ਬਾਸੀ ਬਿਦਰ, ਧਰਮਚੰਦ ਜਵੇਦਾ ਜਾਟ ਵਾਸੀ ਹਸਤਨਾਪੁਰ, ਹਿੰਮਤਚੰਦ ਝੀਵਰ ਵਾਸੀ ਜਗਨਨਾਥ ਬਾਰੋ ਬਾਰੀ ਖਲੇ ਹੂਏ, ਸਬ ਕੋ ਨੀਲ ਅੰਬਰ ਪਹਿਨਾਇਆ । ਵਹੀ ਵੇਸ ਅਪਨਾ ਕੀਆ ।
ਹੁੱਕਾ, ਹਲਾਲ, ਹਜਾਮਤ ਹਰਾਮ, ਟਿਕਾ ਜੰਞੂ ਧੋਤੀ ਕਾ ਤਿਆਗ ਕਰਾਇਆ । ਮੀਣੇ, ਧੀਰ ਮੱਲੀਏ, ਰਾਮ ਰਾਈਏ, ਸਿਰ ਗੁੰਮੇ, ਮਸੰਦਾਂ ਕੀ ਵਰਤਨ ਬੰਦ ਕੀ ।
ਕੰਘਾ, ਕਰਦ, ਕੇਸਗੀ, ਕੜਾ ਕਛਹਿਰਾ ਸਭ ਕੋ ਦੀਆ, ਸਭ ਕੇਸਾਧਾਰੀ ਕੀਏ ।
ਸਭ ਕਾ ਜਨਮ ਪਟਨਾ, ਵਾਸੀ ਅਨੰਦਪੁਰ ਬਤਾਈ । ਆਗੇ ਗੁਰੂ ਕੀ ਗਤਿ ਗੁਰੂ ਜਾਣੇ, ਗੁਰੂ ਗੁਰੂ ਜਪਣਾ, ਗੁਰੂ ਹਰ ਥਾਈਂ ਸਹਾਈ ਹੋਗੁ ।
Guru Gobind Singh ji, mehal tenth, son of Guru Teg Bahadur ji, gave khande di pahul to the five Sikhs in 1755 (bikarmi) on Tuesday on the day of Baisakhi. First Dayaram khatri from Lahore stood up, after Mohkam Chand, a tailor, from Dwarka, Sahib Singh, a barber, from Bidar, Dharamchand, a Jatt, from Hastnapur, Himatchand, a fisherman, from Jagannath stood one after another, and (the Guru) gave blue clothes to everyone. He [the Guru] chose the same attire for himself.
Smoking, Halal, and shaving were prohibited; tika, janeu [sacred thread worn by the Hindus], dhoti were prohibited. Have no connection with Meene, Dhir Malliye, Ram Raiye, Sirgum, and Masand.
Kanga, karad, keski, kara, kachhehra were given to everyone, all were asked to grow hair.
Everyone was said to be born in Patna, living in Anandpur. The Guru only knows his will, chant Guru-Guru. Guru will help everywhere.
4. Bhat Wahi Multani Sindhi19 (18th century?):
ਗੁਰੂ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਸਿੰਘ ਜੀ, ਮਹਲ ਦਸਮਾਂ ... ਸਾਲ ਸਤਰਾਂ ਸੈ ਪਚਾਵਨ ਬੈਸਾਖੀ ਦੇ ਦਿਹੁ ਪਾਂਚ ਸਿਖੋ ਕੋ ਖਾਂਡੇ ਕੀ ਪਾਹੁਲ ਦੀ, ਸਿੰਘ ਨਾਊਂ ਰਾਖਾ । ਪ੍ਰਥਮੇਂ ਦੰਮਾ ਰਾਮ ਸੋਫਤੀ ਸਿੰਘ ਬਨਾਂ । ਸਬ ਕੋ ਨੀਲ ਅੰਬਰ ਪਹਿਨਾਏ । ਵੁਹੀ ਬੇਸ ਅਪਨਾ ਕੀਆ । ਹੁਕਾ, ਹਲਾਲ, ਹਜਾਮਤ ਹਰਾਮ । ਟਿੱਕਾ, ਜੰਜੂ, ਧੋਤੀ ਕਾ ਤਿਆਗ ਕਰਾਇਆ ।
ਮੀਨੇ ਧੀਰ ਮਲੀਏ, ਰਾਮ ਰਾਈਏ, ਸਿਰ ਗੁਮੇ, ਮਸੰਦ ਕੀ ਬਰਤਨ ਬੰਦ ਕੀ । ਕੜਾ, ਕਰਦ, ਕੰਘਾ ਕਛੇਰਾ ਸਭ ਕੋ ਦੀਆ । ਸਭ ਕੇਸਾਧਾਰੀ ਕੀਏ । ਸਭ ਕਾ ਜਨਮ ਪਟਨਾ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਕਾ, ਬਾਸੀ ਅਨੰਦਪੁਰ ਕਾ ਬਤਾਈ ।
Guru Gobind Singh, mehal tenth … gave khande ki pahul to the five Sikhs in 1755 (bikarmi), named them Singh. First Dama Ram became Singh. Everybody was given blue clothes. Same clothes were worn by him [the Guru]. Smoking, Halal, and shaving were forbidden. Asked not to wear tilak, janeu, dhoti.
Not to engage with the Meene, Dhir Malliye, Ram Raiye, Sirgum, and Masand. Kara, karad, kanga, and kachhehra were given to everyone. They were asked to grow their hair. They were now known to be born in Patna Sahib and living in Anandpur (Sahib).
5. Swaroop Singh Koshish’s Gur kia Sakhia20 (1790 AD):
ਤੁਮ੍ਹੇ ਖਾਲਸਾ ਬਨਾਇ ਸਰਗੁਨ ਸਰੂਪ ਕਾਲ ਕਾ ਬਾਣਾ ਦੀਆ ਹੈ, ਇਸ ਕੀ ਲਾਜ ਪਾਲਨਾ । ਤੁਮ੍ਹੇ ਪਾਹੁਲ ਦੇਨੇ ਸੇ ਪਹਿਲੇ – ਹਮੋਂ ਪਾਂਚ ਕਕਾਰ ਦੀਏ ਹੈਂ – ਇਨ੍ਹੇ ਭੂਲ ਕੇ ਬਦਨ ਸੇ ਜੁਦਾ ਨਹੀਂ ਕਰਨਾ । ਪ੍ਰਿਥਮੇ ਤੁਸਾਂ ਕੋ ਨੀਲੀ ਰਾਂਗ ਕੀ ਕੇਸਕੀ, ਕੰਘਾ, ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾਨ, ਸਰਬਲੋਹ ਕਾ ਕੜਾ ਤੇ ਸਫੈਦ ਰੰਗ ਕਾ ਕਛਹਿਰਾ ਦੀਆ ਹੈ । ਇਨ ਮੇਂ ਏਕ ਵੀ ਜੁਦਾ ਹੋਇ ਜਾਇ, ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰੇ ਜਾਇ ਸੰਗਤ ਮੇਂ ਬਖਸ਼ਾਨਾ, ਢੀਲ ਨਹੀਂ ਪਾਨਾ ।
You have become the Khalsa – the form of the Kaal – protect its honour. Before giving you pahul – I have given five kakaars – never separate them from your body. First you have been given the keski of blue colour, kanga, kirpan, kara of pure iron, and the white colour’s kacchera. Even if one of them is separated from your body, go to Gurdwara and ask forgiveness from the sangat, don’t be lenient (in this regard).
6. Gurpratap Suraj Granth is a massive scripture. Bhai Vir Singh gave a different version of one verse which he’s heard from another manuscript of Gurpratap Suraj Granth21:
ਕੰਘਾ, ਕੇਸ, ਕਛ, ਕੜਾ, ਕਰਦ ਸੁ ਮੁੱਦ੍ਰਾ ਇਹ ਪਾਸ ਤੇ ਨ ਦੂਰ ਕਰਹੁ ਸਦਾ ਅੰਗ ਸੰਗ ਧਰਿ।।9।।
Kanga, kes, kach, kara, karad are the mudras articles, never forsake them, always keep them.
7. Pandit Sharda Ram Phalori’s Sikha de raaj di vithia22 (1866):
Whoever is my disciple will always keep five things, the first letter (of the names) of which is K ; namely kes (hair), kanga (comb), karad (knife), kirpan (talwar or sword) and kachh; and he who shall leave off wearing any of these things, he shall not be my disciple (Sikh).
He didn’t mention the kara in the 5K; the same is mentioned by Ernest Trumpp. I am not sure if it’s due to the translation issue or something else. Dr Gurminder Singh Roopowali, however, mentioned kara as well from the original Punjabi language of the book. Anyways, I’m digressing a little. Phalori continued the rehat of the Khalsa in these words23:
Not to pay any heed to the word of Pandats, Pandhas, Miyans, or Mahitas.
Not to perform any funeral obsequies (saradh) (khiah), (karam kiria) ; but when performed, to do so according to the decrees of the Granthji.
Not to wear any janeu (Brahminical thread) Bodi (tuft of hair) Mala (necklace) kanthi (rosary).
Not to worship at any mari (grave) or masan (burning place).
Not to perform Sandhia Gatri, Path (reading Brahminical books), or Puja (worship); only to read the japji, japji, &c.
Not to give food to any but disciples.
Not to regard Brahmans and Saiads as high in rank.
Pandit Sharada Ram Phalori was a Hindu who had no issues with the Khalsa not doing anything related to Hinduism/Brahminismvii. Because he knew they were different. Nowadays, the Indian right-wing claims even when the earlier karamnas, dharamnas, kulnas, etc., is mentioned of the Khalsa, they were still Hindus as they were just an army. For Sharada Ram, it wasn’t the case. In the words of Sheena Pall24:
The earliest known leader of the Sanatan Dharm movement in the Punjab, Pandit Shardha Ram Phillauri (1837-1881), did not show much concern with Hindu-Sikh identity in his Sikhan de Raj di Vithya (The Story of Sikh Rule) published in 1865. The Bharat Dharm Mahamandal did not show any interest in the issue of the identity of the Sikhs in its first report of 1889. In 1897, however, in a large public meeting at Lahore the Sanatanist Hindus passed a resolution that the Sikhs were a part of the Hindu community. …
Bhai Kahn Singh’s arguments made no difference to the Sanatanists. At the meeting of the Hindu Mahasabha at Hardwar in 1921, Pandit Din Dayalu Sharma proposed a new and broad definition: a ‘Hindu’ belonged to a religion born in India; cherished its pilgrimage centres and culture; subscribed to the principle of rebirth; accepted Sanskrit as the language of the sacred scripture; and venerated the cow. This definition was deliberately inclusive so that the Sanatan Dharmis, Aryas, Brahmos, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists were all covered. The Arya ‘Vedutva’ was replaced by the Sanatanist ‘Hindutva’ to broaden the base of Hindus. All non-Muslim and non-Christian ‘Indians’ were brought under the umbrella of evolving Hinduism.
She concluded the article by writing:
The first thing that strikes us in retrospect is that there was no dialogue between the leaders of the Singh Sabha movement and the Sanatanists. Both sides stuck to their ground. Bhai Kahn Singh’s view that the Sikh identity was not new because the Sikhs were conscious of their distinct identity before the advent of colonial rule, was not taken seriously even though he had adduced evidence from the pre-colonial Sikh literature starting with the Granth Sahib. Instead of meeting his arguments, the Sanatanists rejected his interpretation of Sikh scriptural literature and continued to interpret it in their own way in support of their position.
8. Although Swami Dayanand’s Satyarth Prakash has many anti-Sikh/hate comments, but it has the reference of 5K too25, originally written in 1875 AD.
The five kakars of Sikhs were of great use in fighting. They are as follow:-
1. Kesha=long unshaven hair-this protects the head, to some extent, against blows from sticks and sword thrusts.
2. Kangan= a big iron ring worn by akalees on their turbans.
Kara=an iron bangle worn on the wrist which helps to protect the wrist and the head.
3. Kaccha=a kind of knickers used in running and jumping, very commonly used by wrestlers and acrobats for the same purpose. It protects the most vital parts of the body as well as makes the movements free.
4. Karda=a double-edged knife useful in hand-to-hand fight with the enemy.
5. Kangha=a comb for dressing the hair.
9. Ernest Trumpp’s infamous translation of Gurbani – The Adi Granth (1877 AD)26:
Then he gave the order, that whoever desired to be his disciple, he must always have five things with him which all commence with the letter Kakka (i.e. K), viz. : the hair (ਕੇਸ, which must not be cut), a comb (ਕੰਘਾ) a knife (ਕਰਦ), a sword (ਕਿਰਪਾਨ), and breehes reaching to the knee (ਕੱਛ), otherwise he would not consider him as his disciple. …
The Akalis (the worshippers of the ਅਕਾਲੁ, or Timeless Being). This body is said to have been instituted by Guru Govind Singh himself. They were the zealots among the Sikhs, who watched over the purity of their religion and withstood firmly the innovations, which the Bairagi Banda, who after the death of Govind Singh assumed the leadership among the Sikhs in the Panjab, endeavoured to introduce into Sikhism. They wear blue chequered clothes and bangles or bracelets of steel round their wrists and frequently also a discus of steel on their turban.
10. I couldn’t find the complete analysis of the Khalsa Panchasika (1877 AD?) by Bava Sumer Singh, but it mentioned the 5K.
ਕੱਛ ਕੇਸ ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾਨ ਪ੍ਰਿਯ ਕੰਘਾ ਕੜਾ ਸਦੀਵ ।
ਜੋ ਧਾਰਤ ਟਾਰਤ ਨਹੀਂ ਸੋਈ ਖਾਲਸਾ ਦਈਵ ।5।
Always love kachh, kes, kirpan, kanga and kara.
Those who keep them and don’t leave/forget, that’s the Khalsa.
11. Mrs J. C. Murray Aynsley’s Our Visit to Hindostan (1879)27:
The principal distinguishing mark of all Sikhs is their unshorn hair and beard. Five tokens are essential : these are called the five K's, as they all begin with this letter in the vernacular. These signs are, 1st, a nether garment of a peculiar form; 2d, a knife with an iron handle; 3d, a comb; 4th, long locks; 5th, an iron bangle on the wrist.
12. At last, I will end the sources with Macauliffe’s article.
The priest sprinkles water on their eyes, their faces, and the tops of their heads. A neophyte then puts his hands together so as to form a cup. The priest pours water into it, and it is greedily drunk. The same ceremony is performed in the case of the others. The priest then gives them the spiritual injunctions peculiar to their newly adopted religion—injunctions which, according to the custom of most religions, attach far more importance to ceremonial than to purity of heart or genuine devotion. The neophytes are to wear bracelets, drawers (kach), long hair, a comb, or Kanga, wound upon the hair, and 'he must not commit fornication with Musalman women (Musli nal judh na karna)28. …
The Singhs are secular or religious. Of the latter there are three classes: Akalis, Nihangs, and Nirmillas. All orthodox Sikhs must always have five appurtenances whose names begin with the letter K. These are spoken of by Sikhs as the five K's, and are—the Kes or long hair, the Kirpan, a small knife with an iron handle round which the Kes, thus rolled, is fastened on the head, the Kachh or drawers, and the Kara, an iron bangle, for the wrist29.
In both of these articles, he didn’t give the complete list of 5K, just like Trumpp, but collectively the 5K are mentioned by him and Trumpp. By looking at these articles of Macauliffe, some loudmouths on the social media/universities have concluded that Macauliffe changed the five weapons into five Ks. Other assumed Singh Sabha or SGPC had a role to bring out the 5K to have a distinct outer appearance of the Sikhs, ignoring and overlooking the earlier sources of 5K.
Macauliffe doesn’t have a role to bring out the 5K, even if one wants to consider it. His raw material in his magnum opus – The Sikh Religion – was from the Sikh historical scriptures, rather than Sikhs getting affected by his writing which is promulgated by the Indian right-wing. In his own words30:
On perusing the current lives and accounts of the Gurus I found them overladen with puerile, heterodox, or repulsive details ; and it required further years of study and consultation with learned Sikhs to complete biographies of the founders of their religion, which were not inconsistent with their sacred writings. The orthodox Sikhs who have read the lives of their Gurus in the voluminous Hindi work entitled Suraj Parkash, and in the current Panjabi works called Janamsakhis, will understand, and, perhaps, be grateful to me for the manner in which I have presented their religion according to the desires and teachings of their Gurus.
The fundamental point in the above paragraph is that he wanted to write the biographies ‘which were not inconsistent with their sacred writings.’ This has been the focus of the modern Sikh historians who do not want to overlook the Gurus’ own writing – Gurbani.
Singh Sabha sent a letter to Macauliffe31:
We desire, now that you have become thoroughly acquainted with our customs, our sacred books, and the tenets of our religion, that you fulfil the promise made in your Circular letter to the Sikhs, in which you stated that you would write nothing prejudicial to their religion. In the lives of the Gurus which you are going to write, we desire you to consult the Gur Bilas, the Suraj Parkash, and such other works as have been compiled from ancient writings not corrupted by the Handalis, the followers of Kabir, and the poets who infused foreign elements into our religion.
Above references are enough to prove the existence of 5K. No matter how much denial they go into to disapprove the existence of 5K, history will never permit them.
Amrit to women
Alongside the discussion of 5K, it’s also very important to talk about the baptism of women. European authors in the 19th century raised the point if the women were/weren’t allowed to initiate to Khalsa, or the Guru didn’t give anything specific to that. Macauliffe and Cunnigham mentioned the women being given the amrit, but not all of them or differently. Maybe at some point in history some people thought the amrit was only for men, or women should be given differently if ever given. But there were always sane Sikhs who had said the Khalsa had both male and female. Even during the Singh Sabha movement, the women as well as men were equally baptized to Khalsa from across the religions32.
And later, some miscreants picked those verses, and suggested women were never baptized as men and women aren’t equal in this world, due to strength etc., or the kacchera isn’t suitable for women due to menstruation. Maybe it’s not known to men or young boys, but women have a way around it because during the menstrual cycle they still wear kachhera!
Anyways, Cunnigham wrote in 1849 AD33:
Women are not usually, but they are sometimes, initiated in form as professors of the Sikh faith. In mingling the sugar and water for women, a one-edged, and not a two-edged, dagger is used.
Macauliffe wrote in 188034:
Some Nihangs and Akalis have their wives baptized in the temple, but ordinarily Sikh women are not baptized.
On the other hand, we have the Sikh sources where the baptism of women is mentioned along with men, and that with a double-edged sword, not a one-edged as Cunnigham mentioned. Prem Sumarag Granth of 1750s mentioned the baptism of women35:
ਜਿਸ ਸਮੈ ਇਸਤ੍ਰੀ ਕਉ ਅਧਾਨ ਹੋਵੈ; ਤਬ ਪਾਹੁਲ ਖੰਡੇ ਕੀ ਜਪੁ ਜਾਪੁ ਪੜ੍ਹ ਕਰ ਕਰੈ; ਅਰੁ ਸਿਖਣੀ ਕਉ ਦੇਵੈ ।
When a woman gets pregnant, give her khande di pahul after reading Jap (Ji Sahib) and Jaap (Sahib.)
And when the baby is born, whether a boy or a girl, he/she should be given khande di pahul as janam sanskaar36. Apart from the janam sanskaar, khande di pahul is mentioned for women too37.
Once a Sikh named Sahib Singh asked the tenth Guru about the process of giving pahul to their children. According to Bhai Swaroop Singh Koshish (1790 AD), the Guru replied38:
ਸਿੱਖਨੀ ਬਮੈ (ਸਮੇਤ) ਬੱਚੇ ਸਕੇਸੀ ਇਸ਼ਨਾਨ ਕਰ ਕੇ ਸੰਗਤ ਮੇਂ ਚਉਂਕੜਾ ਮਾਰ ਕੇ ਆਇ ਬੈਠੇ । ਭਰਮ ਨਹੀਂ ਕਰਨਾ । ਪਾਹੁਲ ਤਿਆਰ ਕਰਨੇ ਵਾਲਾ ਖਾਲਸਾ ਪ੍ਰਿਥਮੈਂ ਲੋਹੇ ਕੇ ਬਾਸਨ ਮੇਂ ਜਲ ਤੇ ਪਤਾਸੇ ਪਾਇ ਬੀਚ ਮੇਂ ਖਾਂਡਾ ਰਾਖ ਕੇ ਖਲਾ ਹੋਇ ਅਰਦਾਸ ਕਰੇ । ਸਿਖਨੀ ਤੇ ਸੰਗਤ ਅਰਦਾਸ ਮੇਂ ਖਲੇ ਹੋਏਂ ਤੇ ਪਾਹੁਲ ਤਿਆਰ ਕੀ ਜਾਏ । ...
ਉਪਰੰਤ ਗੁਰੂ ਕਾ ਸਿੱਖ ਤਿਆਰ ਹੋਈ ਪਾਹੁਲ ਕੋ ਪਾਂਚ ਤੁਬਕੇ ਬੱਚੇ ਬੱਚੀ ਕੇ ਮੁਖ ਮੇਂ ਪਾਇ ਪਾਂਚ ਵਾਰੀ ਮੁਖ ਥੀਂ ਫਤੇ ਗਜਾਇ । ... ਬਾਕੀ ਬਚੀ ਪਾਹੁਲ ਬੱਚੇ ਬੱਚੀ ਕੀ ਮਾਤਾ ਕੋ ਪੀਲਾਇ ਕੇ ਫਤੇ ਉਪਰੰਤ ਜੈਕਾਰਾ ਬੁਲਾਏ ।
The Sikhni [mother] and child should bathe and wash their hair and come sit with folded legs in the sangat. Don’t have any doubts. The Khalsa who’s readying the pahul should add water into the iron utensil along with the sugar [pataase] and place the khanda in it and do ardaas after standing. The Sikhni [mother] and the sangat should stand up during the ardaas and the pahul should be readied. …
After that the Sikh of the Guru should give the pahul to the child and say the fateh five times. … The rest of the pahul should be given to the mother, and after the fateh, raise the jaikaara.
There is another important work in this regard, written by the court poet of Guru Gobind Singh ji in 1711 AD – Sri Gur Sobha. He mentioned the Guru called the whole sangat as Khalsa; even the Hukamanamas of the Guru have the same message39. Now, the word sangat is gender-neutral, meaning both men and women come under it. Mind you, it isn’t just a word that the whole sangat is under the Guru, not the Masands. No. The next lines talk about leaving the sangat of five [Meene, Masands, etc.], not to shave and smoke, etc. Secondly, it confirms the assertion of Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha that the Guru wanted the Sehajdhari to be Khalsa, based on Vajibul Arz40.
ਕੀਏ ਜਦਿ ਬਚਨਿ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੂ ਕਾਰਨ ਕਰਨ
The Complete Guru [Guru Gobind Singh ji] said
ਸਰਬ ਸੰਗਤਿ ਆਦਿ ਅੰਤਿ ਮੇਰਾ ਖਾਲਸਾ ।
The whole sangat from the beginning to end is my Khalsa41.
The same thought was echoed by Bhai Gurdas II42:
ਗੁਰ ਸੰਗਤਿ ਕੀਨੀ ਖਾਲਸਾ ਮਨਮੁਖੀ ਦੁਹੇਲਾ ।
The Guru made the sangat as Khalsa, Manmukhs became miserable.
In Bhai Chaupa Singh’s rehatnama, the rehat of the Sikhni is mentioned too along with Sikh43. Although the rehat is considered same for both men and women in Sikhi, but a separate heading for women confirms them to be part of Khalsa.
Another unauthentic and misjudged assertion is that the Kaur word was given by Singh Sabha or SGPC to women as the Prem Sumarag Granth asks to put Devi word at the end, not Kaur. In the time period of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, many books were written on Punjab, Sikhs, and his rule. We find the women names ending with Kaur in those books – who can forget the names like Raj Kaur, Sada Kaur and Jind Kaur!? The standard of the word is Kaur now, but in the earlier times, when the Europeans were writing the Punjabi names based on how they heard it, it was different. You can find the different versions: Cour, Coar, Kour, Koonwur, etc. Sau Sakhi44, Gur kia Sakhia45, and Gurparnalia46 have given the names of the wives of Guru Gobind Singh ji with Kaur. Mai Bhago’s name is mentioned as Mata Bhag Kaur [ਕੁਇਰਾਂ]47.
Some people have claimed the word Kaur was in use due to cultural reasons, not religious among the Sikh women of the 19th century, especially in the royal families. It’s not true though. Bhai Santokh Singh’s wife and daughters’ names ended with Kaur too48. Before the royal period of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, we find the Misl period’s women names ending with Kaur49.
One last point in this regard is Mata Sahib Deva ji’s name and her Hukamnamas. It’s alleged by the right-wing that the word Devi had been in use for long for the baptized Sikh women before SGPC/Singh Sabha (well, on one other hand they deny baptism of Sikh women, on another they say Devi was the last name for women as Singh for the men – inconsistency, inconsistency everywhere!), and Mata Sahib Kaur’s name is mentioned as Sahib Devi in her Hukamnamas. It should be noted that Deva/Devi name was at the time she’s married to the Guru, not after baptism50. And not all her Hukamnamas have her name. If the suffix Devi were true, Mata Sundri ji’s name would have the word Devi too in her Hukamnamas, but that isn’t the case. Maybe, at the earlier times, both the names were common, like we have Rani Jinda and Rani Jind Kaur, Rani Raj Kaur and Mai Malwain.
So, the whole propaganda against the existence of 5K, women being given the right of amrit, and the word Kaur is unwanted and cleverly created to waste the energy of the Sikhs, to distract them from focusing on research and preaching. This is not the first or the last attempt to misguide the young Sikhs, it was and will be there to create confusion among the masses. The only way forward is to read as much as possible about the Sikh history and philosophy.
1 ਸ੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਤਾਪ ਸੂਰਜ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ, ਰਿਤੁ 3, ਅੰਸੂ 20, ਪੰਨਾ 5060, 2011
Bhai Vir Singh mentioned in the footnote that he heard a different verse instead of this in another manuscript: ਕੰਘਾ ਕੇਸ ਕਛ ਕੜਾ ਕਰਦ ਸੁ ਮੁੱਦ੍ਰਾ ਇਹ
2 ਸ੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰ-ਪਦ ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਸ਼, ਕ੍ਰਿਤ ਬਾਬਾ ਸੁਮੇਰ ਸਿੰਘ, ਸੰਪਾਦਕ ਡਾ. ਅੱਛਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਕਾਹਲੋਂ, ਪੰਨਾ 112, 2000
3 ਖਾਲਸਾ ਸ਼ਤਕ, ਭਾਈ ਬੁੱਧ ਸਿੰਘ,
4 ਗੁਰੁਮਤ ਮਾਰਤੰਡ, ਭਾਗ ਦੂਜਾ, ਭਾਈ ਕਾਨ੍ਹ ਸਿੰਘ ਨਾਭਾ, ਪੰਨਾ 565, 1998
5 ਰਹਿਤਨਾਮੇ, ਪਿਆਰਾ ਸਿੰਘ ‘ਪਦਮ’, ਪੰਨੇ 33-34, 1991
6 ਰਹਿਤਨਾਮੇ, ਸੰਪਾਦਕ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਪਦਮ, ਪੰਨਾ 57, 1991
7 ਗੁਰਬਿਲਾਸ ਪਾਤਸ਼ਾਹੀ 10, ਕੁਇਰ ਸਿੰਘ, ਸੰਪਾਦਕ ਸ਼ਮਸ਼ੇਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਅਸ਼ੋਕ, ਪੰਨਾ 111, 1999
8 ਰਹਿਤਨਾਮੇ, ਸੰਪਾਦਕ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਪਦਮ, ਭਾਈ ਦੇਸਾ ਸਿੰਘ, ਪੰਨਾ 151, 1991
9 ਸ੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰ-ਪਦ ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਸ਼, ਬਾਬਾ ਸੁਮੇਰ ਸਿੰਘ, ਸੰਪਾਦਕ ਡਾ. ਅੱਛਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਕਾਹਲੋਂ, ਪੰਨਾ 111, 2000
10 ਰਹਿਤਨਾਮੇ, ਸੰਪਾਦਕ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਪਦਮ, ਭਾਈ ਦਯਾ ਸਿੰਘ, ਪੰਨਾ 76, 1991
11 Early European Accounts of the Sikhs, Edited by Ganda Singh, Page 65, 1962
12 Early European Accounts of the Sikhs, Edited by Ganda Singh, Page 63, 1962
13 A journey from Bengal to England, George Forster, Part 1, Page 308, 1808
Dr Ganda Singh mentioned it to be originally written in a letter dated 9th June 1785, which was published with a few changes into the book, please check page 76-77 of Early European Accounts of the Sikhs.
14 Early European Accounts of the Sikhs, Edited by Ganda Singh, Page 18, 1962
15 ਪੰਨਾ 77-78
16 Bhai Jaita’s Sri Gur Katha, Neeti Singh, Page 13, 2015
17 Bhai Jaita’s epic Sri Gur Katha: a New Milestone in the Sikh Literature
18 ਗੁਰੂ ਕੀਆਂ ਸਾਖੀਆਂ, ਭਾਈ ਸ੍ਵਰੂਪ ਸਿੰਘ ਕੌਸ਼ਿਸ਼, ਸੰਪਾਦਕ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਪਦਮ, ਪੰਨਾ 16, 2008
19 ਗਿਆਨੀ ਗਿਰਜਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਦੀ ਇਤਿਹਾਸਕ ਖੋਜ, ਸੰਪਾਦਕ ਗੁਰਮੁਖ ਸਿੰਘ, ਪੰਨਾ 18
20 ਗੁਰੂ ਕੀਆ ਸਾਖੀਆ, ਭਾਈ ਸ੍ਵਰੂਪ ਸਿੰਘ, ਸੰਪਾਦਕ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਪਦਮ, ਪੰਨਾ 123, 2008
21 ਸ੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਤਾਪ ਸੂਰਜ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ, ਜਿਲਦ 12, ਭਾਈ ਸੰਤੋਖ ਸਿੰਘ, ਸੰਪਾਦਕ ਭਾਈ ਵੀਰ ਸਿੰਘ, ਰਿਤੁ 3, ਅੰਸੂ 20, ਪੰਨਾ 5060, 2011
22 History of the Sikhs; or translation of the Sikkhan de raj di vikhia, Major Henry Court, page 41, 1888
23 History of the Sikhs; or translation of the Sikkhan de raj di vikhia, Major Henry Court, page 42, 1888
24 Issues of Sikh Identity: Sanatanist-Sikh Debate
25 Light of Truth or An English translation of the Satyarth Prakash, Dr Chiranjiva Bharadwaja, page 445
26 The Adi Granth, Dr. Ernest Trumpp, pages xci & cxviii, 1877
27 Our visit to Hindostan, Kashmir and Ladakh by Mrs J. C. Murray Aynsley, page 247, 1879
28 The Calcutta Review, Volume LXX, page 631, 1880
29 The Calcutta Review, Volume LXXIII, page 162, 1881
30 The Sikh Religion, Vol I, Max Arthur Macauliffe, Page xv, 1909
31 Ibid, pages xiii-xiv
32 The Gurdwara Reform Movement and the Sikh Awakening, Teja Singh, Pages 90-91, 1922
33 A history of the Sikhs, Joseph Davey Cunnigham, page 77 footnote, 1849
34 The Calcutta Review, volume LXX, Page 634, 1880
35 ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਸੁਮਾਰਗ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ, ਸੰਪਾਦਕ ਭਾਈ ਰਣਧੀਰ ਸਿੰਘ, ਪੰਨਾ 22, 1965
36 ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਸੁਮਾਰਗ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ, ਸੰਪਾਦਕ ਭਾਈ ਰਣਧੀਰ ਸਿੰਘ, ਪੰਨਾ 25, 1965
37 ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਸੁਮਾਰਗ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ, ਸੰਪਾਦਕ ਭਾਈ ਰਣਧੀਰ ਸਿੰਘ, ਪੰਨਾ 20, 1965
38 ਗੁਰੂ ਕੀਆਂ ਸਾਖੀਆਂ, ਭਾਈ ਸ੍ਵਰੂਪ ਸਿੰਘ ਕੌਸ਼ਿਸ਼, ਸੰਪਾਦਕ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਪਦਮ, ਪੰਨਾ 127, 2008
39 ਹੁਕਮਨਾਮੇ, ਗੁਰੂ ਸਾਹਿਬਾਨ, ਮਾਤਾ ਸਾਹਿਬਾਨ, ਬੰਦਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਅਤੇ ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ ਜੀ ਦੇ, ਸੰਪਾਦਕ ਡਾ ਗੰਡਾ ਸਿੰਘ, 1999
40 ਗੁਰੁਮਤ ਮਾਰਤੰਡ, ਭਾਗ ਪਹਿਲਾ, ਭਾਈ ਕਾਨ੍ਹ ਸਿੰਘ ਨਾਭਾ, ਪੰਨਾ 111, 2010
41 ਸ੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰ ਸੋਭਾ, ਕਵਿ ਸੈਨਾਪਤਿ, ਸੰਪਾਦਕ ਗੰਡਾ ਸਿੰਘ, ਪੰਨਾ 81, 1988
42 ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ, ਗਿਆਨੀ ਹਜ਼ਾਰਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਜੀ ਪੰਡਿਤ, ਸੰਪਾਦਨ ਭਾਈ ਵੀਰ ਸਿੰਘ, ਪੰਨਾ 637, 2011
43 ਰਹਿਤਨਾਮੇ, ਸੰਪਾਦਕ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਪਦਮ, ਪੰਨੇ 119-121, 1991
44 ਪ੍ਰਾਚੀਨ ਸੌ ਸਾਖੀ, ਸੰਪਾਦਕ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਪਦਮ, ਪੰਨਾ 108, 1995
45 ਗੁਰੂ ਕੀਆਂ ਸਾਖੀਆਂ, ਸ੍ਵਰੂਪ ਸਿੰਘ ਕੌਸ਼ਿਸ਼, ਸੰਪਾਦਕ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਪਦਮ, ਪੰਨਾ 142, 2008
46 ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਣਾਲੀਆਂ, ਸਿੱਖ ਹਿਸਟਰੀ ਸੋਸਾਇਟੀ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਸਰ, ਪੰਨਾ 134, 481 ਗੁ: ਨਾ: (1950 AD?)
47 ਗੁਰੂ ਕੀਆਂ ਸਾਖੀਆਂ, ਸ੍ਵਰੂਪ ਸਿੰਘ ਕੌਸ਼ਿਸ਼, ਸੰਪਾਦਕ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਪਦਮ, ਪੰਨਾ 173, 2008
48 ਸ੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਤਾਪ ਸੂਰਜ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ, ਜਿਲਦ ਪਹਿਲੀ, ਭਾਈ ਸੰਤੋਖ ਸਿੰਘ, ਸੰਪਾਦਨ ਭਾਈ ਵੀਰ ਸਿੰਘ, ਪੰਨਾ 168, 2011
49 The History of the Sikhs, W. L. M ‘Gregor, 1846; The Rajas of the Punjab, Lepel H. Griffin, 1873
50 ਸ੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਤਾਪ ਸੂਰਜ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ, ਜਿਲਦ ਤੇਰਵੀਂ, ਭਾਈ ਸੰਤੋਖ ਸਿੰਘ, ਸੰਪਾਦਕ ਭਾਈ ਵੀਰ ਸਿੰਘ, ਰੁਤ 5, ਅੰਸੂ 1, ਪੰਨਾ 5421, 2011
i 5K is a short form of Panj [5] Kakaar [articles] – five articles that an Amritdhari Sikh must keep, i.e., kes [hair], kanga [comb], kirpan [sword], kara [iron bracelet], and kacchehra [undershorts]. All the words start from the letter K [ਕ in Gurmukhi] and the articles are five, hence 5K, or Panj Kakaar.
ii Jagjit Singh’s article on Jatt and their alleged influence on the militarization of the Sikhs and other components can be read here, where he rejects the claims of McLeod.
iii It’s a very important point that the 5K are mentioned in the Rehatnaamas but at different places. Those who deny its existence have never read them.
iv This we will consider again to prove the existence of 5K in the next passages. According to Professor Pyara Singh Padam, it existed in the beginning of the 19th century. So the argument of making the 5K at the time of Macauliffe or Singh Sabha is debunked.
v In some historical scriptures, the writers have mentioned the sword is a janeu of the Khalsa, i.e., the Khalsa doesn’t wear the janeu but the sword. Rehatnamas have specifically mentioned not to wear the janeu. Interesting point is, this author mentioned the Treh Mudra, as discussed in the earlier passages, but here he wrote about the kanga as well. Like I said, Treh Mudra doesn’t prove the non-existence of the 5K.
vi This couplet is said to be written by Guru Gobind Singh ji. Many authors, including Dr Ganda Singh and Dr Trilochan Singh, in the past have claimed it and gave the reference of a manuscript of Sarbloh Granth. But there are other authors who said it to be written by someone else. However, whichever the case, its existence is ancient.
vii Some believe Khalsa was always the third panth – apart from Hindus and Muslims – but the earlier Sikhs or the Sehajdhari Sikhs weren’t distinct and were part of Hinduism. I am not sure how they define the boundaries for that, or what the Khalsa’s rules were not there earlier that made the former not a distinct religion in terms of philosophy. It’s so hocus-pocus who try to differentiate between the Sikhs on the ground of philosophy. You can read Sikh ik vakhra dharam (Part 1 & Part 2) to have a further understanding on this.
