Introductory - Global Sikh Studies

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anyone to forgo it.* The same was the Guru’s approach regarding intercaste
marriages. While he approved of the proposal of the Muktas, he
did not prescribe or insist on inter-caste marriages, leaving it to the
Sikhs to follow it on their own.
3. The Status of Women
The Sikh movement had comprehensive egalitarian objectives.
As such, raising the status of women formed an essential part of its
programme. The caste ideology had assigned to women, includeing
those of the upper castes, a low social position. In some respects they
were bracketed with the Sudras. Guru Nanak declared, “Why call her
bad from whom are born kings?” 104 Guru Amar Das abolished the
customs of Purdah and Satti; 105 and of the twenty-two manjis, dioceses
or preaching-districts, set up by him, some of them were headed by
women. 105a The mother of Jassa Singh, the supreme leader of the Sikhs
at one time, was a religious preacher. 105b Sukha Singh, who later became
the commander hero in the battle of Chota Ghalu Ghara, was ostracized
for some time by the Khalsa, because he or his wife were suspected of
having committed infanticide and thereby having violated the traditional
custom of the Khalsa. 106 The status of women raised by the movement