Introductory - Global Sikh Studies

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hatred or class war; for this would be opposed to the Sikh thesis which
is fundamentally based on universal love. God prevades all hearts
and there is nothing that is intrinsically or permanently bad. All fight
against evil is to be based on love in its comprehensive sense and not
on hatred. It is a historical fact that the Sikh code of war did not
permit attacking a person who had laid down his arms, or one who
became a fugitive from the battle field. ‘It is true they seldom kill in
cold blood or make slaves.’ 1 The aim was to bring the erring person or
persons on the right path. Forgiveness is one of the virtues on which
great stress is laid in Sikhism. But this does not mean that if persons,
groups or governments do not desist from their evil course, they are
not to be fought against and are to be allowed a free run to harm the
society. The ultimate good of the society as a whole is the criterion for
judging all social action.
Revolutionary changes in social, political or economic systems
can rarely, if every, be brought about without using force. And power
in the final analysis means political and military power. The Gurus
wanted to bring about revolutionary changes. It was for this purpose
that Guru Gobind Singh created the Khalsa in order to capture political
power for a plebian mission. He did not depend upon the privileged
castes or classes to bring this about. He wanted the downtrodden,
degraded and despised sections of the society to work out their own
destiny. As it is an important issue, we refer to the original evidence
in some detail.
Samarth Ram Das, the preceptor of Shivaji, met Guru Hargobind
and questioned him : “You are wearing arms and keeping an army and
horses. You have yourself called Sacha Padshah — A True King.
What sort of a Sadhu are you?” Guru Hargobind said : “Internally a
hermit, and externally a prince; arms mean protection for the poor
and destruction for the tyrant.”1a Here the Guru links the arming of
the Panth distinctly with a plebian purpose. This piece of testimony is
very important because the meeting of the Guru and Ramdas is
confirmed by a Maratha source.1b
The overt military action of the Sikh movement against
the rulers started when the Sikh captured the hawk of Emperor