Introductory - Global Sikh Studies

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3. Open declaration of Revolution
When the head of Guru Teg Bahadur was brought to Guru
Gobind Singh at Anadpur, he asked, how many Sikhs had sacrificed
themselves along with Guru Teg Bahadur? He was told only two
Sikhs sacrificed themselves. The Guru remarked, ‘But the Sikhs are
many in number?’ The answer given was, ‘All turned their back to the
faith. All slipped back in the populace. There was no distinguishing
mark for a Sikh to prevent that happening.’ This provoked the guru to
say,’ ‘I shall assign such distinguishing marks to the Sikhs that a Sikh
would be recognizable even among thousands.’ 7 Guru Gobind Singh
proceeded to create the Khalsa, an armed body of revolutionaries,
who were to carry out the revolution ‘by the open profession thereof.’
On being baptized, i.e. on being initiated as a member of the Khalsa,
a Sikh became a Singh. A Singh had to carry fixed distinguishing marks,
especially hair, which he could not discard so long as he wanted to
remain a Singh. So he was recognizable even among thousands, by
friends and foes alike. Thus each and every Singh was made not only
an instrument of the declared revolution, but also it standard bearer.
It was in 1675 AD that the Guru expressed his intention of
assigning distinguishing marks to the Sikhs. He gave it a practical
shape, by creating the Khalsa, in 1699, 24 years later. This shows a
long-term plan and preparation. Guru Hargobind’s battles had not
been in vain. These inspired ‘the Sikhs with self-confidence and gave
them an exalted sense of their own worth.’ Guru Har Rai and Guru
Teg Bahadur had kept regular forces, but that remained primarily a
period of truce. And, there was not a radical change in the political
situation. Aurangzeb confronted the non-Muslims with an undisguised
religious and political challenge. He started undermining even the
position of his loyal Rajput allies. This challenge could be met only
by a direction confrontation and by pitching against the power of the
state the power of the masses. Guru Gobind Singh, therefore, made
an open declaration of revolution and started arming the general body
of the Panth7a with a view to creating a large force or revolutionaries.
As Bhangu has rightly put it, the Guru ‘first increased the number of
the Khalsa, and then started the revolution. 8