Introductory - Global Sikh Studies

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After his military successes, Banda aspired to become Guru and a
sovereign. The Tat Khalsa (the genuine Khalsa) parted company with
him and his followers, because the Guru had given.
‘Banda service and not sovereignty;
The sovereignty had been given to the Panth by
the Guru (Sacha Padshah) himself.’ 41
After Banda, Kapur Singh was elected as the leader of the Khalsa.
He was elected because he was, in those days, engaged in doing the
humble services like fanning the daily congregations of the Khalsa.
Kapur Singh showed his preference for the humble service he was
engaged in and entreated that he should be spared the honour that
was being conferred upon him. But, the leadership was virtually
imposed upon him. Kapur Singh, on becoming the leader, did nothing
without consulting the Khalsa.
‘Showed great respect towards the Singhs;
Did nothing without taking the Panth into confidence.
(He) engaged himself in humble service with even greater
vigour;
Great humility came to his mind.’ 42
With the end of Kapur Singh’s era, the revolutionary spirit started
waning. His successor was Jassa Singh ‘Kalal’, who was accepted
leader by the Khalsa on the advice of Kapur Singh. Jassa Singh had
very humble beginnings. ‘He joined the Panth as a beggar and
became its Patshah.’ 43 Here ‘Patshah’ does not mean sovereign
ruler; it means only a supreme leader. Jassa Singh struck coin in
his own name when the Khalsa conquered Lahore for the first time.
This was so much against the spirit of collective leadership of the
Khalsa, that a special convention was held, where it was decided
to recall that coin from circulation. 44 In its place, another coin struck
in the name of the Guru was substituted. Polier (1780) observed, ‘As
for the Government of the Siques, it is properly an aristocracy, in
which no pre-eminence is allowed except that which power and force
naturally gives; otherwise all the chiefs, great and small, and even the