Introductory - Global Sikh Studies

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of the unflinching faith in the Guru, his mission and the religion, of
which, we reiterate, human freedom and equality are essential
ingredients.
When the Five Beloved Ones (Panj Pyaras) responded to the
call of Guru Gobind Singh and offered their lives to him, it was clearly
an act of implicit faith in him. In fact, the Guru gave the call in order
to test the faith of his men in the leader. The ideological basis of the
same as it was in the case of Bhai Mati Das and Bhai Dyala.
With the creation of the Khalsa and the progress of its armed
struggle, the ideological objectives and implications of the
revolutionary movement became clearly defined. It became plain that
the Sikh movement aimed at not only fighting religious and political
dictation, but also at capturing political power for itself. This aspect
of the movement grew to be its dominant feature. Consequently, it
became a significant element in the motivation of its participants.
Secondly, Guru Gobind Singh had identified himself with the Khalsa,
body and soul. Faith in the Guru became indistinguishable from faith
in the aims and objectives of the Khalsa. The Gurus had all along
been striving to transform faith in the person of Guru into faith in the
ideals the Gurus stood for. As the Khalsa stood for revolutionary
ideals, faith in the Guru mutated into faith in the revolutionary ideals
of the Khalsa. The plebian character of the Sikh movement had a
direct mass appeal. Therefore, it attracted into its fold a large number
of persons from the lower castes. In the post-Guru period, the source
of inspiration was the belief that the Khalsa, in which ‘the lowest
were equal with the highest’, 3 was bound to capture political power,
as the Guru himself had bestowed sovereignty on them. In the above
context, we give examples that show the spirit of self-sacrifice and
the tenacity of purpose which the revolutionary aspirations had
generated in the common people.
The two younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh, aged seven
and nine, were captured and brought to Sirhind. The governor
asked them: “Boys! What would you do if we were to give you
your liberty!” The boys answered : “We would collect our Sikhs,
supply them implements of war, fight with you and put you to