Introductory - Global Sikh Studies

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Ramgarhias. Even today they form a more well-to-do section of the
Sikh society than the Jats. Persons, like Jassa Singh, Sukha Singh and
others belonging to the low castes have creditably led the entire
community.
(e) Reversal of Caste Priorities
The Chuhras are the 'out-caste, par excellence of the Punjab,
whose name is popularly supposed to be corruption of Sudra.'18 As
such, they were about the most despised caste in the Punjab; mere
bodily contact with whom defiled a person of a higher caste. On
conversion to Sikhism, persons from this caste were given the honorific
title of Rangreta in order to raise them in public estimation, much in
the same way as depressed classes are now-a-days called Harijans. A
rhyme, 'Rangreta, Guru ka beta', meaning 'Rangreta is the son of the
Guru', current in the Punjab, 20 is an indication of the status to which
the Sikh movement sought to raise them. We have seen how Rangretas
(whose touch, had they remained in the caste society, defiled not only
the person but also the food he carried) were coequal members of the
Khalsa Dal, where they dined and fraternized, without discrimination,
with other Dal members drawn from Brahmins, Khatris, Jats and others.
When the Taruna Dal (the Youth wing of the Khalsa Dal) was
reorganized into five divisions, one of the these was under the
leadership of Bir Singh, Rangreta. It. was bestowed a standard flag
(Jhanda) from the Akal Takht in the same manner as was done in the
case of the other four divisions. 21 It was thus given an equal status
with them. When Ala Singh defeated the army of Malerkotla with the
help of the Khalsa Dal and offered horses to honour the Dal, the first
to receive the honour, as selected by the Dal, was Bir Singh, Rangreta. 22
And, when the revolutionary zeal subsided, the Sikhs from castes,
who had previously no hesitation in fraternizing with the Rangretas in
the Khalsa Dal, again started discriminating against them in the post-
Khalsa period. This contrast, in a way, highlights the achievement of
the movement during the Khalsa phase. True, this peak period lasted
for about only three quarters of a century after the Gurus left the
scene. But, idealism is rarely sustained for long periods, and we are
not aware of any idealistic movement in the world which lasted in its