Introductory - Global Sikh Studies

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ideology and the caste system. Jainism compromised with caste in
order to save itself from orthodox persecution. 1 Buddhist ideology
struck at the roots of the caste by severing from Vedic scriptural
authority and the prerogatives based on birth. But, the Buddhist did
not abolish castes. Rather, they fully acknowledged it as a social
institution. 2 Lord Buddha and Asoka’s edicts inculcated veneration
for the Brahmins. Some of the medieval Bhaktas were anit-caste, but
they stopped short at declaring their ideological stand. The Castesystem
was not merely an ideology; it was a social system. A social
system can be supplanted only by another social system. The Radical
Bhaktas, somehow, did not proceed to work in a deliberate and a
planned manner to break away from the caste society and to build a
new one outside it. Only the Sikh Gurus did it (Chapter XI).
(d) The Status of Women
The low position assigned to women by the caste society needs
no further comments. Digambra Jainism considered that women had
to be reborn as men before they could attain their ultimate liberation.
Buddhism declared that a monk was not to lend a helping hand to a
woman even if his own mother or wife was drowning. 3 The Pope
declared in the year 1979 that the Christian tradition prohibited the
ordination of women as priests. 4 Islam’s attitude towards women-folk
is well-known. The French Revolution throughout excluded women
from the right of franchise. 5 When Guru Amar Das organized diocese
for the spread of Sikh religion, women were made in-charge of these
along with men. 6 Mai Bhago rallied those revolutionaries who had
faltered from their revolutionary resolve and led them in the battle of
Khidrana (Mukatsar). The Islamic Shariat interdicted against entrusting
government to women, 7 but Sikh women became the leaders of Missals
in the post-revolutionary period. (Chapter XI).
(e) Social Fraternization
The degree of social equality and fraternization achieved by the
Sikh movement during its revolutionary phase was indeed remarkable
(Chap. XI). Not only the Sikhs regarded each other as brothers (Bhai),