Introductory - Global Sikh Studies

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by Kinds and nobles were abolished for the people. The lowest of the
low-bred ad the meanest of the mean people got elevated to high
government positions. The nobility and gradees retired to secluded
places on account of the elimination of their tribe. The progeny, i.e.
the nobility, left the (course) of learning and literature and picked up
the life-style of the low-breds The (blind) pursuit of such manners led
to insurrection and a number of local chieftains sprang up. These
chieftains do not molest the mass of the people. Chieftainship not
divided into each house and the zamindar of each village became a
commandant. Now this mischief has proliferated to such an extent
that each family has one or two Singhs. There must be around 2 lakhs
of Singhs in the Punjab. Many of them are in service, others are settled
in their homes and earn their livelihood through small scale industry,
trade and agriculture. The supremacy of these people began with effect
from the Bikrami year one thousand and eight hundred and twentyfour,
i.e. 40 years ago. During this period many persons belonging to this
sect have risen from penury to regal status and due to the accidents of
fate have stretched their feet in the sheet of changes. Thus has appeared
all this concourse of the Khalsa chiefs in the country of the Punjab...” 65a
Here is a translation of one extract taken from ‘Imadud-Saadat’
written by Syed Ghulam Ali Khan:
‘To cut the matter short, at present, the whole country of the
Punjab... is in the possession of this community and most of their
exalted leaders are of low origin, such as carpenters, animal skintreaters
and Jats. 65b
The author of Haqiqat writes (1784-85): ‘Sikhan b istiklal-i-taman
mulk-ra abad kar dand w firqa-i-sipahi w ashraf hama ra wiren sakhtand w
rayyat w ahl-i-hirfa ra razi kardand’.
‘On attaining power the Sikhs repopulated the whole country.
They dispersed the ashraf (the privileged feudal classes), and the firqai-sipahi
(the soldier class represented by mansabdars and faujdars) and
conciliated the rayyat (the tillers of the soil) and the ahl-i-hirfa (the
* The parts given in Italics in this para are either blurred in the original
or their meaning is not quite clear.