Introductory - Global Sikh Studies

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(v)
‘Although life was promised to those who became
Muhammadans, not one prisoner proved false to his faith.
Could such depth of conviction be born out of tribal
consciousness of the Jats?
Qazi Nur Mohummad pays them tribute on two specific points
: that they were very strict in respecting the honour of women
and would not befriend thieves. It is on these very two counts
that the comments of later competent observers are
unfavourable to the Jats. What, if not Sikh ideology, brought
about this contrast in the cultural behaviour of the same
elements at different periods of their history?
(g) The Devi cult, the Jats and the Khalsa
Another hypothesis advanced is that the synthesis of the Devi
cult with the Jat culture had much to do with the evolution of the
militancy in the Panth, in inspiring it to deeds of valour and playing a
determining role in history.
This suggestion is self-contradictory. For, while, on the one hand,
it completely ignores the basic role played by the Gurus’ ideology in
the development of militancy in the Panth and the creation of the
Khalsa, on the other hand, it banks on an alien religious inspiration
that goaded the Jats to militarzie the movement and to fight zealously
for socio-religious causes. In other words, the argument concedes that
the Jat culture, left to itself, was incapable of galvanizing the Jats for
a purposeful military action. The assumption is not only very
conjectural, but misses all established facts:
(i) Guru Hargobind went to Kiratpur after having finished all this
battles in the plains. So the question of Jat Sikhs or Guru
Hargobind getting inspiration from the Devi cult becomes an
anachronism.
(ii)
When Guru Hargobind was at Kiratpur, one Sikh named Bahiro
cut off the nose of the Devi’s idol. When the hill Raja
complained to the Guru of this, the Sikh’s answer was, how
the Devi, that could not protect herself, could save others.
This indicates what respect the Sikhs had for the Devi.