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William Hewat McLeod (1932–2009; also Hew McLeod) was a New Zealand scholar who helped establish Sikh Studies as a distinctive field. [1] [2]Considered to be the most prominent Western historian of Sikhism, his publications had introduced higher criticism to Sikh sources for the first time and influenced generations of scholars.
Sikhs composed 18 percent of the Indian army and are the most decorated regiment in India. Sikhs composed majority of the Sikh Regiment, Sikh Light Infantry, Jat Regiment and Rajput Regiment. They fought in all Indo-Pakistani wars and conflicts and the Sino-Indian War and got many titles and gallantry awards.
Sikhism has been described as being either a panentheistic or monotheistic religion—emphasizing universal selflessness and brotherhood—founded in the 15th century upon the teachings of Guru Nanak and the ten succeeding Gurus. [1] [2] [3] It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world, [4] and one of the fastest-growing. [5]
The Sikhs are adherents to Sikhism, the fifth largest organized religion in the world, with around 25 million adherents. [1] Sikh History is around 500 years and in that time the Sikhs have developed unique expressions of art and culture which are influenced by their faith and synthesize traditions from many other cultures depending on the locality of the adherents of the religion.
Sikhism is a monotheistic and panentheistic religion. Sikhs believe that there exists only one God and that God is simultaneously within everything and is all-encompassing. The oneness of God is reflected by the phrase Ik Onkar. [19] [20] In Sikhism, the word for God is Waheguru (lit. ' wondrous teacher ').
The field is seen as beginning around the mid-20th century, during the time of the partition of the Indian subcontinent into two domains: Pakistan and India. [1] Literature in European languages regarding Sikhs and Sikhism has existed since the 18th century but the institutional environment did not exist at that period to further these inquiries and attempts into a proper field of study. [1]
Sikhism developed from the spiritual teachings of Guru Nanak (1469–1539), the faith's first guru, and the nine Sikh gurus who succeeded him. The tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh (1666–1708), named the Guru Granth Sahib, which is the central religious scripture in Sikhism, as his successor. This brought the line of human gurus to a close.
The term Khalsa [a] refers to both a community that follows Sikhism as its religion, [5] as well as a special group of initiated Sikhs. [6] The Khalsa tradition was initiated in 1699 by the Tenth Guru of Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh. Its formation was a key event in the history of Sikhism. [7]