The Sikh sects of Afghanistan
A description of the various Sikh sects that were once found in Afghanistan.
The growth of Sikhs in Afghanistan historically came from a wide variety of factors, from the Gurus’ constant influence to occupational migration from the Silk Road, where large communities of Sikhs once existed. As a result of this, religious diversity among Afghan Sikhs was once commonplace, with evidence of Udasi, Sevak, Suthra Shahi and Bedi establishments. This article seeks to describe the religious heterodoxy that once existed among Afghan Sikhs.
Udasis
Udasis were a sect thought to be established by Sri Chand, the son of Guru Nanak. The main difference between them and mainstream Sikhs was their asceticism and celibacy. Although they were a different sect, they would act as the missionaries of Sikhi, propagating Sikhi throughout the subcontinent.
During the 16th-17th century, Bhai Almast was appointed as a preacher by Baba Gurditta, the eldest son of Guru Hargobind. He went to Puri and created the Gurudwara Mangu Math. According to folk tradition, he travelled to Afghanistan to propagate Sikhi to the sangat there. Dr Ganda Singh’s ‘Afghanistan Da Safar’ references the origins behind the creation of the Sri Chand gurudwara in Kabul by Bhai Almast:
ਇਹ ਗੁਰੂਦੁਆਰਾ ਬਾਬਾ ਅਲਮਸਤ ਜੀ ਨੇ ਇਥੇ ਆ ਕੇ ਕਾਇਮ ਕੀਤਾ ਸੀ । ਇਹ ਮਹਾਤਮਾ ਬਾਬਾ ਸਿਰੀ ਚੰਦ ਦੀ ਉਦਾਸੀ ਸੰਪਰਦਾਇ ਦੇ ਉਘੇ ਸਾਧੂ ਹੋਏ ਜੋ ਇਕ ਉਦਾਸੀ ਧੂੰਏ ਦੇ ਮੁਖੀ ਸਨ । […] ਕਾਬੁਲ ਵਿਚ ਬਾਬਾ ਸਿਰੀ ਚੰਦ ਦੀ ਧਰਮਸਾਲ ਭੀ ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੀ ਹੀ ਕਾਇਮ ਕੀਤੀ ਹੋਈ ਪਰਸਿੱਧ ਹੈ ।
This gurudwara was established by Baba Almast Ji. He was a well-known sadhu from Mahatma Sri Chand’s Udasi sampradaya, and was the leader of his own Udasi denomination. […] In Kabul, Baba Sri Chand’s dharamshala was established by him.
Udasis were split into various sub-denominations too, including Suthra Shahis (mentioned later) and Ganj Bakhshiye. Baba Ganj Bakhsh of Gurdaspur was an Udasi sent to Kabul for parchar, who began propagating Sikhi in the time of Guru Amar Das. A gurudwara named after him was also found in Kabul with Udasi traditions carried on.
Since Udasis acted as missionaries of Sikhi, they were perhaps the first contact of Afghans to Sikhi and created institutions that existed for hundreds of years, to ensure the longevity of Sikhi in Afghanistan.
Suthra Shahis
Suthra Shahis were a sect that followed Suthra Shah, a disciple of Guru Hargobind, that comprised of vagrants. They wore a cap on their head, a black tilak on their forehead and two sticks for soliciting alms. Under Sarkar-i-Khalsa, Suthra Shahis were patronised heavily, having a dharamshala just outside the walled city of Lahore and another dharamshala at Katas Raj. Alongside these, Suthra Shahi dharamshalas could be found in Jaunpur and South India too. They eventually became extinct, due to their growing debauchery.
According to Randhir Singh’s ‘Udasi Sikhan Di Vithia’, Suthra Shah’s second disciple, Bhai Jhunja Shah, stole a pothi and took it to Kandahar and started propagating Sikhi there:
ਭਾਈ ਸੁਥਰੇ ਸ਼ਾਹ ਦਾ ਦੂਜਾਂ ਚੇਲਾ ਭਾਈ ਝੂੰਜਾ ਸ਼ਾਹ- ਜੋ ਭਾਈ ਜਾਦੋ ਜੇਠੇ ਚੇਲੇ ਦੇ ਦੇਹਾਂਤ ਮਗਰੋ ਗੱਦੀ ਦਾ ਹੱਕਦਾਰ ਸੀ; 'ਗੁਰੂ' ਬਣਨ ਲਈ ਕੁਝ ਕਾਹਲਾ ਪੈ ਗਿਆ । ਗੂਰੂ ਜੀ ਦੀ ਬਖਸ਼ੀ ਪੋਥੀ ਤੇ ਮਾਲਾ-ਜਿਸ ਨੂੰ ਉਹ ਅੱਜ਼ਮਤ ਦਾ ਖਜ਼ਾਨਾ ਸਮਝਦਾ ਸੀ - ਚੋਰੀ ਚੁੱਕ ਕੇ ਨੱਸ ਗਿਆਂ । ਇਸ ਮੁਲਕ ਵਿੱਚ ਪਹੁੰਚ ਕੇ, ਸਿੱਖ ਧਰਮ ਦਾ ਪੁਚਾਰ ਕਰਦਾ ਰਿਹਾ। ਓੜਕ ਕੰਧਾਰ ਸ਼ਹਿਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਧਰਮਸਾਲਾ ਸਥਾਪਨ ਕਰਕੇ, ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰੀ ਧਰਮ ਦੇ ਪੁਚਾਰ ਦਾ ਕੇਦਰ ਬਣਾਇਆ, ਜੋ ਅਜੇ ਤੱਕ ਬਹਾਲ ਹੈ।
Bhai Suthra Shah’s second disciple, Bhai Jhunja Shah, who was next in line for the gaddi after the death of Bhai Jado, the first disciple; there was a rush to become ‘Guru'. He took Guru ji’s blessed pothi and rosary, which he considered a grand treasure, and absconded. After arriving in this country (Afghanistan), he started propagating Sikhi. Eventually, he created a gurudwara in Kandahar for the establishment of Sikhi, which is still standing.
This same gurudwara is mentioned in Dr Ganda Singh’s ‘Afghanistan Da Safar’. He visited this Suthra Shahi gurudwara and noted its mahant lineage going back 150 to 200 years. From the first mahant Baba Kangal Shah to the eighth mahant in 1952, Baba Hari Shah, who would do katha of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji every morning. From the seven previous mahants, six of them had existing samadhs near the gurudwara.
Singh Sabha
The origin of modern Singh Sabha ideology came in the early 1900s with parcharaks such as Akali Kaur Singh. Eventually Singh Sabha gurudwaras began to be established. There were 12 Singh Sabha gurudwaras in the province of Nangarhar, 5 in Laghman, 1 in Kabul, 4 in Parwan and 2 in Kunduz. These gurudwaras were all affiliated with the Chief Khalsa Diwan in Amritsar.
The book ‘Jiwan Birtant Akali Kaur Singh’ by Bhagwant Attar Singh mentions how Akali Kaur Singh began to propagate Sikhi and pacified a mob of angry Pathans:
ਅਕਾਲੀ ਜੀ ਨੇ ਘਰ-ਘਰ ਜਾ ਕੇ ਗੁਰਮਤਿ ਪ੍ਰਚਾਰ ਕੀਤਾ। ਜਿਥੇ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰੇ ਨਹੀਂ ਸਨ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰੇ ਬਣਾਏ ਅਤੇ ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਪ੍ਰਵਾਹ ਚਲਾ ਦਿੱਤੇ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਚਾਰ ਨਾਲ ਕੁਝ ਮੁਤਅਸਬੀ ਮੌਲਵੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਤਕਲੀਫ ਹੋਈ, ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੇ ਸਿੱਖਾਂ ਦੇ ਖਿਲਾਫ ਸਾਜ਼ਿਸ਼ਾਂ ਕੀਤੀਆਂ, ਜਿਸ ਦੇ ਨਤੀਜੇ ਵਜੋਂ ਕੁਝ ਲੋਕ ਸਿੱਖਾਂ ਦੇ ਖਿਲਾਫ ਉੱਠ ਖੜ੍ਹੇ ਹੋਏ। ਅਕਾਲੀ ਜੀ ਨੇ ਵਧਦੇ ਪਠਾਣੀ ਹਜੂਮ ਨੂੰ […] ਸਮਝਾ-ਬੁਝਾ ਕੇ ਆਪਸੀ ਸੇਲ-ਮਿਲਾਪ ਦਾ ਵਾਤਾਵਰਣ ਪੈਦਾ ਕੀਤਾ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਚਾਰ ਸਦਕਾ ਕਈ ਸਹਿਜਧਾਰੀ ਵੀਰ ਕੇਸਾਧਾਰੀ ਅਤੇ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਧਾਰੀ ਬਣੇ।
Akali ji went house to house preaching Sikhi. Where there were no gurudwaras, gurudwaras were constructed and thusly, gurbani flowed from them. With his preaching, some zealous maulvis were bothered, who began to create conspiracies against the Sikhs, which led to antagonism towards Sikhs. Akali ji pacified the growing Pathan mob […] and created an atmosphere of harmony. Due to his propagation of Sikhi, many Sehajdhari brothers started keeping their hair or became Amritdhari.
The first amrit sanchars took place under the influence of Akali Kaur Singh, turning Sehajdharis and Hindu Khatris into Amritdhari Sikhs. Eventually, the Khalsa Diwan Afghanistan was created for Sikhi to be propagated throughout Afghanistan as a means to organise Sikhs. One decision they made was to open schools with gurudwaras to maintain a high standard of written Gurmukhi amongst children.
Bedis
Bedis were the clan from which Guru Nanak originated from. As such, they enjoyed religious privileges, especially under Sarkar-i-Khalsa. Sahib Singh Bedi, the tenth direct descendant of Guru Nanak, is known for coronating Maharaja Ranjit Singh as king. After the fall of Sarkar-i-Khalsa, his great grandson, Khem Singh Bedi, was patronised by the British and inherited most of his previous jagirs.
Gurbaksh Singh Bedi, the son of Khem Singh Bedi, would go on to assist in the creation of a gurudwara in Kabul. According to Dr Ganda Singh’s ‘Afghanistan Da Safar’:
ਇਹ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਬਾਬਾ ਗੁਰਬਖਸ਼ ਸਿੰਘ ਬੇਦੀ ਦੇ ਇਥੇ ਦਰਸ਼ਨ ਦੇਣ ਸਮੇਂ ਤੋਂ ਚਲਿਆ ਆ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ। ਆਪਣੇ ਪਿਤਾ ਸਰ ਬਾਬਾ ਖੇਮ ਸਿੰਘ ਜੀ ਬੇਦੀ ਦੀ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਇਹ ਭੀ ਸਿੱਖੀ ਪਰਚਾਰ ਲਈ ਦੂਰ-ਦੂਰ ਦੌਰੇ ਕਰਦੇ ਰਹੇ ਹਨ। ਇਸੇ ਲਈ ਹੀ ਇਹ ਕਾਬਲ ਆਏ ਸਨ।
This gurudwara has been running since Baba Gurbaksh Singh Bedi visited. Similar to his father, Baba Khem Singh Bedi, he too embarked on long expeditions for the propagation of Sikhi. This is why he came to Kabul.
Gurbaksh Singh Bedi and his father, Khem Singh Bedi, both were involved in large-scale parchar missions across the hinterlands of Punjab, the Khyber and Afghanistan. He was heavily involved in the Singh Sabha missions to Afghanistan, alongside Akali Kaur Singh. According to Inderjeet Singh’s ‘Afghan Hindus and Sikhs’, the Amir Nadir Khan became friends with Gurbaksh Singh Bedi. When the throne was briefly usurped, Gurbaksh Singh Bedi allowed him to reside in Rawalpindi. The Bedi-Amir friendship continued with their children as Amir Zahir Khan came to India to meet Brigadier Arvinder Singh Bedi.
Saran Singh Bedi was the headmaster of the Guru Nanak dharmic school, residing right next to the Baba Gurbaksh Singh Bedi gurudwara. Bedis played a large role in creating Sikh educational institutions; Khem Singh Bedi was known for his educational patronage, helping create 50 schools across Punjab.
Sevaks
The Sevaks were those now described as Sehajdharis. The word Sevak comes from their extensive seva and their reverence for the Guru. Dr Ganda Singh in ‘Afghanistan Da Safar’ describes the sangat of Kabul comprising of Sevaks and Sikhs:
ਫਾਸਲਾ ਦੂਰ ਹੋਣ ਕਰਕੇ ਜੋ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਆ ਕਿ ਸਿੰਘ ਨਾ ਸਜ ਸਕੇ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਵਿਚੋਂ ਕਈਆਂ ਨੇ ਉਥੇ ਹੀ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਛਕ ਲਿਆ । ਫੇਰ ਭੀ ਕੁਝ ਟਬਰ ਐਂਸੇ ਰਹਿ ਗਏ ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਵਿਚੋਂ ਕੋਈ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਧਾਰੀ ਨਾ ਹੋ ਸਕਿਆ,ਪਰ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਸਿਖੀ ਸਿਦਕ ਤੇ ਭਰੋਸੇ ਵਿਚ ਕੋਈ ਫ਼ਰਕ ਨਾ ਆਇਆ। ਉਹ ਹੁਣ ਤਕ “ਸੇਵਕ” ਕਰਕੇ ਪਰਸਿਧ ਹਨ । ਇਹ ਸਿਖੀ ਵਿਚ ਪਰਪੱਕ ਹਨ ਅਤੇ ਧਰਮ ਕਰਮ ਦੀਆਂ ਸਭ ਗੱਲਾਂ ਸਖੀ ਰਹੁ ਰੀਤ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ ਕਰਦੈ ਹਨ । ਕੇਵਲ ਸ਼੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਹੀ ਇਨਾਂ ਦਾ ਇਸ਼ਟ ਹੈ ।
Due to distance, the Singhs who could not come to Punjab just took amrit there. There were still some families where there were no Amritdharis but their belief and respect for Sikhi was unwavering. These people are called ‘Sevaks'. They are firm in faith and live their life according to Sikh ideals. Only Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji is their deity.
Although they lived according to Sikh principles, many of them later on began to go to mandirs and would have dual beliefs in local Afghan Hindu saints. Many of the Sevaks now would be categorised as Hindus but it doesn’t prevent from having firm belief in Sikhi; many of whom do nitnem on a regular basis.