Sikhism

Given that the Sikh way of life is based on the teachings of the ten Gurus and their writings in the Guru Granth Sahib, do an analysis of the conduct of Sikhs of the 18th and 19th centuries (1708-1890) in terms of their life style practices rating how they measure against Sikh teachings? Quote examples of compliance (there are over ten such examples) or non-compliance (less than five) in your answer.

In 1708 Guru Gobind Singh’s death marks the end of over two hundred years of human Gurus in the Sikh religion. After his death, Punjab is plagued by a period of great political upheaval and turmoil (Singh 1983). For the many Sikhs, this is a time of grim trial and also of supreme moral exaltation, which comes from their heroic struggle for their faith and their perseverance in meeting the challenge of a sustained and fierce persecution (Singh 1983).

The nineteenth century is marked with the arrival of Ranjit Singh, chosen by the Sarbat Khalsa, as the new Maharaja; the Sikh kingdom lasts from 1799-1849. Later, Queen Victoria assumes direct rule over the entire India sub-continent in 1857 as a colony, ending British East India Company’s control. All throughout both centuries, the Sikhs match situations with a rare power of endurance, and sanctify this period of their history with deeds of unparalleled sacrifice and courage. The Sikh character presents in this testing time its truest aspect and complies to the teachings of the ten Gurus and their writings in the Guru Granth Sahib.

This essay examines how the Sikh lifestyle practices measure against the Sikh teachings in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. I focus on examples of compliance and non-compliance of the Sikh teachings which arise during these centuries of political mayhem, and more specifically, I look at the Sikh ethics and values to compare and contrast the conducts of the Sikhs in Punjab’s eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. I provide anecdotal reports and evidence gathered from Sikh literature...