Sikhs in Conflict and in Search of Nationhood
Over the centuries, the Punjab has tended to be a volatile region, marked by political and military strife. In the century following the death of Guru Gobind Singh in 1708, the Sikhs struggled through a period of especially violent confrontations with the Mughal Empire, eventually managing to establish independent rule.
Under the leadership of Ranjit Singh (1780-1839), who ascended to the throne in 1792, the Sikh community thrived as a sovereign kingdom in the Punjab. In 1849, the kingdom was annexed by the British, who had established control over India and had commenced the period known as the British Raj.When India gained independence from the British in 1947, the Punjab was divided, with India gaining control of the east and Pakistan gaining control of the west. Most Sikhs living in the western region migrated eastward, favoring the Hindu-dominated India over the Muslim- dominated Pakistan. These Sikhs left behind their traditional homeland and many significant sites, including Nanak’s birthplace.
All religious traditions feature important persons, in addition to founding figures, who have made significant contributions as innovators, institutional leaders, and so forth. Thinking of Sikhism’s nine successors to Guru Nanak, compare other religions on this issue of the contributions of important persons.
In recent times, a new nationalist movement for independence, commonly called “Khalistan,” has involved the Sikhs in conflict, both within and outside the Sikh community. The most violent tragedy of all took place in 1984 when, in an attempt to control the more radical aspects of the independence movement, the Indian government launched Operation Blue Star. This action culminated in the occupation of Sikh holy sites, most notably the Darbar Sahib (or Golden Temple), by Indian forces and the death of as many as 10,000 Sikhs. (Estimates of the death count vary widely, with various sources citing from 500 to 10,000.) This led to the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by two of her Sikh bodyguards on October 31,1984. Today, the Khalistan movement is not nearly as prevalent as it was in the 1980s. The fact that in 2004 a Sikh, Manmohan Singh, for the first time became India’s prime minister perhaps signals a new degree of assimilation of Sikhism within Indian society.