Introduction

Sikhism in Pakistan has a rich history and legacy. Sikhism is one of the major religions in the world that originated in the Indian Subcontinent. It has a significant presence in India, but it is also practised by millions of people living outside India. Pakistan, which shares a border with India and has a predominantly Muslim population, is home to several thousand Sikhs who practice their religion peacefully. 

Even though there is currently a small Sikh community in Pakistan, Sikhism in Pakistan has a rich history and legacy. The majority of Sikhs reside in Punjab, which is a component of the broader Punjab region and where the religion first emerged in the Medieval Ages. Several Sikhs also call Peshawar in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province home. Punjab state in Pakistan is home to Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. Moreover, the Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib, where Guru Nanak Dev passed away, is situated in the same province. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Sikh community rose to prominence in Punjab, with Sikh leader Maharaja Ranjit Singh establishing the Sikh Empire, with its capital in Lahore, Pakistan.

Historical Background of Sikhism

The Sikh Religion was founded by Baba Guru Nanak, and the birthplace of Sikhism’s founder, Guru Nanak (1469–1539), was the village of Rai Bhoi di Talwand, now known as Nankana Sahib (in present-day Pakistan). His parents were Hindu Khatris from Punjab.[2] As a young kid, Nanak was attracted by religion and spiritual things, spending time with roaming ascetics and holy men, according to the hagiography Puratan Janamsakhi, which was written more than two centuries after his death and was likely based on oral tradition. He had a Muslim companion named Mardana. Together, they would perform devotional songs in front of the people all night long, and then take a morning dip in the river. When Nanak vanished one day during his routine bath, his family assumed he had perished in the water. “There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim,” he proclaimed upon his return to his house three days later (“na koi hindu na koi musalmn”).[3] After that, Nanak began to spread the principles that would later become known as Sikhism. At the age of 50, Guru Nanak founded a tiny community at Kartarpur, where his followers later adopted the name Sikhs.

Although the details of his itinerary are disputed, hagiographic accounts claim he travelled thousands of miles on five significant trips: the first was to the east, towards Bengal and Assam; the second was to the south, towards Andhra and Tamil Nadu; the third was to the north, towards Kashmir, Ladakh, and Mount Sumeru in Tibet; and the fourth was to Baghdad. He went back to the banks of the Ravi River for his last and only tour, where he passed away.[4]

The Bhakti movement influenced the development of Sikhism; however, Sikhism was not simply an extension of the Bhakti movement. Sikhism, for example, disagreed with some of the Bhakti saints Kabir and Ravidas’ views. Sikhism arose during the reign of the Mughal Empire in the region. The Mughal rulers tortured and executed two Sikh Gurus, Guru Arjan and Guru Tegh Bahadur, for refusing to convert to Islam. The persecution of Sikhs during the Islamic era prompted the establishment of the Khalsa as a religious and moral order. A Sikh is expected to possess the characteristics of a “Sant-Sipahi” – a saint-soldier.[5]

Sikhism in Punjab during Colonial Period

Before Pakistan’s independence in 1947, 2 million Sikhs lived in the country, primarily in the Punjab region, and played an important role in the country’s economy as farmers, businessmen, and traders. The largest cities in Punjab, such as Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Lyallpur, had sizable Sikh populations. Lahore, the capital of Punjab, was and still is the location of many important Sikh religious and historical sites, including Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Samadhi, also known as Sher-e-Punjab. Ranjit Singh, also known as the Lion of Punjab, was a legendary Sikh ruler who founded the Sikh Empire in 1799. He was passionate about uniting Sikhs under one banner.

 Nankana Sahib, a nearby town with nine Gurudwaras, is the birthplace of Sikhism’s founder, Guru Nanak Sahib. Each gurdwara in Nankana Sahib is associated with a different event in Guru Nanak Dev’s life. The town is still a popular pilgrimage destination for Sikhs all over the world. Sikh organisations, including Chief Khalsa Dewan and the Shiromani Akali Dal led by Master Tara Singh, condemned the Lahore Resolution and the movement to create Pakistan, viewing it as inviting potential persecution; the Sikhs were thus largely opposed to India’s partition.

Following Pakistan’s independence in 1947, a large number of Sikhs and Hindus from the Pakistani provinces of West Punjab and Sindh fled to India. The Sikh and Hindu refugee groups have had a significant impact on Delhi, the capital of India, in terms of both culture and economy. Present-day residents of East Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi, including former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, can trace their genealogy to cities and villages that are now in Pakistan.[6]

Sikhism in Pakistan

Sikhs have largely maintained a low profile among Pakistan’s overwhelmingly Muslim populace.[7] Even though Pakistan still calls itself an Islamic state, non-Muslim citizens are guaranteed religious freedom under articles 20, 21, and 22 of chapter 2 of its constitution.[8] Since Pakistan declared independence in 1947, relations between its minorities and the country’s Muslim majority have been fair and politically stable. With only a few parliamentary seats set aside for minority members, Pakistan maintained a system of separate electorates for all of its national legislative assemblies from 1984 to 2002. Only officially recognized minority candidates were eligible for minorities to vote in the general elections.

Although the administration of previous President General Pervez Musharraf had proclaimed a commitment to equality for minorities and the promotion and preservation of minority rights, corrective action has been reluctant to come into effect. A sizeable Sikh population can be found in Karachi’s Ranchore Lines neighbourhood of Narayanpura.[9]  The Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, an arm of the Pakistani government, is in charge of maintaining and preserving the ancient and sacred Sikh monuments.

Development of the Sikhism in Pakistan

After the independence of Pakistan and the exodus of practically all Sikhs to India, the Sikh community’s rights were drastically eroded as their population dropped. At Peshawar, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, where the Pashtun law of “nanawati” (protection) averted the degree of violence that had raged across the Indus River in Punjab, the largest urban Sikh population in Pakistan may be found today. The Pashtuns were accepting of the Sikh religious minority despite long-standing hostilities between the Sikh and Muslim communities in South Asia. Sikhs live in isolated communities in Lahore and Nankana Sahib, both in Punjab.[10]

Due to the violent civil war and conflicts that have decimated neighbouring Afghanistan, there has been an inflow of Sikh refugees from Afghanistan to Pakistan; many of these Sikhs have settled in Peshawar. Similar to Pakistan, Afghanistan once had tiny Sikh and Hindu minorities. During the previous 30 years of unrest leading up to the Taliban’s rule and the US invasion of Afghanistan that followed in late 2001, there has been a significant exodus of refugees from Afghanistan into Pakistan. Several of Afghanistan’s minority populations, centred mostly in the cities of Kabul, Kandahar, and Jalalabad, have emigrated due to Pakistan’s porous borders with that country, and some Sikhs have joined their brethren in Peshawar and Lahore.[11]

The Sikh community in Pakistan has recently been working hard to advance the country. Hercharn Singh, for instance, was the first Sikh to enlist in the Pakistani Army. A Sikh has been chosen into Pakistan’s army for the first time in its 58-year history. The Pakistani Christian community has prominently served in the Pakistan Armed Forces, with some even rising to the ranks of Major Generals in the army, Air Vice Marshals in the Pakistan Air Force, and rear Admirals in the Pakistan Navy. PBeforeHarcharan Singh’s selection in the Pakistani army, no individual person who was a member of the Hindu or Sikh community had ever been enrolled in the army.[12]

It has garnered many honours for heroism and valour. Moreover, there is some representation of the small Parsi community in the armed forces. Inspector Amarjeet Singh of the Pakistan Rangers and Lance-naik Behram Singh of the Pakistan Coast Guard are two other well-known Sikhs. The Sikh Marriage Act, which enables Sikh weddings in Pakistan to be recorded, was proposed by the Pakistani government in 2007. Yet it failed to pass. The Anand Karaj Act was passed by the Punjab Legislative Assembly in 2017, allowing Sikh marriages to be recorded there. The Sindh Hindu Marriage Act of 2016 mandates that Sikh marriages in the province of Sindh be recorded.[13]

Demographics of Sikhism in Pakistani 

There were 6,146 Sikhs registered in Pakistan in 2012, according to the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) of the Pakistani government.[14] According to a 2010 poll by the Sikh Resource and Research Centre, Pakistan is home to 50,000 Sikhs. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is where most people have settled, followed by Sindh and Punjab. There may be as many as 20,000 Sikhs living in Pakistan, according to other sources, including the US Department of State. According to Gurpal Singh, who was quoted in a December 2022 news item, there are between 30,000 and 35,000 Sikhs in Pakistan, and they would be counted separately in the approaching 2023 Census of Pakistan.[15]

Sikhism in Punjab

The Sikh population in West Punjab, which makes up modern-day Punjab, Pakistan, was estimated at 1,530,112 as of the 1941 census, or 8.82 % of the overall population. The West Punjab region’s largest Sikh concentrations at the district level were in the districts of Sheikhupura (18.85% of the total population, or 160,706 people), Lyallpur (18.82%, or 262,737 people), Lahore (18.32%, or 310,646 people), Montgomery (13.17 %, or 175,064 people), and Sialkot (11.71% or 139,409 people).

Sikhism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Before the partition in 1947, during the British India colonial era, the Federally Administered Tribal Territories were not included in decadal censuses that counted religion. Later, these administrative regions were combined to form Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The Sikh population in North-West Frontier Province, which is a portion of the area that makes up modern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was estimated to be 57,939 in 1941 or 1.9% of the overall population:

The highest Sikh populations were found in Peshawar District (2.82 %of the total population, or 24,030 people), Mardan District (2.34%, or 11,838 people), and Bannu District, which were all districts of North-West Frontier Province (2.07 %or 6,112 persons)

Sikhism in Baluchistan

The Sikh population in the Baluchistan agency, which makes up modern-day Balochistan, Pakistan, was 12,044, or 1.4 % of the overall population, according to the census taken in 1941. The Baluchistan Agency’s largest Sikh concentrations were found in the districts and princely states of Quetta-Pishin District (5.62% of the total population, or 8,787 people), Bolan District (3.06%, or 184 people), Zhob District (1.75%, or 1,076 people), Loralai District (1.34%, or 1,124 people), Chaghai District (0.6%, or 181 people), Mardan District (2.34%, or 11, (2.07 % or 6,112 persons).

Sikh Gurdwaras in Pakistan

Baba Bair

Baba Beri is another name for Gurdawara Bair Sahib, which is located in Sialkot, Pakistan. It was the location of Baba Guru Nanak’s accommodation and their meeting with Hamza Ghaus, a revered Sialkot saint. There is still the berry tree where Guru Nanak slept. Natha Singh constructed the gurdwara, which has a lawn, a swimming pool, and residential quarters. In the 2010s, the gurdwara underwent renovation and was made accessible to pilgrims.[16]

Darbar Sahib Gurdwara Kartarpur

Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, commonly known as Kartarpur Sahib, is a gurdwara in the Punjab region of Pakistan’s Shakargarh, Narowal District. It was constructed on the place where Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, convened the Sikh community after his 18-year life, which included missionary treks to Haridwar, Mecca-Medina, Lanka, Baghdad, Kashmir, and Nepal. Together with the Golden Temple in Amritsar and Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib, it is one of the holiest places in the Sikh religion.

Another noteworthy feature of the gurdwara is its proximity to the Pakistan-India border. From the Indian side of the border, one can see the shrine. During darshan or sacred viewing of the location, Indian Sikhs congregate in great numbers on bluffs on the Indian side of the border. Imran Khan, the prime minister of Pakistan, officially opened the Kartarpur Corridor on November 9, 2019, the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and just a few days before Guru Nanak’s 550th birthday. This significant event officially made it possible for Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit the Pakistani site without a visa. Furthermore, it is stated to be the biggest gurdwara in the entire world.[17]

Gurdwara Dera Sahib

 Dera Sahib is a gurudwara in Lahore, Pakistan, honours the site of the 1606 martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth guru of Sikhism. The gurdwara is part of a group of landmarks that includes the Lahore Fort, the Samadhi of Ranjit Singh, the Hazuri Bagh quadrangle, Roshnai Gate, and the Badshahi Mosque and is situated close to the Lahore Walled City.

Samadhi of Ranjit Singh

The funeral urns of the Sikh Maharaja Ranjit Singh are kept in a 19th-century edifice called the Samadhi of Ranjit Singh in Lahore, Pakistan (1780 – 1839). It is close to the Lahore Fort, the Badshahi Mosque, and the Gurdwara Dera Sahib, the site of the passing of Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth guru of the Sikh religion. After the ruler’s passing in 1839, his son and successor, Maharaja Kharak Singh, began construction, which he finished nine years later. To the south, it looks over Ranjit Singh’s Hazuri Bagh.

Gurdwara Janam Asthan

The Janam Asthan Guru Ram Das Gurdwara is located in Lahore, Pakistan. The gurdwara was built on what was once thought to be the birthplace and childhood home of Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh guru.

Gurdwara Janam Asthan

Gurdwara Janam Asthan, also known as Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, is a highly revered gurdwara located on the site where Sikhism’s founder, Guru Nanak, was born. Nankana Sahib, Punjab, Pakistan, is the location of the shrine. The shrine is in the town of Nankana Sahib, about 65 kilometres from Lahore. Previously known as Ri Bhoi K Talva, Nankana Sahib was eventually renamed in honour of Guru Nanak.[18]

Gurdwara Chowa Sahib

Gurdwara Chowa, or Gurudwara of the Exalted Spring, is a renovated gurudwara on the northern outskirts of Rohtas Fort, near Jhelum, Pakistan. The Gurdwara, located near the fort’s Talaqi gate, commemorates the site where Guru Nanak is widely believed to have created a water spring during one of his udasi journeys. However, there is no parkash of Guru Granth Sahib.[19]

Gurdwara Panja Sahib

Panja Sahib is a well-known gurdwara in Hasan Abdal, Pakistan. The shrine is particularly significant because the handprint of Sikhism’s founder, Guru Nanak, is said to be imprinted on a boulder at the gurdwara.

Gurdwara Makhdoom Pur Pahoran

This Gurdwara is located in Makhdoom Pur Pahoran, a village halfway between Tulamba and Kabirwala.

Gurdwara Gurdwara Rori Sahib

This Gurdwara may be found in Eminabad, Gujranwala, Punjab, Pakistan. It was constructed during Maharaja Ranjeet Singh’s rule.

Gurdwara Shaheed Bhai Taru Singh

Gurdwara Shahidi Asthan Bhai Taru Singh ji is a Sikh Gurdwara that stands in remembrance of the location of Bhai Taru Singh’s execution in Lahore, Pakistan. A legal dispute over ownership of the shrine’s construction on the grounds of the Shaheed Ganj Mosque started in 1850. Courts in Britain and later Pakistan upheld the Sikhs’ right to keep a place of worship there. When British authorities were negotiating a settlement, a gang of Sikhs destroyed the mosque on July 8, 1935, sparking unrest among the local population. The locals sealed the official Gurdwara’s doors in December 2022 and converted it into a mosque.[20]

Gurdwara Shahid Ganj Singh Singhania

 Around 100,000 Sikh men and women perished in the 18th century in Naulakha Bazar, the location of the Gurdwara Shahid Ganj Singh Singhania, also known as Gurdwara Shaheedganj Singh Singhnian, a historic Sikh gurdwara. It can be found across from Gurudwara Bhai Taru Singh. On June 14, 1738, Bhai Mani Singh was slain here.

According to Sikh historians, at least 100,000  Sikh men and women were martyred at the behest of Mir Mannu, the Governor of Lahore. When Mir Mannu was made the Subedar of Punjab in 1764, he made a vow not to leave a single Sikh alive. At his orders, Sikh men and women were arrested, brought here, and then they were murdered. Once, there used to be a mosque here, and the Muslims used to call it Shaheed Ganj mosque.

Gurdwara Swaminarayan

A Gurdwara has been built for the small Sikh community in the Swaminarayan Temple complex in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan, where a small Hindu minority resides. Three sets of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji are kept in the Palki Sahib of the Gurdwara Sahib. The Gurus are shown in pictures, and Guru Nanak Dev Ji has a little shrine. The Gurdwara Sahib also has a Hindu bell. To protect the few Hindu families, a security guard is stationed across the entire compound.

Notable Pakistan Sikhs

Dr Suran Singh was a member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and served as the Minister for Minorities before Ramesh Singh Arora became the first Sikh member of the Punjab Provincial Assembly of Pakistan.

Jassi Lailpuria, the first Pakistani Sikh musician to enter the music business in 2009, released Sohna Pakistan as his first single on July 15. On the PTV station, Taranjeet Singh, a Sikh, works as a VJ, anchor, and host.

Pakistani Sikh Diaspora

Pakistani Sikhs must endure discrimination in their homeland even though Sikhism is protected from government violence because it is a monotheistic faith under Pakistani religious legislation. As a result, there is a growing Pakistani Sikh population in Dubai. Several Pakistani Sikhs also immigrated to the United Kingdom and Canada. There are roughly 40,000 Pakistani Sikhs in the United Kingdom and 18,000 in Canada. Since that many Indian Sikhs are loyal to India and Pakistani Sikhs frequently view the Khalistan movement as the most significant Sikh movement, the Pakistani Sikh communities are frequently more likely to be integrated into Pakistani community life than into the Sikh community.

Many Pakistani Sikhs identify more with the Pakistani than the Indian side because Zia Ul Huq’s Pakistan supported the Khalistan movement from the start.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Sikh community in Pakistan has a long and rich history.

From their humble beginnings as small religious communities of the 15th century to the present-day vibrant communities in various regions of the country, Sikh culture has had an important role in shaping Pakistan’s cultural identity.

Through their commitment to education and their service to humanity, Sikhs have made significant contributions to Pakistani society.

References 

[1] ‘Sikh Pilgrims Arrive in Pakistan to Attend Guru Nanak’s Birth Anniversary Celebrations’, accessed 13 March 2023, https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/551197-sikh-pilgrims-arrive-to-attend-guru-nanaks-birth-anniversary-celebrations.

[2] Pritam Singh, Federalism, Nationalism and Development: India and the Punjab Economy (Routledge, 2008), 20.

[3] Eleanor M. Nesbitt, Sikhism: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2016), 22.

[4] Jack Finegan, Archeology of World Religions Primitivism Zoroastrianism Hinduism Jainism Vol.1, 1952, http://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.44705.

[5] Kartar Singh Duggal, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Last to Lay Arms (Abhinav Publications, 2001), 30.

[6] ‘Nine Years on, Former Indian Prime Minister’s Village Still down in the Dumps – World – DAWN.COM’, accessed 15 March 2023, https://www.dawn.com/news/1116453.

[7] ‘The Tribune – Windows – Main Feature’, accessed 15 March 2023, https://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20030412/windows/main1.htm.

[8] ‘Chapter 1: “Fundamental Rights” of Part II: “Fundamental Rights and Principles of Policy”’, accessed 15 March 2023, https://pakistani.org/pakistan/constitution/part2.ch1.html.

[9] ‘Praying Together: Tensions High as the Guru Granth Sahib Divides Two Minorities’, The Express Tribune, 3 December 2014, https://tribune.com.pk/story/801343/praying-together-tensions-high-as-the-guru-granth-sahib-divides-two-minorities.

[10] ‘India Uncut: Jaziya’, accessed 15 March 2023, http://indiauncut.blogspot.com/2006/02/jaziya.html.

[11] ‘The Killing of the Sikhs’, accessed 15 March 2023, https://thediplomat.com/2014/09/the-killing-of-the-sikhs/.

[12] Fawad Hasan | Yumna Rafi, ‘Narayanpura — An Anomaly for Karachi’s Marginalised Sikhs’, DAWN.COM, 14:13:30+05:00, http://www.dawn.com/news/1143743.

[13] ‘Punjab Assembly Unanimously Passes Landmark Bill to Regulate Sikh Marriages – Pakistan – DAWN.COM’, accessed 15 March 2023, https://www.dawn.com/news/1395216.

[14] ‘Over 35,000 Buddhists, Baha’is Call Pakistan Home’, accessed 15 March 2023, https://tribune.com.pk/story/430059/over-35000-buddhists-bahais-call-pakistan-home/.

[15] ‘Pakistan Census to Have Column for Sikhs | Amritsar News – Times of India’, accessed 15 March 2023, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/amritsar/pakistan-census-to-have-column-for-sikhs/articleshow/96239035.cms.

[16] ‘Guru Nanak and the Promise of an Inclusive Pakistan | Religion | Al Jazeera’, accessed 16 March 2023, https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2019/11/11/guru-nanak-and-the-promise-of-an-inclusive-pakistan.

[17] ‘Kartarpur Corridor: India and Pakistan Sign Deal on Sikh Temple Project’, BBC News, 24 October 2019, sec. India, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-50138275.

[18] ‘Historical Gurdwaras of Nankana, Pakistan Commemorating Guru Nanak Dev’, Learn Religions, accessed 16 March 2023, https://www.learnreligions.com/historical-gurdwaras-of-nankana-pakistan-2993098.

[19] Kirapāla Siṅgha, Janamsakhi Tradition: An Analytical Study (Singh Brothers, 2004), 174.

[20] Shoaib Daniyal, ‘A Mosque Dispute in Colonial Lahore Could Hold Lessons for the Babri Masjid Case’, Text, Scroll.In(https://scroll.in, 6 December 2014), http://scroll.in/article/693471/a-mosque-dispute-in-colonial-lahore-could-hold-lessons-for-the-babri-masjid-case.