Skip to content
Those that are Pro-War and Pro-Government as a result of their misguided vision of patriotism/nationalism () may even support their government’s plan to commit violence on others as well as on themselves by paying tax. Through their state’s propaganda machines they believe they are doing the right thing even if there is a lot of evidence to show that their government is the aggressor and in the wrong. Cognitive dissonance and their biases prevent them from seeing the truth and there may be individuals through their bigotry that enjoy seeing the suffering of others of another nation or walk of life. These individuals may ostracise other people that have a different view and that are against that particular war being thought.
Those that don’t want to pay taxes, especially towards a war they don’t believe in. You see examples in countries such as the UK of it’s own citizens protesting against wars (The War in Iraq in 2003 for example) yet they still pay their taxes. This may be due to social pressure and fear of being ostracised in society. They only pay the taxes because they have no means of resisting their own government’s threats of punishments. Whether they are aware consciously or subconsciously that tax is theft, a lot of these people lack the knowledge and means to resist the government charging them tax.
Then you have those brave few that don’t cave into the social pressure and don’t pay the taxes and are then attacked by their own government through fines and imprisonment. These are also victims of the violence of the state. They are consciously aware that tax is theft and that the governments laws are simply man made and are not divine law.
There is one more group, this group are the ones that don’t care what is going on in the world except what is happening in their own lives. In their ignorance they pay the taxes to the state that fund the war effort and could care less what happens to their fellow man as long as they are okay.
Khalsanama
- Pages
Share
Explore
Khalsa Looting
The Differences Between Lut Maryada and Lut Mar Maryada in the Khalsa Panth and How Does it Relate to an Azadist Society?
By Jassa Singh Nihang
Lut Maryada
Lut means to take to steal/loot or to raid. Under normal circumstances such an act is sinful and breaks the and therefore breaks Dharamic Law/Karamic Law/Divine Law/Natural Law.
However, once Jang Samma (Wartime) occurs, things can get messy. Law and order tend to break down and society doesn’t operate the same as it would in peace time. Even in a righteous war (Dharam Yudh), there will be circumstances where the Khalsa may need to make difficult decisions in order to stay in the fight for Dharma (Righteousness). This may mean conducting raids primarily on the enemy camp but at times also on territories under enemy control where civilians reside. Raids of this kind typically would be to resupply arms as well as rations and things like gold, silver etc. in order to continue to finance the war effort.
Since the Khalsa would be fighting in a Dharam Yudh where the NAP and Dharmic Law has been breached by the enemy. The Khalsa has the right to use force to fight against the violence (violation of rights) committed by the enemy. Therefore, any raids conducted by the Khalsa on the enemy is justified and within the rights of the Khalsa as the other party was responsible for committing the violence in the first place. Therefore, these means used to neutralise the enemy by taking their supplies is warranted under the circumstances.
However, what about conducting raids on the civilians in an area controlled by the enemy, is this an act of violence or force? Is it an act that is justified? (See for the difference between Force Vs Violence Chart)
Typically, in a war in many places that operate under any sort of government, the people pay taxes. Taxes as we have covered in various Azadist articles and as well as the Manifesto, is a form of theft and is therefore a violent act on the people within that state.
“Tax is fundamentally plunder. It is the acquisition of the people’s property or hard work and labour in the form of money through force or the threat of force. Governments use the guise of “protection” in order to justify it, but how is this different to a Mafia?”
In Azadism, the term government is used when talking about the state in reference to a “Taxing Authority” unless otherwise specified. In this example, the taxes fund the war effort. The people in that state through their taxes are funding the war effort, however, can we truly say that everyone is complicit in its governments efforts to commit violence on others, especially if by choice they would not pay the taxes?
If you were to look closely, you could say that there are 4 groups of people within a Nation state:
If you see the above groups, this helps a little to identify the types of people you are dealing with. As you can see some groups are pro-tax and some are anti-tax. Those that are anti-tax but have no choice to pay the tax which goes to the war effort seem to be in some sort of a ‘hostage situation’. This ‘hostage situation’ analogy can be used as the citizenry are coerced through threat of violence (Fines and Imprisonment) to pay taxes that they would otherwise not pay if they were given a chance. So the people have been funnelled into a system whereby they are not fully in control of their lives. We can take this concept further in that others who have become pro-tax and pro-government seem to suffer from Stockholm’s Syndrome, meaning that they have fallen in love with their ‘kidnappers’.
There are also those that don’t care about anyone but themselves, they don’t care who gets hurt as long as they are okay. If the people of an aggressive nation that commits violence on others have a large number of people from this group then you could argue that the citizenry of that said nation are in part complicit. However, not everyone shares those ideals as explained above.
The scale of battles that the Khalsa fought in the past seem to be on city state level rather than the vast nation state level we have today. If you look in Sikh history the Khalsa would attack cities such as Sirhind and be at war with cities like this if these places had wronged them in the past. Today war tends to be at a vast nation state level.
War is an undesirable, last-resort situation and the reality is that many things will have to occur out of necessity rather than idealism. So if the Khalsa is acting as a protector of an Azadist society that is being attacked by another State violating the NAP, they would need to consider these groups mentioned above before any action is taken.
So perhaps we can form a scale:
Level 1: Civilians (tax payers) who do not support the state’s (taxing authority) actions and do not aid them as a combatant.
Level 2: Civilians (tax payers) who do support the state’s (taxing authority) actions but do not aid them as a combatant.
Level 3: Combatants (tax recipients) who do not support the state’s (taxing authority) actions but participate anyway.
Level 4: Combatants (tax recipients) who do support the state’s (taxing authority) actions and participate.
The main target and force you fight is level 4. Level 3 you also fight, but you fight in such a way that it is not out of hatred because the enemy army will have both L4 + L3 mixed together. Guru Gobind Singh would engage them in battle but not from a point of animosity but simply as a last resort because it was the righteous thing to do as all peaceful means to resolve the issue had failed. When he did go to battle, Guru Sahib would have gold-tipped arrows so that whoever was killed from these arrows, the family of that dead enemy soldier could use the gold to pay for his funeral.
Another example of the Sikhs not showing hatred to the enemy is the story of Bhai Kahnaiya. Bhai Kahnaiya was a Sikh at the time of Guru Gobind Singh who in a battle between the Khalsa and the Mughals, he fed water to the injured of both the Khalsa and the Mughals. Some Khalsa warriors saw this and were angered that he was giving water to the opposition. They brought him before Guru Gobind Singh to explain his actions, Guru Sahib asked Bhai Kahnaiya to which he replied that he saw Akaal Purakh in all, both in friend and foe. Guru Sahib was impressed and pardoned him, understanding Bhai Kahnaiya to be a man of high spiritual consciousness and gave him permission to start the Sevapanthi order which was a Sehajdhari (Non-Khalsa) Sikh order dedicated to Seva (Selfless service to others).
The Khalsa therefore can have an accompanied body of Sevapanthi like individuals to help with humanitarian work to help any victims caught in the crossfires of war as a gesture of good will to the people of the aggressor nation. The Khalsa would then also have the moral high-ground which may then dissuade further attacks by the aggressor nation and help them see the error of their ways. The people of the other levels may then also voice up against their aggressor government.
L2 and L1 is more tricky. L2 you can say that there is an amount of complicity associated with them but they are hard to distinguish. But if you don’t subdue them, they are the ones that become the next combatants and fight with you next or continue to spread tyranny.
L1 represent the tragic and unfortunate realities of war who are caught up. The Khalsa must use its Bibek Budhi (wisdom/discerning intellect) to stay within reason when looting and subduing both L1 + L2 (because they will be mixed together). In a similar way we compromise on severity with L3+L4 due to the presence of L3 (See also Sevapanthi paragraphs above).
Another point worth considering is that Itihaas is also purpose first, history second. A lot of things written in Panth Parkash by Rattan Singh Bhangu can be considered as a deterrent to others, and hence why we see examples of things that feel a bit off as per Sikhi today. After all he was narrating the Khalsa’s history to a British Captain of the British East India Company (BEIC) named Captain Murray. The BEIC had conquered much of India at the time of 1809 when Rattan Singh told him history of the Khalsa. It was only the Sikh Empire that remained as the sole independent indigenous power, so naturally the Khalsa would view the BEIC as the next threat. However, these things in Panth Parkash (written version completed in 1845) show that Khalsa are not push overs and it will be costly to fight them. You could say that it is a form of propaganda, which all militaries do.
The plundering episodes within Panth Parkash as seen in quotes listed later in this document don’t go into too much detail. They may mention the area that was plundered and what was plundered but beyond that for the most part don’t go into much detail. We know from both Panth Parkash and Suraj Parkash that the Khalsa had a good moral compass so the use of Bibek Budhi (wisdom/discerning intellect) was key before the Khalsa would go through such undertakings.
There may have been instances historically in the past where Singhs may have gone too far, but those examples are very rare. Then again a text such as Rattan Singh Bhangu’s Panth Parkash is Ithiaas which isn’t just strictly history. Panth Parkash in addition to historical accounts include allegorical and at times mythological elements as well as things written in as mentioned earlier to act as deterrents for those who seek to engage in warfare with the Khalsa. As for those rare instances where Singhs did go too far, just because the Singhs in the past did or didn’t do something, doesn’t mean it has to be replicated exactly today. Situations and times adapt, so long as our “principles are strong, our techniques can be fluid”.
If the Khalsa was to declare a Dharam Yudh against the government of the enemy due to an injustice or violation of NAP and decided to commit a raid on the civilians who were pro-war, then the Khalsa have not committed any violence as it was those people who supported the violence done onto the Khalsa or an Azadist society/stan. However, the raids the Khalsa perform must be within reason, such as Lut for supplies. Any other transgressions like killing women, elderly, and children or evil acts such as rape is forbidden and would overstep the line from force to violence. These acts would be classed as war crimes. So, the Khalsa would need to have a sound moral compass on these decisions which history has shown that it has. Only the force necessary to stop the violence is needed, nothing more.
There was a Sakhi during Guru Gobind Singh’s time mentioned in Sri Gurpratap Suraj Granth by Mahakavi Santokh Singh. According to this Granth, in one battle the Sikh army of Guru Gobind Singh defeated the Mughal forces and took their womenfolk prisoner. The Sikhs had asked Guru Gobind Singh whether they should convert and ravish the honour of these Muslim women to obtain revenge for the outrages of Muslim conquerors on the inhabitants of India (as these Muslim conquerors would ravish the honour of many native women in India in the past and at that time).
Guru Gobind Singh replied:
ਸੁਨਿ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਬੋਲੇ ਤਿਸ ਬੇਰੇ |
ਹਮ ਲੇ ਜਾਨੋ ਪੰਥ ਉੁੁੁੁੇੇਚੇਰੇ |
Listen to what the Guru said on this matter.
I have recognised this [Khalsa] path as an exalted one.
ਨਹੀਂ ਅਧੋਗਤਿ ਬਿਖੈ ਪੁਚਾਵੈਂ |
ਯਾਂ ਤੇ ਕਲਮਲ ਕਰਨ ਹਟਾਵੈਂ ||੧੯||
Without base degradation assimilated within.
This is why I prevent you from committing [such] sins. (19)
ਪੰਥ ਭੂਤਨਾ ਕੋ ਹੈ ਜੋਈ |
ਲਿਯੇ ਸੰਭਾਲ ਮੁਹੰਮਦ ਸੋਈ |
That path of demonic ghouls is distinguished by its belief in Mohammad.
ਨਹਿਂ ਨੀਚਨ ਕੀ ਰੀਤਿ ਅਛੇਰੀ |
ਪਿਖਿ ਅਪਮਾਨ ਕਰਹਿਂ ਸਭਿ ਬੇਰੀ ||੨੦||
The ways of those lowly ones are not good.
Observe how they commit outrages at every opportunity. (20)
So, the reply of Guru Gobind Singh was clear to the Sikhs and was in line with Dharam/Natural Law that no heinous deed like that was to be done. It’s this moral compass that the Guru instilled in the Sikhs. The Khalsa must always abide by these principles.
Another example of Lut Maryada is if a bandit was to rob a Khalsa, the Khalsa after defending himself would rob the bandit. Since the bandit was the violent one and Khalsa was defending themselves with force, the Khalsa would rob the bandit to teach them a lesson. In the end the bandit came away with less then he came with. This was done by the Khalsa to teach the bandits a lesson, to think twice before stealing from someone by giving them a taste of their own medicine. This particular example is even practised today by Akali Nihang Singhs.
Lut Maryada in Sikh History
Example of Lut Maryada Going Right:
An example of Lut Maryada going right was when Baba Bidhi Chand had taken the horses of Gulbaag and Dilbaag from the Mughals as they had taken another horse from a Sikh that gifted them to Guru Hargobind Sahib. This whole story is written in both the Suraj Prakash text by Mahakavi Santokh Singh as well as Gurbilas Patshahi 6 which was a text written around a hundred years before Suraj Prakash.
Once a Sikh from Afghanistan bought a horse for Guru Hargobind Sahib as a gift. When the Sikh reached Peshawar, a Mughal commander seized the horse and stole it for himself. The Sikh said this horse was a gift for the Guru but the Mughal commander didn’t care so the Sikh had reached the Guru in Panjab and told him of the incident.
Some time later, some other Sikhs travel from Afghanistan to see Guru Hargobind who was staying in the village of Bhai Rupa at the time. They saw the Mughal Emperor Shahjahan celebrating Eid and had 2 beautiful horses Gulbaag and Dilbaag. These Sikhs thought that these beautiful horses would suit the Guru and would be a brilliant gift. When they got to the village, they informed the Guru who then thought that it would be a good idea to have these horses in his company. He was thinking how he would get the horses. First, he thought that he should pay for them, however, he realised that Shahjahan had tons of wealth, there would be no price that he would deem acceptable. Then that’s when he asked the sangat how they should retrieve these horses. The sangat suggested that Bidhi Chand should get them.
So Bidhi Chand goes to Lahore and does an Ardas beforehand so that he is successful in his endeavour. He decides to get a job at the fort looking after the horses and takes on the name Kasehla. With the help of a Sikh named Jeevan he gets a tool made to help him with the task. He infiltrates the fort by getting a job there. He looks around for all the entrances and exits and finds out where everything is kept while playing the character of a simple farmer. He eventually outworks everyone, gets promoted and even gets rewards from the Mughal emperor Shahjahan himself. However, Bidhi Chand does not take any money from Shahjahan and gives it to his boss Saundeh Khan, who is in charge of the fort and says to him that he is here just to serve the horses. Saundeh Khan is happy that he is just not there for the money. In this way Bidhi Chand gains all their trust. Any wages that he does take, he donates towards the Langar. Bidhi Chand eats at Jeevan’s house in the evening before returning to the fort to sleep near the two horses. He also starts throwing a rock every night from the top of the fort to the river Ravi beneath so that the guards outside get used to the sound. Eventually the guards just ignore the sound. He does this routine for over a month as he plans to escape by jumping over the fort wall with the horse. The guards no longer react to the rocks as Bidhi Chand has conditioned their behaviour to get used to the sound. The horses are also used to Bidhi Chand who looks after them well. The co-workers then say to him that its unfair that he has outworked them and got promoted but not taken them on a night out. Bidhi Chand then says to himself now the time is right, everything has aligned. He gets the strongest alcohol from a local bartender and says to the workers that he can’t give them any food as they are Turks who have Halal meat. However, he can get them alcohol but on one condition, that they must not eat for the whole day (this is so that they can get drunk). He then gets the alcohol and all the workers in the fort get so drunk that they pass out. Bidhi Chand even persuades the guards in the fort and the keyguard to join in and then they pass out with the alcohol. Bidhi Chand gets the keys and grabs Dilbaag and straps the saddle onto him. Then in the middle of the night, jumps off the fort wall and into the river and then rides off in the night to the village of Bhai Rupa where the Guru is residing.
Bidhi Chand then reaches the village after some time, gets off the horse out of respect and does an Ardas for gratitude and forgiveness for riding the Guru’s horse as well as being successful in his mission. Bidhi Chand puts 5 rupees towards Karah Prashad for forgiveness for riding the Guru’s horse. Guru Hargobind then embraces Bidhi Chand and is impressed. However, Dilbaag is sad that he has been separated from Gulbaag the other horse as they are always together. Guru Hargobind gets Bhai Jaita to look after Dilbaag who is sad and not eating. Guruji says to Dilbaag after saluting him that he has entered the Guru’s house and will no longer suffer. Guruji renames Dilbaag as ‘Jaan Bhai’ meaning Lifelong Brother.
At Lahore, Saundeh Khan is furious at what has transpired and sees all the workers and guards hungover. He orders them to sort themselves out and find Dilbaag. The emperor Shahjahan then finds out and is furious. He gets his inspectors and even astrologers and fortune tellers to find the horse.
At the Guru’s camp, they make plans to get the 2nd horse as Jaan Bhai/Dilbaag is still sad from being separated from Gulbaag. Bidhi Chand then returns to Lahore, meets with Sikhs at the local Gurdwara. He then hears an announcement from the fort that any astrologers that are around in the area should help the emperor find his missing horse. He then has the idea to dress up in disguise as a fortune teller/astrologer who is from a distant land in order to steal the horse. He goes to a Sikh’s house named Bahoura who then spends a day getting his clothes and disguise ready. It was done in such a way that it would take the attention away from his face and instead on what he was wearing so they wouldn’t recognise him. He then makes his way to the fort.
Once arriving at the fort, Bidhi Chand gains the attention of everyone in the room. They all look at his clothing and say, “Who is this guy? And What land has he come from?”. He tells them that he is an astrologer/fortune teller and that he has come from a far away land as an expert in astrology and in finding missing things. Shahjahan then summons him, to which Bidhi Chand promises to find the horse and even the name and location of the thief. Shahjahan is impressed and offers Bidhi Chand a salary and place in his court. Bidhi Chand says that he will find the horse but had not replied to receiving the rewards from Shahjahan. Bidhi Chand acts confident and does things with his astrologer chain to show that he is investigating, paying close attention to make sure that people don’t recognise him.
Want to print your doc?
This is not the way.
This is not the way.
Try clicking the ··· in the right corner or using a keyboard shortcut (
CtrlP
) instead.