Sikhism in Nepal
 | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| ~600–7,000 | |
| Founder | |
| Guru Nanak | |
| Religions | |
| Sikhism (incl. Udasis and Nanakpanthis) | |
| Languages | |
| Punjabi • Nepali |
| Part of a series on |
| Sikhism |
|---|
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Nepali Sikhs first entered Nepal in the 18th century. Today, there is a small community of Sikhs living in Nepal, with varying claims of their numbers totaling around 609 according to the 2011 census of Nepal whilst others have asserted the true number is in the area of 7,000 people.[1][2]
History
[edit]Sikh gurus
[edit]Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, spent more than a year meditating on a site now known as Nanak Math, located in Balaju, Kathmandu.[3] It is believed that Guru Nanak visited the math in 1516.[4] Guru Nanak is traditionally locally known as Nanak Rishi in Nepal.[5][6]
Guru Gobind Singh makes mention of Gurkhas in the Dasam Granth, stating:[7]
"Gorkhas [sic] sing thy praises, the residents of China and Manchuria bow their heads before thee and the Tibetans destroy their own sufferings by remembering thee. Those who meditate on thee obtain perfect glory, and prosper greatly. One cannot know thy limit, O Infinitely Glorious Lord! Thou art the Giver of all, therefore thou are Boundless."
— Guru Gobind Singh, Dasam Granth
Sikh Empire
[edit]Following conflict with the British East India Company, Maharani Jind Kaur, the youngest wife of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, managed to escape from the Punjab disguised as a servant girl and came to Nepal via Nepalgunj on 29 April, 1849. The Nepalese government gave her shelter. Later, she went to London, but those Sikhs who remained in Nepal started their livelihood there. A few Nepalgunj territories near the Indian border are still called Shikhhanpurwa, Jamunaha and Bankatwa.[8]
Release of Sikh prisoners-of-war in Tibetan captivity
[edit]In March 1856, a treaty between Tibet and the Kingdom of Nepal, known as the Treaty of Thapathali, was signed. Clause 4 of the treaty freed the remaining Sikh prisoners-of-war still held in Tibetan captivity whom were captured in 1841.[9] This clause was included in the treaty at the behest of Gulab Singh of Kashmir to free the remaining prisoners.[10]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Singh, Jaspal (29 December 2013). "State of neglect". The Kathmandu Post. Archived from the original on 15 September 2014.
Generation after generation, their population grew and there is now a substantial population of Nepali Sikhs—over 7,000 residents, according to the 2011 Census.
- ^ "Nepal Profile". Government of Nepal - Ministry Of Foreign Affairs.
Religion(s): There are ten religious categories reported in the census 2011. Hindu is followed by 81.3 percent (21,551,492) of the population followed by Buddhism (9%; 2,396,099), Islam (4.4%; 1,162,370), Kirat (3.1%; 807,169), Christianity (1.4%; 375,699), Prakriti (0.5%; 121,982), Bon (13,006), Jainism (3,214), Bahai (1,283) and Sikhism (609).
- ^ Bali, Meghna. "Little punjab | Nepali Times Buzz | Nepali Times". archive.nepalitimes.com. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
- ^ "Sacred well in Kathmandu gurdwara cleaned | SikhNet". sikhnet.com. 2 May 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2014.
- ^ Baker, Janet (2 October 2019). "Guru Nanak: 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism's founder: Phoenix Art Museum, The Khanuja Family Sikh Art Gallery, 17 August 2019–29 March 2020". Sikh Formations. 15 (3–4): 499. doi:10.1080/17448727.2019.1685641. ISSN 1744-8727. S2CID 210494526.
- ^ Service, Tribune News. "Booklet on Guru Nanak Dev's teachings released". Tribuneindia News Service. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
Rare is a saint who has travelled and preached as widely as Guru Nanak Dev. He was known as Nanakachraya in Sri Lanka, Nanak Lama in Tibet, Guru Rimpochea in Sikkim, Nanak Rishi in Nepal, Nanak Peer in Baghdad, Wali Hind in Mecca, Nanak Vali in Misar, Nanak Kadamdar in Russia, Baba Nanak in Iraq, Peer Balagdaan in Mazahar Sharif and Baba Foosa in China, said Dr S S Sibia, director of Sibia Medical Centre.
- ^ Singh, I. J. (8 February 2012). "Sikhi: The Global Vision That Was". SikhNet.
- ^ Ministry Of Foreign Affairs
- ^ "Treaty Between Nepal and Tibet, March 1856". Political Treaties of Tibet (821 to 1951) (PDF). Department of Information & International Relations (DIIR) - Central Tibetan Administration. 1990.
4. Chouthon Kura (Article Four): The Government of Gorkha is to withdraw its troops from the occupied territories of Kuti and Kerong and Jhung and return to the Tibetans the sepoys, sheep, and yaks captured during the war, when the conditions of the treaty were fulfilled. The Tibetans, in return, are also to give back to the Gorkhali cannons and also the Sikh prisoners-of war who had been captured in 1841 in the war between Bhot and the Dogra ruler.
- ^ McKay, Alex (2003). Tibet and Her Neighbours: A History. Edition Hansjörg Mayer. p. 139. ISBN 9783883757186.
External links
[edit]- "State of neglect | Free the Words | :: The Kathmandu Post ::". ekantipur.com. Retrieved 14 September 2014.
- "Sacred well in Kathmandu gurdwara cleaned | SikhNet". sikhnet.com. 2 May 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2014.
- "Research Centre for Punjabi Language Technology". Punjabi University. Archived from the original on 10 June 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
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