Summary cont'd

The traditional, pluralistic, paradoxical anti-British world of the Akali Nihangs vanished forever. It was replaced by a puritanical, homogenous British Raj-accommodating world of British collaborators, the Tat Khalsa Singh Sabhias. These were those Sikhs that the British established, educated and imbued with Victorian Christianity virtues. These very same Sikhs nearly destroyed Sanatan (traditional) Sikhism in the name of reform.

At present, it is the Tat Khalsa Singh Sabhia version of Sikhism which has become the mainstream Sikhism of the Sikh masses, represented by the Shromani Gurudwara Parbandak Committee (S.G.P.C.). The traditional Khalsa Sikhism and it's practitioners (Akali Nihangs), are looked down upon by mainstream Sikhism for insisting that they are the true original Khalsa. They exist on the fringes of Sikhism, practising their ancient martial traditions (see www.shastarvidiya.org) the best they can. Hew Mcleod comments:

The True Khalsa
A photograph of an Akali Nihang Singh (left) and his friend
posing for a photograph and dressed in traditional 'baana' (uniform)

Initially through the direct physical persecution by the British followed by the false propaganda attacks of the pro-British Sikhs of the Tat Khalsa Singh Sabias (and their descendants, the S.G.P.C. Akalis), the Akali Nihangs have been robbed of their traditional authority.
It should be noted that before 1925 (when the Gurdwara act was passed by the British), all of the Jathedars of Akal Takht (and of the Khalsa nation) were the Akali Nihang Jathedars of Budha Dal. The S.G.P.C. changed all this and introduced the foreign concept of democracy to Sikhism.

Ever since the day of it's conception at the hands of the British, the S.G.P.C. have, sought to substantiate themselves further by negating the present day Akali Nihangs of Budha Dal.

Thus, the work of annihilating the Akali Nihangs of Budha Dal started by the British has been carried on unabated up until this day by the S.G.P.C. Akalis. One veteran Nihang, the 80 year old Baba Ram Singh, sums up the ultimate aim of the S.G.P.C.:

Akali Nihang Singh Khalsa
A cartoon from an article written in the early 1960s about the 'Sikh Samurai'

The full story of the Akali Nihangs will be told at www.nihang.com (coming soon). To learn more about Shastar Vidiya, the traditional Indian Sikh battlefield combat martial arts of the Akali Nihang Singh Khalsa and how modern day institutions have misappropriated Akali Nihang traditions, please visit www.shastarvidiya.org.

Also, please click here to visit the section on 'Nangs' (ie. fake 'Nihangs' and those who attempt to deceive people into thinking they are Nihang Singhs).

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