The Multifarious Faces of Sikhism
throughout Sikh History
Page 1 of 4
Sodhis
Time of origin: early 1500s (with establishment
of Sodhi clans in Punjab
This is the clan name of all the Sikh Gurus
from the fourth Sikh Guru onwards. Sikh tradition
holds that once Satguru Ram Das Ji was
sat on a stool in deep meditation and his daughter,
Bibi Bhani, saw one of the legs of
the stool about to collapse. She went and put
her fist underneath it even though it caused
her great pain. After a while when her father
woke from meditation he saw his daughter's great
act of piety. Overwhelmed with emotion Akali
Guru Ram Das Ji granted Bibi Bhani any boon
she desired. She asked her father that from
now on the Guru’s throne only remain within
the house hold of Sodhis. Thus
the succeeding seven Sikh Gurus were Sodhis.
Akali Guru Ram Das Ji
The fourth Sikh Guru, born into the Khatri Sodhi
lineage, Pahari, circa 1800
The succession of Sikh Gurus never went smoothly
as there were always rival claimants. From amongst
the dissident Sodhis, the first was Dhirmal
the grandson of Akali Guru Hargobind
and son of Baba Gurditta Udhasi and
Mata Ananti born in 1626. Dhirmal
did not accept his younger half-brother Akali
Guru Har Rai’s son of Mata Nihal Kaur,
succession to the Sikh throne.
Dhirmal took possession of the original Adi
Guru Durbar at Kartarpur. Dhirmal also intended
to build up a following of his own amongst the
Sikhs focusing around the original copy of Adi
Guru Durbar. Dhirmal achieved some success in
this.
Kartarpuri Bir
Kept by the Sodhi family, this manuscript is
claimed to be the original text as scribed by
Bhai Gurdas Ji
Later as Akali Guru Tegh Bahadur
was elected Guru by the Sikhs in Baba Bkala,
Dhirmal made his final claim to the spiritual
throne of Sikhism. A Masand named Sihan
impressed upon Dhirmal to kill his uncle and
plunder his property. Sihan himself took the
evil task of shooting dead Satguru Tegh Bahadur.
Sihan, with fifty other thugs entered the Guru’s
residence. The Guru was shot by Sihan but just
received a minor wound on his head. The angry
Akali Sikhs, against Guru Tegh Bahadur's wishes,
fought a pitched battle with the Masand and
his men. Sihan was caught and the base of Dhirmal
looted.
Akali Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji
The ninth warrior Sikh Guru who was martyred
so that others may freely practice their faith
The Akali Sikhs captured the original copy
of Adi Guru Durbar. Sihan pleaded for his life
and the ever-compassionate Guru freed him without
harmed. All, except the copy of Guru Granth,
was returned to Dhirmal. The Guru had wanted
the Guru Granth returned to his nephew, but
his wife Bibi Nanaki and other
Sikhs acted secretly against the Guru's wishes.
Guru Tegh Bahadur would later, according to
traditional Sikh accounts, deposit the Guru
Granth Sahib in the Beas river
and had Dhirmal retrieve it from there.