Analyse critically the claim that there is no caste in Sikhism. Draw Essay

Analyse critically the claim that there is no caste in Sikhism. Draw particular reference to the Valmiki and Ravidasi Communi - Essay Example On the other hand, although Guru Nanak emphasized Bhakti or devotion, it was not that of popular Hinduism to a tangible manifestation of the divine, but it was towards a formless God. Similarly, Guru Nanak rejected Hindu beliefs and practices such as the superiority of Brahmins or the Hindu priestly community, and their performance of rituals. Thus, the Sikhs began identifying themselves as a separate and distinctive religious group. Further, the early Sikhs’ requirement for an identity increased with offspring born into the Sikh faith. The Sikh Gurus denounced the practice of Hindu rituals and the prejudice of the Hindu caste system. They readily accepted into their community, the Hindus of lower caste and the â€Å"untouchables†. Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the claim that there is no caste system in Sikhism. The Valmiki, Ravidasi and other communities will be examined to determine the truth of the claim. Evolution of the Sikh Religion During the first two hundred years of the evolution of the Sikh religion beginning from the mid-fifteenth century, a line of Gurus or preceptors guided the community. The Mughal empire ruling India at the turn of the seventeenth century perceived the expanding base of the Sikh community as a threat. The consequent tensions between the local administration at Lahore and the Sikhs led to the execution of Guru Arjan (1563-1606), the fifth Sikh Guru. As a result, the Sikh center was moved to the Shivalik hills in the 1630s. The tenth in line, Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708), dissolved the position of the personal Guru, and vested the Gurus’ authority both in the Adi Granth or original book of Sikh scripture, as well as in the Panth or community (Mann 2001). An overall, uniform Sikh identity cannot be defined since the Panth has several types of Sikhs including: Punjabi Sikhs, Gora Sikhs, vegetarian/ non-vegetarian Sikhs, Mazhabi Sikhs, Khalsa Sikhs, Non-Khalsa Sikhs, Khalsa Sikhs living with Gurus, and Khalsa Sikhs with particular Sants. According to Takhar (2005: 188), â€Å"the essential core of Sikh identity must be Gurmukh oriented, the characteristics of which would be nam simran or continuously repeating the divine name, and truthful living. These would form the heart of the federal identity of the Panth as a whole, and would not emphasize the Khalsa representation. Thus, Valmikis and Ravidasis â€Å"would not fit into the federation due to their assertion of a non-Sikh identity† (Takhar 2005: 188). The Sikhs meditated on the Name (Nam) or the Truth (Sat) which denoted God’s total being. Through meditation, â€Å"the believer attained unity with God and all notions of duality disappeared as illusory† (Cole & Sambhi 1995: 7). As a result, all differentiation and distinctions based on caste or other concepts were condemned, and idol worship was opposed. Men and women of all social status were taught by Sants who wrote their devotion al poems in the vernacular. Human Gurus were not acknowledged, since God as self-communicating was their Guru. Sikhs express concern at any attempts to associate Guru Nanak with the Sants, because they fear that it would threaten the claim that the message given by God to Guru Nanak was unique. The divine revelation to Guru Nanak was that there is no Hindu and no Muslim; and only the brotherhood of man and the fatherhood of God was of significance. This reinforced Guru