Photograph of a ‘Nanukshahe’, by J.L. Lyell, ca.1860's | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| Unknown | |
| Founder | |
| Guru Nanak | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Religions | |
| Sikhism, Hinduism |
| Part of a series on |
| Sikhism |
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Nanakpanthis[1] (Gurmukhi: ਨਾਨਕਪੰਥੀ; nānakapathī, meaning "follower of the way of life of Nanak"[2]), also known as Nanakshahis,[3] are terms that refer to followers of a Sikh sect who follow the teachings of and revere Guru Nanak (1469-1539), the foundational guru of a spiritual community natively known as Nanakpanth.[3][4]
The term finds its first attested mention in the Janamsakhi of the Miharvan tradition.[5] The term also finds a later mention in the famous Dabistan-i-Mazahib dating to the mid-17th century.[5]
Nanakpanth is an open frontier that references strongly an early Sikh community. Nanakpanthi signifies any person, regardless of any religious affiliation, who follows Guru Nanak and believes in his teachings of universal brotherhood, truth, love, tolerance, compassion, and most importantly Oneness of one single formless Waheguru (the creator of the whole Universe).[6]
Today some Sindhis and Punjabis consider themselves not simply as Hindus or Muslims, but more precisely as Nanakpanthis, both in Pakistan and in India.[7][8] Strands of Nanakpanthi culture exists in Pakistan and Afghanistan including Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and remote areas of Punjab province.[9] They generally do not sport beards or wear a turban unlike Amritdhari Sikhs.[10] In the later 1911 Census Report, Shahpur District (Punjab) reported that 20,539 Hindus (being 34 percent of the total Hindu population) identified as Nanakpanthi along with 78,016 Sikhs (being 38 percent of the total Sikh population).[11] There is no data for the specific number of Nanakpanthis. Karnail Singh Panjoli, member of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, claims 120-150 million people can be classified as Nanakpanthi and says that there are several communities within the term ‘Nanakpanthis’ too. "There are groups like Sikhligarh, Vanjaarey, Radha Soami, Nirmaley, Namdhari, Lubaney, Johri, Satnamiye, Udaasiyas, Punjabi Hindus and Sindhi Hindus who call themselves Nanakpanthis. They along with their religious affiliated books, follow and incorporate the teachings of Guru Nanak. Within India, Nanakpanthis are well scattered across states like Bihar, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Haryana etc.”[9][12][13] Haroon Khalid, a cultural anthropologist, noted that after Partition, a few Muslims regularly visited Guru Nanak's shrine in Kartapur Sahib and made offerings, continuing to do so despite the shrine's dilapidated condition and harboring of smugglers and drug addicts.[14] Descendants of Bhai Mardana, a Muslim companion of Guru Nanak, have been reported to follow a syncretic tradition of both Sikhism and Islam. Muslim rubabi, including the lineage of Mardana, performed kirtans in gurdwaras prior to the Partition.[15]
Worldwide there are estimated 25–30 million Khalsa Sikhs who solely identify their religious affiliation as "Sikh".[16][17] However, there are in addition many millions of people across the world who also venerate the 10 Sikh Gurus and follow the teachings of Guru Granth Sahib.[A][18] Amritsar is the holiest city in Sikhism and about 120 million people from across the world visit it each year for pilgrimage.[19]
Various number of ethnicities/sects in India follow the teachings of Guru Nanak and visit gurudwaras along with worshipping Hindu deities at mandirs. The Indian government considers them as Hindus in the official census.[20] A major segment of ethnic Punjabis who are Hindu by religion especially in Indian Punjab, Pakistan's Punjab, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Jammu and Uttarakhand etc have continued heterogeneous religious practices in spiritual kinship with Sikhism. This not only includes veneration of the Sikh gurus in private practice but also visit to Sikh gurdwaras in addition to Hindu mandirs.[21]
Nanakpanthi, as a label referring to the selective and personal following of Guru Nanak alone whilst ignoring his successors, was heavily criticized by mainstream Sikh writers, such as by Bhai Gurdas.[5]
Many Punjabi Muslims, especially descendants of families with close ties to the Sikh gurus, continue to practice spiritual kinship with Sikhism, including in Pakistan.[22][23] An example of this being the family of Bhai Mardana and Rai Bhular Bhatti.[22][8] Punjabi Muslims who venerate and follow Guru Nanak can be found in rural areas of the region.[24]
Sindh has a large amount of people who may be best described as Nanakpanthis. However, regions closer to the Indian border and Rajasthani cultural sphere, such as Umerkot and Tharparkar districts (Dhatki-speaking areas) are less influenced by Nanakpanth and closer to mainstream Hinduism than other Sindhis.[25] Only between 8,000–10,000 people in Sindh are mainstream Sikhs (Khalsa), presumably recent Nanakpanthi converts.[25] Sikhism became popularized in Sindh due to the missionary works of Udasi saints.[26] However, Nanakpanth and Udasipanth are different sects of Sikhism, with a major difference being that Udasis adopt a life-hood of celibacy whilst Nanakpanthis freely marry and bear children.[27] Another theory is that Sikhs from the Punjab settled in Sindh during the 16th century to escape persecution with them and their descendants gradually forming the basis of the Nanakpanth community.[28] Guru Nanak is said to have traveled through Sindh, reaching the Shikarpur area and having an impact on the spirituality of the locals of the region.[2] Even in the 1881 and 1891 Indian censuses, the Sindhi Hindu community could not decide to collectively identify as Hindu or Sikh.[29] Many Sindh Nanakpanthis migrated from their homeland to India during the 1947 partition and can now be found settled in the Indian states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Rajasthan.[2]
Many Sindhi Hindus in both India and Pakistan believe in Guru Nanak and visit gurudwaras regularly.[30][31] A Sindhi temple typically houses both the Guru Granth Sahib as well images of various Hindu deities.[32]
A Nanakpanthi temple is known as a Tikano or Tikana (a term also used for Sewapanthi temples).[33][34][27] They are highly prevalent in Sindh,[35][27] where religious syncretism between Hinduism and Sikhism can be observed and clear-cut religious boundaries become blurry and ill-defined.[36][37][38] At a tikana is usually a copy of the primary Sikh scripture, Guru Granth Sahib, alongside images of Indic deities.[37][27]
