Nihang - WikiHQ

The Nihang (also spelt as Nihung lit. "Crocodiles") or Akali (lit. "Immortals"), also known as Dal Khalsa, is an armed Sikh warrior order originating in the Indian subcontinent. Nihangs are believed to have originated either from Fateh Singh and the attire he wore or from the "Akal Sena" (lit. Army of the Immortal) started by Guru Hargobind. Early Sikh military history was dominated by the Nihang, known for their victories where they were heavily outnumbered. Traditionally known for their bravery and ruthlessness in the battlefield, the Nihang once formed the irregular guerrilla squads of the armed forces of the Sikh Empire, the Sikh Khalsa Army.

Etymology

The word Nihang may come from the Persian word for a mythical sea creature (). The term owes its origin to Mughal historians, who compared the ferocity of the Akāli with that of crocodiles. The meaning of Akali in Sikhism however, is the immortal army of Akāl (God). According to Harjinder Singh Dilgeer, tracing the term Nihang to the Persian word for a crocodile is a misinterpretation and instead it refers to a "fearless person". Dilgeer states that the term Nihang is also used in gurbani, where it refers to someone who is carefree. The term Akāli, which derived from Akāl,

History

Origins

The origin of the Nihangs is obscure. However, warrior-ascetic traditions in the Indian subcontinent can be traced back to the sixth century BCE. Despite this, warrior-ascetics only achieved political power with the collapse of the Mughal state in the 18th century.

Dilgeer on the other hand narrates an entirely different theory of origination apart from the above three theories in his Sikh Reference Book. As per Sharanjit Kaur Sandhra, the Nihangs likely emerged as a powerful force during the 18th and early 19th century, marked by the decline of the Mughal Empire and rise of Sikh polities, although there may be origins of the group dating earlier. In traditional Sikh martial arts whose custodianship lies with the Nihangs, Shiva is revered as the Adi Akhara Gurdav.

Pre-colonial period

thumb|left|Nihang Abchal Nagar (Nihangs from Hazur Sahib), 1844. Shows turban-wearing Sikh soldiers with [[chakrams.]]

It is claimed that the Nihangs arose as early as the period of the Akal Sena of Guru Hargobind, while other theories trace them to the period of Guru Gobind Singh, yet there are few Nihangs recorded in the history of the 18th and 19th centuries aside from Akali Naina Singh and Akali Phula Singh. Nihangs claim that their modern organisations sharing the same name can be traced back to these historical organisations of the Misl-era Sikhs. European visitors to the Sikh kingdom often wrote negatively about the Nihangs. Baba Santa Singh was excommunicated for a different issue, and replaced with Balbir Singh, who agreed to shun the consumption of bhang.

thumb|Photograph of a pair of Akali-Nihang Sikhs at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, Delhi, by Jasleen Kaur, 15 January 2007

Due to their promotion of the Dasam Granth, the Nihangs have succeeded in preventing, or at least slowing, the SGPC from censuring and removing the scripture entirely from the confines of modern Sikh spirituality. several edged bracelets of iron round on each of their wrists (jangi kara) and quoits of steel (chakram) tiered in their lofty conical blue turbans, together with the either a dori kirpan (an open blade kirpan that is worn with a rope attached and was meant to be used as a quick access weapon) or a pesh kabaz – a predecessor to the modern kirpan. When fully armed a Nihang will also bear one or two swords (either the curved talwar or the straight khanda, or another type of sword like saif or sarohi on his right hip), a katar (dagger) on his left hip, a buckler made from buffalo-hide (dhal) on his back, a large chakram around his neck, and an iron chain. In times of war, arms worn on the Nihang's person would generally be reserved until the warrior lost the weapon he held, often a bow (kamaan) or spear (barcha). Armour consisted of sanjo or iron chainmail worn under an iron breastplate (char aina). Nihang war-shoes (jangi mozeh) were constructed of iron at the toe, making their pointed toes capable of inflicting cuts and stab wounds. The firearms carried by Nihangs are either a toradar (matchlock) or a musket. In modern times nihangs also carry revolvers, semi-automatic pistols, double-barreled shotguns and bolt-action rifles The Nihangs favour the dark blue colour for their clothing, which they adopted to emulate Guru Gobind Singh's attire when he escaped from Chamkaur through the Machhiwara jungle.thumb|A Nihang wearing [[dastar bunga]]The Nihang were particularly known for their high turbans (dastar bunga) and their extensive use of the chakram or war-quoit. Their turbans were often pointed at the top and outfitted with a chand torra or trident called astbhuja which could be used for stabbing in close-quarters. Other times, the turbans would be armed with a bagh nakh (iron claw) and one or several chakram to slice at an opponent's eyes. These steel-reinforced turbans, it was said, afforded enough protection so that there was no need for any other form of headgear. Today, Nihang still wear miniature versions of five weapons (pancha shastra) in their turbans, namely the chakram, the khanda (sword), the karud (dagger), the kirpan, and the tir (arrow). The Nihangs engage in horsemanship and traditional Sikh martial arts. They have a special affinity to steel (sarbloh) weaponry. Confined to Sur Singh locality.

Use of intoxicants

thumb|Gouache by an Amritsar artist depicting the preparation and consumption of Indian hemp (bhang), ca.1870

Some Nihang groups consume cannabis or shaheedi degh (), also known as sukha, Sūkha parshaad (), "Comfort-gift", is the term Nihang use to refer to it. While consuming cannabis, the Nihangs strictly shun and forbid usage of any tobacco or alcohol. According to a BBC article, "Traditionally they also drank shaheedi degh, an infusion of cannabis, to become closer with God."

Deras and gurdwaras

thumb|Photograph of Burj Akali Phula Singh, ca.1914. This was the central cantonment of the Akalis/Nihangs under the command of Akali Phula Singh.

The Nihangs operate their own deras (also known as chhaunis, meaning "cantonment"), which are similar to akharas and taksals, except that the Nihang deras focus more on martial training and there is a maintenance of warlike qualities. They call the Guru Granth Sahib, Aad Guru Granth Sahib. They also sometimes refer to the scriptures as "Durbar", such as Aad Guru Durbar. The Sarbloh Granth has another name, as Sri Manglacharan Purana. They believe that all three of these scriptures are authentic, written by the Gurus and are one and the same. An 1838 watercolour by Emily Eden depicts a Nihang woman with a turban the same size as her husband's. The Nihangs use certain vocabulary with distinct semantics.

In September 2023, a depiction of a Nihang Sikh was painted on the top-right section of an official illustration of the Dallas Cowboys football team as part of the Carpe Omnia ('seize everything') theme for the upcoming sports season.

Notes

References

Sources

Dasam Granth , The Dasam Granth website
Book review of the Nihang book The Beloved Forces of the Guru
"Tribes and Castes of Punjab and N.W. Frontier Province" by H.A. Rose (1892)
Bhai Sahib Amrit Pal Singh 'Amrit' has presented well-researched articles on Nihangs on his website
www.Budhadal.com

External links

Sikh Photography Images of Nihangs by photographer Charles Meacham
Sarbloh.info
Nihangsingh.org
Nihang SGPC
Photography of the daily lives of the Nihang Singhs of Punjab by photographer Nick Fleming