Sikhism GCSE Revision: Religion, peace and conflict – AQA

• At the time of its founder, Guru Nanak, Sikhism was commonly seen as a religion of peace. However, the Guru was already laying the foundations for the justified use of force which would be put in to practice by Sikhs in the future.
• Therefore many Sikhs agree that war is acceptable if it is fought in self-defence, or the defence of others, and as a last resort.
• The Just War theory in Sikhism is known as dharam yudh.
• Most Sikhs consider terrorist acts and the use of weapons of mass destruction to be against the teaching of the Gurus.
• As taught by Guru Arjan Dev, there have been examples of Sikhs involved in holy wars in order to protect and defend their faith. The principles of truth, justice and fighting for the common good, Sarbat da Bhalla, are part of the Bhai Nand Tankah Nama, the Sikh code of conduct.

Remember

There are different stages of commitment of Sikhism, which include, Amritdhari Sikhs and Sahajdhari Sikhs. Read more about these.

This means that there is a variety of Sikh teachings on many ethical issues, including those found in the thematic study of religion, peace, and conflict.

Watch the video below to compare Sikh, Muslim and Christian attitudes towards whether war can ever be justified.

Key concepts in religion peace and conflict

The key terms below will appear repeatedly through the theme of Sikhism, peace and conflict.

For your exam on religion, peace and conflict, it is important to know the definitions of key terms. Take the quiz below to test your knowledge.

War is an organised conflict, usually consisting of intense violence carried out by one state or states against another state or states.

The reasons for war are often complicated and interlinked. Sikh teachings state they may include one of these three elements:

• Greed: In Sikhism, suffering and conflict arise in pursuit of the five thieves. These are:
  • kaam - lust
  • krodh - wrath
  • lobh - greed
  • moh - attachment
  • ahankar - ego or excessive pride

For example, the Raja Bhim Chand went to war with Guru Gobind Singh because he refused to lend him a prized elephant.

An egotistical power hungry person's desire is never quenched and he loses his game of life in the gamble.”

Guru Granth Sahib 1198

• Self-defence: Sikhs view self-defence as being a religious duty in order to defend their country, people or injustice. The Khalsa was set up by Guru Gobind Singh to help initiated Sikh's to fulfil their duty. It makes it obligatory for all Sikhs to carry a sheathed blade in recognition and a reminder of this duty.

• Retaliation: Deliberately hurting someone who has caused the first wrong action is seen by many Sikhs as making a bad situation worse. On page 1145, Guru Granth Sahib teaches that:

The devotees of the Supreme Lord God are beyond hate and vengeance.”

In the 15th and 16th centuries, the time of its founder Guru Nanak, Sikhism was a religion of peace.

The symbol for Sikhism is the Khanda which reflects the fundamental beliefs of Sikhism. The double-edged sword is very prominent in this symbol and represents the two swords set out by Guru Hargobind Singh. Miri portrays worldly power and Piri portrays spiritual power.

The belief of Miri encourages Sikhs to understand the need to physically defend their faith and religion as a whole:

To fight and accept death for a righteous cause is the privilege of the brave and truly religious.”

Guru Nanak 579

The belief of Piri reminds Sikhs of the spiritual authority of the Gurus and current living leaders who teach that living in peace is important. Guru Arjan wrote:

No one is my enemy. No one is a foreigner. With all, I am at peace. God within us renders us incapable of hate and prejudice."

Guru Granth Sahib 1299

The two beliefs of Miri and Piri form the basis of the Sikh requirement to be a Sant-Siphahi, which is to become spiritually mature and choosing to not be part of any conflict.

However, if their faith is under threat then being a Sant-Sipahi means a Sikh should defend the righteous cause. Many Sikhs recognise that working for peace is the ideal.

The tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, formed the Khalsa, which was to build a group of devoted Sikh’s who were prepared to fight, or even die to protect freedom, truth and justice.

There is a distinct Just War theory in Sikhism known as dharam yudh, which sets out rules for a just and fair war.

The main criteria of the theory are:

• Just reason - the reasons for going to war must be fair and be morally justified, for example, in self-defence.
• Motive for going to war - the motive for the war should be that it is what God wants and be for selfless reasons such as defence or stopping persecution. It should never be motivated by greed.
• Committed fighters - all who contribute to the war effort must be committed to the cause and are expected to adhere to codes of conduct laid out according to Sikh principles, including those soldiers who are conscripts fighting for money.
• Last resort - Sikhism emphasises that going to war must be the last resort, and war should not be declared unless all peace seeking campaigns have been tried.

When matters pass all other means, it is allowed to take up arms.”

Verse 22, Zafarnama, Guru Gobind Singh

Further Sikh principles about behaviour for a Just War are:

• Proportional and appropriate force - only those who are fighting back should be attacked and use the minimum required amount of force, avoid harming civilians.
• Enemy challenge - enemy fighters should be allowed the opportunity to surrender and lay down their weapons and should be helped if they are not a risk. Anyone who surrenders should not be harmed. Bhai Ghanaiya, one of Guru Gobind Singh’s followers, commented that he “saw the Guru’s face in everyone,” so he was willing to look after fighters from both side of the conflict that he was involved in.
• Private property should not be destroyed.
• Women and children should not be abused.
• Treaties and concessions must be respected.
• Ceasefires should be accepted.
• Places of worship (of any faith) should not be attacked.
• Lying to the enemy is not permitted.

The crucial difference from the Christian Just War theory, which states that a war should only be entered into if there is a strong likelihood of success, is that Sikhs believe that, if a war is Just, it should be undertaken, even if it cannot be won.

Remember

Sikhism allows Just War, which must be fought honourably, but Sikhs must never be the first to draw their swords.

When all peaceful methods have failed to bring justice, it is righteous to draw the sword."

Dasam Granth

Terrorism is illegal and the UK’s Terrorism Act 2000 defines it as:

The use or threat of serious violence against a person or serious damage to property where that action is: designed to influence the government or an international governmental organisation or to intimidate the public or a section of the public; and for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, racial or ideological cause."

One of the main beliefs of Sikhism is the equality and freedom of all people. This means that all people should be able to live in peace and harmony, being tolerant of the beliefs of others. Therefore, any act of terrorism is seen as wrong as it is not seen as ‘truthful living’.

Truth is higher than everything; but higher still is truthful living.”

Guru Granth Sahib 62

Examples of modern terror attacks include:

• 11 September 2001, suicide attackers seized US passenger planes and crashed them into two New York skyscrapers, killing 2,977 people.
• 22 July 2011, Anders Breivik killed 77 people in Norway by firstly detonating a van bomb and then carrying out a mass shooting.
• 5 August 2012, six Sikhs were murdered while they worshipped in their gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, USA.
• 14 October 2017, at least 587 people were killed in a truck bombing in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.
• 18 June 2023, Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot and killed by two gunmen outside a Sikh temple in Vancouver.

Weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) can kill lots of people and include chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons.

Nuclear weapons are enormously powerful explosives that use a nuclear reaction. The explosions they produce are so powerful that one nuclear bomb can destroy a large city, which indiscriminately kills huge numbers of people.

No religion agrees with the use of weapons of mass destruction.

Most Sikhs consider the use of weapons of mass destruction to be against the teachings of the Gurus. The dharam yudh states that civilians should not be harmed.

These weapons are deemed as collective punishment and target civilians.

The use of nuclear weapons is not morally justifiable in any situation given the far-reaching damage they cause without concern or consideration of those who are not directly involved."

Jaspreet Singh – Lawyer for United Sikhs, 2009

Jaspreet Singh also suggested that having nuclear weapons as a means of deterrence was not effective.

Most Sikhs believe that everyone has the right to life, therefore humans do not have the right to use weapons that cause death, especially weapons that are non-discriminatory in who is targeted.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki

On 6 August 1945, the USA dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The blast devastated an area of five square miles, destroying more than 60 percent of the city’s buildings and killing around 140,000 people.

Three days later the USA dropped a second atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Nagasaki, killing around 74,000 people. The nuclear radiation released by the bombs caused thousands more deaths from radiation sickness in the weeks, months and years that followed.

Based on teachings such as: "No one is my enemy, and no one is a stranger. I get along with everyone.” (Guru Granth Sahib 1299), Sikhs will care and serve all people in their local community. By doing this, Sikhs believe that this will help peace and justice flourish.

All members of the Sikh community are seen as equal. Sikhs’ belief in the oneness of humanity is highlighted through their actions within the gurdwara and the local community. It is out of this belief that the Khalsa was developed. Justice should be built out of righteousness and forgiveness.

By allowing justice to grow in a community, most Sikhs believe that:

You shall be blessed with patience, forgiveness, truth and peace.”

Guru Granth Sahib 937

Many Sikhs believe that justice is important to prevent conflict and in dealing with the aftermath of war.

Peace means an absence of conflict and is the opposite of war. It can be a basis for greater happiness and harmony between all in society.

Sikhism is not a pacifist religion, although individually Sikhs may be pacifists.

Pacifism rejects all violence. Sikhism does not teach that war is always wrong, but it does teach that it is only acceptable as a final resort, and only after peaceful methods have failed.

The Merciful Master has now ordained that no one annoys, oppresses or inflicts pain on another. All shall abide in peace in a benign regime.”

Guru Gobind Singh 74

During the struggle for Indian independence in the 1940s, many Sikh leaders led peaceful protests.

Sikhism teaches that forgiveness is essential to a person's vitality and that Sikhs should follow in the example of God who is all-forgiving.

Where there is greed, there is death. Where there is forgiveness, there is God Himself.”

Guru Granth Sahib 1372

If a wrong is committed, Sikhs should recognise their responsibility in what they have done, seek forgiveness from God and also from the person that they have hurt.

Forgiveness does not mean that no action should be taken after a wrong deed, but rather that through forgiveness, peace is more likely to happen.

Forgiveness Case Study - Pardeep Kaleka

Pardeep Kaleka’s father was killed in a shooting at the local gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin in the USA on 12th August 2012.

Pardeep was devastated but said: “I decided to respond to this tragedy with compassion. There is a saying in Sikhism, ‘Charhdi Kala,’ which means ‘we move in relentless optimism’. Regardless of hardships in life, I’m optimistic about the future. Charhdi Kala and compassion go hand in hand. Some people think of compassion as offering forgiveness and all is forgiven, but I think of it as a process…”.

Many Sikhs take this to mean that forgiveness is not easy but those who are able to do so need to work through it on a regular basis.

Reconciliation

Reconciliation is making up and rebuilding relationships between two sides after a conflict. It is more than just apologising, it is actively working towards peace and moving on from the situation.

The Merciful Master has now ordained that no one annoys, oppresses or inflicts pain on, another. All shall abide in peace in a benign regime.”

Guru Granth Sahib 74

As Sikhs believe that all humanity was created by one God, then humanity must not allow there to be hatred and bitterness between each other. Sikhs believe that being peaceful, united and reconciled are important qualities in all human relationships.

Gurmukh Singh OBE, in 2005 described reconciliation in Sikhism as being based on Guru Nanak’s approach, which was to:

Identify the root causes, and to show the way to a harmonious way of life.”

A holy war is a war that is authorised by a legitimate religious authority.

As taught by Guru Arjan Dev, there have been examples of Sikhs involved in holy wars in order to protect and defend their faith. The principles of truth, justice and fighting for the common good, Sarbat da Bhalla, are part of the Bhai Nand Tankah Nama, the Sikh code of conduct.

Sikhs fought in holy wars in defence of the religion against the Mughal Empire during the 17th and 18th centuries.

The Khalsa was set up, by Guru Gobind Singh, making it obligatory for all initiated Sikhs, Khalsa, to carry a sheathed blade in recognition and as a reminder of the duty to stand up for injustice. This blade is known as the Kirpan, and is part of the 5Ks in Sikhism. Kirpan comes from two Punjabi words: ‘Kirpa’ means an act of kindness, a favour; and ‘Aan’ means honour and self-respect.

For these reasons, in Sikhism, the Kirpan can be used, and military action can take place, to promote justice and defend the faith. This was emphasised at the time of the Guru Arjan (the fifth Guru, and the first Sikh martyr) because of attacks being made against the Sikh faith.

However, Guru Gobind Singh emphasised that the Kirpan should never be raised in anger, oppression or as a way to gain power.

The true hero is the one who struggles for the poor and the helpless.”

Bhagat Kabir – Indian poet and saint