Why Sikhism Failed To Spread After Nearly 500 Years?

[SSD]

The reason I am asking this is because in that much time for other religions they got so much done. Christianity got Europe; Islam in 500 years got Arabia. Bhudhism in 500 years was very well spread out into southeastern Asia and Japan. So if these religions got so much in 500 years, why have we failed as followers of the highest Guru to even get outside of Punjab? Our Gurus aren't lower than these are other men!

[Guest]

Well for Christianity and Muslim both religions spread their faith by forceful conversions.

[Jonny101]

The reason I am asking this is because in that much time for other religions they got so much done. Christianity got Europe; Islam in 500 years got Arabia. Bhudhism in 500 years was very well spread out into southeastern Asia and Japan. So if these religions got so much in 500 years, why have we failed as followers of the highest Guru to even get outside of Punjab? Our Gurus aren't lower than these are other men!

The growth of our young faith was stunted by the severe persecution we faced at the hands of Muslims. Read Tauzke Jahangiri in which Jahangir himself says he did the Shaheedi of Guru Arjun Dev Jee because many Hindus and Muslims were becoming His followers. Sheikh Ahmad Sihindi who is considered a Mujadid Alf e Thani(reviver of Islam of the second millennium) by the Muslims was alarmed at seeing the growth of Sikhi as he has written in his Maktubat or collection of letters. He then conspired to have Guru Arjun Dev Jee become Shaheed through Jahangir.

After Guru Gobind Singh Jee, Sikhs faced genocide after genocide. It was literally a crime to be a Sikh back in those days. Any Sikh who was caught alive was killed immediately through beheading and his head was presented to the Mughal and later the Afghan authorities for reward money. So when Sikhs managed to finally become masters of Punjab despite this horrible persecution, Sikhs were no more than 5% of the entire Punjabi population. During Maharaja Ranjit Singh's era, Sikh faith began to spread, but still Sikhs were a minority within the Sikh state itself because Sikh rulers no longer actively spread Sikhi among the masses as they should have. If they did do parchar then at the very least central Punjab would have become a Sikh majority area.

After Punjab was conquered by the British, again Sikhi began to decline because the newly converted Sikhs who had converted during Sikh Raaj began reverting to their old faiths. During Singh Sabha movement, Sikhi again began to spread all over Punjab and had Singh Sabha movement not faced the stiff opposition from the Arya Samaj movement in Punjab at the time, it is very likely that all Punjabi Hindus would have gravitated towards Sikhi.

[SSD]

The growth of our young faith was stunted by the severe persecution we faced at the hands of Muslims. Read Tauzke Jahangiri in which Jahangir himself says he did the Shaheedi of Guru Arjun Dev Jee because many Hindus and Muslims were becoming His followers. Sheikh Ahmad Sihindi who is considered a Mujadid Alf e Thani(reviver of Islam of the second millennium) by the Muslims was alarmed at seeing the growth of Sikhi as he has written in his Maktubat or collection of letters. He then conspired to have Guru Arjun Dev Jee become Shaheed through Jahangir.

After Guru Gobind Singh Jee, Sikhs faced genocide after genocide. It was literally a crime to be a Sikh back in those days. Any Sikh who was caught alive was killed immediately through beheading and his head was presented to the Mughal and later the Afghan authorities for reward money. So when Sikhs managed to finally become masters of Punjab despite this horrible persecution, Sikhs were no more than 5% of the entire Punjabi population. During Maharaja Ranjit Singh's era, Sikh faith began to spread, but still Sikhs were a minority within the Sikh state itself because Sikh rulers no longer actively spread Sikhi among the masses as they should have. If they did do parchar then at the very least central Punjab would have become a Sikh majority area.

After Punjab was conquered by the British, again Sikhi began to decline because the newly converted Sikhs who had converted during Sikh Raaj began reverting to their old faiths. During Singh Sabha movement, Sikhi again began to spread all over Punjab and had Singh Sabha movement not faced the stiff opposition from the Arya Samaj movement in Punjab at the time, it is very likely that all Punjabi Hindus would have gravitated towards Sikhi.

Punjab isn't even as big as the Christian or Muslim expansion though, didn't Guru Nanak go 87,000 miles on foot. If the Khalsa is ever going to fully Raj they need the whole world because Agai Rayi Na Koi. We can't have some enemies..

[JSinghnz]

INSTEAD OF ASKING WHY, THE QUESTION SHOULD BE HOW ARE WE GOING TO SPREAD SIKHISM NOW?

[Jonny101]

Punjab isn't even as big as the Christian or Muslim expansion though, didn't Guru Nanak go 87,000 miles on foot. If the Khalsa is ever going to fully Raj they need the whole world because Agai Rayi Na Koi. We can't have some enemies..

No one with the exception of the Jews faced the kind of persecution the Sikhs faced which would explain why we are both in small numbers. Had Sikhs not faced any persecution since the period of the Gurus, then very likely Sikhi would have spread all over Asia. Islam and Christianity faced very minor persecutions until they managed to spread(usually by force), nothing compared to what the Sikhs had to face who were literally struggling for their very survival. At one point during the 1700s, there was just a few thousand Sikhs left! Still Sikhs managed to come out on top and become rulers of Punjab.

[SSD]

No one with the exception of the Jews faced the kind of persecution the Sikhs faced which would explain why we are both in small numbers. Had Sikhs not faced any persecution since the period of the Gurus, then very likely Sikhi would have spread all over Asia. Islam and Christianity faced very minor persecutions until they managed to spread(usually by force), nothing compared to what the Sikhs had to face who were literally struggling for their very survival. At one point during the 1700s, there was just a few thousand Sikhs left! Still Sikhs managed to come out on top and become rulers of Punjab.

I still do have to say that it's very impressive for a group that's been persecuted often. The Mughals did believe that Sikhi was gone for a while and went back their own little thing. Bertrand Russell(An atheist) said "If some lucky men survive the onslaught of the third world war of atomic and hydrogen bombs, the SIKH religion will be the ONLY means of guiding them.

It has the capability, but Sikhs have not brought-out, in broad day light, the splendid doctrines of their religion, which has come into existence for

the benefit of entire mankind." This is the guy that disproved the Abrahimic religions and even destroyed Hinduism and Bhudhism. He said that it was great for all of mankind. ALL

[savinderpalsingh]

The reason I am asking this is because in that much time for other religions they got so much done. Christianity got Europe; Islam in 500 years got Arabia. Bhudhism in 500 years was very well spread out into southeastern Asia and Japan. So if these religions got so much in 500 years, why have we failed as followers of the highest Guru to even get outside of Punjab? Our Gurus aren't lower than these are other men!

just like a glass half filled with water seems

half full to some

and full to some

and half full with air to some,

the same way this tisar panth seems half full or empty to you

to answer your question

if you do your nitnem with love and passion you will get your answer inside it

[Mehtab Singh]

Sikhi has in fact not been a proselytizing faith the way Christianity and Islam are. Buddhism was spread mainly by the Emperor Asoka once he converted, and he was a king who ironically won his massive empire through widespread bloodshed prior to embracing Buddhism. Please correct me if I am wrong, but I think Christianity spread in Europe once Constantine became a Christian. Islam has a different story, they didn't need to convert any king and depend on him to convert his empire, they just used brute force period.

As for Sikhi, again, since there is no proselytizing element that manipulates/exploits/forces anyone to give up their faith. Neither did any well known king embrace Sikhi and then accelerate a conversion campaign, nor did any Sikh leader of the past oppress the masses to spread his religion.

I think instead of asking why we were not able to spread Sikhi, we should appreciate and be proud of the fact that inspite of all hell that was inflicted on the Sikh qaum, we have still managed to survive and sustain ourselves, which is why the whole world knows us as fighters. Its not about who can fight and win that reflects a fighting spirit. Its your determination never to give up in the face of repeated disasters and defeats, one worse than the other, and yet come out not merely as a survivor but a winner.

[S4NGH]

The growth of our young faith was stunted by the severe persecution we faced at the hands of Muslims. Read Tauzke Jahangiri in which Jahangir himself says he did the Shaheedi of Guru Arjun Dev Jee because many Hindus and Muslims were becoming His followers. Sheikh Ahmad Sihindi who is considered a Mujadid Alf e Thani(reviver of Islam of the second millennium) by the Muslims was alarmed at seeing the growth of Sikhi as he has written in his Maktubat or collection of letters. He then conspired to have Guru Arjun Dev Jee become Shaheed through Jahangir.

After Guru Gobind Singh Jee, Sikhs faced genocide after genocide. It was literally a crime to be a Sikh back in those days. Any Sikh who was caught alive was killed immediately through beheading and his head was presented to the Mughal and later the Afghan authorities for reward money. So when Sikhs managed to finally become masters of Punjab despite this horrible persecution, Sikhs were no more than 5% of the entire Punjabi population. During Maharaja Ranjit Singh's era, Sikh faith began to spread, but still Sikhs were a minority within the Sikh state itself because Sikh rulers no longer actively spread Sikhi among the masses as they should have. If they did do parchar then at the very least central Punjab would have become a Sikh majority area.

After Punjab was conquered by the British, again Sikhi began to decline because the newly converted Sikhs who had converted during Sikh Raaj began reverting to their old faiths. During Singh Sabha movement, Sikhi again began to spread all over Punjab and had Singh Sabha movement not faced the stiff opposition from the Arya Samaj movement in Punjab at the time, it is very likely that all Punjabi Hindus would have gravitated towards Sikhi.

But we've been more severely persecuted at the hands of the hindus!