Why Were Sikhs So Loyal To The British

[virk30]

Once the British East India company's armed forces had annexed the punjab, it was virtually impossible for the soldiers in the Khalsa army to survive and feed their families so they were compelled to join up and serve in order to feed their families and themselves. So that is one of the reasons why many joined up as it was a choice to serve the british...get paid to put food on table or go without with no job and starv to death.

thank you for that answer, thats what i always have thought, and have read as well and also this is another reason for the fall of the empire cause no money for the soldiers, i wish the sikhs had leadership after the sikh anglo war and in the 1800's and 1900's to rebel against the british rather then work for them when they had enslaved us

[Khaalis]

Actually, Sikhs didn't join the army (in any siginificant numbers) until the mutiny, so there is truth in most of teh above. It was after the receiving the help of the Sikhs and fighting with these magnificent men shoulder to shoulder that the admiration of the British grew 9they already admired their defeated enemy to an extent) and the recruitment campaigns started.

The reason thereafter for Sikhs joining the army was becasue after teh defeat of the Sikhs, many of the men were soldiers by trade (due to Ranjit Singhs massive armies) and fighting was their skill. So they it was pretty simple really - you join an army as an employee. This wasn't new. There is ample historical evidence to prove that some Sikhs were in the employ of the Mughal fauj during 10th Masters time, and even more so atferwards i.e. Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgharia in his early years. It was in fact the Mughals whjo gave jagir initially to some Sardars for helping them fight Ahmed Sha Abdali.

Soldier fights for money - even Guru Gobind Singh Ji had to pay his fauj and later those Singhs fighting for the Misls would freely change Misl to a higer paying Sardar.

Also, after the enslavement of the Sikhs and banishment of their shastar, the fauj was a legitimate way for a Singh to become a fully fledged shastardhari Khalsa again...

[Jai Tegang!]

Actually, Sikhs didn't join the army (in any siginificant numbers) until the mutiny, so there is truth in most of teh above. It was after the receiving the help of the Sikhs and fighting with these magnificent men shoulder to shoulder that the admiration of the British grew 9they already admired their defeated enemy to an extent) and the recruitment campaigns started.

The reason thereafter for Sikhs joining the army was becasue after teh defeat of the Sikhs, many of the men were soldiers by trade (due to Ranjit Singhs massive armies) and fighting was their skill. So they it was pretty simple really - you join an army as an employee. This wasn't new. There is ample historical evidence to prove that some Sikhs were in the employ of the Mughal fauj during 10th Masters time, and even more so atferwards i.e. Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgharia in his early years. It was in fact the Mughals whjo gave jagir initially to some Sardars for helping them fight Ahmed Sha Abdali.

Soldier fights for money - even Guru Gobind Singh Ji had to pay his fauj and later those Singhs fighting for the Misls would freely change Misl to a higer paying Sardar.

Also, after the enslavement of the Sikhs and banishment of their shastar, the fauj was a legitimate way for a Singh to become a fully fledged shastardhari Khalsa again...

Please elaborate on this bold statement, which can be interpreted in different ways. Please provide some sort of reference and context so we understand this more.

[AK47 JATHA LION]

Actually, Sikhs didn't join the army (in any siginificant numbers) until the mutiny, so there is truth in most of teh above. It was after the receiving the help of the Sikhs and fighting with these magnificent men shoulder to shoulder that the admiration of the British grew 9they already admired their defeated enemy to an extent) and the recruitment campaigns started.

The reason thereafter for Sikhs joining the army was becasue after teh defeat of the Sikhs, many of the men were soldiers by trade (due to Ranjit Singhs massive armies) and fighting was their skill. So they it was pretty simple really - you join an army as an employee. This wasn't new. There is ample historical evidence to prove that some Sikhs were in the employ of the Mughal fauj during 10th Masters time, and even more so atferwards i.e. Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgharia in his early years. It was in fact the Mughals whjo gave jagir initially to some Sardars for helping them fight Ahmed Sha Abdali.

Soldier fights for money - even Guru Gobind Singh Ji had to pay his fauj and later those Singhs fighting for the Misls would freely change Misl to a higer paying Sardar.

Also, after the enslavement of the Sikhs and banishment of their shastar, the fauj was a legitimate way for a Singh to become a fully fledged shastardhari Khalsa again...

Jassa singh ramgharia was forced out and outcast because of an unproven allegation against him. THis is why he was in employment for the mughals for a short time.

[xHarinder_singh]

Actually, Sikhs didn't join the army (in any siginificant numbers) until the mutiny, so there is truth in most of teh above. It was after the receiving the help of the Sikhs and fighting with these magnificent men shoulder to shoulder that the admiration of the British grew 9they already admired their defeated enemy to an extent) and the recruitment campaigns started.

The reason thereafter for Sikhs joining the army was becasue after teh defeat of the Sikhs, many of the men were soldiers by trade (due to Ranjit Singhs massive armies) and fighting was their skill. So they it was pretty simple really - you join an army as an employee. This wasn't new. There is ample historical evidence to prove that some Sikhs were in the employ of the Mughal fauj during 10th Masters time, and even more so atferwards i.e. Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgharia in his early years. It was in fact the Mughals whjo gave jagir initially to some Sardars for helping them fight Ahmed Sha Abdali.

Soldier fights for money - even Guru Gobind Singh Ji had to pay his fauj and later those Singhs fighting for the Misls would freely change Misl to a higer paying Sardar.

Also, after the enslavement of the Sikhs and banishment of their shastar, the fauj was a legitimate way for a Singh to become a fully fledged shastardhari Khalsa again...

First of all, even if the sikhs joined the British army, it was NOT a kurehit. The britishers respected the amrit of sikhs and serving in BRITISH army was thousand times better than serving in fake DEMON cracy BAMANN HINDU-stan army.

At the same time, I cannot imagine singhs of early 18th century like Baba Banda Singh jee Bahadur, Nawab Kapur Singh to join british army. I feel one of the reasons that singhs joined british army was the weaking of sikhi of sikh females. Sikh females of 1730's would have told their husbands to die in the battle field than to join a manmukh army. Sikh females of 1850's wanted their husbands to join the army so that she and her kids can live a decent life. Present day "sikh" females would tell their "singhs" to join RAW, IB, RSS so that they can have a nice big house, big car and their kids can get settled in rich western countries.

[Khaalis]

"Jassa singh ramgharia was forced out and outcast because of an unproven allegation against him. THis is why he was in employment for the mughals for a short time."

Completely incorrect, read up on his history. Jassa Singh was asked to liaise with Adina Beg with regards to the persecution of Mir Mannu. The kurimaar allegations were made against him after he fortified Ram Rauni and had become an established and powerfl Misledaar - and only some biased historians have made this allegation. Most records learly state that the Intra-Misl wars occured due to jagir. Again, study how many times friends became enemies and then friends again to defeat ex-friends... lol. After the allegations, Jassa Singh Ji, moved west and joined Amar Singh, he didn't join the mughals.

Historical references to 'some' Sikhs in Mughal employ can be found in 'The Darbar of the Sikh Gurus'.

[harry pottinder]

I feel one of the reasons that singhs joined british army was the weaking of sikhi of sikh females. Sikh females of 1730's would have told their husbands to die in the battle field than to join a manmukh army. Sikh females of 1850's wanted their husbands to join the army so that she and her kids can live a decent life. Present day "sikh" females would tell their "singhs" to join RAW, IB, RSS so that they can have a nice big house, big car and their kids can get settled in rich western countries.

That's completely unjustified. and in a way wouldn't that be weakening of sikh males as well? that they would so easily give in to their 'manmukh' wives?

[xHarinder_singh]

That's completely unjustified. and in a way wouldn't that be weakening of sikh males as well? that they would so easily give in to their 'manmukh' wives?

Many punjabis like to glorify the rule of raja ranjit singh but I feel that in this period the NIARAPAN of khalsa was COMPROMISED. As a result the singhnis lost their niarapan and strong rehit and began to get influenced by hindu and muslim females.

Yes it was the weakening of sikh males that lead to weakning of sikh females and their kids they gave birth too. Singhnis are the key for the charrdikala for the panth as a singhni is a mother, sister and a wife and a charrdikala singhni can make charrdikala warrior husbands, brothers and bhujangis. It was MATA BHAG KAUR JEE

who awoke the weaking khalsaspirit of 40 muktas.

[virk30]

why did the sikhs stay so loyal in the late 1800's and early 1900's, why did we accept being slaves under the british, even after the massacore in 1919 we joined their army

[DSingh5]

It is a well known fact that Sikhs were very loyal the British and helped them crush the first mutiny of 1857. By the year 1920, Sikhs formed about 20% of the imperial army. Read the following article (you will find many such in a good library):

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.history.org.uk/files/download/17473/1464784794/Lesson_1_Resource_F.docx%23:~:text%3DThose%20Sikhs%20who%20were%20loyal,Sepoy%20Uprising%20(Indian%20Mutiny).%26text%3DThe%20British%20now%20saw%20Sikhs,had%20rebelled%20against%20their%20rule.&ved=2ahUKEwihrsut5I72AhXnJzQIHfU8AJ0QFnoECAQQBg&usg=AOvVaw225MweutlPFf8zfGxK-8SF