The "Nang" website

[ms514]

Sat Sri Akal:

Here's is what I got from reading some history.

At one time, every Sikh was a Nihang. Post Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the Panth was subjected to persecution and all Sikhs were combatants against the oppression...therefore part of the Nihang forces. Later on, they were divided into the Buddha Dal and the Tarna Dal. The origional function of the Buddha Dal was to arrange Sikh affairs and maintain the Gurudwaras, the brains of the Panth. It was constituted of 45+ war veteran Sikhs, though obviously given the conditions, they would have had to engage in combat as well. The Tarna Dal was the young blood and the active army and handled most of the direct combat. Later on, these two Dals were divided into the Misls.

The division of the Nihangs seems to be when Raja Ranjit Singh started to "modernize" his army. The Nihang soldiers were dead set against the uniform changes and the adaptation of the Sikh army to European standards. The Nihangs stayed true to their banaa and battle tactics, where the remaining Raja army was Europeanized. That seems to be where the Nihangs become a distinct group in Sikhism rather than being the entire Panth.

[GurooDaChela]

It has to be noted that this type of misappropriation of Akali Nihang traditions, names, titles and uniform, by modern Sikhs to enhance their own reputations and position within Sikhism is nothing new.

The traditional home of Sikh fighting arts is the Shromani Panth Akali Nihang Singh Khalsa 96 Crore Budha Dal of the Akal Takht, established in 1606, by Baba Budha Ji. The Budha Dal Akali Nihangs suffered greatly at the hands of the British Raj in the mid-19th century. The British Raj nearly exterminated the Akali Nihangs. Giani Kirpal Singh once wrote:

‘…Baba Prahlada Singh was made 'Jathedar' (commander-in-chief). But on the Singhs’ [Akali Nihangs] heads now, from all round, fell great mountain-like difficulties. They could find no place to hide because the English had given strict orders - wherever a Singh soldier [of the Budha Dal Akali Nihang Singh Khalsa] is found, shoot him dead. This order remained for twenty years. All India [british India] and Indian kingdoms were ordered thus, with strictness to apply this order.’

(‘Doh Gur Sikh Nirmolk Hireh’, Giani Kirpal Singh, Pa. 128)

The gradual establishment of British Raj destroyed the British Raj-hostile Sanatan (traditional) Sikh world of Akali Nihangs, Udasis, Nirmalas and Seva Panthi Sikhs. In time, the institutions of British Raj nurtured a new form of more accommodating and puritanical Sikhism. This was the Lahore-based Singh Sabhia reformist movement.

It was these so-called 'Reformers of Sikhism' that first started the trend of misappropriating and misrepresenting Akali Nihang martial and spiritual traditions.

For instance, the title the Lahore-based Singh Sabhias chose for themsel

ves ‘Tat Khalsa’, meaning ‘the pure Khalsa’. This very title was adopted by, the Akali Nihang Singh Khalsa in the early 18th century when they went against Banda Bahadur. As time progressed, the extreme Tat Khalsa Singh Sabhias, founded by one 'Babu' Teja Singh of Bhasaur village, Ludhiana District, Punjab, even began to dress up as an Akali Nihang. These individuals initiated new Khalsa in their own self-concocted and delusioned manner. Teja Singh 'Bhasauria', eventually became labeled as an 'apostate' by the mainstream Sikh faith for a variety of actions he later carried out.

By 1925, the prominent, and the present mainstream Sikh religious-come-political institution, the Shromani Gurudwara Parbandak Committee (S.G.P.C.) was brought into being by the passing of an Act by the British Raj. The S.G.P.C. adopted the Budha Dal titles ‘Shromani’ (meaning ‘highest authority in Sikhism’) and designation of the term ‘Akali’ for themselves.

The S.G.P.C., then taking control of the traditional religious high office of Budha Dal Jathedar, the Akal Takht, drove the Akali Nihangs of Budha Dal out of Akal Takht with the aid of the British Raj.

The Budha Dal of the Akali Nihang Singh Khalsa, traditionally based at the Akal Takht, was the only institution of Khalsa initiation. There was NO other institution of Khalsa initiation.

All this history the S.G.P.C. sought to undo. At present, S.G.P.C. Sikhism is promoting itself to the position of mainstream Sikhism by stealing from Akali Nihangs its past name, prestige, glories etc. They have attempted to rewrite the Akali Nihangs out of Khalsa history, and at best have reduced the Budha Dal Akali Nihangs to a mere footnote in Khalsa history.

However, the undisputed fact remains that original Khalsa was ALL Akali Nihang Singh Khalsa (for a full account, please see ‘Pracheen Panth Prakash’ written by Shaheed Rattan Singh Bhangu). Even Giani Kirpal Singh, the S.G.P.C.-elected 'Jathedar' of Akal Takht in the 1980’s

, and himself a reputed historian, fully acknowledged the past traditional authority of the Budha Dal and its Jathedar in context of Sikh shrines. In a book published after his death in 1993, Giani Kirpal Singh conceded:‘At the Akal Takht, Takht Sahib Siri Kesgarh Sahib, and Takht Dam Dama Sahib, the priests dressed in the Nihang manner. From this it is known that it was the Budha Dal Jathedar that used to control the organization of the Takhts. This was because it was Budha Dal, which looked after all the religious, and traditions of historical Gurdwaras in the Punjab. Initiating, Khalsa and preaching Dharma it did also.’

(‘Siri Akal Takht Sahib Ateh Jathedar Sahiban’, Giani Kirpal Singh (1999), Pa. 57) Hence, mainstream Sikhism according to Akali Nihangs is hell-bent on, if not completely destroying, then at least subverting Budha Dal traditions to make the Budha Dal and Tarna Dal Nihangs subservient to its authority. Today, many other groups around the world have also adopted the strategy of stealing Akali Nihang Singh Khalsa traditions in order to gain recruits into their institutions.

In appearance many appear as Nihangs and may present themselves as traditional Sikhs, but they have NO true martial history.

The original Khalsa martial tradition is that of the the Panjvah Takht Shromani Panth Akali Nihang Singh Khalsa 96 Crore Budha Dal

Akali Nihangs only recognize the ancient pre-British Raj Khalsa traditions of ‘Dal Panth’ (meaning, ‘way of the army’ or ‘nation that is the army’). Dal Panth refers to the Akali Nihang Dals and Sach Khand Hazoor Sahib, Nanded, Maharashtra. Akali Nihangs DO NOT recognizeANY Khalsa institution which was established by or during British Raj or afterwards

The budha dal is far more active and ready to fight than the tarna dal.

[Deep Singh]

just like to add: And in that process of 'modernization', only the Shaheedan Wali Misal remained true to the Nihang lifestyle...ie Puratan Khalsa style.

am i right?

[Mehtab Singh]

just like to add: And in that process of 'moderninzation', only the Shaheedan Wali Misal remained true to the Nihang lifestyle...ie Puratan Khalsa style.

am i right?

And it was headed by Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Jee ...correct ????

[Deep Singh]

Hanji, he was the first Jathedar of Shaheedan Wali Misal.

[sukhsingh]

just like to add: And in that process of 'moderninzation', only the Shaheedan Wali Misal remained true to the Nihang lifestyle...ie Puratan Khalsa style.

am i right?

bigtime wrong.

[Mehtab Singh]

just like to add: And in that process of 'moderninzation', only the Shaheedan Wali Misal remained true to the Nihang lifestyle...ie Puratan Khalsa style.

am i right?

bigtime wrong.

correct him then

[s s Jhamka]

vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh

here we go again wana be nangs say they now all the history etc etc etc we heard it from sukhy aka nidar himself.

taksaal was once part of budha dal. budha dal gave agaya to taksaal to start    distrubting amrit. somehow, some of the rehat was changed. taksaal cut off all ties with budha dal after 1984, but regained ties once jathedar baba santa singh ji got pesh from Sri Akaal Takht.

Damdami Taksaal has NEVER been part of the Budhadal or is it a nihang jatha, no where in the Taksaal history has it never mentioned this so the Taksaal is not close to budhadal. yes every Guru ka sikh is a fighter so ppl automatically say Baba Deep Singh was a nihang becus he fought many battles same with Baba Gurbaksh Singh Ji.

the uk nangs use this so many times, first the Damdami Taksaal was on off the orginal 5 jathas started by Guruji, then once they now they couldnot fool ppl they came out and said ohhh we researched and found out that the Taskaal has no lineage etc etc.

the budhal dal contribution to the ladt 150 years has been ZERO, not saying the Nihangs have not done anything YES true nihangs like Baba Bidi Chand jatha and baba nihal singh jis jatha and Baba Sohan Singh was the one who help Sant Gaini Kartar Singh after he became the jathadar of the Taksaal

i cant wait for the website going to tear it apart plus the going to shoot them

selves in the foot like all ways.

santa going pesh to the sgpc what a joke that is, his uk nang jatha swear at the sgpc say they are the real jathadars of the quam yet the BEg for forgiveness lol

any way lets see what rubbish they come out with, plus there will be info coming from panjab regarding sukhy nidar.

take care bros

sukdev

[sukhsingh]

in no way do i have any ties to niddar, besides maybe knowing one guy who met him.

in no way am i a follower of his "neo" nihangs in uk.

ask any real nihang, they will tell ya what i said is true.

[Singh47]

I agree with Jhamka Jee. Taksal was and is not part of the Budha Dal. Nihangs do have lineage, but unfortunately most of them are just Nangs. Just take a look at their track record: they opposed the Singh Sabha Lahar, Akali Leher and betrayed the Panth in 84 by collaborating with the enemy like a bunch of cowards that they are. Currently, the Nakli Nihangs in the UK are spreading some perverse version of Sanatan Sikhism, which is even weirder than the Nihangs of India.

I hope knowledgeable Sikhs like Bikramjit Singh, Singh123 and some others come together and create a website refuting UK Nang's bogus philosophy, because it’s very badly needed. At first everyone put their efforts against Kala Afghana and his chelas, now its time they do the same to Nang Nidder and his Sanatan “Sikhi”.