🏛 Politics
Rulers and leaders often fight to gain power or keep it. Sikhs say this comes from haumai (pride). The Gurus taught that a ruler has a duty to protect all people fairly.
Sikh Beliefs about Peace and Conflict » Sikh Attitudes to Conflict: The Saint-Soldier and Zafarnama 22
What you'll learn this session
Study time: 30 minutes
Edexcel spec: Paper 1, 3.1 (Sikhism)
- How Sikhs respond to the causes of conflict: politics, resources, history, culture and religion
- What Zafarnama 22 says about taking up the sword
- Why Sikhs do not fight a holy war to spread their religion
- Sikh teachings on war and peace, the saint-soldier and the kirpan
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Unlock This CourseConflict: a Sikh starting point
In Why Conflicts and Wars Happen you saw how conflict harms society: people are killed or hurt, families lose their homes, and farms, hospitals and trade are destroyed. You also saw that politics, resources, history, culture and religion can each cause conflict. Here we look at how Sikhs respond.
Sikhs begin with two beliefs from earlier lessons. First, life is a gift from God, so it is precious (see Sanctity of Life and Abortion: Sikh Views). Second, greed, anger and pride, the five thieves, are what lead people to hurt others (see Maya, Manmukh and Haumai). So Sikhs see most conflict as a failure of people, not something God wants. They work for peace and justice for everyone. The Sikh phrase sarbat da bhala means "the good of all". It is a prayer for the well-being of every person.
Key terms:
- Zafarnama: a letter in Persian from Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru, to the emperor Aurangzeb. The name means "letter of victory".
- Saint-soldier: a person who lives as a devoted worshipper of God and is also ready to defend others by force when it is a duty.
- Kirpan: a small sword that initiated Sikhs wear as a reminder of their duty to protect the weak.
How Sikhs respond to the causes of conflict
💧 Resources
Land, water and wealth cause quarrels when some people take more than their share. Sikhs are taught to earn an honest living (kirat karni) and to share with others, including strangers. Langar, the free communal meal in every gurdwara, is a daily example of sharing.
📜 History and culture
Old hurts and differences of background can keep quarrels alive. Sikhs teach that all human beings are equal and come from one God. Guru Nanak taught respect for people of every background, so no group is to be treated as an enemy because of its past.
🙏 Religion
Sikhs believe that no religion has the only path to God and that nobody should be forced to change faith.
So the first Sikh answer to every cause is to remove it: share fairly, treat everyone as equal, and respect other faiths. Prayer and honest talking come before force, but some people will not listen.
Zafarnama 22
Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru, wrote the Zafarnama to the emperor Aurangzeb around 1705. In it he accuses Aurangzeb of breaking his promises and acting unjustly.
Verse 22 is the part the spec names. In plain English it says that when all other means have failed, it is right to take up the sword. (The spec spells the title "Zafanamah". The standard spelling is Zafarnama.) It has two parts:
- "When all other means have failed": fighting is a last resort. Talking, patience and fair dealing must be tried first.
- "It is right": when peace has truly failed and people are being treated unjustly, a Sikh is not wrong to fight.
Many Sikhs therefore say that Zafarnama 22 does not praise war. It sets a firm limit on when force is allowed. It is not a licence to attack people for their religion or to take their land.
Holy war: why Sikhs do not fight to spread their religion
You met the idea of holy war in Just War Theory, Holy War and Passive Resistance. Guru Nanak taught that God is one and is worshipped under many names, and that Sikhs should win others over by example and service, never by force. No Sikh teaching says a Sikh should kill people for refusing to follow Sikhism. A Sikh who fights is fighting for justice and to protect others, not to spread the faith.
Sikh teachings about war and peace
Sikh teaching about killing has two sides, and both are on the spec.
🕊 Not killing
Because life is a gift from God, Sikhs believe killing is a great wrong. Sikhs are taught to hate no one and to see God in all people, which makes war a last choice. Revenge and cruelty are never accepted.
⚔ Fighting as a duty
Sikhs also teach that it is a person's duty to stand up against injustice and protect the weak. A person who watches cruelty and does nothing is failing in their duty to God and to other people. Where there is no other way, fighting can be a duty.
The saint-soldier
The ideal that joins the two sides is the saint-soldier. Guru Arjan, the fifth Guru, died in 1606 under the emperor Jahangir. After this his son, Guru Hargobind, wore two swords. One stood for spiritual authority and one for worldly power and the duty to defend people. In the same way a Sikh is meant to be gentle, honest and prayerful in daily life, and brave enough to defend others when needed.
Guru Gobind Singh later founded the Khalsa, the community of initiated Sikhs (those who have taken amrit). You will study it in Paper 2.
Sikhs say this defence is for weak people of any faith, not only Sikhs. You met Guru Tegh Bahadur in Evil and Suffering: Sikh Teachings. The new point here is that he gave his life in 1675 under Aurangzeb to defend the right of people of another faith to follow their own religion. For this reason he is remembered for standing up for freedom of belief.
The kirpan
Initiated Sikhs wear the kirpan, one of the Five Ks, five items of faith worn by those who have taken amrit. It is not worn as a weapon to threaten anyone. It is a reminder of the duty to protect people who cannot protect themselves, to stand up to injustice, and to use force only as a last resort.
Common mistakes
- Saying Zafarnama 22 means Sikhs love fighting. It says the sword is right only when all other means have failed.
- Saying Sikhs fight holy wars to spread Sikhism. Sikhs teach respect for all faiths and do not use force to convert.
- Saying the kirpan is a weapon for attack. It is a reminder of the duty to protect the weak.
- Saying Sikhs only defend Sikhs. Their duty is to defend the weak of any faith.
Exam-style question
Paper 1 (a) [3 marks, AO1]: Identify three causes of conflict.
Model answer
1. Politics, such as a struggle for power (1). 2. Resources, such as land or water (1). 3. Religion, such as disagreement between faiths (1).
Paper 1 (b) [4 marks, AO1]: Choose one religion. Outline two teachings about war in this religion.
Model answer
Sikhs teach that life is a gift from God (1), so killing is a great wrong and war should be a last choice (1). Sikhs also teach that it is a duty to defend the weak (1), for example by living as a saint-soldier, as Guru Hargobind did when he wore two swords (1).
Paper 1 (c) [6 marks, AO1 and AO2]: Choose one religion. Explain why Sikhs do not fight a holy war to spread their religion.
Model answer
Sikhs do not fight to spread their religion because Guru Nanak taught that God is one and is worshipped under many names. This means that no faith has the only path to God, so there is no reason to force others to change. Sikhs believe that nobody should be forced to follow a religion, and they teach respect for all faiths. Guru Tegh Bahadur gave his life to defend the right of people of another religion to follow their beliefs, which shows that Sikhs defend freedom of belief and do not force conversion. Sikhs also believe life is a gift from God, so killing someone because of their faith would be a great wrong. When Sikhs do fight, as Zafarnama 22 allows, it is to protect people and stop injustice when all other means have failed, not to spread the faith.
Paper 1 (d) [12 marks, AO1 and AO2]: "Fighting is never right." Evaluate this statement, showing you have considered different points of view. In your answer you should refer to at least one religion.
Plan for (d)
For: Sikhs believe life is a gift from God and killing is a great wrong; fighting causes the harm to society seen in Why Conflicts and Wars Happen; Sikhs teach that revenge is never accepted; pacifists and many non-religious people believe violence only causes more violence.
Against: Zafarnama 22 says that when all other means have failed it is right to take up the sword; Sikhs teach that standing by while the weak suffer is a failure of duty, and the saint-soldier ideal and the kirpan remind Sikhs to protect them; many non-religious people also accept defending people from attack.
Possible conclusion: for Sikhs fighting is not good in itself, but it is sometimes right as a last resort to protect others, so "never" goes too far. Judge each argument and give a clear final decision.
Exam tip
Quote the condition in Zafarnama 22: "when all other means have failed". Examiners reward answers that show Sikhs allow fighting only as a last resort, not answers that say Sikhs simply support war.