Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925

The Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925 was a piece of legislation in British India which legally defined Sikh identity and brought Sikh gurdwaras (houses of worship) under the control of an elected body of orthodox Sikhs.[1]

Gurdwara reform movement

Prior to 1925, a large proportion of the gurdwaras in India were under the control of clergy of the Udasi denomination of Sikhism. The Udasi differed from their mainline Sikh congregants, and due to differences in theology (such as syncretic Hindu practises) as well as some instances of malfeasance were seen as allowing or committing behaviours unsuitable for a gurdwara. By the 1920s, resentment of this perceived corruption led to the foundation of the Akali Movement which negotiated or forced Udasi mahants (religious heads) out of control of key gurdwaras.[2]

Legislation

Among the issues addressed by the legislation:

See also

References

  1. Varinder Walia (19 September 2001). "Chohan barred from SGPC office". The Tribune. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
  2. 1 2 Sikhism: A Very Short Introduction - Eleanor Nesbitt - Google Books. Books.google.com. 2005-09-22. Retrieved 2013-05-13.
  3. Sikh Identity: An Exploration Of Groups Among Sikhs - Opinderjit Kaur Takhar - Google Books. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2013-05-13.
  4. Federalism, Nationalism and Development: India and the Punjab Economy - Pritam Singh - Google Books. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2013-05-13.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Friday, April 22, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.