There is much deliberation over the formation of the Nirmalas, who were the scholars sent by Guru Gobind Singh to Varanasi, a holy Hindu site of pilgrimage, to learn Sanskrit. Hindus forbade lower castes to learn Sanskrit and to read the Vedas, their ancient religious scriptures. The Nirmalas were distinguished by their faded peach or ochre-coloured turbans and clothes and became the intellectuals and scholars of Sikhism.
Having lost their leader and with threat from invading Muslim Afghan armies, it was a time of desperate survival. Leaderless, the Punjab became divided into numerous warring misls or confederacies, each with their own ruler. Twelve were under Sikh rule, one under Muslim rule and one led by an Englishman. After much negotiation, reconciliation and fighting, by , these misls were united into one empire by Ranjit Singh, who became the first leader of the Sikh Empire. He was a benevolent ruler and allowed Muslims and Hindus to practise their faiths.
During this time, there were varying styles of turban. They differed based on religious belief and region. The main differences between the turbans were the material used, the folding and tying of the layers, the ornaments chosen to decorate the turban and the colours worn. Despite the diverse styles of turbans worn at that point, it was the arrival of the British in Punjab in that triggered one of the most significant shifts in the identity of Sikhs.
Ranjit Singh was a patron of his empire, investing money to help his soldiers to become the best. It was common knowledge that he took inspiration from the British and their military style. Ranjit Singh employed French generals to train his Khalsa army.
The generals were experienced at fighting the British, having faced them in the Battle of Waterloo in With the guidance of the newly appointed generals, the Khalsa army began to dress like the British, adopting their order, discipline and showmanship. The Khalsa army displayed this when they held a parade for the British, their horses adorned with silk cloths and the finest weapons and uniforms.
According to the Treaty of Amritsar 2 April between Ranjit Singh and the British, Ranjit Singh had unrestricted authority to further expand his territory north of the Sutlej river in the Punjab.
However, he could not cross south of the river. With the death of Ranjit Singh in , the Sikh Empire began to crumble. His sons fought for control.
Mysterious deaths led to a succession of short-lived rulers. Seeing a weakness in the Sikh Empire and an opportunity to conquer the last major region of the subcontinent, the British began to gather its military strength on the border of the Punjab. Increased tension provoked the Khalsa army to cross south of the river, leading to the First Anglo—Sikh war — Despite defeating the Khalsa army, the British regarded the Sikhs as the toughest opponents they had faced in India.
Impressed with their military skills, the British began to recruit the Sikhs to fight for them. For the Sikh soldiers, their options were narrow. It was a choice between learning from the British Army and earning a salary that exceeded what they had been paid by Ranjit Singh, or living in a fallen empire. With the addition of Sikhs to the existing Muslims and Hindus in their army, the British were fully aware how caste issues could affect the cohesiveness of their soldiers.
To combat this, they made it mandatory that all soldiers wore a turban, creating a sense of equality, just like the Khalsa. They needed updating. White turbans are also worn at events in which colourful clothing would be inappropriate for example a funeral.
Black turbans are quite commonly worn, with the colour being simple and able to be easily paired alongside any outfit. However, black represents the surrender of the ego and demonstrates humility. This is a quality taught within Sikhism, therefore black turbans serve as a reminder to follow this lifestyle. Pink and red turbans are often worn at weddings, it is a traditional attire for the groom, with the colours being considered auspicious for the marriage, showing new beginnings filled with prosperity.
However, the colours can go beyond the linkage with marriage representing strength and bravery. Many would associate the colour Gold with weddings however, it has a bigger representation. The colour Gold symbolises a sense of calm and healing that helps with anxiety and clearing the mind. This significance derives from the Golden temple, due to the Harminder Sahib being a place of peace and meditation. Yellow is a happy colour that symbolises sunshine, happiness, and joy.
Despite there being a range of turban colours and the majority being worn in coordination to clothing, we must learn and teach others on the significance of some important colours and how they play a big part in life values. They can be an important reminder of the way to live life but also an important reminder of Sikh history.
Bhatti, P. Your mileage may vary. Mine sure does. I tend to wear shorter, narrower lengths of fabric, which I re-tie every day. To put it on, I fold the cloth several times a process called making the pooni into a single layer that I then wrap concentrically around my head in four layers or a larh , but more often Sikhs wrap turbans around five or more times.
You can watch a similar process at your own risk here. A dumalla is a larger, rounder turban. There is a smaller round turban tied by some Sikh men. Sikh women who tie turbans tend to wear round ones as well. Within this style, there are regional differences — British Sikhs and African Sikhs tend to wear smaller, sharper turbans using starched cloth compared to North American Sikhs, whose turbans are generally softer. Indian Sikhs will often tie larger turbans.
Apparently, size matters. I typically get my turbans from South Asian fabric shops, online turban retailers, or at Sikh festivals. As for care, many people will hand wash their turbans, though I put mine in the washing machine set on the delicate cycle and hang to dry.
When I was a kid and my hair got long enough, my mother would tie on me until I could what is known as a patka — basically, a rectangular cloth tied around my head like a bandana that covered my bun of hair. Most boys will wear a patka until they learn how to tie the full turban, and many will instead have a handkerchief just covering their hair bun on the top of their heads. Sikh men will also often wear a patka when playing sports. Sikhs are supposed to keep their heads covered when in public.
Actually, flowing water can be fatal to a tied turban. We can be rather hydrophobic when it rains. I will say, however, that my turban does make for a convenient pillow during air travel. It was the Sikhs' sign of freedom, a symbol of equality and a way to end caste distinctions. Transformation under British rule. The arrival of the British in Punjab in triggered one of the most significant shifts in Sikh identity. Despite defeating the Khalsa, the British were impressed with their military skills and began recruiting Sikhs to fight for the empire.
Aware that caste issues could affect the cohesiveness of the British Indian Army -- which also included Hindu and Muslim soldiers -- the British made it mandatory for all soldiers to wear a turban, creating a sense of equality. The British Indian Army made it mandatory for all soldiers to wear a turban.
But the varying styles, shapes and sizes didn't sit well with the colonial rulers, who thought the garments looked scruffy. They decided to replace natural rolled layers with neat, symmetrical folds, leading to what is now commonly known as the "Kenyan" style turban. The British also introduced insignia to help identify regiments, which were mostly organized by race or class.
To identify Sikh soldiers, they used an insignia of a "chakkar," a throwing weapon, that was pinned to the front of their turbans. Another British-influenced change to Sikh identity was the tying of their beards. Traditionally, Sikhs would allow their uncut beards to flow loose. But, this posed problems when using British weaponry, as loose beards were prone to catching fire when operating a rifle. The British military changed the way turbans were folded. The solution, imposed by the British, was to roll up and tie their beards over their chins, which became a defining look of the Sikh soldier.
Although its purpose was initially functional, Sikh men continue to roll their beards to this day, mainly for its aesthetic appearance. During World War I, Sikh soldiers wore impressive large turbans, approximately eight meters in length.
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