Baba Buddha Ji (October 6, 1506 - September 8, 1631) is recognized as one of the great Sikhs of the Guru period who had the pleasure of serving Guru Nanak and the five succeeding Gurus. Baba Buddha was born into the Randhawa clan. He had the privilege of being blessed by the first six Gurus. He had led an ideal Sikh life for more than a hundred years. He was one of the closest companions of Guru Nanak and is one of the most revered and sacred saints in Sikhism. He was the first Head Granthi of Shri Harmandir Sahib. He holds one of the most important and pivotal positions in Sikh history. Baba Buddha is a unique personage and grand Old Man of Sikhism. Guru Amardas called Baba Buddha the pillar of Sikhism. He was also the first person to take a Hukamnama from the Adi Granth Sahib.
Baba Buddha was a prime figure in early Sikhism. He was born in 1506 in the village of Kathu Nangal, in Amritsar district into a Jat Sikh Randhawa family. His father’s name was Sugha Randhawa and his mother's name was Mai Gauran of the Sandhu clan. His birth name was Bura. As a child (about 12 years) while grazing cattle outside his village, he met Guru Nanak. He asked Guru Nanak many questions regarding life and death. Guru Nanak was very much impressed and blessed him with the name Buddha, since he spoke as if he were a wise elder. He was one of the earliest Sikhs of Guru Nanak, and performed the formal coronation of the five Sikh Gurus who succeeded Guru Nanak; Guru Angad, Guru Amardas, Guru Ram Das, Guru Arjan Dev, and Guru Hargobind.
On installation of Adhi Granth, a compilation of Sikh scripture at Shri Harimandar Sahib on August 16, 1604, Baba Buddha was appointed the first Granthi by Guru Arjan Dev. On May 30, 1606, of the martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev, Guru Hargobind ordered the construction of the Akal Takht, and entrusted the responsibility of its construction to Baba Buddha and Bhai Gurdas. While Guru Hargobind was in Jail, Baba Buddha reformed the Nihang army (Akal Sena), although now it is named Buddha Dal after Jathedar Baba Buddha. After a lifetime of following the Sikh Gurus, Baba Buddha died at the age of 124 years in 1631 at the village Jhanda Ramdas on the bank of the Ravi river. Guru Hargobind was at his beside and honoured him by carrying him to his funeral pyre and reciting from the Adhi Granth. Baba Buddha was among the earliest significant historical Sikh figures, and significant numbers of conversions occurred as early as the time of Guru Angad (1504-1552) , the first large scale conversion of Jats is commonly held to have began during the time of Guru Arjan Dev (1563-1606). During the colonial period in the early 20th century, further waves of Jat conversion, from Hinduism to Sikhism, continued during the proceeding decades.
Sikhism is the world’s fifth largest religion in the world and the third largest monotheistic religion in the world. Sikhs believe in one omnipresent, formless God / Waheguru. There are more than 26 million Sikhs worldwide (2021) with 90 percent living in India and concentrated in the East Punjab region (which comprises today’s Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh as well as Sri Ganganagar and Hanumangarh). The founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, was born in 1469 AD in British Punjab.
Jat Sikh is a sub group of the Jat people. They are one of the dominant communities in Punjab due to land holdings. They form 21-25 percent of the population of Punjab and 60-66 percent of the Sikh population. Jat Sikhs formed the vanguard of Sikh resistance against the Mughal Empire from the 18th century onwards. Out of 12 Sikh Misls, 8 Misls were led by Jat Sikh who would form the vast majority of Sikh Chiefs. Jats and Rajputs have been ambitious over many centuries. The various groups often claim similar origins while asserting their distinctiveness. Sikhism did much to uplift the social status of Jat people who were previously regarded as vaishya status in the Hindu ritual ranking system of varna. There are two side effects of Sikhism on Jats. One has a positive effect which saves them from feeling inferior and the other side is negative and it makes them arrogant. Jat’s negative traits can be suppressed by the true spirit of Sikhism.
In Punjab, Jat Sikhs are associated with agricultural pursuits and land ownership. They own more than 80 percent of agricultural land in Punjab. Most of them reside in the rural areas and are economically influential in the state. For the last many years, many of them have been in debt and have migrated to other countries for better life.
Image Credits: https://www.basicsofsikhi.com/post/baba-buddha-ji
Comments