Context: Satnami community in Chhattisgarh violently protested against the desecration of a Jaitkhamb (a structure of sacred importance). The protesters were not satisfied with the way police handled the case.
Satnami sect:
- The earliest Satnamis were a sect of mendicants founded by Birbhan (in Narnaul in eastern Punjab) in 1657. Birbhan’s guru was Udhodas, the pupil of Saint Ravidas and therefore, the sect is believed to be an offshoot of the Ravidassia sect.
- Historically, Satnamis are also known as ‘Bairagis’.
- In 1672 they defied the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and were crushed by his army.
Two broad categories of Bhakti traditions:
- Saguna (with attributes): Focused on the worship of specific deities such as Shiva, Vishnu and his avatars (incarnations) and forms of the goddess or Devi, all often conceptualised in anthropomorphic forms.
- Nirguna (without attributes): Nirguna bhakti on the other hand was worship of an abstract form of God.
- The sect was revived under the leadership of Jagjivandas (near Lucknow).
- He projected an image of God as ‘Nirguna’(God do not exist in a particular form or have particular properties).
- He promoted worship through a regimen of self-discipline.
- However, the elimination of caste, a central part of the Satnami creed, was not part of his message.
- In 1820 in the Chhattisgarh region, Ghasidas, added significant elements to the sect and founded his own offshoot-Satnami sect. He advocated for social equality.
- His Satnam Panth succeeded in providing a religious and social identity for large numbers of lower castes people and defied the derogatory treatment by upper-caste Hindus.
- The community under the leadership of Ghasidas also defied exclusion from Hindu temple worship.
- About Jaitkhamb:
- Giraudpuri is a village in the Baloda Bazar district of Chhattisgarh, which is located near the Jonk River (a tributary of Mahanadi River).
- It is the birthplace of the Ghasidas, and is a pilgrimage centre for the Satnamis
- The main landmark of the village is Guru Ghasidas Jaitkhamb, a 77-metre-high tower used as a pilgrimage centre by the Satnamis.
- A Jaitkhamb (victory pillar) is a Satnami object of worship, and a symbol of their distinct sectarian identity.
- The Satnamis of Chhattisgarh also became a permanent subdivision of the Hindus in the Central Provinces, during the British period.
- Presently, Satnamis live mainly in Chhattisgarh, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
Note:
The Ravidassia sect emerged as a distinct faith separate from Sikhism, shaped by the followers of Guru Ravidas’s teachings. It was established following an event in 2009, when Sikh militants attacked a Ravidas temple, in Vienna, Austria.
Satnami Revolt:
- The Satnamis revolted during the reign of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
- Reasons:
- Many Hindus resented Aurangzeb’s strict Islamic policies, which included revival of Islamic Jizya tax (poll tax on non-Muslim subjects), banning music and art, and destroying Hindu temples.
- Course of the revolt:
- Began in 1672 when a Mughal soldier killed a Satnami.
- Other Satnamis took revenge on the Mughal soldiers, and in turn the Mughal soldiers repressed the Satnamis.
- In turn, 5,000 Satnamis took up arms against the Mughals.
- The Satnamis plundered many villages and seized the town of Narnaul. They even set up their own administration. Next, they marched towards Shahjahanabad (Old Delhi).
- The uprising gained the enthusiasm of Hindus in Agra and Ajmer also.
- It was only when Aurangzeb himself took personal command and sent 10,000 troops with artillery that the Satnamis were suppressed.