DEFINITION OF SIKLIGAR
Sikligar - One who cleans rust, polisher
Sikligars came in contact with our Gurus at the time of Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji.
Maula Baksh used to supply weapons to Guruji but fearing mughals, who came to know of his supply of weapons, started supplying inferior quality forged weapons. Guruji decided to manufacture weapons at own factories and sent Bhai Jethaji and Bhai Bidhi Chand Ji to Marwar to fetch ironsmiths from there. First Kehar Singh came with his weapons and his weapons passed the test of quality. Susequently, Guruji ordered to bring more marwari ironsmiths. These ironsmiths were so impressed by Guruji’s personality and high ideals of sikhism that they themselves embraced sikhi.
Now they fought battles with Guruji’s side and simultaneously forged and prepared weapons. From Guru Hargobind Ji’s jyoti jyot to Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib’s time need of weapons did not arise and some of these ironsmiths returned to Marwar. These brave warriors again presented themselves to Guru Gobind Singhji and Kalgidhar Patshah was so impressed by their skill that he bestowed upon them the title of sikligars. Guru Sahib established a factory at Lohgarh Fort to manufacture weapons [tegey-khandey- nenjey-dhallan] and these were of very high quality and beautifully crafted.
Weapons presently occupying place of pride at Takhts are manufactured by sikligar warriors. Majority of panthic warriors and martyrs at that time were vanjaras and sikligars. Some of these stalwarts were Bhai Makhan Shah Lubhana, Bhai Lakhi Shah Vanjara, Bhai Mani Singh, Bhai Udai Singh, Bhai Vichitar Singh, Bhai Anik Singh, Bhai Ajab Singh, Bhai Ajaib Singh, Bhai Baj Singh.
During Sikh Misals and Maharaja Alla Singh’s time, sikligars manufactured weapons for sikh warriors.
During Maharaja Ranjeet Singh’s reign also all weapons were manufactured by sikligars only. British Government also kept some of these sikligars with them to manufacture Khukris for Gorkhas but they banned country-made weapons. Sikligars were closely watched lest they supply weapons to rebels. Tapriwas tribes were declared criminals and when Government started to check stoking-kilns at night, sikligars pledged to stop manufacturing weapons. Now to eke their livelyhood they started manufacturing knives, legal small arms, buckets, tawas, tasley, hoves, ploughs etc. They lived a nomadic life and sold their wares by moving from one place to another. This nomadic lifestyle led to their backwardness and illiteracy but kept their sikhi swaroop intact.
O sikligar sikhs! Wake up! O weapon polisher! Shine-up your illiteracy and join the Panthic, Mainstream and Unequivocally eradicate manmat from society.
Sikligars came in contact with our Gurus at the time of Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji.
Maula Baksh used to supply weapons to Guruji but fearing mughals, who came to know of his supply of weapons, started supplying inferior quality forged weapons. Guruji decided to manufacture weapons at own factories and sent Bhai Jethaji and Bhai Bidhi Chand Ji to Marwar to fetch ironsmiths from there. First Kehar Singh came with his weapons and his weapons passed the test of quality. Susequently, Guruji ordered to bring more marwari ironsmiths. These ironsmiths were so impressed by Guruji’s personality and high ideals of sikhism that they themselves embraced sikhi.
Now they fought battles with Guruji’s side and simultaneously forged and prepared weapons. From Guru Hargobind Ji’s jyoti jyot to Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib’s time need of weapons did not arise and some of these ironsmiths returned to Marwar. These brave warriors again presented themselves to Guru Gobind Singhji and Kalgidhar Patshah was so impressed by their skill that he bestowed upon them the title of sikligars. Guru Sahib established a factory at Lohgarh Fort to manufacture weapons [tegey-khandey- nenjey-dhallan] and these were of very high quality and beautifully crafted.
Weapons presently occupying place of pride at Takhts are manufactured by sikligar warriors. Majority of panthic warriors and martyrs at that time were vanjaras and sikligars. Some of these stalwarts were Bhai Makhan Shah Lubhana, Bhai Lakhi Shah Vanjara, Bhai Mani Singh, Bhai Udai Singh, Bhai Vichitar Singh, Bhai Anik Singh, Bhai Ajab Singh, Bhai Ajaib Singh, Bhai Baj Singh.
During Sikh Misals and Maharaja Alla Singh’s time, sikligars manufactured weapons for sikh warriors.
During Maharaja Ranjeet Singh’s reign also all weapons were manufactured by sikligars only. British Government also kept some of these sikligars with them to manufacture Khukris for Gorkhas but they banned country-made weapons. Sikligars were closely watched lest they supply weapons to rebels. Tapriwas tribes were declared criminals and when Government started to check stoking-kilns at night, sikligars pledged to stop manufacturing weapons. Now to eke their livelyhood they started manufacturing knives, legal small arms, buckets, tawas, tasley, hoves, ploughs etc. They lived a nomadic life and sold their wares by moving from one place to another. This nomadic lifestyle led to their backwardness and illiteracy but kept their sikhi swaroop intact.
O sikligar sikhs! Wake up! O weapon polisher! Shine-up your illiteracy and join the Panthic, Mainstream and Unequivocally eradicate manmat from society.
