Tracing the roots of BK philosophy, questions arise about where and when the various influences and references in the BK teachings came from. I previously thought that the references to Guru Nanak and from Sikhism came much later, e.g. with the advent of leading BKs such as Nirwair in the 1950s.
This appears to be wrong.
BKism was born from the cloisters of the Bhaiband Sindhi community. The merchant Bhaibands were close to another jati (or caste) called the Amils who they used primarily as the trusted managers or accountants of their businesses, and it was amongst the two that the original Om Mandli members arose.
It turns out that many Amils, originally a Hindu sect, adopted Sikhism and many Hindu Sindhi women learned the Gurmukhī alphabet to enable them to read the Guru Granth Sahib. The Sikh scripture. Therefore, before Indian Independence and Partition, many non-Muslim Sindhis were actually Sehajdhari or Nanakpanthi Sikhs.
Records show that during the early 1900s, the Chief Khalsa Diwan of Amritsar sent out missionary groups to Sindh to work among the Sindhis. Over a period of 30 years, this missionary activity resulted in an increase from 1,000 Sindhis in 1901, to over 39,000 in 1941. A significant number in those days.
Therefore, it is likely that the Sikh influence upon BKism goes right back to its earliest days. Whether it arose due to Lekhraj Kirpalani being questioned from that point of view, or whether it was designed as a sales strategy to attract Sikh Sindhis to his side, or whether Lekhraj Kirpalani conceived of it as a part of his syncretic* approach (borrowing from other religions to create his master one), or whether it was just pick up unconsciously, is open to discussion.
The BKs, typical to cults, prefer to present their gurus teachings as being the original religious teachings of all religions; unique and whole, of which other religions - even those religions pre-dating it by centuries - borrow parts from. The original source of the teaching is present as being from "God" personally and directly rather than cobbled together from useful bits of other religions into something that sells.
Studying the business practises of the Bhaibands**, I tend to believe it was the latter. The Bhaibands were not creators but entrepreneurs. They bought the work of others cheaply, craftsmen and women, and then took it elsewhere, often internationally, to sell it elsewhere for high profits.
It is in this cultural practise that I believe BKism is rooted ... not with goods but with others ideas; taking them and reselling them elsewhere where they would appear unique, exotic, and attractive. What could be more "Buy low, Sell high" than religion?
I do not believe Lekhraj Kirpalani would have lost his extremely materially successful business sense, just because he believed himself to be god. Especially, in the 1950s, after the original failed predictions of Destruction and the End of the World, when his and their fortunes are said to have run out.
With a community of unskilled, uneducated but highly indoctrinated and regimented women to sustain, what else could he had turn to as a business to support them ... but the business of religion?
And how much did the necessities of the business of religion as an revenue stream alter the design of the religion they were selling?
At some point in the mid-1950s, Lekhraj Kirpalani revolutionised the BK religion. From being their god Prajapati Brahma, Vishnu, Krishna and Narayan combined ... he decided he was not the Supreme Soul but that the Supreme Soul God entered and spoke through him. It was only sometime after 1955 when the BKs started to mention yet another Hindu god's name. This time taking "Shiva" but, like the "Clever Businessman" he was (Murli reference) adding their own extra added twist to the design to make it unique. (Lekhraj Kirpalani was said to be a good designer of jewellery in his earlier days).
* Syncretism
The amalgamation or attempted amalgamation of different religions, cultures, or schools of thought.
** Bhaibands
The Bhaibands was said to be very secretive and jealous of each others business sources and would go to great lengths to hide it from others as knowing the source was the secret to their success.
Richard Francis Burton, the 19th Century occidentalist, explorer and ethnologist famous for immersing himself so much in his cultures of interest that he was accused of "going native", wrote:
(A Pir or Peer is a title for a Sufi master).
While in India, Burton became a proficient speaker of Hindustani, Gujarati, Punjabi, Sindhi, Saraiki and Marathi as well as Persian and Arabic. His studies of Hindu culture included time with a (real, not-BK) Brahman teacher and translating Sufi texts.
Burton was appointed to work in the Sindh where he began to travel in disguise and worked as an agent or spy for General Napier. One of his notorious cases was to participate in an undercover investigation of a brothel in Karachi, said to be frequented by British soldiers, where the prostitutes were young boys.
The Hindus of Sindh were not quite the most suitable examples of orthodox Hindus, as they were a meat-eating community in a largely vegetarian region.
This appears to be wrong.
BKism was born from the cloisters of the Bhaiband Sindhi community. The merchant Bhaibands were close to another jati (or caste) called the Amils who they used primarily as the trusted managers or accountants of their businesses, and it was amongst the two that the original Om Mandli members arose.
It turns out that many Amils, originally a Hindu sect, adopted Sikhism and many Hindu Sindhi women learned the Gurmukhī alphabet to enable them to read the Guru Granth Sahib. The Sikh scripture. Therefore, before Indian Independence and Partition, many non-Muslim Sindhis were actually Sehajdhari or Nanakpanthi Sikhs.
Records show that during the early 1900s, the Chief Khalsa Diwan of Amritsar sent out missionary groups to Sindh to work among the Sindhis. Over a period of 30 years, this missionary activity resulted in an increase from 1,000 Sindhis in 1901, to over 39,000 in 1941. A significant number in those days.
Therefore, it is likely that the Sikh influence upon BKism goes right back to its earliest days. Whether it arose due to Lekhraj Kirpalani being questioned from that point of view, or whether it was designed as a sales strategy to attract Sikh Sindhis to his side, or whether Lekhraj Kirpalani conceived of it as a part of his syncretic* approach (borrowing from other religions to create his master one), or whether it was just pick up unconsciously, is open to discussion.
The BKs, typical to cults, prefer to present their gurus teachings as being the original religious teachings of all religions; unique and whole, of which other religions - even those religions pre-dating it by centuries - borrow parts from. The original source of the teaching is present as being from "God" personally and directly rather than cobbled together from useful bits of other religions into something that sells.
Studying the business practises of the Bhaibands**, I tend to believe it was the latter. The Bhaibands were not creators but entrepreneurs. They bought the work of others cheaply, craftsmen and women, and then took it elsewhere, often internationally, to sell it elsewhere for high profits.
It is in this cultural practise that I believe BKism is rooted ... not with goods but with others ideas; taking them and reselling them elsewhere where they would appear unique, exotic, and attractive. What could be more "Buy low, Sell high" than religion?
I do not believe Lekhraj Kirpalani would have lost his extremely materially successful business sense, just because he believed himself to be god. Especially, in the 1950s, after the original failed predictions of Destruction and the End of the World, when his and their fortunes are said to have run out.
With a community of unskilled, uneducated but highly indoctrinated and regimented women to sustain, what else could he had turn to as a business to support them ... but the business of religion?
And how much did the necessities of the business of religion as an revenue stream alter the design of the religion they were selling?
At some point in the mid-1950s, Lekhraj Kirpalani revolutionised the BK religion. From being their god Prajapati Brahma, Vishnu, Krishna and Narayan combined ... he decided he was not the Supreme Soul but that the Supreme Soul God entered and spoke through him. It was only sometime after 1955 when the BKs started to mention yet another Hindu god's name. This time taking "Shiva" but, like the "Clever Businessman" he was (Murli reference) adding their own extra added twist to the design to make it unique. (Lekhraj Kirpalani was said to be a good designer of jewellery in his earlier days).
* Syncretism
The amalgamation or attempted amalgamation of different religions, cultures, or schools of thought.
** Bhaibands
The Bhaibands was said to be very secretive and jealous of each others business sources and would go to great lengths to hide it from others as knowing the source was the secret to their success.
Richard Francis Burton, the 19th Century occidentalist, explorer and ethnologist famous for immersing himself so much in his cultures of interest that he was accused of "going native", wrote:
Hindu religion is not to be found in a state of purity in Sindh. Hinduism here is mixed up with the heterogeneous elements of Islam, and the faith of [Guru] Nanak Shah. A Hindu will often become the murid (follower) of a Mussulman, and in some cases the contrary takes place ... all great Pirs revered by the Moslems have classical Hindu names”
(A Pir or Peer is a title for a Sufi master).
While in India, Burton became a proficient speaker of Hindustani, Gujarati, Punjabi, Sindhi, Saraiki and Marathi as well as Persian and Arabic. His studies of Hindu culture included time with a (real, not-BK) Brahman teacher and translating Sufi texts.
Burton was appointed to work in the Sindh where he began to travel in disguise and worked as an agent or spy for General Napier. One of his notorious cases was to participate in an undercover investigation of a brothel in Karachi, said to be frequented by British soldiers, where the prostitutes were young boys.
The Hindus of Sindh were not quite the most suitable examples of orthodox Hindus, as they were a meat-eating community in a largely vegetarian region.