22 Facts About Sikhs

1.

Sikhs are people who adhere to Sikhism, a monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak.

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2.

Sikhs strongly believe in the idea of "Sarbat Da Bhala" - "Welfare of all" and are often seen on the frontline to provide humanitarian aid across the world.

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3.

Sikhs who have undergone the Amrit Sanchar, an initiation ceremony, are from the day of their initiation known as Khalsa, and they must at all times have on their bodies five Ks:.

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4.

Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent has been the historic homeland of the Sikhs, having even been ruled by the Sikhs for significant parts of the 18th and 19th centuries.

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5.

Over 190 Sikhs had been killed in the first 19 months of the protest movement.

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6.

Sikh Rahit Maryada clearly states that baptized Amritdhari Khalsa Sikhs must recite or listen to the recitation of Japji Sahib, Jaap Sahib, the 10 Sawayyas, Sodar Rehraas, and Sohila.

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7.

Sikhs have a number of musical instruments, including the rebab, dilruba, taus, jori, and sarinda.

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8.

Sikhs emigrated from India after World War II, most going to the United Kingdom but many to North America.

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9.

Some Sikhs who had settled in eastern Africa were expelled by Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in 1972.

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10.

Italian Sikhs are generally involved in agriculture, agricultural processing, the manufacture of machine tools, and horticulture.

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11.

Primarily for socio-economic reasons, Indian Sikhs have the lowest adjusted growth rate of any major religious group in India, at 16.

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12.

Sikhs are the fastest-growing religious group in New Zealand, the number of sikhs have gone doubled in the last five years I e from, as per New Zealand's 34th Census Population report.

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13.

Since Sikhism has never actively sought converts, Sikhs have remained a relatively homogeneous ethnic group.

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14.

Sikh diaspora has been most successful in the UK, and UK Sikhs have the highest percentage of home ownership of any religious community.

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15.

Indian Sikhs are employed in agriculture to a lesser extent; India's 2001 census found 39 per cent of the working population of the Punjab employed in this sector.

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16.

In sports, Sikhs include England cricketer Monty Panesar; former 400-metre runner Milkha Singh; his son, professional golfer Jeev Milkha Singh; Indian wrestler and actor Dara Singh; former Indian hockey team captains Sandeep Singh, Ajitpal Singh and Balbir Singh Sr.

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17.

Together with the Gurkhas recruited from Nepal, the Maratha Light Infantry from Maharashtra and the Jat Regiment, the Sikhs are one of the few communities to have exclusive regiments in the Indian Army.

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18.

Sikhs supported the British during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

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19.

Sikhs declared himself as the President of the council, and named Balbir Singh Sandhu as its Secretary General.

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20.

The American non-profit organization United Sikhs has fought to have Sikh included on the U S census as well, arguing that Sikhs "self-identify as an ethnic minority" and believe "that they are more than just a religion".

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21.

Punjabi Sikhs have championed these forms of expression worldwide, resulting in Sikh culture becoming linked to Bhangra .

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22.

Sikhs's work is continually exhibited world-wide in prominent heritage sites such as the Virasat-e-Khalsa museum at Anandpur Sahib.

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