Sikh Akali warriors and their turbans, Punjab
Printed From: History Community ~ All Empires
Category: Regional History or Period History
Forum Name: History of the South Asian subcontinent
Forum Discription: The Indian sub-continent and South Central Asia
URL: http://www.allempires.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=35740
Printed Date: 16-Apr-2024 at 18:47
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Topic: Sikh Akali warriors and their turbans, Punjab
Posted By: Druzhina
Subject: Sikh Akali warriors and their turbans, Punjab
Date Posted: 27-Aug-2015 at 05:48
http://www.warfare.altervista.org/Moghul/19thC/1844-Akalees.htm - A painting of Sikh Akali Warriors by Emily Eden, 1844  The Akalis (a.k.a. "Akalees"), "Immortals" or "Timeless Ones," is a specific class of Sikh warrior. Renowned for their bravery and ferocity, as well as for their distinctive headgear and other accoutrements, the Akalis personified the Sikh ideal of military courage and heroism. Akali soldiers were renowned in the 19th century for their valour in defending the Sikh kingdoms of Punjab. More images of http://www.warfare.altervista.org/Moghul/19thC/Akalis.htm - Sikh Akali warriors and their turbans : http://www.warfare.altervista.org/Moghul/19thC/1840-50-Two_Sikh_Akalis.htm - Two Sikh Akalis, opaque watercolour on paper, Punjab Plain, c. 1840-1850 http://www.warfare.altervista.org/Moghul/19thC/Quoit_turban-1.htm - Akali turban; cotton over a wicker frame, with quoits and other embellishments of steel overlaid with gold; Lahore, Pakistan; mid-19th century http://www.warfare.altervista.org/Moghul/19thC/Quoit_turban-2.htm - Akali turban, with steel quoits; Sikh, Punjab, mid 19th century http://www.warfare.altervista.org/Moghul/19thC/1850-Akali_Sikhs.htm - Painting, Akali Sikhs, opaque watercolour on paper, Lahore, ca. 1850 http://www.warfare.altervista.org/Moghul/19thC/1854-Akali_Sikh_by_Carpenter.htm - Painting, An Akali Sikh seated near the Golden Temple, by William Carpenter (1818-99), watercolour on paper, Amritsar, Punjab, India, 1854. MIRROR SITE http://www.warfare.netau.net/Moghul/19thC/Akalis.htm - Sikh Akali warriors and their turbans, Punjab, mid 19th century Druzhina http://www.warfare.altervista.org/Moghul/19thC/19thC_India.htm - 19th Century Indian Illustrations of Costume & Soldiers |
Replies:
Posted By: Centrix Vigilis
Date Posted: 15-Sep-2015 at 15:24
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Amazing soldiers those Sikh's...to this day. I have had the honor of training with them. ------------- "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence" S. T. Friedman Pilger's law: 'If it's been officially denied, then it's probably true' |
Posted By: Tigris
Date Posted: 15-Sep-2015 at 17:22
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You beat me to it . I actually found this post earlier and wanted to thank Druzhina for the information provided on the Akalis. They are well known and warriors by creed. I am glad you think they are amazing soldiers . Yes we have quite a history in wars , from the World Wars and onwards. Akalis are also called Nihangs , and I believe Nihang is a Persian word meaning crocodile. (No, I wasn't going to say Nihang means tiger haha).
Did you train with an Indian / British Sikh regiment? |
Posted By: Centrix Vigilis
Date Posted: 22-Sep-2015 at 01:59
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Sry for the delay missed your response.
Yes...in the Armor Advanced course back in the early 80's; we had three officers attending. All though all were Infantry Officers; they were exceptionally well skilled in Combined Arms Ops and gentlemen to the man...I can no longer precisely recall their Regiment but I believe it was 7 Sikh. That was an exceptional class...as we had a number of foreign Officers there; from the earlier Arab_Israeli Conflicts. Including Jordanians-Egyptian-Israeli...a Saudi..2 Turks and a Tunisian officer who remains a close personal friend...30 years later. To say there was not an occasional tension would be false...but they were polite and respected each other's rank and service. Earlier I had the honor of training with a company of the British Blues and Royals Cavalry and an attached Gurkha Infantry squad. Also exceptionally fine soldiers. Something about them..their silence, yet grins, could be a bit disconcerting but they were outstanding and I'm glad their allies. On a personal note, my Tunisian friend to this day, is still saddened that I would not convert to Islam...as he noted; at the time, that I would have made a fine Muslim..as hard as that might be to believe. I had the privilege of assisting those Officers in setting up a prayer room and learned much in an always cordial atmosphere. I still consider it a rare piece of recognition; from a fine man an outstanding soldier. Best CV ------------- "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence" S. T. Friedman Pilger's law: 'If it's been officially denied, then it's probably true' |
Posted By: Centrix Vigilis
Date Posted: 22-Sep-2015 at 02:07
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As for your note of Druzhina's efforts here. We are extremely fortunate to have his contributions. They are informative and a real joy to see.
And I, like you, heartily commend him. ------------- "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence" S. T. Friedman Pilger's law: 'If it's been officially denied, then it's probably true' |
Posted By: medenaywe
Date Posted: 22-Sep-2015 at 03:30
| As it looks from above Sikh belongs to warriors caste?!?Aren't they? |
Posted By: Centrix Vigilis
Date Posted: 22-Sep-2015 at 13:15
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Indeed Meden they are. ------------- "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence" S. T. Friedman Pilger's law: 'If it's been officially denied, then it's probably true' |
Posted By: Tigris
Date Posted: 23-Sep-2015 at 19:03
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Yes the links are awesome Druzhina. Thanks once again. Funnily I have seen the Akalis in their attire and with their weapons, and I wondered just what type of Sikhs they were, and this post has helped in shedding more information on them. I had a feeling they were elite warriors .
Thanks for the reply CV. I was happy to read your personal experience with the Sikhs . Indeed Sikhs are a warrior caste . Wikipedia says the Akalis were renowned ' for their bravery and ruthlessness on the battlefield' The word 'Akali' means immortals . Now if I am not wrong Xerxes also had an elite army called the immortals . Cool word this 'immortals'  |
Posted By: J.A.W.
Date Posted: 09-Oct-2015 at 23:38
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Yeah, & in that 'cool' comic-book movie '300' - as in history - King Leonidas & his 300 Spartans gave lie to that claim.. ------------- Be Modest In Thyself.. |
Posted By: Tigris
Date Posted: 11-Oct-2015 at 13:59
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So any other army or warrior creed that called themselves the immortals would have been embarrassed and defeated by these 300 Spartans? Is this your point J.A.W. ? I wasn't talking about the 300 spartans that gave lie to the claim of being immortal. Are you really concerned about the information on this topic or are you just making a point about the word 'immortals.' I didn't give the Akalis the title of immortals or neither did I call this elite Persian army the immortals. |
Posted By: J.A.W.
Date Posted: 11-Oct-2015 at 17:59
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The Greeks do indeed have a word for it.. 'hubris'.. ------------- Be Modest In Thyself.. |
Posted By: Tigris
Date Posted: 11-Oct-2015 at 18:28
| I'm not sure where excessive pride and confidence fits into this topic . But a cool word nevertheless this 'hubris' to add to my vocabulary . Thanks. |
Posted By: Centrix Vigilis
Date Posted: 11-Oct-2015 at 22:31
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No army or individual can be or ever be classified as immortal. And certainly not in the traditional definition assigned the term.
Tho they are often ascribed that term by historians; who in turn were relying on the prowess-courage-loyalty-defiance etc... they displayed as identified in the record... and the affection they may have earned from the body elect. There certainly have been great armies and individual soldiers and leaders; who always reminded of the word: 'exceptional'. But that's as much a function of time and context...mixed to increasing efficiency in tech; development of strategy; execution in tac and log. And equally important training and discipline. Iow... give me an era and a geo location; I can give an example. But the poor dumb sob who believes his army or he himself; is 'immortal'....will soon learn the meaning of hubris. Indeed. ** tho in fairness to the op...and the intent behind the post...he didn't assign the Sikh above the term either. Their people did. And the numerous historians who reported their deeds. And if they choose to believe that..then that remains their prerogative. ------------- "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence" S. T. Friedman Pilger's law: 'If it's been officially denied, then it's probably true' |
Posted By: Kratos
Date Posted: 12-Oct-2015 at 14:51
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This is Tigris ....I am not able to log in with my Tigris account which is why I Have had to make this account . And as per your advice I am not able to private message even Red Clay now . So I have had to post this here . I would like to know CV if you have banned me because I have attempted to log in and the database tells me the username or password is incorrect. Did I say something inappropriate on this topic?
What I wrote about the word immortality in fact has more to do with time and God rather than invincibility . The Nihangs were also called Akalis (servitors of the Timeless God) from http://www.sikh-heritage.co.uk/movements/Nihangs/Nihangs.htm Honestly I am not that daft to not realize that no army or individual is immortal . Even the famous 300 spartans in that comic book and as per history were defeated eventually. Why is there a witch hunt on what I write on here ? The lion versus tiger post aside , there are other topics about tigers in which the tiger has been talked about in derogatory and disrespectful ways . I am surprised these topics were never taken off. Why? Because that was in the interest of amusement and fun ? Not in my opinion. I have been enjoying myself on AE and trying to make a useful contribution and not dwell on one topic like others have. Once again I will rehash that the immortals took their name not because they were invincible , but to show their servitude to God . My words have obviously been twisted around once again. Just because I said I like the word immortals and brought in Xerxes' army does not mean I said the Akalis were invincible. From http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Nihang The Nihangs were also known as Akalis. The term "Akali" is said to be derived from the Sanskrit Akal Purusha (Akal Purukh in Punjabi) - "the Timeless One", a term for God. Thus 'Akali' translates as "A Servent of the Timeless God". And yes Akalis were a formidable force , obviously not immortal but brave and ferocious nevertheless. Nihangs (also: called http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Akali - Akalis ) are a very famous and prestigious armed http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Sikh - Sikh order. Early Sikh military history is dominated by the Akali Sikh military order that is particularly noted for the many famous military victories they won, often while they were heavily out-numbered. The Nihungs have historically been held in great affection and respect by http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Sikh - Sikhs due the pivotal role they have played in Sikh history and Sikh military history in particular. I sincerely hope you haven't banned me CV, because I said nothing wrong and my sentence about the immortals should have been interpreted with an open mind . If you have deleted my Tigris account , then I am disappointed because you have had other people on AE who have done nothing but incite hate and pollute forums . And you encouraged them with words like very good and carry on. BTW those tiger posts I put up are very accurate and factful . They are not my opinions just because I like the tiger . I was under the impression that what happened on the lion tiger forum was put behind AND I have moved on from that , adhering to the Code of Conduct . Is there a conspiracy to get me off AE ? |
Posted By: Centrix Vigilis
Date Posted: 12-Oct-2015 at 18:49
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In answer to your question ...no your account Tigris is still open. No one has suspended or banned u to my knowledge. PM Red using the Kratos account and seek assistance as he is the only one who can...remove or add accounts. Probably a bug.
As for the rest it no longer applies as you still remain...no hidden conspiracy. No agenda to remove u. The earlier issues were resolved; and there is no policy here that brings such pettiness in administration either ad hoc or from spite. And finally... no.... you will not be tricked trapped or led into a suspension for the use of a double account..as you clearly id'd who u were and the probs you are experiencing. I'm confident the prob will be resolved and u will be back using your original account. Until then u have my permission to continue as Kratos. Your most recent comment tho, 'was not necessary' and has been edited out. You already know why. Keep me advised if you have ongoing difficulties via pm. I will also, thru mod channels, report your problem. CV ------------- "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence" S. T. Friedman Pilger's law: 'If it's been officially denied, then it's probably true' |
Posted By: Kratos
Date Posted: 12-Oct-2015 at 19:10
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Thank you CV
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Posted By: Druzhina
Date Posted: 13-Oct-2015 at 03:34
That is an interesting hypothesis. Druzhina http://www.warfare.altervista.org/index.htm - Illustrations of Costume & Soldiers |
Posted By: Kratos
Date Posted: 13-Oct-2015 at 15:01
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Yes Druzhina. Interesting indeed . I will let you know CV if I am able to log in with my original account . I appreciated the response and thanks again.
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Posted By: J.A.W.
Date Posted: 13-Oct-2015 at 17:28
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& perhaps ironically, in the circumstances of this thread, Sikh men all share the surname 'Singh', or 'lion' in sanscrit, as a moniker to live up to.. & not the 'sneaky, treacherous' tiger style of the 'ninja'. A point which C.V. rightly makes is also featured in the movie '300' when King Leonidas asks his Greek allies what their professional standing is, & each man gives an individual civilian/artisan response, & yet his team answers as one, - their professional dedication.. is solely in pursuit of martial prowess. ------------- Be Modest In Thyself.. |
Posted By: Kratos
Date Posted: 13-Oct-2015 at 18:27
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[QUOTE=J.A.W.]& perhaps ironically, in the circumstances of this thread, Sikh men all share the surname 'Singh', or 'lion' in sanscrit, as a moniker to live up to.. & not the 'sneaky, treacherous' tiger style of the 'ninja'. What makes you think the tiger is sneaky and treacherous? There is no irony in this thread. You deliberately interpreted what I said about the immortals to make my statement look stupid. Why do you tag CV along in your posts? Do you personally know him and feel he will back you . The sneaky and treacherous ones are those 'lions' who actually behave like a pack of hyenas , not lions! |
Posted By: Centrix Vigilis
Date Posted: 13-Oct-2015 at 18:31
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Nothing wrong with artisans, tradesmen, civilians at large; becoming soldiers...even part time; as the militias of the world have proven.
The key was training and disciplining to the point of an effective coherent force; that in times of need, supplements the 'warrior caste-class-professionals'. How that is and was measured has been varied. History is replete with examples. For even the great Athenian scholar philosopher Socrates was a Hoplite. So while my point is in general...it should not demean those who rose to answer the call of defense of their hearths and families-clans-nations. My family who have served, with the exception of 3, were guardsmen-militia or reservists called into duty. And in 2 cases, were recalled long after there training and initial service to serve again. It's all subjective. As the US military has historically been a 'reserve' force designed to augment the much smaller 'regular' force. Thru time and location this also has varied. ------------- "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence" S. T. Friedman Pilger's law: 'If it's been officially denied, then it's probably true' |
Posted By: Kratos
Date Posted: 13-Oct-2015 at 18:39
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You first picked on my word immortals J.A.W, , and really were you that daft to take it literally ? Judging by the stir you caused yesterday I would say yes. A sneaky way of doing it might I add. The irony is in the way these lion fans are behaving like hyenas , not like lions. They can't seem to accept facts and science and drag their crap into other topics. |
Posted By: Centrix Vigilis
Date Posted: 13-Oct-2015 at 20:10
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enuff personalities...lions and tigers don't belong here...snipping and sniping is not necessary..the intent of the op is what it is.
And I don't back anybody....except those who adhere to my old friend's Coc. I'm guilty of taking it off track..to a degree.. tho not deliberately. be at peace..find another thread...this one is closed. ------------- "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence" S. T. Friedman Pilger's law: 'If it's been officially denied, then it's probably true' |