Jain Journal 1991 04

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 10

154
on their heads, devout Sikhs of the Khalsa are specifically enjoined not to cut or pull any hair from any part of their bodies.
JAIN JOURNAL
It is, therefore, interesting to find out what one group (the Sikhs) thought of the other (the Jains) during the times of the Gurus. One way to obtain this impression is by studying and culling passages from the Sikh scriptures and from other literature related to the Sikhs
To the best of our knowledge, this kind of synthesis has not yet been attempted. This is the first effort. We have quoted heavily from the Sikh scriptures and other sources by and about Sikhs that contain passages about the Jains in order to make a point.
幣
The late fifteenth century was a turbulent period in the history of north India as indeed had been the preceding four centuries. The Muslims, who had begun to invade India in the eleventh century, had by now become controllers of large regions of the sub-continent through invasion and conquest.
The Hindu populace of India was dispirited and disillusioned at this time. There appeared to be no organized force, or ruler, strong enough to stand up against the forces of a militant religion bent upon imposing its views, values and religious philosophy on the inhabitants of north India. The Muslim rulers converted many Hindus (of all castes) to the Muslim faith by force or persuasion. Those who opposed them were slaughtered and decapitated.
The people of India at this time were very ritualistic and practised idol (object) worshipping. Islam brought a completely new concept of God (One Formless God) to north India. This concept was totally at odds with the tradition then prevailing in India. The Muslim invaders considered the worshipping of idols and keeping of images of gods and goddesses an anathema. These conflicting philosophies caused discord and disharmony among the two groups of people, viz. the invading Moslems and the indigenous populations of India.
It was a tragic period for the inhabitants of Industan (now called Hindustan by the Muslim rulers). Life was harsh and cruel for most Hindus. However, there was one benefit of this intercourse with a foreign people. Indians began to look upon their own religious practices with critical eyes. On the other hand, some Muslims also