|
The kirpan (; (パンジャーブ語:ਕਿਰਪਾਨ) ') is a ceremonial sword or knife carried by Sikhs. It is a religious commandment given by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699 that Sikhs must wear five articles of faith at all times, the kirpan being one of five articles. The word ''kirpan'' has two roots: the first root is ''kirpa'', which means "mercy", "grace", "compassion" or "kindness"; the second root is ''aanaa'', which in turn means "honor", "grace" or "dignity". Sikhs embody the qualities of a ''Sant Sipahi'' or "saint-soldier". One must have control over one's internal vices and be able to be constantly immersed in virtues clarified in the Guru Granth Sahib. A Sikh must also have the courage to defend the rights of all who are wrongfully oppressed or persecuted irrespective of their colour, caste, or creed. Kirpans are curved and have a single cutting edge that may be either blunt or sharp.〔 They are often between 3 and 9 inches long,〔 and must be made of steel or iron.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=What is the kirpan? )〕 ==History== Sikhism was founded in the 15th century in present day Punjab. At the time of its founding, this culturally rich region had been conquered by Muslim invaders from central Asia. During the time of the founder of the Sikh faith and its first guru, Guru Nanak, Sikhism flourished as a counter to both the prevalent Hindu and Muslim teachings. The Mughal emperor Akbar was relatively tolerant of non-Islamic religions and focused on religious tolerance. His relationship with Nanak was cordial. The relationship between the Sikhs and Akbar's successor Jehangir was not friendly. Due to a large number of Muslim converts to Sikhism and references to Muslim and Hindu teachings in the Guru Granth Sahib, the fifth guru, Guru Arjan Dev was summoned and executed.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 title=Execution of Guru Arjun Dev Ji )〕 This incident is seen as a turning point in Sikh history, leading to the first instance of militarization of Sikhs under Guru Arjun's successor Guru Hargobind. Guru Hargobind trained in shashtravidya, a form of martial arts that became prevalent among the Sikhs. He first conceptualized the idea of the kirpan through the notion of Sant Sipahi, or "saint soldiers". The relationship between the Sikhs and the Mughals further deteriorated following the execution of the ninth Guru Tegh Bahadur by Aurengzeb, who showed high levels of intolerance to Sikhs, partially driven by his desire to impose Sharia. Experiencing another execution of their leader and facing increasing persecution, the Sikhs were forced to officially adopt militarization for self-protection by creating the Khalsa; an incident that also formalized various aspects of the Sikhs faith. The tenth (and final) guru, Guru Gobind Singh formally included the kirpan as a mandatory article of faith for all baptised Sikhs,〔(【引用サイトリンク】 title=The 5 K's )〕 making it a duty for Sikhs to be able to defend themselves and others from oppression. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Kirpan」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|