.svg) | |
 | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
20,833,116 1.72% of the total Indian population  (2011) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Punjab | 16,004,754 (57.69%) |
| Haryana | 1,243,752 (4.91%) |
| Rajasthan | 872,930 (1.27%) |
| Uttar Pradesh | 643,500 (0.32%) |
| Delhi | 570,581 (3.40%) |
| Religions | |
 Sikhism | |
| Languages | |
| Punjabi •Hindi •Sindhi •Indian English Kashmiri •Dogri •Marathi •Bengali • Urdu | |
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1800s | 752,232 | — |
| 1881 | 1,853,426 | +146.4% |
| 1891 | 1,907,883 | +2.9% |
| 1901 | 2,195,339 | +15.1% |
| 1911 | 3,014,466 | +37.3% |
| 1921 | 3,238,803 | +7.4% |
| 1931 | 4,306,442 | +33.0% |
| 1941 | 5,691,447 | +32.2% |
| 1951 | 6,862,283 | +20.6% |
| 1961 | 7,862,303 | +14.6% |
| 1971 | 10,360,218 | +31.8% |
| 1981 | 13,119,919 | +26.6% |
| 1991 | 16,420,685 | +25.2% |
| 2001 | 19,237,391 | +17.2% |
| 2011 | 20,833,116 | +8.3% |
| Source:census of India[1][2][3] | ||
Indian Sikhs number approximately 21 million people and account for 1.7% of India's populationas of 2011, forming the country'sfourth-largest religious group. The majority of the nation'sSikhs live in the northern state ofPunjab, which is the only Sikh-majorityadministrative division in the world.
India is home to themajority of the global Sikh population.
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Sikh organizations, including theChief Khalsa Dewan andShiromani Akali Dal led byMaster Tara Singh,strongly opposed the partition of India, viewing the possibility of the creation of Pakistan as inviting persecution.[4]
India's Sikh population stands at 20.8 million, which is only 1.72% of the country's total population. Out of approximately 25–30 million Sikhs in the world, the majority of them, 20.8–22 million, live in India that is about (83.2%–84.1%) of the world's Sikh population.[5][6]Sikhs have a fertility rate of 1.6 in India, which is the lowest in the nation as per as according to year 2019–21 estimation.[7]
Out of the total Sikhs in India, 77% are concentrated in state of Punjab. Sikhism is the dominant religion inPunjab, India, where it is followed by 16 million constituting 57.7% of the population, the only Indian state where Sikhism is the majority faith. By 2050, according to Pew research center based on growth rate of current Sikh population between (2001–2011), India will have 30,012,386 Sikhs by half-century which will be more than that of any country including the west.[8]
On May 09, 2024, The Damdami Taksal, a Khalsa Sikh cultural and educational organisation, has urged Sikh and Punjabi families to have at least five children to strengthen their religious, social, political, and cultural presence in India as well as in their stronghold Punjab. The organisation's current head, Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa, stated that larger families would help build stronger familial bonds and contribute to societal development. Concerns over declining fertility rates amongSikhs andPunjabis have been raised in recent years. According to census data and demographic studies, the Sikh population in India has not seen significant growth compared to other communities. The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) among Sikhs has been below replacement level in several regions, which has led to concerns about demographic shifts over time. In response, Damdami Taksal has also announced support for families facing economic difficulties in raising multiple children. Meanwhile, data from a study published by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) indicates that from 1950 to 2015, the Hindu population in India declined from 84.68% to 78.06%, while the Muslim population increased from 9.84% to 14.09%. The Sikh population, which stood at 1.24% in 1950, saw a modest increase to 1.85% in 2015. These demographic trends have led to discussions within Sikh and Punjabi communities about the need for maintaining their population growth. The appeal for larger families aligns with broader concerns about declining birth rates and demographic changes in Punjab, where migration and economic challenges have also played a role in shaping population trends.[9][10][11]
AlthoughPunjabi Sikhs form the majority of the Sikh population, the Sikh community is varied and includes people who speak thePashto language, theBrahui language, theTelugu language,Marathi language,Assamese language,Tamil language,Hindi language,Sindhi language,Bengali language and many more. The many communities following Sikhism is detailed below.
The Sikhs ofAfghanistan are primarilyPunjabi merchants and immigrants.[12][13] They speak thePunjabi language within themselves but are usually fluent inDari and occasionallyPashto as well.[14]
Sikhism in theBengal region dates back to 1504 but has declined after the partition.[15] Sikhism first emerged in Bengal whenGuru Nanak visited Bengal in 1504 and established a number of Gurdwaras.[16]
By the early 18th century, there were a few Sikhs living in the region of Bengal.[17] One famous Sikh who lived during this time period wasOmichand, a localKhatri Sikh banker and landlord who participate in the conspiracy againstNawabSiraj ud-Daulah with theEast India Company.[17][18] The Flemish artistFrans Baltazard Solvyns arrived in Calcutta in 1791 and observed many Sikhs, whom one could differentiate from the rest of the land's inhabitants by their garbs and traditions.[17] He etched depictions of aKhalsa Sikh and aNanakpanthi, which was published in 1799.[17]
Gurdwara Nanak Shahi is the principalSikh Gurdwara (prayer hall) inDhaka, Bangladesh. It is located at the campus of theUniversity of Dhaka and considered to be the biggest of the 7 Gurdwaras in the country. After the Partition of India, the Sikh community left for India.[16]
After theIndo-Pakistani War of 1971 andBangladesh Liberation War, Indian Sikh soldiers helped renovate theGurdwaras left in Bangladesh.[citation needed]Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur ji visited Dhaka. There is another Sikh temple known as the Gurudwara Sangat Tola. Many Sikhs also used to visit a well at the ruins of Jafarabad which they believed has waters with curative powers.[19]
There was a presence ofSikhism inSylhet Division afterGuru Nanak's visit in 1508.Kahn Singh Nabha has stated that in memory of Nanak's visit,Gurdwara Sahib Sylhet was established.[citation needed] This Gurdwara was visited twice byTegh Bahadur and manyhukamnamas were issued to this temple byGuru Gobind Singh. In 1897, the gurdwara fell down after theearthquake. Nearly all the Sikhs of Sylhet in the early 18th century were found inNorth Cachar where they used to work for theAssam Bengal Railway.[20] There are around 1 lakh Bengali people who follow Sikhism as their religion in both West Bengal and Bangladesh.[21]
The presence of Sikhism has been existing inAssam[22] for over 200 years. The community traces its origins to the times of Maharaja Ranjit Singh who took his army to Assam and put some influence of the religion towards the locals. According to the 2001 census, there were 22,519Sikhs inAssam,[23] out of which 4,000 are Assamese Sikhs.[21]
Assamese Sikhs follow the Sikh religion and celebrate Sikh festivals as they also celebrate cultural festivals such asMagh Bihu and wear traditional Assamese dress. Their language is theAssamese language.[21][24]
Agrahari Sikh is aSikh community found inBihar andJharkhand. Agrahari Sikhs, also known asBihari Sikhs, have existed for centuries inBihar andJharkhand.[25]
Bihari Sikhs share their culture with the local Bihari community. The men generally wear the local dhoti and women wear the Sari. They also celebrateHindu festivals such as theChath festival.[26]
Dakhni Sikhs are from theDeccan Plateau in India located within the states ofTelangana andAndhra Pradesh.[27] The traditional dress of women is thesari. The native language of Dakhni Sikhs is theTelugu language.[28]
Ethnic Kashmiri Sikhs speak theKashmiri language and observe Kashmiri culture. They trace their religious heritage to the influence of Sikh soldiers who settled inKashmir under the Maharaja Ranjit Singh rule in 1819. However, the soldiers permanently settled inKashmir.[29]
Pahari Sikhs, also known as the Sikhs of Poonch, are a distinctive Sikh community hailing from the Poonch region of Pakistan, originally part of the historic region of Jammu and Kashmir. They predominantly speakPahari Punjabi, a dialect that has evolved in the hilly terrain of their native land. Historically, many Pahari Sikhs resided in the Poonch region but due to various historical and geopolitical factors, a significant number have migrated and settled in the Jammu district of the present-day Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.[30]
Punjabi Sikhs are the native Sikhs of undividedPunjab region who speaks thePunjabi language as their mother tongue and practice Punjabi culture. Their traditional dress includes thePunjabi Salwar Suit,Punjabi Tamba and Kurta,Punjabi juti andPatiala salwar.
In addition to theSikh festivals using theNanakshahi calendar, Punjabi Sikhs observe traditionalPunjabi festivals using thePunjabi calendar.
In addition to celebrating Sikh festivals, Sindhi Sikhs celebrate cultural festivals such asCheti Chand, the Sindhi new year. Sindhi Sikhs speak theSindhi language. Most of the Sindhi Hindus are Nanak Panthis who believe in 10 Sikh Gurus and regularly go to guru dwara and most of the Marriage also takes place in Gurudwara.[31]
There areSikh communities inKarnataka,Andhra Pradesh andMaharashtra who converted to Sikhism centuries ago.
The Sikhs compriseBanjara and Satnami. The process of blending the religion into southern India for the Sikligars began at the time of 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh, who came to the Deccan and died in 1708 at Nanded (Maharashtra).
It all came by the Sikligars as they came to southern India as expert arms-making camp followers of the tenth Guru. Sikligar is a compound of the Persian words 'saiqal' and 'gar' meaning a polisher of metal.[27] The traditional occupation of theSikligars is crafting kitchen implements.
Banjaras are a nomadic tribe who traditionally travelled with merchandise and are found across a large swathe of northern India, as well as in the south. Sikh Banjaras too travelled with armies of the past supplying them with provisions.[27]
| State/U.T. | 2001[32] | 2011[33] | 2022[34][35][36] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
.svg) Punjab | 14,592,387 | 59.91% | 16,004,754 | 57.69% | ||
 Haryana | 1,170,662 | 5.54% | 1,243,752 | 4.91% | ||
 Rajasthan | 818,420 | 1.45% | 872,930 | 1.27% | ||
 Uttar Pradesh | 678,059 | 0.41% | 643,500 | 0.32% | ||
 Delhi | 555,602 | 4.01% | 570,581 | 3.40% | ||
| Uttarakhand | 212,025 | 2.50% | 236,340 | 2.34% | ||
 Jammu and Kashmir | 232,585 | 1.90% | ||||
 Maharashtra | 215,337 | 0.22% | 223,247 | 0.20% | ||
 Madhya Pradesh | 150,772 | 0.25% | 151,412 | 0.21% | ||
| Chandigarh | 145,175 | 16.12% | 138,329 | 13.11% | ||
| Himachal Pradesh | 72,355 | 1.19% | 79,896 | 1.16% | ||
 Jharkhand | 83,358 | 0.31% | 71,422 | 0.22% | ||
 Chhattisgarh | 69,621 | 0.33% | 70,036 | 0.27% | ||
| West Bengal | 66,391 | 0.08% | 63,523 | 0.07% | ||
 Gujarat | 45,587 | 0.09% | 58,246 | 0.10% | ||
| Telangana | 30,340 | 0.09% | ||||
 Karnataka | 15,326 | 0.03% | 28,773 | 0.05% | ||
 Bihar | 20,780 | 0.03% | 23,779 | 0.02% | 14,753 | 0.01% |
.png) Odisha | 17,492 | 0.05% | 21,991 | 0.05% | ||
 Assam | 22,519 | 0.08% | 20,672 | 0.07% | ||
.png) Tamil Nadu | 9,545 | 0.02% | 14,601 | 0.02% | ||
| Andhra Pradesh | 9,904 | 0.02% | ||||
 Kerala | 2,762 | 0.01% | 3,814 | 0.01% | ||
| Arunachal Pradesh | 1,865 | 0.17% | 3,287 | 0.24% | ||
.png) Meghalaya | 3,110 | 0.13% | 3,045 | 0.10% | ||
 Ladakh | 2,263 | 0.83% | ||||
| Nagaland | 1,152 | 0.06% | 1,890 | 0.10% | ||
 Sikkim | 1,176 | 0.22% | 1,868 | 0.31% | ||
| Manipur | 1,653 | 0.07% | 1,527 | 0.05% | ||
| Goa | 970 | 0.07% | 1,473 | 0.10% | ||
 Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 1,587 | 0.45% | 1,286 | 0.34% | ||
.png) Tripura | 1,182 | 0.04% | 1,070 | 0.03% | ||
 Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | 268 | 0.07% | 389 | 0.07% | ||
 Puducherry | 108 | 0.01% | 297 | 0.02% | ||
.png) Mizoram | 326 | 0.04% | 286 | 0.03% | ||
 Lakshadweep | 6 | 0.01% | 8 | 0.01% | ||
 India | 19,215,730 | 1.87% | 20,833,116 | 1.72% | ||
Though Sikhs are a minority in India, the community occupies a significant place in the country. The former Chief Justice of India,Jagdish Singh Khehar, and the former Prime Minister of India, Dr.Manmohan Singh[37] are Sikh, as is former President of India GyaniZail Singh. Almost every council of ministers in India has included Sikh representatives.
Sikhs are also conspicuous in the Indian army, primarily because of their history as defenders of righteousness, they formed the sword arm of the British empire. The Late Indian officer with a 5 star rank,Arjan Singh, is a Sikh. Sikhs have also led the Indian army throughJJ Singh and the Indian Air Force was led by Air Chief MarshalDilbagh Singh. Sikhs have been prominent in Indian sports, with the Indian individual gold medalist in Olympics,Abhinav Bindra, being a Sikh. Similarly they occupy important official positions, like Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission,Montek Singh Ahluwalia;[38] governorSurjit Singh Barnala.
Sikhs are also known for entrepreneurial business in India.Milkha Singh, also known as The Flying Sikh, is a former Indian track and field sprinter who was introduced to the sport while serving in the Indian Army. One reason for visibility of Sikhs in the Indian spectrum is the disproportionate role played by the Sikh community during the Indian freedom struggle, withBhagat Singh remaining a youth icon to Indian youth.[39]
No sooner was it made public than the Sikhs launched a virulent campaign against the Lahore Resolution.Pakistan was portrayed as a possible return to an unhappy past when Sikhs were persecuted and Muslims the persecutor. Public speeches by variousSikh political leaders on the subject of Pakistan invariably raised images of atrocities committed by Muslims onSikhs and of the martyrdom of theirgurus and heroes. Reactions to the Lahore Resolution were uniformly negative and Sikh leaders of all political persuasions made it clear that Pakistan would be 'wholeheartedly resisted'. The Shiromani Akali Dal, the party with a substantial following amongst the rural Sikhs, organized several well-attended conferences in Lahore to condemn the Muslim League. Master Tara Singh, leader of the Akali Dal, declared that his party would fight Pakistan 'tooth and nail'. Not be outdone, other Sikh political organizations, rival to the Akali Dal, namely the Central Khalsa Young Men Union and the moderate and loyalist Chief Khalsa Dewan, declared in equally strong language their unequivocal opposition to the Pakistan scheme.
The Afghan Sikh population grew in 1947 as Sikhs [...] of the newly created Pakistan arrived
Sikhs: Same as Hindu, mainly Punjabi or Lahnda
