ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>MASANDS</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="MASANDS"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279MASANDS were, in early Sikhism, local community leaders who looked after the <i>sa&#7749gats</i> in their diocese and linked them to their spiritual mentor, the Gur&#363. They led Sikhs, preached the word of the Gur&#363 and transmitted to him their offerings, escorting occasionally batches of them to his presence. The first such <i>masands</i> were appointed by Gur&#363 Arjan. The word <i>masand</i> is from Persian <i>masnad</i>, meaning a throne or a cushion to recline. As appropriated into the Sikh tradition, it further advanced the concept of <i>mañj&#299</i> (cot) on which the preachers sat, reclining against a cushion, as they expounded to the people Gur&#363 N&#257nak's gospel. This <i>mañj&#299</i> system had been introduced by the Third Gur&#363, Gur&#363 Amar D&#257s (1479-1579). The new nomenclature arose from the Sikh custom of designating the Gur&#363 as <i>sachch&#257 p&#257tsh&#257h</i>, the True King, in contradistinction to the temporal King. The functionaries, who acted on behalf of the Gur&#363 in spreading the Sikh teaching as also in collecting for him tithes and offerings from the followers, came to be known as <i>masands</i> in imitation of <i>masnad-i-&#257l&#299</i>, an imperial title for ranked nobles.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The <i>masand</i> structure helped in the expansion of Sikh faith and in knitting together centres established in far-flung places. The beginnings of such centres went back to the time of Gur&#363 N&#257nak who had travelled extensively preaching his message, his disciples setting up in different places <i>dharams&#257las</i> wherein to meet together in <i>sa&#7749gat</i> or holy-fellowship to recite his hymns. To activate the <i>sa&#7749gats</i> in different parts, Gur&#363 Amar D&#257s had established twenty-two <i>mañj&#299s</i> with several local groups affiliated to each. Gur&#363 Arjan further consolidated the system by appointing <i>masands</i> who were invested with greater authority and with more varied religious and social functions. <i>Masands</i> were chosen for their piety and devotion. Besides preaching the Sikh tenets in their areas, they visited the Gur&#363 at least once every year. They were accompanied on such occasions by groups of Sikhs, from amongst those under their guidance. They carried with them offerings from the disciples for the <i>la&#7749gar</i>, or community kitchen, the digging of tanks and for other philanthropic works. To help them with their preaching work, <i>masands</i> had their own deputies known as <i>mel&#299s</i>. The <i>masands</i> who enjoyed the status of the Gur&#363's own representatives served to spread the Sikh faith and consolidate the ecclesiastical structure. But as time passed, they became neglectful of their religious office and took to personal aggrandizement. Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh (1666-1708), the last of the Gur&#363s, had to charge them with corruption and oppression. Those found guilty were punished. Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh abolished the institution of <i>masands</i>. He, as sang the poet Bh&#257&#299 Gurd&#257s II, converted the <i>sa&#7749gat</i> into <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257, i.e. directly his own, eliminating the intermediary <i>masands</i>.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Macauliffe, Max Arthur, <i>The Sikh Religion</i>. Oxford, 1909<BR> <li class="C1"> Ganda Singh, "Nanak Panthis" (translation from <i>Dabist&#257n-i-Maz&#257hib</i> by Zulfikar Ardistani) in <i>The Panjab Past and Present</i>. Patiala, April 1967<BR> <li class="C1"> Fauja Singh, "<i>Development of Sikhism under the Gurus" in</i> Sikhism. Patiala, 1969<BR> <li class="C1"> Banerjee, I.B., <i>Evolution of the Khalsa,</i> vol. I Calcutta, 1936<BR> <li class="C1"> Gi&#257n Si&#7749gh, <i>Gi&#257n&#299, Panth Prak&#257sh</i>. Delhi, 1880<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Mohinder Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>