A Sikh wearing a small kirpan (waist) and kara (wrist)
Type
Blade (knife, dagger, or sword)
Place of origin
Punjab region, Mughal Empire
Specifications
Length
Variable (traditionally a full-sized talwar sword around 30 in (76 cm) in length, presently it is commonly a dagger or knife under 18 in (46 cm))
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The kirpan (Punjabi: ਕਿਰਪਾਨ; pronunciation: [kɪɾpaːn]) is a curved, single-edged blade that Khalsa Sikhs are required to wear as part of their religious uniform, as prescribed by the Sikh Code of Conduct.[1] Traditionally, the kirpan was a full-sized talwar sword around 76 cm (30 inches) in length;[2] however, British colonial policies and laws introduced in the 19th century reduced the length of the blade,[3][4][5] and in the modern day, the kirpan is typically manifested as a dagger or knife. According to the Sikh Code of Conduct, "The length of the sword to be worn is not prescribed".[6] It is part of a religious commandment given by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699, founding the Khalsa order and introducing the five articles of faith (the five Ks) which must be worn at all times.[7][8]
^"Nishan Sahib Khanda Sikh Symbols Sikh Museum History Heritage Sikhs". Sikh Museum (www.sikhmuseum.com). Retrieved 19 March 2023. In earlier times the sacred kirpan carried by Sikhs had traditionally been the full size tulwar sword. By the 20th century the kirpan carried by Sikhs had evolved from the typical 76 cm (30 inch) blade of a tulwar sword to a short blade less than 45 cm (18 inches). The change in blade length of the sacred kirpan from a sword to a knife was a difficult one for Sikhs and a direct result of onerous laws passed by the British in India. Under the Indian Arms Act (XI) of 1878, no person could carry arms except under special exemption or by virtue of a licence; the act was applied to the Sikh kirpan. At the advent of World War I, the British government fearing that the ban would affect Sikh recruitment into the British Army, thought it advisable to relax the enforcement of the provision.
^Singh, Harbans (1995). The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism (2nd ed.). Patiala Punjabi University.
^"BBC - Religions - Sikhism: The Five Ks". Archived from the original on 28 September 2017. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
^Khalsa, Sukhmandir. "Kirpan - kakar - Sikh sword". About.com. Archived from the original on 5 April 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
^Singha, H.S. (2000). The encyclopedia of Sikhism. New Delhi: Hemkunt Publishers. ISBN 81-7010-301-0.
^"Mightier than the kirpan - I find it hard to justify knives being allowed in schools". The guardian. London. 9 February 2010. Archived from the original on 4 April 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
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