Matimen, thugs, soldiers and landlords: Mazhabi Sikhs in the colonial period

ABSTRACT The article, focuses on Mazhabi 1 Sikhs in the colonial period and, contextualises British ideals of race and religion in the region of Punjab. The British formulated the myth of the martial races. This racial theory and the importance given to the ‘khande di pahul’ ceremony resulted in the phase, leading to an increase in the Sikh population, mainly due to conversion. exclusion, and later, the inclusion of the Dalit Sikhs into the British army. This article is an attempt to document this journey of transition and transformation.