The kirpan (Punjabi: ਕਿਰਪਾਨ; pronunciation: [kɪɾpaːn]) is a blade that Khalsa Sikhs are required to wear as part of their religious uniform, as prescribed by the Sikh Code of Conduct. Traditionally, the kirpan was a full-sized talwar at around 76 cm long (30 in); however, British colonial policies and laws introduced in the 19th century reduced the length of the blade, and in the modern day, the kirpan is typically a dagger between 12 and 30 cm long (5–12 in). According to the Sikh Code of Conduct, "The length of the sword to be worn is not prescribed", but must be curved and single edged (as its original sword form was), and worn over the right shoulder and across the body. 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.
Etymology The Punjabi word ਕਿਰਪਾਨ, kirpān, has a folk etymology with two roots: kirpa, meaning "mercy", "grace", "compassion" or "kindness"; and aanaa, meaning "honor", "grace" or "dignity". The word is in fact derived from or related to Sanskrit कृपाण (kṛpāṇa, “sword, dagger, sacrificial knife”), ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European stem *kerp-, from *(s)ker, meaning "to cut".
Purpose Sikhs are expected to embody the qualities of a Sant Sipahi or "saint-soldier", showing no fear on the battlefield and treating defeated enemies humanely. The Bhagat further defines the qualities of a sant sipahi as one who is "truly brave ... who fights for the deprived". Kirpans are curved and have a single cutting edge that can be sharp or blunt, which is up to the religious convictions of the wearer. They vary in size and a Sikh who has undergone the Amrit Sanskar ceremony of initiation may carry more than one; the kirpans must be made of steel or iron.
Symbolism The kirpan represents bhagauti, meaning "primal divine power".
History
Sikhism was founded in the 15th century in the Punjab region of Early-Modern India. At the time of its founding, this culturally rich region was governed by the Mughal Empire. 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 focused on religious tolerance. His relationship with the Sikh Gurus was cordial. The relationship between the Sikhs and Akbar's successor Jahangir was not friendly. Later Mughal rulers reinstated shari'a traditions of jizya, a poll tax on non-Muslims. The Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth guru, refused to remove references to Muslim and Hindu teachings in the Adi Granth and was summoned and executed. This incident is seen as a turning point in Sikh history, leading to the first instance of militarisation of Sikhs under Guru Arjan Dev's son Guru Hargobind. Guru Arjan Dev explained to the five Sikhs who accompanied him to Lahore, that Guru Hargobind has to build a defensive army to protect the people. Guru Hargobind trained in shashtar vidya, a form of martial arts that became prevalent among the Sikhs. He first conceptualised the idea of the kirpan through the notion of Sant Sipahi, or "saint soldiers". According to Pashaura Singh, Guru Hargobind had his warriors keep a kirpan. The relationship between the Sikhs and the Mughals further deteriorated following the execution of the ninth Guru Tegh Bahadur by Aurengzeb, who was highly intolerant of Sikhs, partially driven by his desire to impose Islamic law. Following the executions of their leaders and facing increasing persecution, the Sikhs officially adopted militarisation for self-protection by creating later on the Khalsa; the executions also prompted formalisation of various aspects of the Sikh faith. The tenth and final guru, Guru Gobind Singh formally included the kirpan as a mandatory article of faith for all baptised Sikhs, making it a duty for Sikhs to be able to defend the needy, suppressed ones, to defend righteousness and the freedom of expression.
Manufacturing Guru Hargobind is believed to have settled expert swordsmiths around Darbar Sahib in Amritsar. With Guru Gobind Singh ordaining the kirpan as one of the five Ks, demand for kirpans increased. During the Sikh Empire, Amritsar became a hub of arms manufacturing to provide weaponry to the Sikh forces. The first power-operated kirpan factory in Amritsar came-about in the 1940s. During the 1980s, there was a brief pause of six months in manufacturing kirpans post Operation Blue Star in 1984, which negatively affected business. By the 1990s, the industry had recovered and thousands of kirpans were being produced on a daily basis by kirpan-manufacturing units.
Over the years since the 1990s, the Amritsari kirpan-manufacturing industry, mostly located in Sultanwind Gate, Kulfi Wali Gali, Sultanwind, East Mohan Nagar, Dana Mandi, and 100 Feet Road, decreased from hundreds of workshops to thirty or forty due to competition with cheaper Chinese-made kirpans rapidly created in bulk; the manually crafted Amritsari kirpans may be of higher quality but are more expensive and numerically fewer because of their slower manufacturing processes. In the 2000s, Chinese manufacturing of kirpans nearly wiped out the local Sikh manufacturers.
Legality In modern times there has been debate about allowing Sikhs to carry a kirpan that falls under prohibitions on bladed weapons, with some countries allowing Sikhs a dispensation. Other issues not strictly of legality arise, such as whether to allow carrying of kirpans on commercial aircraft or into areas where security is enforced.
Australia In May 2021, the state of New South Wales imposed a ban on bringing any knives, including kirpans, onto school grounds after a 14-year-old boy allegedly stabbed a 16-year-old boy with his kirpan in a school in Sydney's north-west on 6 May. After members of Sydney's Sikh community spoke out and defended their children's rights to bring religious items to school, the state's Department of Education reversed this decision in August 2021 and implemented new guidelines around the bringing of kirpans with the following conditions:
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