Masand

A Masand was a representative and tithe collector in Sikhism.[1] He was an officially appointed missionary minister representing the Sikh Guru, who baptized conversions to Sikhism, and collected dasvandh ("the tenth" of income) as an offering to the Sikh community and religious establishment.[1] A Masand forwarded the collected amount to the Sikh Guru. Masands can be Sindhis or Punjabi Jats depending on the place where their ancestors lived. They mainly reside in Northern India in the present day.[2]

Etymology

The word Masand (Punjabi: ਮਸੰਦ) is an adaptation of the Farsi term ‘masanad’ (Punjabi: ਮਸਨਦ),[3] which refers to ‘a seat’ that is at a lower level than the throne. The Guru was the highest authority while Masands were emplaced to spread the message of Sikhism and given the authority to baptize individuals converting to Sikhism. During conversions, the new convert would touch the feet of the Masand.[4]

History: Origin and Structure

It is unclear when the Masand system started. It began with Guru Amar Das in some accounts,[1] by Guru Ram Das in other accounts,[5] or Guru Arjan by still other accounts.[6] A Masand was appointed for each religious administrative unit called the Sikh Manji, a system that was founded by Guru Amar Das.[7][8] This system was expanded by later Sikh Gurus.[9]

Role in Sikhism

The Masand system was critical in empowering Sikhism with an independent economic resource pool, that helped pay for Gurdwara (temple) building, for building a Sikh army and the upkeep of Sikh soldiers, as well routine expenses such as langar (kitchen) which offered a free meal to visitors to the Sikh temples.[5]

The Manji and Masand system of revenue collection for Sikh temples and other purposes was a source of major dispute between the Sikh Gurus and the Mughal Emperors. For example, Aurangzeb seized the tithe collections by the Masands for use by the Mughal treasury, and demolished Sikh temples throughout Punjab to emphasize the Islamic character of the Mughal empire.[10]

Abolition of the Masand system

Overtime, few Masands became corrupt and started treating themselves as Gurus to collect money for their personal motives. Hence, Guru Gobind Singh Ji ordered Sikhs not to recognize those Masands as authority figures and prohibited having any type of relationship with them or their deputies.[11]

The following verse[12] from 33 Savaiye, composed by Guru Gobind Singh Ji, in Dasam Granth is raising awareness about the corrupt personality of Masands:

ਜੋ ਜੁਗੀਆਨ ਕੇ ਜਾਇ ਕਹੈ ਸਭ ਜੋਗਨ ਕੋ ਗ੍ਰਹਿ ਮਾਲ ਉਠੈ ਦੈ ॥
He, who on the persuasion of the Yogis gives in charity all his wealth to them;

ਜੋ ਪਰੋ ਭਾਜਿ ਸਨਯਾਸਨ ਦੈ ਕਹੈ ਦੱਤ ਕੇ ਨਾਮ ਪੈ ਧਾਮ ਲੁਟੈ ਦੈ ॥
who squanders his belongings to Sannyasis in the name of Dutt,

ਜੌ ਕਰਿ ਕੋਊ ਮਸੰਦਨ ਸੌ ਕਹੈ ਸਰਬ ਦਰਬ ਲੈ ਮੋਹਿ ਅਬੈ ਦੈ ॥
Who on the direction of the Masands takes the wealth of Sikhs and gives it to me,

ਲੇਉ ਹੀ ਲੇਉ ਕਹੈ ਸਭ ਕੋ ਨਰ ਕੋਊ ਨ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਬਤਾਇ ਹਮੈ ਦੈ ॥੨੮॥
then I think that these are only the methods of selfish-disciplines; I ask such a person to instruct me about the Mystery of the Lord.28.

ਜੋ ਕਰਿ ਸੇਵ ਮਸੰਦਨ ਕੀ ਕਹੈ ਆਨਿ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ਸਭੈ ਮੋਹਿ ਦੀਜੈ ॥
He, who serves his disciples and impresses the people and tells them to hand over the victuals to him

ਜੋ ਕਛੁ ਮਾਲ ਤਵਾਲਯ ਸੋ ਅਬ ਹੀ ਉਠਿ ਭੇਟ ਹਮਾਰੀ ਹੀ ਕੀਜੈ ॥
and present before him whatever they had in their homes;

ਮੇਰੋ ਈ ਧਯਾਨ ਧਰੋ ਨਿਸ ਬਾਸੁਰ ਭੂਲ ਕੈ ਅਉਰ ਕੋ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਲੀਜੈ ॥
He also asks them to think of him and not to remember the name of anyone else;

ਦੀਨੇ ਕੋ ਨਾਮੁ ਸੁਨੈ ਭਜਿ ਰਾਤਹਿ ਲੀਨੇ ਬਿਨਾ ਨਹਿ ਨੈਕ ਪ੍ਰਸੀਜੈ ॥੨੯॥
consider that he has only a Mantra to give, but he would not be pleased without taking back something.29.

References
  1. Charles E. Farhadian (2015). Introducing World Religions. Baker Academic. p. 342. ISBN 978-1-4412-4650-9.
  2. Nabha, Kahan Singh (1995). Gurshabad Ratnakar: Mahan Kosh. National Book Shop.
  3. Singh, Satbir (1957). Sāḍā itihāsa: Pañjāba dā itihāsa, Volume 1.
  4. Lewis R. Rambo; Charles E. Farhadian (2014). The Oxford Handbook of Religious Conversion. Oxford University Press. pp. 494–495. ISBN 978-0-19-971354-7.
  5. Sushil Mittal; Gene Thursby (2006). Religions of South Asia: An Introduction. Routledge. pp. 244–245. ISBN 978-1-134-59321-7.
  6. History of Sikh Gurus Retold: 1469-1606 C.E Volume 1, Surjit Singh Gandhi (2007), Atlantic Publishers & Dist, Page 321
  7. William Owen Cole; Piara Singh Sambhi (1995). The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices. Sussex Academic Press. pp. 20–21. ISBN 978-1-898723-13-4.
  8. Louis E. Fenech; W. H. McLeod (2014). Historical Dictionary of Sikhism. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 29–30. ISBN 978-1-4422-3601-1.
  9. Page 95, Sikhism Origin and Development, Dalbir Singh Dhillon. Atlantic Publishers & Distri
  10. Arvind-Pal Singh Mandair (8 August 2013). Sikhism: A Guide for the Perplexed. Bloomsbury Academic. pp. 52–53. ISBN 978-1-4411-0231-7.
  11. Page 135, The History of Sikh Gurus, Prithi Pal Singh, Lotus Press, Jan 1, 2006
  12. Retrieved from Savaiya 28,ingSavaiya 29, 33 Savaiye, Dasam Granth


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