Sardar
It is a Persian word which means the elite, or one
belonging to the ruling race. The Pathans and Mughals who had become
the ruling races in India for several hundred years were referred to
as Sardars, when by the dose of the 17th century, the Tenth Sikh Guru
founded the Order of the Khalsa and one each member of this Order, he
conferred the title of Sardar. During the 18th century, the Sikhs succeeded
in wresting the political power from the hands of the Pathans and Mughals
in the entire region of the North Western India and thus became de facto
Sardars also in addition to de jure Sardars. Ever since, a Sikh has
been addressed as a Sardar by way of courtesy during the British period
by the Government authorities as well as by his own non-Sikh compatriots
and neighbours. After India became free in 1947, a set policy has been
adopted to discourage the use of this courtesy title in relation to
a Sikh and a Sikh is now invariably referred to as a Shri in official
pharaseology and as a giani, when not something worse, by his neighbours
and co-citizens of a free India.
