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The word Sikh is derived from the Sanskrit word shishya which means disciple or student (although this is disputed by some). In the Punjabi language the word Sikh also means to learn. So a Sikh is a disciple of the Ten Gurus and a follower of the teachings in the Sikhism's holy book, the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS).
Main article: Khalsa
A baptised Sikh becomes a member of the Khalsa or the "Pure". When a Sikh joins the Khalsa, he/she is supposed to have pledged his/her life to the Guru, and is expected not to desist from sacrificing anything and everything in a struggle for a just cause.
Historically, Sikhs have been known to be great warriors. The tenth Sikh guru Guru Gobind Singh is considered a great military leader and strategist of his time. He inspired and eventually led a relatively small number of Sikh forces to remarkable triumphs over expansive state armies of the Mughal king Aurangzeb. It is perhaps owing to such inspired passion or the singular religious devotion of the Khalsa that one may encounter many instances of remarkable gallantry displayed by Sikh fighters throughout history. The Battle of Saragarhi ( 1897) is remembered as one of many battles where the Sikhs have fought with unflinching strength. In the Battle of Saragarhi, the Sikh Havildar Ishar Singh with 21 other soldiers fought with great bravery against 10,000 Afridi tribesmen. This battle has been taught in history lessons in French schools for many years as a model and an example of extreme human bravery, sacrifice and of comradeship. In the two World Wars, over 80,000 Sikhs died for the allied forces in battles. Many Sikhs have received the Victoria Cross and the Param Vir ChakraThe Param Vir Chakra is an Indian military decoration given for valour in combat operations. It is considered to be India's highest military honor. The second word is pronounced 'Veer'. The name is sometimes abbreviated as PVC. It literally means 'Cross os for their gallantry and courage.
As a consequence of the above, even today gallantry and machismo are much appreciate values in Sikh cultures. It is not uncommon to see tall, well-built Sikh youths driving open (roofless) JeepsJeep is an automobile marque of DaimlerChrysler. The term derives from, and is often associated with, an automobile, originally a military vehicle built for the United States Army during World War II, and later produced in a line of consumer models. Altho, SUV's or bigger, macho motorbikes such as Royal Enfield'sRoyal Enfield was, as the United Kingdom-based company dissolved in 1970, an English engineering company most famous for producing motorcycles, although they produced, amongst other things, bicycles, lawnmowers and stationary engines. History A partner co Bullet. Despite their small percentange in Indian population, Sikhs have regularly figured in national Indian sports squads (especially field hockeyField hockey is a popular sport for men and women in many countries around the world. It is simply known as hockey in most countries, especially those in which ice hockey is not very prominent. Field hockey has several regular, prestigious international t and athleticsAthletics also known as track and field or track and field athletics is a collection of sport events. The word is derived from the Greek word "athlos" meaning "contest". It is a collection of sport events, which can roughly be divided into running, throwi). The traditional dances and sports of Punjab almost always manifest flowing energy or physical strength.