Question map
What was the primary aim of the Akali Movement which rose in the Punjab in 1920s?
Explanation
The Akali Movement, also known as the Gurdwara Reform Movement, emerged in the early 1920s with the primary objective of liberating Sikh holy shrines (Gurdwaras) from the control of corrupt, hereditary mahants [c1][t2]. These mahants managed the shrines autocratically, misappropriated funds, and introduced non-Sikh practices, often with the support of the British colonial government [c1][t3]. The movement sought to streamline management and restore the sanctity of these sites by placing them under the control of the Sikh community [t2][t3]. This struggle led to the formation of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) and the Shiromani Akali Dal [c2][t2]. The agitation eventually forced the government to pass the Sikh Gurdwaras Act in 1925, which legally transferred the administration of historical Gurdwaras to the SGPC as the apex representative body [c2][t2].
Sources
- [1] Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 13: Growth of New India Religious and Social Reform After 1858 > Religious Reform among the Sikhs > p. 224
- [2] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 9: A General Survey of Socio-Cultural Reform Movements > Sikh Reform Movements > p. 233