Rakhi system
Topic: Regional Resistance: Rajputs, Ahoms, Sikhs · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The rakhi system was a protection arrangement used by the Sikh misls in 18th-century Punjab. Misls were Sikh bands, or confederacies, each led by its own chief. A misl protected villages from raiders and oppressive officials. In return, the villagers paid it a share of their crop, about one-fifth. The system gave the misls money and local support as Mughal power declined.
Example
In the mid-18th century, Punjab faced invasions by Ahmad Shah Abdali. Many villages accepted rakhi protection from nearby misls, which helped the Sikhs take control of large parts of Punjab.
Don't confuse with
- Raksha Bandhan: this is a festival, also called Rakhi, in which a sister ties a thread on her brother's wrist. The rakhi system was a political arrangement of protection in return for a share of crops.
Related concepts
- Guru Har Rai and Guru Har Krishan
- Guru Tegh Bahadur
- Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib
- Guru Gobind Singh
- Khalsa
- Panj Pyare and Five Ks
- Dasam Granth
- Veer Baal Diwas
- Banda Singh Bahadur
- Sikh misls