Objects of Desire

Akali Nihang Chakars

[akalinihangchakars]

Bibliography

I have consulted a wide range of online sources, information, images and videos. These include museum and university websites, news articles and interviews of which several are included elsewhere in this research log. However, a record of the books I consulted is below:

Brown, K., Sikh art and literature (London: Routledge, 1999).

Eden, E., ‘Up the Country’: Letters Written to Her Sister from the Upper Provinces of India, Volume II (London: R. Bentley, 1866).

Egerton, Hon. W., An Illustrated Handbook of Indian Arms (London : William H. Allen, 1880).

Ganeri, A., The Ramayana and other Hindu texts (London: Evans, 2008).

Hormise Nirmal, R., Evolution of the Sikh faith: the historical formation and development of Sikhism under the Gurus (New Delhi: Unity Book Service, 1987).

Narayan, R. K., The Mahabharata: retold by R. K. Narayan (New Delhi: Vision Books, 2014).

Oberoi, H., The construction of religious boundaries: culture, identity, and diversity in the Sikh tradition (Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1997).

Osbourne, W. G., The court and camp of Ranjeet Singh (London: Henry Colburn, 1840).

Penney, S., Sikhism (Oxford: Heinemann Library, 2008).

Said, E., Orientalism (London: Penguin Books, 1977).

Singh, P. and N. Gerald Barrier (eds.), Sikh identity: continuity and change (New Delhi: Manohar, 1999).

Strong, S. (ed.), The arts of the Sikh kingdoms (London: V&A, 1999).

[akalinihangchakars]

Podcast Completion

23-04-17

Having done most of the podcast at the beginning of the month, I have just put a few finishing touches to it and am happy with the final result.

It has been an incredibly interesting process and I have enjoyed it far more than I thought I would. I feel like I have only dipped my toe into the history and art of India but I have learned so much and discovered that there is so much more out there to learn about!

I have also been introduced to the Sikh religion, which I knew very little of before. Being able to talk to Dr Joojhar Singh was definitely a highlight of researching the history of this beautiful religion. 

I feel like the podcast flows well and has managed to answer the questions that I raised in my research proposal, such as the significance of shape and developing usage of the chakar, the significance they play in the Sikh faith and the distinctive features of the Nihang Sikhs along with others.  

I am very pleased overall with the final results, although looking back there are things that could have been improved, such as the lighting and set-up of my interview with Dr Singh, and my own filming technique. I have had to play around a lot with the sound to make sure the background music, my narration, and the video clips are all at the right volume. 

However I am satisfied and proud of the work I have achieved, and have discovered a greater appreciation and interest in Indian military and religious history in doing so.

[akalinihangchakars]

History Channel & Weapon Masters

In the course of my research I came across some interesting videos on YouTube on forging chakars and using them practically. I have decided to use short clips from the two below in my podcast as I think they add a bit more visual excitement and demonstrate especially the throwing technique much more effectively than I could describe. 

From Weapon Masters (a modern recreation of forging chakars):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ds1LJTbHKn4&t=213s

From The History Channel (on throwing technique):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_cX1SwiC1Y&t=16s

[akalinihangchakars]

Here it is, one of the best examples of an Akali Nihang turban with chakars displayed in varying size. I got quite excited when I saw it!

[akalinihangchakars]

I use an image of this painting in my podcast, it was fun to see the real thing. It is about A5 size, so fairly small, but very detailed, down to the hair on their legs!

[akalinihangchakars]

The real-life Golden Throne of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the South Asia section of the Victoria and Albert Museum

[akalinihangchakars]

Some of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s information on Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

[akalinihangchakars]

04-04-17

I visited the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and found several relevant paintings and objects to my podcast, including several things I had previously found images of online!

This painting shows Vishnu using a chakar to fend off a crocodile, in flames no less!

[akalinihangchakars]

Work in progress...

28-03-17 - I have finished writing my transcript and started to record myself reading parts of it, working as I go to fit images, clips and music around it. 

I am making the podcast using Windows Movie Maker, and here is a screenshot of the work in progress!

[akalinihangchakars]

28-03-17

Having met with Dr Joojhar Singh yesterday and collected a large amount of information, I am going to start working on my transcript today and hopefully the podcast itself soon!

[akalinihangchakars]

This is a miniature painting dating back to the 18th century belonging to Dr Joojhar Singh depicting the Golden Temple at Amritsar. It is painted on ivory and is illuminated when held up against the light. 

He acquired it at an auction, where it was being advertised as ‘Temple on a Lake’. Dr Singh explained that it has been several centuries since the temple was surrounded by trees, as the area around it is now very built-up. 

[akalinihangchakars]

This is a turban adornment belonging to Dr Joojhar Singh made from the tooth of a wild pig. There is intricate silver detail craftsmanship at the top, and whilst having no practical purpose, these adornments were worn into battle against the Moghuls. If the warrior was slain, his body would remain intact because their Muslim foes would not touch anything made ‘unclean’ by the pig tooth. 

[akalinihangchakars]

The Guru Granth Sahib inside the South Shields gurdwara. 

There are no idols, statues, or religious pictures in a Gurdwara, because Sikhs worship only God, and they regard God as having no physical form. Nor are there candles, incense, or bells, or any other ritualistic devices.The focus of attention, and the only object of reverence in the main hall (or Darbar Sahib) is the the Guru Granth Sahib, which is treated with the respect that would be given to a human Guru.The Guru Granth Sahib is kept in a room of its own during the night and carried in procession to the main hall at the start of the day's worship.

The prominence of weapons is clearly visible with a number of chakar and swords. The Sikh word for them, Shastar, contains a very different and religious meaning to the English word ‘weaponry’ which encompasses everything and has offensive insinuations. Sikhism has a martial history dating back to the time of the Sixth Guru Har Govind who armed the Sikhs following the martyrdom of his father the Fifth Guru Arjun Dev. The succeeding Gurus maintained a fighting force, but only resorted to violence when all other options were void, and they had to defend themselves in order to survive.

The Guru Granth Sahib is placed on a raised platform (Takht or Manji Sahib, meaning "throne") under a canopy (Chanani or Palki), and covered with an expensive cloth when not being read.The Gurdwara is open 24 hours a day and is managed by a committee of members, there is no central leader figure, and all members take turn in reading the scripture and leading worship. However for modern convenience now many gurdwaras now appoint a paid ‘leader’. 

[akalinihangchakars]

These are two steel chakar belonging to Dr Joojhar Singh, which he acquired at an auction in the UK. They are larger in diameter to mine and the metal itself is much thinner. They are very sharp. The small mark visible is the mark of the craftsman who made them. 

The bottom is flat, but the top of each chakar is slightly curved which enables it to fly straighter without veering off course. 

During the course of my research there have been several different names for the chakram that consistently crop up; chakram, chakra, chakar, quoit. I asked Joojhar for his opinion, and he said that to a Sikh they are chakar. Chakram is a British name for them, and quoit is another British word describing the shape/object. If they are Sikhi then they are Chakar, and for the sake of consistency I shall refer to them as chakar henceforth. 

[akalinihangchakars]

Dr Joojhar Singh

On the 28th March I travelled to South Shields to meet Dr Joojhar Singh. We had exchanged emails and he had kindly agreed to take me to the local gurdwara, show me some of his SIkh weaponry collection and answer any questions I might have about Chakar and Sikhism in general.

I was given a full tour of the gurdwara and we then sat and talked for three hours. He really helped to deepen my understanding of SIkh history and weaponry and kindly allowed me to sometimes video him speaking on my phone for inclusion in the podcast. I learned a lot and we examined his collection of swords and other weapons. 

Afterwards we went for coffee and talked some more. It was a very enjoyable and informative afternoon. 

[akalinihangchakars]

Akali SIkhs on the March, opaque watercolour and ink on paper, ca.1850, on display at the Freer Gallery of Art.

(Source: http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/edan/object.php?q=fsg_F1991.10)

[akalinihangchakars]

quoit

.

Here is another one. I love the intricate gold decoration on both of these chakra. They were both donated to the British Museum by John Henderson upon his death in 1878. 

This is what I have been able to discover about him:

John Henderson (1797–1878) was a collector of works of art and archæologist, born in Adelphi Terrace, London, in 1797, the son of John Henderson and Georgiana Jane, only child of George Keate, F.R.S. His father, an amateur artist of great merit, was an early patron of Thomas Girtin and J. M. W. Turner, who frequently worked together in his house. John Henderson the younger went at the age of sixteen as a fellow-commoner to Balliol College, Oxford (B.A. 1817 and M.A. 1820). He read for the bar, but devoted his life to the study of archæology and the collection of works of art. His collections, which he kept at his house, 3 Montague Street, Bloomsbury, were extremely valuable, and were formed with learned discrimination. He was an excellent artist, and was a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and other archæological societies, and a frequent attendant at their meetings and contributor to their ‘Proceedings.’ He died unmarried in 1878. By the codicil to his will, dated 1 Nov. 1877, Henderson bequeathed to the university of Oxford all his Greek and Roman vases and Egyptian antiquities; to the trustees of the British Museum his valuable collection of water-colour drawings by Canaletto, Turner, Girtin, Cozens, David Cox, and W. J. Müller (now in the print room), his collection of Russian silver and enamels, his Damascus, Persian, Rhodian, and majolica porcelain and pottery, his oriental and Venetian metal-work, his oriental arms, his Roman, Greek, and Venetian glass (all now in the department of general antiquities), and the correspondence of his grandfather, George Keate, with Voltaire and Dr. Edward Young. To the trustees of the National Gallery he bequeathed his water-colour drawings by G. Cattermole and P. De Wint, two pictures by A. Canaletto, and any others of his old masters which they might select. (Source: Wikipedia)

I was unable to find any information about any possible trips abroad or specifics on how he obtained his collection.