Descendants of the Sikh gurus, known as Guru-ansh, Guru-vans, or Ansi Sikhs, claim descent from the specific lineages of the Bedi, Trehan, Bhalla, and Sodhi clans of the Khatris that propagated from the Sikh gurus and their offspring. Most descendants are through the Sodhis, as seven out of the ten Sikh gurus were Sodhis. They were accorded elevated-levels of respect and veneration in the pre-colonial period beginning in the 18th century during Sikh-rule but this was challenged during the Singh Sabha movement, with them losing much power and influence in the period thereafter. Descendants of the Sikh gurus can be found residing at Una, Dera Baba Nanak, Khadur, Pinjore, Jalandhar, Guru Harsahai, Kartarpur, and Anandpur amid others. As per Harjot Singh Oberoi, the guru descendants were critical for the propagation of Sanatan Sikhism during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Some of the families have intermarried, an example being Ramji (Kashmiran), daughter of Baba Khem Singh of the Bedi family, marrying Guru Bishen Singh of the Sodhi family of Guru Harsahai.
History
Origin When selecting his successor, Guru Nanak did not follow the hereditary norms by choosing his son but rather chose a follower who was not related to him. This was because a successor was a spiritual one, not necessary one whom is blood-related. This presented a challenge, as there had to be a balance between doctrinal originality and social unity. Due to these challenges, some blood-relatives, including descendants, of the Sikh gurus vyed for their own claims to guruship to seek power and influence, leading to internal challenges within the early Sikh community. Guru Gobind Singh officially ended a personal guruship by bestowing guruship on the scripture, yet many of the heterodoxical Sikh sects did not follow this shift and continued practicing personal guruship to a human. The descendants of the Sikh gurus originated from the Bedi, Trehan, Bhalla, and Sodhi gots of the Khatris.
During Sikh-rule The descendants of Sikh gurus became organized into various guru-lineages, whom were venerated by the Sikh population (sometimes in a similar manner as the Sikh gurus themselves were). At their deras, they provided a religious education to pupils, gave charity, and held relics. They propagated a form of Sanatan Sikhism through the Guru-Sikhi tradition, consisting of a dyadic relationship between themselves and their patrons, serving ritual and political functions. The guru-lineages were sought after for advice and blessings. The contemporary Sikh rulers awarded such descendant-lineages with jagir and dharmarth grants, with some serving directly in the administration and receiving salaries. They were also involved in the military campaigns of local chiefs. They served in military, government, and in religious spheres. As custodians of sacred Sikh relics and shrines, they were able to centre regional seasonal festivities (melas) around their establishments' ritual traditions and command influence, sometimes having armed retainers attached to themselves. They spread their interpretation of Sikhism amongst the Punjabi Hindu and Muslim peasantry. The popularity of a given lineage at any particular point of time depended on the charisma of its current head and their relations with the ruling authority. Notable guru-lineages active in 19th century Punjab were as follows: +Guru-lineages in 19th century PunjabName of lineageHeadquartersAreas of influenceSodhis of AnandpurAnandpurDoaba and MalwaBedis of UnaUnaMajha and DoabaSodhis of Guru HarsahaiGuru Harsahai (Firozpur)Malwa, Kohat, Hazara, Kabul, and RawalpindiSodhis of Rawalpindi (Khem Singh Bedi)RawalpindiRawalpindi, Attock, Lyallpur, and ShahpurSodhis of HaranpurHaranpur (Jhelum)JhelumBhallas of RawalpindiRawalpindiRawalpindiSodhis of ButtarButtar (Firozpur)MalwaSodhis of KartarpurKartarpur (Jalandhar)Doaba and Malwa According to Chaupa Singh Chhibber's rehitnama written in c.1770, the descendants of Sikh gurus should be respected. The rehitnama states:
However, simply being a descendant of the Sikh gurus was not enough to be respected, as one had to embody the authority of the gurus, which is the message transmitted in the Prahlad Rai rehitnama dated by W. H. McLeod to the 1730s. This is reflected in the ex-communication of the Mina descendants of the Sikh gurus, who are shunned by mainstream Sikhs despite them being direct descendants. Thus, a descendant's allegiance to the true teachings of the Sikh gurus is taken into account when determining if they are worthy of respect. This attitude may have been in-response to some descendants attempting to create rival sects and guruship lineages, challenging the authority and validity of the mainstream tradition.
Sarup Das Bhalla, a direct-descendant of Guru Amar Das, attempts to bolster the image of the descendants of the Sikh gurus in his work, Mahima Prakash (1776), even the ex-communicated lineages of Prithi Chand (Minas), Dhir Mal (Dhirmalias), and Ram Rai (Ramraiyas) are attempted to be rehabilitated in the work. This was an attempt to improve the image of the Guru-ansh so they could receive patronage from Sikh rulers at the time. During Sikh-rule, the influence and prestige of the guru descendants increased, especially with the Bedi and Sodhis, albeit the Trehans and Bhallas also received state-patronage to a lesser extent. A descendant of Dhir Mal, likely Wadhbag Singh Sodhi of Kartarpur, is believed to have approached Jassa Singh Ahluwalia in-order to request a reconsideration of old injunction against the Dhirmalias by the Khalsa. After some deliberation, it was decided that the Dhirmalias could re-join the Sikh fold. Thus, descendant-groups formerly shunned began to become accepted by the mainstream and receive state-patronage. Due to this, the families of the descendants became wealthy and earned respect in Sikh circles. The Sikh Empire of Ranjit Singh patronized the guru descendants. Over forty-percent of its religious charity revenue grants (dharmarth) were issued to Bedi and Sodhi descendants, who also often received jagir granths and cash salaries for additional services for the polity.
Colonial period During the period of the Singh Sabha movement, the guru-ansh sided with the traditionalist Amritsar Singh Sabha faction rather than the reformist Lahore Singh Sabha. The reformist Sikhs, such as the Tat Khalsa, believed that all Sikhs should be treated equally, thus were opposed to descendants of the Sikh gurus being given more respect than ordinary Sikhs. The 'cushion controversy' involving Khem Singh Bedi at Darbar Sahib stirred-up a debate over the status of the guru descendants. Khem Singh Bedi was one of the main-backers of the Amritsar faction, alongside the Faridkot ruler, Raja Bikram Singh. Its rival, the Lahore Singh Sabha was led by a low-caste Sikh named Ditt Singh, who opposed the special treatment afforded to the descendants of Sikh gurus, calling for equality, also opposing the pujaris priests whom were acting as gurus in their caretaker role of Sikh shrines. Thus, the Lahore Singh Sabha, under the leadership of Gurmukh Singh and Harsa Singh, opposed the veneration of the descendants and the practice of living gurus. Eventually, the Lahore faction won-over the Amritsar faction amongst the Sikh populace. After the Singh Sabha movement, the guru descendants lost much of the prestige, power, and influence they once held in Sikh society.
Present Descendants of the Sikh gurus continue to hold many relics in their familial possession, such as rare, early manuscripts of Sikh scriptures.
Guru Nanak's descendants
Guru Nanak was a Khatri of the Bedi clan. Guru Nanak had two sons, Sri Chand and Lakhmi Das. Sri Chand was an ascetic and did not produce offspring, however Lakhmi Das did have children. Thus, all claimants to Guru Nanak's lineage descend from Lakhmi Das. The Bedis existed before Lakhmi Das despite them claiming descent from him. The Bedis were divided into four major divisions or biradaris. Due to Nanak being a Bedi, the Bedis came to hold influence during the era of Sikh-rule beginning in the late 18th century due to their descent and their supposed religious piety. The Bedis were given revenue-free land grants by both the states and estates (jagirdars) and offered positions of power. Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district is their traditional headquarters.
Many of the descendants reside at Una in Himachal Pradesh. There are also Bedi descendants of Guru Nanak at Dera Baba Nanak, located near Kartarpur (Narowal). Much of the land at Dera Baba Nanak is owned by Nanak's descendants and a robe, known as a chola sahib, with Quranic inscriptions said to have been owned by Nanak, is kept there. The cotton robe is believed to have been worn by Guru Nanak during his udasi (travels) to Mecca and Medina in Arabia. The robe was passed-down in four subsequent generations of descendants until it was preserved as a sacred relic.
According to the Bedi Foundation, all descendants of Guru Nanak can be traced to the settlement of Dera Baba Nanak, which had been settled by Baba Dharam Chand, the grandson of Guru Nanak and the only son of Baba Lakhmi Chand, the son of Guru Nanak. However, generations of various lineages of the descendants of Dharam Chand had later moved to locations such as Una, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Pune, Saharanpur, Delhi, or overseas. Nanak's descendants can be divided further into the Manakchandias and Meherchandias, based upon which son of Dharam Chand they descend from (Manak Chand or Meher Chand). The family inhabited various Gallis (street/lane) and Mohallas (neighbourhood) of Dera Baba Nanak.
Some notable descendants of Guru Nanak were Sahib Singh Bedi and Khem Singh Bedi. Both of them were from the Manakchandia branch of descendants. There were various branches of the Meherchandia branch. A later sub-branch of the Meherchandias was the Quilewala Bedis. The Quilewalia Bedis received patronage under Maharaja Ranjit Singh and were granted a jagir sanad on 1 January 1854 by the British colonial government.
Sahib Singh Bedi, one of the most notable Bedis who held influence in Doaba and Majha, was the grandson of Baba Kaladhari. In the 1770s, he negotiated peace regarding a land dispute between Sardar Gurdit Singh of Santokhgarh and Raja Umed Singh of Jaswan, which won him acclaim and land-grants. Sahib Singh became the jagirdar of Kulgaron village and earned the revenue income of Una. He was also celebrated for his exposition abilities regarding Sikh scripture and theology, winning him more jagir grants. One of his most devoted patrons was Ranjit Singh, who attributed his victory over the Bhangis at Gujrat to Sahib Singh's blessings, with him also conducting the coronation ceremony of Ranjit Singh in 1801 at Lahore.
As per the 1881 census of India, there were 6,804 Bedis in Punjab, mostly concentrated in the Doaba region.
Guru Angad's descendants Guru Angad was a Khatri of the Trehan clan. Guru Angad had two sons, Datu and Dasu. Descendants of both of his sons reside at Khadur Sahib. Binod Singh was a Trehan Khatri descendant of Guru Angad's lineage. Peter Bance interviewed a supposed descendant of Guru Angad living in Peshawar, Pakistan named Baba Amir Singh. According to Richard Carnac Temple, the descendants of Guru Angad had the Bawa title appended to their names.
Guru Amar Das' descendants