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Concept
Khalsa bole
Summary
Khalsa bole (Gurmukhi: ਖ਼ਾਲਸਈ ਬੋਲੇ or ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ ਬੋਲੀ; Ḵẖālasa'ī bōlē, Ḵẖālasā bōlī; meaning "words of Khalsa"; alternatively transcribed as Khalsa boli) is a bravado-based language variety developed and spoken by members of the Akali-Nihang sect of Sikhism. It has also been described as a coded language.
Other common names for the lect are Gar Gaj Bole (ਗੜਗੱਜ ਬੋਲੇ; meaning "words that thunder"), Nihang Singh de Bole ("words of the Nihang Sikhs"), Nihang Bola ("Nihang speak"), and Khalsa de bole ("words of the Khalsa").
The dialect encompasses the Sikh philosophical concept of remaining ever optimistic, known as Chardi kala. The unique dialect serves martial and mental objectives, such as helping the speaker and listeners remain in high-spirits in the face of adversity. It serves as a verbal act of dissent in the face of troubling circumstances.
"There is a great degree of general Sikh ambivalence towards the Nihangs and their deras. There is no real knowledge but through the construction of the Sikh past by ragis and dhadis and others involved in the invention of Sikh tradition, they seem to have made sacrifices for the faith and qaum. One possible consequence of their relative isolation could be the development of coded language. Sekhon (1997: 229) attributes these different meanings of the words as metaphors of optimism and belief in the inevitable achievement of the goal: 'Taking a meal of parched gram of necessity a Nihang would describe himself as eating almonds. Even now onions for Nihangs are silver pieces, rupees on the other hand mere pebbles, and a club the repository of wisdom.’ "
Some claim it was invented by Banda Singh Bahadur, the early 18th century Sikh warrior and martyr. Sikh scholar, Piara Singh Padam, claims it originated earlier in the 17th century, during the time of the Sikh Gurus. The lect developed during the period of intense persecution of the Sikhs by the Mughal and Durrani empires in the 18th century. During that period, Sikhs vacated for the mountains, jungles, and deserts to escape the genocidal policies enacted against them.
Official source
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