Letters

F

Find entries starting with the letter F here, encompassing topics from famous historical figures to fascinating natural phenomena. Delve into the world of fashion, uncover the dynamics of finance, or explore the rich traditions of folklore. This section invites you to learn about a wide array of fields, each offering unique insights into the world around us.

Discover Ferozepur, an ancient city with deep historical roots. Visit monuments like the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Memorial and Saragarhi Gurudwara.

Explore Fatehgarh Sahib, rich in history and culture, named after Sahibzada Fateh Singh. Discover its vibrant economy and iconic towns like Mandi Gobindgarh.

Explore Faridkot's rich history from its 13th-century origins to Indus Valley links. Uncover the legend of Baba Farid and the district's ancient roots.

FATEHNAMAH GURU KHALSA JI KA, by Ganesh Das, an employee of the Sikh Darbar, and published as edited by Sita Ram Kohli, contains accounts, in Punjabi verse, of three of the major battles of Sikh times. The first of these was fought at Multan in 1818 between Maharaja Ranjit Singh`s forces and the army of the local Afghan ruler Muzaffar Khan. The second, the first battle of Peshawar, also known as the battle of Naushera, was fought in 1823 between Sikhs and Muhammad`Azim Khan, who after the death of his brother Fateh Khan, had acquired power in Afghanistan and wished to reestablish Afghan supremacy over Peshawar.

FIVE KHANDS or Panj Khands, lit. realms (panj == five, khand == region or realm), signifies in the Sikh tradition the five stages of spiritual progress leading man to the Ultimate Truth. The supporting text is a fragment from Guru Nanak`s Japu, stanzas 34 to 37. The Five Realms enumerated therein are dharam khand, the realm of righteous action (pauri 34), gian khand, the realm of knowledge (pauri 35), saram khand, the realm of spiritual endeavour (pauri 36), karam khand, the realm of grace, and sach khand the realm of Truth (pauri 37).

FATEHNAMAH, or Namah-i-Guru Gobind Singh, a letter (namah in Persian) that Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708) is believed to have addressed to Emperor Aurangzib prior to his better known Zafarnamah included in the Dasam Granth. The first reference to the existence of Fatehndmah dates to 1922 when Babu Jagan Nath Das published in the Nagari Pracharini Patrika, Savan 1979 / July-August 1922, a letter supposed to have been sent by Chhatrapati Shivaji to Mirza Raja Jai Singh. In his introduction, Babu Jagan Nath Das had mentioned that he had copied around 1890 two letters from manuscripts in the possession of Baba Sumer Singh, mahant of Takht Sri Harimandar Sahib at Patna from 1882 to 1902 one, Shivaji`s which he was publishing in the Patrika and the other. Guru Gobind Singh`s which, he added, he had lost and of which he could not procure another copy owing to the death of the owner of the original document.

FIVE SYMBOLS, a set of five distinctive features or elements of personal appearance or apparel that set off Sikhs from the followers of any other religious faith. Any study of religious symbols involves a dual task: first, to explain the meaning of symbols not only in terms of their original connotations but also on the basis of contemporary categories of understanding; secondly, to discriminate between genuine symbolism and piny post hoc interpretations which later times may have imposed on things originally having little symbolic relevance. A symbol is generally defined as something that stands for, represents or denotes something else, especially a material object representing or taken to represent something immaterial or abstract, as being an idea, quality or condition. Words, phrases and sentences, for instance, represent various beings, ideas, qualities or conditions.

FATEH SHAH (d. 1716) was the ruler of the Himalayan state of Srinagar (Garhval) from 1684 to 1716. He had strained relations with Raja Medini Prakash of Sirmur. When Guru Gobind Singh made Paonta his headquarters in April 1685 at the invitation of the latter, he brought about reconciliation between Fateh Shah and the Sirmur chief. According to Sikh chroniclers, Guru Gobind Singh sent presents through his diwan, Nand Chand, to Raja Fateh Shah on the occasion of the marriage of his daughter to Ajmer Chand, son of Raja Bhim Chand of Kahlur. Bhim Chand, who resented the cordiality which existed between Guru Gobind Singh and Fateh Shah, urged the Srinagar ruler not to accept the presents sent by the Guru.

FIVE YEARS IN INDIA, by Henry Edward Fane, aide-de-camp to his uncle, General Sir Henry Fane, commander-in-chief of the army of the East India Company during late 1830`s, is "a narrative of [the author`s] travels in the Presidency of Bengal, a visit to the court of Runjeet Singh, a residence in the Himalayan mountains, an account of the late expedition to Cabul and Afghanistan, voyage down the Indus, and journey overland to England." Fane had kept an immaculate journal of his travels from the time his regiment got orders to move to Ceylon in June/ July 1835, till he arrived at Falmouth, England, in April 1840.His actual stay in India was of three and a half years, from August 1836, when he arrived at Calcutta, to the end of 1839, when he commenced his journey homeward. The travelogue was published in two volumes, under one cover, by Henry Colburn, London, in 1842.

FATEH SINGH (d. 1716), an army commander under Banda Singh Bahadur, who was appointed administrator of Samana after the town was occupied by the Sikhs in 1709. Fateh Singh participated in several of Banda Singh`s battles against the Mughal rulers. In the battle of Sirhind fought at the nearby village of Chappar Chiri, Fateh Singh killed Nawab Wazir Khan, the faujdar of Sirhind. He was taken prisoner at Lohgarh in December 1710 and, after several years in jail, was executed in Delhi in June 1716 along with Banda Singh and his other companions.

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Explore Baherwal Kalan's rich history from Guru Arjan Dev's visit to the rise of the Nakai Misl, highlighting influential Sikh leaders and key battles.

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4 years Ago

Explore the deeper meaning of Aarti in Hinduism and Sikhism, where true worship goes beyond rituals and embraces the beauty of nature and truth.

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4 years Ago

Explore the profound concept of Aatma and its connection to Paramaatma, God, and the transcendental self in Sikh and Hindu philosophies.

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Explore Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri, the autobiographical memoirs of Emperor Jahangir, masterfully translated and edited, revealing insights into his reign (1605-1627).

The Sikh Encyclopedia

This website based on Encyclopedia of Sikhism by Punjabi University , Patiala by Professor Harbans Singh.