Kirpan
Blade worn by Sikhs
Summary
The kirpan is a blade that Khalsa Sikhs are required to wear as part of their religious uniform, as prescribed by the Sikh Code of Conduct. Traditionally, the kirpan was a full-sized talwar at around 76 cm long (30 in); however, British colonial policies and laws introduced in the 19th century reduced the length of the blade, and in the modern day, the kirpan is typically a dagger between 12 and 30 cm long (5–12 in). According to the Sikh Code of Conduct, "The length of the sword to be worn is not prescribed", but must be curved and single edged, and worn over the right shoulder and across the body. It is part of a religious commandment given by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699, founding the Khalsa order and introducing the five articles of faith which must be worn at all times.
Originally created by DragonflySixtyseven
4/19/2005, 9:16:35 PM
Modified
6/7/2026, 11:25:04 AM
Recent revisions
Reverting edit(s) by [[Special:Contributions/~2026-33428-40|~2026-33428-40]] ([[User_talk:~2026-33428-40|talk]]) to rev. 1358190320 by ClueBot NG: Vandalism ([[w:en:WP:UV|UV 0.1.6]])
Undid revision [[Special:Diff/1358190320|1358190320]] by [[Special:Contributions/ClueBot NG|ClueBot NG]] ([[User talk:ClueBot NG|talk]])
Reverting possible vandalism by [[Special:Contribs/~2026-33428-40|~2026-33428-40]] to version by AnomieBOT. [[WP:CBFP|Report False Positive?]] Thanks, [[WP:CBNG|ClueBot NG]]. (4530146) (Bot)
Dating maintenance tags: {{Psi}} {{Cn}}
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Restored revision 1357619441 by [[Special:Contributions/TienShan0|TienShan0]] ([[User talk:TienShan0|talk]]): [[WP:NOTNEWS]]
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Fixed typo
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Removed reference to speculative political pronouncements by opposition parties rather than actual standing in law.
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Removed "following public outrage regarding the treatment of white victims of crime" from the legal position in the UK, as this statement is not supported by the reference given, and appears opinion rather than factual.
Updated with recent events in the UK amid calls to ban the kirpan
/* India */ Responed to CS1maint: archived copy as title - title is now changed to "Constitution of India"
/* History */ Tagged "The 5 K's" reference with "better source needed" - data unlikely to be wrong, but needs something that meets Wikipedia's reliable source criteria.
/* History */ Fixed error in previous edit
