Anand Marriage Act, 1909
The Anand Marriage Act, 1909 was a piece of legislation dealing with Sikh marriage in British India that validated the Sikh marriage customs. The act was a result of the ongoing Singh Sabha movement. It helped cement a separate Sikh religious identity from Hinduism and was a landmark decision that helped in the formation of modern religious boundaries observed today. The act is valid today in an amended form.
History
Passing of law
Sikhs believe Guru Amar Das introduced the Sikh wedding ceremony, known as the Anand Karaj, and Guru Ram Das introduced the Lāvān. The Anand text and Laavaan hymns constitute two fundamental components of the Sikh marriage ceremony. Later-on, reformist Sikh sects, such as the Namdharis and Nirankaris, helped formulate, standardize, and simplify the Sikh wedding ceremony. While the anand form of marriage has historically existed amongst the Sikhs, it was only until prince Ripudaman Singh of Nabha efforts beginning in 1908 that it was legally sanctioned in law as a valid form of marriage.The Chief Khalsa Diwan's members were instrumental in the passing of the Anand Marriage Act, 1909. The members felt that the Sikh marriage rites did not have legal basis behind them and that Hindu influences remained in the marriage customs of many Sikhs. Sikhs also showed more predisposition to intercaste marriages. The organizations opposition to "Hindu" rituals in the marriage practices of Sikhs led to them being condemned and boycott by some traditionalist factions within the Sikh community. Sundar Singh Majithia of the C.K.D. and Ripudaman Singh of Nabha State pushed the Sikh marriage bill through the Imperial Legislative Council despite heavy opposition, with the former piloting it and the latter intervening, where it was successfully passed on 22 October 1909. Sunder Singh Lyallpuri also played a role in the formation and passing of the bill. The passing of the bill helped with the keeping of a separate Sikh identity apart from the Hindus.
However, contemporary opponents at the time worried that the act would provide a legal framework that legitimizes a barrier between the Sikh and Hindu communities, pushing out many non-Khalsa, sehajdhari-alligned members from the Sikh fold. Meanwhile, Sikh proponents of the bill saw this criticism as external meddling in their religious affairs, claimed that non-anand forms of marriage were "Hindu" rather than "Sikh", and argued about the involvement of the Sikh gurus in the formation of separate Sikh marriage customs. Sikh periodicals of the era, such as the Khalsa Akhbar and Khalsa Advocate, published many articles in-favour of the codeification of the Sikh marriage customs. The name for the act was also proposed to be Sikh Marriage Act but this was opposed by some Sikh supporters. The act was passed on 22 October 1909.