The Masands

The Masands began as the Gurus’ appointed representatives. They collected offerings, led local congregations and carried the Guru’s word to distant places. Over time many were accused of keeping what they collected and of acting as small lords of the communities they were meant to serve. Some are said to have claimed authority of their own.

Guru Gobind Singh told Sikhs to stop dealing with them and to bring offerings directly. Rehatnamas say some Masands were punished. The conventional marker for the end of the system is the founding of the Khalsa in 1699, though accounts differ on the date and the manner.

Counsel

Every intermediary wants to become your Masand. Whoever stands between you and your work, your money or your audience will be tempted to own the door. The test is simple: could you reach the other side without them, and what would it cost you to find out?

Verification

That the Masands existed, that many were accused of corruption, and that Guru Gobind Singh repudiated them is well attested in Sikh tradition. The origin is attributed variously to Guru Amar Das, Guru Ram Das or Guru Arjan, and the date and mechanism of the end of the system are not firmly fixed: accounts rest on rehatnamas and later works, and 1699 is the conventional marker. An earlier version of this entry linked the Masands to a condemnation in the Bachittar Natak; we could not confirm that and have removed it. Source: Wikipedia, 'Masand', which collects Grewal, the Encyclopaedia of Sikhism and Macauliffe.