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Who Started the Kuka Movement?

By BYJU'S Exam Prep

Updated on: November 9th, 2023

Baba Ram Singh started the Kuka Movement. The Kuka Movement was the first significant movement against the new British rule in Punjab. This movement was based on both political and religious angles. It was the first considerable response to the British Empire’s post-1849 new political structure by the Sikh community.

Table of content

1. Founder of Kuka Movement
2. History of the Kuka Movement
3. Who Started the Kuka Movement?

Founder of Kuka Movement

Baba Ram Singh was the son of a carpenter born in 1815 in a small village called Bhaini in Punjab. After serving in the Sikh army of Prince Naunihal, he left the army when the Sikh rule was overthrown. He later came in contact with Baba Balak Singh and Bhagat Jawar mal. In 1872, Ram Singh was captured and exiled, and canons blew 65 Kukas by the British army.

The Kukas were a sect within Sikhism, also referred to as Namdharis. They were created as a group for religious purification under Ram Singh. This movement also took a political turn to restore Sikh rule in Punjab. The Kukas boycotted British products, laws, and education.

History of the Kuka Movement

The Kuka movement was a religious and social reform movement that emerged in Punjab in the late 19th century. It emphasized social equality, communal living, and the rejection of the traditional Hindu caste hierarchy. The followers of the movement, who were mostly from the lower castes and marginalized sections of society, sought to create a more just and equal society based on the principles of Sikhism.

However, the movement faced opposition from both the British colonial authorities and some members of the Sikh community. This ultimately led to the suppression of the movement by the British in the early 20th century.

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