Which of the following statements about the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) in Sikh history are correct?

Introduction / Context:
The Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) is a key institution in modern Sikh history. It is the elected body that manages important Sikh gurdwaras in Punjab and some other regions. The SGPC emerged in the early twentieth century during a period of intense reform within the Sikh community, particularly connected with the Akali movement. Understanding its origins and purpose is important for questions on religious reform and nationalism in colonial India.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Statement 1 says that the SGPC began as the political wing of the Singh Sabhas in the late nineteenth century.
• Statement 2 says that it was formed in 1920 as part of the upcoming Akali movement.
• Statement 3 says that it was founded to reclaim control of Sikh shrines from government manipulated loyalist committees and corrupt mahants.
• Statement 4 says that it formed the Akali Dal to coordinate groups (Jathas) to reclaim control of the shrines.
• The question asks which combination of these statements is correct.

Concept / Approach:
The Singh Sabha movement started earlier, in the late nineteenth century, to reform Sikh religious practices, but it did not directly create the SGPC as its political wing. Instead, the SGPC arose later, in 1920, as part of the Gurdwara Reform and Akali movement to take back gurdwara management from corrupt mahants and government favoured committees. The SGPC became the central body managing gurdwaras, while the Akali Dal emerged as its political arm to organise jathas (volunteer bands) for direct action. Therefore, we must judge each statement against this historical narrative.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Standard histories of the Sikh gurdwara reform movement explain that the SGPC and the Akali Dal emerged around 1920. They also emphasise that the movement was aimed at retrieving control of Sikh shrines from mahants who were often seen as corrupt and backed by the colonial state. The Singh Sabha movement laid earlier ideological foundations but did not itself create the SGPC. This confirms that statements 2, 3 and 4 correctly summarise the SGPC's origin and purpose, while statement 1 misplaces it in time and function.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• 1, 3 and 4: Includes statement 1, which is incorrect about the SGPC being a nineteenth century political wing of the Singh Sabhas.
• 2 and 4 only: Omits statement 3, which correctly describes the aim of reclaiming shrines from loyalist committees.
• 2 and 3 only: Leaves out statement 4, even though the formation of the Akali Dal to coordinate jathas is historically connected with the SGPC.
• 1, 2 and 3 only: Again includes incorrect statement 1, making the combination wrong.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse the Singh Sabha movement with the later Akali movement and assume that all later Sikh institutional developments started directly from Singh Sabhas. Another error is to think of the SGPC as purely religious, ignoring its political link with the Akali Dal. To avoid confusion, remember that the Singh Sabhas were nineteenth century reform associations, while the SGPC and Akali Dal are products of the 1920s gurdwara reform struggle.

Final Answer:
Correct answer: 2, 3 and 4.