History of the Sikhs by Khushwant Singh

‘the indispensable reference point for…an historical and sociological understanding of the Sikh tradition…these volumes are a tribute to [the] capacity for both a sympathetic and a balanced rendition of Sikh history.’ –Times of India’Singh has done a good job of turning dry history into informed reading.’ — Sunday MailA History of the
SikhsFirst published in 1963, this remains the most comprehensive and authoritative book on the Sikhs. The new edition updated to the present recounts the return of the community to the mainstream of national life. Written in Khushwant
Singh’s trademark style to be accessible to a general, non-scholarly audience, the book is based on scholarly archival research.Volume 1: 1469-1839: This volume covers the social, religious and political background which led to the formation of the Sikh faith in the fifteenth century. Basing his account on original documents in Persian, Gurmukhi and English, the author trac es the growth of Sikhism and tells of the compilation of its sacred scriptures in
the Granth Sahib. The transformation of the Sikhs from a pacifist sect to a militant group called the Khasla led by Guru Gobind Singh is portrayed in detail, as is the relationship of the Sikhs with the Mughals and the
Afghans, until the consolidation of Sikh power under Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

Scholarly yet accessible, Volume 2 focuses on the Sikh struggle for survival as a separate community post-1839 till the years after Independence, amrked by the demand for a distinct Sikh State. The second edition is updated with a preface and an epilogue that analyses events following the end of terrorism in Punjab and the achievement of the community’s aspirations.

About the Author: SINGH, KHUSHWANT

18 Nov 2004
 

A History of the Sikhs by Khushwant Singh ISBN 9780195673098