Founder of the Khalsa


Book Description

This book encapsulates the exceptionally eventful and vibrant life of the guru that will provoke thought and debate even in today’s times. Guru Gobind Singh – Founder of the Khalsa; saint; warrior par excellence; poignant poet; philosopher; soulful human being – was the illustrious Tenth Guru of the Sikhs. This extensively researched book goes beyond the established events that broadly include the untimely assassination of Guru Teg Bahadur; Guru Gobind Singh’s coronation; the battles of Bhangani and Nadaun; his stay in Paonta and Anandpur; and the historic creation of the Khalsa. The book talks about other events that sought to widely establish the Khalsa including the battle of Nirmohgarh; the siege and evacuation of Anandpur; the battles of Chamkaur, Khidrana and Muktsar; his Zafarnama to Aurangzeb and subsequent meeting with Bahadur Shah Zafar in Agra. Most importantly, it provides some unknown facts about the anointment of the holy book of the Sikhs – the Guru Granth Sahib as the eternal guiding light. Guru Gobind Singh’s prowess as a warrior of immense distinction is well-recorded, besides his understanding of military strategy and execution; the book brings to light his love for literature, scriptures and languages, his philosophical, judicious and humane thought, and is a tribute to the great saint and seeks to outline the historical life, times and events of Guru Gobind Singh in intricate details.




Sikhs of the Khalsa


Book Description

The Rahit Is The Code Of Belief And Conduct Laid Down By The Tenth Guru Gobind Singh For All Sikhs Who Join The Khalsa. The Book Traces The Development Of Rahit And Shows How The Modern Rahit, In Some Respects, Is Different From The Original One.




Introduction to Sikhism


Book Description

Contains 125 questions about Sikh religion. This book also features quotations from Guru Granth Sahib.




The Birth of the Khalsa


Book Description

Sikhs trace the genesis of their religious rites, prayers, dress codes, and names to Guru Gobind Singh's creation of the Khalsa in 1699. The Birth of the Khalsa is the first work to explore this pivotal event in Sikh history from a feminist perspective, questioning the ways in which Sikh memories have constructed a hypermasculine Sikh identity. The book argues that Sikh memory needs to acknowledge the vital female dimension grounded in the universal human condition and present at the birth of the Khalsa. Inspired by her own father, the eminent Sikh scholar Harbans Singh, Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh rediscovers the feminine side of the words and actions of the founders of Sikhism. She looks at the basic texts and tenets of Sikh religion and demonstrates the female aspect in the sacred text, daily prayers, dress code, and rituals of the Sikhs. Singh reminds us that Guru Gobind Singh's original vision was an egalitarian one and urges present-day Sikhs to live up to the liberating implications set in motion when he gave birth to the Khalsa.




Guru Gobind Singh (1666–1708)


Book Description

The unifying theme in the life of Guru Gobind Singh was confrontation with the Mughals, which culminated in a struggle for political power. This fact is brought into sharp focus when we consider the Guru’s life and legacy simultaneously in the contexts of the Mughal Empire, its feudatory states in the hills, and the Sikh movement. The creation of the Khalsa in 1699 as a political community with the aspiration to rule made conciliation or compromise with the Mughal state almost impossible. Their long struggle ended eventually in the declaration of Khalsa Raj in 1765. Using contemporary and near contemporary sources in Gurmukhi, Persian, and English, J.S. Grewal presents a comprehensive study of this era of Sikh history. The volume elaborates on the life and legacy of Guru Gobind Singh and explores the ideological background of the institution of the Khalsa and its larger political context. Grewal, however, emphasizes that the legacy of the Khalsa was also social and cultural. This authoritative volume on the tenth Guru is a significant addition to the field of Sikh studies.




The Cherished Five in Sikh History


Book Description

Despite the centrality of this group to modern Sikhism, scholarship on the Panj Piare has remained sparse. Louis Fenech's new book examines the Khalsa and the role that the Panj Piare have had in the development of the Sikh faith over the past three centuries.




Sikh Nationalism


Book Description

This important volume provides a clear, concise and comprehensive guide to the history of Sikh nationalism from the late nineteenth century to the present. Drawing on A. D. Smith's ethno-symbolic approach, Gurharpal Singh and Giorgio Shani use a new integrated methodology to understanding the historical and sociological development of modern Sikh nationalism. By emphasising the importance of studying Sikh nationalism from the perspective of the nation-building projects of India and Pakistan, the recent literature on religious nationalism and the need to integrate the study of the diaspora with the Sikhs in South Asia, they provide a fresh approach to a complex subject. Singh and Shani evaluate the current condition of Sikh nationalism in a globalised world and consider the lessons the Sikh case offers for the comparative study of ethnicity, nations and nationalism.




Guru Gobind Singh


Book Description

Guru Gobind Singh, 1666-1708, 10th guru of the Sikhs.