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The Sikhs
Five hundred years ago, Guru Nanak founded the Sikh faith in India. The Sikhs defied the caste system; rejected the authority of Hindu priests; forbade magic and idolatry; and promoted the equality of men and women -- beliefs that incurred the wrath of both Hindus and Muslims. In the centuries that followed, three of Nanak's nine successors met violent ends, and his people continued to battle hostile regimes. The conflict has raged into our own in 1984 the Golden Temple of Amritsar -- the holy shrine of the Sikhs--was destroyed by the Indian Army. In retaliation, Sikh bodyguards assassinated Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Now, Patwant Singh gives us the compelling story of the Sikhs -- their origins, traditions and beliefs, and more recent history. He shows how a movement based on tenets of compassion and humaneness transformed itself, of necessity, into a community that values bravery and military prowess as well as spirituality. We learn how Gobind Singh, the tenth and last Guru, welded the Sikhs into a brotherhood, with each man bearing the surname Singh, or "Lion," and abiding by a distinctive code of dress and conduct. He tells of Banda the Brave's daring conquests, which sowed the seeds of a Sikh state, and how the enlightened ruler Ranjit Singh fulfilled this promise by founding a Sikh empire.
The author examines how, through the centuries, the Sikh soldier became an exemplar of discipline and courage and explains how Sikhs -- now numbering nearly 20 million worldwide -- have come to be known for their commitment to education, their business acumen, and their enterprising spirit.
Finally, Singh concludes that it would be a grave error to alienate an energetic and vital community like the Sikhs if modern India is to realize its full potential. He urges India's leaders to learn from the past and to "honour the social contract with Indians of every background and persuasion."
Now, Patwant Singh gives us the compelling story of the Sikhs -- their origins, traditions and beliefs, and more recent history. He shows how a movement based on tenets of compassion and humaneness transformed itself, of necessity, into a community that values bravery and military prowess as well as spirituality. We learn how Gobind Singh, the tenth and last Guru, welded the Sikhs into a brotherhood, with each man bearing the surname Singh, or "Lion," and abiding by a distinctive code of dress and conduct. He tells of Banda the Brave's daring conquests, which sowed the seeds of a Sikh state, and how the enlightened ruler Ranjit Singh fulfilled this promise by founding a Sikh empire.
The author examines how, through the centuries, the Sikh soldier became an exemplar of discipline and courage and explains how Sikhs -- now numbering nearly 20 million worldwide -- have come to be known for their commitment to education, their business acumen, and their enterprising spirit.
Finally, Singh concludes that it would be a grave error to alienate an energetic and vital community like the Sikhs if modern India is to realize its full potential. He urges India's leaders to learn from the past and to "honour the social contract with Indians of every background and persuasion."
320 pages, Paperback
First published July 17, 2001
61 people are currently reading
576 people want to read
About the author
Patwant Singh
19Ìýbooks12ÌýfollowersPatwant Singh was a writer, publisher, political commentator, conservationist and philanthropist. In 1952, he settled in Bombay to start a magazine publishing firm.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
January 5, 2015
I read this book last year and it is a very good informative book about the Sikh religion,Sikhism and Sikh culture/people.
It can be used as a book for Anthropology too.
It encompasses history of the Sikhs,cultures,beliefs and important events in Punjab,Khalistan movt,Bhindranwale/Op Bluestar and 1984 anti Sikh riots engineered by India's 'leftist' Socialist 'Secular' Indian National Congress party.
Sikh as a people are amazing,a real model minority,fiercely loyal to their motherland and to their friends!
This youngest religion came into existence in 1500s as a response to Islamic slaughter and onslaught of Hinduism,as a norm,Hindus 'gave away' their 1st born sons who became Sikhs and fought Islamist invasions very bravely!As a people,Sikhs are very peaceful yet brave,very patriotic and very loyal to India.Contributions by Sikhs in Indian army and in nation's protection is overwhelming and undervalued (By INC terrorists) but real Indians appreciate this!Sikh contribution to chairities is maximum per capita by donations etc!
This is a very good book for introduction to a great faith.It is concise yet informative,unlike most Anthropology texts,it is very easy to read.
I recommend this book to any1 who wants to know more about the Sikhs.
A Sikh never cheats!:-)
It can be used as a book for Anthropology too.
It encompasses history of the Sikhs,cultures,beliefs and important events in Punjab,Khalistan movt,Bhindranwale/Op Bluestar and 1984 anti Sikh riots engineered by India's 'leftist' Socialist 'Secular' Indian National Congress party.
Sikh as a people are amazing,a real model minority,fiercely loyal to their motherland and to their friends!
This youngest religion came into existence in 1500s as a response to Islamic slaughter and onslaught of Hinduism,as a norm,Hindus 'gave away' their 1st born sons who became Sikhs and fought Islamist invasions very bravely!As a people,Sikhs are very peaceful yet brave,very patriotic and very loyal to India.Contributions by Sikhs in Indian army and in nation's protection is overwhelming and undervalued (By INC terrorists) but real Indians appreciate this!Sikh contribution to chairities is maximum per capita by donations etc!
This is a very good book for introduction to a great faith.It is concise yet informative,unlike most Anthropology texts,it is very easy to read.
I recommend this book to any1 who wants to know more about the Sikhs.
A Sikh never cheats!:-)
March 17, 2022
I really enjoyed the insight I got from this book. I am an admitted atheist, but much admire the Sikh religion for its beliefs, as I knew them. When I bought this book, I was after more the thoughts and understanding behind the religion itself, but happily discovered a history of the followers of the religion instead.
I don't normally write reviews that rehash the contents of books simply because there are usually so many that do, there just isn't a point. It is not so with this book, and unfortunately I am off to San Diego for a holiday and don't have time. So I will be coming back to this first thing.
I don't normally write reviews that rehash the contents of books simply because there are usually so many that do, there just isn't a point. It is not so with this book, and unfortunately I am off to San Diego for a holiday and don't have time. So I will be coming back to this first thing.
January 4, 2024
Decently written overview of Sikh history but overly partisan. Almost felt like an apologia rather than a dispassionate history. I found Khushwant Singh’s history preferable.
July 12, 2014
A good introduction to the history, beliefs, and culture of a people dedicated to living peaceful, meaningful lives, but willing to fight ferociously if need be to defend their right to do so. A mere 500 years old, Sikhism from its conception rejected the caste system prevalent in India, recognizing the equality of all men and women. Good actions are stressed over rituals. Honest living and hard work are seen as keys to a good life. All people are to be treated as equals, regardless of class, race, gender, or religion. Sikhs have had a tough path historically. Political turmoil and extreme persecution in India has led to an unfair portrayal of Sikhism, with their understandable resulting militarism sometimes being painted harshly. This book does a good job diving into the complex history and recent political environment that have shaped the Sikhs. Recommended to anyone interested in learning about these proud, complex people.
January 7, 2022
This book has been an eye opener to someone who has studied school room history where the syllabus has simply been reused from whatever the British dished out to us. Parts of Sikh history have simply not been taught in Indian schools!
However I disagree with a lot of the broad brush views here. Patwant Singh clearly has a view which needs to be listened to with respect but I have to disagree with a lot of his views regarding recent history.
What happened in 1984 however can simply not be condoned and the guilty need to be punished!
Overall a good book which should be read widely if not completely agreed with
However I disagree with a lot of the broad brush views here. Patwant Singh clearly has a view which needs to be listened to with respect but I have to disagree with a lot of his views regarding recent history.
What happened in 1984 however can simply not be condoned and the guilty need to be punished!
Overall a good book which should be read widely if not completely agreed with
July 8, 2017
A great insight to the history of Sikhism ,A 500 year journey well explained by Patwant Singh .
A must read for any one interested in understanding Sikhism and its roots and its current scenario.
A must read for any one interested in understanding Sikhism and its roots and its current scenario.
November 21, 2017
Not very distinctive. This is simply a history of Sikhs and Sikhism and, while informative, doesn't offer much by way of style or pizazz. It reads a bit like a high school history paper written by somebody really, really smart -- it just presents information, albeit well-researched and well-understood information. For those looking for a straight forward and basic chronological walk through Sikhism, this fits the bill. But for anyone wanting a bit more, some sort of literary sustenance or analytic rigor, you'll have to look elsewhere.
April 22, 2019
A very illuminating work.
July 25, 2020
Well In short i was very disappointed after reading this book, because as a child born to Sikh and Hindu Parents we have a totally different and a very accommodating view on the relationships and exchanges of Sikhism and Sanatan Hindu Dharma.
The book is purely a Durbari Narrative of Sikhism as a Religion, and Nothing on the Sikh Dharma. It did not give any account of deep Hindu Influence on all Gurus and their teachings, Did not even mention that Guru Gobind Singh revered Maa Chandi as AdiShakti. Brahmin Bashing comes natural and has a high priority in Durbari Narrative, but a book on Sikhs have very less scope of Brahmin Bashing so the Author has indulged full on Brahmin Bashing in 15 page long prolouge.
Even in the Battles chapters, The Hindu Kings of Himachal which were subservient of Mughals are vilified more than the Afghans and Mughals themselves but not the Sikh rulers of Patiala and Other Sikh Estates who were also subservient to Mughals.
Over all a good book to understand the chronology of the Sikh people if you can ignore the subtle Durbari Narrative subtly hidden in the from of information.
The book is purely a Durbari Narrative of Sikhism as a Religion, and Nothing on the Sikh Dharma. It did not give any account of deep Hindu Influence on all Gurus and their teachings, Did not even mention that Guru Gobind Singh revered Maa Chandi as AdiShakti. Brahmin Bashing comes natural and has a high priority in Durbari Narrative, but a book on Sikhs have very less scope of Brahmin Bashing so the Author has indulged full on Brahmin Bashing in 15 page long prolouge.
Even in the Battles chapters, The Hindu Kings of Himachal which were subservient of Mughals are vilified more than the Afghans and Mughals themselves but not the Sikh rulers of Patiala and Other Sikh Estates who were also subservient to Mughals.
Over all a good book to understand the chronology of the Sikh people if you can ignore the subtle Durbari Narrative subtly hidden in the from of information.
January 20, 2021
Excellent book to provide context on the path of Sikhism from its founding all the way to its conflict in India in the 1990's. This is a great read for those with no background with the religion as well as those with significant existing knowledge. The writing is perfectly in the middle of digestible language with enough academic tone. I personally was more interested in the Indian/Sikh experience post 1947 partition, and I thought the book did a great job dissecting this.
I was saddened that after googling the author I learned that he is deceased.
I was saddened that after googling the author I learned that he is deceased.
November 23, 2024
The author has done quite extensive research and traces the events from middle of 15th century to end of 20th century. To cover history of approximate 550 years into 260 pages will surely mean the details would be cut out which can be felt while reading. Also, the part of the book referring to post independence period is felt like it is not written with neutral mind, some personal bias can be felt. This is not uncommon usually in case of writing contemporary history.
A good crisp read and i would recommend to people who have very little idea of sikhism, and Punjab.
A good crisp read and i would recommend to people who have very little idea of sikhism, and Punjab.
June 22, 2024
I didn't know too much about the Sikhs when I started the book, one of the reasons I was curious enough to read it. I enjoyed he origins of the faith ad the details of what the faith is about. The History is also nice. i don't know too much Indian History so that was nice. I guess more info on the religion and it's impact worldwide, like how many people outside India Practice it, would have been nice. It was interesting, but did drag at some times.
June 18, 2023
This book is best used to focus on history in the early centuries. There is a ton of detail on the gurus and other founders which I honestly had some trouble following. It is very rich! I’m just new to this topic and found it a little overwhelming; this book would be great for someone wanting to go more in depth.
November 20, 2024
Decently well-written, but the author seems very partial and thus difficult to take at his word without some skepticism. The book is a good overview but seems to assume the reader has some familiarity with some of the (obscure to me) proper names at various points (mostly a problem earlier in the book).
Glad I read it, wouldn't necessarily recommend it though.
Glad I read it, wouldn't necessarily recommend it though.
July 5, 2020
Learned a lot! Less about the religion (only first chapter focuses on the religions' beginnings) and more about the history of the people group. Dense and reads like a history book, with some poignant quotes and insights throughout.
December 18, 2024
A book that is rich in detail and captures many major events in Sikh history. The narration is a bit biased as the author is a practicing Sikh person. However, this in fact gave me a good insight into how a current practicing Sikh might view the story of their religion from their perspective.
March 5, 2018
Amazing and full-bodied work on the religious and political history of the Sikh religion and its followers. Highly recommend
December 11, 2019
Very informative and Unbiased. 😊
January 4, 2020
This is one of the first books about Sikhism I read a long time ago. It had a brief introduction about everything I know. A good way to revise all I knew about my culture.
March 28, 2021
It served its purpose, and very eloquently at that.
November 13, 2022
Fascinating overview of the basics of Sikhs in the Punjab
February 6, 2024
The first several chapters were very interesting, but by the time it got to the Sikh empire in northern India, it got bogged down in details.
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September 16, 2015I picked up this book wanting to know more about the Sikh faith as someone who knew next to nothing about it. I read the prologue and the first chapter and now know some about the faith, however:
This is primarily a historical accounting. While it is peppered with tenets from the religion, it gives little context to those tenets. For example, it quotes heavily from the work of the Gurus that it's discussing but doesn't give any information about the books the quotes come from. Maybe it goes on to give more of that kind of information, but the chapter titles seemed to indicate the whole book was historically focused.
This is a noncritical look at the history of Sikhism. It does not, in the section I read, give any criticism whatsoever of the faith or its members. I felt myself wanting to know how a group of people who the author continuously praises for their push for democracy and egalitarianism could be ruled by a mostly hereditarily linked succession of gurus. There might be a perfectly legit reason, but the fact that the author didn't bring it up felt amiss. It also seemed to source its historical facts from the religion's holy texts almost exclusively, which, again, works if you explain that choice and give some alternative vantages.
So, yeah, it seemed to be a very thorough history but it wasn't what I was looking for.
This is primarily a historical accounting. While it is peppered with tenets from the religion, it gives little context to those tenets. For example, it quotes heavily from the work of the Gurus that it's discussing but doesn't give any information about the books the quotes come from. Maybe it goes on to give more of that kind of information, but the chapter titles seemed to indicate the whole book was historically focused.
This is a noncritical look at the history of Sikhism. It does not, in the section I read, give any criticism whatsoever of the faith or its members. I felt myself wanting to know how a group of people who the author continuously praises for their push for democracy and egalitarianism could be ruled by a mostly hereditarily linked succession of gurus. There might be a perfectly legit reason, but the fact that the author didn't bring it up felt amiss. It also seemed to source its historical facts from the religion's holy texts almost exclusively, which, again, works if you explain that choice and give some alternative vantages.
So, yeah, it seemed to be a very thorough history but it wasn't what I was looking for.
February 28, 2022
His own political loyalties aside, Patwant Singh is a meticulous analyst of history and not far from being a proficient historian himself. The Sikhs was written by him in the aftermath of the Hindu ethnonationalist state's genocidal attack on the Sikh nation in 1984. Singh, though, charts a whole chronology of oppression which the Sikh weathered pre-84 in post-independence India with the occasional refutation of academic attacks (attributing false manuscripts to the Sikh Gurus to argue they were votaries of mythological and obsolete deities); and the political allegations made against the Sikhs by the likes of Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru that they were a violent faith of secessionists and troublesome.
Singh's prose is fluid and quiet concrete in its grasp of concepts-something essentially rare in Indian academia given its kowtowing to poststructuralism-but ultimately what stands out is the fact that he succinctly presses a case for Sikhs to reclaim their heritage and expand their faith. This is a priceless and valuable rendition of Sikh history. The Sikhs, as a people, have done a grave injustice to Patwant Singh by not recognizing the true epochal merit of his work.
Singh's prose is fluid and quiet concrete in its grasp of concepts-something essentially rare in Indian academia given its kowtowing to poststructuralism-but ultimately what stands out is the fact that he succinctly presses a case for Sikhs to reclaim their heritage and expand their faith. This is a priceless and valuable rendition of Sikh history. The Sikhs, as a people, have done a grave injustice to Patwant Singh by not recognizing the true epochal merit of his work.
April 17, 2016
I have never really written a review for a book before, but I feel this one deserves it. This is a book that gives a somewhat brief (it's only 260 pages long) but interesting and well put together unbiased overview of Sikh history, from the beginning of the world's 5th largest religion in the 1400s until the present day issues faced by the people of its faith. This book is not a spiritual guide, if you are looking to learn mainly about the teachings of Sikhism you might be a bit disappointed, however this is an important book. There are not many of its kind out there, as far as I'm aware, especially in the English language. Patwant Singh has done an excellent job of putting together 600 years worth of history in this book with extensive research. The language used can be a bit complex at times and despite not being a very long book I found it to be a heavy read, at times difficult to follow, but in the end, it was worth it. The only reason I am giving it 4 and not 5 stars is because I feel the language used could have been a bit simpler. But do I recommend this book? Absolutely.
June 15, 2016
Singh is a wonderful writer. Great introduction to the Sikh history; however, it lacks in Sikh theology and beliefs.
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