A History of The Sikh People (1469-1988)

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This is the first exhaustive and authoritative history of the Sikhs based on original records, both published and unpublished, available in India or abroad. It however steers clear of the hagiographic myth-making, as much as the prophets of doom who look upon the Sikh phenomenon as a momentary historical upsurge whose authenticity and potential will soon be exhausted.

On almost every page, the reader will come across fresh information and ideas such as have not been provided by any single publication before. Almost every question raised with regard to the Sikh faith or historical events have been authoritatively answered by the celebrated author, whose first-ever English translation of the entire corpus of the Sikh Scripture has won him world-wide acclaim.

Though written by a man of faith, the author's outlook especially with regard to the Hindu-Muslim-Sikh relations throughout the past 500 years would be found highly balanced and revealing.

Having been himself a participant in the fateful political drama over the past fifty years, his eyewitness account throws much fresh light on the eventful years of the partition of India and what led to this gruesome tragedy.

And, it is a highly readable book whose style has an easy flow but whose intensity of feeling and sincerity of utterance cannot fail to move the reader.

The book, first published in 1979, has been brought up-to-date and its balanced judgements and the fresh information offered, may lead to a better appreciation of the Sikh situation by all concerned.

Dr. Gopal Singh (1917-1990) was an Intellectual, Poet, Scholar and Statesman of world repute. A prolific writer, his first-ever English translation in free verse of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the Holy Scripture of the Sikhs, (1400 pages in 4 volumes) was hailed by The London Times Lit. Supplement as "a remarkable work which has great significance as literature as well as religious philosophy" He was nominated to the Indian Parliament, 1962-1968 as a distinguished Litterateur by President S. Radhakrishnan and served as India's Ambassador from 1970-1976 in Eastern Europe and South America. He was appointed Chairman of the High Power Commission on Minorities, Govt. of India 1980-1984 and as Governor, first in Goa and then in Nagaland, along with Arunachal Pradesh from 1984-1990.

Life-President of All India Minorities Congress, the World Punjabi Congress, & Secretary General of the Indian Council of Africa. Dr. Gopal Singh was one of the Sponsors of the World Conference of Religion and Peace (HQ New York) and was an active member of the World Council of Churches. He was honored by the Pope in the Vatican, as well as by the World Council of Churches for his contribution to inter-religious understanding.

Dr. Gopal Singh served on many Political, Literary, Cultural and Educational Organizations and was a recipient of several prestigious awards, medals and citations from Cultural and Literary Societies and Universities throughout the world. In 1987 he was invited and awarded the degree of D.Sc., by the University of New Lisbon for his contribution to the cause of World Peace and understanding.

**Contents and Sample Pages**