About the Book This book throws new light on certain aspects of the life of Guru Gobind Singh ji and Baba Banda Singh Bahadar and how these aspects have become lasting legacy defining the past and present of Sikhs. Past for the Sikhs is not a remote glorious haze, it is persistently present in the contemporary times, it is a past that refuses to die.

This book is an assorted collection of research articles covering themes of Sikh history and Punjab heritage. The key focus is on understanding how being Kesadhari shaped and influenced the course of Sikh history, during and after the life time of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Three distinctive aspects of the life of Guru Gobind Singh Ji are discussed using a combination of Gurmukhi and Persian sources and a fresh interpretation of events and ideas is attempted. Baba Banda Singh Bahadar carried Guru's legacy further and paved the way for Sikh sovereignty. Acting as true follower of Guru, he was the harbinger of social change in Punjab, empowering the weakest of its people. Two research articles make an attempt to highlight the contribution of Baba Banda Singh and his place in the history.

About the Author Amanpreet Singh Gill has spent 25 years writing short stories, research articles, newspaper articles, text books, non-fiction, historical travelogues in Punjabi and English and occasionally in Hindi. Sikh history, Punjab Politics, Punjabi Lietrature, Political Theory are some of his research areas. He completed his graduation from Baba Buddha College, Bir Sahib and attained Ph.D from University of Delhi. He started his teaching career at AS College, Khanna in 1998 and currently he is working as Assistant Professor in Political Science at Sri Guru Tegh Bahadar Khalsa College, Delhi. He is convener, Courses Committee, Social Sciences of CBSE, New Delhi.

His recent books Non-Congress Politics in Punjab (2015) and 1708: Dasam Guru di Dakhan Feri (2017) have received wide acclaim from readers and reviewers.

Introduction This book is a collection of research articles T on various aspects of Sikh history and Punjab heritage. I am not formally trained in the discipline of historical research. I am a student and teacher of Political Science for the last 25 years. At the same time, I have been inspired by the writings and research of people like Karam Singh Historian (1884-1930), Baba Prem Singh Hoti (1882-1954), Giani Garja Singh (1904-1977) and Khushwant Singh (1915-2014). They were self trained students of history. Karam Singh Historian had left his B.A. when he found that the contemporaries and eyewitnesses of Lahore kingdom rule (1799-1849) were dying due to plague epidemic in Punjab. He undertook largescale field study in the recording of oral history of such personalities, which was later published as Birdhan de Bian. This is a work without comparison and he put his life at risk by going to plague infected villages. Giani Garja Singh was senior leader in Punjab Congress and he spent his lifetime in working upon Bhat Vahi accounts inscribed in the script of Bhats.

**Contents and Sample Pages**