Understanding Sikhism

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About the Book Sikh religion though only about 500 years old is today recognized as one of the five major religions of the world. During its past brief history, it has contributed a lot to the socio-religious life of humankind. Unfortunately, the younger generation is distancing itself from their faith and there is need to familiarize them with their rich and glorious heritage so as to imbibe in their hearts once again love and commitment for their religion.

Several specialized books are available on different aspects of the Sikh faith, but there is not much literature available which helps, both researchers as well as laymen, get from a single volume a complete overview of Sikh religion and history. The present book is a humble attempt to fulfill this need.

The book attempts to discuss briefly but comprehensively all the aspects of Sikh religion, history and literature. Beginning with a small section on the distinct salient features of Sikh faith, it takes up, in different sections, Sikh history (from the Guru-period till the present times), some Sampradaya and renaissance movements in the Sikh tradition, the Sikh canon, meta- physical thought, social thought, polity and the Sikh response to some of the important issues facing humankind today.

Written in terse and compact language, the book should be of much interest and value to the students and teachers of Sikh religion as well as to lay readers.

About the Author DR. DHARAM SINGH, a former Professor of Sikh Studies and Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclo- paedia of Sikhism, has been active in the field of Sikh and interfaith studies for the past about two decades. He has, besides numerous research papers published in different journals in India and abroad, to his credit about a dozen books on different aspects of Sikh religion and interfaith/pluralist studies. He has also participated in and presented papers at various seminars/conferences at various universities and other academic fora throughout India and abroad. Presently, he has been holding Senior Fellowship of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.

Introduction religions of the world but the Sikhs, adventurous as they are by nature, are found today living in almost all countries and continents of the world. They are easily recognizable by their neatly tied or flowing beards and high-toned different colored turbans. However, some of the post-9/11 tragic incidents revealed that there still needs a lot of effort to be made to let the world know about Sikh religion and identity. It had ever since been my wish to prepare a text which contains within its covers at least a bird's eye-view of Sikh religion and tradition so that the reader - a lay reader as well as a student of Sikh studies - gets to know what Sikh religion, its history and theology are.

I was able to prepare the draft some years back but somehow could not find time to give it the final shape because of my pre-occupation with various other projects. At last when I thought it was final, I wanted to share it with some of my friends abroad, e.g. the famous pluralist theologian Dr Alan Race and others to find out especially if its idiom would be acceptable to the youth abroad. I attribute all merits of the book to the friends who helped me with various suggestions and other in-puts, but I own as my own any lapses and shortcomings a reader might come across in the book. We have put diacritical signs on some of the more important non-English words so that a reader not familiar with Punjabi language can pronounce it correctly. Finally, I was able to hand over the typescript to the publishers only early this year, and I am grateful to them for giving it this beautiful shape.

**Contents and Sample Pages**