A history of The Sikhs

Khushwant Singh steps out of his raconteur shoes and adopts the role of a historian in this book, A History Of The Sikhs 1469-1839 (Volume -1), artfully bringing to life the history of Sikhism, spanning the social, political and religious factors over 500 years which led to its formation, and its sacred scriptures in the Granth Sahib. This riveting publication highlights the significant role that Sikhs have played in the formation of India and the critical role that Guru Gobind Singh played in the formation of the Khalsa, all the while retaining their unique cultural entity and forming one of the most prosperous communities of India.The age old clash between Hinduism and Islam is one of the reasons Sikhism was born. There was an urgent requirement to resolve the conflict between the two. The book is primarily divided into three sections, the first discusses Punjab and the birth of Sikhism, which includes chapters like Birth of Sikhism and From the Pacifist Sikh to the Militant Khalsa. The second speaks about the Agrarian uprising, which has chapters on the Persecution of the Sikhs and the Reorganisation of the Khalsa Army, The rise and fall of Banda Bahadur, and From the Indus to the Ganges. The last section revolves around monarchy and imperialism in Punjab, which talks about the Maharajah of Punjab, Consolidation of Punjab, Across the Himalayas to Tibet and Europeanisation of the Army.Factual accounts of Sikhism, from its outset through its augmentation right to its establishment as one of India’s most popular religions have been narrated by Singh in this publication.