• Welcome to all New Sikh Philosophy Network Forums!
    Explore Sikh Sikhi Sikhism...
    Sign up Log in

General Best English Sikh History Books

anon

SPNer
Mar 3, 2013
40
51
hey, I was looking online to see what the best sikh history books in english are and was wondering if anyone on here had any reccomendations?

I was looking at this:

A History of the Sikhs Vol 1 SECOND EDITION : Volume 1 1469-1838 Oxford India Collection: Amazon.co.uk: Khushwant Singh: Books

as a way to get starting, having read a very short intro to sikhi... a 90 page book, i feel like this is possibly the next step up as it covers a huge amount ouf time in 400 pages. I get that it might not be comprehensive, but perhaps it's a good place to start?

I'm looking for something historically accurate above all else.
 

aristotle

SPNer
May 10, 2010
1,156
2,653
Ancient Greece
For a start, I would suggest

* Sikh history (10 volumes) by Harjinder Singh Dilgeer: my personal favourite, available in both Punjabi and English.

* Publication bureau of Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab has several good publications to its credit
punjabiuniversity.ac.in/pbiuniweb/pages/publicationbur.html

* History of the Sikhs by Khushwant Singh, though may not be completely accurate it still makes an interesting read.

* Sikhs in History by Sangat Singh: Comprehensive, but innacurate at places, Sikh philosophy may not be presented in the best light.

* The Sikh people by KS Duggal

* On the 1984 genocide and related history(though you may not immediately want to jump to that): I accuse by Jarnail Singh, When a tree shook Delhi, The Gallant Defender by AR Darshi

Will hopefully add some more as and when they strike my memory.
 

anon

SPNer
Mar 3, 2013
40
51
which book would you recommend for the absolute beginner? I'm hoping for something that covers a lot of history but not too detailed, something which can give me a rough timeline of Sikh history.

So far Khushwant Singh seems to cover 400 years in 400 pages, which sounds quite concise.
 

aristotle

SPNer
May 10, 2010
1,156
2,653
Ancient Greece
History of the Sikhs by Khushwant Singh should do just fine for a beginner, although one must take care not to take all the facts at face value, it does have some errors. Though when you begin to have a working knowledge of the Sikh history, you can always graduate to the more historically accurate but detailed ones like that by Harjinder Singh Dilgeer.
Also, do go through the catalogue of Punjabi University's publication bureau, they have some really good books.
 

spnadmin

1947-2014 (Archived)
SPNer
Jun 17, 2004
14,500
19,219
Dear bhai ji

I think Harjinder Singh Dilgeer's work is in Punjabi only - in 10 volumes

Here are 2 classics that everyone should read. Written in the 19th Century, they are still touchstone resources that contemporary historians continue to cite. They are pdf online for easy access - to bookmark and keep open on your screen when you need to use them as reference tools.

6 volumes by Max Arthur Macauliffe - 6 links - The Sikh Religion: Its Gurus Sacred Writings and Authors

Volume 1 http://www.archive.org/stream/thesikhreligio203macauoft#page/n3/mode/2up

Volume 2 http://archive.org/stream/sikhreligionvoli015800mbp#page/n0/mode/2up

Volume 3 http://www.archive.org/stream/thesikhreligio203macauoft#page/n3/mode/2up

Volume 4 http://www.archive.org/stream/thesikhreligioni03macauoft#page/n3/mode/2up

Volume 5 http://www.archive.org/stream/thesikhreligioni03macauoft#page/n3/mode/2up

Volume 6 http://archive.org/stream/sikhreligionvolv025075mbp#page/n1/mode/2up

Cunningham's History of the Sikhs - This book has the unique advantage of an introductory section that gives the history of Punjab, its geography, invasions, cultures and languages before Guru Nanak. It also includes histories of Sikh battles and military history after Guru Gobind Singh.

http://archive.org/stream/cunninghamshisto00cunnuoft#page/n3/mode/2up
 

spnadmin

1947-2014 (Archived)
SPNer
Jun 17, 2004
14,500
19,219
For concise

The Sikhs
Patwant Singh
Doubleday, New York, 2001

I give this book high marks


Patwant Singh does a fantastic job of tracing Sikh history from the time of Guru Nanak till the recent present. Its very well written and a great primer on Sikh history.


The Book of the Ten Masters
Puran Singh
Singh Brothers, Amritsar, 2004 reprint.
The Book of the Ten Masters – PDF

Prof. Puran Singh paints short biographical sketches highlighting the life and thought of the ten Gurus, bringing to life how their divine actions touched everyone around them. Prof. Puran Singh uses his personal spiritual connection to vividly paint the dimensions of tough topics like discipleship, love and war.


Early Sikh Scriptural Tradition
Balwant Singh Dhillon
Singh Brothers, Amritsar, Punjab, India, 1998
Early Sikh Scripture – PDF

Prof. Dhillon provides a rich histography of the Sikh scriptural tradition, tracing how Gurbani was transmitted from the time of Guru Nanak till the Adi Granth was installed by Guru Arjun. He also presents a critical discussion of certain recently prominent texts that have thought to have been early drafts or inputs for the AdiGranth.
 

❤️ CLICK HERE TO JOIN SPN MOBILE PLATFORM

❤️ CLICK HERE TO JOIN SPN MOBILE PLATFORM

📌 For all latest updates, follow the Official Sikh Philosophy Network Whatsapp Channel:
Top