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Sikhism The Sikhs In History By Sangat Singh Online Pdf

SikhGiani

SPNer
Sep 16, 2010
28
41
Here is a great book on Sikh History available free in pdf format for everyone. A simple and easy to understand history covering the Guruic period and rise of the sikh power to Sikhs under british rule and to modern day.

I hope everyone will read and enjoy it. Click on the caption below to read the book.

The Sikhs in History by Dr. Sangat Singh
 
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spnadmin

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

I appreciate that you uploaded this book. However, I must comment. My opinion is very mixed.

Dr. Sangat Singh writes as a powerful voice against the divisive histories of Sikhi written by the McLeod school of scholarship. Dr. Singh's scholarship is myth-busting and establishes a base-line for understanding how harmful their work has been.

The text does a good job outlining the Mina controversy. How could it do otherwise? Likewise passages related to Prithi Chand's path of undermining Guru Arjan Dev and the Aad Granth are important for all Sikhs to know and understand. However, passages related to Guru Gobind Singh must be questioned.

I have to go back and read more carefully; however, passages related to Persian sources also seem debatable. As I said I have to cross-check some of this.

The author's respect for the contributions of Bhai Gurdas is commendable and I would expect that of Dr. Sangat Singh. This is very clear when the early Guru period is being described

In contrast to details of the life of Guru Gobind Singh, the details of military chronology into the missl period do seem compatible with other sources. Other parts of the text accept, without question as history, stories that are not supported by evidence, or are not logical, or are contradicted by Nanakian philosophy/Gurmat messaged of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

One example is the idea that Guru Gobind Singh wrote the Bachitthar Natak as his autobiography. If this is true then he forgot that his father was Guru Teg Bahadur. Did he really write sections on the Shastars? Other problems occur in the life sketch of Guru Harkrishan who is made to look as if he seeks guidance on Vedic teaching. Where is this supported in independent accounts of his day?

The footnotes at the ends of chapters are valuable. They provide the skeleton for timelines that can be filled in by discussion and research.

So I see merits and demerits in the book. Your uploading can get a very good series of discussions started about Sikh history and historical myths.
 
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