Fighting for Faith and Nation
Fighting for Faith and Nation

Author: Cynthia Keppley Mahmood

Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press

Published: 2010-08-03

Total Pages: 329

ISBN-13: 0812200179

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The ethnic and religious violence that characterized the late twentieth century calls for new ways of thinking and writing about politics. Listening to the voices of people who experience political violence—either as victims or as perpetrators—gives new insights into both the sources of violent conflict and the potential for its resolution. Drawing on her extensive interviews and conversations with Sikh militants, Cynthia Keppley Mahmood presents their accounts of the human rights abuses inflicted on them by the state of India as well as their explanations of the philosophical tradition of martyrdom and meaningful death in the Sikh faith. While demonstrating how divergent the world views of participants in a conflict can be, Fighting for Faith and Nation gives reason to hope that our essential common humanity may provide grounds for a pragmatic resolution of conflicts such as the one in Punjab which has claimed tens of thousands of lives in the past fifteen years.

Glimpse of Scriptures of Religions of Indian Origin
Glimpse of Scriptures of Religions of Indian Origin

Author: Ashok K. Sinha

Publisher: Xlibris Corporation

Published: 2013-07-25

Total Pages: 286

ISBN-13: 1483663094

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Glimpses of the Scriptures of Religions of Indian Origin primarily includes excerpts from the Vedas and the Upanishads (Hinduism); the Dhammapad (Buddhism); the Agam (Jainism); and the Guru Granth Saheb (Sikhism) these (Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism) being four religions that originated in India. A number of essays on the historical backgrounds, the leading fi gures and events, and their interrelations are also included for a deeper appreciation of the pertinent philosophies. The main purpose of writing this book is to illustrate the commonality of these religions due to their common root Hinduism -- that came into being in India some 10-15 millennia ago, and was modifi ed from time to time. These religions have coexisted peacefully and harmoniously for centuries and millennia, and have contributed much in the international religious scene. In particular, Buddhism has been adopted in a signifi cant portion of Asia (China, Japan, South-East Asia), and has been also attracting the intellectuals in the West in recent years.

Historical Dictionary of Sikhism
Historical Dictionary of Sikhism

Author: Louis E. Fenech

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2014-06-11

Total Pages: 447

ISBN-13: 1442236019

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Sikhism traces its beginnings to Guru Nanak, who was born in 1469 and died in 1538 or 1539. With the life of Guru Nanak the account of the Sikh faith begins, all Sikhs acknowledging him as their founder. Sikhism has long been a little-understood religion and until recently they resided almost exclusively in northwest India. Today the total number of Sikhs is approximately twenty million worldwide. About a million live outside India, constituting a significant minority in the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States. Many of them are highly visible, particularly the men, who wear beards and turbans, and they naturally attract attention in their new countries of domicile. This third edition of Historical Dictionary of Sikhism covers its history through a chronology, an introductory essay, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 1000 cross-referenced entries on key persons, organizations, the principles, precepts and practices of the religion as well as the history, culture and social arrangements. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Sikhism.

The A to Z of Sikhism
The A to Z of Sikhism

Author: W. H. McLeod

Publisher: Scarecrow Press

Published: 2009-07-24

Total Pages: 330

ISBN-13: 0810863448

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Contrary to popular opinion, there is more to Sikhism than the distinctive dress. First of all, there is the emergence of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, and the long line of his successors. There are the precepts, many related to liberation through the divine name or nam. There is a particularly turbulent history in which the Sikhs have fought to affirm their beliefs and resist external domination that continues to this day. There is also, more recently, the dispersion from the Punjab throughout the rest of India and on to Europe and the Americas. With this emigration Sikhism has become considerably less exotic, but hardly better known to outsiders. This reference is an excellent place to learn more about the religion. It provides a chronology of events, a brief introduction that gives a general overview of the religion, and a dictionary with several hundred entries, which present the gurus and other leaders, trace the rather complex history, expound some of the precepts and concepts, describe many of the rites and rituals, and explain the meaning of numerous related expressions. All this, along with a bibliography, provides readers with an informative and accessible guide toward understanding Sikhism.

Home of the Beloved
Home of the Beloved

Author: Jessi Kaur

Publisher:

Published: 2019-11

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9781734194609

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Home of the Beloved by Jessi Kaur is a must read for those who wish to get acquainted with the spiritual concepts enshrined in Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh Holy Scripture. Sound principles like commonality of the human race and respect and dignity for all, and simple values like integrity, compassion, patience, altruism expounded in Home of the Beloved have the power to transform our life. Home of the Beloved is a labor of love in which Jessi Kaur delves deep into Gurbani to show a powerful and Grace - filled way to bring inner harmony and sarbat da bhala (well - being of all) in the world.For more than thirty years Jessi Kaur has traveled extensively to share the universal teachings of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Her vast body of work - articles, seminars, lectures, TV Shows, books - has focused on the message of Ik Onkar - One Creator, One Manifested Universe.

The Sikhs
The Sikhs

Author: Patwant Singh

Publisher: Image

Published: 2007-12-18

Total Pages: 268

ISBN-13: 0307429334

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Five hundred years ago, Guru Nanak founded the Sikh faith in India. The Sikhs defied the caste system; rejected the authority of Hindu priests; forbade magic and idolatry; and promoted the equality of men and women -- beliefs that incurred the wrath of both Hindus and Muslims. In the centuries that followed, three of Nanak's nine successors met violent ends, and his people continued to battle hostile regimes. The conflict has raged into our own time: in 1984 the Golden Temple of Amritsar -- the holy shrine of the Sikhs--was destroyed by the Indian Army. In retaliation, Sikh bodyguards assassinated Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Now, Patwant Singh gives us the compelling story of the Sikhs -- their origins, traditions and beliefs, and more recent history. He shows how a movement based on tenets of compassion and humaneness transformed itself, of necessity, into a community that values bravery and military prowess as well as spirituality. We learn how Gobind Singh, the tenth and last Guru, welded the Sikhs into a brotherhood, with each man bearing the surname Singh, or "Lion," and abiding by a distinctive code of dress and conduct. He tells of Banda the Brave's daring conquests, which sowed the seeds of a Sikh state, and how the enlightened ruler Ranjit Singh fulfilled this promise by founding a Sikh empire. The author examines how, through the centuries, the Sikh soldier became an exemplar of discipline and courage and explains how Sikhs -- now numbering nearly 20 million worldwide -- have come to be known for their commitment to education, their business acumen, and their enterprising spirit. Finally, Singh concludes that it would be a grave error to alienate an energetic and vital community like the Sikhs if modern India is to realize its full potential. He urges India's leaders to learn from the past and to "honour the social contract with Indians of every background and persuasion."