First Raj Of The Sikhs

Author : Harish Dhillon
Publisher : Hay House, Inc
Page : 172 pages
File Size : 46,6 Mb
Release : 2013-05-01
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 9789381398395

Get Book

First Raj of the Sikhs by Harish Dhillon Pdf

Banda Singh Bahadur appeared in Sikh history for a relatively short period (1708-1716) but, after the Sikh gurus, influenced it more significantly than any other individual. Banda Singh Bahadur is among the most colourful and fascinating characters in Sikh history. From an ascetic he was transformed into Guru Gobind Singh’s most trusted disciple. So much so that when the seriously injured guru could not lead his Sikh army against the Mughal forces, he appointed Banda Singh Bahadur as his deputy. As proof of this appointment he gave Banda his sword, a mighty bow, arrows from his own quiver, his battle standard and his war drum. Banda rode out from Nanded (where Guru Gobind Singh passed away; now in Maharashtra) at the head of a small band of Sikhs, which, by the time it reached the Punjab, had grown into a formidable army. Over the next few years his exploits against the Mughal rulers, both in pitched battles and in skirmishes, became the stuff of legends. He became the first of many legendary Sikh generals, famous both for their personal heroic courage and their skill in warfare. His many encounters with the Mughal rulers eroded the very foundation of the Mughal empire and ensured its quick demise. As he said when questioned on what he had achieved: ‘I have ensured that never again will the crown sit easily on the Mughal emperor’s head.’ He also prepared the coming generations of Sikhs for future conflicts, which later greatly helped Maharaja Ranjit Singh in creating a Sikh empire. Banda was a true leader who led from the front, not only in the battlefield but also in civil administration. He established a secular government which swept aside 700 years of slavery and the myth of domination by foreign powers, proclaimed freedom of worship, allowed the people to follow professions of their choice and stopped forcible marriages even while recovering abducted women for return to their families. His land revolution abolished zamindari in parts of North India, thereby redistributing land equally amongst the tillers. This book seeks to tell the story of this remarkable and brave man and his equally remarkable ahievements. Perhaps, the finest of Banda Singh Bahadur’s biographies.

Author : Patwant Singh,Jyoti M. Rai
Publisher : Peter Owen Publishers
Page : 325 pages
File Size : 42,8 Mb
Release : 2013-08-01
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 9780720615241

Get Book

Empire of the Sikhs by Patwant Singh,Jyoti M. Rai Pdf

The definitive biography of Ranjit Singh, contemporary of Napoleon and one of the most powerful and charismatic Indian rulers of his ageRanjit Singh has been largely written out of accounts of the subcontinent's past by recent Western historians, yet he had an impact that lasts to this day. He unified the warring chiefdoms of the Punjab into an extraordinary northern Empire of the Sikhs, built up a formidable modern army, kept the British in check to the south of his realm, and closed the Khyber Pass through which plunderers had for centuries poured into India. Unique among empire builders, he was humane and just, gave employment to defeated foes, honored religious faiths other than his own, and included Hindus and Muslims among his ministers. In person he was a colorful character whose his court was renowned for its splendor; he had 20 wives, kept a regiment of "Amazons," and possessed a stable of thousands of horses. The authors make use of a variety of eyewitness accounts from Indian and European sources, from reports of Maratha spies at the Lahore Durbar to British parliamentary papers and travel accounts. The story includes the range of the maharaja's military achievements and ends with an account of the controversial period of the Anglo-Sikh Wars following his death, which saw the fall of his empire while in the hands of his successors.

Author : Priya Atwal
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 326 pages
File Size : 54,6 Mb
Release : 2021-01-15
Category : History
ISBN : 9780197566947

Get Book

Royals and Rebels by Priya Atwal Pdf

In late-eighteenth-century India, the glory of the Mughal emperors was fading, and ambitious newcomers seized power, changing the political map forever. Enter the legendary Maharajah Ranjit Singh, whose Sikh Empire stretched throughout northwestern India into Afghanistan and Tibet. Priya Atwal shines fresh light on this long-lost kingdom, looking beyond its founding father to restore the queens and princes to the story of this empire's spectacular rise and fall. She brings to life a self-made ruling family, inventively fusing Sikh, Mughal and European ideas of power, but eventually succumbing to gendered family politics, as the Sikh Empire fell to its great rival in the new India: the British. Royals and Rebels is a fascinating tale of family, royalty and the fluidity of power, set in a dramatic global era when new stars rose and upstart empires clashed.

Author : Harish Dhillon
Publisher : Hay House, Inc
Page : 296 pages
File Size : 53,6 Mb
Release : 2015-04-07
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9789384544454

Get Book

The Sikh Gurus by Harish Dhillon Pdf

A comprehensive, compelling, and insightful narrative that traces the birth, the growth, and the spread of Sikhism – one of the world’s most dynamic and progressive religions. In this perceptive work, Dr Harish Dhillon highlights the lives and times of the ten Sikh Gurus, beginning with Guru Nanak, who founded Sikhism in 1469, and ending with Guru Gobind Singh, who established the Khalsa Panth in 1699. It throws light on how the Gurus acquired profound knowledge and wisdom, which they sought to pass on to the common people through their teachings. Their life histories show how they sincerely practised what they preached and how they led by example. Apart from these, it recounts the enormous sacrifices the Gurus made to keep the faith going. In addition, the book gives elaborate details on how Sikhism has evolved over the centuries. This volume reveals the human side of the ‘Divine Gurus’ venerated not only by Sikhs, but also across various faiths in India and in other parts of the world. The contents in the book are intertwined with the underlying theme that the ideal religion (or faith) is one that is based on simplicity and keeps changing with the times, yet does not forget the very essence that it started with.

Author : Amarpal Singh
Publisher : Amberley Publishing Limited
Page : 386 pages
File Size : 42,6 Mb
Release : 2010-08-15
Category : History
ISBN : 9781445620381

Get Book

The First Anglo-Sikh War by Amarpal Singh Pdf

The definitive account of the First Anglo-Sikh War, with maps that shed light on the action as never before

Author : KHUSHWANT SINGH
Publisher : Amar Chitra Katha Pvt Ltd
Page : 36 pages
File Size : 45,6 Mb
Release : 1971-04-01
Category : Comic books, strips, etc
ISBN : 9788184820447

Get Book

Banda bahadur by KHUSHWANT SINGH Pdf

Inspired by Guru Gobind Singh, Banda Bahadur led the Sikh rebellion against the Mughal Empire. For eight years, he ravaged the whole of North India. The havoc he created in the Indo-Gangetic plain was of such magnitude that the Mughals could never restore their administration. Invasions by the Persian tyrant, Nadir Shah and the Afghan, Ahmed Shah Abdali hastened the decline of the once mighty empire. This helped the Sikhs to emerge as the rulers of Punjab. Banda Bahadur thus paved the way for the foundation of the Sikh Kingdom.

Author : Mohamed Sheikh
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
Page : 256 pages
File Size : 49,5 Mb
Release : 2017-03-17
Category : History
ISBN : 9781786730954

Get Book

Emperor of the Five Rivers by Mohamed Sheikh Pdf

In 1801, at the age of just 20 years old, Ranjit Singh became the Maharaja of the Punjab Empire and subsequently became one of the greatest figures in the history of India. He was a fiercely brave leader, capturing the city of Lahore before becoming Maharaja and overcoming a variety of challenges during his 40-year rule, such as harsh terrain, an ethnically and religiously diverse population and strong aggressors including the British and the Afghans. Despite such challenges, Ranjit Singh was able to unite Punjab's various factions yet rule a nation that was strictly secular; the Maharaja was benevolent to his subjects no matter their ethnicity or religion and sought to promote interfaith unity through policies of equality and non-discrimination. Aside from building his own nation, Ranjit built solid strategic relations with his most challenging aggressor - the British. Through stamina and political will, he managed to establish a formal treaty between the two and secured from 1809 Britain's protection against third party attempts to conquer the Punjab. Following Ranjit Singh's death in 1839, the Empire fell into decline. Just six years later, the Punjabis attacked the British, and in 1845 they were beaten and forced to sign the Treaty of Lahore, essentially conceding control to the British.Ranjit Singh's personal characteristics and leadership skills were what held the Punjab nation together in a tumultuous period in history. Mohamed Sheikh's new account of Singh's life illustrates these characteristics and skills and illuminates the man who singlehandedly created and sustained the Empire.

Author : Hans Herrli
Publisher : Munshirm Manoharlal Pub Pvt Limited
Page : 301 pages
File Size : 55,9 Mb
Release : 2004-01-01
Category : Antiques & Collectibles
ISBN : 8121511321

Get Book

The Coins of the Sikhs by Hans Herrli Pdf

Illustrations: Numerous B/w Illustrations Description: The Sikh coinage started in the second half of the eighteenth century, reached its apogee during the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and ended abruptly with the annexation of the Punjab by the British in 1849. Although the Sikhs struck coins in about 20 mints, there coinage remained quite uniform until the end. Their rupees bear religious legends and never mention their issuer, but Amritsar, their main economic and religious center, produced the most complex system of mintmarks in modern India. Early observes were often baffled by the first major non-Mughal coinage of Northern India and their descriptions of Sikh coins are commonly full of errors, errors that have all too often survived until today. In a first part the present book gives a short historical introduction and a general survey of the Sikh coinage. The second part consists of an illustrated catalogue of all the actually known Sikh coin types arranged by mints. Several appendices offer a brief survey of Sikh tokens and medals and a few important numismatic texts in extenso. This book is not only intended as a useful tool for coin collectors, but also as a source of material for historians and students of the economy of the Sikh Empire.

Author : Amarpal Singh
Publisher : Amberley Publishing Limited
Page : 713 pages
File Size : 41,6 Mb
Release : 2016-06-15
Category : History
ISBN : 9781445650241

Get Book

The Second Anglo-Sikh War by Amarpal Singh Pdf

A comprehensive account of the Second Anglo-Sikh War, complete with maps and illustrations.

Author : Patwant Singh
Publisher : Image
Page : 263 pages
File Size : 41,5 Mb
Release : 2007-12-18
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780307429339

Get Book

The Sikhs by Patwant Singh Pdf

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."

Author : Gurharpal Singh,Giorgio Shani
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 279 pages
File Size : 46,6 Mb
Release : 2021-11-25
Category : History
ISBN : 9781009213448

Get Book

Sikh Nationalism by Gurharpal Singh,Giorgio Shani Pdf

This important volume provides a clear, concise and comprehensive guide to the history of Sikh nationalism from the late nineteenth century to the present. Drawing on A. D. Smith's ethno-symbolic approach, Gurharpal Singh and Giorgio Shani use a new integrated methodology to understanding the historical and sociological development of modern Sikh nationalism. By emphasising the importance of studying Sikh nationalism from the perspective of the nation-building projects of India and Pakistan, the recent literature on religious nationalism and the need to integrate the study of the diaspora with the Sikhs in South Asia, they provide a fresh approach to a complex subject. Singh and Shani evaluate the current condition of Sikh nationalism in a globalised world and consider the lessons the Sikh case offers for the comparative study of ethnicity, nations and nationalism.

Author : Eleanor M. Nesbitt
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 177 pages
File Size : 50,9 Mb
Release : 2016
Category : Electronic books
ISBN : 9780198745570

Get Book

Sikhism by Eleanor M. Nesbitt Pdf

An accessible introduction to the world's fifth largest religion, this work presents Sikhism's meanings and myths, and its practices, rituals, and festivals, also addressing ongoing social issues such as the relationship with the Indian state, the diaspora, and caste.

Author : Gurinder Singh Mann
Publisher : Helion
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 40,8 Mb
Release : 2019-01-19
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 1911628240

Get Book

The British & the Sikhs by Gurinder Singh Mann Pdf

A book which covers the relationship between the British and the Sikhs in the eighteenth and nineteenth century.

Author : John Malcolm
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 212 pages
File Size : 52,8 Mb
Release : 1812
Category : Sikhs
ISBN : ZBZH:ZBZ-00036674

Get Book

Sketch of the Sikhs by John Malcolm Pdf

Author : J. S. Grewal
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 336 pages
File Size : 42,8 Mb
Release : 1991-02-21
Category : History
ISBN : 9781316025338

Get Book

The Sikhs of the Punjab by J. S. Grewal Pdf

In a revised edition of his original book, J. S. Grewal brings the history of the Sikhs from its beginnings in the time of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, right up to the present day. Against the background of the history of the Punjab, the volume surveys the changing pattern of human settlements in the region until the fifteenth century and the emergence of the Punjabi language as the basis of regional articulation. Subsequent chapters explore the life and beliefs of Guru Nanak, the development of his ideas by his successors and the growth of his following. The book offers a comprehensive statement on one of the largest and most important communities in India today.