About the Book
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.
Table of Contents:
Introduction; 1. Understanding Sikh nationalism; 2. Sikhism and the Sikhs up to the 1890s; 3. The emergence of modern Sikh nationalism, 1880s to 1930s; 4. The Partition of India and the Sikhs; 5. An uneasy accommodation: the Indian union and the Sikhs, 1947-84; 6. After operation blue star: militancy, anti-terrorism, and the khalistan movement, 1984-97; 7. Sikh nationalism in the age of globalisation and hindutva, 1997 to the present; 8. The diaspora; Conclusion.
About the Author :
Gurharpal Singh is Emeritus Professor of Sikh and Punjab Studies at SOAS, University of London. His previous publications include The Partition of India (2009), Sikhs in Britain: The Making of a Community (2006), and Ethnic Conflict in India: A Case Study of Punjab (2000). Giorgio Shani is Professor and Chair of the Department of Politics and International Studies at International Christian University (ICU) in Japan. He is the author of Religion, Identity and Human Security (2015) and Sikh Nationalism and Identity in a Global Age (2010).
Review :
'This is a magisterial work that will be a reference point for many years. The authors show that Sikhs are so much more than a faith community. Using a wide array of social and political theory, they have carefully fashioned a comprehensive understanding of Sikhs as an ethnicity, a nation and a minority with a distinctive diaspora.' Robin Cohen, University of Oxford
'This well researched and elegantly written book provides the most complete account to date of the complexities of Sikh nationalism. It explores the historical background, the influence of diaspora communities and the intersection of religion, ethnicity and politics. This authoritative study is a benchmark in the study of South Asian socio-politics, globalised religious communities and the contemporary rise of religious neo-nationalism throughout the world.' Mark Juergensmeyer, University of California
'This is an exciting study that seeks to go beyond religion and territory. Singh and Shani masterfully map out the ever-shifting historical, political, economic, social, and cultural terrain of Sikh nationalism. In doing so, they offer a nuanced reading of the unfolding of critical events and their complex interconnections, both internal and exogenous, in colonial, postcolonial, contemporary Indian politics and diaspora settings. The authors address difficult questions of whether the Sikh case as an identity-driven nationalism in the throes of modern globalism seeks separatism or multiculturalism, long-distance nationalism or de-territorialisation. As the dynamic past of the minority Sikh religion intersects with the robust Sikh global diaspora today, new possibilities of imagining Sikh futures open up. We have here a most informative, accessible and provocative resource.' Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh, Colby College
'This is a major study of the Sikhs, who can be variously framed as a world religion, a nation and a religious minority. Theoretically sophisticated and empirically rich, it offers a provocative thesis about the deterritorialisation of contemporary nationalisms.' John Hutchinson, London School of Economics
'The resilient nationalism of “small peoples” in South Asia has been overlooked. This book outlines the turbulent history of the Sikhs from their past regional ascendancy to the grim aftermath of the partitionist creation of India and Pakistan, and takes us onward to the present, wrapping in an account of Sikhdom beyond its homeland. This study will be of general interest to students and scholars of nationalism, ethnicity and diasporas. Singh and Shani are to be commended for their synopsis.' Brendan O'Leary, University of Pennsylvania
'In a clear and insightful analysis, the volume reveals the centrality of the Sikh question to the division of India in 1947 and the contemporary politics and international relations in South Asia. This thoughtful study will be essential reading for scholars and students of South Asia.' Ian Talbot, University of Southampton
'Gurharpal Singh and Giorgio Shani meticulously review the historical and sociological literature on the development of self-awareness and self-empowerment of Sikhs to assess the complex issue of ethnic, religious, and racial topics associated with Sikh nationalism. Their study is a rich and reliable source of information about nationalism in India and worldwide concerning the intersection between religion and state(s).' Othmar Gächter, Anthropos
'Gurharpal Singh and Giorgio Shani's book is a major contribution to the study of Sikh nationalism and the nationalism of so-called 'small peoples' -that is, ethnic groups or 'nations' without their own sovereign states. The book makes important area studies and theoretical/comparative contributions to the existing academic literature on the topic. The book's easy-to-read analytic narrative makes it accessible to the general educated audience, as well as the more specialized academic community … The product is a magisterial academic study of the historical evolution of Sikh nationalism, which deserves the attention of area studies experts and comparativists alike.' Jugdep Singh Chima, Pacific Affairs
'The volume is not only informative, but accessible and is especially timely given the contemporary rise of religious nationalism. The work is both an important contribution to scholarship and an extremely useful teaching text. This is not an easy combination to achieve … It is lucid, accessible and will form essential reading for scholars and students of South Asia and more widely of nationalism, ethnicity, and diasporas for the foreseeable future.' Ian Talbot, Sikh Formations
'Shani and Singh's work represents a contribution to the literature on Sikh nationalism that is unparalleled in its detail and comprehensiveness … Scholars of comparative nationalism and those seeking to understand the historical roots of contemporary nationalisms in South Asia should take the detailed account of this volume to heart.' Ishmael Ali Maxwell, Nationalism and Ethnic Politics
'… well-researched and densely crafted … This book makes a valuable contribution to the understanding of the Sikhs and their changing searches for identity and homeland.' Harihar Bhattacharyya, Regional & Federal Studies
'… an excellent resource … indispensable to researchers, scholars and lay readers seeking to gain a deeper understanding of Sikh nationalism, from its inception to the second decade of the twenty-first century.' Kamalpreet Singh Gill, International Quarterly for Asian Studies
'… the inherent value of this work makes it an important addition to any serious collection on Sikh history … Recommended.' P. P. Barua, Choice
'In this highly readable and well-researched volume, the authors persuasively draw on theories of ethnicity and nationalism to understand the cultural roots of Sikh nationalism and the several ways it has transformed since the nineteenth century … This book is requisite reading for anyone seeking to understand the rise of radical Sikh politics and the various influences under which they developed in the subcontinent and abroad.' Carol Christine Fair, The Journal of Asian Studies
