A HISTORY OF THE SIKHS VOL 1 (SECOND EDITION) (OIP)

Concise but very perceptive history book

Khushwant Singh's ''A History of the Sikhs''. It's in two volumes - this is a review of volume 1.In Volume 1 - The author chronicles the times of Punjab from the birth of Guru Nanak till the fall of the Sikh Empire. This is the slimmer of the two books.Pros :1. Its a lucidly written overview. If you are a beginner and don't know the names of the gurus or simply how important Ranjit Singh was, even is, to the Sikhs this is a great book.2. It describes the times of Ranjit Singh in good detail - If you've already read the book titled ''Ranjit Singh'' you'd be able to make out that some material was re-used.3. Some key Sikh military figures such as Baba Deep Singh, Banda Singh Bahadur, Jassa Singh Ahluwalia and Hari Singh Nalwa are dealt with in some depth.Cons :1. The book almost jumps over from the first to the 6th guru and then again to the 10th. It is as if Mr Singh didn't want to do much research but rather focus on writing a readable book. I would now have to look for another book that treats that time frame in some depth.2. The names of different misls can get confusing and some punctuation makes it very hard to follow who was doing what.3. Insufficient attention to motives of all characters save Ranjit Singh - he overshadows even Nanak and Guru Gobind from a perspective of the coverage received.Still - great starter book - especially recommended if you've visited Amritsar and seen the Harmandir Sahib, Ranjit Singh Museum, Qila Gobindgarh, Company Bagh, or any other spots associated with the Sikh religion or their political power in the Punjab.

Somehow I felt that not much historical account was easily accessible (in English) about the evolution of Sikhs and the religion despite the fact that it is one of the youngest religions. Whatever I knew about it was from the sermons heard at the Gurdwaras and from the family elders in the form of 'Sakhis' much of which gave you the impression of these being the legends. This book does fulfill that gap admirably. It still leaves the work half done, as somehow it does not explain very clearly, how could the Sikhs survive and actually thrive for almost hundered years after Guru Gobind Singh's death amidst all the hostilities of Mughals on one side , Afghans on another and the Hill Rajas not exactly friendly.On the whole,highly readable book full of lesser known facts and convincing analysis.

Very good

This is a monumental work by the late Kushwant Singh, who is better known for his works of fiction. A must read for not only every Sikh, but also for anybody interested in the origin and development of the Sikhs, who are one of the most enterprising and successful community in India today. Sikhs have also migrated to the US, Canada, UK, Australia and many other developed countries and have achieved great success in their career and business. Kushwant Singh is eminently qualified to write this epic work on the Sikhs and his grasp of the scriptures of the Sikh religion is nothing short of scholarly. The Sikh's origin and historical development of the religion and its key figures from the period 1469 to 1839 is covered in this Volume-I. The book begins with an enchanting description of the Punjab, the land of Five Rivers, the Sikh homeland and traverse through Punjabi Nationalism, Guru Nanak and Birth of Sikhism, martyrdom of early Gurus and its struggles through three centuries and final consolidation of the Sikh Empire under Maharajah Ranjit Singh . This Volume culminates shortly after the death of Ranjit Singh .Kushhwant Singh's typical humor also occasionally appears when he describes some of the eminent Sikh characters. A quote from the book" The anecdote told in Punjabi circles to this day relates a dialogue between Ranjit Singh and his Muslim wife, Mohran. She commented on the Maharajah's ugliness and asked :' Where were you when God was distributing good looks ?''When you were occupied with your looks, I was busy seeking power' answered the monarch.."

Good to follow

Khushwant Singh sir has done a great job of research and way of writing is as always fabulous.Starting from its origin to establishment of first Sikhs Empire it's goes on to tell the story from spiritual spirit of sikhs to the velour of Guru Gobind to bada Bahadur to Maharaja Ranjit Singh.The best part of the book is kind of research done from all available sources from the time of nanak to court writers of Ranjit Singh darbar.All those who want to know sikhs this books is a must go to understand them in 400 pages. 🙏

The entire book is not about just glorification of the sikh history but rather about presenting various sources for every event that may be contradictory. Loving it!