Ideology and identity

THE socio-religious movement of the late medieval period led to the genesis of reformers who, overriding barriers of caste and creed, generated a new sense of religious purpose and societal awakening. Sikhism, India's living heritage before and after the proclamation of the Khalsa 300 years ago has added many rich strands to the ineffaceable tapestry of the composite nation that is India. The birth, growth and consolidation of Sikh theocracy and Singh-Sikh identity make for absorbing and evocative reading. The dialectical relationship between ideas and social situations can be perceived more or less clearly. The progress from theocracy based on concepts of equality, Guru Panth or corporate Guru and the doctrine of Guru Granth or the scriptural Guru, to theocratic commonwealth, then to feudal chiefs and to monarchy, seems a natural and inevitable evolution, considering the political scenario in the declining years of the Mughal rule. The annexation of Punjab under British Imperialism, the colonial rule and the emergence of a Punjabi speaking state in 1966 follows the all-India pattern, but with a subtle difference. The above evolution led to the heightened consciousness of a Punjabi regional identity, which transcended religious differences and made for cultural co-existence.

The Khalsa over 300 Years, edited by J. S. Grewal and Indu Banga is a publication of the Indian History Congress to mark the national observance of the Khalsa Tercentenary with the particular object of focussing on the history of the Sikh Panth and setting it in the context of the general history of India. The volume is based on selected papers from the proceedings of 58 sessions of the Indian History Congress. These illumine aspects of Sikh history with special reference to the Khalsa. It goes to the credit of the editors that they have selected the papers to convey a sense of continuity and a chronologically meaningful exposition of Sikh history covering political, social, economic and cultural aspects.

The main phases of early Sikh history are systematically analysed by Sita Ram Kohli. His paper is invaluable as it refers to the discovery of important sources, especially the Khalsa Darbar Records. Ganda Singh's paper on the major sources of early Sikh history is a researcher's delight. J. S. Grewal's attempt at analysing the ideas operative in early Sikh history, especially the idea of Guru Panth as the quintessence of the idea of equality is competent as it has a direct bearing on the Sikh polity of the 18th Century. He lays stress on the Sikh-Panth as a distinct socio-religious entity, which acquires a political stance due to oppression and aggression. According to him the idea of Guru-Granth served as a comprehensive umbrella paradoxically covering both social differences and the ideal of equality. Four papers relate to the second major phase of Sikh history analysing the uprising of Banda Bahadur in 1709, to 1765 when the Khalsa struck coins at Lahore to declare their sovereign status. "Panth Prakash" of Ratan Singh Bhangu is referred to as an important source for the study of Sikh history as well as for being in verse form following the Sikh tradition of historical writing. Indu Banga's papers relate to Khalsa-Raj especially under Ranjit Singh, the administrative set-up and the agrarian system based on documentary evidence. Her factual analysis is good and shows cautious though subjective approach.

The next set of papers deals with British relations with the Sikhs and the state of Punjab analysing the report on the Sikh kingdom by J. D. Cunningham. A. C. Arora discusses British paramountcy in relation to the Sikh state during John Lawrence's viceroyalty in the 1860s to show how he promoted imperial interests at the cost of the state. These papers evince the exploitative nature of British rule in India, even though Punjab was a favoured state. The next group of 11 papers relates to the Sikhs under colonial rule. The decline of the Sikh ruling class and the emergence of a Sikh middle class with a reformulated religious ideology is elaborated upon, along with the development of political ideology based on communitarian consciousness. Reference is also made to the socio-religious and political history of the Sikhs from 1849 to 1947, outlining the growth of the Singh Sabha Movement, the

Gurudwara Reform Movement and the Politics of the Shiromani Akali Dal which reveals concern for the Sikh Panth and for freedom from British control. Four papers discuss Sikh social order during the colonial period, referring to the increase in the number of Sikhs in Punjab, due not only to British patronage and conversion to the Sikh faith from the lower castes but also to the increasing consciousness among the Sikhs that they were distinct from Muslims and Hindus. Education and founding of colleges as a means of social mobility is touched upon. The Gurudwara Reform Movement, known also as the Akali Movement, adopts interestingly in the Guru Ka Bagh Morcha, non-violent non-cooperation methods under the influence of Gandhiji and the Indian National Congress. The last two papers relate to the Shiromani Akali Dal's strategies to oppose the formation of Pakistan, the efforts made by the Akalis to safeguard their political and cultural interests after the Partition and the responses of the Indian government under Nehru to accommodate their aspirations. The above papers while preserving their central interest in Sikh history make special attempts to weave the former into the general web of Indian history giving an integrated outlook.

The merits of this book include lucid and well-researched articles which would provide authentic information to students of history as well as an educational and analytical approach to the history of the Khalsa to the general reader. The volume seeks to convey a distinct entity to the Sikh, the whom his ideology provides the basis for his socio-political aspirations and societal-cultural ethos.

PREMA KASTURI

The Khalsa Over 300 Years, Edited by J. S. Grewal and Indu Banga, Tulika, p.228, Rs.200.

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