Contributed articles.

Articles on Sikh doctrines and polity.

Sikh history is an account of how and why a simple monolithic religion became political in its aims and military in its methods. It is a saga of brutal persecution, suffering, chivalry and vicissitudes of the Sikh people. It is the story of adversity, sacrifices, deprivations, and trials and tribulations during a prolonged life and death struggle against social and political oppression by tyrannical forces, resulting in the rise to power and founding of a kingdom by the Sikhs. Thereafter, it is the fulfillment of aims and aspirations, and then the collapse of Punjabi nationalism in a clash of arms with the British. Subsequent history is a tale of Anglo-Sikh relations; of joy and sorrow and the Sikh contribution in the freedom struggle during British rule. It also recounts the fate of the Sikhs in the partition of their homeland in 1947, and finally their position and status in Independent India, today. The narration is simple, clear and concise.

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.

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.