Sikh Nationalism

A concise and comprehensive guide to the history of Sikh nationalism from the late nineteenth century to the present.

Gurharpal Singh (Author), Giorgio Shani (Author)

9781107136540, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 25 November 2021

278 pages
23.5 x 15.8 x 2.1 cm, 0.55 kg

'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

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.

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.

Subject Areas: Politics & government [JP], History of religion [HRAX], 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000 [HBLW], Asian history [HBJF]