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

250 pages
23.5 x 15.8 x 2.1 cm, 0.55 kg

'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

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]