Banda Singh Bahadur appeared in Sikh history for a relatively short period (1708-1716) but, after the Sikh gurus, influenced it more significantly than any other individual. Banda Singh Bahadur is among the most colourful and fascinating characters in Sikh history. From an ascetic he was transformed into Guru Gobind Singh’s most trusted disciple. So much so that when the seriously injured guru could not lead his Sikh army against the Mughal forces, he appointed Banda Singh Bahadur as his deputy. As proof of this appointment he gave Banda his sword, a mighty bow, arrows from his own quiver, his battle standard and his war drum. Banda rode out from Nanded (where Guru Gobind Singh passed away; now in Maharashtra) at the head of a small band of Sikhs, which, by the time it reached the Punjab, had grown into a formidable army. Over the next few years his exploits against the Mughal rulers, both in pitched battles and in skirmishes, became the stuff of legends. He became the first of many legendary Sikh generals, famous both for their personal heroic courage and their skill in warfare. His many encounters with the Mughal rulers eroded the very foundation of the Mughal empire and ensured its quick demise. As he said when questioned on what he had achieved: ‘I have ensured that never again will the crown sit easily on the Mughal emperor’s head.’ He also prepared the coming generations of Sikhs for future conflicts, which later greatly helped Maharaja Ranjit Singh in creating a Sikh empire. Banda was a true leader who led from the front, not only in the battlefield but also in civil administration. He established a secular government which swept aside 700 years of slavery and the myth of domination by foreign powers, proclaimed freedom of worship, allowed the people to follow professions of their choice and stopped forcible marriages even while recovering abducted women for return to their families. His land revolution abolished zamindari in parts of North India, thereby redistributing land equally amongst the tillers. This book seeks to tell the story of this remarkable and brave man and his equally remarkable ahievements. Perhaps, the finest of Banda Singh Bahadur’s biographies.

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Biography of Bandā Siṅgha, Bahādara, 1670-1716?, Sikh military and religious leader.

Seeks To Study Banda Singh Bahadur`S Role Objectively-His Life And Achievements. An Account Of His Struggle Against The Mughals. Emphazises That Banda Had The Acumen To Plan And The Ability To Excente. Presents His Role In Raising The Mighty Struggle For The Establishment Of A Sikh State In Punjab. Has Eight Chapters And Is Lavishly Illustrated.

This Volume Presents Translations Of All Major Persian Sources Of Sikh History Upto 1765, When Sikh Power Was Established Over The Punjab. These Sources Offer Details That Are Not Otherwise Available, And Richly Supplement The Information Preserved In The Punjabi (Gurmukhi) Traditions.

Illustrations: 3 Maps Description: History of the Sikhs is a five volume series dealing with all aspects-religious, philosophical, political, military, social, economic and cultural, and the contribution of Sikhism to world civilization, in particular to human rights, principles of liberty, equality and fraternity, and to the creed of democracy and secularism. The aim is to present a comprehensive view of the rise, growth and development of Sikh thought and action almost in every direction. The entire series is based on original contemporary sources in English, Gurmukhi, Marathi, Persian and Urdu known to exist in India and abroad. This first volume gives the story of Ten Masters who provided leadership to the downtrodden people of the Punjab both in religious and political fields for about two centuries. Their aim was to remove the bitterness that had persisted between the rulers and their subjects for the past five hundred years. They wished to create a new society based upon mutual brotherhood, and freedom of thought, expression and action. It was under the circumstances almost an impossible task. But there is nothing like a dream to create the future. Utopia today, flesh and blood tomorrow. Man's onward march requires that the heights around him should be ablaze with noble and glorious deeds of valour and self-sacrifice to serve as guiding lights. Such evolutionary and revolutionary models were furnished by Guru Arjan, Guru Tegh Bahadur, Guru Gobind Singh, and his four sons-Ajit Singh (18 years), Jujhar Singh (14 years), Zorawar Singh (8 years), and Fatah Singh (5 years)-as well as by their numerous disciples like Bhais Mati Das, Sati Das and Dayal Das. The main feature of this book are: A critical appraisement of Guru Nanak's Janam Sakhis, justification for celebrating Guru Nanak's birthday in November instead of in April, Guru Nanak's compositions, Mardana's death at Baghdad, how Amritsar developed into a Sikh centre, Guru Arjan's martyrdom, why Guru Hargobind took to militarism, Guru Har Rae's residence at Nahan, Hukam Namas of Guru Tegh Bahadur, Guru Gobind Singh's formula of five into five, his literary works and Hukam Namas, Emperor Bahadur Shah's pious fraud, eminent personalities and instructions, impact of Gurus'; teachings on Indian society, and why Jats became followers of Khatri Gurus.

“[A] raucous, offensive, and sometimes amusing CliffsNotes compilation of wars both well-known and ignored.” —Utne Reader Self-described war nerd Gary Brecher knows he’s not alone, that there’s a legion of fat, lonely Americans, stuck in stupid, paper-pushing desk jobs, who get off on reading about war because they hate their lives. But Brecher writes about war, too. War Nerd collects his most opinionated, enraging, enlightening, and entertaining pieces. Part war commentator, part angry humorist à la Bill Hicks, Brecher inveighs against pieties of all stripes—Liberian generals, Dick Cheney, U.N. peacekeepers, the neo-cons—and the massive incompetence of military powers. A provocative free thinker, he finds much to admire in the most unlikely places, and not always for the most pacifistic reasons: the Tamil Tigers, the Lebanese Hezbollah, the Danes of 1,000 years ago, and so on, across the globe and through the centuries. Crude, scatological, un-P.C., yet deeply informed, Brecher provides a radically different, completely unvarnished perspective on the nature of warfare. “Military columnist Gary Brecher’s look at contemporary war is both offensive and illuminating. His book, War Nerd . . . aims to explain why the best-equipped armies in the world continue to lose battles to peasants armed with rocks . . . Brecher’s unrefined voice adds something essential to the conversation.” —Mother Jones “It’s international news coverage with a soul and acne, not to mention a deeply contrarian point of view.” —The Millions

The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies innovatively combines the ways in which scholars from fields as diverse as philosophy, psychology, religious studies, literary studies, history, sociology, anthropology, political science, and economics have integrated the study of Sikhism within a wide range of critical and postcolonial perspectives on the nature of religion, violence, gender, ethno-nationalism, and revisionist historiography. A number of essays within this collection also provide a more practical dimension, written by artists and practitioners of the tradition. The handbook is divided into eight thematic sections that explore different 'expressions' of Sikhism. Historical, literary, ideological, institutional, and artistic expressions are considered in turn, followed by discussion of Sikhs in the Diaspora, and of caste and gender in the Panth. Each section begins with an essay by a prominent scholar in the field, providing an overview of the topic. Further essays provide detail and further treat the fluid, multivocal nature of both the Sikh past and the present. The handbook concludes with a section considering future directions in Sikh Studies.

Attempts to thread together the relevant information considered necessary to understand the importance of shrines for the followers of a great religion, Sikhism. This book helps in keeping the spirit of Sikhism alive in the minds and psyche of the Sikh population even today. Historical Gurdwaras of Delhi is the result of an in-depth research study that brings to the fore the importance of these shrines and their compelling historical and socio-cultural background. These Gurdwaras, many of which according to Sikh chronicles are consecrated by the Gurus' visits,