The Rise of the Sikh Soldier: The Sikh Warrior Through the Ages, C1700-1900

(Paperback)

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The might and prowess of the Sikhs has been noted in the annals of history but what actually constitutes this development has seldom been discussed or understood in a meaningful context. The book considers the rise of military methods from the time of the Gurus and what the tenth preceptor Guru Gobind Singh was trying to achieve with the formation of the Khalsa or fraternity of the pure. The development of saint soldiers during the testing time of the Misl or Confederacy period considers the role of Jassa Singh Ahluwalia and Charat Singh Sukerchakia. Whilst the formation of the Sikh Empire in the nineteenth century considers the role of Maharajah Ranjit Singh and his notorious warriors Akali Phula Singh and Hari Singh Nalwa. Underrepresented female warriors like Sahib Kaur and Sada Kaur are also given coverage to reflect their importance in Sikh history. The change in military methods of the Sikhs is discussed from the predominately favoured cavalry, to the Europeanisation of the Sikh Army and the deployment of Sikhs in campaigns during the time of the British Indian Army. The Anglo Sikh Wars of (1845-1846) and (1848-1849) are given adequate consideration in terms of the military tactics used by both the British and the Sikhs. The book is supplemented with maps of battles, rare military images, relics and artefacts together with the appendices citing important documents and letters. AUTHOR: Gurinder Singh Mann is Director of the Sikh Museum Initiative. He is a Leicester born Sikh Scholar and historian. He holds an MA in South Asian Religions from De Montfort University, Leicester (2001). He is co-author of two books on the Sikh martial scripture: entitled: Sri Dasam Granth: Questions and Answers, (Archimedes Press, 2011) and the Oxford University Press published: The Granth of Guru Gobind Singh: Essays, Lectures and Translations (2015). 15 colour & 32 b/w illustrations, 16 colour & 22 b/w photos, 10 maps

Reviews

"[A]nother good volume in the series... This history of Sikh warriors offers very dense prose, cramming a considerable amount of information within its pages."-- "HMGS"

Author Bio

Gurinder Singh Mann is Director of the Sikh Museum Initiative. He is a Leicester born Sikh Scholar and historian. He holds an MA in South Asian Religions from De Montfort University, Leicester (2001). He is co-author of two books on the Sikh martial scripture: entitled: Sri Dasam Granth: Questions and Answers, (Archimedes Press, 2011) and the Oxford University Press published: The Granth of Guru Gobind Singh: Essays, Lectures and Translations (2015). He is also co-convenor of the International Sikh Research Conference (ISRC) which takes place at the University of Warwick every year. Gurinder has researched and discovered many Sikh artefacts and relics as well as delivering lectures across the world for 20 years. He has appeared on radio and TV, including the BBC, ITV and other channels giving his views on heritage issues as well as theological matters. He set up the Sikh Museum Initiative to research the numerous Sikh relics and artefacts in the UK. The initiative has already made headway by utilising new technologies including 3d modelling and augmented reality to showcase and preserve Sikh heritage. He curated the exhibition Anglo Sikh Wars: Battles, Treaties and Relics (2017) to great acclaim which took place at Newarke Houses Museum, Leicester.