Reviewed by: Dr LJ. Singh Edited by: John Stratton Hawley & Gurinder Singh Mann Albany, State University of New York.
This book contains eight essays by scholars who are well known for their contributions to the understanding of Sikhs and Sikhism. Five of the papers were presented at a conference hosted by Columbia University and the Sikh Cultural Society, New York in 1989; three (by McLeod, Grewal and one paper by Mann) are later additions. Hawley is ancient scholar of medieval Indic religions; his entry into the study of Sikhism is most gratifying.
Juergensmeyer correctly notes that there is no better time than now to focus on Sikh studies. There is now a sizeable population of Sikhs outside India who are deeply attached to their religion and culture, and want a better understanding of self. They are an integral part of the western societies in which they function. They and their neighbors need to learn about Sikhism in university based academic programs. Also, political developments within the Sikh community, whether in India or abroad, have focused much attention on the Sikhs worldwide. Juergensmeyer, McLeod, Barrier and Mann discuss the history and approach to the area of Sikh studies. Juergensmeyer leads with a nice discussion on the nature of “religious” studies, and McLeod Succinctly sums up some of the pitfalls, particularly in studying the Sikhs.
At several places (Hawley and Mann, McLcod, Grewal, Helweg) take note of the tension between the academic approach to the Sikh religion and that of the believers. It needs to be pointed out that such uneasiness is not unique to Sikhs but exists in every religion. Philosophically, the two remain connected in a tense but lively and thrilling minuet; the keeper of the faith never ignores what the academician has to say, and even the most cerebral academician takes note of one essential examining religions requires that a view from without be made whole by one from within, Religions are not abstract philosophic precepts to be debated in ivory towers, but life principles to be lived by plain folks. In many instances, the World Sikh News is mentioned as the viable voice of the community where such controversies are given a chance to be heard. Sikh scholarship, particularly that by non-Sikhs is young. Even when looking at “objective” history, the insider’s view may be different, equally valid, or sometimes even more useful as pointed out by Barrier, Barnier’s consideration of the early twentieth century literary and critical studies of Sikhs and Sikhism is valuable, O’Connell describes in some detail the history of Sikh studies in North America; the program at the University of Toronto is the oldest, has been in place since 1986 but may now be in disarray. The problems faced by community supported Sikh studies programs such as those at British Columbia, Toronto, Michigan and Columbia Universities are critically assessed by Mann; he strikes an enviable balance between a university’s insistence on academic freedom and the concerns of a community that their voices are heard. Mann also presents model of a curriculum for academic program of Sikh Studies bused on what is taught at Columbia University. This program appears to be exhaustive and outlines in considerable detail, issues of concern to Sikhs and Sikhism from Guru Nanak to the present; even the political dimension has not been ignored, Mann appears to be equally well-versed in the traditional Sikh educational system which is a part of our religious lore as well as the modern university based analytic, academic discipline. Of all non-Sikhs who have explored Sikh history none has been more consistently prolific than McLeod, and none has attracted sharper criticism from some Sikhs, He has been accused of casting doubts on the sacred Sikh canon, In his essay McLeod clearly acknowledges the authenticity of the Kararpur manuscript which constitutes most of the body of the Guru Granth. This should lay to rest a great amount of the controversy about his writings, yet he raises some significant questions which will require honest research. He presents a useful discussion of the canonical and no canonical literature of the Sikhs. Grewal’s paper is based largely on material collated from his earlier writings and starts with an opinion unsupported by data that “it is possible to say that the bulk of serious work so far has been in English.” He ends by listing questions important to Sikh history.
Helweg’s contribution is significant for it touches on an important area of Sikh history their diaspora. Unfortunately, the data are almost exclusively derived from his observations of Sikh immigrants to Gravesend in the United Kingdom. Helweg appears to focus on Sikh immigrants from the villages whose main concern was their daughters’ marriageability, and who lacked the skills to negotiate the complexities of modern British society. True, many such Sikh immigrants are in the United Kingdom, and some have also come to Canada and the United States particularly in the past few years. The immigrant Sikhs however, are decidedly not a homogeneous group whether measured by education, culture, socioeconomic status, their view of Sikhism or of the world, This area Sikh institutions, ethics, family life, lifestyles, economy etc. in diaspora deserve research and attention. Helweg also claims that Kapur Singh raised the slogan for an independent Sikh state “Khalistan”; I am not sure this can be substantiated. The essays in the book repeatedly emphasize one central theme the unchallenged status of Sikhism as a distinct religious system. The book should be of special appeal to the second generation Sikh outside India and his non-Sikh friends. Its major value lies in a series of courses from introductory to advance on Sikhs and Sikhism. No such text exists at the present time. Each chapter is replete with references and also raises fascinating questions which could occupy many a research scholar most productively. The past 20 years or so have seen a much greater awareness of religious pluralism. It is time that Sikh studies emerged to take its rightful place alongside the other religious traditions that constitute to the richness of complex societies. This field is still young and its dimensions yet to be defined. As Juergensmeyer notes the nascent discipline of Sikh studies requires scholarship that is objective, methodologically au courant, cross cultural in its significance, and contextual in its historical analysis.” This book adds to this newly developing domain; it is a significant attempt to neatly identify and fill that void.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 6, 1993
