The Granth Of Guru Gobind Singh: Essays, Lectures, and Translations by Dr. Kamalroop Singh & Gurinder Singh Mann

In the Graṅth of Guru Gobind Singh, the authors offer new insights into the Sikh scripture Dasam Patshah Ka Granth, or the Dasam Granth, which has traditionally been attributed to Guru Gobind Singh. 

While many studies have adopted a polemic approach and focused on the authorship of the text, this book takes a multi-disciplinary approach and considers the relationship of the scripture with the newly discovered manuscripts, apocryphal translations, and relics.

The manuscript tradition of the Graṅth shows how it was written and compiled during Guru Gobind Singh's time and how its compositions were transmitted through material items such as swords. The authors have included in this volume translations of selected compositions from the scripture.

This book, in essence, takes the reader through relevant history of the Sikh dharam and establishes the centrality of the Dasam Graṅth within it.

The unifying theme in the life of Guru Gobind Singh was confrontation with the Mughals, which culminated in a struggle for political power. This fact is brought into sharp focus when we consider the Guru's life and legacy simultaneously in the contexts of the Mughal Empire, its feudatory states in the hills, and the Sikh movement. The creation of the Khalsa in 1699 as a political community with the aspiration to rule made conciliation or compromise with the Mughal state almost impossible. Their long struggle ended eventually in the declaration of Khalsa Raj in 1765.

Using contemporary and near contemporary sources in Gurmukhi, Persian, and English, J.S. Grewal presents a comprehensive study of this era of Sikh history. The volume elaborates on the life and legacy of Guru Gobind Singh and explores the ideological background of the institution of the Khalsa and its larger political context. Grewal, however, emphasizes that the legacy of the Khalsa was also social and cultural.

This authoritative volume on the tenth Guru is a significant addition to the field of Sikh studies.

Specifications

• Hardback
• 316 pages
• Publication date: February 2020
  

You can also read my book review of this title here.

You can check out all the related podcasts to Sri Dasam Granth below.