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Sikhs: A Story of a People, Their Faith and Culture
Dive into the history, philosophy, and essence of the Sikh faith, and trace its evolution.
At the turn of the 15th century, Guru Nanak embarked on a series of journeys across the Indian subcontinent and instituted an equitable community and an egalitarian religion, built upon the values of inclusion, service, and kindness. Sikhs shines a spotlight on this incredible faith that places service before self. Today, it is the fifth largest religion in the world with more than 30 million Sikhs around the globe.
The book explores the gurus, the scriptures, the philosophy, and the stories and legends. It explains how a faith led to the birth of a historic empire of immense military and political might, maps the emergence of a distinct identity, looks at its impact on the world, and celebrates the contributions of this illustrious community.
At the turn of the 15th century, Guru Nanak embarked on a series of journeys across the Indian subcontinent and instituted an equitable community and an egalitarian religion, built upon the values of inclusion, service, and kindness. Sikhs shines a spotlight on this incredible faith that places service before self. Today, it is the fifth largest religion in the world with more than 30 million Sikhs around the globe.
The book explores the gurus, the scriptures, the philosophy, and the stories and legends. It explains how a faith led to the birth of a historic empire of immense military and political might, maps the emergence of a distinct identity, looks at its impact on the world, and celebrates the contributions of this illustrious community.
- GenresReligionNonfiction
324 pages, Hardcover
Published April 25, 2023
6 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
D.K. Publishing
9,071 books2,081 followersDorling Kindersley (DK) is a British multinational publishing company specializing in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 62 languages. It is part of Penguin Random House, a consumer publishing company jointly owned by Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA and Pearson PLC. Bertelsmann owns 53% of the company and Pearson owns 47%.
Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.
Source: Wikipedia.
Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.
Source: Wikipedia.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 19, 2023
Very new and exhaustive (if not outright exhausting) overview of Sikhism and its religious, cultural and military history. I came to this after reading Strange Bewildering Time: Istanbul to Kathmandu in the Last Year of the Hippie Trail, where the author spends considerable time in Amritsar.
I was frankly hoping for a shorter book, and so really just skimmed through the first half which focused solely on the religious aspects - i.e., its beliefs, early gurus and subsequent leaders - which to a Philistine like me was frankly a bit of a snooze. However, I really perked up when the fighting started - and man, was there a lot of fighting! Long story short, just decades of in-fighting with other Indian and Afghan kingdoms until the Brits arrived and basically swept all the other pieces off the whole table.
Anyway - comprehensive look at an interesting religion I knew little about, and now at least know a little more about; it also makes me want to go and read those remaining "Flashman" books set in British India. FYI, there are some great videos of the Sikh martial art gatka on YouTube, and you should definitely go and look up "nihang turbans" on Google Images, because those things are insane!
Four stars, but for a pretty limited audience.
I was frankly hoping for a shorter book, and so really just skimmed through the first half which focused solely on the religious aspects - i.e., its beliefs, early gurus and subsequent leaders - which to a Philistine like me was frankly a bit of a snooze. However, I really perked up when the fighting started - and man, was there a lot of fighting! Long story short, just decades of in-fighting with other Indian and Afghan kingdoms until the Brits arrived and basically swept all the other pieces off the whole table.
Anyway - comprehensive look at an interesting religion I knew little about, and now at least know a little more about; it also makes me want to go and read those remaining "Flashman" books set in British India. FYI, there are some great videos of the Sikh martial art gatka on YouTube, and you should definitely go and look up "nihang turbans" on Google Images, because those things are insane!
Four stars, but for a pretty limited audience.
August 17, 2025
Very informative
September 26, 2023
What an amazing comprehensive review.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews