Lectures by Prabhsharanbir Singh and Jasvir Singh Sheeri

Introduction to Sikhi

A Special Studies Course at University of California, Berkeley

Spring 2007

Lecture 1

"Sikh Studies: A Hermeneutics in Process"

Reading:

- Arvind-Pal Singh Mandair, “The Repetition of Past Imperialisms: Hegel, Historical Difference, and the Theorization of Indic Religions,” in History of Religions 44.4. Chicago: The University of Chicago, 2005.

- Arvind-Pal Singh Mandair, “The emergence of ‘Sikh Theology’: Reassessing the passage of ideas from Trumpp to Bhai Vir Singh,” in Bulletin of SOAS 68.2 (2005)

- Kim Knott, Insider/Outsider Perspectives, in John R. Hinnells, ed., The Routledge Companion to the Study of Religion, 2005.

Lecture 2

"The Creator and Creation"

Reading:

- Bhandari, Gurdip Singh, Guru Nanak's Concept of Creation, Ph.D. Thesis, Punjabi Deptt., Panjab University, Chandigarh.

Lecture 3

"Concept of Human"

Reading:

- Wazir Singh, Humanism of Guru Nanak, Ess Ess Publications, Delhi-52, 1977.

- Jaswant Singh Neki, “Concept of Man According to Sikhism,” in the Sikh Review, Calcutta.

Lecture 4

"The Expressions: Language, Literature, Myth, History, Art, Music, and Violence"

Reading:

- Lecture Notes in the classroom

Lecture 5

"(i) The Self and Individuality, (ii) Ardas: De-personalization of the Personal Quest"

Reading:

- Puran Singh, “A Unique Prayer of the Soul - Ardas (Prayer of the Khalsa),” in Spirit of the Sikh Part II, Vol. 2, Publication Bureau, Punjabi University, Patiala.

- Puran Singh, Spirit Born People, Publication Bureau, Punjabi University, Patiala.

Lecture 6

"The Guru”

Reading:

-

Lecture 7

"Shabad, Body, and the Human Experience"

Reading:

- Puran Singh, “The Guru’s Word,” in Spirit of the Sikh, Publication Bureau, Punjabi University, Patiala.

- Gurbhagat Singh, “The Message of Sri Guru Granth Sahib,” in Sikhism and Postmodern Thought, Ajanta Publications, Delhi: 1999.

Lecture 8

"(i) Seva, Naam and Haumai, (ii) Hukam, Nadari, and Activism"

Reading:

- Pritam Singh Gill, Concepts of Sikhism, New Academic Publishing Co., Jullundur, 1979.

Lecture 9

"The Spiritual versus the Religious”

Reading:

- Puran Singh, Spirit of the Sikh, 3 Vols., Publication Bureau, Punjabi University, Patiala.

- Gurbhagat Singh, Sikhism and Postmodern Thought, Ajanta Publications, Delhi: 1999.

- John Caputo, The Prayers and Tears of Jacques Derrida: Religion Without Religion. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1997.

- Richard King, Mysticism and Spirituality, in John R. Hinnells, ed., The Routledge Companion to the Study of Religion, 2005.

Lecture 10

"Discipline and Punishment: A Discussion on Sikh Rahit Maryada"

Reading:

- Sikh Rahit Maryada: The Code of Sikh Conduct and Conventions, Dharam Parchar Committee, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Amritsar.

- Lecture Notes in Classroom

Lecture 11

"Being and Nitnem”

Reading:

- Lecture Notes in the classroom

Lecture 12

"The Sikhs and Sikhi: Encounters with Yoga, Vedanta, Islam, and Sufism"

Reading:

- Lecture Notes in the classroom

Lecture 13

“The Sikhs and Sikhi: Encountering the West and Hindutva”

Reading:

- Navdeep Singh Mandair, “(EN)Gendered Sikhism: The iconolatry of manliness in the making of Sikh identity,” Sikh Formations: Religion, Culture, Theory, Volume 1, Number 1 / June 2005, Routledge.

- Richard King, Orientalism and Modern Myth of “Hinduism”, Numen, Vol. 46, No. 2. (1999), pp. 146-185

- Lecture Notes in the classroom

Lecture 14

"The Sikhs and Sikhi: Exploring the Inner Crises"

Reading:

- Lecture Notes in the classroom

Lecture 15

“Conclusion”

Bibliography

Bedi, Gursharan Singh, The Epistle of Victory (An English Translation of Guru Gobind Singh's Zafarnama in verse), G.S. Bedi Harbans Singh Road, Amritsar, 1961.
Bhandari, Gurdip Singh, Guru Nanak's Concept of Creation, Ph.D. Thesis, Punjabi Deptt., Panjab University, Chandigarh.
Cole, W. Owen and Piara Singh Sambhi. A Popular Dictionary of Sikhism. Calcutta: Rupa Paperback, 1990.
Darshan Singh, The Religion of Guru Nanak, Lyall Book Depot, Ludhiana, 1970.
Dhillon, G.S. Researches in Sikh Religion and History. Chandigarh: Sumeet Prakashan, 1989.
Ganda Singh, A Select Bibliography of The Sikh And Sikhism, S.G.P.C., Amritsar, 1965.
----, (ed.). The Panjab Past And Present, Vol. III, 1969 and Vol. XI! ! I1--1, April 1979, Deptt. of Punjab Historical Studies, Punjabi University, Patiala.
Gill, Pritam Singh, Concepts of Sikhism, New Academic Publishing Co., Jullundur, 1979.
Gopal Singh, Sri Guru Granth Sahib (English Version), 4 vols., World Sikh University Press, 1978.
----, The Religion Of The Sikh, Asia Publishing House London, 1971.
----, Thus Spoke The Tenth Master, Punjabi University, Patiala, 1978.

Iqbal Singh. The Essence of Truth: Japji Sahib and Other Sikh Scriptures. New York: Allen, McMillan and Enderson, 1986.

Kanwarjit Singh. Political Philosphy of the Sikh Gurus. New Delhi: Atlantic, 1989.

Kapur Singh, Parasharprasna (The Baisakhi of Guru Gobind Singh), Hind Publishers Ltd., Jullundur, 1959.

----, Sikhism: An Oecumenical Religion. Chandigarh: Institute of Sikh Studies. 1993.

Kohli, Surinder Singh, A Critical Study of Adi Granth, The Punjabi Writers Cooperative Industrial Society Ltd., New Delhi, 1961.
----, Outlines of Sikh Thought, Punjabi Prakashak, New Delhi, 1966.
Macauliffe, MA, The Sikh Religion, six vols., S. Chand & Company Ltd., New Delhi, 1978.
Manmohan Singh, Sri Guru Granth Sahib (English & Punjabi Translation), 8 vols., S.G.P.C. Amritsar, 198 1-82.

Patwant Singh. The Sikhs. New York: Knopf Press. 2000.
Puran Singh. Guru Gobind Singh: Reflections and Offerings, San Francisco, 1967.
Puran Singh, Spirit Born People, Publication Bureau, Punjabi University, Patiala.
----, Spirit of the Oriental Poetry, Publication Bureau, Punjabi University, Patiala.
----, Spirit of the Sikh, 3 Vols., Publication Bureau, Punjabi University, Patiala.
Sher Singh, Philosophy of Sikhism, Chardi Kala Publications, Ludhiana, 1966.
Talib, Gurbachan Singh, Sri Guru Granth Sahib (English Translation) Vol. I, Publication Bureau, Punjabi University, Patiala, 1984.
Wazir Singh, Humanism of Guru Nanak, Ess Ess Publications, Delhi-52, 1977.

The Sikhs: Religion Culture and Politics in 20^th Century

A Special Studies Course at University of California, Berkeley

The Twentieth century is a time of significant developments in religion, culture and politics of the Sikhs. It was the first time that Sikhs engaged themselves in the dialogue with the western world. Sikh history and religion were written in a new idiom which had no direct connection with the local traditions. In the wake of new reform movements and a fresh political outlook Sikhs had an experience with the idea of Indian nationalism which was something alien to the inhabitants of South Asian Sub-Continent. The Sikhs started struggling to retain their sovereignty which they had lost to British India in 1849. However, this struggle passed through different phases. The current course will be an effort to understand how this struggle affected the religion, culture, and politics of the Sikhs.

The course will cover the changing perceptions of the Sikh people; their reformulation and reunderstanding of “religion”, culture and politics over the past century charting the implications of such transformations. The course will start with the Sikhs under British India in particular their struggle to liberate their own religious shrines, towards their involvement in the freedom struggle to liberate the whole sub continent from British occupation. The Sikh experience of 1947 partition between India and Pakistan and their situation in post partition India - which have intensified their search for meaning in a different manner – will also be explored.

Course Schedule:

Lecture 1

"Religion and History: A Discussion in Methods of Interpretation"

Reading:
- Jacques Derrida, "Faith and Knowledge: The Two Sources of Religion within the Limits of Reason Alone," in Religion, ed. Derrida and Vattimo. Trans. Weber. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1998.

- Arvind-Pal Singh Mandair, “The Repetition of Past Imperialisms: Hegel, Historical Difference, and the Theorization of Indic Religions,” in History of Religions 44.4. Chicago: The University of Chicago, 2005.

Lecture 2

"Romanticism of Metaphysics: Arya Samaj, Muslim League, Christian Missionaries and Singh Sabha Movement"

Reading:
- Arvind-Pal Singh Mandair, “The Unbearable Proximity of the Orient:

Political Religion, Multiculturalism and the Retrieval of South Asian Identities,” in Social Identities, Volume 10, Number 5, 2004

Lecture 3

"Translation of Sikh Voices: Gadar Movement and Babbar Akalis"

Reading:
- Lecture Notes in the classroom

Lecture 4

"Metaphysics in Action: Gurdwara Reform Movement"

Reading:
- Arvind-Pal Singh Mandair, “The emergence of ‘Sikh Theology’: Reassessing the passage of ideas from Trumpp to Bhai Vir Singh,” in Bulletin of SOAS 68.2 (2005)

Lecture 5

"Codification of the Ethics: The Sikhs and Freedom Movement of India"

Reading:
- Navdeep Singh Mandair, “(EN)Gendered Sikhism: The iconolatry of manliness in the making of Sikh identity,” in Sikh Formations, Volume 1, Number 1, June 2005

Lecture 6

"Tragedy and the Nations: The Partition of 1947”

Reading:
- Ian Talbot, “Partition, memory and trauma: Voices of Punjabi refugee migrants in Lahore and Amritsar,” in Sikh Formations, Volume 2, Number 1, 2006

Lecture 7

"Punjabi Suba Movement: An Experience of the Otherness"

Reading:
- Lecture Notes in the classroom.

Lecture 8

"Hearing the Self: The Idea of Sikh Homeland and Anandpur Sahib Resolution"

Reading:
- Lecture Notes in the classroom

Lecture 9

"Beyond Time: Dharam Yudh Morcha”

Reading:
- Lecture Notes in the classroom

Lecture 10

"Indian Army Invasion and the Genocides"

Reading:
- Lecture Notes in the classroom

Lecture 11

"The Sikh Diaspora"

Reading:
- Brian Keith Axel, “Diasporic sublime: Sikh martyrs, Internet mediations, and the question of the unimaginable,” in Sikh Formations, Volume 1, Number 1, June 2005

- Giorgio Shani, “Beyond Khalistan? Sikh diasporic identity and critical international theory,” in Sikh Formations, Volume 1, Number 1, June 2005

- Gurharpal Singh, “British multiculturalism and Sikhs,” in Sikh Formations, Volume 1, Number 2, December 2005

Lecture 12

"Sikh Struggle after 1984"

Reading:
- Lecture Notes in the classroom

Lecture 13

"Memory and Trauma"

Reading:
- Darshan S. Tatla, “The morning after: Trauma, memory and the Sikh predicament since 1984,” in Sikh Formations, Volume 2, Number 1, 2006

Lecture 14

"Reading Zafarnamah: The Sikhs and their Fight"

Reading:
- Gursharan Singh Bedi, The Epistle of Victory (An English Translation of Guru Gobind Singh's Zafarnama in verse), G.S. Bedi Harbans Singh Road, Amritsar, 1961.

Lecture 15

“Conclusion”

The English Patient: Reading the Re-presentation

Media representation of the Sikhs have been quite reflective of the theoretical violence that has been inflicted upon the community from various circles. The Sikhs have been re-presented according to an orientalist discourse that intially operated within the power dynamics of colonial rule and was exclusively adopted in the construction of Indian nationalism, strictly modernist in it nature. The Sikh body is located within its own authority structure, one that involves an immersion in a particular kind of religious praxis that places the self within the Word (Shabad) as the locus of true Being, rather than the rational ego. This is why it naturally resists an alien Imperial authority, such as the colonisers and indigenous contemporary rulers bring for both assume the ego and reason as ultimate centers of authority. This is also why the Sikh body is treated so harshly and violently.

The Sikh body negates the experience of presentness central in the imperialist discourse and sings Shabad in all times which is radically disturbing for the commodification of both music and text. It traces authenticity of the Being in the moments created by the Guru both in the Shabad as well as practice, thereby challenging the authenticity that has been established via well thoughtout design of imperialism. As it terms the imperialistic design as illusory, for the Sikh body, its too ususal to come under attack. The Sikh body is so conspicous that it would come under attcks such as its misrepresentation in Hollywood, mockery in the bollywood, and manslaughter in the streets of Punjab and Delhi.

Although the re-presentation of Ondaatje's Kip in the movie comes with a kind of 'sophistication' bollywood has just realized to have, the orientalist twist in the movie is quite obvious for the audience that has read the novel. In this article, Nikki Singh has explored the transformation of Kirpal Singh's character from the novel to movie. The article explores how "Ondaatje sensitively portrays Kip’s development from a colonial false consciousness to an authentic post-colonial Self", and how "Ondaatje’s book which ends in a postcolonial consciousness is subverted and perverted into a colonial text by Minghella et al." Nikki Singh explains how the Sikh body can never be dissociated from Darbar Sahib, Amritsar, a place that provides it with the transformative moments. As Kirpal Singh's inner journey and his experince of the Harimandir are absent from the movie, "without history and identity the Sikh sapper effortlessly glides in and out of Hollywood's phantasy world."

The article concludes by quoting Said’s claim “that systems of thought like Orientalism, discourses of power, ideological fictions—mind-forg’d manacles—are all too easily made, applied, and guarded" (1979:328). In support of the authenticity of the concluding remarks, I would suggest to see this orientalist disturbance with Ondaatje's Kip.


Prabhsharandeep Singh

Where do we go from here?

In her article Sikh Studies: Where do we go from here? *, Doris Jakobsh states the problems that a western student, or the diaspora Sikhs would face in the area of Sikh studies. She locates the problems in the "religio-cultural meta-narrative that is the Sikh tradition." This raises a few questions as how and when the Sikh tradition(s) worked as a meta-narrative? What do we mean by Sikh traditions? Would we differentiate between pre-Singh Sabha, Singh Sabha, and post-Singh Sabha period? Has this meta-narrative been effective throughout the entire Sikh history or it emerges with the Singh Sabha movement? If we locate it in the Singh Sabha discourse, why would not trace it back into the imperialist discourse that is still functional in the academia?

As Doris Jakobsh obviously ignores all these questions and jumps to draw conclusion on the basis of this myth of meta-narrative, we are pushed to see it in terms of what levinas describes as "the dignity of being the ultimate and royal discourse." The issues of Self and subjectivity need to be discussed in this context before we try to go anywhere. It must be clear that it is not just the "subjects" as the Sikhs that need to be "defined", we need to explore the complexities that lie in the changing faces of blonde brute and priestly nobility, constantly contradicting and adapting each other.

Prabhsharandeep Singh

*Readers are suggested to see the journal for more detailed version of the article: “Constructing Sikh Identities: Authorities, Virtual and Imagined,” International Journal of Punjab Studies No. 1 and 2, Vol. 10 (January 2004) pp. 127-142.

Review on Doris Jakobsh's book can be found here.

Some basic issues: A wonderful discusssion between Bal and Prabhsharanbir Singh