The present work presents a comprehensive and analytical study of the origin and evolution of the Sikh religious ethos and also the emergence of the Sikh community on a broad canvas covering religious as well as socio-political contours of thought of Guru Nanak and the first four successor Gurus. Providing a fresh perspective about the distinctive theological basis and dynamic character of the Sikh faith, the author has underscored that Guru Nanak’s genius lay specifically in integrating the contemporary Bhakti-sufi tradition of spiritual quest with the socio-political milieu in the totality of medieval Indian life. Through Guru Nanak, the Bhakti movement in Punjab became a vehicle for social change and it was the intensity and depth of his spirituo-socio-political message, fortified and consolidated by successor Gurus that served as an edifice on which the super structure of Sikhism was built. Dr. Puri grappled with many crucial and vital issues in this erudite volume and has focused, inter-alia, on the politically-educative values, albeit nebulous or incipient, in the Sikh religion ethos. The central theme emerging from this penetrating study is that the essence of Nanak’s religion consists in its being a force and emancipating mankind from all religious and social shackles. Guru Nanak consciously projected new goals, envisaging a socio-political order based on the concept of universal brotherhood, social justice, and humanitarian cultural vision that would engender peaceful co-existence and mutual understanding through explicit acceptance of cultural pluralism. And herein lies the relevance of Nanak’s message in the present context and significance of his approach which aims at linking all aspects of human activity, including that in social and political arenas, with the concept of ‘Dharma’. The study would help in probing the genesis of Sikhism and the values it has stood for, and will also inspire others to take up still further research in this direction.
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