xvi, 226p., Tables, App., Gloss., Bib., Index, 23 cm.
CONTENTS
CONTENTS:- Acknowledgements; Introduction; Glossary; 1. Background (1849-1900); 2. Demographic Distribution and Change; 3. Socio-Cultural Responses; 4. Political Articulation; 5. The Sikh Leaders and Activists; Conclusions;
DESCRIPTION
This study attempts an analysis of dynamics of the resurgence among the Sikhs in the early decades of the twentieth century. The resurgence comprises mainly the standardization of rehat and its assertion in the form of agitations, reconstruction of heroic traditions, promotion of Punjabi language and literature and establishment of educational institutions. The political manifestation of this resurgence lies in raising the banner of community's grievances and in such demands as, for instance, an increase in the proportion of its share of the jobs in the civil and military departments, representation in the political power structure and participation in the electoral politics. This is the period during which we notice the emergence of new leadership and founding of organizations alternative to the chief Khalsa Diwan. This study examines the transformation in the social background of the different categories of the new leadership and their corresponding political perceptions and preferences. The new leadership subscribed to the ideologies of the nationalists and revolutionaries and participated in the anti-British agitations and movements. All these aspects are placed in the context of demographic changes under the colonial rule which had much to do with the dynamics of the Sikh resurgence. The Sikh resurgence, in the present study, has been constructed largely on the basis of the contemporary Sikh literature both in English and Punjabi languages. This literature includes the Sikh periodicals, books, biographies and some personal diaries.
