A History of the Sikhs: Volume 2: 1839-2004

the truly beloved author passed away in march 2014, Age of 99y

Very good

I truly enjoyed this book! For someone that wants to learn more about her roots this book allowed for me to do just that!

The two volumes provide a very good introduction to the.nationalist’ view of recent history.

It was an easy and fact driven read, with references and sources listed on each page. This is the most honest compilation of Sikh history facts and points of reference for anyone interested in history. The author is honest and credible, as he has been with many of his works. Raj

Khushwant Singh's ''A History of the Sikhs''. It's in two volumes - this is a review of volume 2. Vol 1 was reviewed separately. Vol 2 covers a period from the time of the fall of the Sikh Empire to the mid-eighties (signature on the Rajiv-Longowal accord). It is the larger of the two volumes - it is extensively footnoted and I've not finished reading the Epilogue or the extensive notes towards the end. While it dwells more on issues that would have qualified as current affairs when i was very young or for those growing up in India post independence, it has a better sense of conveying history. Pros - 1. Very thorough research and brings out not just the political side, but also economic and social aspects of major events such as development of canal colonies, the khalistan movement, bluestar and the anti-sikh riots of 1984. 2. One gets to know in fair depth about Sikh leaders including Master Tara Singh, Sant Jarnail Singh, Swaran Singh, Giani Zail Singh, Tohra, Badal, longowal, etc. 3. One gets a good sense of the sikh feeling of betrayal at the hands of the british, and later by Congress and how as a community they relied on a collective dream being the ruling or at least the dominant community in their homeland. Cons 1. Both the Partition and the Bluestar events themselves are a complete anti-climax. The author spends a significant time on the build up, and then almost skips over the actual event itself. It is as if he doesn't want to deal with the reality of the savagery that occurred - it is quite a let down. 2. Some minor figures in the Punjab politics all get the same size description as the major figures. To someone who is a Sikh and well connected with the Punjab these details may be of interest but to most readers it is not very appealing. 3. The cultural achievements of the Sikhs and notable Sikh artists such as Sobha Singh, Amrita Pritam, Amrita Shergil, are given lip service. There is almost no thought given to the uniqueness of the Sikh architecture, music, etc. 4. There is a clear pro-gandhi family bias - the author's personal deference to Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi etc comes across. Despite these flaws - this is the better of the two volumes with a blow-by-blow account of many decades as seen from a Sikh perspective. It furthers the reader's understanding of a people and is rightfully a reference text published by the OUP.

Amazing stuff

In the second volume of his history, Khushwant Singh takes us on a more complex journey. Following the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the conclusion of the Anglo-Sikh Wars, the Punjabis became ardent supporters of the British, siding with them during both the Great Uprising and the Anglo-Afghan Wars. The Sikhs contributed most men to the British Army (from India) during the World Wars. However, the Sikhs began to oppose the British after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Sikh history from the early part of the twentieth century to the Partition is confused, with many Sikhs jockeying for power. The Sikhs were insecure about how the new Republic would treat them, considering their minority status. Khushwant Singh clearly explains the difference between the Hindu perception of the Sikhs (as a branch of Hinduism) and the self-perception of the Sikhs (as a distinct people). I detected some emotion when the author wrote about the post-Partition events, and detected two competing, intertwined strands. One, the shoddy way Indian politicians treated Punjabis, denying them their demands; and two, the self-serving behavior of Punjabi/Sikh politicians. The book ends with Indira Gandhi’s assassination and the events leading to her killing. His explanations are clear. What lies next for Punjab? No one knows. This book is excellent and is a superb companion to the first volume.

A must read.