Must-read J.S. Grewal literature
A list of literature compiled by the late scholar J.S. Grewal, including summarised history, translations and biographies.
To commemorate the legacy of the eminent historian J.S. Grewal, the writers of Khalsa Chronicle have compiled a list of books by J.S. Grewal that are worth a read, whether you are a beginner to Sikh history or a connoisseur. These are split into three sections: beginner history, translations/case studies and biographies. Any books of J.S. Grewal mentioned in previous articles like Must-read Sikh history for beginners will not be mentioned again. Where possible, books mentioned will have links embedded in the title.
Beginner history
The Sikhs of the Punjab
J. S. Grewal gives a brief description on different eras of Sikh history, from its inception during the Guru era, up to panthic politics in contemporary Punjab. Using the history of Punjab, the book analyses the part played by Sikhs in creating and maintaining a separate Punjabi identity, showing the development of Sikhi during the Guru period in the religious milieu of Punjab to how panthic politics helped shaped the modern-day suba.
History, Literature, and Identity: Four Centuries of Sikh Tradition
This book inspects the nature of Sikh literature throughout four centuries and is divided into five parts. The first, second and third examine the creation of a new religious identity through literature written by Gurus and their contemporaries, through hymns found in the Adi Granth and Dasam Granth, jurisprudence such as the rehitnamas and theological commentaries like the vaaran of Bhai Gurdas. The fourth part examines the role of Sikh historians in writing their own accounts, including Bansavalinama and Panth Prakash. The fifth part analyses the literary renaissance of the Singh Sabha period, focusing on the popular work Hum Hindu Nahin.
Translations/Case Studies
Early Nineteenth-Century Panjab
Early Nineteenth-Century Panjab focuses on translating parts of the work Char Bagh-i-Panjab written by Ganesh Das in 1849, the work covers a range of topics from the sociology, culture, cities, literature and religion of the people in Punjab then. Ganesh Das’s knowledge as a revenue officer allows him to give insight into the administrative structure too.
Sikh History From Persian Sources
The book edited by JS Grewal and Irfan Habib gives translations on passages of Sikh history and gives us an insight into how Persian texts analysed Sikh history, helping supplement narratives of Sikh history through making previously untranslated Persian texts available in English.
The Mughal and Sikh rulers and the Vaishnavas of Pindori: a historical interpretation of 52 Persian documents
This book makes use of 52 Persian documents from the Thakurdwara in Pindori, Gurdaspur that give us an insight into the turbulent history of Punjab between the Mughal and Sikh rulers and also gives history into how Vaishnavism spread in the Majha and Jammu regions. Furthermore, it gives us knowledge into how administration in Punjab was intrinsically linked with religious establishment, a notable example being six autonomous Sikh chiefs patronising the mahants of Pindori.
Kinship and State Formation: The Gills of Nabha
Based on a historical document, this study allows us to see how state formation and power vacuums occurred in late medieval India. It provides an insight into kinship relations were eventually tied with state formation, focussing on the Gills of Nabha. The document analysed is one retrieved from the Gills and also makes use of oral tradition when necessary.
Biographies
Master Tara Singh in Indian History: Colonialism, Nationalism, and the Politics of Sikh Identity
This biography of Master Tara Singh is the largest biography of him created yet, spanning around 750 pages. It takes mention of his life as a child, how he was influenced by local parcharaks to his identity politics at college to how he eventually confronted the British state and the Congress leadership and moved forward with the Punjab partition plan as he staunchly opposed Pakistan. After partition, it focuses on he sought to achieve the Punjabi suba and factionalism between him and Sant Fateh Singh.
A Political Biography of Maharaja Ripudaman Singh of Nabha: Paramountcy, Patriotism, and the Panth
This book focuses on the biography of the Maharaja Ripudaman Singh of Nabha, written in an era when the independence movements against the British were steadily gaining influence amongst the masses and Sikh politics was gaining shape through nobility and intellectuals. It analyses the Maharaja’s role in the swaraj movement alongside his eventual rift with the British.