Sikhism: A Very Short Introduction

by Eleanor Nesbitt

Overview

The Sikh religion has a following of over 20 million people worldwide and is ranked as the world's fifth largest religion. However, events such as the verbal and physical attacks on Sikhs just after September 11 indicated that they were being mistaken for Muslims, and suggests that the raising of sufficient and appropriate awareness about Sikhism still needs to be addressed. This book is one of the first to introduce newcomers to Sikhism's meanings, beliefs, practices, rituals, and festivals. Eleanor Nesbitt highlights the key threads in the fascinating history, from the Gurus and the development of the Sikh appearance, to martyrdom and militarization in the 17th and 18th centuries, and the diaspora. She also examines the recent proliferation of Sikh lifestyles in today's news and entertainment media. This book is an essential guide to increasing understanding of the Sikh religion and culture.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780191578069
Publisher:	OUP Oxford
Publication date:	09/22/2005
Series:	Very Short Introductions
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Eleanor Nesbitt is Professor Emeritus in the Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit, Centre for Education Studies, University of Warwick. Her ethnographic research has focused on the lives of young people in Sikh, Hindu, and Christian communities in the UK. Her publications include Intercultural Education: Ethnographic and Religious Approaches (Sussex Academic Press, 2004) and Interfaith Pilgrims (Quaker Books, 2003).

Table of Contents

	Acknowledgements	ix
	Abbreviations	x
	List of illustrations	xi
1	Introduction	1
2	Guru Nanak and his first successors	13
3	Guru Granth Sahib	32
4	Turban, Khalsa, and codes of conduct	48
5	The shaping of modern Sikhism	66
6	Sikhism outside India	86
7	Attitudes to caste, gender, and other faiths	105
8	Sikhism and the third millennium	124
	Further reading	145
	Glossary	149
	Timeline	155
	Index	157