This work is an original and critical interpretation of Sikh literature from a feminist perspective. It analyzes the rich feminine imagery and symbolism that pervades the divine-human encounter in this literature, and gives a new authenticity to a relatively neglected religious tradition. Nikky Singh shows convincingly that Sikh Gurus and poets did not want the feminine principle to serve just as a figure of speech or literary device, but was intended, rather, to pervade the whole life of the Sikhs. Her work thus reverses an androcentric approach to Sikhism.

Sikhs trace the genesis of their religious rites, prayers, dress codes, and names to Guru Gobind Singh's creation of the Khalsa in 1699. The Birth of the Khalsa is the first work to explore this pivotal event in Sikh history from a feminist perspective, questioning the ways in which Sikh memories have constructed a hypermasculine Sikh identity. The book argues that Sikh memory needs to acknowledge the vital female dimension grounded in the universal human condition and present at the birth of the Khalsa.

Inspired by her own father, the eminent Sikh scholar Harbans Singh, Nikky-Guninder...

A critical interpretation of Sikh literature from a feminist perspective.

Founded about 500 years ago, Sikhism believes in the 'Ultimate Reality' as a formless force that is above all things yet present in them at the same time. Sikhs reject all distinctions based on class and race and emphasise the importance of service to both community and family. This third edition describes the basic tenets of the religion.