Off the Bookshelf

The Sikhs

Knopf, 320 pp., $27.50

Described as "the only comprehensive history available in the U.S." of the Sikh faith, The Sikhs also serves as an exhaustive study of the political, cultural, and religious background of India. Beginning in 1500 B.C. with the formation of India's caste system, to the destruction in 1984 of the Golden Temple (the holy shrine of the Sikhs), Patwant Singh traces the evolution of the mission and the beliefs of his much-maligned religion. He tells the story of guru Nanak, the founder, who believed in social progress and called for equality in a land of divisions, a belief in one god amongst believers in many. Due to the wrath of Hindus and Muslims who opposed the caste-less community, the Sikhs gradually, and out of necessity, came to value military prowess in their members. Fighting for the survival of their faith for centuries, the Sikhs' story is rich in crisis, invasions, devotion, and division -- much like the story of India itself.