The Sikhs: History, Religion, and Society by W.H. McLeod: Book Review

The subject of McLeod's book is the evolution of a distinct Sikh identity over the last two hundred years. In the introduction of the book, McLeod attempts to recognize and then contest the negative stereotype characterizing Sikhs as a people with "militant ideals and a willingness to perform violence." McLeod's book provides outsiders with a much clearer picture of the Sikh tradition, and presents readers with an extremely detailed overview of the origins of Sikhism, as well as the community's continued development around the world.

Throughout the book, McLeod stresses that Sikhism has evolved over time and that the community has changed significantly since the inception of the religion as a small fellowship based on a lineage of spiritual teachings in the sixteenth century. In recounting Sikh history, McLeod shows how by the eighteenth century the Sikhs had amassed a considerable amount of power only to lose a great deal of this influence to the British colonial rule in the nineteenth century. By the early twentieth century, census figures revealed an increase in the number of those who identified themselves as Sikhs and specifically as Khalsa Sikhs. By 1914, the Sikh community was much more self-aware and ready to take advantage of the new political climate that appeared following World War I.

For a time, it seemed that the tradition would disappear, and the Sikh community would be reabsorbed into the broader spectrum of Hindu culture. This began to change with the Sikh revival and the emergence of a new reform movement, the Singh Sabha. This movement occurred partly as a response to the pressure of Christian and Hindu missionaries and partly due to the increased opportunities in agricultural and military employment. The Sabha was made up of educated urban Sikhs who were eager to define their faith in terms that were distinctively different from their Hindu, Muslim, and Christian counterparts, and that were appropriate to a modernizing society.

Many previous attempts to write about the ethics of Sikhism have been based on the Adi Granth, the medieval collection of devotional verse that the Sikhs revere as scripture. These codes are about religious identity and proper behavior in general, and are not specific moral codes. While McLeod's book has a great deal of information about auxiliary texts, he chose to leave out a great deal of information on the Adi Granth due to the fact that "detailed accounts of the Adi Granth already exist." (p.82) While this may be true, it is difficult to make the leap in understanding for less informed readers.

Another example where McLeod glazes over important information comes from the section of Sikh dharma. McLeod tells how it differs from the Hindu belief of dharma, but for those without a detailed understanding of dharma, the section would be difficult to follow. While McLeod's other books have received mixed reviews from intellectuals in the Sikh community, in The Sikhs: History, Religion, and Society, he seems to try to present both traditional accounts and his own opinions to provide readers with a greater understanding on a variety of topics. While it is extremely detailed, without a prior knowledge base, the book may be difficult for some readers.