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SIKH ART ISSUE

The Sikh Sansar


USA-CANADA

QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE SIKH FOUNDATION

VOL. 4
NO.2 I ~ ~ ImE SIKH :~:NDATJON I<P I JUNE 1975
LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES

Mr . Kirat Singh Sethi


Or. I. J . Singh
New York

Prof. Bhai Harbans Lal


Massachusetts

Mr. Harbans Singh Grover


Buffalo. New York

PATRONS
Dr. Trilochan Singh
S. Hardit Singh Malik Maharaja Amarinder Singh Detroit
New Delhi Patiala
Mr. Ganga Singh Dhillon
Dr. Shamsher Singh
Mrs. Ursula Gill
Washington, D.C.
EDITORIAL BOARD
Prof. Karamjit Singh Rai
Dr. Narinder Singh Kapany. Chief Edi tor Illinois
Prof. HaTi Singh Everest
Ajaib .Singh Sidhu Dr. A. S. Dhaliwal
Assistant Editors Mr. B. S. Ka lra
Chicago
Dr. Gurnam Singh Sidhu Mrs. Sa tinder Kaur Kapany
Mr. B. S. Basi
Prof . Bhai Harban s Lal Dr. I. J . Singh
Cleveland

J. P. Singh
Houston
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Mrs. Qiane Singh
Prof. Ganda Singh New Orleans
Dr. Mohinder Singh Randhawa
(Chandigarh) (Patiala)
Mrs. Gail Sidhu
Dr. Kartar Singh lalvani Prof. Harbans Singh
San Francisc9
(London) (Patiala)
S. Khushwant Singh Mrs. Manjit P.M. Wyl am
Prof. Hari S ingh Everest
(Bombay) (London) Yuba City
Prof. W. H. McLeod
(New Zealand) Gurpreet Singh
Dr. Hakam Singh
Los Angeles

THE SIKH SANSAR : Sansar means universe. Traditionally the material universe R. S. Gyani
Dr . Beant Singh
has been considered an "illusion" (Maya). The Sikhs consider the material universe Ontario, Canada
as a manifestation of the cosmic spirit. This journal will attempt to present both the
material and spiritual aspects of Sikh culture. Dr. Kesar Singh
Mr. G. S. Deal
THE SI KH SANSAR is owned and managed by the Sikh Foundation. P.O. Box Van couver, Canada
727, Redwood City , California 94064, which is a non-political. non-profit, organiz-
ation dedicated to dissemination of knowledge about the hi story, litera ture, art. Mr. A. S. Chhatwal
culture and religious precepts of the Sikhs. The views presented by va rious authors London
and contributors herein does not imp ly an endorsement by either THE SIKH SAN ·
Mr. J. S. Sodhi
SAR or The Sikh Foundation. Birmingham. U.K.
Contents

Guest Editorial, Prof R. P. Srivastava .......................... 40

Sikh Paintings - Prospects & Retrospects, Prof Rajendra Bajpai ...... 41

The Sikh School of Art, Sardar Bhan Singh . ....... " . . . . . . . . . . . .. 46

Punjab Studies Conference, Mark Juetgensmeyer . .............. .. 50

Local News" Sardar Ajaib Singh Sidhu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

In Future Issues of THE SIKH SANSAR. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .. .. 52

Translation of Japji., Sardar Manmohan Singh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 53

Sikh Art, Dr. P. C. Barua . . .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . .. . . . . .. 56

A Request To The Subscribers, Ajaib Singh Sidhu, Asst. Editor . . . . .. 57

Prof. Tirlok Singh - A Forgonen Sikh Anist , Prof R. P.' Srivastava . . .. 59

Book Review, Prof Hari Singh Everest· Dr. G. S. Sidhu ..... . • ..... 62

Thus Spake The Tenth Master , Dr. Gopal Singh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 63

Materials for the Study of East Indian History


In North America, Bruce La Brack. . . . . . . . • . . . • . . . . . . . . . . .. 64

39
TIlE SIKH SANSAR

Guest Editorial Volume 4, Number 1


June 1975

F or the first time in the history of journalism Apart from the art activities that held the heart
a Systematic attempt is being made to record the and mind of Lahore Darbar , some very important
significant contribution made by Sikh Artists, Sculp- work of painting and architecture was done in the
tors, Architects and Artisans in the Punjab and else- erstwhile princely states of cis-Sutlej Region known
where . No concerted effort was ever made by any as 'Phulkian' States. The most prominent among
Author or Historian and SO far no one has tried to ' these was the House of Patiala where artists , writers ,
write anything on this aspect of achievement of the musici~ns and sportsmen got all sorts of encourage-
Sikhs which has glorified the pages of Sikh history ment nght from the era of Maharaja Narinder Singh
and beautified the Punjab with architectural monu- t? that ~f the last ruler of Patiala Maharaja Yada-
ments. In fact , Indian historians in general bave no vwdra Smgh. If we deny this fact we would be
ethos for the history of aesthetic ideas or taste which making an unexcusable =or of historical writing
we find in the European or American historians. on Art.
Secondly, the chroniclers of the Punjab were pri- Corning to the 20th century activities in Art
marily concerned with the feats and adventures of and architecture, many remarkable and commend-
~ilitary importance and exploits of political exped- able achievements bave been made hy Sikh artists,
lency. But the recording of artistic activities which scIulptors and architects . Some of these shall find
caught the attention of the ruling class in the 19th their well.<Jeserved position through the columns
and 20th centuries, was never taken up by any of The Sikh Sansar. It is fervently hoped that the
writer of the Punjab history. More precisely we S~ in~ellegentia aU over the world would appre-
may call them the specialistS of Sikh history . CIate thIS project of serialisation of Art activities
Although some casual efforts were made by a of Sikh creators of the past as well as of the present
few scholars like Dr. Anand K. Commarswamy, era. Secondly, it would serve the purpose of huild-
Dr. W. G. Archer, Dr. Mulk Raj Anand and lastly ing up a reference material and research tool on
Dr. B. N. Goswamy, but so far as the establishment Sikh Art and architecture for future scholars
of clear-cut demarcation of Sikh Art is concerned . ~urrently we do not possess any lihrary mater-
it is still to be achieved. There is still a strong wind Ial whIch may be known as classified and well.<Joc-
of opinion in a segment of scholars that there never urnented research knowledge cloistered around the
existed any Sikh School of Art. Yet, there is another subject. This pertinent need shall be fulfilled
section of intelligentia who claim to prove that through the columns of 'The Sikh Sansar' with the
there was a definite school or movement or 'Kala' generous help of genuine scholars of Sikh Art spread
which flourished under the magnificient monarch ~hroughout the world. I consider it my proud priv-
of rrans-Sutlej region namely Maharaja Ranjit Singh. liege to thank all the authors who have so gracious-
We are in possession of some very positive visual ly and spontaneously responded to my call for con-
evidence regarding the existance of an atelier of tribution on Sikh Art. I hope they would continue
artists in the court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and to cooperate in the same spirit in the future .
his successors.

We. are particula.rly indeb ted to Professor R. P. Srivastava who is Head


of tbe De partment af Fine Arts, Government College (or Women , R. P. Srivastava , Professor ,
Pa ti.ala~ Punjab , lnd ia. to be our Guest Ed itor for thi.s issue of the
Sikh SanSQl'. PatiaIa, India

40
SIKH PAINTING - PROSPECfS & RETROSPECfS
By Prof. Rajendra Bajpai*

The Sikh Renaissance that ushered in the from Hindus but they had no traditional mythology
second quarter of the nineteenth century in the Pun- of their own to inspire their pictorial compositions.
jab brought in its wake a fresh flowering of portrait Hence the artists of the Sikh Court concentrated
painting, quite unique in the whole realm of Indian e x.elusively on portrait painting. One more very
Painting. Though primarily devoted to agriculture, powerful factor responsible for the one-sided develop-
engineering and industry, the Sikh community has, ment of the Sikh art was the frowning attitude of
without the least shadow of doubt, contributed their their religion toward art. Somewhat like I slam,
mite to the growth and development of Art in India, Sikhism was hostile to art but not to the extreme.
specially under the powerful regime of Maharaja No doubt, the Sikh art has completely dispensed
Ranjeet Singh and his less fortunate but more patron- with the Hindu scriptures that inspired the Rajput
izing successors like Sher Singh and Dalip Singh. and Pahari painters and provided them with an in-
Portraiture has been the dominant feature of exhaustible source to explore for their infinitely
the Sikh painting. All pomposity and valour, and the varied themes of painting. The Sikhs had before
martial spirit of the Sikh community in the Punjab them the gallantry of their heroes for glorified re-
is vividly reflected in the portrait studies made by presentation in art. "Apparently, the vainglorious
the artists of the Sikh court. In fact, it reminds one Sikh noblemen and generals" writes Dr. Anand
of the ancient Roman art that stands for propaganda "wished to have their features immortalized." And
and publicity, grandeur and dignity. Maybe, on a re- they did succeed tremendously well in this direct-
duced scale, but the same spirit seems to have been ion . Not until the establishment of the Sikh strong-
the fountain-head of inspiration of almost all Sikh hold during the regime of Maharaja Ranjeet,Singh
painting. Dominant representation of the royal dig- (1803-1839) we come across any specimen of truly
nitaries and the heroic characters in the whole range Sikh art, although mural painting in crude form on
of the Sikh painting is an eloquent and convincing walls of houses in the Punjab plains have been a
testimony to this fact. Geme themes too appear common feature in the eighteenth century. 1 The
but very rarely. Thus it is qut and out an aristo- Sikh art thus came into being with the Sikh Kingdom
cratic art in its tone and tenor, that flourished, like and, flourishing for a brief spell of time under
the Mughal painting, under the royal patronage of Ranjeet Singh's effete successors, finally languish-
the Sikh Kingdom founded by Maharaja Ranjeet ed with the dissoultion of the Sikh Kingdom in 1848.
Singh. These portraits, mostly of Maharajas, follow- During this short span of time the genius of the Sikh
ing in quick succession after Maharaja Ranjeet Singh, art has found ample expression. A very good collect-
betray some European Stamp in treatment while tion of work of this period is gracing the gallaries
retaining the essential characteristic features of the of the Victoria & Albert Museum in U.K. Archer
Pahari Painting. very emphatically asserts:
W.G. Archer, one of the most distinguished
authorities on Indian Art, traces a very close iden- ". . . . No one can assess the Sikh attitude to
tity between Scot and Sikh. And painting is no ex- painting without appreciating the character of
ception. "Like painting of Scots" he observes "Sikh Ranjeet Singh . .. . ".
painting is chiefly an art of portraiture." Of course,
no intimate scenes of daily life, no mythological or It may not be out of place to re'call that around
legendary romances form subject-matter of Sikh 1800, Guier and Kangra flourished as the principal
painting, except portrait studies. Why this exclu- centres of Pahari Schools of paintings; catering to
sive devotion to portrait painting alone? The reason the needs of Raj put princes and deriving their themes
is not far to seek. Sikhs assumed separate entity for composition mainly from classical mythology
and romatic poetry. The rise of the Sikh power in
-Prof, Rajendra Bajpai, M.A. (Eng. & Drg. & Ptg.). teaches histor_y the Punjab plains under Maharaja Ranjeet Singh
and appreciation of fine arts at D.A.V. College, Kanpur (U.P.) india.
He has written about a dozen books on art history and aesthetics. and growing interference in the affairs of the neigh-
He is well versed in the History of Sikh Art. bouring hill-states, ultimately culminated in complete

41
domination ofthe Sikh authority over them. Even We come across several portraits of the Maha-
Raja Sansar Chand. reputed patron of art and culture. raja Ranjeet Singh. some highly idealized. some
had to succumb by 1809 to the onslaught of Maharaja matter of fact and some rather too crudely done.
Ranjeet Singh. Guier. Kangra. Kotla. Nurpur came ruthlessly exposing all the disfigured topography of
progressively under complete control of the Sikhs. his countenance. He appears at his best in some of
Artists from these centres moved to the Sikh court the equestrian portrait studies which are invariably
at Arnritsar and lahore for patronage and moulded in profile. An attendant holding a canopy. the
their art to suit the requirements of their new pat- traditional signia of royalty in India. over the
rons. And. after the death of Raja Sansar Chand. Maharaja. is seen walking alongside. Occasionally
Sikh influence became all the more conspicuous he has been painted conversing with dignitaries and
throughout and many a talented Sikh painter emerg- saints too . Some of his bust studies. on the other
ed. "In the Punjab. at Lahore and Arnritsar." writes hand. present horrible looks. indeed! The artist has
Percy Brown "the productions of several Sikh not faithfully rendered his facial features but ex-
painters found favour at the end of the nineteenth aggerated the appearance of pock-marks and the dis-
century. their work having a strange mixture of the figured left eye so uncharitably. indeed! Still. we
East and West. One. Kapur Singh. painted a large are happy to see a number of paintings. drawings.
number of figure subjects. miniature in size. and glasses and woodcuts of the Maharaja in spite of the
showing a very fair knowledge of drawing and con- indifference shown by him to the painter's art.
siderable action."2 This artist was distinguished and There is an important painting depicting the
highly accomplished and may be hailed as repre- Funeral of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh. perhaps done
sentative of the Sikh School. There was another from memory. The dead body of Maharaja is lying
Sikh painter of considerable merit in the Sikh atop the Sandal pyre. surrounded by his four Ranis
painting Court. named Kishan Singh who excelled and seven slave girls who are shown committing
in the painting of lovely damsels on glass. so remote 'Satti'in order to have eternal association with their
a phenomena in the realms of Sikh art. wrd even in the life hereafter. The picture. though
The Sikh School coincides with the Sikh King- representing historical event. is not charged with
dom. The credit for establishing this Sikh Kingdom air of gloom. pestilence and melancholy which is
with its strongholds at Lahore and Arnritsar goes quite natural on such mourning occasions. The'
solely to Maharaja Ranjeet Singh. But he extended Ranis' countenances are not tense with anguish .
no patronage to art. Rather he was indifferent to They appear rather calm and quiet!
it. so much so that he never entertained the idea of Though after the death of Maharaja Ranjeet
his likeness being recorded by painters. Thanks to Singh. the Sikh Kingdom started dwindling away.
the persuasion of the then Governor-General of still some of his successors showed very keen interest
India. Mr. Bentinck. the Maharaja agreed to give a in painting. They patronized art and artists. It is
sitting for the first time to a Delhi painter named due to the credit of these patrons that we have left
J iwan Ram who accompanied the Governor-General to us a good collection of portraits of some of the
to the Sikh court at Lahore. What was the cause of most outstanding figures of the Sikh royalty. It is
this insuperable aversion to portraiture? The ques- surprising. of course. to see so many portraits of
tion arises in the mind naturally. Answer is quite Maharaja Ranjeet Singh in the Sikh Art. In these
simple. Ranjeet Singh's face was badly affected by paintings he has been depicted in various different
pocks. It happened to be pitted with prominent positions-in one seated on a chair discoursing with
pock-marks. And. to add insult to injury. he had his a person; in a second skipping into a dialogue with a
left eye disfigured as a result of the said infection. lady. in a third riding a stallion; in a fourth sitting
. Nauurally. any person suffering so much at the hands in Durbar surrounded by courtiers and retinue and
of naure should be reluctant to sit for portraiture. listening to petitions. But in these pictures he has
We can understand and appreciate this attitude quite most frequently been represented on horseback.
sympathetically. It is indeed a strange coincidence It is in these 'equestrain portratis' of his that we
that the greatest figure of the Sikh kingdom should see him at his best
have been so indifferent to the art of portraiture Equestrian portraits of Sikh Gurus have also
which was the forte of Sikh painting and the most been rendered. Of particular note is the one of
distinguished contribution of the Sikhs painting and Guru Gobind Singh. now in the Victoria & Albert
the most distingllished contribution of the Sikhs to Museum. london . Portraits of Maharajas that follow-
Indian art. Maharaja's abhorance. however. relaxed ed in quick succession after Ranjeet Singh are equally
later on and he allowed one or rwo painters oc- numerous in the Sikh art. specially of Kharak Singh.
casionally to record his likeness. Anang Singh. Dhyan Singh. Suchet Singh.Hrra Singh.

42
Sher Singh, Nau Nihal Singh, etc. the landscape, setting in the background, etc. This
Verily, portfolio of the Sikh Art abounds over- amalgam of the Sikh and the Guier elements could
whelmingly in portraits of these and other digni- be better appreciated if viewed in the light of the
taries of the realm. These are, with the solitary ex- political developments of the period. Before the
ception of those painted by European masters at the establishment of the Sikh stronghold in Guier and
Sikh court, all in profile, some very elaborate and Kangra, the hill artists catered exclusively to the
painstaking studies and some only summarily treat- needs of the local Rajput princes. They represent-
ed. But a glance at them brings back to memory ed Rajput culture but afterwards, with the Sikh
the most distinguished and outstanding stalwarts domination, they seem to have attempted a syn-
of the Sikh kingdom founded by Maharaja Ranjeet thesis between the Raj put and Punjabi outlooks.
Singh. An excellent portrait study is that of Maha- What strikes at the first glance is a Sikh dignitary
raja Gulab Singh, now in the Victoria & Albert replacing the Rajpit prince.
Museum. This may be hailed as the most petfect In addition to the religious compositions, we
piece figuring among the portraiture produced by also come across occasionally scenes of social func-
the Sikh art. Maharaja Ranjeet Singh's son, Raja tions like Sikh priest presiding over a Wedding Rec-
Sher Singh was the first Sikh ruler to extend liberal eption rendered in paintings. Interest in private
patronage to Kangra painters after the demise of their life is equally m!lJ"ked. Composition depicting'
celebrated patron Raja Sansar Chand: Numerous 'Sardar Drinking With A lady' or 'Youth In Sikh
portraits are, therefore, forthcoming of this new Dress Dallying With A lady' under overcast sky
ruler in the Kangra Kalam. In these portraits he reflect the romantic moods, gestures and emotions.
looks gentle, calm and serene. And after the death But such compositions are few and far between.
of Raja Sher Singh, there was a flowering of large- Paintings of Durbar scenes are more significant. It
scale portrait painting for a short period around is in these that the genius of the sikh artists could
1845 . "But most of the portraits" according to Dr. be seen in its full bloom. The painting of the his-
Mulk Raj Anand "are attempts at glorification of torical "Uihore Durbar," that was held in 1846,
the new masters, mechanically contrived to show is pretty impressive in which the Sikh court appears
grandeur, without much sincerety of feeling·3." with all the attendant paraphernelia of the royal
Unfortunately, the political developments soon pageant along with the then Governor-General of the
eclipsed the cultural prospects. In 1848 the British British India.
declared war on Sikh kingdom, won and annexed The illustrated and illuminated manuscripts of
their territory . The school of portrait painting 'The Guru Granth Sahab' are acclaimed as another
flourishing so far under the patronage Sikh court distinguished contribution of the Sikh art. These
thus became disintegrated with the liquidation of hand written and profusely illuminated books vary
the Sikh Kingdom. in bulk and sizes infinitely. Right from the small,
The Sikh art has to its credit besides prepon- mini pocket book editions of modern times up to
dering portraiture, religious compositions, goua- two heavy and giant size editions such as the one
ches, drawings, Ivories, wood-cuts and illumurated in the National Museum, New Delhi, were prepared
manuscripts as welL But next to portraiture, artists by the scribes of the Sikh SchooL Several of these
concentrated on compositions frequently depicting have been very elaborately rendered and show their
their 10 Gurus. Some of the pictures show refined dexterity in the art of Calligraphy. They are fairly
treatment with all the touch of delicacy and refine- widely distributed in the museums. "Some copies
ment so characteristic of the Pahari Schools, while of The Guru Granth Sahab or Sikh Scriptures"
others stand only very summarily treated. There comments Dr. Coomaraswamy "are magnificant ex-
breathes an air of sanctity and serenity around amples of calligraphy, fairly well illustrated." The
these august personages though their facial features skill and dexterity accomplished by the scribes as
have largely been delineated from traditional ac- observed in these holy books is striking. Ranging
counts, not on actual observations. And some of from finest minute characters of Calligraphy up to
die inconsistencies in them become quite obvious very bold ones, are all to be seen, illuminated by
particularly when viewed in the historical perspec- profuse use of gold and silver inks, and illustrated
tive . Guru N anak, the first and foremost of Gurus here and there with miniatures. But the most as-
and the founder of the Sikhism, happens to be port- tounding feat in the art of calligraphy is to be seen
rayed along with Guru Gobind Singh, the last of in the regal inscription engraved comparatively re-
their 10 Gurus. Moreover, in these historical com- cently on a single grain of rice by a Sikh anist now
positions, except the Sikh personages portrayed, on display at the Patiala Museum. The writer per-
all else appear suffused with the Guier colouring - sonallyvisited and studied with magnifying glass

43
and was baffled to see the minuteness of finish in some of the European artists at the Sikh Court
the inscription rendered. Besides these, there are present the frontal view of the sitter like the one
also Lithographs, Woodcuts, and Glasses in which of the "Maharaja Dalip Singh on Throne." No
we most frequently see the outstanding figure of shadows are seen except slight toning and modeling.
Maharaja Ranjeet Singh represented . There is an ex- Flesh tints have been applied with smooth clarity.
cellent study of the 'Maharaja in Durbar' and Garments, turbans, Chair, Sword, Shield, etc. all
Twelve Heroes' in Woodcut also . Very occasionally have, however, been faithfully rendered .
we see interest in the genre themes as well, like 'Two
The Sikh Art and all its achievements have
Cultivators,' 'Two Akalis,' 'Sikh la!lcer,' or 'Sikh
been viewed from different angles. Goetz, an emi-
Groom with A l-brse.' But these are insignificant nent authority on Art, traces its origin in the late
as bulk of the Sikh art remains aristocratic in form of Kangra painting. He emphatically states:
character. ' .. . there was no room for Rajput romanticism
So far as the technical traits of Sikh painting and mystic symbolism .. .' 4 Dr. Mulk Raj Anand
are concerned, these lean heavily on the Pahari art, too has almost in the same vein written that since
specially of Guier and Kangra valleys. The same re- painters came from the Punjab Hills, "Therefore,
fined draftsmanship of Kangra School, the same the paintings of the early 19th century, under Sikh
delicacy of treatment and finesse are reflected vivid- patronage, cannot be called Sikh painting, though
ly. in their paintings. But, at the same time, there some Sikh artists were involved . ." 5 But Dr.
are some special features too observed in their Coomaraswamy, nevertheless, recognizes the entity
works which could be very convincingly acclaimed of a Sikh School: "and there exists" he observes
as the unique Sikh contribution. For instance, in- "a corresponding group of paintings, ranging from
troduction of canopy over the head of the royal about 1750 to 1850 which may be described as
dignitary. And absence of the traditional 'hookah' of the Sikh School." 6 On the contrary, Karl Khan-
altogether before them which is so frequently seen dalwala, another distinguished authority on art,
before the Raj put princes painted in the Pahari has but very poor impression of the Sikh School.
miniatures. Smoking, drinking, it may be recalled , "All the might of Ranjeet Singh's sword" runs his
were prohibited for the Sikhs. "Many of the Kangra caustic comment "could not enable him and his
Sikh paintings" observes Dr. 'Coomaraswamy "are parvenue court to create a school of painting even
identified by unshaven faces, never seen in Pahari fairly comparable to the Schools of Basohli, Guler,
art." Again, in contrast to the Pahari miniatures, Jammu and Kangra." 7
the painters of the Sikh 'C ourt introduced Sikh Authorities may differ with the achievements
turbans and other features characteristic of the of the Sikh School that flourished under Maharaja
Sikhs as an integral part of their compositions. The Ranjeet Singh and his successors but none can with
damsel dancing through the Rajput and Pahari the accomplishments of Arnrita Sher-Gil (1913-
minacure and forming the central attraction is alto- 1941) who appeared in the horizon of Indian Art
gether missing in the Sikh art. In the whole gallery in the thirties of our twentieth century with a new
of Sikh portraits there is overwhelming dominance message and vision, with. a new technique and pal-
of the masculine faces. Lady's faces are seldom ette. Although in her time she too was censured and
seen. They are very few and far between. This condemned by her contemporaries in India, parti-
again reflects the spirit of gallantry and heroic cularly of the Revivalist School, which branded her
grandeur inspiring the Sikh art. as a charliLtan. But today she is acclaimed as one
The style, of course, is traditional. "Barring of the greatest painters and precussors of modern
a tendency to simplification, a harder firmness, an Indian art. Inspired by the art of Cezanne and
almost total bycott of feminine" aptly observes Gaugin, she attempted a synthesis between the
Archer "it was Guier like in its fine and sensitive modern technique and Indian subjects and intro-
lines, its use of pink borders and blue margins ." duced a novelty in Indian Art. She has a vision, a
Even in portrait studies, the native artists of the mission and attempted to realize that with a revolu-
Sikh court relied more on conventional rather than tionary zeal. But the contemporary society was
realistic approach. The faces present the profile incapable of understanding her message! She was
view as in the Rajput, Mughal and Pahari art. Full very candid about her aim : "I realized my real
or three-<Juarter representation of the face is a rare artistic mission then" she explains in no ambiguous
phenomena in the Sikh art. The faces painted terms "to interpret the life of Indians, and parti-
look more like an image rather than portraits done cularly the poor Indians, pictorially," elaborating
in the right earnest. Of course, those rendered by her point she further observes" "to paint those

44
silent images of infinite submission and patience to particular, have every right to be proud of her
depict their angular brown bodies, strangely beau- pioneering achievements specially in the face ot
tiful in their ugliness, to represent on canvas the bitter criticism of both the press and public of her
impression their sad eyes created on me." And time. She died young, when but 28 , still she has
finally she sums up in a sentence. "I want to be an left behind her those crystalized and distilled vis-
interpretor of the atroicious physiological misery ions of intimate scenes of Indian village life which
that abounds in our country." B have immortalized her in the annals of art . Her
creative genius would have certainly done wonders
Only when viewed in the light these touching had she been allowed the normal span of life, had
observations of the artist that the fil!ures visualiz- the cruel hand of death not snatched her away from
ed in her paintings could be appreciated and admir-
us so prematurely. N everthless her contributions
ed, with their full import and meaning. The poor, to the growth and development of modern idiom
innocent, pestilence-stricken village-folks and their in I ndian painting have been immeasurable. She
hungry looks smitten with frigid pity, bleak miseries
lived , gave Indian art a new direction and disap-
and untold sufferings as observed in "Three Girls," peared dramatically, almost like a legend. What
"Hill Men " or "Hill Women" and in several other
she accomplished in such a brief spell, have not
compositions are so touching and moving, indeed!
been achieved by many others even during a full
These are perfect realizations of her cherished vision.
span of life. Beside her, we have another great
Behind these figures one can also perceive the per-
Sikh in Dr. M.S. Randhawa, a retired I.e.s ., who
sonality of the painter vividly reflected , her-large is a renowned scholar and distinguished connois-
sympathising heart full of compassion and the milk
seur of Indian art and has made pioneering contri-
of human kindness for the suffering multitudes
butions to awaken new interest in appreciation of
prepondering in the Indian countryside. If "art
Indian art, specially in the Pahari miniatures by
is communication," as Tolstoy held, Amrita Sher-
bringing to the lime-light many an aspecr that re-
Gil stands for it first and foremost!
mained undiscovered so far. His achievements
And her technical achievements in painting on the theoretical plane of Indian art match very
were greater still! Her approach was revolutionery well with the accomplishments of Amrita Sher Gill
in applying colours on to her canvasses. It is in this in the practical field of IndiJin painting. Their con-
sense that she was pioneering, showing a new ap- tributions have been complementary as, collective-
proach in rendering her pictorial compositions. ly, they embrace both the theoretical and practical
These innovations appeared foreign and unpalatable aspects of Indian att, making the picture a compact
in the revivalist atmosphere of her time. But she unity as a whole. "In nineteen thirties" remarks
thought only the modern Western technique was Dr. W.G. Archer "a Sikh painter, Arnrita, made a
suitable for expression and communication of her pioneering contribution to modern I ndian art, and
vision. So she went ahead with her new mode des- in the nineteen-fifties and sixties, it was the Sikh
pite all adverse criticism. "To interpret them with writer and Scholar, M.S. Randhawa, who inaugu-
my own technique" .. . she herself states express- rated a new phase in Indian art appreciation."10
ly "though not technically Indian in the tradition- We bow in high esteem to these two most illust-
al sense of the word, will yet be fundamentally rious figures produced by the Sikh communiry in
Indian in spirit."9 Stark simplifications in render- modern India whose pioneering contributions have
ing forms and of use flat colours in her composi- immortalized them in the realms of I ndian art once
tions are unique. Yet there breathes an air of In- for ever.
dianness around them. Her two great masterpieces
"The Toilet of rhe Bride" and 'Brahmacharies,'.
in the National Museum, New Delhi, are so charac-
teristically Indian in spirit, though the simplified 1. Or. Coomaraswamy: 'Rajput Painting '
treatment of the figures reminds of Tahitian Girls 2. Percy Brown: 'Indian Painting'
painted by Gaugin. Today she shines like a Pole- 3. Dr. Anand: "Album of Indian Painting" p. 167
Star in the firmaments of Indian Art. Many Ind- 4. Goetz: "Art of India. Of
ian artists derive inspiration from her. Her disting- 5. Anand: "Album of Indian Paintings."
uished contributions have nor only enriched the 6. Coomaraswamy: "Rajput "Painting"
great heritage of I ndian Art but also have added 7. Karl KhandaIawala: "Indian Minatures. "
a new dimension to it and shown a new direction 8. Sher-GiI: 'Story of My We:
to the contemporaty painters. 9. Archer: 'India & Modern Art' · p. 97
Indians in general, and Sikh community in 10. Archer: "Painting Under the Sikh."

45
THE SIKH SCHOOL OF ART AND ARCHITECTURE
*(s. Bhan Singh M.A., LL.B.)

The Sikhs School of Art and Architecture has of Anandpur Sahib at Mekh.owal. Guru G.obind
developed from the blending of the Kangra and the Singh built many Sikh temples and·f.orts such as
Moghal styles. The synthetic treatment of both has Kesgarh Sahib, Anandgarh, L.ohgarh, etc.
res tilted into what we term as the Sikhs School. F.or sikh art and architecture b.oth we must
The founder of the Sikhs School of Paintings l.o.ok t.o the Harimandir (the G.olden Temple) Amrit-
was S. Kehar Singh Artist who lived in the times sar which is the capital .of the sikh religi.on and a
of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Besides Maharaja Ranjit great centre .of fine arts. P.oetry and music i.e.
Singh, Kanwar Nau Nihal Singh and Maharaja Sher Gurubani and Kirtan were bestw.oed t.o it at its very
Singh patronized many artists like Kehar Singh, incepti.on; and sikh Sch.o.ol .of Art and Architecture
Kapur Singh and Hira Singh. has also flourished here.
But as far as the origin of sikh School of Sikh School of Art
architecture is concerned we cannot link it to a Art of the G.olden Temple pertains t.o the Sikh
specific person in Sikh History. The reason for Sch.o.ol .of Art. Bhai Kehar Singh was the .origina-
this appears to be the supreme spirit of devotion tor .of this Sch.o.ol .of Art. His nephew and pupil,
vyorking in the minds of the craftsmen who dedi- Bhai Bishan Singh worked in the Golden Temple
cated their heart and soul to their efforts. But so for a number .of years and his grandsons Bhai Nihal
far as the theory of synthetic origin of the School Singh and Bhai J awahar Singh (sons .of Bhai Bishan
is concerned, we do learn from Sikh History that Singh ) and M.ohant Ishar Singh als.o dev.oted a long
even the Sikh Gurus preached such a view in their time on the frescos of the G.olden Temple.
religious discourses. We find a number of refer- In Sikh School of Art, the artist depicts the
ences in Gurbani and J anam Sakhis to that effect. objects in their real forms by means of shades.
In Marguerite Allen's words: This Scho.ol has made a great contributi.on in the
"Sikhism, as established by Guru Nanak, not art of Chitrakari, a number .of varieties .of which
only .offered many new spiritual aspects t.o can be seen in the G.olden Temple - such as fresc.o
its f.oll.owers but als.o formed s.omething .of a painting, inlay work, Gach work, Tukri and Munavat etc.
synthesis of the then warring religi.ous - Hind- Works of fresco paintings are seen in the G.olden
uism and [slam. Guru Nanak's creed was the Temple in the corrid.ors, on pillars and window over-
.one-ness of G.od and the brotherh.o.od .of man. hangs on the Hrst floor, above Har-Ki-Pauri, in the
Hisfam.ouscry was, "There is n.o Hindu, 0..0 upper st..orey room and on the sides and roofs of
Mussalman," and under this banner he s.ought stairs. On the first floor most .of the work is re-
to emancipate w.omen, free men fr.om the novated by Bhai Atma Singh and Bhai Harnam
seQ urge .of caste and bring pe.ople .of all faiths Singh Naqqash. The works in the window ceilings
t.ogether under the fatherhood .of G.od. " are designs painted by Muslim artists hailing from
(The G.olden L.otus .of Amritsar - Page 4 ) Chineot.
The sikh Gurus were themselves great build- The old artists used indiginous colours made by
ers and had given definite shape to the style in arch- themselves for fresco paintings. But the repairs
itecture. Guru Nanak had built Kartarpur (Ravi) and retouchings have been done in oils. A curs.ory
after his own concept .of Temple architecture. Guru glance would show that the old-w.orks are definite-
Amar Das built the Ba.oli and Temple at Goindwal ly superb as c.ompared to the ret.ouched ones but
(Amritsar). Guru Ram Das added Sant.okhsar and the .old pieces are n.ot being preserved while the
Amritsar Sar.owar and f.ounded the town of Amrit- fresh designs and drawings made .on the lines and
sar, while Guru Arjan Dev Ji built the Harimandir patterns of the old artists are being preserved in
and the Tarn Taran. Guru Harg.obind Sahib built glass frames.
the Akal Takhat, Lohgarh, Kartarpur (Jullundur) Fine frescos were found above Har-Ki-Pauri
and Kiratpur. Gur Tegh Bahadur f.ounded ~e t.own where on the northern side was the painting of a
plant (bush) by Bhai Gian Singh Naqqash and on
·S. Bhtrn Singh, Ex-President All India Sikh Students' Federation; the southern side some by Bhai Nihal Singh and
Advocate, Legal Advisor, Shiromani Gurdwara Pathaodbak Com- BhaiJawahar Singh, the great fresc.o painters. These
mittee, Amdtsar is also Curator, Central Sikh Museum, Golden
Temple, Am ~i t sar. Being a keen aesthete of Sikh Art, he has dev.- works were superb pieces of fresco painting but all
eloped a unique museum of Sikh history in Durhar Sahib. of these have been retouched.

46
In these fresco pain tings and in the corridors Munavat of fine quality is also seen in the
one finds vines, plants, £lowers, leaves, cranes, lions, Golden Temple. It is done on the pillars, and arches
pea-cocks, fish and moths, etc. finely depicted. on the first floor and is visible while entering the
Gharwanjh (stands and dehins) showing cobras, main Temple and looking above the copper fencing.
lions and elephants clutching one another are drawn That is the work of a famous artist, Bbai Bishan
carrying flower vases in which fruits and fairies have Singh. His own writing on a pillar on the so uthern
been depicted . Human faces have rarely been shown. side' bears testimony to its authenticity. This work
There is one fine painting of Guru Gobind Singh and though about 150 years old, looks quite new. Time
Five Beloved Ones on narrow stairs. This painting has not affected its glitter. The golden colouring
is from the times of Maharaja Ranjit Singh who given to it befits the environment.
commissioned an artist from Kangra, whose grand- Munavat in stone is also found in the Golden
father 's painting of Guru Gobind Singh was lying Temple. On both sides in the Deodi and Har-Ki-
with Raja Sansar Chand of Kangra, to execute this Pauri specimens of Munavat in marble are seen.
work and got this fresco made after the original. Fine flower plants and insignias of the Sikh Regi-
This is one of the frnest specimens of fresco paint- ments who have sent contributions for the work,
ings. Guru Gobind Singh has been shown riding a have been depicted in white marble splendidly.
horse, two Sikhs are moving ahead of him, one Copper decorations covered with gold leaves
holding the falcon and the other the flag and fol- are predominant in the Golden Temple. On all .
lowed by one Chavar Carrier and three of the Five the four walls of the main Temple, carved co pper
Beloved Ones. The picture is representative of the plates may be seen above the marble slabs up to the
perfection of the artist. parapet. Plants, vines and £lowers bave been drawn
Floral designs of Bhai Gian Singh Naqqash finely and the plates are covered with gold leaves.
can he seen up to a height of about six feet in upper Such work is also there on the ceiling of the first
storey room below the dome. Bhai Mehtab Singh roof and beautiful designs are found on the para-
and Bhai Harnam Singh's art is preserved in the pet of the upper storey. Outside tbe main Darsha.ni
wider stairs. Th.e old Bungas of Sri Darbar Sahib, Deodi busts of Guru Nanak, Bala and Mardana
which have been demolished were the repositories have been drawn on a big copper plate covered
. of splendid paintings of important events of Sikh with gold leaves. Similarly chit/ar of Guru Nanak.
History. Signs of such frne paintings are visible even Bala and Mardana has been depicted on the wall
now on the walls of Ramgarhia Bunga especially of the main temple building facing the bridge.
on the pillar facing the Dukh Bhanjani shrine where Just above the cornice on this side is a grand de-
pictures of Maharajas and princes may be seen. piction of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, riding a horse and
But it is a pity that these are vanishing. followed by a sikh holding a Chavar and headed by
Inside the main Darshani Deori where marble a flag held by another Sikh. In tbe Har-Ki-Pauri
slabs have been fixed, Mohant Ishar Singh's fine above the marble section such copper work is also
paintings were depicted, which were appreciated by found; in the arcbes in the main temple a number
art critics wit.h one voice but alas these have also of verses of Guru bani are also written on copper
disappeared. plates.
On first £loor of Sri Akal Takhar and on the Inlay work (J aratkari) of precious and semi-
entrance walls of Baba Atal fine paintings depicting precious stones in marble is very import here . This
various events of Sikh History, anecdotes of Jan am- fine work figures all around the four walls of the
sakhi and Hindu mythology are painted. These are Golden-Temple up to a height of about 8 feet.
also very fine pieces of art. These are probably the most beautiful ~ieces of .
Gach-work has been done on the first floor mosaic. Amongst these are some very fine art speCl-
above the Har-Ki-Pauri. This is the art of Bhai mens. Trees, fruits, vines, reptiles and birds have
Nihal Singh and Bhai J awahar Singh artists. Here so fmely been depicted that one is wonder-struck
one finds verses of Gurubani written in gach (plas- by the fineness of work. Foreign visitors and art
ter) by Bhai Gian Singh Naqqash who had repaired critics very much appreciate these inlaid .designs.
some old designs also in this Balcony. The artists have shown their adeptness in selecting
Ornamental plaster-work is also found here stones matching in colour to the object depicted
above the Har-Ki-Pauri where incessant reading of and hair thread fineness has been sbown.
the old hand-written volume of the Guru Granth Besides the four-walls of tbe Golden Temple
Sahib continues through-out the year. I'ine glass- four additional beautiful works are in the Darshani
work is also seen here as well as above the main Deodi - two on each side. Inlay work is also found.
worshipping place. outside tbeparshani Deodi along the door-sides.

47
The various types of stones used may be described
as Jades.
In fact, the art of the Golden Temple is superb.
Every leaf, every design reflects air of spirituality
and gives message of peace, love, service and de-
votion. Creator's creation is depicted in manifod
form and uniformity of Creator is evident in the
variety of creation. No signs of compulsory labour
are found but spirit of sacrifice, renunciation, love,
service and art illuminates the environment.

FINE HLiGREE WORK AND GUT WORK IN GLASS A DESIGN OF THE INLAID MARBLE WITH
DECORATES THE CELLING OF THE CENTRAL DOME PRECIOUS AND SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES.
OF THE GOLDEN TEMPLE. AMRITSAR.

ARTISTIC COPPER WORK ON THE CEILING OF THE FIRST FLOOR OF THE GOLDEN TEMPLE, AMRITSAR.

48
THE SERVICES OF MAHARAJA RANJIT SINGH TO THIS
SACRED TEMPLE HAVE BEEN MENTIONED IN GURMU·
KHI CHARACTERS ABOVE THE ENTRANCE DOOR OF
THE SANCTUARY.

ANOTHER VIEW OF THE GOLDEN TEMPLE, AMRITSAR.

THE GOLDEN TEMPLE, AMRITSAR, A REPOSITORY OF


THE SIKH SCHOOL OF ART.

THE PICTURE OF A FRESCO , WHICH DEPICTS A SPECI·


MEN OF THE SIKHS SCHOOL OF ART. THIS IS A PANEL
WORK ABOVE THE FIRST FLOOR.

49
PUNJAB STUDIES CONFERENCE
·Mark Juergensmeyer

On March 21-23 of this year, the national Pun- of the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, and
jab Stuclies Conference was held on the West Coast, in the elegant conference room of Stephens Hall
for the first time since the bi-annual conferences at the University of California, Berkeley - a room
began ten years ago. The conference was sponsored with high-vaulted ceilings, carved wooden walls and
locally by the Sikh Foundation, the Center for South a stunning view of the campus through the tall win-
and South-east Asia Stuclies of the University of dows.
california, Berkeley, and the Graduate Theologi- The papers covered 3l). extraorclinary range of
cal Union, Berkeley. topics. The topics covered such diverse subjects
Scholars came to the conference from Univer- as the stories of Rajinder Singh Becli, the philosophy
sities throughout the United States and Canada, in- of Muhummad Iqbal, consumption behavior of Pun-
cluding Michigan State University, Tufts University jab cultivators, women in ~handigarh, Punjabis in
(Boston), Arizona State, University of Manitoba, Kenya, the Ahmadiya crisis, economic strategies
Bucknell, Rutgers, and many other Universities . of Punjabi migrants, Punjab untouchables, and the
There were about forty scholars attending, and all economic development of 'Sikhs in Vancouver and in
of them have done research studies on topics relat- california. Perhaps the liveliest exchange of ideas
ed to the Punjab. The scholars are members of the was over the Punjabi immigrants to North America
Research Committee on the Punjab, which is a sub- - why the immigrants are so successful, while re-
committee of the Association for Asian Studies. taining their own cultural identity.
The scholars are specialists in different disci- Some of the topics were quite specialized -
plines - such as economics, political science, history such as "Responsive Social Change in Lahore Dist-
and literature - but they have a common interest rict, 1849-1872," and "Political Socialization of
in their research in the Punjab. The idea for gather- Secondary School Children in Punjab;" other topics
ing together all such Punjab-oriented scholars was were more general, such as Surjit Singh Dula,i's
born ten years ago, at a conference of the Associa- "The Poetic Revolution and the Quest for the Cur-
tion for Asian Studies. Some of the original found- rent Reality in Recent Punjabi Poetry." But in ail
ers of the Research Committee on the Punjab were cases, the discussion was lively; regardless of the
Prof. N.G. Barrier of Missouri, Prof. Eric Gustafson research interests, the real topic of every paper
of the University of california, Davis, Prof. Kenneth was the Punjab. And each scholar there, knew some-
Jones of Kansas State, and prof. Louis Jacob, former- thing about that.
ly of the University of California, Berkeley, and now The climax of the conference was a Punjabi
at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. But dinner sponsored by the Sikh Foundation. Authen-
until this year, the conferences have been in the mid- tic Punjabi food was catered to a clubhouse on the
west and on the East coast, which is more accessible University of California campus; and the scholars
to most of the scholars. feasted on saag, chapattis, and Punjabi curries. Dr.
One of the reasons for having the conference Nar.inder Singh Kapany was the gracious host for
in CalifOJ;nia this year was the interest in Sikhism the event, and appreciation was shown to the organ-
and the Punjabi communities of California. Through izers of the conference: Prof. Barbara Ramusack
the sikh Foundation, arrangements were made to of the University of Cincinnati, chairperson of the
bring the scholars to the Yuba City Gurudwara, Research Committee on the Punjab; Prof. Leslie
by happy coincidence, a wedcling was taking place Flemming of the University of Arizona, program
there at the time, and the scholars were warmly arrangements; and Prof. Mark Juergensmeyer of the
welcomed into the wedcling party. Later that same Graduate Theological Union and the University of
day, back in San Francisco, the scholars attended California, Berkeley, conference arrangements.
the inauguration of the Ghadar Memorial Building There was a surprise feature at the dinner,
at 5 Wood Street, at which Consul-General Arora which made everyone there feel at home. Some-
and Ambassador Kaul presided. one started telling Punjabi jokes; and for an hour,
But the main focus of the conference was on one Punjabi story followed another, as each person
the academic papers presented by the participants remembered a favorite story to tell. Notable among
themselves. The sessions were held in the lounge the story-tellers were Prof. Vishu Sharma of West-
* Prof. Juergensmeycr is the Associate Director of the Graduate em Michigan University, Dr. Kapany, and Prof. Sam
Theological Union, Berkeley, California. Iftikhar of the Library of Congress, Washington,

50
D. C. Several of the scholars remarked at the con-
clusion of the dinerr that they felt as if they were
back in the Punjab.
The main purpose of the Research Committee
on the Punjab, and its bi-annual conferences, is to
stimulate research on Punjab-related subjects. The
conference this year acheived that goal; it produc-
ed some useful and interesting academic papers,
generated exciting discussion and provided a bit of
of the flavor of the real Punjab.
Mark Juergensmeyer

Local News
Ajaib Singh Sidhu

A SIKH RECEIVES HONORS AS AN OUTSTAND- at San Jose State University, California. The fol-
ING IMMIGRANT lowing five teams participated:
1. San Francisco 2. North California Hockey
Dr. R. K. J anmeja Singh was honored as an Association 3. Livermore 4. Moorpark and
outstanding immigrant from India at an Awards 5. Ventura.
D inner given by the International Institute of the The North California Hockey Association won
East Bay, California; held' in Oakland on April the championship by defeating Ventura by 7-l.
U,1975 . Dhugga Brothers (Ajaib Singh and Kashmir Singh)
The Institute presente~ the awards to outstand- were the stars of the game. Ajaib Singh Dhugga
ing immigrants from 30 different countries. Dr. was also the coordinator of the whole program.
Singh is an ex-trustee of The Sikh Foundation, A beautiful trophy and prizes were donated
and the past president of the Sikh Center of the by Mrs. Jit K. Brar, vice-president of the Sikh Center.
San Francisco Bay Area. Dr. Singh works with Sardar Ajaib Singh Sidhu distributed the prizes and
the California Dept. of Health. His contribution
toward the Mental Health and his involvement
in the community affairs were appreciated by all.

THE BAISAKHI SPORTS IN SAN FRANCISCO


The Sikh Center, San Francisco organised a
.
thanked all the players and officials who worked
untiringly to make the occasion a great success.
~

picnic and the first sports day in the Tilden Park,


Berkeley Hills on Sunday, 20th April, 1975 . More
than 200 people participated . The participants
ranged from the age of six to sixty. There was
something for everybody. It was the first time
that the American Sikhs and the Indian Sikhs got
a chance to meet informally and have a friendly
contest .
. The program was organized by Mrs. J agjeet
Kaur Sidhu and Mrs. Jit K . Brar. The prizes were
Mr. Dhugga. Captain of the Champions is being congratulated
distributed by Sardar Harbhajan Singh Grewal, the
by Sardar Ajaib Singh Sidhu.
president.
A WEDDING RECEPTION
THE BAISAKHI HOCKEY TOURNAMENT A grand wedding reception was given by Mr.
IN SAN JOSE & Mrs. Mohan Singh Randhawa of Berkeley, on
The Sikh Center, San Francisco sponsored a 31st May. 1975 to celebrate the marriage of their
hockey tournament on April 26th and 27th , 1975 sons, Gurdeep Singh and Arnrik Singh.
51
The next issue of the SIKH SANSAR (September 1975) will feature

SIKH ART
You are invited to submit articles, news items, and other
material pertinent to the subject. Deadline for manuscripts
is the 1st of August. Kindly mail all material to: .

The Editor, SIKH SANSAR


Post Office Box 727
Redwood City, California 94064

In future The SIKH SANSAR plans to feature special subjects such as


1. SIKH HISTORICAL SHRINES .
issues 2. MANAGEMENT OF SIKH ORGANISATIONS
3. S.IKH CONTRIBUTIONS TO INDIA'S INDEPENDENCE
4. SIKH WOMEN
You are also invited to submit articles, news items and other
material pertinent to these subjects. Please read carefully the
"Instructions To Authors" inside ba.ck cover.

Thakur Singh Sandhanwalia, the Singh Sabha


and the Duleep Singh Campaigu, Harbans Singh . .... .. .. .. . . .

Duleep Singh's Letter to his Relative in the


Punjab Sant Singh of Aima .. .. .... ...... . ..... . ........ .

Proclamation issued by Maharaja Duleep Singh ......... . ..... . .

English Translation of Maharni Jind Kaur's Letter


to Sir Henty Lawrence .......... .. .. .. . ... .... . .. .. .. .. .

In future issues of THE SIKH SANSAR ...... . .. ......... ....•


In the
previous My Memories of Maharaja Yadavindra Singh, Sardar H. S. Malik , . . ..

issue Growing Sikh Community Celebrates Sosth Anniversary


of Founders Birth ........... ... .. .. .. .... .. ... . ... .. ... .

Guru Arjun Dev, Poet of Divine Muse by K. V. Advani. .. .. ... .•...


Love that shapes radiant curves, by K. V. Advani . . . .. .. • ..... . . . .

Gurpurabs - 1975 and Other Important Dates - 1975 .....•. . ....•.

Listen 0 Pathit, and Learn!, Premka Kaur . ...... ......... .... .. .

Eton of the Sikhs, Ruskin Bond . . ............... ... ... . .. . . . .

Materials for the Study of East indian Histoty


in North America, Bruce La Brack . . . .......... ... .. ... • • .. .

S2
TRANSLATION OF JAPJI
S. Manmohan Singh

It is my pleasure to inform the readers of THE SIKH SANSAR that the Chief Editor,
has kindly consented to prinl excerpls of the English and Panjabi Transallion of Sri Guru
Granth Sahib, done by Sardar Manmohan Singh, B.A. (Honors), B.T., LL. B, Advocate,
on a regular basis in THE SIKH SANSAR, beginning wilh ilsJune 1975 issue. Two 10
four consecutive pages of the translation will be printed in each issue of THE SIKH SAN-
SAR; thus the full translation of JAPJI Sahib will be completely reprinted in the next
seven issues of THE SIKH SANSAR. If there is demand and interest shown by the read-
ers to obtain the complete translation of JAPJI, RAHRAS and KIRTAN SOHALH in a
paperback edition, the undersigned will explore the possibility of making this available
by offset printing of the original translation.
To facilitate Ihe understanding of the English and Panjabi Translation of Sri Guru
Granth Sahib as printed in THE SIKH SANSAR, the following points may kindly be borne,
in mind:
(1) To know the meaning of a particular word in the text (Gurbani In the
firsl column), the co"esponding numbers in the English and Panjabi
Translations may be seen in the superscript.
(2) In case of compound words in the text, the number precedes the first
part and succeeds the second part of the compound word of Gurbani.
(3) The co"esponding numbers in the columns are at the end of the word
or words concerned.
(4) To make full sense, read either the words in the first pair or in the
second pair of parentheses. The words in the second pair of paren-
theses ,denote the. literal meaning of the Gurbani.
(5) The sale number shown within the dots in a line of the text column
denotes the page number of Ihe 1430 paged edition of Sri Guru Granth
Sahib.
(6) The prime objective and endeavor of the author was to remain very
faithful to the text (Gurbani) to avoid unnecessary dilations and ex-
planations in the English and Panjabl Translalions.
This rendering makes available for the first time, the word-far-word translation of
the Gurbani into two languages simultaneously. The author. a literary giant of this century,
always believed and said ''Blessed. blessed is the Lord Incarnate Guru who had very merci-
fully bestowed this unique service unto me, a meritless slave of His." Since the death of
the author in 1969, little has been done in India or abroad to benefit the people of this
almost 5000 printed pages of the complete English and Panjabi Translation of Sri Guru
Granth Sahib. Let us join forces now to move forward in this direction .

Gurdarshan S. Thind, M.D. , M.S.


F.A.C.C., F .A.C.P.

53
[ I ]

-s·t ct t+
/ \'
'''t~' There is but' one" God' . ~f<Jq[g' m' fl:01' ~ I
'Rf3n'w ii!o31' \.10':1' True' is His Name, creative' His RtJT' a ~ '" O'H, ~, ~ til
mo' :i~' f?io" -~i'. p ~r50 nality7 and 12immorta jl3 His ~1' »G l2"fH013 ~ >!' ~.. I
1S:»c~1,8 form". He is without' fear', sans U
~ '~'. cito,·o-ofV3", '>!iIOH'"
nrn~"
~tfu·, \I
ii~" enmityJO,unborn and self-illumined".
By the
15

Guru's"grace18He is obtained.
<f ..
~-~'O.. U I
~ 1.IO'\J3 ~ at
- l7 >!1
oral i;!W18 ~

\I tI1::!" \I Embrace his meditation". <lR >!' fRl./ao" ~I


»!tfi'0 1I~' !!dlTfe" True21 in the prime!O, true in the 1iO'\@'. f~ W Zl , !;JOlT .:! I;!g" ~
1I~ II TI ij2.1 'R~ (Ij'Oo! beginning of agcs2f, true He is even W , ffur ~J ~ m" a »G ;) i'i'?ia I
fun" 'iff" ~ II "t II now" and true He, verily"', shall foRfu324 <11, ~J W ;J~" I
bc2:t; 0 Nanak !
1I~' Hf;f' (Ij '<m!l By pondering" on God man can not f~o" <i<fIi 'I»{!01 ~~ >!1 _3"
ii" lItrl ~"f~TO" II have a conception'!7 of Him, even F<l1' <i"l, "~'" l>fTt1)j! cW <1ra1" R'era
though" he may ponder over lacs ftl'>l' Oi'a I
of times28•
~il" ~4'" (Ij ~'I?l " Even though" one be 'silenl" and W~2 W !!tI 0i'0 053' »G 1.Jl 'e1
1f" ~ (IV'" remain absorbed" in the Lord's lOffi!3TCj33
lJ!3 »Ro 81031 a3, ~
constant33 love, he obtains35 not ~ Wi >!1 Hi31 30
lJl. T\I3" adt' ~ I
mind's silencc30 •
~,18 ~ (Ij ~cil" The hUll ger of the hungry" departs" li~" >!1 if!" o.:it'~, N
ljfQl>fT
ii iior'8 1jcijl)f"'g'o·· 11 not. even though they may pile up" ~ tI<1'oi" -e ~ >!l»tl thIt'o -e w
loads'· of the world's" valuables. <11 fu'~' '/)T '1'5''' ffi! I
Hull" fi:\»!rel.l'" ~l:l Man may possess" Ihousands" and fu7w" -e ~fB u.;rratu 3 mfl I>fOi'B Hmu
'5fu" :f' fuo! ('; ~" lacs of witsu , but~4 not even one ir.!", uo" f'e'Ol' m (wet -e ~ »fuo
~" II (avails him in the Lord's court) or C?R ~ ~ o.:it' ~,,1) Hi (~R.:! OTB"
(goes" with" him). ?i<Jl tlit!l") I
fiil£47 lIt.Jn/'o'" ~~ How" can we be true" and how l>iRr fu'R 3f" Ree 8 ;J ROi't? <fr 1113 fuR
fiil£ ~' ~'" \.I'~" II can the screen 5l of unlrulh'''be rent60 ? 3lJi
... !iO"
= '" taBT5I ~ tIT fIOre! (l ?•
~offi.I~2 ai'lil" tll'5-et" By obeying", 0 Nanak ! the pre- ;) i'i'?ia ! IiOi31 .:! W!?Oi'''.:! go.:! ~ iN
(Ijl<')cil ~, ,, ordained" order" of Ihe Lord of ~" .:! ~.. ~»{!O11
~ 1I"t1l will".
~cofl" ~fc;" »!'orr~" By the Lord's order"bodies" are produ- wet -e "fHO" W>I'O' Rilla" ~07 Uc') I~
~~ (') iilfunIi"''il'l!ll1 ced".Elis order can not be narrated" . '" "fHO~" ciI3r o.:it' tIT fIOre! I

(From : _English and Panjabi Translation of Sri Guru Granth Sahib by


S. Manmohan Singh. Vol. 1-8, 1969, Reproduced with permission of
Dr. Gurdarshan Singh Thind, Ballwin, Missour~ U.S.A.)

54
[ 2 1

wcOO ~ ;ft~.. With His fiat the souls" come ~. ~ 6<'Il'S r,rg
- -
,,<p"
=
;j'<1 R"il ""@'<!l,,p'o
-
~~~~"II into being'o and with His fiat great- 00 »r3 ~ ~ ~ r,rg til HW" l!O'lJ3"
ness" is obtained". ~t!" ~ I
~ (!3!j" <'>'l~ By His command the mortals are made ~ ~
- - ""H'O -
<1»1'OT tI'n1 WO':3 Me" - . ;:ie
uCilfu ~.. 'i!t/' IN''
-
~l){fu II
-- high"and low" and by His written" 00 »r3 ~ ~ f8c!31" WC>fO ~ iJ1 \t<l
command they obtain woe"and weal·~.
- 1.fT€?'~
:aJH1" :3 \jF.J1" - iJO I
.
feci" nt ~ lll:llilR'o Some" obtain gifts'· through His oW"p" ~ ~ <11l>l1fur»!' <IT<jr t!f3i,oiW!!<11"p
fufOl ~ Jr.!171 order and some through His order 00 »r3 ere1 ~R <11 ""fOJl>fT <l'iJ1' '>f1'i<T~
~l){fu". II are ever71 made to wander72 in trans- >iIi!O W~l til N<!le" uo I
migration.
~" ~"
-wufa"!!01}1
UOIll
-
lm! 0 II
All" are , ubjec.t" to His fiat and
none is exempt" from His /iat.
wil" ~ ~ '>fl1<l' R"il" "00 »r3 ~ ~ '>fl1<l'
3' ~. ~1 OiJr I ~ 0'001 ! ;lora" fuowo
UCiI'H ij"
(')1i")OI ~" o N anak! if" man were to ~ ~ ~ilWO ~ row' E?, 'ire" ~<!l;jj
-:l' ;~ll" ~ 0 understand'l7Lord 's fiat, then n0 78 one "jqro79 0" crii 80 I

lm! II~II would take'" pride".


~" ~82 ~ ~ Who" can sing'lHis might" 7 Who" ~ <!l ~183 ? ~~. OJ!feo81 ~ R<W ~
fcUl" ~ II has power" to sing it 7 fuR ~ OJ!f<!O "CO <1' ,,1r.1" mB llB" ~ ?
oR" ~ ;!1f3" iI~' Who can sing" His bounties" and <k @R- ~ 11lll3l>!i" i; = »rwtI" l>l3 ~
- i"!
o'tR'S"lI know" His resplendent effulgence"?
~'lJ ~8i ~90 Some" chant" the Lord's beautiful". ere1" lJ'>f'H1 <11'>{i~" ~FO!.Rc3Ie1..r·o
~~1" tJTCl" II excellences" and magnificences" . »r3 ~"pG1 OJ!f<!O" "cR 00 I
• : ~ ~+
aJl~ iii ~I''f~'' Who can chant God's bowledge"
- '= ~ frnl-l"?;
,ffiarcI .,' f"FI <11 Ail ~ ..
~g"ll whose stud y9S is arduous lU ? <niO" ~ , 'iic OJ! R<W ~ ?

~ iii wftI <fci" Some sing that He fashions" the <l<!l re.. OJ!f<!O m 00fur \t<l eiJ"
~'iiu" II body" and then reduces it to dust". .
l; ifij't!1" ~ :3 ~o Fm l;. fHil" ~ Fi'l"<!' ;) I
~ ~ ;ij~IOO ~. Some sing that God takes away' <rei re.. OJ!fuo ~-e 00 fur <1' fuQ!'I:
Nfaa ~. II Iife100 and again' restores' it. \{'CIOO '8 '8~' ~ :31:!'!' <!'1.IR' ~ ft:.!r ~ I
oR ~ iI!il' feil' Some sing that God seems' and <rei OJ!feo m 00 f" iJ<l1 ~d~' H~H
ma' »r3 13li't!'"
a

~
. II
~ ~~' U1~'
appears' to be far off'.
Some sing that He is beholding8 us
~,

oW oT'feo m
~ I
00 fur \t<l RTfi ~ tI<I3\1'
'\Rfa' II just face to face'. til i"!\I8 ~ ~ I

~,'0 0f1:fl" o ~t There is no dearth" of persons who ciiFl'!<1 <11l>lT f'ar»I'?; ciiRci lO ~u ~fu»iT

3fi"' II dwell uponll the Lord's discourses 1o• >JOllT <11 ~1 «HI" OiJl' I

55
SlKH ART
By
Dr. P. C. Buua*

In the year 1809 , Raja Sansar Chand of Kangra, Till long Lahore and Amritsar remained the
the Chief Patron of Art, in the whole of the Kangra main centres of Sikh painting. During the peaceful
Valley was forced to seek the help of Maharaja Ranjit reign of the mighty Sikh Rulers, arts, particularly
Singh the great Sikh Ruler of the mighty plains of painting-developed because of a number of important
Punjab-against the Gurkhas. Instead of the military factors. The factors were - wealtb and leisure. Thus,
aid that he received from Ranjit Singh he was obliged new avenues were opened for the artists to work.
to surrender the Kangra fort to the Sikh Emperor. The newly built havelis, temples, akharas etc. offered
It was due to his patronage that the art of painting opportunities to the painters. The artists started
flourished in the Punjab , in Lahore and Amritsar, and 'naqashi' work and were employed to decorate the
these places became the principal centres of art. The walls of the famousGoldenT~mple and other impor-
great Sikh Ruler permitted painters from Kangra and tant buildings that were coming up with 'mohara-
Delhi to settle in Lahore. These painters continued kashi' and jaratkari.' Wall paintings became an im-
to paint for their Sikh patrons in the unique tradi- portant way of decoration for the rich merchants.
tional Kangra style but this style was an adaptation of As a result of this, houses and big buildings
the Kangra style of painting to Sikh needs and ideas. were richly decorated with these traditional paint-
In this way it can emphatically be stated that Sikh ings and murals. We can say that the spirit of Pahari
painting is the direct successor of the Kangra school Frescoes was revived in their murals. Some of these
of painting. on the walls round the Golden Temple have faded
The earliest Sikh works of art were painted in away because they were not preserved in the man:
the period - 1815-1820 by the Guier artists depicting ner they should have been. Painting in the tra<lition-
the ten Sikh Gurus. These paintings depict the Gurus al style continued to be done until the end of the
riding a spirited horse with a hawk perched on one nineteenth century. A fine example of a mural of
hand along with a bow hung over the shoulder. this period is of a Punjabi woman from the Samadhi
These paintings bring out the fact that the Sikhs were of Vir Behem Nauriah at Amritsar . The whole details
martial people having great love for horses and wea- have been very delicately done up and the work gives
pons. Some of the portraits of the Sikh Sardars also us a good idea of the style. Another fine example
bring out the dignity of this powerful race. A very of the painting is.of Guru Nanak with Bala and Mar-
fine collection of the works of this period can be seen dana by Sardul Singh.
at the Chandigarh Museum . The paintings specify Sikh painting also .gives us a glimpse of the
typical Guier features which are the horizon tinged social conditions prevailing during that period . During
with red and gold, the characteristic architecture, the Muslims rule trimmed beards and skull caps were
gardens with mango trees alternately with tall cypress- popular even among Hindu Rajputs. During the Sikh
es, and beds of red poppies. A very fine example rule unshorn heards became prevalent. Portraits of
which confirms these features and characteristics some of the Rajas painted during 1840-50 show them
is a portrait of Guru Gobind Singh on horse-back, with unshorn beards. These portraits are of Raja
in the Chandigarh Museum. Painting at Guier was Dhian Singh, Hira Singh, Suchet Singh, Gulab Singh
done in Sikh Style from the last years of rule of Raja and Ranbir Singh. Dogra Rajputs too in order to
Bhup Singh, i.e. 1820-26 up to the end of the rule please their masters grew long beards. These portraits
of Jai Singh in 1884. There are innumerable paint- give us an idea about the people and rulers of that time.
ings in which J ai Singh has been depicted hunting, The portraits often convey to us the features of their
riding on horses or elephants or being present at dignity and wisdom. These portraits bring out their
ceremonial occasions, where he looks like a Sikh brave character and their personality.
Sardar. The Bazar style paintings which were popular
at Amritsar often were of religious themes. Guru
,.. Dr. P. C. Barua is Head of the Department of Fine Arts, J. V. Jain Nanak , the Hindu Gods and usual subjects were their
College, Saharan pur. (U.P.) INOlA . He is a member of All India F ine main interest of painting. This style of painting was
Arts and Crafts Soc iety , New De lhi; and Board s of Studies, on fine
Arts, Universities of Meerut , Agra and GuhwaL Publ ished paintings the result of a mixture of three styles which flourish-
"M odern Reviews," "Saptahik Hindustan Art News" and "Caravan" etc. ed during that time. The artists 'saw prints of Euro-

56
[ 2 J

WC!HI ~ til))!" Witb His fiat tbe souls" come ~. B FJ.!TS DB jjUi" ~'t! f"<r,j ""\1'<!l»fi'"
gOCrH fW5'~~"1I into being" and with His fiat great- 00 '>!3 ~ ~ ~ DB <it ff'(;" lJOTt8"
ness" is obtained". ~~I
~ '13 !:l" <'il~5 By His command the mortals are made (ffl ~ Gaff'(; <!l)fTijT urol W" 3 Ht1" <iB
- - - '" -
'Uotfi! mN""i!'f/' Jll;I" high"and low" and by His written" 00 '>!3 ~ ~ fm8l" ~ ~QT <11 \1<1
-
'l.ltiI))([u II
-- command they obtain woe"and weal.... iIDil" 3 \jF.ll"1MrB <JO I
re<t' ()I ~ IN'Rl'R'. Some" obtain gifts'· through His ,mill)fi" "§ ~ <!1 '>fTfur'>f' OT<Jr t!T3i"fi.l8;ill)fi

-
MOl 'Uoofl JR'"
:!R1l!1))([U". II
order and some through His order
are everll made to wander72 in trans·
<JO »i3 «tTl ~ ;il '>fTfor'>f' 0T<Jl' ~~
""'" FRl,.71 ,,1 ~elB72 "0 I
migration.
goc~ ~" ~~" All" are subject" to His fiat and flTij" ~ e '>f){O '>!3 ~ B '>f){O
f<r,j7' "<r1;
ll'Ufa" "QC(}f ('5 l!m! II none is exempt" from His fiat. 3' llTiJO" <k'I otir I iJ oroor !;:roro" reowo
0100( ucOl 1i" ~" o N anak! if" man were to ~ ~ ~CJHTo ~ flH~77 ~, ",," mol ID
3" ~1I" cm.o ('5 understand"Lord's fiat,then no" one <:foro" or ern RO I
II~ II
lffe would take" pride".
~., iiI"~" ~ Who" can sing'tHis might"? Who" ~
t!1 F.l<E1" "§ ik" orfen" ail ~ ~ ?
fcUi"
~~~.~'
-
gre" II has power" to sing it? fl!fl ~ orfuo aoo t!' oil;ffi" -&f8" 118" ~ ?
Who can sing" His bounties" and ik @w<!ll)ft llllHW" »f8TtI" '>!3 (ffl B
-
*c -

<'il'Rl~ II know" His resplendent effulgence"? oorol


c tIQ31\I88 ii • mIS"' ~ ~ ?

~.' iii" ~" Some" chant" the Lord's beautiful". ",,1"9 lJ'>fTHl <!l»it ~o" ~f,!?C3'l:ll)fi80
~tiI))!l" tITa" " excellences" and magnificences". '>!3 lIi;!l!OfIl)fi'1 orfen" ,,<R 00 I
+! ~ t+
CJ1~~~~" Who can chant God's kRowledge" ....fuaIo ~ f~H"ii, f0:J t!1 A\l" f"<r,j'O"
whose study" is arduous'S? ''I07i'~c~, ~G or ~ ~ ?
"tltJ15!" "
oR iii 'Rlf;! ~" Some sing that He fashions" the at!l fi:cr orfeo aoB fa ~ ;'j""
<JO

:!?!' 'Qu" " body" and then reduces it to dust". i; d'ilt!''' ~ ;1 ~ fl!fl i; fHC1" ail fi'!t!' ~ I
c -

~ ~ ;:iI))!IOO ~' Some sing that God takes away' mil fi:cr orren- aoB 00 fa .... fuqji;!
~. ~. " life100 and again3 restores. it. \{'GIOO ii ii~2 ~ 3li'!'~' -,} f€t!T ~ I
oR iii 1I~' f~' Some sing tbat God seems' and mil orren- aoB 00 f" <101 ~d"'~)j
-era'
c
II appears' to be rar off'. ~' '>!3 lJ~' ~ I
~ ~~' ur~a' Some sing that He is beholding' us cre1 orfuo aoB <JO fa ~ ~ ~ \I03lol'
.
m!fa' "
~'. mfl" ('5 ))I1t
just face to face'.
There is no dearth" of persons who
<it ~, fC<JT ~ I
ijjfilt! '<!l»i" for>fro ~,tO f~u .... fW>i'
dwell uponll the Lord's discourses". If<!f.I' <!1 ae1 C/Hl" o<Jl~ I
3ft' "

55
pean paintings, along with the traditional local Kangra beggars, carpenters, goldsmiths, water carriers and
style, and mixed both these styles with the folk art people who played an important role in the day to
forms. The characteristics of these three can clearly day affair of a person. This was a very clear sign of
be seen from the work done in that period. One thing British influence over Sikh Art.
can be said about the work of this style that it never Some painters like Malia Ram and Hari Singh
attained maturity like the other styles. of Amritsar and Allah Baksh and Hussain Baksh
of Lahore all continued to .work in the western style.
During the years 1850-1870 paintings on ivory With the establishment of the Mayo school of art
became quite popular. Paintings of Maharaja Ranjit at Lahore in 1875 a new movement began in paint-
Singh, Maharani Jind Kaur and sons Kaharak Singh, ing whicb took a trend towards experimentation.
Sher Singh and Dalip Singh along with his courtiers -
In the modern contemporary world Shobha·
Faqir Aziz-uddin, Raja Dina Nath and generals - Hari
Singh Nalwa, Sham Singh Attariwala and Phula Singh Singh who has settled at Andretta in the Kangra
Akali are fin~ examples of the period. The best exam- Valley paints portraits of Guru Nanak who is his
ples of painting on ivory is a portrait of Phula Singh favorite theme. The paintings are filled with mysti-
holding a sword and a spear while seated on a chair. cim and bear 'shanta rasa. ' In this way we can say
Other centres of Sikh Painting besides Lahore and that he has kept up the tradition of painting 'icons'
Amritsar were Una, Anandpur, Kapurthala and Patiala. and has confined to ' the Sikh needs and ideals.
Una was founded bv Baba Dala Dhari who was a con-
tempory of Guru Gobind Singh. His son, Sahib Singh
was the spiritual guide of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and
was regarded as a very spiritual person among the Sikhs.
The Maharaja respected him a great deal and pre- A REQUEST TO THE SUBSCRIBERS
sented him an illustrated copy of The Guru Granth
Sahib. It is a very fine example of Gurumukhi Calli- Please check the top of the address label on the
envelope. THE NUMBER ON THE TOP LEFT IS
graphy and beautiful illuminated illustration. Sahib YOUR REFERENCE NUMBER. Make a,note of
Singh too was a great patron of painting and spon- this number and quote it in all correspondence,
sored quite a number of Kangra artists. A series of especially When you renew your subscription or
Janam Sakhi paintings depicting events from the life notify us about any change in your address.
of Guru Nanak were painted under his patronage. THE NUMBER ON THE TOP RIGHT IS THE
A famous example of this series depicts Guru Nanak EXPlRATION DATE OF YOUR SUBSCRIPTION
seated attended by Bala who is wearing a Chauri e.g, 3/79 - it means that your subscription expires
and Mardana.'ln front of him are two devotees. in March, 1979. Please see if your subscription is
due now. The letter 'L' indicates that you are a
In the second Sikh war the name of Ajit Singh Life Member.
Ruler of Ladwa is mentioned with great importance. Renewing your subscription every year is a
Ajit Singh was removed from the throne by the bothersome affair to you, and it is an unpleasant
British because he joined hands with the Sikhs in task for us TO remind you about it. I take this op-
the second Sikh war. His portrait is displayed in the portunity to request you to become a Life Member.
Chandigarh Museum and reveals his gallantry and his The subscription is ouly 150 dollars. In case it is
patriotism. not possible, remit your subscription for at least
four years - only $20. Most of the subscribers
After the Punjab was occupied by the BritiSh, have already done that. Please consider it.
painting was influenced by the western culture. The If the TOP RIGHT HAND IS BLANK your
British Officers whose main interest was natural life subscription has already expired. We have kept
influenced the artists of that period. you on the mailing list temporarily; we do not
want you to miss any issues of the Sikh Sansar.
Natural and daily life took over the place of
Please send your subscription (check or
Gods and Gurus in the painting. Some where in the money order) to:
second half of the 19th century, an artist by the The Sikh Sansar,
name of Kehar Singh painted contemporary life in Post Office Box 727
a life like manner. His paintings gave us a general Redwood City, California, 94064
glimpse and idea of life in the Punjab at that time Ajaib Singh Sidhu
of the century. We see the painted portraits of Assistant Editor

57
An invitation
topou
to join us in our efforts! A unique opportunity for you to participate in the
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States and Canada .. . through subscription to THE SIKH SANSAR.
We also seek your help financially (send subscription), intellectually
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Post Officc Box 72 7
Redwood City, California 94064

S8
PROF. TIRLOK SINGH - A FORGOTTEN SIKH ARTIST
By
R. P. Srivastava '"

People generally remember those giants who rangement of pandal of Indian National Congress
are superimposed in the heirarchy of publicity- session held in 1929 at Lahore (now in Pakistan).
backed and money-flushed society but rarely write It was S. Tirlok Singh who made plans and designs
and read about those who nurture the very root for this Congress s.ession Pandal, .approved by Civil
of that society. He is a man who has worked Engineer Radha Kishan. Full throated apprecia-
through-out his life without demur and grudge - tion was done by the then Secretary of the Punj ab
and never bothered for official recognition nor did Congress Dr. Gopi Chand Bhargava. Four main
he ever hanker after Government prizes and awards gates were painted by S. Tirlok Singh. Thereafter,
like most of his contemporaries, yet he continued he painted the screens of Rama Club at Tarn Taran,
his work selflessly and cons.cientiously. This was District Arnritsar. Between 1930 and 1942 he kept
the fate of shy Tirlok Singh who was born on 2nd himself busy collecting laurels of his hard earned
March, 1912 in the traditional Ramgarhia commun- merit for creative work. Now started his career
ity of Jhabal village of District Arnritsar. Having in the princely order of Punjab Chiefs beginning
lost his father at the age of seven, he was forced with Faridkot. Maharaja Faridkot appointed him
to do the jobs for others to earn his living until he state artist in 1942 where Tirlok Singh decorated
got the shelter of S.G. Thakur Singh, (some 13 the history of Faridkot State which is considered
years senior to him) of village Verka, District Arnrit- to be the best achievement of his life. Then, Mahar-
sar, from whom he learned the rudiments of draw- aja J agjit Singh of Kapurthala State invited him to
ing and painting. Those were the days of British prepare the portraits of Maharajas who were gather-
supremacy and aristocracy in northern India. Rich ed there on the occasion of the opening of Gurud-
people liked to embellish their homes with wall wara Shri Ber Sahib. Patiala was his last resort
paintings and ornamentation work. At the same where Tirlok Singh was invited to join local Victoria
time religious denomination of both Sikhs and Jubilee Girl High School in 1948 as Lecturer in Fine
Hindus were filled with religious' myths and legends. Arts. From there he shifted to Government College
For the execution of this type of building and de- for Women, Patiala, in 1955, where he was the first
coration work, masons, artisans were engaged. art teacher to introduce the subject of fine arts in
They were deft hands in all types of work. Tirlok Patiala region. He retired from this prized post
Singh had experience of this rype of work also in with pride and acclaim on 2nd March 1970 and has
his early teens. His training began under the expert now settled at Patiala.
guidance of S.G. Thakur Singh who had earlier 1n good old days the fine arts were patronized
been trained under the Lahori artist Mohammad by the Royal Courts but things have changed in
Alam. people's era which we call democracy in the pre-
In 192 3 Tirlok Singh shifted to Calcutta metro- sent context of vox populi, vox Dei. Either public
polis along with his teacher-helper S.G. Thakur Singh should come forward to support him or Govern-
to work as set-painters of Madan Theatres. Here he ment engage him in some artistic activity of some
worked to the best of his ability. He learned many social use as is true of socialist countries. At long
things of his trade for six years. The mature train- last an exhibition of his paintings was organised
ing and experience which Tirlok Singh had in Cal- at Government Museum and Art Gallery, Chandi-
cutta environment was to become a turning point garh, and inaugurated by Dr. M.S. Randhawa,
in his career. Painting sets for the theatres of Cal- renowned art - critic and art historian,
cutta prepared him for the forthcoming adventur- Vice Chancellor of Punjab Agriculture University,
ous assignment which he performed after his return Ludhiana. on 4th April, 1974, where some of his
to the Punjab in 1929. masterpieces were sold. Official recognition came
How intriguing it is to note that freedom fight- very late when Hon'ble Chief Minister Giani Zail
ers were awarded 'tamra-patras' and pensions but Singh inauguated Prof. Tirlok Singh's exhibition
nothing was done to honour the persons who con- of paintings in Central Public Library, Patiala, on
tributed towards the decoration and cultural ar- 9th March,1975. Han 'ble Chief Minister Zail Singh
announced an award of Rs . 5,000/- in recogni-
*Professor R.P. Srivastava is Head of the Department of Fine Arts,
Government College for Wo men, Patiala, Punjab. IndLa. He is also tion of his services to the promotion of fine arts
the Guest Editor for this issue of The Sikh Sonlo,. in the Punjab.

59
CHARACTERISTICS OF HIS PAINTINGS own sensuous enjoyment. "Birth of Guru Nallak"
Although Punjab has produced many talented (Plate 2) and "Guru Nanak with Bhai Lallo and
artists but most of them have worked as free lance Mardana " are the highest achievements
artists . Prof. Tirlok Singh is the only exception of Prof. Tirlok Singh. Here it is that he excels the
in this direction who, while te.aching in the Pepsu western masterstof oil pa.inting in Netherlands.
(now Panjab) Education Deparqnent - produced (Rambrandt and Van Dyke) and Americans (Andrew
masterpieces of his life which push him to the pin- Wyth and Whistler) in successfully catching the
acle of his glory in the field of art. Working through aura of the scene and the spirit that pervaded the
the medium of oil over which he has complete celestial personality of the day. The entire scene,
mastery, he has painted the themes from the pages the composition, the serenity on the faces of the
of glorious Sikh history. He is the first Sikh artist figures and the catholicity of the human behaviour
to introduce Sikh historical themes in painting. of Great Guru are some of the points at the crux
Some of his noted contemporaries like Tarlok Singh, which need silent meditation of any serious onlook-
Kirpal Singh, Sobha Singh, S.G. Thakur Singh and er of art of religious rustory. It is one of the most
Mrs. Phula Rani have also done Sikh historical themes famous paintings of Prof. Tirlok Singh, now in poss-
but with difference. Tirlok Singh stands out as a ession of Guru Nanak University, Amritsar, which
remarkable embodiment of two mediums, i.e. , he exhibit rus tenor in pa.inting at the highest pitch.
successfully weilds his brush and colour both in Considered ills "Benaras Da Ghat" (Plate 3) which
water colour as well as in oil. shows his interest for pa.inting landscapes. Although
One's em(5tions flare up when you see the several hundred artists have drawn and painted
"sacrifice of tlVO SOliS of Gutu Gobilld Singh. " Benaras Ghats hut rus is a uruque painting. Then
by Moghul tyrants. How superb is the comes "Sohni Mahiwal" (Plate 4) a famous love
depiction of the whole composition coupled with legend of the Panjab, "Mata Gujri with her Grand-
the effect generating emotions, tyranny versus human sons, .. is again a silent depiction from Sikh history
sympathy. Perfection in this case is of such a high but there is a sign of anti-climax towards the eve
level that one is impelled to conclude that this artist of his life. It is most probably due to the los~ of
was an eye wi mess to the scene and painted each eye sight and also to high pressure of diabetes.
minute detail of the Story with masterly stroke of His "Musician" is just a mediocre atempt
the hrush! Then, coming to "Elld of Massa Rangarh " which justifies our earlier statement that a down-
(Plate 1) is a forceful execution of scene of assass- ward trend in his work was dearly discearnible
ination of Massa Rangarh within the holy precincts now. However, an encouraging and healthy scoop
of Durbar Sahib by the two Sikhs of Bikaner. Massa is provided by "Guru Gobind Singh" but
Rangarh was awarded this punishment for misusing it does not fulfil our expectations from his earlier
the holy shrine as a place for dancing girls for his work, e.g. "Guru Nanak with Rhai Lallo . ..

I
PROF. TIRLOK SINGH ARTIST WHO PIO-
NEERED THE CAUSE OF FINE ARTS IN
PANJAB AND PATIALA SPECIALLY.

60
PLATE I - END OF MASSA RANGARH - DECEMBER
1950, WATER COLOUR - 1'-6" x 2' (ARTIST'S COLL-
ECTlON) _
PLATE 3 _ BENARES DA GHAT, FEBRUARY 1962 -
WATER COLOUR 2'-6" x 2' (ARTIST'S COLLECTION).

PLATE 2 - BIRTH OF GURU NANAK - 12TH DECEMBER


1959_ WATER COLOUR. 3'-6" ,,3' (COURTESY LIBRAR Y,
GURU NANAK UNIVERSITY, AMRlTSAR).

PLATE 4 - SOHNI MAHIWAL - AUGUST 1962, WATER


COLOUR - 28-6" x 2' (ARTIST'S COLLECTlON)_

61
Book Review
LOVE IS STRONGER THAN HATE THE TRANSFORMATION OF SIKH SOCIETY
(a rememberance of 1947) by Ethne K. Marenco - The Hapi Press, 512 S.E.
By - Dr. Khushdeva Singh Maplecrest Drive, Portland, Oregon 97219, 1974
Published by - Guru Nanak Mission, Patiala, India. 342 pages - $8.95
Dec. 1973: 117 pp., paperback. Price: Not quoted .
It has become unpopular in the post-British
The year of 1947 was marked by violence on India to refer to Sikhs as a separate society. Ed-
the Indian subcontinent. In this fateful year, the ucated Sikhs would only reluctantly admit to the
British left India; and the area was divided into two existence of any caste systelTl in their society. A
dominions - Pakistan and India. foreign scholar on the other hand can look objec-
The political leaders of the time, who were sup- tively at the panorama of Sikh history . The Trans-
posed to shape the destiny of the two nations, proved formation of Sikh Society , a new book by Dr. Ethne
to be quite helpless due to the lack of the art of self- Marenco, represents objective incisive and extensive
governing lost over the centuries of foreign sub- research into the dynamics of the religious, social,
jugation. economic and political forces that shaped Sikh Soc-
The crisis of the Spirit looked even deeper, iety after the time of Guru Nanak through the rise
especially, when seen from the lofty ideals of the of The Sikh Empire and until the end of the Brit-
Gandhian heights. The moral fiber of the Spiritual ish Period. The thesis of Dr. Marenco's book is that
East - India being the focal point - proved to be just a kind of caste system analogous to but different
the tattered rag. People played fraud with Farid, from, and with less rigid heirachy than, the Hindu
and nonsense with Nanak. caste system, evolved among the Sikhs. Through-
The saga of that time, as narrated in the pages out the book the author illustrates the mechanism
of Love is Stronger Than Hate, is but a sad, silent of corporate caste mobility by which the members
sob of the sagging sunken spirit. While going througb of a formerly lower status caste achieved higher
the pages of this book, and recalling my own offi- status as a group through religious conversion, edu-
cial duties of supplying food to the stranded Mus- cation, by discarding traditional occupations, ,
lims in Simla, - a town hardly 30'miles away from changing the name of their sub-castes, acquiring
Dr. Khushdeva Singh's place -1 kept on adoring land and even by claimlng ancertrallink to some
this great person. While everyone else had gone ancient personage of high status.
crazy and blood-thirsty, Dr. Khushdeva Singh was
busy saving the life and honor of all who needed Beginning with the definition of the caste sys-
help. tem and its various aspects in the Indian context,
The survivors, their relatives and friends pour- the author then discusses the characteristics of
ed their hearts and souls in the letters they wrote social classes on the European pattern and later em-
to this man of God . Out of these three hundred phasizes the coexistence of caste and sodal class
and seventeen letters he received from his Muslim as factors determining prestige among the Sikhs.
friends living both in India and Pakistan, only about The changes in the Sikh society as a result of the
a tenth of them have been included in this book. actions of the ten Gurus, the large increase in the
Their facsimilies fascinate the mind. (A great many number of Sikhs during the rise of the Sikh Empire
of them are in Urdu - the official language of the followed by the sharp decline as a result of the end
joint Punjab.) And their English translations trans- of Sikh political power and the resurgence during
cend the soul. The author has added a thrity-page the British era are established with supporting data.
personal account of the tragedy which is deeply
touching. The author discusses the way in which the
Besides its human value, the book documents, economic, technological and educational and in-
for the historians, a moving episode from the recent dustrial changes, land laws and settlements, in canal
past. And above all, the reader will renew his faith colonies, affected the status of various castes among
in humanity and replenish his own moral and spirit- Jats, trading castes, artisan castes, and others among
ual reserves. the Sikhs and traces their development under what
What greater reward? she refers to as the benevolent British attitude toward
the Sikhs. She presents impressive statistical census
Hari Singh Everest data from 1901 and other years to support the

62
Book Review

~ .
thesis that all castes among the Sikhs were better . THUS SPAKE THE TENTH MASTER
off economically, educationally, and had a socially M itar Piare nun . . . . .
advantageous position than their counter-parts in o Love,
the Hindu and Muslim religions. The author's asser- I tell Thee of the state of Thy lovers!
tion that despite the caste-breaking Sikh dogma, the Separated from Thee,
castes reassembled into a new heir achy with the J at The cosy bed hurts,
Sikhs occupying dominant position analogous to And the high mansions sting
Brahmins in the Hindu system, is not likely to be like a snake.
accepted without question. The goblet pierces
Dr. Marenco shows remarkable insight into the Like a lance,
workings of the society on those days. For example The cup strikes
she observes that many Hindu families raised one Like a dagger,
son to be a Sikh due to the favorable climate for And the meats tentalise
the Sikhs during the British rule, and that various Like a butcher's knife.
Sikh castes practised hypergamy (they would ac-
cept brides from Sahjdari Sikh families of their orig- With Thee, 0 love,
inal castes but would not marry their own daughters I'd prefer to selep on the hard ground:
into such families) and that a greater percentage of For, cursed is the living with those
Khatri Sikhs who remained Sahjdharis during the Whom one loveth not.'
days of the Sikh Empire, fell back into the Hindu (Khayal)
fold after its decline. , RASA VAL CRRAND - Vachittar Natak
Without trying to nullify the authors claim Dazzles the sparkle of His Sword,
about the caste system, it is not hard to fmd counter Who's utterly dreadful, and is contained
examples in her own writing. For ex ample, the not by the elements.
Phulkian dynasty and the misal whom she refers to And when He perforrneth His death-dance,
as Rajputs in the early part of the book are later How dolefully His bells toll and knell!
called Jat Sikhs. These Phulkian famili es usually He, the Holy, Four-armed One,
married among the J at Sikhs thus amalgamating Of a lustrous hair-bun,
their original caste. Not adequate weight is given He wieldeth the Mace and the Club,
to the fact that the Sikh doctrine did much to break And brusheth the swollen head even of Death.
the old caste barriers and that the residual caste
structures resembled a class system and were appar- His Auspicious Tongue is of blazing fire.
ent largely because of the traditional occupations His Jaws are sheer dreadful :
and because marriage was a bond between families When shrieks His horrid Conch, the whole universe
in which the married couple had little say. The reverberates with its raucous notes.
book does not contain any glaring errors except the Auspicious and Holy is His dark Beauty.'
inconsequential one referring to Diwali instead of Which embellisheth each and every abode.
Baisakhi, as the day of the creation of the Khalsa. How magnificent is His Pure Form,
A serious flaw in the book is the considerable degree Yea, He is the Holiest of the holy.
of repetition of facts especially in the latter part
of the book. Careful editing should have eliminated (Translated by Dr. Gopal Singht)
this shortcoming. · The o riginal reference is to the Heer S tory. in which Heer w as
m;uried o ff to a Khera against her wishes. but who refused to live
Overall, the book is highly informative and en- in wedlock with any but her Jover.
joyable. The impressive list of references indicates
t Or. Go pal Singh (High Co mm issioner of India in Guyana),
a diligent research effort. I would recommend the the celebra.ted author of the translation o f "Guru Granth Saheb"
book to those Sikhs anxious to learn about their into English free verse, has now completed an equally remark abl e
social history and heritage and to any scholars of the work . an English translation o f the "Selections &om th e Dasm
Granthn • w hich is currentJ y being published by th e Punj abi
history of the PUNJAB. Univ ersity, "fatiala, who are also bringing o ut his "History o f th e
Dr. Gurnam Singh Sidhu Sikh People" in two. vo lum es.

63
It has been said of Sikhs that they are too busy making their history to record it. With the exception
of a small number of dedicated scholars (such as Prof: Ganda Singh, Khushwant Singh, etc.) this is unfor-
tunately true, particularly in North America. This situation need not continue for there is a significant
amount of published material available for the researcher of Sikh history in the United States and Canada.
The difficulty is that such materials are scattered over a seventy year period, often to be found in obscure
journals or in special collections. In order to promote and facilitate research by Sikhs on Sikh history, the
Sikh Sansar will reprint a series in successive issues that is perhaps the most extensive bibliography now
available on South Asian immigration to North America. Originally compiled and annotated by an anthro-
poligist working among California Sikh communities, the bibliography has been expanded for SIKH SANSAR
and a section added on archival resources. We hope that making such resources available will create an in-
terest in the history of Sikh immigration and settlement in North America and stimulate further research,
The author and editor realize that this initial bibliographical effort is only a beginning. We encourage our
readers to bring to our attention additional citations of articles, books, and pamphlets which may have been
overlooked. We further urge anyone who knows of the existence or location of other types of historic mat-
erials (such as family histories, legal documents, co"espondence, diaries, photographs, tape recordings, etc.)
which could be made available for study and cataloging to contact Sikh Sansar. In this way we can add to
our knowledge and understanding of Sikh history in North America and preserve the story of our struggles
and successes for future generations.
Chief Editor

MATERIALS FOR THE STUDY OF EAST INDIAN HISTORY IN NORTH AMERICA ----continued
by
BRUCE LA BRACK
South Asia Program
Syracuse University
I L IMMIGRATION
Lockley, Fred. "The Hindu Invasion: A New world rises the spectre of the Yellow Peril and con-
Immigration Problem," THE PACIFIC MONTHLY. fronts the affrighted pale-faces. " In this journal-
May, 1907 - pp. 584-595. U.C.B-Bancroft. istic piece typical of the era, Scheffauer discusses
This is one of the more extensive and balanced the "Hindoo" migrations to the Far West and the
articles available from the early 1900's on East fact that under existing treaties of the time, no
Indian immigration. Many verbatim quotes from legal bar could be set up against their immigration.
immigration officials, mill owners, politicians, and " Hindu, the Newest Immigration Problem,"
the migrants themselves provide insights normally SURVEY. 25(October I, 1910), pp. 2-3. UCD.
lacking in news accounts of this period. Many econ-· This article attempts to draw a parallel be-
omic and social aspects are touched upon, and the tween the opposition to Japanese immigration and
author makes distinctions between Sikh, Muslim, the growing resistance to "Hindu" immigration.
and are touched upon, and the author makes dis- The figures are exaggerated, claiming that 5,000
tinctions between Sikh, Muslim and Hindu religious Hindus entered through San Francisco in the "past
and cultural backgrounds.. In the final analysis , twelve months" (1909-1910). Typical of the per-
Lockley appears to have doubts that continued iod, this genre of news story is summed up in the
large-scale immigration of East Indians is desirable. comment that Hindu immigration is " . . . likely to I
"The Hindu Invasion, " COLLIERS. 155 : 1 put to a severe test the civic and religious forces
(March 26 , 1910), p. 15 . UCB. which are faced with the new duty of American-
An example of the "scare" literature concern- izing and evangelizing them."
ing East Indian immigration, the article notes that . U.S. Department of Labor. Bureau of Immig-
"popular sentiment in California" favored the acti- ration. REPORTS,1910-1926. (Can be consulted
vities of the Asiatic Exclusion League. Connections by requesting Record Group 85, Hindu Immigra-
between the immigration and violations of the con- tion into the United States and Canada for the
tracr labor law are hinted at, but no direct evidence period 1910-1914, File Nos. 52903/110"
is found . 52903/110A, 52903/11OC, and 52903/110D
Scheffauer, Herman. "Tide of Turbans," from the National Archives and Records Service,
FORUM. 430une 1910), pp. 616-618. UCO. General Services Administration, Washington, D.C.
"Again on the far outposts of the western Data from 1914-1926 are also in Record Group

64
85, File Nos. 53854/ 133, 538S4/ 113A and the early 1940's.
53854/113B .) Sihra, Nand Singh. "Indians in Canada: A
Although a good source for statistical and Pitiable Account of Their Hardships by One Who
descriptive data, the reports are often accompan- Comes from the Place and Knows Them," MODE
ied by prejudicial and biased interpretations. MODERN REVEIW (Calcutta). 14:2(August
Millis, H. A. " East Indian Immigration to 1913), pp. 140-149. UCB.
British Columbia and the Pacific State," AMERI- Written in response to discriminatory im-
CAN ECONOMIC REVIEW. 1: 1(March 1911), pp migration practices of the Canadian government,
72-76. UCD. Sihra notes the special hardships faced by the
East Indian immigration is viewed as "the most first East Indian settlers, including the economic
recent problem of Asiatic immigration" and is trac- situation and trade union pressures against
ed to the southward movement of East Indians "Orientals". The author's main discussion cen-
from British Columbia to Washington, Oregon ters around the differential application of immig-
and California. While noting the harsh working ration laws which prevented men from bringing
conditions and privations of these early Indian their families or relatives to Canada to join them.
groups, Millis concludes that due to their low levels Several letters of support and newspaper articles
of literacy, "strange" cultural practices and lack of concerning the East Indian immigration situation
technical skills, they should be excluded from fur- are reproduced in entirety.
ther immigration into the United States. As is U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Im-
typical of the reports of this period, the Sikhs, migration and Naturalization. HEARING, RE-
who constituted over 85% of the East Indian pop- STRICTION OF IMMIGRATION OF HINDU
ualtion in Canada and the U.S., were regarded as LABORERS. 63rd Congress, 2nd Session (Feb-
"turbaned Hindus. n ruary 13 to April 30, 1914). Washington, D.C.:
Millis, H.A. "East Indian Immigration to the U,S, Government Printing Office, 1914, 184pp.
Pacific Coast," SURVEY. 2!"9Qune 1, 1912), UCB-))ocuments.
pp 379-386, UCD . Anti-East Indian forces included prominent
This article is based on a 1909 survey of the journalists, labor leaders, and immigration offi-
employment, earnings, salient characteristics, and cials, These same groups succeeded in passing ex-
life styles of the East Indian laborers in the U.S. clusionary legislation three years later in the form
conducted while the author was Superintendent of the "Barred Zone" Immigration Act of 1917,
of the U.S. Immigration Commission 's investi- The dominant themes of these proceedings are
gations in the Rocky Mountain and Pacific Coast economics and race. The evaluation of the skills
states, "The Assimilative qualities of the East and culture of East Indian immigrants is wholly
Indians appear to be the lowest of those of any negative.
race in the West." "Sikhs Besieging Canada," THE LITERARY
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COMMISSION- DIGEST. 49: 3(July 18, 1914), pp. 94-95. UCD.
ER-GENRAL OF IMMIGRATION, FOR FISCAL This is an ambivalent "foreign comment"
YEAR ENDED June 30, 1913, Washington, D,C.: on the status of the ship Komagata Maru and the
U,S. Government Printing Office, 1913 . UCB- arguments related to allowing its East Indian pass-
Documents. engers to land. At the time of this report, the
This document contains the annual report final decision to prevent disembarkation had not
of the Seattle District Commissioner of Immig- been made.
ration. The Commissioner wrote, "It may be of Misrow, jogesh C. EAST INDIAN IMMIG-
interest to note that there are no Hindu laborers RATION ON THE PACIFIC COAST , San Fran-
admitted through this district, excepting those cisco: Rand E Research Associates, 1971. 46pp.
arriving from the Philippines, Our officers have (Originally published May 1915), UCD,
most effectively applied the e'!{isting law as against The author, an official Hindustani interpre-
the admission of Hindu laborers arriving from ter for the U.S. Bureau of Immigration in Seattle,
their native country, and so effective has been 1910,1914, presents one of the best portraits of
the application of the law, that there are no the legal and social conditions of East Indian im-
more arriving." Soon thereafter, Immigration migrants. Beginning with a historical survey,
Service rules were revised to include Hindu arrivals he then reviews the constitutional issues of Cana-
from the Philippine Islands. This rule revision is dian immigration policy, the economic, social
an excellent example of the type of anti-Indian and political status of East Indians in 1915, and
legislation continually enacted from 1907 through sources of the agitation for exclusion. In the
65
final chapter, he suggests solutions to the pro- Session, on petitions by natives of India for legis-
blems including selective (restrictive) immigra- lation to include natives of India ... to natural-
tion by mutual consent and naturalization of ization. June 21,1939. Washington, D.C. : U.S.
East Indians already in the United States. Government Printing Office, 1939. 19pp. UCB-
Singh, Pardaman. ETHNOLOGICAL EPI- Documents.
TOME OF THE HINDUSTANEES OF THE The statements of this hearing fit into two
PACIFIC COAST. Stockton: Pacific Coast Khalsa categories: First, the majority of the testimony
Diwan Society, 1922. 32pp. UCB.- South/South- by East Indians and anthropologists asserting
east Asia Library. that the peoples of North India are of Caucasian
In a quasi-scbolarly argument advocating backgtound, and; secondly , a statement from the
the thesis that "Hindus" (including Sikhs and American Federation of Labor requesting contin-
other North Indians) in the United States are ued exclusion of all Asians. Public sentiment was
Caucasians (or "Aryan"), Singh demonstrates overwhelmingly anti-Asian at this time and ethno-
extensive familiarity with the literature of the logical facts were conveniently ignored.
day. It was apparently intended as public rela- Singh, Anup. "Quota for India Too ," ASIA.
tions to combat the then active Hindu authors 44(April 1944), p. 157. UCB .
who sought to limit the designation "Caucasian" The author asks for the same rights for East
to high castes (i.e., Brahman and some Kshat- Indians as those recently granted to the Chinese.
riya groups). The publication was sponsored by Singh recounts the history of exclusion, reviewing
the Sikh Pacific Coast Khalsa Diwan Society. the Barred Zone provision of 1917, and the Suther-
U.S. Congress. RATIFICATION AND land decision in the Thind Case, 1923.
CONFIRMATION OF NATURALIZATION OF Rao, P. Kodanda. "Indians Overseas," THE
CERTAIN PERSONS OF THE HINDU RACE. ANNALS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF
Hearings before the Committee on Immigration, POLITICAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCE. 233(May
December 9 and 15, 1926. 69th Congress, 2nd 1944), pp. 200-207. UCB.
Session, on Senate Joint Resolution 128. Wash- This survey includes reference to East Indians
ington , D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, in the United States and Canada as part of a larger
1926. 47pp. UCB-Documents. view of South Asian world migration. The author
These hearings centered around the restor- sees many of the problems of the immigrants as
ation of citizenship to East Indians naturalized basically economic. Reduced economic situations
between 1906-1923 who had subsequently lost keep the status ~d welfare of immigrants at a low
their citizen status as a result of the Thind case. level and economic arguments are seen as the basis
An exhibit letter from Taraknath Das raised the of exclusionary legal barriers. He summarizes the
additional issue of American-born women mar- situation saying, "When it is increasingly realized
ried to East Indian men becoming "stateless that economic problems need economic solutions
persons." These hearings produced no results and not racial ones, the handicaps of Indians be-
and East Indians in the U.S . remained without cause of their race will diminish, and their status
citizenship until after World War IT. will improve."
Morse, Eric Wilton . IMMIGRATION AND Chandrasekhar, S. "Indian Immigration to
STATUS OF BRITISH EAST INDIANS IN CAN- America," FAR EASTERN SURVEY. 13(July
ADA: A PROBLEM IN IMPERIAL RELATIONS. 26,1944), pp. 138-143. UCD.
M.A.: Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Written in support of the Luce-Cellar bills, then
1936. pendirig in Congress, which would assign quotas for
East Indian immigration to Canada is view- the immigration of Indian nationals. A review of
ed as essentially a political problem. The major the first immigrations to Canada and America is pre-
question is how to bar or further stem "unde- sented, as well as later disO'iminatory legislation,
sirable" immigrants without creating legal and legal implications, and the effects of the Thind case
social issues in British India. The crux of the in which Indians were denied citizenship On the
problem was that either Indians were British sub- basis that they were not "free white persons." The
jects and entitled to free movement through the author concludes that the restoration of a limited
Empire or they were not equal citizeJ!,s. quota system for India would hardly cause America
, U.S. Congress. House. Immigration and apy problem and, more importantly, such action
Naturalization Committee. INDIA-BORN RE- would demonstrate to Asians that their faith in
SIDENTS OF THE U.S. REQUEST FOR NAT- American fair play and justice was justified.
URALIZATION. Hearings, 76th Congress, 1st U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Immig-

66
ranon. TO PERMIT THE NATURALIZATION permitting naturalization of East Indians.
OF APPROXIMATELY THREE THOUSAND Singh, Gurdial. "East Indians in the United
NATIVES OF INDIA. Hearing before a subcommit- States." SOCIOLOGY AND SOCIAL RESEARCH.
tee of the Committee on Immigration, 78th Congress, 30(January-February 1946), pp 208-216. UCD .
2nd Session, on Senate Bi1l1595 . September 13 and This is a summary of East Indian immigration
14, 1944. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government history and distribution in. the United States to
Printing Office, 1944. 5 3pp. UCB-Documents. 1946, when "the fewer than three thousand East
East Indian associations represented at these Indians ... are barred from American citizenship
hearings included the India Welfare League, India through no fault of theirs .... " The article was writ-
Association for American Citizenship, and the ten with heavy overtones of indignation against
National Committee for India's Freedom. This docu- denial of citizenship for East Indians.
ment contains some interesting demographic infor- Kondapi, C. INDIANS OVERSEAS: 1839-
mation on the number and distribution of East 1949. London: Oxford University Press, 1951.
Indians in the United States. At this time, the 558pp. UCD .
primary concern was obtaining citizenship for those A standard work on South Asian migration,
East Indians already in the country, including those the book contains short summaries on immigration
who entered illegally after 192 3. to Canada (pp . 207-209) and the United States (pp.
209-211), as well as an extensive, although dated,
U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Immigra- bibliography.
tion and Naturalization. TO GRANT A QUOTA
TO EASTERN HEMISPHERE INDIANS AND TO "The Gadar Party," REPORT OF THE SENATE
MAKE THEM RACIALLY ELIGlBLE FOR NAT- FACT FINDING COMMITTEE ON UN-AMERICAN
URALIZATION. Hearings before the Committee ACTIVITIES TO THE 1953 REGULAR CALIFOR-
on Immigration and Naturalization, House of Re- NIA LEGISLATURE: Seventh Report of Un-Ameri-
presentatives, 79th Congress, 1st Session (March can Activities in California. Sacramento: California
7,8, 13, 14, 1945) . Washington, D.C.: U.S. Gov- State Printing Office, 1953 . pp. 213-246. UCD-
ernment Ptinting Office, 1945. 151pp. UCB-Docu- Documents.
ments. Although marred by the rhetoric which char-
The bills under consideration here (HR 173, acterized the "red scare" literature of the McCarthy
1584,1624,1746,2256,2609) illustrate a shift era, this account of the Ghadar Party formation
in emphasis from the earlier demand for simple nat- and its California operations is generally accurate.
uralization of resident East Indians to support of leg- The interpretation that it became primarily a Com-
islation making all South Asians of the Indian sub· munist organization is open to serious question,
continent eligible for citizenship. The effects of although some ex-Ghadarites had CPI (Communist
East Indian public relations and political organi- Party of India) contact in the Punjab.
zation are evident. India's war contribution to the
Allied effort is recognized, as is India's potential Jacoby, Harold S. WHY SO FEW EAST IND-
economic power in a post-war Asia. The large num- IANS? : A STUDY IN SOCIAL RENITENCY. Un-
ber of individuals and American organizations who published manuscript (ca. 1954). UCB-South/South-
wrote or testified in support of the bills demonstrate east Asian Library. 20 pp.
significant changes in the nation's attitude towards Examining the factors resulting in a much lower
East Indians. In 1946, a little over a year before East Indian population than might be expected given
India's independence, the Cellar Bill was passed, the size of South Asia and the history of other non-
allowing East Indians naturalization and immigra- European immigrations to America, Jacoby stresses
tion privileges denied since 1917. the political, legal, and social constraints on East
U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on im- Indian movement to the Americas.
migration. TO PERMIT ALL PERSONS FROM "Indian Emigrants in Canada," ILLUSTRATED
INDIA RESIDING IN THE U.S. TO BE NATURAL- WEEKLY OF INDIA. (January 15, 1967), pp.
IZED . Hearings before a subcommittee of the Com- 14-15. UCD .
mittee on Immigration, April 26, 1945 . 79th Con- By 1967, nearly 14,000 Indians had migrated
gress, 1st Session. Washington, D.C. : U.S. Govern- to Canada, half of whom settled in British Colum-
ment Printing Office, 1945. UCB-Documents. bia. This doubled the number living there since
This document contains extensive listings of 1961. Canada's need for professional and skilled
individuals and organizations concerened with the people to meet her rapidly expanding manpower
pending Langer Bill (S. 236). All but a few favored need is seen as the main impetus for migration.

67
Hess, Gary R. "The Hindu in America: Immig- and the articles of the Modern Review (Calcutta).
ration and National Policies and India. 1917-1946," Pannu, Gurdial Singh. "Sikhs in Canada,"
PACIFIC HISTORICAL REVIEW. 38(February 1969) SIKH REVIEW. 18:203(October 1970), pp 41-45.
pp. 59-79. UeD. This is a capsule history of Canadian Sikh im-
Hess gives an excellent and comprehensive migration stressing the Komagata Maru incident of
account of discriminatory practices against East 1914 in which a shipload of Sikhs were denied entry
Indians in America, from the beginnings of agitat- into Canada. After waiting aboard for two months,
tion for exclusion to the re-opening of South Asian over 300 Sikhs returned to India only to be fired
immigration quotas, including such topics as denial upon after disembarkation, with a result of 18
of citizenship, adoption of anti-Asian attitudes by dead and 25 wounded.
the American Federation of Labor and the Exclusion Cowasjee, Saros. "Indians in Canada," ILLUS·
League: The author also examines the role of the TRATED WEEKLY OF INDIA. 92:2 (January 10,
India Welfare League in fighting racial intolerance 1971), pp.I6-17. UeD.
by using a combination of legal means and astute The article provides a summary of immigration
public relations to gain greater recognition of South problems for early East Indians coming to Canada
Asians in the 1940's. The foomotes to this article and a broad overview of the contemporary policy
contain references to the most important published of the Canadian Department of Manpower and Im-
sources of the period, including the Congressional migration. A few passing references to inter-com-
Record, Archives of the Indian National Congress, munity friction within India Associations are given.

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in SIKH SANSAR must be original and per-
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the history, religion, and culture of the Sikhs.
2. The material should be typewritten, double-
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