Sikhism

Chapter 2 Sikh History

The writing of history is a difficult, complex activity. Different assessments of what is historically accurate tend to offer varied accounts of what actually took place in a particular community or religion. For historians, the factuality of an incident or event is obviously central. Attempts are made to analyze as many perspectives and counterperspectives as possible to ensure an incident actually occurred. Scholars of history are acutely aware that at times accounts depicting a certain incident have a great deal to do with subsequent interpretations of the event. Thus, the dating and authentication of texts is crucial in historical research. Writing History For a richer understanding of religious history, scholars often turn to the narratives of a religious community, for storytelling is an essential activity in the life of every society. While well-loved narratives may form an important part of piecing together a history of a religious community, there may be little historical evidence to support them. Historians may then question how these narratives serve to make sense of a particular event or development in a community. This is especially important when investigating the history of a community that has traditionally placed little value on the textual documentation of events, or when examining the histories of illiterate communities that have relied on oral traditions. If the stories in such communities move from oral transmission to a written form, scholars are increasingly aware of the need to question who is doing the Chapter 2 Sikh History Sikh History 9 writing and why this change in transmission is taking place. Most members of such communities have had little access to the written word; the written transmission of a particular account has traditionally been left to a small minority, namely, the elite or the learned of any particular society. Moreover, these writings have tended to ignore or even dismiss the realities of those outside this small group. Consequently, often what has been written has served the interests of that minority. At the very least, then, such textual transmissions offer little insight into the lives and values of the common people. Traditional historical accounts have tended to focus on the businesses of war, politics, and intrigue. These aspects of history were, quite obviously , considered important to those in power, yet these accounts say little about the everyday realities of the majority of the population in a given society. Much of this holds true when attempting to piece together the history of a religious tradition. Scholars have traditionally looked to the written word, especially sacred texts, to understand the main tenets of a particular tradition. By studying the sacred texts of a tradition, one gains insight into its view of the Divine, the role of religious intermediaries , notions of good and evil, and the relationship between humanity and the Divine. Secondary written sources, for example commentaries, add to such knowledge. Narratives and moral tales also offer insights into what is considered ideal or approved behavior in a particular religious community. Although the focus on texts is clearly important for understanding any religious community, it is equally worthwhile to consider that the worldview of the other members of a tradition are usually absent from these texts. These histories are mostly silent about women ’s realities, for example. In recent years, feminist scholars have begun the painstaking work of collecting fragments of history providing insights into women’s roles in a particular community. Women have traditionally been perceived as not having taken an active role in war, politics, or economics, at least not on a scale deemed mentionable . It is often in connection with regulating women’s behavior that they gain entry into histories. Scholars may question what forces caused a particular concern or regulation to arise. This course of analysis leads to another complicating issue; namely, while codes 10 si khi sm of conduct offer information about correct behavior, beliefs, or rituals in a religious tradition, such proscriptions may say more about the values and expectations of religious specialists in a tradition than about the realities of ordinary people. Historians are thus realizing that it is important to study history from the perspective of those forgotten in textual sources, one that also looks for evidence of the everyday lives of ordinary people. Approaches vary but can include examining alternative practices of women and other subject classes of people, archaeological evidence, art forms (including textiles , traditionally the work of women), songs, and oral narratives...