ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>SR&#298 GUR&#362 PANTH PRAK&#256SH</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279<i>SR&#298 GUR&#362 PANTH PRAK&#256SH</i>, popularly <i>Panth Prak&#257sh</i>, by Gi&#257n&#299 Gi&#257n Si&#7749gh (1822-1921), is a history of the Sikhs in verse. As the title suggests, it is an account of the rise and development of the Gur&#363 Panth, i.e. the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 or the Sikh community. The author, a theologian and preacher of Sikh religion belonging to the Nirmal&#257 sect, made his debut in the field of historiography in 1880 with the publication of this book which he wrote at the suggestion of his teacher, Pa&#7751&#7693it T&#257r&#257 Si&#7749gh Narotam (1822-91). Its first (1880) edition was lithographed at Delhi with only 65 <i>bisr&#257ms</i> (chapters or sections), and 715 pages. It covered the period of the Gur&#363s, Band&#257 Si&#7749gh Bah&#257dur and of the Sikh <i>misls</i>, that is the same as covered in an earlier <i>(Pr&#257ch&#299n) Panth Prak&#257sh</i> by Ratan Si&#7749gh Bha&#7749g&#363. A revised and much enlarged second version, in two parts, (pages 1,418), was lithographed by D&#299w&#257n B&#363&#7789&#257 Si&#7749gh at his Matba ' &#256ft&#257b at Lahore in 1889. Owing to the differences he had had with the publisher, Gi&#257n&#299 Gi&#257n Si&#7749gh had a fresh edition lithographed in 1889 through Bh&#257&#299 K&#257k&#257 Si&#7749gh S&#257dh&#363 at Matba' Chashm-i-N&#363r, Amritsar. This edition comprised 73 sections and a total of 960 pages, the first 533 being a copy, with minor alterations, of the Delhi edition. The fourth edition of <i>Sr&#299 Gur&#363 Panth Prak&#257sh</i>, 115 sections and 1085 pages, was again published by Bh&#257&#299 K&#257k&#257 Si&#7749gh S&#257dh&#363 in 1898, but this time type--set at Waz&#299r-i-Hind Press, Amritsar. Two reprints of the fourth edition were published by the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 Tract Society. The Punjab Languages Department, Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, brought out a reprint in 1970. In the same year appeared a revised and richly annotated edition in five volumes prepared by Si&#7749gh S&#257hib Gi&#257n&#299 Kirp&#257l Si&#7749gh, Head Granth&#299 of Sr&#299 Darb&#257r S&#257hib (later Jathed&#257r Sr&#299 Ak&#257l Ta<u>kh</u>t), Amritsar.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Scattered throughout the <i>Panth Prak&#257sh</i> are references atleast to 23 different sources which the author consulted or made use of. He especially mentions Ratan Si&#7749gh Bha&#7749g&#363's <i> (Pr&#257ch&#299n) Panth Prak&#257sh</i>, B&#363&#7789e Sh&#257h's <i>Tw&#257r&#299<u>kh</u>-i-Punjab</i> and Bh&#257&#299 Santokh Si&#7749gh's <i>Sr&#299 Gur Prat&#257p S&#363raj Granth</i>. Other sources referred to include <i>Gurbil&#257s D&#257svi&#7749 P&#257tsh&#257h&#299, Ba&#7749sav&#257l&#299n&#257m&#257, Dabist&#257n-i-Maz&#257hib</i>, and <i>S&#299yar ul-Mut&#257<u>kh</u>ar&#299&#7749. Sr&#299 Gur&#363 Panth Prak&#257sh</i> covers a vast span of Sikh history from Gur&#363 N&#257nak (1469-1539), the founder of the faith, to the annexation of the Punjab by the British and death of Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Duleep Si&#7749gh. The last three chapters contain an account of some Sikh sects and cults-- Ud&#257s&#299s, Nirmal&#257s, Niha&#7749gs, K&#363k&#257s or N&#257mdh&#257r&#299s, Gul&#257bd&#257s&#299&#257s, Satkart&#257r&#299&#257s, Nirañja&#7751&#299&#257s, H&#299r&#257d&#257s&#299&#257s and Ga&#7749g&#363sh&#257h&#299s and the author's reflections on contemporary social situation, with some autobiographical details.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Gi&#257n&#299 Gi&#257n Si&#7749gh was a devoutly religious scholar; but not a critical historian. His approach to history was traditional, and the impulse behind his historical writing (besides the <i>Panth Prak&#257sh</i>, he also wrote a voluminous history of the Sikhs in prose entitled <i>Tw&#257r&#299<u>kh</u> Gur&#363 <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257</i> in five parts) was the projection of the glory of the Sikhs' past. Some of the facts, dates and sequences of events in the <i>Panth Prak&#257sh</i> do not bear scientific scrutiny, yet the work enjoys much popularity and prestige. It is expounded formally in Sikh <i>gurdw&#257r&#257s</i> and has served to shape the historical imagination of Sikhs over the generations.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1">Bhagat Singh, <i>Gi&#257n&#299 Gi&#257n Si&#7749gh</i>. Patiala, 1978<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Sant Si&#7749gh Sekho&#7749<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>