Painting In Punjab Is A Doctoral Thesis Approved By Meerut University, Meerut (India). It Is A First Comprehensive Survey Of Visual Arts (Miniature Painting, Illustrated Manuscripts And Mural Painting) Which Flourished In The Land Of Five Rivers Governed By The Lion Of Punjab, Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839) As Also The Area Reigned By East Punjab Rajas Known As Ruler Of Cis-Sutlej I.E. Malwa States; Maharaja Narinder Singh (1845-1862) Being The Prominent Among The Patraons Of Art And Learning Whose Contribution Excelled All In This Respect. The Present Study Covers Miniatures, Illuminated Manuscripts As Well As The Mural Painting Done In Both The Areas Of Punjab Thus Discovering And Establishing For The First Time A Definitive Movement Of Visual Arts Which Existed In Punjab Of Nineteenth Century. This Brings To The Attention Of Scholarly World A Rich Style Of Painting Known As Punjab Painting Hitherto Unknown Just Like Other Indian Schools Of Painting Viz Mughal, Rajput And Pahari Painting With All The Salient Features Of Any Art Movement Inherent In It. Special Feature Of The Book Lies In The Fact That It Sheds Light On The Social Life Of The Painters Who Made Creative And Beautiful Environments-Royal And Private Both-But Thus Far Remained In Oblivion. Simultaneously It Seeks To Trace The Presence Of Amour Artists In Both Regions And Their Family Genealogies Which Help Us To Track Down The Movement Of Art From One Princely Center To Another. One Such Family Was Chughtai Family Which Came From Heart (Persia) And Settled In Lahore, And Its Members Were Responsible For Significant Contribution To Creative Arts Of Punjab Specially During The Life Time Of Maharaja Ranjit Singh In The Capital Town Of Lahore. Unique Feature Of The Book Is That It Offers To The Reader An Opportunity To See The Flowering Of Vaishnavite Art In The Courts Of Tolerant Sikh Rulers Of Both Trans-Sutlej As Well As Cis-Sutlej Areas Of Punjab.

poetics of belonging in the region. --Book Jacket.

Five hundred years ago, Guru Nanak founded the Sikh faith in India. The Sikhs defied the caste system; rejected the authority of Hindu priests; forbade magic and idolatry; and promoted the equality of men and women -- beliefs that incurred the wrath of both Hindus and Muslims. In the centuries that followed, three of Nanak's nine successors met violent ends, and his people continued to battle hostile regimes. The conflict has raged into our own time: in 1984 the Golden Temple of Amritsar -- the holy shrine of the Sikhs--was destroyed by the Indian Army. In retaliation, Sikh bodyguards assassinated Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Now, Patwant Singh gives us the compelling story of the Sikhs -- their origins, traditions and beliefs, and more recent history. He shows how a movement based on tenets of compassion and humaneness transformed itself, of necessity, into a community that values bravery and military prowess as well as spirituality. We learn how Gobind Singh, the tenth and last Guru, welded the Sikhs into a brotherhood, with each man bearing the surname Singh, or "Lion," and abiding by a distinctive code of dress and conduct. He tells of Banda the Brave's daring conquests, which sowed the seeds of a Sikh state, and how the enlightened ruler Ranjit Singh fulfilled this promise by founding a Sikh empire. The author examines how, through the centuries, the Sikh soldier became an exemplar of discipline and courage and explains how Sikhs -- now numbering nearly 20 million worldwide -- have come to be known for their commitment to education, their business acumen, and their enterprising spirit. Finally, Singh concludes that it would be a grave error to alienate an energetic and vital community like the Sikhs if modern India is to realize its full potential. He urges India's leaders to learn from the past and to "honour the social contract with Indians of every background and persuasion."

This volume brings together leading scholars of Sikhism and of Sikh art to assess and interpret the remarkable art resource known as the Kapany Collection, using it to introduce to a broad public the culture, history, and ethos of the Sikhs. Fifteen renowned scholars contributed essays describing the passion and vision of Narinder and Satinder Kapany in assembling this unparalleled assemblage of great Sikh art, some of which has been displayed in exhibitions around the globe. The Kapanys' legacy of philanthropic work includes establishing the Sikh Foundation (now celebrating its 50th year) and university endowments for Sikh studies. Through this profusely illustrated book's chapters, scholars examine the full range of Sikh artistic expression and of Sikh history and cultural life, using artworks from the Kapany Collection.