Product Description

This superbly illustrated landmark work explains the story of one of the last bastions of early Sikh tradition - an exotic world that has all but disappeared.

Using rare pictures and documents, UK-based scholars Nidar Singh Nihang and Parmjit Singh have explored the history of the Sikhs of Hazoor Sahib the shrine in the Deccan, India, far from the traditional Sikh homeland of the Punjab where in 1708 Guru Gobind Singh, a warrior-poet who spent much of his life battling against the oppressive policies of the Mughal Empire, found his last resting place.

This is the first of a two-volume work examining the history and traditions of the shrine Hazoor Sahib (which means Master s Presence ), revered as the fourth Sikh takht or throne of temporal and spiritual authority.

The story spans three centuries from the very first modest structure built over the ashes of Guru Gobind Singh to the insensitive destruction of its unique built heritage in the name of modernisation and beautification.

The authors have drawn upon a wealth of written materials and oral tradition to evoke a vivid and often startling account of the empires, events and characters, including maharajas, warriors, emperors, nizams, politicians and policemen, which are intertwined with the sense of mystery and reverence that has surrounded the memory of the tenth Sikh Guru.

Published to mark the 300th anniversary of the passing of spiritual authority to the Sikh scriptures, In the Master s Presence brilliantly brings this all but lost world to life with over 150 illustrations of paintings, photographs, documents, portraits and artefacts from archive and private collections all over the world.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #381110 in Books
• Published on: 2009-01-23
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 330 pages

Review
a beautiful production... a precious collector's item which I will treasure -- Khushwant Singh, author of History of the Sikhs

A fabulous achievement ...Hazoor Sahib takes us into a lost world of Sikh history. We are in the presence not only of the Master but of world class scholarship and research -- Christy Campbell, author of The Maharajah's Box

a treasure-chest of a book! ...combines fascinating and deeply informed text with an abundance of superbly reproduced images ...This aesthetically and historically rich volume celebrates an important and under-acknowledged strand of Sikh tradition at a time when it is at risk as never before -- Professor Eleanor Nesbitt, author of 'Sikhism: A Very Short Introduction'

immensely readable -- Susan Stronge, Senior Curator, Asian Department, Victoria & Albert Museum

comprehensive research -- The Tribune

Nidar Singh and Parmjit Singh do remarkable work in cataloguing the history of Deccani Sikhs... -- World Sikh News. --World Sikh News

immensely readable -- Susan Stronge, Senior Curator, Asian Department, Victoria & Albert Museum

comprehensive research -- The Tribune

Nidar Singh and Parmjit Singh do remarkable work in cataloguing the history of Deccani Sikhs... -- World Sikh News. --World Sikh News

From the Author
At the end of 2006, news reports from India highlighted the wilful destruction of Hazoor Sahib's built heritage in preparation for the tercentenary celebrations slated for October 2008.
As the story unfolded, it became worryingly clear that the shrine had become a victim of a fatal cocktail of ignorance, arrogance and apathy, and made worse by the corrupting influence of `new' money injected by the central and state governments for infrastructure projects in and around Nanded.
The actions of the takht's custodians, the Gurdwara Board, surprised many observers and heritage lovers. Supposedly charged with protecting and preserving the shrine complex, a brash Board ignored calls made by conservation experts and concerned members of the global Sikh community to stop the demolition. As their pleas fell on deaf ears, several important historical structures in and around the Takht Hazoor Sahib complex were flattened in the name of modernisation. These events crystallised our intention to act, giving rise to this book in the hope that the sad scenes recently witnessed at Hazoor Sahib will never repeat themselves.
It gives us great pleasure, therefore, to present In the Master's Presence, the story behind one of the early pillars of Sikh tradition that has now all but disappeared in its original form. In this first volume of two, we delve into the history of the built heritage of Takht Hazoor Sahib and trace the major milestones in the growth of the colony of Hazoori Sikhs.

About the Author
NIDAR SINGH NIHANG is the ninth gurdev (teacher) of the Baba Darbara Singh Shastar Vidya Akhara, founded in the 17th century to teach Sikh warriors the battlefield arts. He has lectured across the world on the Sikh martial tradition and has contributed to several television documentaries, radio programmes and publications on the subject. He has spent two decades intensively researching the history, philosophy and way of life of the four traditional Sikh orders, Akali-Nihangs, Udasis, Nirmalas and Sewapanthis. He is currently preparing an extensive series of books on shastar vidya which will cover the history, philosophy and science behind this virtually extinct art.

Parmjit Singh is an independent researcher specialising in the photographic history of nineteenth-century Punjab. His previous publications include Warrior Saints: Three Centuries of the Sikh Military Tradition (I.B. Tauris, 1999) and `Sicques, Tigers, or Thieves': Eyewitness Accounts of the Sikhs (Palgrave Macmillan, 2004). He is currently working with Nidar Singh Nihang on a four-volume, official history of the Buddha Dal, the ancient warrior order of the Akali-Nihang Sikhs.

Both authors made several trips to Hazoor Sahib during 1999-2007 to collect first-hand information for their research.

Customer Reviews

Great Book!
I got to say its a great book, pictures are high quality. Its nice seeing history presented this way. The only thing I have problem with is, they should have released a softback edition, then it would be great to read out and about.

A must-have Sikh history book to treasure
This is a treasure trove of a book, chronicling the hidden history of Hazoor Sahib, the final resting place of the Tenth Sikh Guru.
The unique history and practices of the Hazoori Sikhs have been much maligned, misunderstood or plain ignored by historians, academics and Sikhs alike. In The Master's Presence puts pay to that.
This is both compelling storytelling and academically rigorous historical study combined. In order to tell their tale the authors have scoured libraries and collections the world over to offer never before seen paintings, photographs, maps and artefacts. And in doing so they have produced a unique, visually stunning and impressively comprehensive work.
But despite being a weighty tomb the story of Hazoor Sahib over three centuries is lucidly written and broad in its scope setting the events in their proper context allowing the lay reader to follow the bigger picture as well as the minutia of Hazoori intrigues.
The research and footnotes are exemplary and back up a wonderfully epic tale composed of a broad tapestry of characters including the Guru himself to Mughal Emperors, Hindu Rajas, Arab mercenaries, Colonial administrators, Nizams and Nihangs.
The Guru's `Sach Khand', or Realm of Truth, has been brought brilliantly back into the spotlight, just as the site itself is being `renovated' and its original spirit is replaced by marbled mundanity.
Volume 1 ends with a lament at the recent `modernisation' bringing the story up to date in a very timely and pertinent manner. The wilful destruction mirrors the ignorance of many Sikhs of a huge part of their own history, traditions and identity- that is, until now.
Beautiful, bold and comprehensive, an absolute must buy for those interested in Sikh history and religion.

Compelling
This book demands your time and attention. Reading `In the Master's Presence' often felt like watching an epic Franco Zeffirelli production. Admittedly my initial impressions were influenced by its look and feel - it's beautifully laid out and illustrated - quite unlike others of the Sikh history genre. However comparisons are difficult . The history of Hazoor Sahib has been, until know, a neglected area. This book's unique strength is that it combines a balanced combination of detailed research, remarkable illustrations and aspects of an oral tradition that present a unique and compelling story.
But this is not just entertainment, this is a campaigning book, a brave attempt to bring to the fore traditions, perspectives and awareness of heritage issues that are no longer prevalent in Sikh culture. It is not without its faults, some chapters could be more concise without loosing their central theme. The description of rivalries and collusions between various sects such Nirmalas , Udasis and Nihangs was at times difficult to follow. But overhall these are minor issues in a book that contains gems such as a stunning (unknown ?) painting of the young Ranjit Singh and pictures and descriptions of the Asth-Bhuja Dhuja - Guru Gobind Singh's battle standard .
For me this books succeeds because it does not leave the reader in the past. It takes two principle issues , the reformation of Sikh traditions and preservation of its heritage and puts these firmly in the world we live today.