The Making of Sikh Scripture

by Gurinder Sing Mann

The Adi Granth ('Origina Book'), primary scripture of the Sikhs, comprises approximately 3,000 hymns. The authorship of the hymns is well-recorded, the history of the compilation of the Adi Granth--the creation of the Sikh 'canon'--is the subject of considerable speculation and debate. Gurinder Mann constructs a comprehensive picture of the making of the Sikh scripture, drawing on recently discovered early manuscripts as well as extensive secondary literature on the topic. His findings on some key issues differ from the traditional Sikh position and from the hypotheses of other twentieth century scholars, and raise some entirely fresh questions. Mann's revised and expanded history of the text and institution of Sikh scripture will interest not only scholars of Sikhism and comparative canon formation, but also general readers.

About the Author:

GURINDER SING MANN is Kundan Kaur Kapany Professor of Sikh Studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara.