IN THE MASTER’S PRESENCE

THE SIKHS of HAZOOR SAHIB • VOL 1

by nidar singh nihang & parmjit singh

RRP ~~£45.00~~

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Book design by Juga Singh
Pages: Prelims, 330 pages with index
Illustrations: 160 colour and b&w
Dimensions: 290 mm x 220 mm
Format: Hardcover and jacket
ISBN: 978-0-9560168-0-5
Publication date: January 2009

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.

In the Master’s Presence, Volume 2: Traditions available October 2009.

‘a beautiful production…a precious collector’s item which I will treasure’

Khushwant Singh, author of History of the Sikhs

‘fascinating!’

William Dalrymple, author of The Last Mughal

‘immensely readable’

Susan Stronge (Senior Curator, Victoria & Albert Museum), editor of The Arts of the Sikh Kingdoms

‘comprehensive research’

The Tribune

‘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 (University of Warwick), author of Sikhism: A Very Short Introduction

‘[The authors] do remarkable work in cataloguing the history of Deccani Sikhs…’

World Sikh News

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