SikhArchive

Hi, I’m Sukhraj Singh from Sikh Archive and welcome to the 48th episode of our Podcast series of conversations with historians, authors, academics, researchers and activists on topics related to their areas of expertise on Sikh or Panjabi history.

In this episode, we are joined by Balbinder Singh Bhogal, who is a professor of Religious Studies and the holder of the Chair in Sikh Studies at Hofstra University. His research interests include decolonization, modernity, philosophy, yoga and Sikh studies, to name but a few.

Today we will be exploring the discussion on Sikhi and Yoga, in particular the Indic understanding of Yoga, its convergence to modernity and its relationship to Sikhi from a critical perspective. We take a close look at Sikhi during the bhakti movement, Guru Nanak’s relationship with his son Siri Chand and close the discussion with an understanding of how to understand and interpret Kundalini Yoga.

This podcast was based on a chapter written by Professor Balbinder Singh Bhogal, titled "Sikhi(sm): Yoga and Meditation" from the Routledge Handbook of Yoga and Meditation Studies. It can be accessed via the following link:

https://www.academia.edu/43977089/Sikhi_sm_Yoga_and_Meditation

Hi, I’m Sukhraj Singh from Sikh Archive and welcome to the 47th episode of our Podcast series of conversations with historians, authors, academics, researchers and activists on topics related to their areas of expertise on Sikh or Panjabi history.

In this episode we are joined by Taylor Sherman, who is a professor of history at the London School of Economics where her research concerns the cultural and political history of South Asia between the 1930s and the 1970s.

We discuss today the politics of Nehru and his defining role in the formation of the Indian State with particular reference to high modernism and the establishment of Chandigarh, which is an element of her forthcoming book, titled, Nehru’s India: A history in Seven Myths.

Hi, I’m Sukhraj Singh from Sikh Archive and welcome to the 46th episode of our Podcast series of conversations with historians, authors, academics, researchers and activists on topics related to their areas of expertise on Sikh or Panjabi history.

In this episode we are joined by Richard Eaton, who is a professor of history at the University of Arizona where his primary interest is the social and cultural history of pre-modern India. He has most recently published the book “India in the Persianate Age” which explores the long-term interaction between the Persianate and Sanskritic worlds, between the Iranian Plateau and South Asia.

And today we discuss that book and pay close attention to the role of Punjab which is situated in the centre of these two worlds. We consider how important Persian culture was and what role it played in Sikh and Punjabi history given how dominant it was and what philosophies and traditions were bestowed onto the landscape as a result.

Hi, I’m Sukhraj Singh from SikhArchive and welcome to the 45th episode of our Podcast series of conversations with historians, authors, academics, researchers, and activists on topics related to their areas of expertise on Sikh or Panjabi history.

In this episode, we are joined by Pritam Singh who is a scholar and professor of Economics at Oxford Brookes University where his main areas of teaching interest and expertise are development economics, environmental economics, comparative economic systems and competing economic paradigms.

Today we discuss the origins of Marxism in Punjab, its relationship with Sikhi and the evolution of Marxism throughout the 20th century with particular reference to the interwar period, communalism, the independence movement, post-partition, Nehruvian politics and secularism, the Suba Lehar, the Khalistan movement and beyond.

Hi, I’m Sukhraj Singh from SikhArchive and welcome to the 44th episode of our Podcast series of conversations with historians, authors, academics, researchers, and activists on topics related to their areas of expertise on Sikh or Panjabi history.

In this episode, we are joined by Mark Juergensmeyer, who is a professor of global studies, sociology and also religious studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He has a plethora of literature relating to the study of South Asian religion and politics, and the one that is being discussed today is called, Religious Rebels in the Punjab, which is about the Ad Dharam movement in the early 20th century which subsequently led to the formation of the Ravidassia community.

His scholarly work related to the Ad Dharam movement and Ravidassia religious formation is certainly unique since his fieldwork includes being in contact with many of the key members including Mangu Ram. Thus, I could think of no better person to have a conversation with about the religious reform movement concerning the scheduled castes which ran parallel to the Singh Sabha Lehar, Arya Samaj and others.

Hi, I’m Sukhraj Singh from SikhArchive and welcome to the 43rd episode of our Podcast series of conversations with historians, authors, academics, researchers, and activists on topics related to their areas of expertise on Sikh or Panjabi history.

In this episode, we are joined by Ronki Ram, who is a professor and leading scholar on the study of Casteism in Punjab. He is a professor at the Panjab University in Chandigarh and has now also more recently been appointed as a visiting Professor at the University of Wolverhampton in the UK.

Today, we will be discussing his latest book, Pagrhi Sambhal Lehar to Samyukt Kisan Morcha, which outlines the history of the Kisaan struggle in Punjab from 1907 to 2021. The book is structured in two parts: the struggle both before and after the great Partition and was released to contextualize the current farmer's protest historically.

Hi, I’m Sukhraj Singh from SikhArchive and welcome to the 42nd episode of our Podcast series of conversations with historians, authors, academics, researchers, and activists on topics related to their areas of expertise on Sikh or Panjabi history.

In this episode we are joined by Len Kenna and Crystal Jordan who are both from the Australian Indian Historical Society. They have devoted decades of their time into researching the history of Indian migration to Australia and the contribution made in the early days of settlement. They have also authored the book, “Sikh History in Australia”.

We discuss today what inspired them to enter this field of study, how their research methods have evolved over time, what their findings were and what more can be done. In addition to that, we also pay close attention to the Sikh and Punjabi migration to Australia.

Hi, I’m Sukhraj Singh from SikhArchive and welcome to the 41st episode of our Podcast series of conversations with historians, authors, academics, researchers, and activists on topics related to their areas of expertise on Sikh or Panjabi history.

In this episode we are joined by Jasvinder Kaur, who studied textiles at Delhi’s Lady Irwin College in 1969 and has since been continuously engaged with the subject. She has included consultancy assignments at the Musée d’art et d’histoire and Musée d’ethnographie, in Geneva, Switzerland, and has been lecturing as visiting faculty at the National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi.

She is also the author of the most recent book - 'Influences of the British Raj on the Attire and Textiles of Punjab', which explores how the British Raj brought lasting changes in the way people dressed and used textiles in Punjab. In today’s conversation, we talk about this book on how many men became Westernized and followed English fashions to the hilt and also how Women’s styles were impacted to a lesser degree among other interesting talking points.

Hi, I’m Sukhraj Singh from SikhArchive and welcome to the 40th episode of our Podcast series of conversations with historians, authors, academics, researchers, and activists on topics related to their areas of expertise on Sikh or Panjabi history.

In this episode we are joined by Kanika Singh, who is a historian with a research focus on museums and heritage in contemporary India, with a particular interest in Sikh museums. Her PhD was on the representation of heritage in Sikh museums with a case study of the museum at Sis Ganj Gurdwara in Delhi.

In today’s conversation, we discuss her article, “Commemorating Baghel Singh’s ‘Conquest’ of Delhi: The Fateh Diwas", where we explore the significance of Baghel Singh, the interpretation of his historical visit to Delhi, how it is depicted in art and a critical examination of how it is commemorated today.

Hi, I’m Sukhraj Singh from SikhArchive and welcome to the 39th episode of our Podcast series of conversations with historians, authors, academics, researchers, and activists on topics related to their areas of expertise on Sikh or Panjabi history.

In this episode we are joined by Parvati Sharma, who is a journalist and the author of the historical biography book, “Jahangir: An Intimate Portrait of a Great Mughal”. And in today’s discussion, we explore both the book and the life of Jahangir, with a particular focus on his upbringing, his role in power and his relationship to his father, Akbar, whom we had spoken about before in a previous episode.