How Avoiding the Religion–Politics Divide Plays out in Sikh Politics

Abstract

This article looks at the intersection of religion and politics in the evolution of the Sikh tradition in the pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial periods in the Indian subcontinent. The Sikh notion of sovereignty is at the heart of the intersection of religious and secular domains, and this relationship is examined empirically and theoretically. In particular, the conception of mīrī-pīrī is presented as a possible explanation for understanding the ‘new developments’ in contemporary Sikh politics in India.

Keywords

• Akal Takhat
• British Raj
• halemī rāj
• Khalsa
• mīrī-pīrī
• religion and politics
• secularism
• SGPC
• Akali Dal
• Punjab