Assistant Professor of History, University of Washington

Built on a close reading of Punjabi and Farsi sources, Purnima Dhavan's narrative of eighteenth-century Sikh history begins with Guru Gobind Singh and the inauguration of the Khalsa and goes on to examine three important but relatively little studied Sikh leaders of the period. This timely and readable book will be immensely helpful to anyone interested in this fascinating period of Sikh history.

• 1. Introduction: The Origins of the Khalsa ; 2. Early Narratives of the Last Guru and the Creation of the Khalsa ; 3. (Re)making the Khalsa, 1708-48 ; 4. The Making of a Sikh Sardar: Two Jassa Singhs and the Place of Sikhs in the Eighteenth-Century Military Labor Market ; 5. Rereading Alha Singh: Rebel, Raja, and Sikh Sardar ; 6. From Peasant Soldier to Elite Warrior: Raiding, Honor Feuds, and the Transformation of Khalsa Identity ; 7. Devotion and Its Discontents: The Affective Communities of Gurbilas Texts ; 8. Conclusion ; Glossary ; Bibliography ; Index

Assistant Professor of History, University of Washington

Built on a close reading of Punjabi and Farsi sources, Purnima Dhavan's narrative of eighteenth-century Sikh history begins with Guru Gobind Singh and the inauguration of the Khalsa and goes on to examine three important but relatively little studied Sikh leaders of the period. This timely and readable book will be immensely helpful to anyone interested in this fascinating period of Sikh history.

• 1. Introduction: The Origins of the Khalsa ; 2. Early Narratives of the Last Guru and the Creation of the Khalsa ; 3. (Re)making the Khalsa, 1708-48 ; 4. The Making of a Sikh Sardar: Two Jassa Singhs and the Place of Sikhs in the Eighteenth-Century Military Labor Market ; 5. Rereading Alha Singh: Rebel, Raja, and Sikh Sardar ; 6. From Peasant Soldier to Elite Warrior: Raiding, Honor Feuds, and the Transformation of Khalsa Identity ; 7. Devotion and Its Discontents: The Affective Communities of Gurbilas Texts ; 8. Conclusion ; Glossary ; Bibliography ; Index

Assistant Professor of History, University of Washington

Built on a close reading of Punjabi and Farsi sources, Purnima Dhavan's narrative of eighteenth-century Sikh history begins with Guru Gobind Singh and the inauguration of the Khalsa and goes on to examine three important but relatively little studied Sikh leaders of the period. This timely and readable book will be immensely helpful to anyone interested in this fascinating period of Sikh history.

• 1. Introduction: The Origins of the Khalsa ; 2. Early Narratives of the Last Guru and the Creation of the Khalsa ; 3. (Re)making the Khalsa, 1708-48 ; 4. The Making of a Sikh Sardar: Two Jassa Singhs and the Place of Sikhs in the Eighteenth-Century Military Labor Market ; 5. Rereading Alha Singh: Rebel, Raja, and Sikh Sardar ; 6. From Peasant Soldier to Elite Warrior: Raiding, Honor Feuds, and the Transformation of Khalsa Identity ; 7. Devotion and Its Discontents: The Affective Communities of Gurbilas Texts ; 8. Conclusion ; Glossary ; Bibliography ; Index