The Namdhari Sikhs: Their Changing Social and Cultural Landscape

Contents: Introduction. 1. The social  order. 2.  Partition of Punjab 1947: The dispersal of agriculturists and artisans of West Punjab and their resettlement in East Punjab. 3. Internal migration and occupational  diversification. 4. Beliefs and practices. 5. Conclusion. Index.

For the first time a serious attempt has been made to understand the social background of the Namdhari Sikhs of Punjab; their demographic and occupational changes and beliefs and practices. The study shows that the Namdhari Sikhs primarily came from the agricultural and artisan classes ever since the inception of the Kuka Movement in the late nineteenth century. Since then the people of other occupational castes have also responded to the Namdhari mission.