Welcome, Sarbpreet Singh Ji, and thank you for joining us at The Literature Today! We are excited to discuss your multifaceted journey and your compelling work, including Cauldron, Sword, and Victory: The Rise of the Sikhs

Questionnaire :

The Literature Today: Your latest book, “Cauldron, Sword and Victory: The Rise of the Sikhs” dives into a transformative period in Sikh history. What inspired you to focus on this particular chapter of history?

Sarbpreet Singh:

I grew up in Sikkim, far away from Punjab, and as a young man, I had no connection with either Sikh history or Punjabi culture. After attending college at BITS, Pilani, and a short stint working in Pune and Mumbai, I left for the US to attend graduate school. In my early years in the US, I felt an urge to connect with my roots and one of my entry points in this journey was Sikh History. Unable to read Gurmukhi, I could only access English language sources and one of the first that I engaged with was J.D. Cunningham’s History of the Sikhs. I found Cunningham’s work to be very inspiring, in particular, his narrative of the Sikhs in the very turbulent eighteenth century, a time of great turbulence when the Mughal Empire was collapsing and Punjab was subjected to repeated invasions by the Afghan King, Ahmad Shah Abdali. I had always been uneasy with my Sikh identity, to the point that I saw it as burdensome, but when I read about the travails of my forebears in those tumultuous times, I felt the first stirrings of pride and the embrace of my identity started in earnest.  Cauldron, Sword, and Victory: The Rise of the Sikhs is my attempt to capture the drama, romance, glory, and tragedy of that period in an engaging and accessible narrative, primarily to inspire a new generation of young people eager to understand their identity and the tremendous struggle that went into its formation and preservation.

The Literature Today: Your storytelling blends history with poetry and eyewitness accounts. How did you approach balancing historical accuracy with engaging narrative elements?

Sarbpreet Singh:

I view myself primarily as a storyteller and my goal is above all to engage and inspire. That said, Cauldron, Sword, and Victory: The Rise of the Sikhs is meticulously researched and is replete with references from a variety of historical sources. I have emphasized traditional Sikh accounts, primarily the Prachin Panth Prakash of Rattan Singh Bhangu and the Naveen Panth Prakash of Gyani Gian Singh, both written in Braj/Punjabi verse, because of the color that they impart to the narrative. I have balanced this by citing Mughal and Afghan sources, as well as referencing well-respected works of history. In the vein of scholars like Dr. Ganda Singh, who also referenced Bhangu extensively in his works, I have clearly expressed my opinion on sections of the narrative that are unverifiable or seem fantastical.

The Literature Today: You’ve written extensively on Sikh history, including “The Story of the Sikhs!” How does “Cauldron, Sword and Victory” build on or differ from your previous works?

Sarbpreet Singh:

Cauldron, Sword, and Victory is the second volume of The Story of the Sikhs series and in that sense very similar to my previous works, including The Camel Merchant of Philadelphia.  In all of my work on Sikh History, I attempt to engage the listener by approaching the narrative as a storyteller.

The Literature Today: Interestingly, Banda Singh Bahadur and Nawab Kapur Singh are pivotal figures in this narrative. What was the most challenging aspect of bringing these historical icons to life?

Sarbpreet Singh:

Banda Singh Bahadur and Nawab Kapur Singh are both figures who are larger than life, who had a huge impact on the fortunes of the Sikh Panth in the eithteenth century. Their exhilerating  stories are laced with romance and tragedy. I have tried to humanize them to the best of my ability to lep my readers betetr engage with these complex personalities.

The Literature Today: What role did translations from Braj and Punjabi poetry play in shaping the tone and texture of the book?

Sarbpreet Singh:

These accounts, laced as they are with pathos and humor as they recount tales of valor inform the book in profound ways. It is my opinion that the travails of the eighteenth century truly forged the character of the Sikhs and these works of Braj and Punjabi poetry both elucidate that character and provide valuable commentary on its formation. They help the reader understand the motivations of eighteenth-century Sikhs and provide rare insights into their values and their connection with the Gurus, who they drew inspiration from. The story of how a people drawn from the ‘lowest’ sections of a society organized along lines of caste, bereft of power or privilege, after suffering horrific repression, survived and indeed thrived to the point that they became the rulers of their homeland, is recounted magnificently in these epics. The excerpts that appear in translation, are the soul of the book.

The Literature Today: Your work has a global audience, particularly through your podcast, Story of the Sikhs! How does this international reach influence your approach to writing about Sikh history?

Sarbpreet Singh:

I do not specifically write for a particular audience; all my work on history is written from a very personal perspective. At its heart is my search for my roots that I started as a young man, more than three decades ago. It is the encapsulation of what I learned during my journey. To the extent that I am mindful of my audience, I would say that my goal in my writing is to reach a young audience, which would otherwise never be able to access this narrative on its own.

The Literature Today: The book explores interactions between Sikhs and other prominent powers of the time, such as the British, Marathas, and Afghans. What insights do you hope readers gain from these dynamics?

Sarbpreet Singh:

Both in this book and the one that will follow (Volume III of the series, which I am currently writing) I have made a conscious attempt to not tell the story of the Sikhs in isolation. The history of the eighteenth-century Sikhs was heavily influenced by their interaction with the powers that surrounded them such as the Mughals and the Afghans as well as new powers that were rising in the subcontinent during the decline of Mughal power. To truly understand these interactions, I felt it was critical to examine in some depth the personae and the circumstances that impacted them. Hence the emphasis on the complex politics of the Maratha court and the steady westward advance of British power as well as the machinations of other power brokers such as the Rajputs, the Jats, and the Rohillas.

The Literature Today: As the founder of the Gurmat Sangeet Project, you have a deep connection to Sikh sacred music. Did this connection influence how you interpreted or presented historical events in the book?

Sarbpreet Singh:

Sikh sacred music continues to be a deep interest for me; while my engagement with Gurmat Sangeet played out significantly in Volume I of the work, it did not have a bearing on this book.

The Literature Today: What were some of the most surprising or lesser-known historical details, you uncovered during your research for this book?

Sarbpreet Singh:

I think the biggest revelation for me was an understanding of how the competing powers in the subcontinent viewed themselves about other powers, particularly more powerful ones. In the absence of a well-defined ‘national interest,’ it is interesting to see the emphasis on self-interest that was evident in the actions of all the players. The mercurial shifting and realignment of alliances was one of the obvious consequences and it was most interesting to see religion, clan, and family take a backseat to narrow self-interest in times of conflict. Arguably, even though the Sikh chiefs constantly squabbled with each other, they were the one power that consistently showed the ability to coalesce around its faith and its shared values, particularly when faced with powerful external threats.

The Literature Today: For readers new to Sikh history, what key takeaways do you hope they gain from “Cauldron, Sword and Victory!” Also, can you share a glimpse into what’s next for you?

Sarbpreet Singh:  If my readers were left with even a rudimentary understanding of the complex political dynamics of the subcontinent in the eighteenth century and an understanding of how the character of modern Sikhs was forged, I would be quite happy.

If even a small percentage of them decided to engage with the Punjabi and Braj sources cited in the book, in the original, I would be ecstatic.

I am currently working on Volume III of the Series – The Rise of the Sikh Empire. I am also readying a new novel, Hindera, set in the early Indian diaspora in the US, for publication. Other than that, I have recently adapted my last novel, The Sufi’s Nightingale, which tells the story of the Punjabi Sufi poet Shah Hussain, for the stage; it is presently being presented in the US and I hope to bring it to India and Pakistan as well shortly.