Books to Read

Sikh history, fully sourced. Open to all

This is a curated reading list — not every book ever written about Sikhism, but the ones most worth your time depending on what you’re looking for. Whether you’re new to the faith, deepening your practice, researching its history, or exploring it as a scholar, there’s a starting point here. Books are grouped by what they do best, not by publication date. All links are affiliate-free, consistent with this portal’s non-profit status.

Free before you buy anything: The Guru Granth Sahib (Gurmukhi + English) at sgpc.net and sikhitothemax.com; Macauliffe’s six-volume The Sikh Religion (1909, out of copyright) at archive.org and panjabdigilib.org; and a wide range of other out-of-copyright primary texts, listed under Punjabi Language Books below.

A Bibliography of the Punjab

Ganda Singh — ₹80 | Punjabi University Patiala — Punjab and Sikh History Reference bibliography of published works on Punjab history. Where to find: Punjabi University Kitab Ghar / mail order; Singh Brothers, Amritsar

Re-exploring Baba Ram Singh and Namdhari Movement

Navtej Singh — ₹300 | Punjabi University Patiala — Punjab and Sikh History Study of the 19th-century Namdhari (Kuka) reform movement and its leader Baba Ram Singh. Where to find: Punjabi University Kitab Ghar / mail order; Singh Brothers, Amritsar

Understanding the Colonial Punjab: A Chronological Narrative (1849-1947)

Navtej Singh — ₹400 | Punjabi University Patiala — Punjab and Sikh History Chronological account of Punjab under British colonial rule. Where to find: Punjabi University Kitab Ghar / mail order; Singh Brothers, Amritsar

The Sikhs and Transfer of Power (1942-1947)

Kirpal Singh — ₹180 | Punjabi University Patiala — Punjab and Sikh History Study of Sikh political positioning during the transfer of power and Partition. Where to find: Punjabi University Kitab Ghar / mail order; Singh Brothers, Amritsar

High Roads of Sikh History — Part III

Teja Singh — ₹40 | Punjabi University Patiala — Punjab and Sikh History Concise narrative history of the Sikhs, part three. Where to find: Punjabi University Kitab Ghar / mail order; Singh Brothers, Amritsar

High Roads of Sikh History — Part II

Teja Singh — ₹40 | Punjabi University Patiala — Punjab and Sikh History Concise narrative history of the Sikhs, part two. Where to find: Punjabi University Kitab Ghar / mail order; Singh Brothers, Amritsar

High Roads of Sikh History — Part I

Teja Singh — ₹40 | Punjabi University Patiala — Punjab and Sikh History Concise narrative history of the Sikhs, part one. Where to find: Punjabi University Kitab Ghar / mail order; Singh Brothers, Amritsar

Essays in Honour of Dr. Ganda Singh (An Anthology of Essays on Punjab History)

Harbans Singh & N. Gerald Barrier (eds.) — ₹300 | Punjabi University Patiala — Punjab and Sikh History Festschrift essay collection honouring historian Dr. Ganda Singh. Where to find: Punjabi University Kitab Ghar / mail order; Singh Brothers, Amritsar

History of the Punjab — Vol. I

Fauja Singh and L. M. Joshi (eds.) — ₹275 | Punjabi University Patiala — Punjab and Sikh History First volume of a multi-part scholarly history of the Punjab. Where to find: Punjabi University Kitab Ghar / mail order; Singh Brothers, Amritsar

The Singh Sabha and Other Socio-Religious Movements in the Punjab

Ganda Singh (ed.) — ₹200 | Punjabi University Patiala — Punjab and Sikh History History of the 19th-century Singh Sabha reform movement. Where to find: Punjabi University Kitab Ghar / mail order; Singh Brothers, Amritsar

Life of Banda Singh Bahadur

Ganda Singh — ₹150 | Punjabi University Patiala — Punjab and Sikh History Ganda Singh's own definitive biography of Banda Singh Bahadur. Where to find: Punjabi University Kitab Ghar / mail order; Singh Brothers, Amritsar

Life & Exploits of Banda Singh Bahadur

Sohan Singh — ₹150 | Punjabi University Patiala — Punjab and Sikh History Biography of Banda Singh Bahadur, founder of the first Sikh state (1710-1716). Where to find: Punjabi University Kitab Ghar / mail order; Singh Brothers, Amritsar