The Making of Sikh Scripture.

• Author: Singh, Pashaura
• Position: Reviews of Books - Book Review

The Making of Sikh Scripture. By GURINDER SINGH MANN. New York: OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, 2001. Pp. xii + 193. $39.95.

The Making of Sikh Scripture offers an interesting account of the genesis, evolution, and canonization of the foundational text of the Sikh tradition. It is based upon the survey of early manuscripts that Mann was able to locate during his fieldwork. Considerable credit goes to the author for having access to the two late sixteenth-century copies of the Goindval Pothis ("volumes") that are not easily accessible to scholars for close scrutiny. I know from personal experience how my request to see one of these volumes was turned down by the lady of the house in 1990, when I made a special trip with the help of a close friend of the Bhalla family at Pinjore. Throughout the book Mann makes profuse use of both traditional sources and the oral family histories of the families in possession of the manuscripts.

The book is divided into eight chapters. Mann describes the purpose of the book in the opening chapter: "In this volume, I argue that traditional reconstruction of the historical formation of the Adi Granth should be extended to both ends from the period of Guru Arjan--back to Guru Nanak and forward almost to the present day--before we have a comprehensive picture of the text's history" (p. 16). The second chapter offers an overview of early writings on the compilation of the Sikh scripture. The next three chapters are devoted to the examination of early manuscripts, including the stolen Guru Har Sahai Pothi, the two extant copies of the Goindval Pothis, and the Kartarpur Pothi (1604). In his arguments, Mann stresses the "canonization of the text of the Adi Granth within the larger context of Sikh doctrine and in relation to the evolution of early Sikh institutions" (p. 121). The sixth chapter focuses on the issue of the rag ("melodic pattern") as an organizing principle in the "emerging structure" of the Adi Granth, while the seventh chapter addresses the issues related to the inclusion of the writings of fifteen non-Sikh saint-poets (Bhagat Bani). In the final chapter, Mann discusses the history, authority, and role of the Guru Granth Sahib in the personal piety, liturgy, and corporate identity of the Sikh community. This chapter is exceptionally useful, with the latest information about the availability of the text of the Sikh scripture in a digital format, produced by a variety of individuals and organizations in the...