Instructions: Select three (3) of the following essay question prompts and write a minimum 500-word response to each (2-double spaces pages each, 6 pages total minimum). Please respond to all questions thoroughly using evidence from course readings, lecture material, and other posted materials. When constructing your response, you must cite your responses thoroughly or risk losing points. Use normal citations for the readings; (Author Last Name, Year: Page) use (Zoom Lecture, Week X and Date) format for citing course lectures.
Guru Period & the Historical Development of the Sikh Tradition/Identity:
In this class, we have devoted substantial attention to the historical development of Sikhism, with attention to key thematics, concepts and ideas that continue to circulate in this evolving tradition–including tensions between an abstract universal non-identity (na koi Mussalman hain, na koi Hindu hain; “there is no Muslim, there is no Hindu”) and the lived material realities of identity-formation (creating a more formal institutionalized Sikh identity). Another tension that characterizes the Sikh tradition is that between the abstract principles of equality and reform that are highlighted in the Sikh scriptures and everyday social realities.
Describe at least three key innovations introduced by the Sikh Gurus during the Guru period that were essential to the development and reformist and liberatory impulse of the Sikh tradition. Discuss who introduced them, why they did so, and the contexts in which these reformist practices emerged. In your response, consider the socio-political implications of these innovations (e.g., with respect to conceptions of divinity/God and self-transformation, reforms of caste, gender, class, communal divisions, etc.), as well as any tensions and challenges to these reforms on the ground and in real life (here, you can use contemporary examples).
Guru Period & the Historical Development of the Sikh Tradition/Identity II:
Three other themes that Prof Hundle spoke extensively about and that you read about were ideas of sovereignty, violence, and martyrdom (shaheedi) in the Sikh tradition. What is the significance of sovereignty according to the teachings of Guru Nanak, the other Gurus, and the Guru Granth Sahib/Adi Granth? How does this conception of sovereignty differ from Western notions of sovereignty that are tethered to the modern nation-state? In your response, be sure to define and discuss the significance of gurmukh and manmukh. Who were the important martyrs during the Guru period and why were their sacrifices considered significant? Finally, what socio-political factors led to the creation of the Khalsa sovereign political and spiritual order by Guru Gobind Singh? While non-violent resistance has always characterized the Sikh tradition, for what purpose(s) was violence sanctioned? In your response, consider the significance of the Khalsa’s formation with respect to historical instances of Sikh persecution in the Mughal Empire.
3.Partition. Khushwant Singh’s novel, Train to Pakistan, is an example of historical realism or historical fiction. In your opinion, does the novel successfully convey the violence, pain, and trauma of the Partition for Punjabi communities? Why or why not? Using examples from the novel, discuss how the author depicts the arrival of the violence of Partition to the relatively untouched and harmonious Sikh and Muslim majority village of Manjo Mara. In your response, be sure to touch on key themes of religious/communal co-existence versus bigotry, violence, gender, love, morality, and sacrifice. Discuss how the final act of sacrifice is emblematic of the novel’s themes. How do you interpret the ending of the novel? Remember to incorporate evidence from the novel (cite passages and quotes) to support your response
Grading Rubric:
1. Did the student respond to three prompts and did they submit 500 words minimum for each prompt? (25 points)
2. How thoroughly did the student address the three prompts (did they respond to all the questions in the prompts)? (25 points)
3. How well did the student integrate and cite evidence from class lectures, readings, and other materials? (25 points)
4. How clearly and effectively is the final exam written (including things like organization of ideas, sentence structure, grammar, punctuation)? (25 points)
VOX Borders India : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5Ps1TZXAN8
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