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35-593: The Suraj Prakash is written in Braj Bhasha language in Gurmukhi script, with significant use of Sanskrit words. Generally when spoken about it includes the author's previous work on Guru Nanak, the Nanak Prakash (1824). In total the text has 1281 chapters spread across twenty two sections. Jvala Singh explains and comments on the structure of the text: Kavi Santokh Singh constructs his text by utilizing

70-519: A broad range of source material including: Above all, Kavi Santokh Singh writes that he has written the history according and pursuant to Guru Granth Sahib - ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ ਕਥਾ ਮੈਂ ਰੀਤਾ (I have written these stories according to the Guru Granth). By the 1880s the text had received widespread appraisal and became the foundation, "go-to" source, to draw from. The renown Patna Sahib Mahant and Braj poet, Sumer Singh (1847-1903), writes, “[T]here

105-530: A fervent and obsessive belief. The novel Subhagji da Sudhar Hathin Baba Naudh Singh , popularly known as Baba Naudh Singh (serialised in Nirguniara from 1907 onwards and published in book form in 1921), shares with the epic Rana Surat Singh (which he had started serialising in 1905) Vir Singh's interest in the theme of a widow's desperate urge for a reunion with her dead husband. Soon after

140-429: A lengthy 250 page introduction, explanatory footnotes, and additional historical resources supplementing the text, softening the attacks and shaping the audience's expectations, reactions and modes of appreciation of the text. Jvala Singh suggests Vir Singh is pushing back against Max Arthur Macauliffe and other Singh Sabha intellectuals who attack the text and author. The Suraj Prakash is currently being translated in

175-660: A podcast format by Jvala Singh on the Suraj Podcast , which is a chapter by chapter translation and summary. Braj Bhasha Braj is a language within the Indo-Aryan language family spoken in the Braj region in Western Uttar Pradesh centered on Mathura . Along with Awadhi , it was one of the two predominant literary languages of North-Central India before gradually merging and contributing to

210-498: A vice-governor (Maharaja Bahadur) of the city Multan . His grandfather, Kahn Singh (1788–1878), spent a great deal of his youth training and learning traditional Sikh lessons in monasteries. Fluent in Sanskrit and Braj , as well as in the oriental systems of medicine (such as Ayurveda , Siddha and Yunani ), Kahn Singh influenced his only son, Dr. Charan Singh (1853-1908), who later fathered Vir Singh, to become an active member of

245-566: Is no other text which is equivalent, understand it as the treasure trove of the guru’s praise, the exalted Santokh Singh received great admiration for creating this vessel to liberate all the Singhs”. However according to W. H. McLeod the Suraj Prakash contains "somewhat higher proportion" of Sikh history, but it is mostly ahistorical mythology and untrustworthy source of Sikh history. Max Arthur Macauliffe extensively but selectively used

280-483: Is not a text that has been used a great deal by historians, probably due to its reputation for being “Hinduized”— somewhat unfairly, perhaps, given the prevalence of “mythological” elements within other comparable texts that are referred to more often." Bhai Vir Singh remarks that the mythology and Puranic references within Suraj Prakash are utilized as metaphors, in a way to explain the deeds, role, and powers of

315-539: Is of a mystical nature, related to the spiritual union of people with God, because almost all of the Braj Bhasha poets were considered God-realised saints and their words are thus considered as directly emanating from a divine source. Much of the traditional Northern Indian literature shares this trait. All traditional Punjabi literature is similarly written by saints and is of a metaphysical and philosophical nature. Another peculiar feature of Northern Indian literature

350-484: Is that the literature is mostly written from a female point of view, even by male poets. This is because the saints were in a state of transcendental, spiritual love, where they were metaphorically women reuniting with their beloved. (In its inversion of the conventional genders of worshipper and worshippee, Maulana Da’ud's Chandayan departs from this tradition.) Important works in Braj Bhasha are: Vir Singh (writer) Vir Singh (5 December 1872 – 10 June 1957)

385-708: Is the predominant language in the central stretch of the Ganges-Yamuna Doab in the following districts: It is also spoken in the western areas of Uttar Pradesh , mainly in Mathura district and southern areas of Palwal district In Madhya Pradesh it is spoken in the districts of : It is spoken in several villages of Mathura , specially in Vrindavan , Madhuvan , Kaman, Kosi Kalan , Chhata , Baldeo , and all other villages belongs to Braj Area with Bajna , Surir , Bhidauni , Most Braj literature

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420-454: The Suraj Prakash , in cooperation with Kahn Singh Nabha , for his six-volume The Sikh Religion series that presented Sikh scriptures and history to the Western world in early 20th-century. While Macauliffe used it extensively in his Sikh Gurus and history sections, he added that the Suraj Prakash is of doubtful trustworthiness, because the education and heritage of its author Santokh Singh

455-711: The Vallabha sect . Braj is considered by scholars to be a more conservative example of the Central Indo-Aryan languages compared to the Hindustani language , which has been influenced by Panjabi and intermediate dialects. Braj Bhasha is spoken in the nebulous Braj region centred on Mathura & Agra in Uttar Pradesh and Bharatpur , Karauli , Gangapur & Dholpur in Rajasthan . It

490-534: The Gurus. Bhai Vir Singh writes that in the context of texts related to spiritual personalities, like the Gurus, stories including miracles (karāmāt) are used to "open the locks of the heart" of the listener/reader, in a way that purely scientific historical literature could not do. The text has been criticized as being "Hinduized", however it clearly articulates the Khalsa as the 'Third' (ਤੀਜਾ / ਤੀਸਰ ਪੰਥ), distinct from

525-511: The Hindu and Turk (Islamic) duality. The confusion pertains to 18th century texts like Gurbilas as well, Murphy notes the problem related to context: Suraj Parkash was first edited by Vir Singh 1926-1935 in 14 volumes, with Punjabi footnotes. Jvala Singh in his work argues that Vir Singh’s publication of the text in 1935, safe guarded the text from attack by iron-cladding the text within a western critical apparatus The critical apparatus included

560-532: The Nirguniara as a vehicle for his own self-expression. Some of his major creative works such as Sri Guru Nanak Chamatkar and Sri Guru Kalgidhar Chamatkar , were originally serialised in its columns. In literature, Singh started as a writer of novels which are considered forerunners of the Punjabi novel. His writings in this genre – Sundari (1898), Bijay Singh (1899), Satwant Kaur (published in two parts, I in 1900 and II in 1927), were aimed at recreating

595-661: The Punjabi language. The Wazir Hind Press was the main press publishing literature for the Singh Sabha movement, and Vir Singh would purchase it after Wazir Singh passed after illness. Thusly, he would begin a long association with Vir Singh, which would lead to contact with writers, an 11-year career with the Press, and subsequently writing for the Khalsa Samachar , in which Chatrik would hone his poetic skills. His contact with Vir Singh turned him into an ardent admirer of

630-715: The Sikh community, often producing poetry, music, and writings in hopes of restoring the Sikh community. Vir Singh's maternal grandfather, Giani Hazara Singh (1828-1908), was a leading scholar of the Giāṇīā Bungā in Amritsar. A scholar of Persian and Sanskrit, Giani Hazara Singh wrote into Punjabi the Persian classics like of Saadi, Gulistan and Boston . At seventeen, Vir Singh married Chatar Kaur and had two daughters with her. He died in Amritsar on 10 June 1957. Bhai Vir Singh Ji had

665-502: The Sikh culture and religion through peaceful means, by writing a myriad of novels, epics, and poems. With the fall of the Sikh Empire and the modernization of Christian, Muslim, and Hindu movements of proselytism , the Sikh faith began to wane until scholars and theologians of the religions, Singh being a leading one, began revitalizing life into Sikhism through their works of literature. Bhai Vir Singh began taking an interest in

700-460: The Sikh faith, influencing his syncretic poetic style that reflected composite Punjabi culture. Singh argued that Sikhism was a unique religion which could be nourished and sustained by creating an awakening amongst the Sikhs of the awareness of their distinct theological and cultural identity. He aimed at reorienting the Sikhs' understanding of their faith in such a manner as to help them assimilate

735-691: The affairs of the Singh sabha movement . To promote its aims and objects, he launched the Khalsa Tract Society in 1894. The tracts produced by the Khalsa Tract Society introduced a new style of literary Punjabi. The Khalsa Tract Society periodically made available under the title Nirguniara , low-cost publications on Sikh theology, history and philosophy and on social and religious reform. Through this journal, Singh established contact with an ever-expanding circle of readers. He used

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770-477: The benefit of both the traditional indigenous learning and of modern English education. He learnt Sikh scripture as well as Persian, Urdu and Sanskrit. He then joined the Church Mission School, Amritsar and took his matriculation examination in 1891 and stood first all over in the district. Singh received his secondary education at Church Mission High School, and it was while attending school that

805-533: The conversion of some of his classmates from Sikhism to Christianity that Singh's own religious convictions toward Sikhism were fortified. Influenced by the Christian missionaries' use of and reference to literary sources, Singh got the idea to teach others the main dogmas of Sikhism through his own written resources. Using the skills and techniques in modern literary forms that he learned through his English courses, Singh produced stories, poems, and epics and recorded

840-460: The development of standardized Hindi in the 19th century. It is spoken today in its unique form in many districts of west Uttar Pradesh , often referred to as 'Central Braj Bhasha'. The language was historically used for Vaishnavite poetry dedicated to Krishna, whose life was associated with sites in the Braj region. There were also early prose works in terms of the hagiographical vārtā literature of

875-484: The different modernising influences to their historical memory and cultural heritage. At the time, Sikhs were often persecuted by the British, often being pressured or threatened into assimilating into mainstream culture. Acts such as publicly shaving off the heads and beards of religious Sikh officials were performed to humiliate and demean the Sikh religion. Amidst all this political discontent, Singh sought to revitalize

910-526: The heroic period (eighteenth century) of Sikh history. Through these novels he made available to his readers, models of courage, fortitude and human dignity. Singh championed the Sikh identity in a way that did not devalue other religions. He even reprimanded the violation and destruction the Hindu idols in Kashmir in his book, Avantipur de Khandar . Singh also criticized and discouraged religious fanaticism, citing those as victims of their own fears brought on by

945-486: The history and philosophical ideas of Sikhism. Singh chose to become a writer. After passing his matriculation examination, he worked with a friend of his father's, Wazir Singh, and set up a lithography press. His first commission to write and print were geography textbooks for some schools. In 1893 at age 18, Dhani Ram Chatrik found employment at Wazir Singh's press and met Vir Singh, who advised him to learn lithograph engraving, and who inspired him to write poetry in

980-581: The jungles with a band of Sikh warriors. It was the first novel penned in the Punjabi language. Through Sundari, Singh hoped to embody all the ideals of Guru Nanak ’s lessons. The book was well received by the Sikh community and gained popularity almost immediately. Other important female characters he wrote were Rani Raj Kaur, Satvant Kaur, Subhagji and Sushil Kaur. Even by today's modern standards, these female characters are still considered to be well rounded and an inspiration to both male and female Sikhs alike. Bhai Vir Singh went even as far as often portraying

1015-416: The popular religions, Sikhism stresses the equality between men and women and that it is even sinful to consider either sex above the other. Singh reflected this belief in his novels, and featured them in a number of strong female characters. In fact, his very first novel was Sundari , which featured Sunder Kaur, a woman who converted from Hinduism to Sikhism and then proceeded to lead a life of adventure in

1050-536: The publication of Rana Surat Singh in book form in 1919, he turned to shorter poems and lyrics. These included Dil Tarang (1920), Tarel Tupke (1921), Lahiran de Har (1921), Matak Hulare (1922), Bijlian de Har (1927) and Mere Sayian Jio (1953). Through these works, he paved the way for the emergence of the Punjabi poem. In November 1899, he started a Punjabi weekly, the Khalsa Samachar . He revised and enlarged Giani Hazara Singh's dictionary, Sri Guru Granth Kosh , originally published in 1898. The revised version

1085-555: The text due to mythological components. Others viewed the material included as Vedantic doctrines of Udasis and Nirmalas . The text also incorporates some ideas of the Hindalis considered heretical by Khalsa Sikhs. According to Pashaura Singh this may have been the result of the traditional Sikh schools in Amritsar of the 18th– and 19th–century including Vedanta with standard Sikh teachings. The text since McLeod and Macauliffee's critique has been understudied; Anne Murphy writes, "this

Suraj Prakash - Misplaced Pages Continue

1120-646: The women in his novels as more prone to spiritual enlightenment than her male counterpart. Bhai Vir Singh was one of the founders of the Punjab & Sind Bank . He co-found Punjab & Sind bank with his friends. He was honoured with the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1955 and the Padma Bhushan Award in 1956. The Government of India released a stamp to commemorate Bhai sahib's birth centenary in 1972. The portion of his commentary on

1155-477: Was "largely tinctured with Hinduism ". Vir Singh however notes that Suraj Prakash essentially became the foundation for historical texts written in the late 19th and early 20th centuries: Suraj Parkash is a popular text in the Sikh community, profusely poetic, and it is sometimes recited in a katha form. Vir Singh in his introduction to his printed publication of Suraj Prakash writes: Scholars such as W. H. McLeod and Max Arthur Macauliffe found fault in

1190-547: Was a Sikh poet, scholar and theologist of the Sikh revival movement, playing an important part in the renewal of Punjabi literary tradition. Singh's contributions were so important and influential that he became canonized as Bhai, an honorific often given to those who could be considered a saint of the Sikh faith. Born in 1872, in Amritsar , Bhai Vir Singh was the eldest of Dr. Charan Singh's three sons. Vir Singh's family could trace its ancestry as far back as to Diwan Kaura Mal,

1225-525: Was published in 1927. He published critical editions of some of the old Sikh texts such as Sikhan di Bhagat Mala (1912), Prachin Panth Prakash (1914), Puratan Janam Sakhi (1926) and Sakhi Pothi (1950). An important work was Singh's annotation of Kavi Santokh Singh 's Suraj Prakash , published from 1927 to 1935 in fourteen volumes. This publication of Suraj Prakash would be Vir Singh's single most lengthy endeavor of his life. Unlike most of

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