Student of Sikh Intellectual History
New Book
In The Road to Empire, I delve into an intriguing moment in history when Khalsa Sikhs, under the intellectual leadership of Guru Gobind Singh, began to lay the philosophical and political foundations for what would become the Sikh Empire. My book offers a fresh perspective on the Sikh kingdoms, tracing their roots through a rich intellectual and cultural history centered around the vibrant court of Anandpur.
Guru Gobind Singh emerges not only as a spiritual leader, but also as a visionary intellectual, a patron of the arts, and a key architect of Sikh political thought. Through a focused examination of the Guru's role in commissioning, studying, and translating works on statesmanship and sovereignty, I explore the profound impact of his leadership on both the Sikh community and the broader political landscape of the time.
The book also shines a light on the town of Anandpur itself, a cultural and intellectual hub where over a hundred Sanskrit- and Persian-literate poets and scholars worked alongside the Guru to immerse the Sikhs in the classical traditions of India, Persia, and beyond. These scholars helped to weave together a tapestry of ideas that would later shape the Khalsa's ambitions for political autonomy.
Overall, The Road to Empire is an exploration of the philosophical ideals that fueled the Khalsa's rise; an intellectual journey that would later fuel their military and political dominance over Mughal and Afghan territories. Through my study, readers are introduced to the people, ideas, and institutions that gave rise to the Sikh Empire under the Lahore Maharajas.
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"The Road to Empire is one of the only English-language books to deal with a fascinating subject that gets little attention: the literature produced by the court of the Tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh. This book is an excellent contribution to the field."
— Louis Fenech, author of The Darbar of the Sikh Gurus
"In this innovative study, Satnam Singh brings to light the complex relationships among the Sikh, Indic, and Islamic literatures that helped shape Sikh conceptions of sovereignty and political theory."
— Robin Rinehart, author of Debating the Dasam Granth
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Lectures and Conference Videos
Publications
My research and expertise have been cited in publications by leading scholars in the fields of Sikh Studies and Islamist Extremism such as Louis Fenech (2021 & 2023), Kamalroop Singh (2014 & 2018), Ann-Louise Ljungcrantz (2019), and Jakob Sheikh (2015),
Overall, my research appears as chapters in anthologies published by Brill, Routledge, and Bloomsbury as well as newspaper articles, some examples including:
- "Intellectual Authority in the Early Khalsa Sikh Tradition: A Case Study of Bhai Mani Singh Shahid", [Under Review], 2025, Click to read.
- The Road to Empire: The Political Education of Khalsa Sikhs in the Late 1600s, 2024. USA: University of California Press. Click to read.
- "The Literary Sources of the Sikh Tradition ['Sikhismens skriftlige kildemateriale']" in Religion, 2018, nr. 3, pp. 40-51. Copenhagen: Religionslærerforeningen [The Association of College Teachers Teaching Religion]
- "Nihangs [Sikh Warriors] - British Perspective" in Brill's Encyclopedia of Sikhism, 2017, edited by Knut A. Jacobsen, Gurinder Singh Mann, Kristina Myrvold and Eleanor Nesbitt, Leiden: Brill.
- "Worshipping the Sword: The Practice of Shastar Puja in the Sikh Warrior Tradition" in Objects of Worship in the Lived Religions of South Asia, Forms, Practices, and Meaning, 2015, edited by Mikael Aktor, Kristina Myrvold & Knut A. Jacobsen. UK: Bloomdale. Click to read.
- "Attending the Cyber Sangat - The use of online discussion boards among young European Sikhs" in Sikhs Across Borders, Transnational Practices of European Sikhs, 2012, edited by Kristina Myrvold & Knut A. Jacbsen. UK: Bloomdale.
- More than twenty articles published from 2015-2019 on Sikh literature, history, and philosophy in the Danish media outlet Religion owned by the Danish national newspaper Kristeligt Dagblad.
I have presented the above scholarly research at South Asian, Sikh, and Punjab Studies conferences in Europe and North America. The institutions include The Universities of: London (2014, 2023), Wolverhampton (2019, 2023), Oxford (2022), Warwick (2016, 2017), Lund (2013), California (2015), and Lissabon (2012).
Current Research
[Click here to support my new research with $5 per month]
How were Sikh philosophies and traditions nurtured and shared during the turbulent eighteenth century? My forthcoming book (2027) dives deep into this fascinating question and explores the lives and legacies of early Sikh scholars and the vibrant institutions they created.
Through a study of rare Gurmukhi manuscripts (some from the esteemed Dr. Dapinder Singh Collection in London and others sourced from private collections across Europe) my current research brings to light the dynamic exchange of ideas that shaped Sikh intellectual thought before the rise of the Nirmala, Giani, and Sevapanthi orders.
The book will explore topics of intellectual authority, the construction of scholarly lineages, and flexible ecosystems wherein classical literature, students, emerging scholars, and ideas flowed seamlessly across regions where Sikhs thrived. The book will overall offer a fresh perspective on how Sikh knowledge systems integrated with broader Indic traditions, while providing a richly detailed account of how wisdom was passed to new generations of scholars-in-the-making.
Click here to watch a video lecture of my current research, focusing on the Bhai Mani Singh chapter.
About Satnam Singh
I am professionally employed as a senior consultant to Danish authorities in the prevention of honor-based violence against women. My current office is located at the National Center against Honor-Related Conflicts.
I have previously worked for a decade in the field of countering violent Islamist extremism through the prevention of political radicalization, former work places includes the National Center for Prevention of Extremism, the Ministry of Education, and the City of Copenhagen.
As a professional working on political radicalization and honor-based violence against women, I have trained several thousand social workers, police officers, and teachers in early detection and prevention work throughout Denmark, UK, Norway, and Lebanon as well as having taught visiting delegations from/in various countries such as Germany, Holland, Turkey, Sweden, Jordan, Canada, and USA
Academic Interests
South Asian intellectual history
Pre-colonial Sikh literature
Translation, developement, and transmission of philosophical ideas in the early modern period
If you are in the possession of Gurmukhi manuscripts and need help in deciphering their content, or believe your collection can enrich my research, please reach out to me. Click here to support my current research with $5 per month.
Email: info@satnam-singh.com