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Parallel Dynasties - Mughal and Sikh Gurus

The history abounds with s tories of powerful men behaving badly . It’s a unfortunate yet predictable spectacle witnessed for thousands of years of human history across the globe— those in positions of power can’t help but help themselves to the help. Power corrupts even the best of us. But there’s an antidote - spiritual wisdom . Often spiritual wisdom had to step forward and confront the brutality of the powerful oppressor and heal the pain of the oppressed. Plunder of India in Medieval Times  The sacred land of five rivers, we now call Punjab has been a playground for marauders and looters who plundered its wealth, destroyed its religious plurality, its beauty, and its heritage for over 700 years from the 11th century till the 18th century. The day Mahmud of Ghazni ransacked and looted Lahore in 1021, it ended Punjab’s rule over itself and foreign rule started, which lasted till 1769 when after over 750 years the Punjabis returned to ‘self-rule.’ Confronting Intolerance with Spir

TheTurban of My Grandfather

Sardar Sardul Singh & Sardarni Surjit Kaur at Mansurpur Home   The COVID pandemic changed the world in 2020, specially for those families who live continents apart. I live in California, while my younger brother is settled in UK, but my parents chose to stay in India - Muzaffarnagar , a small town in Western UP, about 65 miles north of nation's capital - Delhi. Two long years of the scare of COVID virus, we were concerned if and when we will be able to meet our parents, highly vulnerable due to their age - my parents are in their 80s. Thanks to the global vaccination program, it was made possible, finally. My parents were flying to San Francisco via London after meeting my brother there. They were bringing a special memento for me ... the turban of Bauji , my grandfather. Bau ji - Sardar Sardul Singh S ardar Sardul Singh moved in 1928 as a founding member to establish the first cane sugar mill at the rural location of Mansurpur in the district of Muzaffarnagar in Western UP.

The Pride and Shame of Pakistan

  Jive Pakistan - The Pride Pakistan is close to my heart - its the native place of my ancestors and the birthplace of so many  legends in Sikh History- Guru Nanak, Guru Arjan, Bhai Mardana, Mian Meer, Sheikh Farid, Bulley Shah, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Hari Singh Nalwa, Diwan Mulraj, Sardar Bhagat Singh, Milkha Singh, and so many more. Some of the most sacred Sikh shrines are located here - Nankana Sahib, Kartarpur Sahi, and Punja Sahib, etc. Genetically I am closer to my brothers in Pakistan than I am to the South Indians. My Ancestory.com genetic test revealed 70% West Punjab/Afghanistan and 30% East Punjab in my genes. This makes Pakistanis my cousins by blood. But then why do they consider themselves closer to the Arabs, and not to me? Pride of Pakistan The sacred land of Pakistan boasts of the advanced civilization of Indus Valley , initial homeland of Indo-Aryans who composed Vedas on this land, Panini wrote the first grammar in the world - Sanskrit here, Buddhism flourished her

Hoons, Huns, Pashtoon, and Abdalis - From Hinduism to Islam

Huns or Hoon Invasion of NW India The Huns or Huna (Middle Brahmi script: Hūṇā) was the name given by the ancient Indians to a group of Central Asian tribes who entered the Indian subcontinent during the 5th to early 6th century. In fact the Huns were not a homogeneous group and consisted to various distinct nomadic tribes that invaded Afghanstan and then India over a long period of times: Kidarite Huns Alchon Huns Nezak Huns Hephthalite Huns All of these groups arrived as pagan nomad raiders and then adopted the religion of the land. It was a tolerant society with poly-religious mixture of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Zaorastrian beliefs. They built Buddhist stupas, renovated Hindu temples, and released coins in the honor of Buddha, Shiva, his bull Nandi, mother goddess, Mithra - the Persian God, and Zaorastian fire altars. Pashtoon People of Afghanistan - Descendents of Huns They were conquered by the Arabs and Turks and forcibly or by choice converted to Islam. Overtime they became mor