W. H. McLeod is a New Zealander and is Emeritus Professor at the University of Otago in Dunedin. He took an MA from the University of Otago and PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. For nine years McLeod taught in the Punjab and developed a life-long interest in the Sikhs. He returned to teach History in the University of Otago in 1971, and since then has paid frequent visits to the Punjab. All of his books and most of his published articles concern Sikh history, religion, and sociology. W. H. McLeod is the author of Guru Nanak and the Sikh Religion (1968), The Evolution of the Sikh Community (1976), Early Sikh Tradition (1980), Who is a Sikh? (1989), Exploring Sikhism (2000), and Sikhs of the Khalsa (forthcoming).

About the Book:

A comprehensive dictionary of terms, concepts, events, and personalities in the study of the Sikh religion and history, the Historical Dictionary of Sikhism has been compiled by one of the most renowned authorities in Sikh Studies. It includes:

More than 1000 entries on the Sikh religion, history, and society explained in an accessible way. The entries include specific terms such as bana, bhog, and bunga, as well as general concepts as they occur within Sikh belief, such as monogamy, patriarchy, and rites of passage.

Thoughtful cross-referencing within entries to facilitate use of the Dictionary by lay readers.

An extensive updated bibliography of extant works in the English language on the religion and history of the Sikhs.

This is a necessary source-book for students, scholars, and general readers in Sikh Studies. Practising Sikhs will find the Dictionary immensely useful. For those with little knowledge of Sikhism, it will be an invaluable companion to any work on the Sikh religion.

'Hew McLeod is the leading scholar of Sikhism in the western world and this dictionary provides an authoritative reference work for those interested in the history and development ot this important religious movement and the Sikh Community.'

Peter Reeves, Asian Studies Revies

'Hew McLeod is to be commended for the splendid resource that he has placed in the hands of those seeking to understand the history and religion of the Sikhs.'

William W. Emilsen, Journal of Religious History