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Who among you has read his book 'History of the Sikhs' volumes I and II? I borrowed it from my public library but because it was on inter-library loan never finished it I always thought of Kushwant as a joke book and fiction writer. I want to read a non-romanticized history of the development of Sikhism, its schisms and military-political history especially. Much of the history of Sikh gurus appears to be idealized and uncritical. I would like to learn what decisions they made that helped the advance of Sikhism and Punjabi nationalism, and those that did not, also their personal strengths and weaknesses viewed neutrally by non-devotees. Also, I am skeptical of the claim that Guru Nanak founded Sikhism. In my limited understandings I would say other later gurus did and Gobinda Singh formalized it. Nanak dev didn't found anything ideological or organizational, any more than Kabir did.

Is Kushwant's book the best introduction for this or are there other uncensored books on Sikh gurus? I am not looking 'for the dirt' on the gurus just a rational assessment, particularly for in the context of Islamic jihad and being a jizya (tax) paying non-Muslim dhimmi (second class citizens) in the Mughal state.