. INTRODUCTION . CHAPTER 1 . CHAPTER 2 . CHAPTER 3 . CHAPTER 4 . CHAPTER 5 . CHAPTER 6 . CHAPTER 7 . CONCLUSION . REFERENCES CHAPTER 6 Manipulation and deception He has described his critics as traditionalists, conservatives, fundamentalists, who have vindictively created the impression that Sikhs in general lack appreciation and understanding of critical research on Sikhism. On the contrary, within a short span of time, the first generation of Sikh immigrants has endowed several chairs for Sikh studies in the USA, Canada, and England. And McLeod’s associates, Pashaura Singh, Gurinder Singh Mann, and Harjot Oberoi are the beneficiaries at the University of Michigan, University of California at Santa Barbra, and University of British Columbia, respectively. After seeing gross distortions of Sikhism by McLeod and his associates, Sikhs are having second thoughts about the utility of such chairs and are discouraged to set up more chairs nor is any attempt being made to strengthen the existing ones. To deflect the criticism of his and his associates’ works, he wants the readers to believe that they have been victimized by blood thirsty Sikhs. Moreover, he wants the readers to believe that Pashaura Singh, Harjot Oberoi, and Gurinder Singh Mann are great scholars of impeccable credibility by hiding the truth about their fraudulent research. His “Western methodology of historical research” is nothing more than “deception and manipulation of facts” as the following discussion demonstrates. Let me first give you an example of his “selective” reporting of facts to suit his own agenda with total disregard for objectivity and fairness. McLeod wrote, “Fauja Singh published in the first issue of Journal of Sikh Studies (vol. 1, no. 1, February 1974, pp. 79-89) a version of the arrest of Guru Teg Bahadur that contradicted the traditional account and was, as a result, vilified for doing so.”128 But he did not disclose the fact that Fauja Singh attempted to “give a new look¾Marxist viewpoint” to Guru Teg Bahadur’s execution by Emperor Aurangjeb, a bigoted Suni Muslim known for his persecution of non-Muslims, based on Ghulam Hussain’s historical work, Siyar-al-Mutakhirin.129 Fauja Singh as a historian was well aware of bias of Muslim writers towards Sikhs, who called them infidels and used abusive language against them. In spite of this he went ahead to argue his proposition on the basis of a single account by a Muslim writer. His article drew criticism for his weak and contradictory arguments in support of his proposition and his disregard for other accounts that support the traditional version of Guru Teg Bahadur’s martyrdom. Shortly thereafter Fauja Singh himself published another detailed article on the execution of Guru Teg Bahadur based on Bhat Vahis corroborating the traditional account.130 The association of Bhat (Brahmans) with Sikh Gurus goes back to the time of Guru Nanak and some of them kept records of important events in the lives Gurus. Fauja Singh’s article was criticized not only by Trilochan Singh and Kapur Singh but also by his academic peers including J.S. Grewal. One should ask McLeod: Since when criticism of someone’s research work came to be equated with vilification? McLeod is a master of deception par excellence. Earlier on page 112 he accuses Daljit Singh of unfairly criticizing him for views on Kartarpuri Bir, which he says he had explicitly renounced.70 However, on page 172 he still raises questions about the Kartarpuri Bir. The general question of the nature of the Kartarpuri text is still open, though not as result of anything that I have written. Many years ago I decided that questions concerning the Adi Granth were altogether too sensitive for an outsider to handle and that all research should be left to scholars who were also Sikhs. The books by Piar Singh, Pashaura Singh, Gurinder Singh Mann and Balwant Singh Dhillon show that the origin and nature of the manuscript are still being debated and there are some considerable differences of opinion. It is deplorable and shameful that Dhillon’s work is lumped in with the works of the other three¾as Dhillon disagrees with them in no uncertain terms, “Similarly, after going through the studies of the above scholars on the Adi Granth, I also feel that they have not told the whole story, honestly and truly.”131 Perhaps that is why Pashaura Singh and Gurinder Singh Mann did not want the Sikhs to read their theses and McLeod defends their actions without showing any deference to academic ethics. After completing his PhD, Pashaura Singh was appointed to teach Sikhism and Punjabi in the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and it was there that disgraceful treatment was visited upon him. A few conservative Sikhs regard my supervision as a certain route to dangerous untruth and Pashaura Singh was made to pay for having me as a supervisor in a most shameful manner. His thesis was photocopied without authorization and numerous copies were circulated in North America and elsewhere.”132 It is a strange logic that McLeod finds the photocopying of the thesis for which Pashaura Singh was awarded a Ph.D. shameful. The thesis was in the public domain. Genuine scholars feel honored when their work receives public attention! Is not research for the benefit of the public? Moreover, did not Sikhs pay for Pashaura Singh’s research? McLeod does not stop there. He continues his diatribe against the Sikhs by proclaiming that Pashaura Singh’s life was in danger, therefore, a police car of the university’s Public Safety Department accompanied him whenever he moved about the University of Michigan campus, and this protection stopped only when Pashaura Singh himself asked for it to be removed.133 Pashaura Singh too has been continuously complaining about the photocopying of his thesis and defending McLeod as a great scholar.134 Having learnt a lesson from Pashaura Singh’s example, Gurinder Singh Mann locked up his thesis until he got a secure faculty position at the University of California at Santa Barbara, endowed by Dr. Narinder Singh Kapany in the loving memory of his mother. This is exactly what McLeod did¾he kept his thesis out of reach until he was declared as being among the foremost scholars of Sikh studies by a reviewer (Prof. Zaehner) of the Times Literary Supplement, who was totally ignorant about Sikhism. We know that McLeod wants to teach his version of Sikhism to “inquisitive educated Western people.”23 May I ask: To whom do Pashaura Singh and Gurinder Singh Mann want to teach their version of Sikhism? Surely they did not want the Sikhs to read their theses! Like McLeod, they too want Sikhs to support them financially, in order to propagate their version of Sikhism! They have no qualms about holding faculty positions sponsored by the Sikhs! McLeod uses a clever tactic to defend himself by projecting Pashaura Singh, Gurinder Singh Mann, and Harjot Oberoi, whose works have come under severe criticism, as distinguished scholars.      It is in fact a grievous disgrace for those Sikhs who joined on the hunt against him. Pashaura Singh’s thesis has since been published by the Oxford University Press in New Delhi as The Guru Granth Sahib: Canon, Meaning and Authority and was a strong contender for the best book published in Religious Studies for 2000. … From time to time the Pashaura Singh debate is raised on the Internet (particularly by Sikh-Diaspora, a discussion group of younger Sikhs). In this case, however, Pashaura Singh appears to receive far more bouquets than brickbats.135 Were the judges of Pashaura Singh’s thesis expert in Sikhism or were they just like McLeod’s thesis supervisor? Besides, why was Pashaura Singh demoted from the rank of assistant professor to lecturer? Further, I would like Pashaura Singh or McLeod or the editor of Studies in Religion/Sciences Religieuses to point out the scholarly worth of Pashaura Singh’s article Recent trends and prospects in Sikh studies published in 1998.21,134 In what manner does this article advances the cause of Sikh studies or the understanding of Sikhism? Would McLeod enlighten us about the expertise of an Internet discussion group of younger Sikhs on Sikhism! Their offering of bouquets to Pashaura Singh is like a blind person applauding the marksmanship of a person with myopic vision! McLeod has picked only certain statements from chapter 1 (Introduction) and chapter 12 (Pashaura Sibgh’s Thesis on “The Text & Meaning of Adi Granth” by Trilochan Singh) in Planned Atack on Aad Sri Guru Granth Sahib: Academics or Blasphemy to create the impression that this text is devoid of academic discussion and is full of absurd and wild accusations against him and Pashaura Singh136. He makes no mention of the contents of 37 articles by different Sikh scholars, mostly PhDs, both academics and non-academics, which discuss and challenge every aspect of Pashaura Singh’s thesis built on the basis of Goindwal Pothis, belonging to the schismatic sect of Baba Mohan and the GNDU Manuscript 1245 [GNDU stands for Guru Nanak Dev University] discovered from unknown sources in 1987.137 To my knowledge, so far, Pashaura Singh has not responded to any of these articles or the two questions Dr. Jasbir Singh Mann asked in a letter of December 4, 1992, addressed to Hew, Joseph and Pashaura.138 1.       When and how did Pashaura Singh come across GNDU Manuscript 1245 and where it was before 1987? 2.       Who published articles under the authorship of Dr. Loehlin in 1987 & 1990 suggesting, “Western friends of Sikhism and the Sikhs likewise have noted this lack of critical interest on part of the Sikhs. Fortunately, many of their scholars and research experts are doing research on textual and historical problem.” Pahsaura Singh, on page 92 of his thesis, provides a rationale for the textual analysis of the Adi Granth by quoting Dr. Loehlin who had urged Sikhs to submit the Adi Granth to textual criticism: “The Sikhs will hold a unique position among the religions of the world if they prove through careful textual criticism the widely accepted belief that the Kartarpur Granth is the MS dictated by Guru Arjan.” And at the bottom of the page he cites the following reference for this quote. C. Loehlin, “The Need for textual and Historical Criticism”, The Sikh Courier (Spring-Summer, 1987), p 18. Originally, this paper was read at the Punjab Historical Conference and published in its proceedings, 1966. Archer’s comments may be seen in “The Bible of Sikhs”, The Review of Religion (January 1949), pp 11-25. Dr. Loehlin, a missionary colleague of McLeod from California, was Vice-Principal of Baring College, Batala. After his retirement he settled in California, and was admitted to an Assisted Living facility in 1983. The administrator of this facility indicated that since 1983 Loehlin was neither capable of writing nor asked anyone to write any such article until his death in August 1987. Dr. Loehlin’s daughter also confirmed the same. And yet the article published under Loehlin’s name in 1987 was republished with additional material in 1990 in the March-April issue of The Sikh Review, Calcutta. Since Dr. Loehlin was incapacitated and died in 1987, who was the ghostwriter of the articles under his name in 1987 and 1990? Could it be someone who questioned the authenticity of Kartarpuri Bir?  In The Evolution of the Sikh Community, McLeod mentions that others including Loehlin had suspicions concerning the Kartarpur manuscript and were seeking alternative explanations.73 A genuine Ph.D. degree requires original research of high calibre, not reinterpretation of information gathered by unreliable sources. Moreover, a researcher makes a thorough search of literature relevant to the thesis and uses only impeccable references, not heresy or private conversation as evidence to support the argument. On the other hand, Gurinder Singh Mann has used the information about the extinct Guru Har Sahai Pothi (manuscript) and two extant Goindwal Pothis for his thesis, The Making of Sikh Scripture. These Pothis have been in the possession of the descendents Prithi Chand, elder brother of Guru Arjan, and Baba Mohan, elder son of Guru Amar Das, respectively. And these Pothis were solely used for pecuniary purposes. Both Baba Mohan and Pirthi Chand were found to be unworthy for Guruship by their fathers, Guru Amar Das and Guru Ram Das, respectively. These embittered and disgruntled men set themselves up as Gurus in opposition to Guru Ram Das and Guru Arjan, respectively. Bhai Gurdas, who was the nephew of Guru Amar Das and contemporary of five Gurus (Guru Angad to Guru Hargobind) and also the amanuenses of Adi Granth under the supervision of Guru Arjan, has described Baba Mohan as mentally deranged (kmlw, kamla) and Pirthi Chand as crooked (mIxw, mina).139,140 Professor Sahib Singh spent most of his life studying the Aad Guru Granth Sahib; first he prepared its grammar and then translated it into modern Punjabi prose in ten volumes. He has explained beautifully, logically and convincingly that Guru Nanak wrote down his bani (sacred composition) and kept it safely and gave it to Guru Angad when he assumed the Guruship and in turn he gave it to Guru Amar Das along with his own and this process was repeated. So when Guru Arjan compiled the Adi Granth, he had in his possession all the bani of his predecessors and the bani of bhagats collected by them.141 The first time reference to Goindwal Pothis is found in Sarup Das Bhala’s Mahima Parkash wherein he alleges that Guru Arjan composed a hymn in praise of Baba Mohan in order to borrow Goindwal Pothis, which he needed for the compilation of Adi Granth.142 However, contemporary sources, Varan Bhai Gurdas and even later sources, namely Das Gur Katha (Kavi Kankan) and Bansalwali Nama (Kesar Singh (Chhibbar) make no mention to the above incidence. However, later Sikh sources beginning from Sikhan Di Bhagat Mala, Gurbilas Chhevin Patshi (Sohan), and Sri Gur Partap Suraj Granth (Bhai Santokh Singh) have depicted this incidence in a dramatic way.142 Professor Sahib Singh has also refuted this absurd story of “Guru Arjan borrowing Pothis from Mohan” convincingly and logically by pointing out that Guru Arjan had all the bani he needed for the compilation of Adi Granth, and that the word mohan (Delightful) in an epithet for God, not for any person.143 Guru Nanak has also used mohan in the same sense.144 As pointed out aptly by Dhillon, textual analysis of Guru Har Sahai Pothi in the absence of the Pothi is absolutely impossible and looks to be unacademic.145 I may add further that it amounts to “daylight academic fraud.”146 In spite of this Mann went ahead to build his sandcastle, The Making of Sikh Scripture, which was demolished by Dhillon and others. This is what Professor Pritam Singh, former head of Sikh studies at Guru Nanak Dev University, who was among the earliest and ardent supporters of McLeod, as J.S. Grewal and Khushwant Singh, says about Mann’s work. The pick of Western scholars, interested in Sikh Studies, including, I am told my old friend, the venerable Dr. W.H. McLeod, has rallied round Dr. Gurinder Singh Mann, the author of The Goindwal Pothis: The earliest Extant Source of The Sikh Canon (1996).… As I look back, it becomes clear that Professor Sahib Singh had already thrown a spanner into the prevalent theory by persistently claiming that Guru Arjan Dev had compiled the Adi Granth on the basis of an inherited corpus containing the works of his predecessors and others.… The professor also dismissed, as pure concoction, the whole story in which Guru Arjan Dev was shown as composing and singing an eulogy in honor of Baba Mohan and receiving, as reward, the Goindwal MSS, on loan. The “Mohan hymn” according to the Professor’s interpretation is a paean adoring the great Lord Himself. … I may say, in all humility, that my study of the contents of the Ahiyapur Pothi confirms, though indirectly, Professor Sahib Singh’s thesis and negates some of the major, if not all the conclusions, of Dr. Mann and Giani Gurdit Singh. In a nutshell, my finding is that the Adi Granth and the Ahiyapur Pothi are two parallel recensions of Gurbani and Bhagat-Bani with the Adi Granth serving as the scripture of the Sikh mainstream and the Ahiyapur Pothi intended to be the official sacred book of the faction set up by Mohan and his son.147 The interpretation of a couplet from Guru Arjan’s shabad on page 15 of Pashaura Singh’s thesis is a typical example of how both Pashaura Singh and Mann use logic and interpret gurbani and historical facts to justify their formulations.148 When I opened the treasure of my father and grandfather to see it myself, then I realized the divine treasure in my man (heart-mind-soul). AGGS, M 5, p. 186. Pashaura Singh has given the literal translation, which may be accepted by the “inquisitive Western educated people,” but not, even by illiterate Punjabi people because paternal grandfather (dada, dwdw) is not the same as maternal grandfather (nana, nwnw). Guru Arjan did not inherit any bani (sacred writings) from his dada; he inherited bani from his nana, Guru Amar Das. Moreover, in Punjabi expression like piu dade di izzat (ipE dwdy dI iezq) or piu dada di milkh (ipEu dwdy dI imlK) do not literally mean father and paternal grandfather’s honor or riches, rather it means ancestral (vfyirAW dI, vderian di) honor or riches. So here Guru Arjan is talking about his inheritance from his spiritual ancestors¾Guru Nanak, Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das and Guru Ram Das¾collection of their sacred writings. Besides, Pahsaura Singh has quoted only two lines from a shabad of ten lines. In the other lines Guru Arjan makes abundantly clear that his inheritance is invaluable, immeasurable and inexhaustible and it is for sharing with others. Further down on the same page Pashaura Singh elaborates on his interpretation of the couplet. Here the reference to both his father and grandfather’s “treasure” may suggest that Guru Arjan received at least two sets of manuscripts of gurbani, one belonging to his father and the other to his grandfather. The works of Guru Nanak and Guru Angad together with Bhagats were grouped with his grandfather’s bani in the Goindwal pothis. Since his father, Guru Ram Das, was not represented in these volumes Guru Arjan presumably had access to a second manuscript. First, he is not sure (or perhaps he is suggestive) whether Guru Arjan received at least two sets of gurbani, one belonging to his father and the other to his grandfather. Second, he claims that the works of Guru Nanak and Guru Angad together with Bhagats were grouped with his grandfather’s bani in the Goindwal pothis without providing any proof or logical reasoning¾an example of wild and absurd speculation reflecting McLeodian mentality. Third, what does “Since his father, Guru Ram Das, was not represented in these volumes Guru Arjan presumably had access to a second manuscript” mean? In which volumes was Guru Ram Das not represented? What was in the second manuscript presumably accessible to Guru Arjan? What was in the set of manuscripts he got from his father and maternal grandfather if Guru Arjan had to consult a second manuscript? Instead of saying clearly that Guru Arjan borrowed Goindwal pothis in order to compile the Adi Granth, Pashaura Singh has implied the same cleverly in confusing language¾the tactic he learned from his thesis supervisor, McLeod. Did not Guru Amar Das give all his collection of bani whether in the form of pothis or separate manuscripts to Guru Ram Das as Guru Nanak did to Guru Angad and he in turn to Guru Amar Das? Does it make any sense that Guru Amar Das appointed Ram Das as his successor but gave his collection of bani to Baba Mohan whom he found unfit to lead the Sikhs as Guru? Moreover, it is absurd to suggest that there was paucity of recorded bani during the time of Guru Arjan or Guru Amar Das. On the contrary, there was abundance of recorded bani during the time of Guru Amar Das and Guru Arjan. We know that Guru Nanak and Guru Angad constructed a modern, easy and efficient script, Gurmukhi from crude scripts current at that time, to record gurbani (sacred hymns) and the propagation of its message. We can well imagine the enthusiasm among Sikhs for learning to read and write this script, as in Hindu society at that time reading and writing was the privilege only of upper castes, Brahamans, Khatris and traders, due to caste restrictions. So it was not only the Gurus and their close associates who were preparing manuscripts of gurbani, but also ordinary Sikhs making notes of gurbani for their personal use. We also know that during the time of Guru Amar Das, the population of Sikhs was so large and widespread that Guru Amar Das organized it into 22 dioceses (mangis, mMjIAW), each headed by a Sikh (mangidar, mMjIdwr) well versed in Gurmat. So it is reasonable to believe that each manjidar had a complete collection of recorded gurbani for conducting religious services and for the propagation of Nanakian philosophy (Gurmat). And many Sikhs may have a full set of gurbani records for their personal use. People like McLeod would ask what happened to those records of gurbani? The answer is simple and logical. The manuscripts were destroyed by the enemies of Sikhs or disintegrated due to the ravage of time for lack of proper care. In recent times, we witnessed the looting and burning of the Sikh Reference Library by Indira Gandhi’s army during the attack on the Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) complex in 1984. After the conquest of the Punjab, the British not only looted precious jewels and valuables from Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s treasury, but also stole many rare Sikh manuscripts. According to Sikh tradition, the entire collection of literature in the possession of Guru Gobind Singh at Anandpur Sahib was lost during transportation or destroyed and looted by the enemies. After the death of Guru Gobind Singh, the enemies launched an all out assault to destroy Sikhs and Sikh philosophy. There were two major massacres (chota ghallughara and wada ghallughara) of Sikhs and then there was a systematic extermination of the Sikh population under Farrukhsiyar and Zakaria Khan and his Diwan Lakhpart Rai. A price was fixed on the heads of Sikhs, informers and bounty hunters were well rewarded, and hunting parties were organized to search for Sikhs. Their belongings were looted and their homes and lands confiscated. The utterance of the words, Guru or Granth and the keeping of Guru Granth Sahib or gurbani in any form were proscribed. As a consequence of this campaign only a few thousand Sikhs survived by taking shelter in the desert of Rajasthan and the forests of Shivalik hills and among their ranks only a few could read and write. Among the heads of twelve Sikhs Misls (confederacies) only Jassa Singh Ahluwalia could read or write. In the meantime, Hindu mahants/udasis took control of Sikh religious places and they played havoc with Gurmat using anti–Gurmat literature that was created during this period.149 How and who could have saved Sikh literature under such circumstances? Whatever little was left was subverted through interpolation. McLeod was well aware of the information about Piar Singh’s unethical behavior described in Dhillon’s Early Sikh Tradition: Myth and Reality. In spite of that, he showed no hesitation in using Pair Singh’s testimony to denigrate Daljit Singh and build up Pashaura Singh and defend his own work.150 It was Piar Singh who penned down two notes one in Punjabi and one in English in GNDU MS # 1245. It was Piar Singh who got it from somewhere and in collusion with manuscript dealers, Chawla Brothers sold it to GNDU at a good price in March 1987. The dealers are reluctant to divulge the actual source of acquisition,151 but why? What are they afraid of or hiding? May be it has something to do with the four events that took place in 1987. GNDU acquired MS # 1245; Pashaura Singh started his Ph.D. research on it;152 Harjot Singh Oberoi completed his thesis: A World Reconstructed: Religion, Ritual and Community among Sikhs153 and was installed in the Chair of Sikh Studies at the University of British Columbia, Canada through the machinations of the Indian government,154 and a ghostwriter published an article under the name of Dr. Loehlin who was either incapacitated or dead, urging Sikhs to submit Adi Granth for textual analysis. McLeod condemns the Sikhs while praising Oberoi’s academic accomplishments.     So intense was the volume of abuse and condemnation that Oberoi resigned his Sikh Studies chair, though not from the teaching staff of the university. The University of British Columbia gave Oberoi strong support throughout his ordeal and continues to benefit from his presence as a teacher and a scholar, taking full responsibility for funding his position and continuing to do so in the future. His book The Construction of Religious Boundaries was highly acclaimed by the American Academy of Religion and was awarded the Best Book Prize for 1994.155 Did the American Academy of Religion read Invasion of Religious Boundaries,154 a compendium of rebuttals to The Construction of Religious Boundaries? Were there any experts on Sikhism in the award committee? Or were they just like McLeod’s thesis supervisor and examiners or people like Barrier and Juergensmeyer? It is doubtful that Oberoi has understanding of Nanakian philosophy (Gurmat) or Punjabi literature and culture. For example he did not cite any reference from Aad Guru Granth Sahib which is the only authentic source of Nanakian philosophy (Gurmat) in support of his thesis: A World Reconstructed: Religion, Ritual and Community among Sikhs. Oberoi is also ignorant of Sikh history. His understanding of Sikhism is based on the writings of the detractors and opponents of Singh Sabha Movement, who were claiming that Sikhs are Hindus while denigrating Sikhism and Sikhs. Oberoi claims that before the Singh Sabha Movement there was no difference between Hindus and Sikhs. If there was no difference between Sikhs and Hindus before the Singh Sabha Movement then how come Mughal rulers put a price only on the heads of Sikhs? Why did Hindus support the Mughal authorities by organizing hunting parties to capture and kill Sikhs? In view of the rise of the Sikhs as a militant force in Northwestern India, the Mughal administration pursued a policy of tolerance towards Hindus and their places of worship. The upper caste Hindus emerged as the major beneficiaries of the Mughal-Sikh conflict, and rather developed a vested interest in it both for keeping their positions and carrying on their war against Sikhism.156 Oberoi’s lack of expertise in Punjabi language, culture and literature is evident from the texts he uses to teach Punjabi. Ignoring all the Punjabi literature in the world, he uses The Chaupa Singh Rahit-nama edited by McLeod in his Punjabi course as it has the Gurmukhi text as well as an English translation.157 Moreover, Oberoi supervised Doris Jakobsh’s PhD thesis “Relocating Gender in Sikh History: Transformation, Meaning and Identity,” at the University of British Columbia, 1999. In this thesis, almost all quotes from Aad Guru Granth Sahib are misinterpreted to show that Sikh Gurus were prejudiced against women. Punjabi proverbs are also misinterpreted to support her views.