Introduction To The Book 'Great Sikh Women' By Gagan Aneja

Sikh woman have played a glorious part in Sikh history. Sikh history holds stories of the many women who helped in many ways to shape the faith. In Sikhism Sikh women are the foundational basis of the Sikh religious life. Sikh women. always have been and will be backbone of the Khalsa Panth The equality of woman with a man is a fundamental principal of Sikhism.

Sikh women have proven themselves as equal in service, devotion, sacrifice and bravery. Examples of their moral dignity, service and self sacrifice are and will remain a source of inspiration.

Guru Nanak Dev ji, founder of Sikh religion, said men and women are equal and therefore women cannot be considered socially or spiritually inferior. In one of his hymns, he said:

Of woman are we born,

Of woman conceived,

To woman engaged,

To woman married.

Woman we befriended,

by woman the future generations come.

When a women dies,

a woman is sought for.

(Guru Nanak, Raag Aassa Mehla 1, page 473)

It is through woman that order is maintained. Then why call her inferior from whom all great ones born? A man can never feel secure and complete in life without a women. A man's success depends upon and support of the women who shares her life with him and vice versa.

From The Backcover Of The Book 'Great Sikh Women' By Gagan Aneja

Sikh women have played a glorious part in Sikh history that-holds stories of many women who helped in shaping the faith and are the corner stones of the Sikh religious life, thus becoming the backbone of the Khalsa Panth. The equality of a woman with a man is a fundamental principal of Sikhism.

Being a good wife and a good mother does not mean that a woman may turn her back when the. situation demands action on her part. Mata Bhago did the same when the call to act came. Mata Sundari not only took keen interest in Sikh polity, but also successfully guided the destiny of the Panth at a crucial juncture.

Sikh women had played a glorious part in Sikh history and have proven themselves as equal in devotion, sacrifice and bravery to uphold the Sikh ideals and beliefs.

The prominent women who occupied high place in Sikhism belonged largely to Guru's family, either as a mother or a daughter or a wife or a sister. The most 'important part of Khalsa women is to raise the Khalsa children who kept the Khalsa alive. The list of great women is endless, a few of whom have been included in this handy volume who played an important role in Sikh history.