Economic Thought of the Sikh Gurus

Book excerpt: Economic Thought of the Sikh Gurus reveals how down-to-earth the Sikh religion is, and demonstrates the absolutely secular nature of that way of life. J.R. Dass has analysed the contribution of the Sikh Gurus from Nanak to Gobind Singh to the socio-economic development of Northern India. The Gurus taught and practised what were during the time extremely revolutionary economic ideas, chiefly the secular ideal of community living. Alongside the Gurus? economic ideas ? found in the Sikh Scriptures ? the writer has extrapolated the ideas of the classic Western economists of later years such as Adam Smith Keynes and Marshall, to prove that the Sikh Gurus were for ahead of their age in respect of their economic theories. The relevance of the Gurus? thoughts in economic revolution and the need to narrow down economic disparities are found to be relevant centuries later, in the present work.