Description
Dr. Gurinder Singh Mann, a well known Sikh historian and scholar, who currently holds ‘The Kundan Kaur Kapani Chair’ in Sikh studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, was born on 10th December
1949 in Punjab. He completed his studies with a Master’s degree in English from Baring Union Christian
College in Batala, Punjab, India. From 1971 to 1984 he taught English as a lecturer in Baring Union Christian
College, Batala. It was during this period that he earned his second Master’s degree in English in 1975 from
the University of Kent at Canterbury, UK. In 1984, he shifted to USA. While in USA, he added another
Master’s degree in Theological Studies from Harvard University and later Ph.D. in Religion from Columbia
University (1993). From 1988 to 1999, he was employed as Instructor (88-92), Assistant Professor (92-97)
and Associate Professor (1997-1999) of Religion in Columbia University. In the mid-1990s, the newly0-
created Global and International Studies Program at UCSB, Directed by Mark Juergensmeyer, requested the
allocation of a position in Sikh and Global Studies. At the same time, Juergensmeyer, whose association with
Sikhs and the Punjab went back to the 1960s, was able to persuade Narinder Singh Kapany, Chairperson
of the Sikh Foundation, Palo Alto, to attach an endowment that would provide research funds to this new
position. This effort eventually resulted in the creation of the ‘Kundan Kaur Kapany’, Professorship in Sikh
and Global Studies, and after a national search for candidates for the position, Dr. Gurinder Singh Mann
was invited to be its first occupant. Since then Dr. Sahib had been doing wonderful work in achieving the
results for which the said Chair was setup. Many new courses for Punjabi language, Punjab and History of
the Sikhs were developed. A large number of students were attracted for these courses. These students got
an opportunity to hear lectures from various scholars from India and other countries. The University and
its programs became so popular that thousands of people visited the center for Sikh and Punjab Studies and
UCSB website to know more and more about this great religion. Dr. Sahib’s contribution in preparing the
students for Master’s degree and Ph.D. thesis on Sikh related topics is highly appreciable. During these years
he has written a large number of articles, edited Journal of Punjab Studies and ‘Studying the Sikh’ issues for
North America and authored and co-authored a number of books. His book “The Making of Sikh Scripture”
is very well known. Further in the series of Religions of the World (2007), he has elaborately dealt with
Sikhism and the said work is available in Japanese and Spanish edition also. He has also written on Sikh
Classical works like ‘Sri Guru Panth Parkash’ and ‘Goindwal Pothis’. Dr. Mann is a scholar in the real sense
as he believes in continuing research and making the people aware of Sikh concepts and teachings of the
Masters. He is a preacher as he visits and attends all important events and programs related to Sikhism and
represents Sikh view points at various interfaith gatherings. For example, he was one of the speakers on Sri
Guru Gobind Singh’s contribution to the concept of human rights at the International Sikh Conclave held
at Patna in September 2016 to mark the beginning of celebration of the 350th Birth Anniversary of Sri Guru
Gobind Singh Ji.
