Caste in the Gurpratāp Sūraj Granth (1843)

This paper explores issues surrounding caste mobility and perception during the early 19th century by examining Santokh Singh (1787-1843), a Sikh commentator, historian, and poet, notably a member of a marginalized caste, the chīmpā caste, who were cloth dyers. The paper discusses Santokh Singh’s background, thinking through what it meant for a Sikh of a marginalized caste to be enlisted as a student under an important scholar in Amritsar at that time. This examination into Santokh Singh’s background also will focus on his interaction with royal courts, particularly Patiala, and how he married outside of his caste, and what that tells us about caste formations at this time. While Bhai Vir Singh argues that Santokh Singh and his writings were influenced by Brahmins who were also patroned under the same king, this paper will explore the role of caste within his magnus opus, the Sūraj Prakāś (1843).