This book is a wide collection of articles discussing historical background, legal and constitutional status, and conceptual formulations underpinning the institution of Akal Takht – the Sikh seat of temporality. The central debates in many of these articles revolve around the role of Akal Takht in Sikh history, Sikh politics, and Sikh world view, culled from the doctrines of Sikhi. Besides, many of the articles express a rather consistent intellectual resentment over the way Sikh politics has mutilated the glory of Sikh society and Sikh inspiration. However, authors expressing these concerns have overlooked noting that politics in general is by and large a reflection of social constructs and the way the society imagines itself. Therefore, any attempt to recontextualize and recuperate Sikh politics calls to account for ontological discussion on self and society. Such discussion in my understanding stems from Maryada (both personal and political).

Gleaned from different sources, the collection of articles in this book unveil deeper insights on the institution of Akal Takht. Besides discussing the institutional significance, these articles highlight the historical conditions in which the institution has remained central to Sikh imagination.