Religious Rebels in the Punjab

What happens when untouchables decide they are not Hindus?

They form their own religion. The Ad Dharm movement of Punjab, founded in the 1920s by Mangoo Ram of the Ghadar movement, stakes claim as a religion separate from and superior to both Hinduism and Sikhism. In this classic study, Mark Juergensmeyer chronicles the history of the Ad Dharm movement with extensive field research, surveys and interviews with dalit leaders. He also explores Ad Dharm’s links with organisations supported by dalits: Arya Samaj, Valmiki Sabha, Ambedkar and Dalit Panther movements, Christianity, Marxism, the Congress party, Radhasoami Satsang, and the lifestyle of modern secularism.

Mark Juergensmeyer is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Sociology and Global Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.