ABSTRACT
The Radhasoami religion emerged in the nineteenth century with Shiv Dayal Singh at its head (‘Soami Ji Maharaj,’ 1818-78). Its origins-and even its organization-have been surrounded by heated controversies. For some, it was a new religious current that emerged from Sikhism, and evolved until it separated completely, thereafter becoming a creative synthesis of Hinduism and Sikhism. For others, the Sikh religion and the Radhasoami religion are two independent and different versions of the Sant Mat current (‘the way of the saints’: an important movement that developed within Hinduism from the thirteenth century on), both defined more by non-Hindu influences. For others, Radhasoami is not a real religion, and the expression ‘Radhasoami religion’ is fiercely disputed by them.
