Anticolonial Resistance in the Early Twentieth Century

This chapter examines the trajectories and legacies of anticolonial thought and political activism in Punjab during the early twentieth century. Growing out of vibrant transnational networks, the Babbar Akali Movement and the Kirti-Kisan Party of Punjab represent two distinct sects of political activism. While these organizations have been considered to lie on either side of the secular/non-secular binary, their histories reveal a shared and deep-rooted relationship with the Sikh tradition and their connections with revolutionary movements abroad. Through a close reading of the publications issued by the Babbar Akali Movement and the Kirti-Kisan Party, this chapter reviews how Sikhi, anticolonialism, and political activism intertwined in the sociopolitical landscape of Punjab in the early twentieth century.