While browsing the internet I came across a video that looked like an animation of Sikh history. Once playing the video it was clear by the way the narrator pronounced 'Nanak' that this was from an outside historian. It turns out this is from a U.S. based YouTube channel called 'Epimetheus'. The description of the channel explains why it exposes Sikh history, a subject not common among historians, especially from the U.S.
Hi this is Epimetheus! On this channel I cover the histories of nations empires and people from all over the world. I especially enjoy focusing on areas that are covered less in the mainstream or examining a familiar topic from a different perspective.
There is a huge amount of history covered in this short video. It starts with Guru Nanak and the rise of the Mughol empire, and goes through to partition. In between Banda Bahadur, the fall of the Mughol empire, the missl period, Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the anglo-Sikh wars are talked about.
There was a glaring flaw in the video was when it stated "As Gobind Singh traveled to make peace with Aurangzeb's successor he was assassinated". Commentors pointed out that due to Guru ji's quick reflexes and prowess with martial arts the assassination had failed, it was the re-opening of Guru ji's surgically mended wound that lead to his final days on earth.
Besides this it is a very educational video that gives a complimentary, concise and complete view of Sikh history from a non-spiritual and strictly historic perspective. The video ends with the following:
"Despite only accounting for approximately 2% of India's population hundreds of thousands of Sikhs served in the army during the British Raj. Sikhs were noted for their loyalty, skill and bravery, particularly for the 1st and 2nd world wars. After overcoming centuries of adversity, today there are over 27 million Sikhs worldwide with the majority still living in the Punjab."
This is the first animation of this kind I have seen on Sikh history. Surely it will serve to educate many, even among the Sikh population, of our history. Videos are certainly the fire circle of modern society and that is why it is good to see an animation, which certainly helps to keep your attention on the subject, while following this compact historic lesson. What was heartening was to see that the majority of the comments on this page were of people giving praise to Sikhs and telling their personal and positive stories.
Here were just a few examples:
~"I have never met a Sikh who wasn't a good person."
~"I went few times in Sikhs temple in Queens NYC. With my Sikhs friends... Respect 100%."
~"Wow so Sikhs were basically the first NATO army, they had French, British, Russian, Poland and other European mercenaries in their army! Pretty interesting"
~"Some of the most stand up people you will ever come across. A stereotype to be proud of."
~"Good stuff. Sikhism is a beautiful religion. Punjabi food is amazing too, I eat it as often as I can. A really cool people and a reminder of the diversity of India when watching a video like this."