Anthropology of Economy and the Sikh Concept of kirat karnī

Abstract

The article ‘Anthropology of Economy and the Sikh Concept of kirat karnī ’ describes one of the most important concepts of the youngest monotheistic religion – Sikhism, concerning the ethos of work in a wider context of economic anthropology. Sikhs, often called “the protestants of India,” do not follow the cast system of Hindu society, instead choosing the path of equality and aiming at the improvement of the economic status of people. The research is based on the canonical texts included in the holy book of Sikhism and interpretations of scriptures that were written in the span of over 200 years. The paper explains the philosophical and practical meaning of kirat karnī in Sikhism along with its understanding and development in the contemporary Sikh society in Indian Punjab.