Eleventh Global Studies Conference

Abstract

This research examines two sites in Malerkotla, India, one civil monument, and one religious shrine. An exploration into the history of the town provides a backdrop for the importance these sites play for the community. The religious site, a shrine to Shaikh Sadruddin, a fifteenth century Muslim Shaikh who founded the town, functions as a place of worship and a gathering place for the community. The civil memorial, the Kuka Martyrs Memorial, built in 1993, serves as a monument to sixty-six Sikhs who were killed by a British deputy commissioner in 1872. I argue that the memorial functions as a civil religious sacred site and unites the town toward a shared history. Both sites transcend individual religious tradition and are visited by people of all faith traditions. The town’s collective memory and emphasis on key historical events play a part in connecting the town’s different religious communities toward a larger shared identity.