9781422279748

The exterior of a Sikh temple in the Southall neighborhood of London. The United Kingdom has a significant Sikh population because of its former imperial relationship with India and the Punjab region where Sikhism originated.

groups called castes. The caste system determined how important someone was believed to be and the kind of employment that that person could have. Brahmins, the highest caste, were the priests and political leaders. Sudras were the servants. Women were not considered to be mem- bers of any caste, nor were they allowed to receive religious teaching, or read sacred scriptures. When a husband died, his wife was expected to commit suicide on his funeral pyre.

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Sikhism