Introduction

Sikhism, religion and philosophy founded in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent in the late 15th
century. Its members are known as Sikhs. The Sikhs call their faith Gurmat (Punjabi: “the Way of the
Guru”). According to Sikh tradition, Sikhism was established by Guru Nanak (1469–1539) and
subsequently led by a succession of nine other Gurus. All 10 human Gurus, Sikhs believe, were inhabited
by a single spirit. Upon the death of the 10th, Guru Gobind Singh (1666–1708), the spirit of the
eternal Guru transferred itself to the sacred scripture of Sikhism, Guru Granth Sahib (“The Granth as the
Guru”), also known as the Adi Granth (“First Volume”), which thereafter was regarded as the sole Guru.
In the early 21st century there were nearly 25 million Sikhs worldwide, the great majority of them living
in the Indian state of Punjab.The following discussion of the lives of the 10 Gurus relies on the traditional
Sikh account, most elements of which are derived from hagiographic legend and lore and cannot be
verified historically. This point should be borne in mind throughout, especia in the sections on the early
Gurus.

History and doctrine

Sikh in Punjabi means “learner,” and those who joined the Sikh community, or Panth (“Path”), were
people who sought spiritual guidance. Sikhs claim that their tradition has always been separate
from Hinduism. Nevertheless, many Western scholars argue that in its earliest stage Sikhism was a
movement within the Hindu tradition; Nanak, they point out, was raised a Hindu and eventually belonged
to the Sant tradition of northern India, a movement associated with the great poet and
mystic Kabir (1440–1518). The Sants, most of whom were poor, dispossessed, and illiterate, composed
hymns of great beauty expressing their experience of the divine, which they saw in all things. Their
tradition drew heavily on the Vaishnava bhakti (the devotional movement within the Hindu tradition that
worships the god Vishnu), though there were important differences between the two. Like the followers of
bhakti, the Sants believed that devotion to God is essential to liberation from the cycle of rebirth in which
all human beings are trapped; unlike the followers of bhakti, however, the Sants maintained that God
is nirgun (“without form”) and not sagun (“with form”). For the Sants, God can be neither incarnated nor
repres Sects and other groups
SectsIn addition to the orthodox, there are several Sikh sects, four of which are particularly important.
Two sects, the Nirankaris and the Nam-Dharis, or Kuka Sikhs, emerged in northwestern Punjab during
the latter part of Ranjit Singh’s reign. The Nirankaris were members of trading castes and followers of
Baba Dayal, who had preached a return to the doctrine of nam simaran. With the advent of the Tat Khalsa
this goal was largely achieved, and today the Nirankaris differ from orthodox Sikhs only in their
recognition of a continuing line of Gurus. The Nam-Dharis also recognize a continuing line, believing
that Guru Gobind Singh did not die in Nander but lived in secret until he passed the title to Balak Singh.
Under the second Nam-Dhari Guru, Ram Singh, the movement’s centre moved to Bhaini Sahib, where
trouble with British authorities led to Ram Singh’s imprisonment in Rangoon, Burma (Yangon,
Myanmar). Almost all Nam-Dharis are from the carpenter caste, and most adult male Nam-Dharis are
easily recognized by their white homespun turbans, which they tie horizontally across the foreheadThe
third sect, the Akhand Kirtani Jatha, emerged during the early 20th century. The members of this group
are distinguished by their divergent interpretation of one of the Five Ks. Instead of accepting the kes, or
uncut hair, they maintain that the command really stands for keski, which means a small turban that is
normally worn under the main turban. In this group, men and women must wear this variety of turban.
The group is strict in its beliefs, attaching great importance to kirtan, or the singing of hymns, and
frequently devoting the whole night to the exercise. Leadership of the sect is now largely in the hands of
the trading castes, though it originally comprised followers of Randhir Singh, who was a Jat.Another
group that requires women to wear turbans is the Sikh Dharma of the Western Hemisphere, founded in
the United States in 1971 by Harbhajan Singh, who was always known as Yogi Bhajan. It is commonly
known as the 3HO movement (Healthy Happy Holy Organization), though this is, strictly speaking, the
name only of its educational branch. Most of its followers are white Americans who lay considerable
emphasis on the discipline of meditation and who practice what they call kundalini Yoga. The
Sikh Dharma’s relations with the orthodox Khalsa are distinctly mixed, with many other Sikhs
questioning both its teachings and its economic activities. The group’s observance of the Rahit is,
however, generally acknowledged to be of a very high order.ented in concrete terms.

Satnami sect, any of several groups in India that have challenged political and religious authority by
rallying around an understanding of God as satnam (from Sanskrit satyanaman, “he whose name is
truth”).The earliest Satnamis were a sect of mendicants and householders founded by Birbhan in Narnaul
in eastern Punjab in 1657. In 1672 they defied the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and were crushed by his
army. Remnants of that sect may have contributed to the formation of another, known as Sadhs
(i.e., sadhu, “good”), in the early 19th century, who also designated their deity as satnam. A similar and
roughly contemporary group under the leadership of Jagjivandas of Barabanki district, near Lucknow,
was said to have been influenced by a disciple of the Sufi mystic Yari Shah (1668–1725). He projected an
image of an overarching creator God as nirguna (“devoid of sensible qualities”), best worshipped through
a regimen of self-discipline and by use of the “true name” alone. Yet Jagjivandas also wrote works
about Hindu deities, and the elimination of caste, a central part of the Satnami creed, was not part of his
message.

Udasi, (Punjabi: “Detached Ones”) monastic followers of Srichand (1494–1612?), the elder son
of Nanak (1469–1539), the first Guru and the founder of Sikhism. The authoritative text of the Udasi
movement is the Matra (“Discipline”), a hymn of 78 verses attributed to Srichand. The Matra emphasizes
the need for spiritual elevation, to be attained by living a life of celibacy and detachment from the world.
The Udasis wear their hair matted and have the icon of Srichand as the central object of worship in their
temples.After Nanak’s death, Srichand established a dehra (“centre”) in his father’s name, and his
movement started from there. By the middle of the 18th century, there were 25 Udasi centres in the
Punjab, and their number grew to more than 100 with the coming of Sikh political dominance in the area.

Akal Takht, (Punjabi: “Throne of the Timeless One”) the chief centre of religious authority of Sikhism.
It is located in the city of Amritsar in Punjab state, northwestern India. Similar seats of authority (takhts)
are located at Anandpur and Talwando Sabo (near Bathinda) in Punjab, Patna in Bihar state,
and Nanded in Maharashtra state.The Akal Takht is part of the complex of religious buildings centred on
the Harmandir Sahib, or Golden Temple, the principal Sikh house of worship. It is situated just beyond a
large gateway at the entrance to the causeway across the tank (pool) that leads to the Golden Temple. The
building was badly damaged during the assault on the Golden Temple by the Indian army in June 1984. It
was subsequently rebuilt.

Singh Sabha, (Punjabi: “Society of the Singhs”) 19th-century movement within Sikhism that began as a
defense against the proselytizing activities of Christians and Hindus. Its chief aims were the revival of the
teachings of the Sikh Gurus (spiritual leaders), the production of religious literature in Punjabi, and a
campaign against illiteracy.After the annexation of the Khalsa Raj (the independent Sikh kingdom in the
Punjab founded by Ranjit Singh in 1799) by the British in 1849, Christian missionaries increased their
activities in central Punjab. Dalip Singh, the last Sikh ruler, converted to Christianity in 1853, and
Harnam Singh, a Sikh aristocrat from Kapurthala, followed soon thereafter. Christian missionary activity
was thus quickly perceived as a threat to local religious traditions, but it was not the only challenge facing
the Sikhs. The lower rung of the British administration in the Punjab included English-speaking Bengalis,
who were largely Brahmo Samajis (members of a Hindu reform movement). They actively established
their branches in several Punjab cities in the 1860s. Punjabi Muslims concerned with saving
their heritage formed the first Anjuman-i-Islamia (an association created to improve religious,
educational, and social conditions in the Muslim community) in Lahore in 1869.In response to these
developments, Sikhs initiated the Singh Sabha movement, which sought to revive Sikh doctrine in its
pristine purity. The first unit, formed in Amritsar in 1873, was followed by a more radical branch in
Lahore that, among other things, stressed that Sikhs were not Hindus. By the end of the 19th century, the
number of Singh Sabhas exceeded 100

Dasam Granth, collection of writings attributed to Gurū Gobind Singh, the tenth and last spiritual leader
of the Sikhs, a religious group in India. Dasam Granth is a short title for Dasven Pādśāh kā
Graṅth (Punjabi: “The Book of the Tenth Emperor [i.e., spiritual leader]”). It is a compilation of hymns,
philosophical writing, Hindu mythological tales, autobiography, and erotic fables, written in Braj Bhasa,
Hindi, Persian, and Punjabi. Scholars are not in agreement as to the work’s total authenticity, and it may
represent a bringing together of Gurū Gobind Singh’s own writings with those from other sources, such as
his court poets. Though some of the hymns are used in Sikh worship and ritual, the Dasam Granth is not
accorded the same reverence paid to the chief Sikh scripture, the Ādi Granth
Guru Ram Das, also called Bhāī Jeṭhā, (born 1534, Lahore, Punjab, India—died 1581, Goindwal),
fourth Sikh Guru (1574–81) and founder of Amritsar, the centre of Sikhism and the site of the Sikhs’
principal place of worship—the Harmandir Sahib, or Golden Temple.Guru Ram Das continued the
missionary endeavour begun by his predecessor, Amar Das. On land given to him by
the Mughal emperor Akbar, he built a holy tank, or pool, and then, wishing to build a community around
it, he invited merchants and traders to settle there. The town was first named Ramdaspur and then
Amritsar. Following the tradition of his saintly forerunners, Ram Das urged Akbar to punish graft among
his officials and to endow charitable undertakings of all kinds. Guru Ram Das was noted for his humility,
piety, and service to others. Shortly before his death, his son Arjan succeeded him as Gur

Guru Tegh Bahādur, (born 1621?, Amritsar, Punjab, India—died November 11, 1675, Delhi),
ninth Sikh Guru (1664–75) and second Sikh martyr. He was also the father of the 10th Guru, Gobind
Singh.After the eighth Guru, Hari Krishen, the “child Guru,” told his followers that his successor would
be found in the village of Bakāla, a deputation went there and found 22 claimants. Bhai Makhan Shah, a
wealthy Sikh merchant, sought out Tegh Bahādur, who, he realized, displayed none of the greed and self-
aggrandizement of the other preten Guru Tegh Bahādur ran afoul of the Mughal authorities by giving aid
and shelter to some Hindu holy men from Kashmir who had sought his help after they were ordered by
the emperor Aurangzeb to accept Islam. Encouraged by his son, the Guru told the Hindus to inform the
emperor that they would accept Islam if the Guru became a Muslim. With no intention of converting to
Islam, he then left for Delhi to defend the Hindus before Aurangzeb and was arrested at the emperor’s
order along the way. He was escorted with five Sikhs to Delhi and confined to the fortress in the city.
While in prison he was given the opportunity to accept Islam or be tortured; he refused to convert. ders.
Thereupon he proclaimed Tegh Bahādur the ninth Sikh Guru.

Rastafari, also spelled Ras Tafari, religious and political movement, begun in Jamaica in the 1930s and
adopted by many groups around the globe, that combines Protestant Christianity, mysticism, and a pan-
African political consciousness.Rastas, as members of the movement are called, see their past, present,
and future in a distinct way. Drawing from Old Testament stories, especially that of Exodus, they
“overstand” (rather than understand) people of African descent in the Americas and around the world to
be “exiles in Babylon.” They believe that they are being tested by Jah (God) through slavery and the
existence of economic injustice and racial “downpression” (rather than oppression). Looking to the New
Testament book of Revelation, Rastas await their deliverance from captivity and their return to Zion, the
symbolic name for Africa drawn from the biblical tradition. Ethiopia, the site of a dynastic power, is the
ultimate home of all Africans and the seat of Jah, and repatriation is one goal of the movement. Many
(though not all) Rastas believe that the Ethiopian emperor, His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I,
crowned in 1930, is the Second Coming of Christ who returned to redeem all Black people. The
movement takes its name from the emperor’s precoronation name, Ras Tafari.

Refrences’

 Nalwa, Vanit (2009), Hari Singh Nalwa – Champion of the Khalsaji, New Delhi: Manohar, ISBN 978-
81-7304-785-5
 Narang, K. S.; Gupta, H. R. (1969). History of Punjab: 1500–1558. Retrieved 15 July 2010.
 Suri, Sohan Lal (1961). Umdat-ut-Tawarikh, DAFTAR III, PARTS (I—V) 1831–1839 A.D. Delhi: S.
Chand & Co.
 Bhagata, Siṅgha (Hari Ram Gupta, History of the Sikhs: Sikh Domination of the Mughal Empire,
1764–1803, second ed., Munshiram Manoharlal (2000) ISBN 81-215-0213-6
 1993). A History of the Sikh Misals.