The
first Guru, born in Talwandi (now part of Pakistan), was brought up as a Hindu
in a Kshatriya (warrior class) family
From
an early age he was interested in religion
At the age of thirty he disappeared one morning while going to bathe in a
lake and he fell into a trance. He reappeared three days later. He did not
speak for a day and then said 'There is no Hindu nor Muslim'
He said he had been to God's court and had been given nectar to drink. He
was told to rejoice in God's name and teach others to do the same. He thought
both Hinduism and Islam contained some truth about God, but the rituals were
clouding the truth
He
thought the only way to find God was to look into one's heart and meditate
He
became a missionary over the next twenty years, until 1521. Then he established
the first Sikh community in Kartarpur, his disciples were called Sikhs
Jats
(land workers) were attracted to the Nanak-Panth from the beginning. They
rated low in the classical caste hierachy as they had dirty hands from cultivating
the soil but they were large in number. Khatris (traders) also gathered early
on.
Before
he died he appointed one of his followers, not one of his two sons, as a successor
to become guru of the Panth (Sikh community). He renamed Lehna 'Angad'
meaning 'part of me', he was selected due to his obedience
He did not name one of his sons as his successor but the person he thought
was most suited. The succession was therefore spiritual not physical
2.
Guru Angad
(1504-
1552)
Guru
Angad was of the Khatri (trader) caste, but as Guru he distributed food to
all castes showing no favouritism
He
consolidated the Sikh community, which consisted of different castes;
this was the only major difference between Sikhs and Hindus at the time, Sikhs
were also seeking a personal response to teachings concerning the way of spiritual
liberation
He
had the faith taught to children
3
Guru Amar Das
(1479-
1574)
Under
Guru Amar Das the Panth took a new direction in order to sustain itself
He
was a Khatri (trader) who became Guru aged about 73 and remained Guru for
22 years
He
assembled the Sikhs three times a year when Hindu festivals
were on, forcing them to choose between their guru or Hinduism. Jats
(land workers) were numerically dominant in the Panth, but Khatris were prominent
in positions of leadership
Like
the previous Gurus, he opposed all divisions based on caste,
he was said to have begun the idea of Langar (free kitchen) to liberate
from the notion of caste, the previous Gurus held
langars but the anti-caste characteristic started with him
He
recorded sacred songs to preach messages and ensure non-authentic ones would
be wiped out
He
made the decsion to excavate the sacred pool that marked the founding of Amritsar.
He disliked the custom of Purdah (keeping women apart from men)
4
Guru Ram Das
(1534-
1581)
Guru
Ram Das was Guru Amar Das' son-in-law
Jetha Sodhi. His name meant 'servant of the Lord'. He was Guru for only seven
years due to his predecessor's old age.
He
started to build Amritsar, the future centre
of Sikhism
He
broke the remaining links with Hinduism and Islam to secure the independence
of Sikhism
He
appointed vicars to supervise sangats (congregations)
The
rest of the Gurus came as direct descendants of him and were Sodhi-Khatris,
so there would be less dispute to the title Guru
5.
Guru Arjan
(1563-
1606)
Guru
Arjan was the youngest son of Guru Ram Das.
He faced hostility from his older brother who set himself up as a rival Guru
He
produced the first version of the Sikh scriptures in 1603 and completed it
a year later, it became known as the Adi Granth
He
completed Amritsar and built other towns. He built the Harimandir
(House of the Lord) in Amritsar
Revered
as the first Guru martyr of the Sikhs, having been killed by extreme torture
after his arrest by Mughal Emperor Jehangir. The Emperor tried to convert
him to Islam but he refused
He
told his son and successor Hargobind to sit fully armed on the throne with
two symbolic swords. One meaning Piri (spiritual) and the other Miri
(worldly), all the following Gurus held it as a right
6.
Guru Hargobind
(1595-
1644)
Aged
11 when he became Guru. The Panth took a new militant direction, under his
leadership the Sikhs rebelled against Mughal rule. 300 infantry and horsemen
were under his control
Many
of his army were Jats who, as villagers,
were accustomed to bearing arms. Historians such as Hew McLeod in his book
'Sikhism', blame them for starting some of the battles with the Mughals
during Guru Hargobinds reign, but the guru soon tamed them
He
carried two swords, one a symbol of battle and the other of the spirit
He
built the Akal Takht ('the throne of the timeless one') facing the
Harimandir Sahib. It represented temporal power
in the Panth, with the Harimandir representing
spiritual authority
He
was more active than previous Gurus preferring to roam the land and hunt
7.
Guru Har Rai
(1630-
61)
He
was selected as a suitable candidate to succeed his Grandfather. His 17 year
rule was largely uneventful. the Panth retired into obscurity for at least
25 years
He
is remebered for being a man of peace and for being kind and generous
One
fable which highlights this says that when he was walking in a field one day
he brushed against a flower with his clothing and broke its stem. He was full
of remorse and thereafter always walked with his clothing tucked in
8.
Guru Har Krishan
(1656-
1664)
He
was Guru Har Rai's second son and became
Guru aged 6. Much of his reign was spent under house arrest in Delhi where
he died of smallpox, three years after becoming Guru
Before
his death he announced where his successor would come from
His
wisdom, for one so young, was said to be astounding
Legend
says he was found out of twenty-two claimants to become guru when a merchant
during a storm said he would give a reward to the true Guru if his life was
spared. The merchant placed a few coins in front of the Gurus believing only
the true Guru would ask for the remainder, Guru Tegh Bahadur did
He
was a brave and strong soldier who fought against Mughal rule
He
undetook a series of missionary journeys to the East of India
He
became a martyr when asked to help the Brahmans of Kashmir from being forced
to convert to Islam by the Mughal Emperor. After his death at the hands of
the Emperor the Sikhs saw the Mughals as their greatest enemies
10.
Guru Gobind Singh
(1666-
1708)
Born
December 1666, he was originally named Gobind Das. He was an only child and
became Guru aged 9 when he was brought his fathers head after his execution.
He was schooled by his uncle Kirpal
He
is described as "A very handsome, sharp-featured, tall and wiry
man, immaculately and richly dressed as a Prince... He was ever armed with
various weapons... On his left hand always perched a white hawk."
(Gopal Singh, A History of the Sikh People, page 263)
He
founded the Khalsa, showing no preference for caste.
The Panj Piare (the five beloved ones) consisted of different castes:
Jat, Kshatriya, Khatri and Shudra. The
long-term goal of the Khalsa was to defeat the Mughals and to distinguish
Sikhs from others
Introduced
the initiation and gave men the surname Singh (lion) and women the
surname Kaur (princess)
Most
members of his Panth were Jats because
the other castes would not respect the Rahit (Code of Practice) which
included not cutting their hair
He
installed the scripture which Guru Arjan
had put together and which he had revised
He
enthroned the Adi Granth as the sole guru
and brought the line of Gurus to an end before he died on October 7, 1708,
after being stabbed in the abdomen
He
is supposed to have said when he was dying- 'Wherever there are five
Sikhs assembled who abide by the Gurus' teachings, know that I am there in
the midst of them... I have infused my mental and bodily spirit with the Guru
Granth Sahib and the Khalsa'
