Table of Contents

The 10 Gurus of Sikhism

List of Sikh Gurus

First Sikh Guru = Guru Nanak.
His period = 1469–1539
Founder of the Sikh religion (he founded the religion during the reign of Sikandar Lodi).
Belonged to the *Nirguna* (formless God) school of saints.
Born at Talwandi, near Lahore.
Emphasized Hindu-Muslim unity.
Condemned idol worship.
His disciple = Mardana.
He who stated, “God recognizes only a person’s virtues and does not ask about their caste; in the future, caste will not exist” = Guru Nanak.
He who stated, “How can women be considered inferior when they give birth to men? Both women and men share in God’s grace and bear equal responsibility for their actions before Him” = Guru Nanak.
Spoke about gender equality.
Place where he attained enlightenment = Sultanpur.
Introduced the “Langar” system—a community kitchen for shared meals.
Founder of the town of Kartarpur (in Pakistan) = Guru Nanak.
Founder of the town of Kartarpur (in India) = Guru Arjan Dev.
The Sikh Guru who established the first Gurdwara (Dharmasala) = Guru Nanak.
The 10 Gurus of Sikhism

Period: 1534–1581 AD
Son-in-law of Guru Amar Das
All subsequent Gurus hailed from Ram Das’s family.
He composed the hymns for the Sikh wedding ceremony known as “Anand Karaj.”
He founded the town of “Ramdaspur,” which is the city of Amritsar.
The founder of the new city of “Amritsar” was Guru Ram Das.
Akbar donated 500 *bighas* of land to him; the city of Amritsar was established on this site.
The 10 Gurus of Sikhism

Period: 1563–1606 AD
Son of Guru Ram Das
He died after being tortured while in the custody of the Mughal Emperor (Jahangir) for providing shelter to the Mughal prince Khusrau.
The first Sikh Guru to be killed by a Mughal ruler = Guru Arjan Dev.
Builder of the famous Golden Temple in Amritsar = Guru Arjan Dev.
He diligently collected and compiled the teachings of the religious reformer Kabir.
He prepared a summary of Sikh teachings = Guru Arjan Dev.
He compiled the “Guru Granth Sahib,” the holy scripture of the Sikhs, in 1604
This scripture is also known as the “Adi Granth.”
Compiler of the “Adi Granth” = Guru Arjan Dev.
It includes 2,312 hymns composed by Guru Arjan Dev.
Founder of the city of Kartarpur (in India) = Guru Arjan Dev.
The 10 Gurus of Sikhism

Period: 1595–1644 AD
Son of Guru Arjan Dev
He propounded two concepts = *Miri* (temporal/secular power) and *Piri* (spiritual power).
He built the Akal Takht in 1608
The Sikh Guru who founded the city of Kiratpur = Guru Hargobind.
The 10 Gurus of Sikhism

Period: 1630–1661 CE
Son of Guru Hargobind
He supported Dara’s cause during the wars of succession among Shah Jahan’s sons.
The 10 Gurus of Sikhism

Period: 1621–1675 CE
Son of Guru Hargobind
The Sikh Guru who fought to protect the religious freedom of Kashmiri Hindus: Guru Tegh Bahadur.
He was executed by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.
The second Sikh Guru to be executed: Guru Tegh Bahadur.
The Sikh Guru who founded the city of “Anandpur Sahib”: Guru Tegh Bahadur.
His body was laid to rest at Gurudwara Rakab Ganj Sahib in New Delhi.
The 10 Gurus of Sikhism

The last Sikh Guru = Guru Gobind Singh.
His era = 1666–1700 AD.
He was executed under the orders of the Mughal Emperor.
The son of Guru Tegh Bahadur; he initiated Sikhs and established the “Khalsa” order.
The Sikh Guru who established the “Khalsa” order = Guru Gobind Singh.
The Sikh Guru who established the “5 Ks” = Guru Gobind Singh.
5 Ks = (Kesh, Kangha, Kara, Kachera, Kirpan)
The Sikh Guru who declared the “Guru Granth Sahib” as the eternal and final living Guru of the Sikh religion = Guru Gobind Singh.

1. 1. Kesh (uncut hair, symbolizing spirituality)
  2. Kangha (wooden comb, symbolizing cleanliness)
  3. Kara (iron bracelet, symbolizing the code of justice)
  4. Kirpan (sword, symbolizing justice)
  5. Kachera (cotton undergarment, symbolizing modesty and discipline)

As there was no human successor following the tenth Guru, the ‘Guru Granth Sahib’—the holy scripture of the Sikh religion—is revered as the eternal 11th Guru.
The 10 Gurus of Sikhism