Sikh Shrines Ten Gurus Sikh Personalities sikh architecture History of Sikhs
-A Saga of Courage and Bravery
The word ‘Sikh’ is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Shishya’ which means disciple. The origin and roots of the Sikhs lie in the followers of Guru Nanak Dev Ji—the founder of the Sikh religion. Nine Gurus followed Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Each successor Guru was always ordained by the Guru-in-office. The Sikhs believe that the Divine Light that illumined the person of Guru Nanak Dev Ji was passed on to the succeeding Nine Gurus. Therefore there was one Guru in ten human forms. With each successive generation the Sikhs swelled into a distinctive community having an unfaltering faith in the teachings of the Ten Gurus and Guru Granth Sahib.
Spread over nearly two centuries and a half, the history of the Sikhs is a daring and dauntless saga of the unrelenting struggle of the Ten Masters. It was a determined and dogged battle in pursuit of a challenging concept to create a bold, dignified, self-assertive, enterprising and energetic community out of a sub-dued and suppressed people. Over more than two hundred years the people who took part in the splendid struggle under the charismatic and sheltering guidance and spiritual captaincy of the Ten Gurus had one thing in common—courage never to submit or yield. Of course, it was the courage and fearlessness of the mind and the spirit that refused to submit before tyranny, oppression and persecution. The Gurus inflamed and inspired even the ordinary folk with a deathless spirit to suffer the insufferable and bear the unbearable. Thus the history of the Sikhs, which adores the following pages, is a heroic tale of valour and fortitude of the Ten Gurus who across the years transformed the anonymous Sikhs into a virile, vigorous and valorous race. It is their undeviating strive to build a new order on the ruins of the old.
At a moment in history when both Hindus and Muslims cherished the most violent rancour and animosity towards each other, a new Messiah, a new Avtar, a new factor emerged on the scene. This new factor was Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Born on 14th April 1469 in a small town Talwandi, District Sheikhupura (now in Pakistan), Guru Nanak Dev Ji was the only son of his parents. When his father Mehta Kalu joyously gave this information to his family priest, the priest uttered these prophetic words: "O Kalu! This child will be of a very good and religious nature, and many people will follow after him; he is the beloved of God, and will remove the perplexities of many people; and remember this also, that this is no child but an Incarnation of the Deity." Indeed he grew up to be a precocious child.
Being of a contemplative mind Guru Nanak Dev Ji was happiest in having long discourses with holy saints, seers and sages, both Hindus and Muslims. He disliked false beliefs and all types of superstitious practices. His study of two religions showed him that there was much in common between Islam and Hinduism. He was deeply convinced that the need of the hour was to bring the two faiths and two people together. His wish was to recall both Muslims and Hindus to an exclusive attention to the most sublime and exalted of all principles--devotion to God, and peace towards man. He had to combat the furious bigotry of one and the deep-rooted superstition of the other; but he ventured to overcome all obstacles by the sheer force of his compassion and humaneness. He observed,'Awal Allah Noor Upaya,Kudrat Ke Sab Bande.Ek Noor Te Sab Jag Upjaya,Kon Bhale Kon Mande.'
He lived amongst the people and sought to change them by percept and example. His life was his voice and message. But this was no ordinary voice. This new voice was unique in many ways. It was quiet and low, and yet it could be heard above the turmoil and tumult of the multitude. It was soft and gentle, and yet it was indomitable and insuppressible; it was courteous and full of appeal, and yet there was something unyielding and unrelenting in it. Every word used was full of meaning and deadly earnestness.
The Guru preached that only he rules the world who has conquered his ownself. The strongest man is he, who by discipline exercises a constant control over his thoughts, speech and action. By a conscious exercise of these values and virtues, purity of heart is attained. Without moral discipline there will be no order. Men of God lead a life of strict self-discipline and self-restrain.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji took Mardana, an aged Muslim musician to spread his message. The message had to be carried by word of mouth from town to town and from village to village. Guru Nanak Dev Ji undertook long journeys to north and south, east and west and poured out the inspired word in some of the finest poetry in the language. Each word fell from his lips like a pearl. With illiteracy rampant around him, it was on purpose that Guru Nanak Dev Ji chose this medium to spread his message.
His teachings ablazed the imagination of the people. He had no praise for the mighty rulers or conquerors. He called them slaves of their passions and cravings. His message was moral and spiritual that God is the embodiment of all virtues. And the love for Him in meditation enriches the man himself with moral goodness and uprighteousness. In conquering and overcoming the pitfalls and allurements, which the flesh is heir to, the quality and the character of the man is revealed. The flutter of the sense is irresistible to a weak character. The Guru preached and practised sovereignty of God in all spheres of life. In that, Truth, morality, justice and compassion should govern our conduct and action.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji followed this ideal throughout his life. He preached universalism and equality of all humans, regardless of cast, creed, colour, sex or any other distinction. It represented his vision of harmony, tolerance and cooperation for the humanity and its ultimate union with the Divine. To achieve this objective, he renounced worldly pursuits. Great multitudes of followers gathered round him. Within a few years these disciples became a homogeneous group whose faith was exclusively the teaching of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The Shishya—the disciple--became the Sikh (Punjabi form of the Sanskrit word). The Sikhs now believed that God is one, without body, formless and timeless. He is the Creator of all and His Light shines in every one alike. The monotheism of Sikh faith is affirmed in the opening lines of the Morning Prayer 'Jupji Sahib' which affirms the basic belief of the faith and the most oft-repeated words of the prayer of the Sikhs. The firm belief in the unity of God is repeated in the writings of the Gurus in Guru Granth Sahib.
The Sikhs do not believe in idol worship. They do not have any faith in passive acceptance or predestination. "With your own hand carve our your destiny," said Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Another basic feature of the Sikhs is salvation through action. Sikhism accepts the theory of Karma and transmigration of soul from one form of life to another until its ultimate merger with the God. And this fusion of light with the ultimate light of God can be achieved only when one is born a human being—the highest form of life. Prayer—Nam Simarana—is yet another integral part of righteous conduct of the Sikhs. Above all the Sikhs believe in the necessity of a Guru to show the right path to the disciples. Guru Nanak Dev Ji said, "On meeting the Guru, doubt is dispelled and wanderings of the mind restrained".
Guru Nanak Dev Ji formed the institution of Guruship for the spread of the movement. And now the Guru Granth Sahib represents the Ten Gurus. It is this sacred book that Sikhs must turn for guidance. It is now their only Guru. The Sikh religion has no mythology, no tradition and no ambiguity. It is plain and simple. Even the ceremonies on marriage, death, pilgrimages are made very simple and economical.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji travelled all over India. He went as far east as Assam and as far south as Sri Lanka. Then he went westwards beyond the borders of India to Mecca and Medina in Arabia. His message was lucid and clear: If you want to love God, you must first learn to love man. He never claimed kinship with God. His crusade was against fanaticism and intolerance and against meaningless rituals, discriminations of cast and sex. It was a crusade without any rancour and recrimination. When Guru Nanak Dev Ji died in the year 1539, he had a following of people descending both from Hinduism and Islam. He was a radiant symbol of harmony between the two major communities. He was universally loved and revered by people of all kind. A lovely couplet describes Guru Nanak Dev Ji as:
Guru Nanak Shah Fakeer
Hindu Ka Guru, Mussulman Ka Peer
It was left to his nine successors to mould that following into a distinct community with its own language and literature, its own religious beliefs and institutions, and its own traditions and conventions.
Despite the fact that Guru Nanak Dev Ji had two sons, he chose Bhai Lehna, a reliable and devoted disciple as his successor and named him Angad. To him Guru Nanak said: "Between thee and me there is now no difference. Thou art verily Angad, a part of my body. I congratulate thee." His incarnation was a step of far-reaching significance. Guru Angad Dev Ji (1504-52) was God-fearing and given to spiritual quest from his early age. He found his way by dint of devotion and dedicated service. He became the spiritual son of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and yet he was humble and self-effacing. He encouraged the Sikhs to take part in sports and learn their mother tongue in simplified Gurmukhi script. Guru Angad Dev Ji compiled the writings of his master in the script he named Gurmukhi—the language of the Guru. He set up a few centers from where the teachings of the founder could be preached. The Guru also followed Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s practice of maintaining free kitchen (Langar) for all those who come and visit him, irrespective of cast and creed. His time was as bad as Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s. While God ordained Guru Nanak, Guru Angad owed everything to his Guru. He believed in complete surrender to the Guru, utter obedience to his command and fond emulation to his ways. He also organized the Sikhs into a close-knit community and preserved the purity and originality of Sikh religion.
On being close to his death, Guru Angad Dev Ji lived upto the tradition of his master in choosing his successor. He chose the aged Das (1479-1574), the most deserving of his disciples in preference to his own sons to be the 3rd Guru. Guru Amar Das Ji laid great emphasis on physical fitness of his disciples, for he said that human body was the temple of God. It was a valuable gift of God and must not be spoilt by bad habits. He was an embodiment of peace, conciliation and harmony. "Even if somebody harms you, saints won’t take revenge", he stressed. According to the Guru, "there is no greater penance than patience, no greater happiness than contentment, no greater evil than greed, no greater virtue than mercy, and no more potent weapon than forgiveness."
With unflinching resolve, he tried to eliminate cast distinction among his Sikhs. The Guru told them: "This body is composed of five elements. It is subject to hunger, thirst, joy, sorrow, birth and death. It perishes and no caste goes with the soul to the next world. They who are honoured and exalted in God’s court are those whose minds are humble, who have renounced falsehood, fraud, slander, deceit, hypocrisy and ingratitude." So much revered and respected was the Guru that even Emperor Akbar visited the Guru at Goindwal to pay his homage to the Guru.
Guru Amar Das Ji appointed his son-in-law, Ram Das, to be the 4th Guru. Guru Ram Das Ji (1534-81) shifted his headquarters to a new place. There he dug a tank to which he gave the name Amritsar—the pool of immortality, or the tank of nectar.
His son Arjun, the 5th Guru in succession was an illustrious poet, a great philosopher, original thinker, able organizer, eminent statesman and the first martyr to the faith. He widened and deepened the Amritsar tank.He also started the construction of Hari Mandir (now known as Golden Temple) in the center of Amritsar tank. Famous Muslim Sufi saint Mian Mir laid the foundation of the Hari Mandir. The Temple was constructed on a lower plinth to emphasize the point that God could be attained in bending low, in submission and humility. The temple became the spiritual and cultural seat of the new community as also a leading place of pilgrimage of the Guru’s disciples. The Guru established his permanent abode here. In addition to the Hari Temple at Amritsar, the Guru built other big ones at Taran Taran and Kartarpur. Guru Arjun Dev Ji (1563-1606) took many steps to make the Sikhs a community distinct from the Hindus and the Muslims.
The most treasured feat of Guru Arjun Dev Ji was the compilation of Guru Granth Sahib (also known as Adi Granth) by collecting the writings of the preceding Gurus and those of Hindu and Muslim saints, adding to them his own. In Sikhism worship consisted of singing the hymns of Gurus. Guru Arjun Dev Ji wished to lay down the exact hymns to be sung and correct rituals to be performed. The Guru Granth Sahib became the sacred scripture of the Sikhs. It is an important landmark in the history of the Sikhs. It became a sacred book of the new faith and a new consciousness among the Sikhs of their being a separate community emerged.
The fascinating hymns of Guru Granth Sahib chanted in deep reverence and devotion inspired the minds of listeners to lofty ideals of simple living and high thinking. The hymns establish a deep spiritual unity between man and God.
The greatest contribution of Guru Arjun Dev Ji to the Sikh faith was to give supreme sacrifice for it. The Guru’s growing influence amongst the people perturbed Emperor Jehangir. Under royal instruction the Governor of Lahore had him arrested on a frivolous charge and subjected to severe torture which resulted in the Guru’s death. Guru Arjun Dev Ji set the noblest example of courage and boldness in resisting the wrongs of the mightiest power on earth, and thus sowed the seed that was to bear rich fruit in the times to come. It was a turning point in the growth and development of Sikh community. He was the first in the long line of Sikh martyrs. His martyrdom entirely changed the character of reformatory religious movement. The Sikhs were transmuted from a pacifist to assertive and marshal people after the execution of Guru Arjun Dev Ji.
Guru Hargobind succeeded him as the 6th Guru. When Guru Arjun Dev Ji was in captivity and under the cruelest torture, he concentrated on God and sought divine enlightenment to save the nascent religion from annihilation. The only solution revealed to him was to metamorphose the community into a determined and dedicated force. His last message to his son Hargobind was to "sit fully armed on the throne and maintain an army to the best of your ability." In the succession ceremony, Guru Hargobind Ji was adored with two swords. The Guru declared that two swords signified Miri and Piri, Shakti and Bhakti, Teg and Deg. One symbolised temporal power, the other spiritual power; one to smite the oppressor, the other to protect the innocent. In the Guru’s house the mundane and spiritual powers stood mingled. He instructed the Sikhs to keep a sword and a horse. With an undaunted determination, the Guru organized his followers into a valiant and valorous army. He steeled his Sikhs against tyranny and oppression.
In 1606, the Guru constructed Akal Takht in front of Hari Mandir. Whereas Hari Mandir was the seat of spiritual authority, the Akal Takht was the seat of his temporal authority. It was thus the beginning of militarism or the transformation of Sikhism. No more the Sikhs believed in self-denial alone. They grew increasingly aware of the need of self-assurance and self-assertion. They now wielded arms and lived an active life.
The Guru created a government of his own like that of the Mughals. All his disciples formed a separate and independent entity. A state within Mughal state was created. A new fire, a new verve, a new zeal and the fierce religious fervour consolidated the strength and vigour of the Sikhs. All this aroused the anger of Emperor Jehangir. But the Guru convinced the Monarch that he did not preach anything against him or his Government. Yet at the instigation of certain conspirators the Guru had to go to Gwalior where he remained under captivity for a number of years.
Jehangir suddenly died in Kashmir and Shah Jahan took over as the King. Shah Jehan, an orthodox and bigoted Muslim, was impervious and overbearing in his approach. On the ontrary Guru was a generous and magnanimous soul and had always fearlessly provided his shelter to the defenceless, oppressed and the downtrodden. For his affability and consideration for the helpless, Guru had to remain involved in a number of combats with the imperial troops. Guru's wearing of two sword symbolized Piri and Miri, a complete confluence of godly and the gallant command.
Guru Hargobind Ji’s greatest contribution is that he gave a new turn to the Sikh way of life. He turned saints into soldiers—Sant Sipahi--and yet remained a man of God. He was essentially a spiritual leader of a community that was merely a hundred years old. He fought a number of battles with the imperial forces and every time vanquished his foes because the truth was always on his side. The new trend he gave to the Sikhs polity found its finest expression in his grandson Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the tenth Sikh Guru.
The stewardship of Guru Har Rai Ji as also his successor Guru Harkrishan Ji was a sort of interregnum in the Sikh history. The new path now was never to submit to injustice and wrong and waging a resolute and persistent war with the cruel, corrupt and bigoted rulers of the day.
Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji was the 9th Guru in succession whose destination was Kiratpur. But finding the atmosphere full of conspiracy and craftiness and deceit, the Guru purchased land nearby and founded a new town Anandpur --the abode of bliss. A large number of Sikhs came from far and near to settle in Anandpur. But owing to multifarious obligations, the Guru had to frequently travel in different parts of the country: Delhi, Patna, Assam etc. At Patna the Guru was blessed with a son whom he named Gobind Rai. After a prolonged stay at Patna, the Guru returned to Anandpur Sahib. But the situation in Punjab was deteriorating rapidly.
Being a fanatic to the core, Aurangzeb resolved to convert India into a purely Muslim state and to eliminate Hinduism altogether. Howsoever illogical, the king somehow felt convinced that by conversion, he could redeem the Hindus from their ‘accursed’ religion. He wanted the country to be the abode only of Muslims. He thus used all conceivable means to achieve his evil objective. When allurements or persuasions failed, he threatened Hindus of dire consequences. Hindu temples were defiled and razed to ground and mosques were erected instead. The Hindu idols were desecrated and destroyed. The cruelty of Aurangzeb expanded everywhere in the country.
When his reign of terror descended on Kashmir, the Kashmiri Brahmins started fleeting from the province. Some took pilgrimage to Amarnath to seek intervention of the divine deity. One Pandit Kirpa Ram dreamt Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji as a saviour. Alongwith a large group, Pandit Kirpa Ram reached Anandpur Sahib and narrated the miserable plight of the Kashmiri Pandits. The intensity of the Guru was aroused. He was distressed and grieved to know the woeful and miserable conditions of the Pundits. Finding the Guru utterly sad and gloomy, Gobind, who was not even nine yet, inquired the cause of the Guru’s sadness. The Guru replied that there was an immediate need of a holy soul to sacrifice his life. The child innocently remarked that there could be no holier person than that of the Guru himself. It appeared to the Guru that it was a divine call. He took no time to firmly resolve and asked the Brahmins to inform their Governor to first convert Guru Teg Bahadur and then they all would willingly embrace Islam.
The frenzied and fanatical Aurangzeb had already an ingrained prejudice against the Sikhs, particularly Guru Teg Bahadur. He hated the Guru being addressed as Sachcha Padshah or the true king implying thereby that Aurangzeb was a false and fake king. The king also despised the word Bahadur, which means valorous, against the Guru. He was thus adamant to exterminate Sikhism altogether.
The king therefore felt that to fulfil the condition of the Kashmiri Brahmins was perhaps the easiest of the things. The Guru was summoned and asked to embrace Islam otherwise he could be given the severest of torture leading to his death. When all persuasions and temptations failed, the Guru was threatened to torment and death. The Guru’s close followers Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Dyala and Bhai Sati Das who accompanied the Guru were inhumanly tortured and put to death. Bhai Mati Das was sawed alive into two from head to loins. Bhai Dyala was forced to sit in a boiling cauldron. He was roasted alive. Bhai Sati Das was enveloped in a cotton pad and set on fire alive like a torch.
All this happened before the very eyes of the Guru, but the Guru did not flinch. Rather these inhuman brutalities and insufferable tortures on the devoted disciples made the Guru all the more firm, tough, inflexible and unyielding in his resolve not to submit to the king. The Guru could vividly foresee the warrior and marshal race emerging out of the holocaust with all the more glitter and shine.
Under the orders of the furious king the Guru was beheaded on 11th November, 1675 at Chandni Chowk under the public gaze. It was further ordered that if anybody would touch the dead body of the Guru, he would meet the same fate. It is said that immediately after the Guru was beheaded, there was an unprecedented and blinding sandstorm in Delhi. Under such a cover Bhai Jaita, a devout of the Guru, picked up the Guru’s sacred head and rushed to Anandpur. Bhai Lakhi Shah, another disciple of the Guru, befooling the Emperor’s constabulary took the remaining body of the Guru in his cart and dashed to his village house. Duping the guards, he set his house with all his belongings intact on fire so that the sacred body of the Guru could be cremated without detection. On this very site now exist Gurdwara Rakab Ganj.
Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji’s martyrdom is rare and unique in world history. He was a peace-loving soul but he rose to the occassion when ardent principles and faith was involved. He preferred death to compromising. It is said that the Guru offered to show the king a miracle whereby no sword would be able to sever his head. He wrote some words on a slip of paper and tied it around his neck with a piece of string. When the executioner blew off the head of the Guru, the message on the paper was: ‘Sis diya, pur sirr na diya’, meaning that he had given his head, but not his secret.
It was a doom’s day not only for Aurangzeb but also for the Mughal Empire. The devil’s dance enjoyed by the demons was transient and fleeting. To the Sikhs it was a declaration of war, a culmination point in the Sikh relation with the Mughals. The Guru’s execution ablazed the hearts of the entire community. Any reconciliation with the Mughals was now out of question. Even the martyrdom of Guru Arjun Dev Ji was not forgotten. The brutal beheading of Guru Teg Bahadur stirred and shivered the conscience of all and incensed and infuriated the Sikhs in particular. From all sides the Sikhs stormed towards Anandpur Sahib to show their solidarity to the nine year old Gobind Rai who succeeded his father.
Rather than being overwhelmed by the tragic loss, Guru Gobind Singh Ji was in a defiant mood. He strongly resolved to fight bigotry and destructive forces of evil. He personified not only an appeal but also a promise. Thus the final transformation of the Sikhs into a fighting force came with the last of the ten Gurus, Guru Gobind Singh Ji.
Unparalleled in courage and confidence, Guru Gobind Singh Ji was a Prometheus of a rare ability and dignity. Besides being a saint-soldier, he was a poet of epic dimension. The goal was now clear: no power, howsoever, mighty could exploit the Sikhs. Because of the Guru’s apt and intelligent handling, there was no dearth of men and money. Through his sagacity and shrewdness, the Guru expanded his area of influence. He developed friendship with the Raja of Nahan and raised a fort that is known as Paonta Sahib. Being a profound scholar in Sanskrit and Persian, he found time for research, literary activities and poetic symposia too at Paonta—a clear break with the tradition of his predecessors. His writings are replete with images of war and warriors from mythology and folklore.
Guru Gobind Singh Ji succeeded Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji at the tender age of nine. He spent his boyhood studying Persian and Sanskrit and in learning the art of war. His mission was to uphold right in every place and destroy sin and evil. He realized that to raise a fighting force from the peaceful followers of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, he had not only to teach them the use of arms but also to convince them of the morality of the use of force. He set about earnestly to "teach the sparrow how to hunt the hawk and one man have courage to fight a regiment".
The Guru psychologically infused a new life in the Sikhs. In the morning of 29th March 1699, a great multitude of Sikhs had thronged to Anandpur Sahib in response to the wishes of the Guru. The gathering of the Sikhs was held at Takhat Sri Kesh Garh Sahib. After the morning service, the Guru came to address the gathering. He drew out his Double-Edged Sword and thundered: "I want Five Sikhs who would sacrifice their lives for the sake of Dharma and ready to offer their heads to me, here and now." There was pin drop silence. Everyone appeared to have frozen. The Guru repeated the call. It is said that people were much awe-stricken in confusion. The Guru went on repeating his demand. At last Five Sikhs came forth, one after the other and offered themselves to the Guru. The five Sikhs in order of their submission to the Guru were: (1) Daya Ram, a Khatri from Lahore of about 30 years of age; (2) Dharam Chand, a Jat from Haryana; (3) Mokham Chand, a Sikh from far-offf Dwarka; (4) Himat Rai from Jagannath Puri in Orisa; and (5) Sahib Chand from Bidar in Karnataka.
The Guru then explained to the Sikh gathering the significance of offering of one’s head to the Guru. He said that if the Sikhs wanted to lead an honorable life and freedom from tyrant rulers, it would be necessary for them to maintain purity of character, rising above their egocentrism and selfishness. That the true offering could only be offering of one’s own self as a sacrifice and the conquest of one’s self.
Baisakhi was to be celebrated the next day i.e. 30th March 1699. As per the instructions of the Guru, the Five Sikhs who had offered their heads the previous day before the congregation had their bath and hair wash. They then assembled at Takhat Sri Kesh Garh Sahib. The Guru got a steel bowl and poured some water and sugar into it, and took the Five Sikhs aside. The Guru began stirring the contents of the bowl with his Double-Edged sword by reciting the holy composition of Japji Sahib of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Jaap Sahib, Amrit Swaiyas and Chaupai of himself, and Anand Sahib of Guru Amar Das Ji and thus prepared the Amrit (Nectar) for the Five Sikhs. Each of the Five Sikhs was administered Amrit by the Guru himself. A handful of Amrit was given for five times in the cupped hands of each Sikh to drink.
After drinking Amrit the Sikh was required to utter Wahe Guru Ji ka Khalsa—Wahe Guru ji ki Fateh (The Khalsa are the chosen of God—Victory be to God). Few drops of Amrit were then sprinkled into the eyes of each Sikh for five times and each time the Sikh uttering Wahe Guru Ji ka Khalsa—Wahe Guru ji Ki Fateh. The Guru then poured few drops of Amrit into the tress-knot of the hair of the scalp of each Sikh for five times, and the Sikh each time uttering Wahe Guru ji ka Khalsa—Wahe Guru ji ki Fateh. The left over Amrit in the bowl was sipped from the bowl by each of the Sikhs one after the other. They were made to sip the Amrit again from the bowl in the reverse order. This was to eliminate all caste distinctions in the Sikhs. As per the Mughal news-reporter, the Guru then addressed the Five Sikhs and the congregation as under:
I wish you all to embrace one creed and follow one Path, rising above all differences of the religion as now practised. Let the Four Hindu Castes who have different dharmas laid down for them in Shastras, having initiation of "Varanashram dharma", abandon them altogether, and adopt the way of mutual help and cooperation and mix-freely with one another. Do not follow the old scriptures. Let none pay homage to the river Ganga, other places of pilgrimage, which are considered to be holy in the Hindu religion, or worship of Hindu deities, such as Rama, Krishna, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Chandi, etc. All should cherish faith in the teaching of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and the successor Gurus. Let men of four castes receive my Baptism of the double-edged Sword, eat out of the same vessel and feel no aloofness from or contempt for one another."
The Guru further said that henceforth the Sikhs would be called the "Khalsa"—The Pure Ones. It also means as God’s own. He also changed the names of the Sikhs. The word "Singh"—lion—was to be suffixed with the name of each male Khalsa. The word "Kaur"—princess—was to be suffixed with each female member of the Khalsa fraternity. The Guru renamed the Five Beloved Ones as Bhai Daya Singh, Bhai Dharam Singh, Bhai Himmat Singh, Bhai Sahib Singh and Bhai Mokham Singh. Out of the Five Beloved Ones, one was Khatri of high caste, one was Jat and the remaining three were of low castes.
The Guru made them take an oath to observe the five Ks, namely to wear the hair and beard unshorn (kesh); to carry a comb (kangha) in the hair; to wear a pair of shorts (kuchha); to wear a steel bangle (kara) on the right wrist; and always to carry a saber (kirpan) on their person.
The Khalsa were also enjoined to observe four rules of conduct: not to cut any hair on their body—(this was a repetition of an earlier oath); not to eat meat slaughtered in the Muslim fashion when an animal was bled to death, but only jhatka meat of an animal killed outright with one blow; not to smoke or eat tobacco or consume alcoholic beverage; and to refrain from carnal knowledge of Muslim women—so that while fighting the Mughal armies Sikhs would respect the person of their enemy’s womenfolk.
The most moving and touching scene of the ceremony was, when Guru Gobind Singh Singh Ji bowed and touched his forehead to the feet of each of the Five Selected Khalsa. The Guru then asked the Five Beloved Ones with all humility to initiate him as a member of the Khalsa Brotherhood. The Five Beloved Ones and whole of the congregation assembled there were wonderstruck to see the Great Guru standing there with folded hands and making such a request. After being baptised by the Five Beloved Ones, the Guru himself became the Sixth Member of the Khalsa Brotherhood. The Guru’s name was then changed to GURU GOBIND SINGH JI. It is, therefore, said that the Tenth Master was both the "Guru" and the "Chela" or the Sikh, at the same time. At the end of the ceremony they hailed each other with the new greeting—‘Wahe Guru Ji ka Khalsa—Wahe Guru ji ki Fateh’.
Guru Gobind Singh Ji created the Cumulative Guruship of the Five, and hailed them as his very self and even his own Master. The institution of Cumulative Guruship of the Five selected was for all times to come.
The distinctive outward features of the Khalsa religion are the unshorn hair and the beard. Wearing the hair and beard has been a tradition among Indian ascetics. By making this obligatory, Guru Gobind Singh Ji intended to emphasize the ideal of ascetic saintliness and to raise an army of soldier-saints. It is also likely that, by making his followers easily recognizable by virtue of their turbans and beards, the Guru wanted to raise a body of men who would not be able to deny their faith when in danger. Their external appearance that invites persecution would in turn breed courage to resist it. The other symbols are largely complementary and an essential part of a soldier’s equipment.
Determined to exterminate the religious oppression of the Mughal Emperor, Guru Gobind Singh Ji concentrated against the cruel government and not against Islam. The Guru was an embodiment of love and affection for all. Hindus and Muslims both loved him. In the battle of Anandpur in 1702 Mir Beg and Mamum Khan commanded Guru’s forces in fighting against the Mughal troops. At the same place in 1704 General Sayyid Khan of the Mughal army considered it improper and unjust to wage a war against the Guru. He deserted his post and joined the Guru. Nabi Khan and Ghani Khan saved him from capture by the Mughal army. Qazi Pir Muhammad did not confirm the Guru’s identity, while Rai Kalha entertained him generously.
Since the Guru was surrounded by foes all around, he had to fight many a battles and in each battle the enemy had to lick the dust. The great generals of Aurangzeb had to surrender to the Guru. Not satisfied with the way the war was being fought the Emperor eventually entrusted the supreme command to Wazir Khan, a ruthless soldier. Such odds the Sikhs had never encountered before. After a heroic fight and the loss of many a brave soldiers, the Guru withdrew to the town of Anandpur.
The Mughal armies laid siege to Anandpur from all sides in collaboration with the hill chiefs. It was a relentless fight. The siege lasted three long years. Water supply to the town was cut off. The ration stores became empty. The Sikhs faced starvation and certain death. Yet bravely they suffered and endured every misery that sickness and famine could bring upon a besieged place. Guru ji, moved at seeing the immense affliction and hardship beeing confronted by his valiant soldiers ordered them to leave the fort at midnigth. The Guru along with 40 of his gallant and valorous soldiers left the place and arrived at Chamkaur Sahib. The forces of wily Aurangzeb aided by the Rajas hostile to Guru Gobind singh ji marched to Chamkaur Sahib.
A bloody fight ensued. Several devoted Sikhs were killed in the battle. The Mughal forces were determined to eliminate the Guru. The Guru somehow succeeded in crossing the river Sirsa. But the battle here became a battle between unequal. With just a small army of forty soldiers and two of his elder sons, he fought bravely. Both his elder sons Prince Ajit Singh and Prince Jujhar Singh fought valiantly but were eventually overpowered by the enemy forces and torn to pieces before the very eyes of the Guru.
In the most shameful and heinous crime that took place on 12th December 1705, Nawab Wazir Khan, the Governor of Sirhind killed the two innocent children of the Guru, Zorawar nine years old and Fateh Singh just seven years by burying them alive in the Sirhind wall. The valiant Guru Gobind Singh Ji lost all his four sons, both the parents and innumerable brave Sikhs in his struggle against the oppression of the Mughal rulers. He who lived like a king with royal splendour was rendered homeless. The enemy madly chased him from town to town, wilderness to wilderness. Yet the Guru was not demoralized. While in village Dina the Guru wrote Zafar Nama—the Epistle of Victory—to Aurangzeb.
Meanwhile, the Guru started contacting his Sikhs and made preparations afresh for the defence. He received overwhelming response from everywhere. He camped near Khidrana where one command was under dynamic and brave Mai Bhago and then Talwandi Sabo now known as Damdama Sahib.
Aurangzeb did not live long after the receipt of the Zafar Nama. He died in 1707, an utterly desperate, disillusioned and frustrated man. Bahadur Shah Zafar succeeded him. The new King was fond of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. He persuaded the Guru to accompany him to the South. The Guru agreed. On his sojourn the Guru met Madho Das whom he renamed Banda Singh Bahadur after his baptism.
Meanwhile Wazir Khan, Governor of Sirhind, feared Bahadur Shah’s growing friendship with the Guru. He sent a party of assassins to put an end to the Guru’s life before the King was acquainted of the horrendous crimes committed by Wazir Khan. The assassins came one afternoon in a disguised form. The Guru was resting. They attacked him unawares. Although both the assassins were killed by the Guru and his bodyguard, but they inflicted a deep wound to the Guru that eventually proved fatal. The end of the Guru came on the 7th October 1708.
But before Guru Gobind Singh Ji breathed his last, he gave the final form to the Sikh faith. He declared the institution of guruship closed. He declared that after him the Sikhs were to look upon the holy Guru Granth Sahib as their guide as the authentic representative of all the ten Gurus.
Although Guru Gobind Singh Ji was a prolific writer and an illustrious poet, he did not insert any of his composition in Guru Granth Sahib. His own writings are included in the Dasam Granth, Which is read with reverence by all Sikhs.
The sheltering guidance and transcending teachings of the great Gurus marked the beginning of the rise of a great new people, destined to play a daring and dauntless roll in the centuries to come, against all oppression, tyranny and treacheary.
Such is the unique, unequaled and unparalleled saga of the birth of the Sikhs and their unexampled and unsurpassed heroic journey to the Khalsa.