History of Sikhism
The historical development of Sikhism, founded in fifteenth-century Punjab and shaped by the Sikh Gurus, scripture, institutions, and communities.
Guru Nanak: The founder of Sikhism, whose teachings emphasized devotion to one God, honest work, and sharing. His teachings and community at Kartarpur mark Sikhism’s beginnings.
Guru Angad: The second Sikh Guru, who promoted the Gurmukhi script and continued Guru Nanak’s community. His leadership helped give the emerging tradition a distinct written form.
Mughal Empire: A South Asian empire that ruled much of the subcontinent from the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries. Sikh communities developed under Mughal rule, including periods of conflict and accommodation.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh: The ruler who united much of Punjab in the Sikh Empire from 1799 until his death in 1839. His kingdom established Sikh sovereignty at its greatest territorial extent.
Punjab: A historical region of South Asia spanning parts of present-day India and Pakistan. Sikhism emerged in Punjab’s religious and political landscape.
Guru Amar Das: The third Sikh Guru, who organized Sikh congregations and expanded community institutions. His administrative organization strengthened the growing Sikh network.
Guru Hargobind: The sixth Sikh Guru, associated with the development of Sikh armed self-defense and temporal authority. His leadership marked a stronger political and military dimension in Sikh history.
Sikh Empire: A nineteenth-century state centered in Punjab, ruled by Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his successors. Its rise and annexation mark a central transition in Sikh political history.
Sikh Gurus: The ten human teachers recognized in Sikh tradition, from Guru Nanak to Guru Gobind Singh. Their leadership shaped Sikh belief, institutions, and collective identity.
Guru Arjan: The fifth Sikh Guru, who compiled the Adi Granth and completed the Harmandir Sahib at Amritsar. His work established major textual and sacred centers of Sikh life.