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The Sikh Gurus & Their Contributions
Guru Nanak Dev (1st Guru)
- Appointed Bhai Lehna as his successor, who later became Guru Angad.
- Passed away on September 22, 1539, at the age of 70.
Guru Ramdas (4th Guru)
- Established the city of Amritsar.
- The city was first named Ramdaspur.
- Received the land for the city (500 bighas) as a donation from Emperor Akbar.
Guru Arjan Dev (5th Guru)
- Compiled the Adi Granth (later Guru Granth Sahib) in 1604.
- Built the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) in Amritsar.
- Founded the cities of Taran Taran and Kartarpur.
- Instituted the practice of Dasvandh (donating one-tenth of one’s income).
- Provided help to the rebel Mughal prince, Khusrau.
- Was arrested, fined, and executed on the orders of Emperor Jahangir for aiding Khusrau.
- He is considered the first great martyr of the Sikh faith.
Guru Hargobind (6th Guru)
- Introduced the concept of Miri and Piri (temporal and spiritual authority).
Guru Tegh Bahadur (9th Guru)
- Was executed on the orders of Emperor Aurangzeb for refusing to convert to Islam.
- He was protecting Kashmiri Hindus from religious persecution.
- He is the second Guru to be martyred by the Mughals.
Guru Gobind Singh (10th Guru)
- Was the last of the human Sikh Gurus.
- Born in 1666 in Patna, Bihar.
- Instituted the Khalsa Panth on April 13, 1699 (Baisakhi day) at Anandpur Sahib.
- Transformed the Sikhs into a military order of saint-soldiers.
- Introduced the Five Ks: Kesh, Kangha, Kachha, Kripan, Kada.
- Gave all Khalsa Sikhs the surname Singh.
- Was assassinated by an Afghan noble in Nanded, Maharashtra.
- A famous Gurudwara is built at his mausoleum in Nanded.
Important Sikh Institutions & Texts
The Khalsa
- Founded by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699.
- Its founding marked the transformation of the Sikh community into a military order.
- The Khalsa Panth was started nearly 300 years ago.
Religious Texts
- The Adi Granth (Guru Granth Sahib) was compiled by Guru Arjan Dev.
- It includes the teachings of the first six Sikh Gurus, along with contributions from Hindu and Muslim saints like Kabir, Baba Farid, and Namdev.
Administrative Systems
- Guru Amar Das established the Manji system (22 ecclesiastical divisions) for preaching Sikhism.
- The Dal Khalsa was created later by Kapur Singh, not by the Gurus mentioned in the data.
Important Places in Sikhism
Amritsar
- Established by Guru Ramdas.
- Named after the Amrit Sarovar (sacred pool) around which the city was built.
Other Significant Sites
- Hem Kund: Located in Chamoli, Uttarakhand; site of a famous Sikh Gurudwara.
- Nanded: Located in Maharashtra; a sacred site as it is the location of Guru Gobind Singh’s mausoleum.
Later Sikh History
Banda Singh Bahadur
- His original name was Lachhman Dev.
- He was given the name Banda Bahadur by Guru Gobind Singh.
The Sikh Kingdom
- The last king of the Sikh Kingdom was Maharaja Duleep (Daleep) Singh.
- The kingdom was annexed by the British in 1849 after the Second Anglo-Sikh War.
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