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Sikhism comes from the word Sikh, which means a strong and able disciple. A Sikh is a person who believes in One God and the teachings of the Ten Gurus , enshrined in Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book.
Compared with some other eastern religious traditions, Sikhism is a more recent development, which emerged in an environment heavily permeated with conflicts between the Hindu and Muslim religions. Thus, while it has some similarities with both religions it also departs from some of their social traditions such as the caste system and purdah. Sikhism was somewhat influenced by Hinduism (e.g. Bhakti, monism, Vedic metaphysics, guru ideal, and bhajans) and Islam (e.g. tawhidTawhid , meaning "declaring God one", is the Islamic concept of monotheism. Its opposite, comprehending the sins of polytheism and idolatry, is shirk where more information can be found. Tawhid has three aspects: Tawhid ar-Rububiyya Tawhid al-Asma wa as-S). While Sikhism reflects its cultural context, it certainly developed into a movement unique in India. Its followers (Sikhs) believe it to be an authenticated new divine revelation.
This religion was founded by Guru NanakGuru Nanak ( 20 October 1469 7 May 1539), the founder of Sikhism and the first of the ten Gurus of the Sikhs, was born in the village of Talwandi, now called Nankana Sahib, near Lahore in present-day Pakistan. His parents, Mehta Kalu and Matta Tripat, wer, who was born in 1469 to a Hindu family. After four epic journeys (North to Tibet, South to Sri Lanka, East to Bengal and West to Mecca and Baghdad) Guru Nanak preached to Hindus, Muslims and others, and in the process attracted a following of Sikhs or disciples. Religion, he taught, was a way to unite people, but in practice he found that it set men against one another. He particularly regretted the antagonism between Hindus and Muslims. He wanted to go beyond what was being practiced by either religion and hence a well-known saying of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji is, "I am neither a Hindu nor a Muslim." Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji reinforced these words by saying "Regard the whole human race as equal".
Guru Nanak was opposed to the caste system. His followers referred to him as the guru (teacher). Before his death he designated a new Guru to be his successor and to lead the Sikh community. This procedure was continued, and the tenth and last Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji (AD 1666Events September 2 Great Fire of London: A large fire breaks out in London in the house of Charles II's baker on Pudding Lane near London Bridge. The fire burns for three days destroying 10,000 buildings including St. Paul's Cathedral, but only 16 people– 1708Events March 23 James Francis Edward Stuart lands at the Firth of Forth Kandahar conquered by Mir Wais In Masuria one third of the population die during the plague September 28: Peter the Great defeats the Swedes at the Battle of Lesnaya J. Bach appointed) initiated the Sikh Baptism ceremony in AD 1699 ; and thus gave a distinctive identity to the Sikhs. The five baptised Sikhs were named Panj Pyare (Five Beloved Ones), who in turn baptised the Guru at his request. This is an empowering and democratizing phenomenon rarely seen in other major religions, i.e. a leader acknowledging the primacy of his followers.
Shortly before passing away Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji ordered that Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh Holy Scripture would be the ultimate spiritual authority for the Sikhs and temporal authority would vest in the Khalsa PanthKhalsa Panth is the literal theocracy that manages the affairs of the Khalsa. It refers to the entire nation of people who have taken the way of the Khalsa, and hence they were self managed. See Sikhism. – The Sikh Nation. The first Sikh Holy Scripture was compiled and edited by the Fifth Guru, Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji in AD 1604. This is one of the few scriptures in the world that has been compiled by the founders of a faith during their own life time. The Sikh Holy Scripture is written in Gurmukhi script Punjabi with parts in Sanskrit, Bhojpuri and Farsi.
Guru Nanak's doctrinal position is clear, despite the appearance that it is a blend of insights originating from two very different faiths. Sikhism's coherence is attributable to its single central concept – the sovereignty of the One God, the Creator. Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji called God the "True Name" because he wanted to avoid any limiting terms for God. He taught that the True Name, although manifest in many ways, many places and known by many names, is eternally One, the Sovereign and omnipotent God (the Truth of Love).
Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji ascribed to the Hindu Vedanta concept of Maya, regarding material objects as realities and as expressions of the creator's eternal truth, which tended to erect "a wall of falsehood" around those who live totally in the mundane world of material desires (consumerism). This materialism prevents them from seeing the ultimate reality, as God created matter as a veil, so that only spiritual minds, free of desire, can penetrate it by the grace of the Guru (Gurprasad).
The world is immediately real in the sense that it is made manifest to the senses as maya, but is ultimately unreal in the sense that God alone is ultimate reality. Retaining the Hindu doctrine of the transmigration of souls, together with its corollary, the law of karma, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji advised his followers to end the cycle of reincarnation by living a disciplined life – that is, by moderating egoism and sensuous delights, to live in a balanced worldly manner, and by accepting ultimate reality. Thus, by the grace of Guru (Gurprasad) the cycle of re-incarnation can be broken, and the Sikh can remain in the abode of the Love of God.
Human deeds accumulate karma. A Sikh should balance work, worship and charity - and meditate by repeating God's name, nama japam (another Hindu practice), to enhance spiritual development. Salvation, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji said, does not mean entering paradise after a last judgment, but a union and absorption into God, the true name. Sikhs believe in neither heaven nor hell. They strive for the grace of the Guru during the human journey of the soul.
Political pressure from surrounding Muslim nations forced the Sikhs to defend themselves and by the mid-nineteenth century, the Punjab area straddling modern-day India and Pakistan, Afghanistan and Kashmir was ruled by them. The Sikh's Khalsa Army defeated the invading British army and signed treaties with China.
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