History of Guru Gobind Singh and the Founding of the Khalsa

After Tegh Bahadur’s death, the Sikhs were led by Guru Gobind Singh (1666–1708), the second most important Guru after Guru Nanak. The sole child of Gugu Tegh Bahadur, Gobind Rai was born in Patna before his name was changed to Gobind Singh, possibly around the time Khalsa was founded.

At the tender age of five, he was taken to Anandpur, where he was educated in the arts of poetry and fighting in addition to the Sanskrit and Persian languages. The death of his father at the hands of Aurangzeb in Delhi must have left a lasting impression on the young boy.

He remained a student at Shiwalik Hills for many years after becoming Guru. He eventually became the monarch of a small Shiwalik province, where he fought numerous fights against rival Shiwalik authorities and indulged in his hobby of hunting.

According to Sikh legend, all Sikhs were required to attend a ceremony in Anandpur on Isisakhi Day (Indian New Year) in the late 17th century (the exact year is unknown, however, it may have been 169).

The festivities were well underway before the Guru emerged from hiding, sword in hand, demanding the head of one of his devoted disciples.

There was an instantaneous hush as the crowd looked on in confusion. The Guru reiterated the request till Daya Singh stepped up to be posted behind the curtain.

The bloodied Gobind Singh later reappeared, looking for a second victim. A sword sounded, and he was ushered to the screen’s back as well. The five devoted Sikhs pledged their lives in this way to protect their Guru.

When he added a fifth, the screen went away and it looked like they were all still breathing. The bodies of five goats were at their feet. Panj Piare, or the “Honorable Five,” were the five volunteers who proved their undying allegiance.

Guru Gobind Singh

The Khalsa (“pure,” from the Persian word khalisah, meaning “pure”), as stated by Guru Gobind Singh, was meant to begin in Panj Piare. All Sikhs, beginning with the Khalsa, would be directly subservient to the Guru, eliminating the masands (many of whom were petty and corrupt).

The Panj Piare initiation ceremony, known as Amrit sanskar (meaning “nectar festival”), was then inaugurated by Gobind Singh. After centuries of practice, Panj Piare established the Guru as we know it today. According to Sikh legend, as the order was opened to new members, many people flocked to join.

According to popular belief among Sikhs, the current Khalsa did not have all of its essential components when Gobind Singh lived.

It wasn’t until the founding of Singh that the “Ks five”—kes. or kesh (uncut hair), kangha (comb), kachha (short pants), kara (iron bracelet), and kirpan (festival sword)—became obligatory for all Sikhs.

Education reformers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were inspired by the Sabha, religion, and religion. The Anand Marriage Act of 1909 is responsible for replacing the Hindu practice of the bride and groom marching around the holy fire with the Sikh rite of walking around the Guru Granth Sahib.

All Sikhs are now given the names Singh (“Lion”) for males and Kaur (“Princess”) for females during birth and naming ceremonies (see below Rites and ceremonies). The Rahit, a Sikh system of belief and morality, has been updated to reflect these developments and is now considered to be in its ultimate form.

Guru Gobind Singh held the view that there are periods when good and evil are unequally powerful. Akal Purakh intervenes in human history to defend equality when the forces of evil grow too powerful, employing particular people as his emissaries.

Gobind Singh thought that the Mughals under Aurangzeb symbolized the forces of evil, and that it was his job to restore the balance. The Sikhs had good cause to draw their swords in the sake of this cause. The letter he addressed to Aurangzeb late at night, titled Zafar-nama (“Letter of Victory”), is where he lays forth his firm belief in this theory.

A group of Shiwalik officials, in league with the Mughal governor of Sirhind, assaulted the Guru not long after the Khalsa was founded. He lost two of his four sons in a battle in 1704 that resulted in his retreat from Anandpur.

The two remaining sons were brought to the Syrian governor, who stabbed them to death with bricks. Since then, the plight of these two kids has become a somber tale for Sikhs everywhere.

Gobind Singh escaped from Anandpur and eventually overcame his pursuers in the town of Muktsar, located in southern Punjab. The final update of Adi Granth kept him occupied at Damdama until 1706 when he finally went on.

Gobind Singh consented to accompany Bahdur Shh, Aurangzeb’s successor, to southern India after Aurangzeb’s death in 1707. Agents of the governor of Sirhind had him killed when he arrived in Nanded on the Godavari River in 1708.

Without a doubt, Guru Gobind Singh is a devout Sikh. Artwork of him and Guru Nanak hangs prominently in many Sikh houses. For the Khalsa Sikhs (Gursikhs), he represents the pinnacle of what he should aspire to be.

Her nobility is revered, her beauty is admired, and her grandeur is lauded. Therefore, it is incumbent upon every Khalsa devotee to walk in his footsteps and fulfill the obligations that are beneath him.