Sikhism was founded by Guru Nanak Dev, a medieval mystic. The teachings and philosophy of Guru Nanak form an important part of the philosophical thought. His philosophy consists of three basic elements – the leading charismatic personality (the Guru), ideology (shabad) and organization (sangat).
Nanak evaluated and criticized the prevailing religious beliefs and attempted to establish a true religion, which could lead to salvation. He forbid idol worship and did not favour pilgrimage nor did accept the theory of reincarnation. He strongly condemned ritualism and formalism. He laid emphasis on having a true Guru for revelation.
Guru Nanak advised people to follow the principles of conduct and worship: sach (truth), halal (lawful earning), khair (well being of others), nyat (right intentions) and service to the lord. He denounced the caste system and the inequality it caused. His argument was that the caste and honour should be judged by the acts or the deeds of individuals. He laid stress on concept of justice, righteousness and liberty.
His verses mainly consisted of two basic concept – Sach (truth) and Nam (name). The bases of divine expression of him were formed by, the Shabd (the word), Guru (the divine precept) and Hukam (the divine order). Guru Nanak introduced the concept of Lanagr (community kitchen). He identified himself with the ruled or the common people.
Though the Sikh Gurus stressed on equality, the social difference among the followers continued. It was only towards the end of the 17th Century that the last or 10th Guru Gobind Singh attempted to resolve the differences among the various Sikh groups by creating the Khalsa, an institution. This institution removed the intermediaries called Masands. Thereafter every Sikh was to have direct link with the Guru.
To create a sense of unity among the Sikhs, the Guru started some practices which were to be followed by Sikhs. These were initiation through the baptism of the double edged sword, wearing uncut hair, carrying arms, adopting the epithet Singh as part of the name.
The idea of Guru Panth was another institutional idea that emerged during this period. It sanctified the collective authority of the Khalsa Panth, which equated the Panth with the Guru. Guru Nanak in his last days had nominated a successor and paid homage to him, giving rise to the idea that the Guru and the Sikh were interchangeable.
This created a problem for the institution of the Sangat that was the collective body of the Sikhs, in which God was said to be present.
When Guru Gobind Singh created the Khalsa he chose the Panj Piyare (the 5 beloved) and requested them to administer the Pahul (amrit chakhha) to him. With this, the difference between the Guru and the Khalsa was symbolically removed. Guru Gobind Singh is believed to have said that the Khalsa is his own roop (form).
Guru Nanak was from the Khatri mercantile caste, whereas his followers were mostly rural Jats. It was Guru Gobind Singh who inaugurated Khalsa among the Sikhs.
Guru Arjun Singh compiled the holy scriptures of the Sikhs, Guru Granth Sahib, which mostly contains the sayings of the Guru Nanak in verse form.
After the death of the 10th Guru, Gobind Singh the tradition of Guru ended. It was believed that the spirit of the guru did not pass onto any successor but instead remained within ‘Guru Granth Sahib’.
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