Introduction Buddhism Christianity Hinduism Islam Judaism Sikhism Ethics

Gurus

 return

This picture shows the ten Gurus who helped to establish Sikhism as a religion. The Gurus (from top left to bottom right) are as follows:

  1. Guru Nanak (1469–1539 CE) – The founder of Sikhism.
  2. Guru Angad (1504–52 CE) – The Guru who founded the alphabet used in the Guru Granth Sahib (the Sikh holy book): Gurmukhi.
  3. Guru Amar Das (1479–1574 CE) – Known for his emphasis on social reform.
  4. Guru Ram Das (1534–81 CE) – Founder of the city of Amritsar.
  5. Guru Arjan (1563–1606 CE) – Collected together the writings of the previous Gurus and built the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
  6. Guru Har Gobind (1595–1644 CE) – Fought against the persecution of the Sikhs.
  7. Guru Hari Rai (1630–61 CE) – Son of Guru Har Gobind, known for his strength and kindness.
  8. Guru Hari Krishan (1656–64 CE) – The child Guru who caught, and later died from, smallpox whilst blessing plague victims in Delhi.
  9. Guru Tegh Bahadur (1621–75 CE) – Known for his compassion towards Hindus who wanted to worship in their own fashion.
  10. Guru Gobind Singh (1666–1708 CE) – The founder of the Khalsa (the Sikh community) and the last of the Gurus.