Gobind Singh, << GOH bihnd sihng >> (1666-1708), was an important leader of the Sikhs. Sikhs are followers of Sikhism, a religion that began in India. Gobind Singh was the 10th Sikh guru (religious teacher). He founded the Sikh order (community or group) called the Khalsa in 1699. Khalsa means fraternity of the pure.
Gobind Singh was born in December 1666 in Patna, India. His father, Tegh Bahadur, was the ninth Sikh guru. At that time, India was a part of the Mughal Empire. Mughal rulers were Muslims. In 1675, Tegh Bahadur was executed by order of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Sikhs consider Tegh Bahadur a martyr. Martyrs are people who are put to death because of their religion or other beliefs.
Following the death of Tegh Bahadur, 9-year-old Gobind Singh became the 10th Sikh guru. He eventually had four sons. Two of them died in battle against Mughal armies. Mughal authorities executed the other two while the boys were still young children. To help Sikhs defend themselves against persecution, Gobind Singh founded the Khalsa, a military order of “saint-soldiers,” in 1699. He asked his followers to participate in an initiation ceremony to enter the order.
The first Sikhs initiated into the Khalsa were called the Panj Pyare (Five Beloved). They all came from different castes (social classes). Gobind Singh instructed all initiated Sikhs to wear symbols called the five k’s: kes (uncut hair), kangha (a wooden comb), kirpan (a small sword), kara (a steel bracelet), and kachh (a pair of shorts). He told Sikh men to replace their last names, which were based on the caste system, with Singh (lion). He instructed women to use the name Kaur (princess). This practice continues today. Sikh men wear turbans over their long hair and have long beards.
Gobind Singh composed many poems and short stories, which appear in a collection called the Dasam Granth (Tenth Book). Before his death, Gobind Singh declared that he was the last living guru. He said that after him, the Sikh holy book, the Adi Granth (First Book), would become the guru of the Sikhs. He formally named the book the Guru Granth Sahib. Gobind Singh was fatally wounded by Muslim assassins and died on Oct. 7, 1708.
See also Adi Granth ; Baisakhi ; Sikhism .
