Chapter 9 · Topic 9.4 · Prelims + Mains4 of 4
Bhakti Movement: Sikh Gurus and the Khalsa
Key points
- Ten Gurus: Nanak (1469–1539) to Gobind Singh (1675–1708).
- Arjan: Adi Granth (1604), executed 1606; Hargobind: miri-piri, Akal Takht; Tegh Bahadur executed 1675.
- Khalsa founded at Anandpur on Baisakhi 1699; Five Ks; Granth declared Guru in 1708.
- Banda Bahadur (executed 1716); misls, Dal Khalsa, gurmata, rakhi (20%); Ranjit Singh's Lahore (1799).
Prelims box: facts and traps
- Prelims 2013: Guru Nanak was preaching when Babur took over.
- Rakhi = protection for 20% of produce.
- Misl means 'equal'.
On this page (3 sections)
The ten Sikh Gurus
A Guru in Sikhism is a spiritual teacher who guides the community. Over about two centuries, ten human Gurus shaped Sikh belief, places of worship and community life. Mughal pressure, especially the execution of two Gurus, slowly turned a devotional fellowship into a community ready to defend itself.
| Guru | Key facts |
|---|---|
| Guru Nanak (1469–1539) | Founder; one God, honest work, sharing; langar; settled at Kartarpur |
| Guru Angad (1539–1552) | Gurmukhi script popularly credited to him |
| Guru Amar Das (1552–1574) | Strengthened langar; set up manjis, preaching districts |
| Guru Ram Das (1574–1581) | Founded the town of Ramdaspur (Amritsar) and its tank |
| Guru Arjan (1581–1606) | Completed the Harmandir Sahib; compiled the Adi Granth (1604); executed under Jahangir (1606) |
| Guru Hargobind (1606–1644) | Wore two swords for miri and piri (worldly and spiritual power); built the Akal Takht |
| Guru Har Rai (1644–1661) | Seventh Guru |
| Guru Har Krishan (1661–1664) | Became Guru as a child; died young in Delhi |
| Guru Tegh Bahadur (1664–1675) | Founded Anandpur (1664); 115 hymns in the Granth; executed in Delhi on Aurangzeb’s orders (1675) |
| Guru Gobind Singh (1675–1708) | Founded the Khalsa (1699); declared the Granth the eternal Guru (1708) |
Guru Arjan also organised dasvandh, a gift of one-tenth of income, collected by masands, local agents who also taught and settled disputes. It worked like a community fund that paid for gurdwaras and langars.
Prelims 2013 asked who was preaching when the Lodi dynasty fell and Babur took over. The answer was Guru Nanak alone.
Consider the following Bhakti Saints : 1. Dadu Dayal 2. Guru Nanak 3. Tyagaraja Who among the above was/were preaching when the Lodi dynasty fell and Babur took over?
- 1 and 3
- 2 only
- 2 and 3
- 1 and 2
Show answer
Answer: (b) · UPSC official key
What were the major teachings of Guru Nanak? Explain their relevance in the contemporary world.
What UPSC asks
Prelims: Guru and contribution; dates of Adi Granth and Khalsa. Mains: Nanak’s teachings today (GS IV 2023). Next likely: miri-piri.
Guru Gobind Singh and the Khalsa
Khalsa means ‘the pure’, a body of initiated Sikhs. Guru Gobind Singh created it at Anandpur on Baisakhi in 1699, after his father Guru Tegh Bahadur had been executed. He fought several battles against Rajput hill rulers and the Mughals, both before and after 1699.
The Khalsa had an initiation called amrit sanskar and a code of conduct, the rahit. Men took the name Singh, ‘lion’. The Five Ks were kesh (uncut hair), kangha (comb), kara (steel bracelet), kachera (undergarment) and kirpan (sword). The Khalsa replaced the masands as the community’s leadership. Like a uniform, these signs made every member equal and visible, whatever his caste.
In 1705, after the battle of Chamkaur, the Guru sent Aurangzeb the Zafarnama, a Persian letter blaming him for breaking his oath. He died at Nanded in 1708, saying there would be no further human Guru. NCERT notes that he inspired the Khalsa with the belief that their destiny was to rule: raj karega khalsa.
What UPSC asks
Prelims: the Khalsa (1699), the Five Ks. Mains: why the Sikhs became militant. Next likely: the Zafarnama.
From Banda Bahadur to Ranjit Singh
After 1708 the Khalsa rose against Mughal rule under Banda Bahadur, a former ascetic from Nanded who had joined the Guru. He sacked the Mughal town of Samana in 1709. His followers struck coins in the names of Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh and set up their own rule between the Sutlej and the Yamuna. He is also credited with giving land rights to tillers. He was captured in 1715 and executed in 1716.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Jathas, then misls | Armed bands; later twelve Sikh chiefdoms (misl means ‘equal’) |
| Dal Khalsa | The combined army of the bands, the ‘grand army’ |
| Gurmata | ‘Resolution of the Guru’: a collective decision taken at Amritsar at Baisakhi and Diwali |
| Rakhi | Protection for cultivators in return for a tax of 20 per cent of the produce |
The Sikhs resisted the Mughal governors and then Ahmad Shah Abdali, who had seized Punjab. They struck their own coin again in 1765, with the same inscription used in Banda’s time. By the late 18th century Sikh lands stretched from the Indus to the Yamuna but were divided among chiefs. Ranjit Singh united them and made Lahore his capital in 1799.
What UPSC asks
Prelims: misl, rakhi, gurmata, Banda Bahadur. Mains: how the Sikhs built a state. Next likely: Ranjit Singh and the Anglo-Sikh wars.
Mains box: analysis and answer points
- Why the Sikhs became a military power: executions of Gurus, the Khalsa, Mughal and Afghan pressure.
- Nanak's teachings today (GS IV 2023).
Practice
Write an answer
In 150 words, explain the significance of Bhakti Movement with one recent example.
Read more: related explainers
In the news
- 20 Oct 2026Sirpur in Chhattisgarh enters UNESCO’s Tentative List of World Heritage sites
- 15 Oct 2026PM inaugurates five Ladakh projects: Nimmu–Padum–Darcha road, Leh terminal, Hanu hydro
- 14 Oct 2026HAL, NCF and ASI sign MoA for Hampi, Taj Mahal and Bekal Fort
- 11 Oct 2026Birth anniversaries: Jayaprakash Narayan and Nanaji Deshmukh
Next chapter · 10. Sufi Movement →Sufi Movement: Basics and the ChishtisSyllabus: Prelims GS-I · History of India and Indian National Movement.