Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh, 1666-1708
Guru Gobind Singh was the last of the ten Gurus, the one who transformed the Sikh faith. In 1699 he created the Khalsa (Pure), a community of the faithful who wore visible symbols of their faith and trained as warriors. Today the Khalsa comprises all practising Sikhs.
Contributions
Guru Gobind named the Guru Granth Sahib his successor ©
Guru Gobind Singh succeeded his father Guru Tegh Bahadur at the age of 9. His teachings were different from his predecessors' - he believed that no power could exploit the Sikhs.
He spent his childhood years studying Persian and Sanskrit, and was skilled in the art of war. His mission was to uphold right in every place and destroy sin and evil. In 1699 he chose the festival day of Vaisakhi as the occasion to transform the Sikhs into the Khalsa, a family of soldier saints.
Guru Gobind Singh introduced many of the customs that Sikhs practise today.
Sikhs who have been through the Amrit ceremony of initiation become Amritdhari, initiated Sikhs. They take new names and wear the 5 Ks - five physical symbols that Sikhs must wear.
He declared the the Sikh holy book as his successor instead of a human being. The Guru Granth Sahib would thus be the Sikhs' guide forever. Sikhs give it the same status and respect as a human Guru.