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Sikhism: Sikh Gurus
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Sikhism is a monotheistic faith. Sikhs believe that the one, living God created the universe, sustains it and, in the end, will destroy it. In the Punjabi language of India, the word Sikh means “disciple” or “learner of truth.” A Sikh is a disciple of God, but more particularly, one who follows the teachings of the 10 Sikh gurus, (teachers), as written in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Holy Scriptures).
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One reason is that despite these aims of the founder, at the practical level Sikhism functioned as a reform movement among the Hindus. Almost all its converts came from the Hindus and so did All the Gurus. Due to historic compulsion like Mughal oppression, Sikhism over a major period of its history remained a spiritual, temporal and political movement of the Hindus, by the Hindus and virtually for the Hindus.
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Sikhism does not recognize the caste distinctions of Hindu society. Guru Nanak showed the way by openly criticizing the caste system prevailing during his time and the Gurus who followed him admitted many lower caste Hindus into Sikhism and paved the way for a more equitable society in the Punjab.
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It is noted with regret that historically, these so called 'Gurus' began as "preachers" of Sikhism. When they were accused of distorting the original concept they debated and tried to prove their description to be the genuine faith. Later on, when their identity was well established; they took advantage of the political situation and constitutional rights, and disconnected themselves from their Sikh base and started claiming themselves to be the founders and preachers of a new faith. They no more call themselves Sikhs and have adopted new names. This has resulted in mutual fights and quarrels, one protecting the original faith, the other trying to destroy it to establish itself.
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[I]t was Guru Gobind Singh who gave Sikhism a renewed vigor and mass following in the seventeenth century. The principle of Sikhism was that there was but one God, and all men who were servants of God and Guru, and were bound together in a holy brotherhood known as the Khalsa. He declared that he was the last of the Gurus, and asked his followers to revere only the Adi Granth after his death.
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Founder: Guru Nanak (1469-1539 C.E.) was the first of Sikhism's 10 Gurus, a lineage of holy teachers that continued until the end of the 17th century. The Gurus are understood to be the mediators of divine grace.
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Sikh Gurus