THE TEN SIKH GURUS
Lives, Teachings & Legacy • 1469 – 1708240 years of divine guidance through ten human Gurus, culminating in the eternal Guru Granth Sahib
OVERVIEW
Sikhism was guided by ten human Gurus over approximately 240 years — from the birth of Guru Nanak Dev Ji in 1469 to the passing of Guru Gobind Singh Ji in 1708. Each Guru built upon the teachings of his predecessor, expanding the Sikh community, refining its institutions, and deepening its spiritual tradition. Together, the ten Gurus shaped Sikhism into the global religion it is today.
The word Guru in Sikhism means more than teacher — it refers to the divine light that passes from one Guru to the next, like a flame passing between candles. Sikhs believe that all ten Gurus shared the same divine spirit. Consequently, in 1708, Guru Gobind Singh Ji declared that this light would henceforth reside eternally in the Guru Granth Sahib — the sacred scripture that serves as the living Guru of the Sikhs to this day.
Quick reference list
- Guru 1: Guru Nanak Dev Ji (1469 – 1539) — Founder of Sikhism
- Guru 2: Guru Angad Dev Ji (1504 – 1552) — Developed the Gurmukhi script
- Guru 3: Guru Amar Das Ji (1479 – 1574) — Institutionalized Langar and social equality
- Guru 4: Guru Ram Das Ji (1534 – 1581) — Founded the city of Amritsar
- Guru 5: Guru Arjan Dev Ji (1563 – 1606) — Compiled the Guru Granth Sahib; first Sikh martyr
- Guru 6: Guru Hargobind Ji (1595 – 1644) — Wore two swords — Miri and Piri
- Guru 7: Guru Har Rai Ji (1630 – 1661) — Known for compassion, nature, and healing
- Guru 8: Guru Harkrishan Sahib Ji (1656 – 1664) — The child Guru — became Guru at age 5
- Guru 9: Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji (1621 – 1675) — Martyred defending religious freedom for all
- Guru 10: Guru Gobind Singh Ji (1666 – 1708) — Founded the Khalsa; declared Guru Granth Sahib as eternal Guru
Guru Nanak Dev Ji
Guru Nanak Dev Ji was born in 1469 in Talwandi — now Nankana Sahib, Pakistan — and founded Sikhism after a three-day spiritual awakening in which he emerged from a river transformed. He undertook four great journeys across South Asia, the Middle East and Central Asia, teaching the oneness of God and the equality of all human beings regardless of caste or religion. He established the first Sikh community at Kartarpur, founded Langar and the Sangat, and composed Japji Sahib. His three core principles — Naam Japoo, Kirat Karo, Vand Chhako — remain the foundation of Sikh daily life. Learn More →
Guru Angad Dev Ji
Guru Angad Dev Ji became the second Sikh Guru in 1539, chosen by Guru Nanak Dev Ji over his own sons for his exceptional devotion. His most enduring contribution was the standardisation of the Gurmukhi script — the alphabet in which the Guru Granth Sahib is written — giving the Sikh community a distinct identity and a means of preserving the Gurus’ sacred teachings. He also expanded Langar and collected the hymns of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Furthermore, he encouraged physical fitness alongside spiritual practice, believing that a healthy body serves a healthy soul. Learn More →
Guru Amar Das Ji
Guru Amar Das Ji became the third Sikh Guru at the remarkable age of 73 and served for 22 years. He institutionalised Langar as a mandatory practice — requiring all visitors, including the Mughal Emperor Akbar, to eat in the communal kitchen before meeting the Guru. He actively championed the rights of women, abolishing purdah and sati among Sikhs, and appointing women as preachers. Additionally, he organised the Sikh community into 22 districts called Manjis — creating the first structured system for spreading Sikh teachings. Learn More →
Guru Ram Das Ji
Guru Ram Das Ji became the fourth Sikh Guru in 1574 and is best known for founding the city of Amritsar — today the spiritual capital of Sikhism. He acquired the land, began excavating the sacred pool called Amrit Sarovar (Pool of Nectar), and laid the foundation for what would become the Golden Temple. He also composed the Lavan — the four verses of the Sikh wedding ceremony, Anand Karaj — which are sung at every Sikh wedding to this day. His devotional hymns in the Guru Granth Sahib are among the most beloved in Gurbani. Learn More →
Guru Arjan Dev Ji
Guru Arjan Dev Ji became the fifth Sikh Guru in 1581 and made two monumental contributions to Sikhism. First, he compiled the Adi Granth in 1604 — gathering the hymns of the first four Gurus, adding his own, and including the writings of Hindu and Muslim saints — creating the scripture that would become the Guru Granth Sahib. Second, he completed the construction of the Harmandir Sahib — the Golden Temple — in Amritsar. In 1606, he became the first Sikh martyr, executed by the Mughal Emperor Jahangir for refusing to alter the scripture. Learn More →
Guru Hargobind Ji
Guru Hargobind Ji became the sixth Sikh Guru at just eleven years old, following his father’s martyrdom. In response, he introduced the doctrine of Miri and Piri — wearing two swords representing temporal and spiritual authority — establishing that a Sikh must be both spiritually devoted and capable of defending the community. He built the Akal Takht opposite the Golden Temple, trained an army, and fought several successful battles against the Mughal forces. He is also remembered as Bandi Chhor — the Liberator — for securing the release of 52 Hindu princes from Gwalior Fort. Learn More →
Guru Har Rai Ji
Guru Har Rai Ji became the seventh Sikh Guru in 1644 and was known above all for his compassion — for people, for animals, and for the natural world. He maintained a large garden and a free medical dispensary, providing herbal medicines to the sick regardless of religion or background. Despite his gentle nature, he maintained a cavalry of 2,200 soldiers in the tradition of his grandfather Guru Hargobind Ji, demonstrating that compassion and strength are not opposites in Sikh teaching. He gave shelter to the Mughal prince Dara Shikoh, showing his commitment to helping the oppressed of all faiths. Learn More →
Guru Harkrishan Sahib Ji
Guru Harkrishan Sahib Ji became the eighth Sikh Guru at just five years old — the youngest of the ten Gurus. Despite his youth, he demonstrated extraordinary spiritual wisdom, famously having an illiterate water-carrier interpret the Bhagavad Gita to confound a learned Brahmin — illustrating that divine wisdom transcends learning. When smallpox and cholera devastated Delhi, he personally ministered to the sick — treating Hindus and Muslims alongside Sikhs. He passed away at just seven years old, having contracted the disease himself, pointing to his successor with the words Baba Bakale. Learn More →
Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji
Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji became the ninth Sikh Guru in 1665 and is revered as one of the greatest defenders of human rights in history. When Kashmiri Pandits came to him reporting forced conversions to Islam under the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, he agreed to stand in their defence — knowing it would cost him his life. In 1675, he was publicly executed in Delhi for refusing to convert, giving his life not for his own faith but for the right of all people to practise their religion freely. He is honoured with the title Hind di Chaadar — Shield of India. Learn More →
Guru Gobind Singh Ji
Guru Gobind Singh Ji became the tenth and final human Sikh Guru in 1675 at just nine years old. On Vaisakhi 1699, he founded the Khalsa — the community of initiated Sikhs — calling five volunteers to give their heads for their faith. He gave the Khalsa its distinctive identity through the five articles of faith (Panj Kakars) and fought numerous battles against the Mughal Empire. Before his passing in 1708, he declared the Guru Granth Sahib as the Eleventh and Eternal Guru of the Sikhs — bringing the line of human Gurus to a close and entrusting the community to their scripture for all time. Learn More →
The ten Sikh Gurus were not ten separate teachers — they were ten manifestations of the same divine light, the same Jot that passed from Guru Nanak Dev Ji to Guru Gobind Singh Ji over 240 years. Each Guru served at a different moment in history, facing different challenges, and each responded with the same core message: that God is one, that all human beings are equal, and that a life of devotion, service and courage is the highest path.
Today, that same divine light resides in the Guru Granth Sahib — the living, eternal Guru of the Sikhs. The legacy of the ten Gurus lives on in every Gurdwara, every Langar, every act of seva (selfless service), and every Sikh who strives to live by the teachings of Waheguru.
