Sikh Gurus and their Teachings

Sikh Gurus and Their Teachings: In the late 15th century ,saint Guru Nanak became very popular among the people of Punjab .His teachings formed the basis of a new faith called sikhism. His followers came to be known as Sikhs.

Baba Guru Nanak : Guru Nanak Dev was born in 1469 at Talwandi near Lahore.Later ,he settled in Kartarpur near Lahore. He visited many holy places. Sikhs regard Guru Nanak as their first guru .He emphasised the worship of 'one god'(Ek Omkar). He also placed importance on the guru's role as he can lead the people on the path of Bhakti . he rejected caste and class difference.

A regular worship that consisted of the singing of his own hymns was established there for his followers. Irrespective of their former creed, caste or gender, his followers ate together in the common kitchen (langar). The sacred space thus created by Baba Guru Nanak was known as dharmsal. It is now known as Gurdwara.

Guru Nanak was succeeded by nine other Sikh gurus. Guru Nanak selected Guru Angad as his successor. The third Guru Amardas the fourth Guru, Ramdas, greatly respected by Akbar. He granted a plot to Guru Ramdas on which he built the famous shrine of Harmandar Sahib. After Gurus Ramdas, his son Arjun Das became fifth guru and the position of the guru became hereditary.

Nanak's Teachings: Guru Nanak gave three principles for a good life.They are

Naam japo or meditation.

Kirt karo or work hard and earn by honest deeds

Vand chhako or share your earnings with unfortunate ones

Peasants, artisans,craftsmen and traders became Guru Nanak's followers .He wanted his followers to be householders and earn their livelihood rather than depend on others for their daily needs.he encouraged to join Bhakti Movements.

Guru Arjun Das compiled the Guru Granth Sahib. He was executed by Jahangir and the hostility between Sikhs and Mughals began.

Gurus Hargobind, Gurus Har Rai and Gurus Harkrishna were the sixth, seventh and eighth Sikh guru, respectively. Gurus Tegh Bahadur was the ninth guru. Gurus Gobind Singh was the tenth and last guru. He was Guru Tegh Bahadur’s son. After Guru Gobind Singh, the holy book Gurus Granth Sahib came to be regarded as the eleventh and the eternal guru of Sikhs.

Baba Guru Nanak had a huge impact on the development from the very beginning. He emphasized the importance of the worship of one God. He insisted that caste, creed or gender was irrelevant for attaining liberation. His idea of liberation was not that of a state of inert bliss but rather the pursuit of active life with a strong sense of social commitment. He himself used the terms nam, dan and isnan for the essence of his teaching, which actually meant right worship, welfare of others and purity of conduct. His teachings are now remembered as nam- japna, kirt- karna and vand - chhakna, which also underline the importance of right belief and worship, honest living, and helping others. Thus, Baba Guru Nanak’s idea of equality had social and political implications.

Sample Questions

(More Questions for each concept available in Login)

Question : 1

How did the followers of Guru Nanak increase ?
A. In 16th century under his successors
B. They were also expected to contribute to the general funds of the community of followers
C. They belonged to a number of castes but traders , agriculturists , artisans and craftsmen
D. All of these
Right Option : D
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Question : 2

New script introduced by Guru Nanak was termed as _______ .
A. Dharmsal	B. Gurmukhi	C. Gurudwara	D. Langar
Right Option : B
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Question : 3

Guru Angad added his own composition in a new script called __________________
A. Gurumukhi	B. Shariat	C. Punjabi	D. Sanskrit
Right Option : A
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