Sikh gurus

ੁ ਰੂ; Hindi: िसख गुरु) are the spiritual masters of Sikhism, who
The Sikh gurus (Punjabi: ਿਸੱਖ ਗ
established the religion over the course of about two and a half centuries, beginning in 1469.[2]
The year 1469 marks the birth of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. He was succeeded by nine
other human gurus until, in 1708, the Guruship was finally passed on by the tenth guru to the
holy Sikh scripture, Guru Granth Sahib, which is now considered the living Guru by the followers
of the Sikh faith.[3] The guruship was also passed onto the Guru Panth, consisting of the Khalsa,
however this means of guruship went into decline following to rise of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.[4]

A miniature painting, dated Gurus of the Sikhs. Fresco from

1890, depicting an "imaginary Dera Nirmala, Tanda-
portrait" of the ten gurus and Hoshiarpur.
others.[1]

Etymology and definition

Guru (/ˈɡuːruː/, UK also /ˈɡʊruː, ˈɡʊǝr-/; Sanskrit: गुरु, Punjabi: ਗ
ੁ ਰੂ, IAST: guru) is a Sanskrit term for
a "teacher, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field.[5] Bhai Vir Singh, in his
dictionary of Guru Granth Sahib describes the term Guru as a combination of two separate units:
ੁ )" meaning darkness and "Rū;(ਰੂ)" which means light.[6] Hence, Guru is who brings light
"Gu;(ਗ
into darkness or in other words, the one who enlightens. Bhai Vir Singh's definition provides
further insight about Sikhi itself and explains why Guru Granth Sahib is considered the living
 Guru. The word Sikh is derived from the Sanskrit term shishya[7] (Punjabi: ਿਸੱਖ) which means a
disciple or a student. Thus, Sikhs have a student–teacher relationship with their Gurus since their
teachings, written in Guru Granth Sahib, serve as a guide for the Sikhs.

According to Sikh beliefs, all the Gurus contained the same light or soul and their physical body
was a vessel for containing the same essence. When one Guru passed, the successor inherited
this light and that is why the Gurus are also referred to as mahalla (house).[8]

The gurus

Birth Date of
No. Name Portrait Guruship Birthplace Clan Father Mother
date death

Nankana 22
14 April
Guru Sahib, Kalyan Mata September
1 1469 Since birth Bedi Khatri
Nanak [note 1]
Punjab, Delhi Das Bedi Tripta 1539
Sultanate (aged 70)

Muktsar,
7 29 March
Guru 31 March Punjab, Trehan Baba Mata
2 September 1552
Angad 1504 Mughal Khatri Pheru Mal Ramo
1539 (aged 47)
Empire

Amritsar, 1
Guru 5 May 26 April Punjab, Tej Bhan Mata September
3 Bhalla Khatri
Amar Das 1479 1552 Mughal Bhalla Lachmi 1574
Empire (aged 95)

Lahore, 1
24 1
Guru Ram Punjab, Baba Har September
4 September September Sodhi Khatri Mata Daya
Das Mughal Das 1581
1534 1574
Empire (aged 46)

Goindval,
1 30 May
Guru 15 April Punjab, Guru Ram
5 September Sodhi Khatri Mata Bhani 1606
Arjan 1563 Mughal Das
1581 (aged 43)
Empire

Amritsar,
Lahore 28
Guru 19 June 25 May Subah, Mata February
6 Sodhi Khatri Guru Arjan
Hargobind 1595 1606 Mughal Ganga 1644
Empire (aged 48)
 Kiratpur
Sahib,
6 October
Guru Har 16 January 3 March Lahore Baba Mata Nihal
7 Sodhi Khatri 1661
Rai 1630 1644 Subah, Gurditta Kaur
(aged 31)
Mughal
Empire

Kiratpur
Sahib,
Mata 30 March
Guru Har 7 July 7 October Lahore Guru Har
8 Sodhi Khatri Krishan 1664
Krishan 1656 1661 Subah, Rai
Kaur (aged 7)
Mughal
Empire

Amritsar,
11
Lahore
Guru Tegh 1 April 20 March Guru Mata November
9 Subah, Sodhi Khatri
Bahadur 1621 1664 Hargobind Nanaki 1675
Mughal
(aged 54)
Empire

Patna Sahib,
Guru 14 11 7 October
Bihar Subah, Guru Tegh
10 Gobind February November Sodhi Khatri Mata Gujri 1708
Mughal Bahadur
Singh 1666 1675 (aged 41)
Empire

Whilst preval
Guru
Kesgarh Qila, Mata Sahib this manner o
Guru [13]
Gobind
Anandpur Casteless Devan decline follow
11 Panth[4][9] Vaisakhi, April 1699[11] [14]
Singh
[10]
Sahib, (spiritually) Singh and is
[12]
(spirtually) [15]
Punjab [4]
being oversh
Granth.[4]

29 August
1604 Amritsar,
(date of Lahore
Guru completion Subah,
20 October The central holy scripture of Sikhism, regarded as
12 Granth of Mughal
1708 eternal Guru.
Sahib compilation Empire
of the first (place of
draft [Adi compilation)
Granth])