Sikhism; Its Origins and Fundamental Beliefs (Part 8)
7. Guru Har Rai:
Guru Har Rai was born on January 16, 1630. According to the book The Ten Holy Teachers, he was more ascetic and reclusive than the seventh Guru. Unlike his grandfather Guru Hargobind—who had a more militaristic character and engaged in martial training and weapons-making—Har Rai adopted a peaceful approach. He focused on spiritual education and encouraged his followers to spread spiritual teachings through peaceful means.
One year after assuming the position of Guru, he relocated the center of the Sikh order from Amritsar to the town of Moranad Rai in the Kangra region. He and his followers settled there to avoid conflicts with fanatical Hindus and Muslims. In this area, he established religious schools and charitable institutions and introduced various social reforms to improve the state of society.
He frequently visited religious centers, organized the internal structure of his followers, and united them. In 1658 CE, he appointed his elder son as his successor but sent his younger son, Ram Rai, to represent the Sikh order at the Mughal court. This decision aimed to maintain peaceful relations with the Mughal Empire.
When a power struggle erupted among Shah Jahan’s sons, these conflicts had religious and political roots. Aurangzeb, Shah Jahan’s fourth son, took a hardline stance against the others. Being aware of the political situation, Har Rai sent his son Ram Rai to the Mughal court to defend the Sikh order from possible threats. Ram Rai attempted to gain the emperor’s favor, especially after Aurangzeb ascended the throne. He tried to reinterpret certain sacred texts to please the emperor. This act led to conflict with his father, who viewed it as a betrayal of religious principles, prompting him to decide to appoint his younger son as his successor. After Guru Har Rai’s death, his younger son, Har Krishan, was appointed as the eighth Guru of Sikhism.
8. Guru Har Krishan:
Guru Har Krishan became the eighth spiritual leader of Sikhism in 1661 CE and held this position for six years. He was born in the town of Rupnagar in the Indian state of Punjab. His father, Guru Har Rai, chose him as his successor when he was only five years old—a decision that faced opposition due to his young age and the fact that his older brother, Ram Rai, was passed over.
Ram Rai, believing himself more worthy of the position, complained to the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, claiming he had been unjustly deprived of his father’s legacy despite his loyalty to the emperor. Guru Har Rai, before his death, had advised Har Krishan not to meet Aurangzeb in person. However, the emperor summoned him to the Delhi court and assigned Raja Jai Singh to accompany him.
Jai Singh assured Har Krishan that he would not have to meet the emperor directly. Har Krishan traveled to Delhi, where many Sikh followers came to see him. Though ultimately cleared of the accusations, he contracted smallpox during this period and was unable to return to Amritsar.
Guru Har Krishan eventually passed away and, before his death, appointed his father’s uncle, Tegh Bahadur, as his successor.
9. Guru Tegh Bahadur:
Guru Tegh Bahadur became the ninth spiritual leader of the Sikh faith in 1665 CE after the death of Guru Har Krishan. He was born in 1621 in Amritsar and was the youngest of five sons of Guru Hargobind. His father gave him the title “Tegh Bahadur” (Brave Swordsman) because he had served in his father’s army during his youth and had learned martial arts such as horseback riding, archery, and swordsmanship from Bhai Gurdas.
In 1633, he married a woman named Bishan Kaur, the daughter of Lal Chand. He spent years in seclusion and meditation in the village of Bakala until he was appointed by Guru Har Krishan as his successor.
His leadership coincided with the reign of Aurangzeb. At one point, a group of Kashmiri Sikhs were arrested and threatened with forced conversion to Islam. They responded that they would only convert if their Guru did so.
Following this incident, Aurangzeb ordered Guru Tegh Bahadur’s arrest. He was imprisoned, tortured, and asked to perform a miracle to prove his spiritual authority, which he refused. Ultimately, in 1675 CE, Guru Tegh Bahadur was beheaded in Delhi.
10. Guru Gobind Singh:
Guru Gobind Singh was the tenth and last human Guru in Sikhism. He was born in 1666 in Patna, Bihar, India. At the age of nine, he assumed the spiritual and political leadership of Sikhism after the martyrdom of his father, Tegh Bahadur.
Guru Gobind Singh was one of the bravest and most militarily skilled Sikh leaders. He devoted himself to uniting the Sikh community and instilling in them a strong spirit of resistance against oppression. He opened the doors of Sikhism to all people and abolished social hierarchies, allowing individuals from every class to join the faith. As a result, many people began converting in large numbers.
He introduced a distinct dress code for Sikhs to set them apart from others. It became mandatory for every Sikh to carry a piece of iron as a symbol of bravery and strength. He prohibited cutting body hair and made it obligatory to carry a comb. He lifted dietary restrictions, even permitting the drinking of alcohol.
He required Sikhs to greet each other with the phrases: “Bol Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa” (Long live the spirit of liberated Khalsa – Gobind Rai), to which the response would be: “Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh” (Victory belongs to Waheguru).
He added the title “Singh” (meaning lion) to his own name and mandated it for all Sikh men, so all Sikh males carry the title “Singh.” He also chose the title “Khalsa” (The Pure) for the Sikh nation. Guru Gobind Singh completely separated the Sikh identity from Hinduism. Under his leadership, the Sikhs became staunch opponents of oppression and sought opportunities to resist it. Many legends of his unmatched courage and determination circulated—some claimed that after being beheaded, he continued fighting for fourteen miles, or that pregnant women who heard his name miscarried. Such stories reflect the awe in which he was held by his followers.
There is no doubt that Guru Gobind Singh unified his people, rallied them against oppression, and glorified fighting against injustice as a source of honor and distinction.
Transfer of Sikh Religious Leadership from Guru to Scripture: After the death of the tenth Guru in 1708 CE, and in light of the fundamental transformations that had occurred over the past two centuries under the ten human Gurus, the spiritual and religious leadership of the Sikhs was transferred from a person to their sacred scripture, the Granth Sahib. Since then, Sikhs have regarded the Granth Sahib as their final religious authority and have aligned their beliefs and practices according to its teachings.
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