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Founder: Nanak (1469-1538 A.D.)
Religious Texts: Granth
View of God: Monotheism
Name(s) of God: Sat Nam or "true name", now known as Ekankar
Teachings:
- There is only one god.
- Nanak was a guru. According to the Sikh, a guru is one chosen by god to teach the infallible truths of god.
- Belief in reincarnation and karma.
- The physical world exists, but as a lesser reality.
- The Sikh is to avoid worshiping god in a ritualistic or legalistic manner. Rather he or she is to seek god mystically.
- In the beginning, Sikhs were peace seeking people. After the death of a Sikh guru named Arjan, Sikhism became more willing to be militaristic. Arjan was boiled to death in a large pot of water.
Succession of Sihk Gurus (taken from "Neighboring Faiths", page 263
| No. |
Name |
Dates |
Notes |
| 1 |
Nanak |
1469-1538 |
founder |
| 2 |
Angad |
1538-1552 |
began collecting hymns |
| 3 |
Amar Das |
1552-1574 |
subdivisions; taxes |
| 4 |
Ram Das |
1574-1581 |
founded Amritsar |
| 5 |
Arjan |
1581-1606 |
martyred; Amritsar completed; collected Adi Granth |
| 6 |
Har Gobind |
1606-1645 |
founded Sikh army |
| 7 |
Har Rai |
1645-1661 |
|
| 8 |
Har Kishan |
1661-1664 |
|
| 9 |
Tegh Bahad |
1664-1675 |
martyred |
| 10 |
Gobind Rai |
1675-1708 |
established Khalsa; declared Granth as Guru |
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