(#) Gobind Rai
born 1666, Patna, Bihar, India
died Oct. 7, 1708,
Nanded, Maharashtra
Sikh Guru.
The son of Guru Tegh
Bahadur (1664–75), he was trained in the martial arts in the Punjab. When he
was nine his father was executed, and he became the 10th and last Guru of
Sikhism, presiding over the Sikh court at Anandpur. A scholar and poet, he is
credited with putting the Ādi Granth into its final form. His other great
achievement was the founding (1699) of the Khalsa, the egalitarian community
that gave Sikhism its political and religious definition and galvanized its
martial energies. He was continually at war with local Hindu chiefs and the
Mughal authorities, who together forced the Sikhs out of Anandpur in 1704 and
killed his four sons. After the death of Aurangzeb, he supported the claim of
the future emperor, Bahadur Shah (1643–1712), to the throne. He was
assassinated before he could persuade Bahadur Shah to allow the Sikhs' return
to Anandpur.
(#)
Sikhism
Indian religion founded in the late
15th century by Nanak, the first of the Sikh leaders titled Guru.
Most of the
religion's 25 million members, called Sikhs, live in the Punjab—the site of
their holiest shrine, the Golden Temple, and the principal seat of Sikh
religious authority, the Akal Takht. The Adi Granth is the canonical scripture
of Sikhism. Its theology is based on a supreme God who governs with justice and
grace. Every human being, irrespective of caste or gender, has the opportunity
to become one with God. The basic human flaw of self-centredness can be
overcome through proper reverence for God, commitment to hard work, service to
humanity, and sharing the fruits of one's labour. Sikhs consider themselves
disciples of the 10 human Gurus; the Adi Granth assumed the position of Guru
after the death of the last human Guru, Gobind Singh (1666–1708). Sikhs accept
the Hindu ideas of samsara and karma. The dominant order of Sikhism, into which
most Sikh boys and girls are initiated at puberty, is the Khalsa. The emblems
of the Khalsa, called the Five Ks, are kes or kesh (uncut hair), kangha (a
comb), kachha (long shorts), kirpan (a ceremonial sword), and kara (a steel
bracelet).
(#)
Akal Takht
Chief centre of religious authority
for Indian Sikhs, located in Amritsar opposite the Golden Temple.
It also serves as the
headquarters of the Akali Party. Since the line of Gurus came to an end in
1708, the Sikh community has settled religious and political disputes at
meetings in front of the Akal Takht. In the 20th century local congregations
began to pass resolutions on matters of Sikh doctrine and rules of conduct;
disputed resolutions may be appealed to the Akal Takht. It was badly damaged
during the assault on the Golden Temple by the Indian army in 1984 and had to
be rebuilt. See also Sikhism.
(#)
Golden Temple
(Punjabi Darbar Sahib Harmandir)
Chief house of
worship for the Sikhs of India (see Sikhism) and their most important
pilgrimage site, located in the city of Amritsar in Punjab state.
Founded by Guru
Ramdas (1574–81) and completed by Guru Arjan Dev in 1604, the temple has
entrances on four sides, signifying a welcome to all creeds and castes. Though
destroyed in the 1760s by Afghan invaders, it was rebuilt, and in the early
19th century it acquired its marble walls and gold-plated copper domes. The
surrounding buildings include a meeting hall, reference library, and museum, as
well as the shrine known as the Akal Takhat. In 1984 the complex was seriously
damaged during a confrontation between Sikh separatists and government troops;
it was subsequently restored.
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