yahoo post #5

Briefly discuss the "evolution" of Sikhism from Guru Nanak to present day.
The religion of Sikhism was founded by Guru Nanak, a philosopher grounded in the Sant tradition, during the 16th century. Guru Nanak was the first of Ten Sikh Gurus prior to the splintering of the religion due to disapproval of appointed Gurus and turns to militancy. The first ten Gurus are acknowledged by traditional Sikhs.

Guru Nanak was a mystic who lived during a time of relative peace. He founded a religion comprised of ideas taken from Hinduism and Islam, started a community where they were free to worship as they chose and grounded in hard work, and focused on attaining liberation of the soul (moksha). Following Guru Nanak was his disciple, Guru Angad.

Change occurred under Guru Amar Das. Guru Amar Das was the first Guru to challenge the caste system of India. Guru Amar Das believed that everyone was entitled to pursue moksha. Also, under Guru Amar Das, the previous Guru’s teachings and oral history were compiled as a form of reverence to the past and to be used later as the initial beginnings of the Adi Granth, the Sikh’s holy book. Guru Amar Das’ son-in-law, Guru Ram Das, followed. Guru Ram Das is responsible for the development of the city, Amritsar.

Following Guru Ram Das was his youngest son, Guru Arjan. This upset Guru Ram Das’ eldest son, Prithi Chand, and led to the first splintering of the Sikh religion. It is under Guru Ajan that the Adi Granth comes to fruition and the Golden Temple (Hari Mandir) is built. It is during Guru Arjan’s time that the Sikh faced persecution. Due to this persecution of the Sikhs, Guru Arjan became a martyr. Guru Arjan’s son, Guru Har Gobind, followed in his footsteps. Under Guru Har Gobind the Sikhs shifted from a non-violent people to a people of militantcy because of the oppression and persecution they were facing from the government. Under Guru Har Gobind, the Sikhs fled persecution and set up a community in the foothills of the Himalyan Mountains. Guru Har Gobind was followed by his grandson, Guru Har Rai. Guru Har Rai did not experience the hardships his grandfather and great-grandfather encountered. Guru Har Krishna followed his father as Guru of the Sikhs.

The ninth guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur, great-uncle of Guru Har Krishna was not as lucky as the previous two gurus. Guru Tegh Bhadur challenged the oppressors attempts to eradicate all religions with the exception being Islam. This led to his death. Guru Tegh Bhadur was succeeded by his son, the tenth and final guru, Guru Gobind Singh. It is under Guru Gobind Singh that the Sikhs took up arms. This proved costly because as a result of Guru Gobind Singh’s decision to take up arms, his four sons were all killed in combat. Thus ensuring that Guru Gobind Singh would not have a human or bloodline successor. Instead, Guru Gobind Singh displayed his genius by making the Adi Granth a living guru, transforming the Sikh holy book into Guru Granth Sahib. Guru Gobind Singh is also responsible for the creation of the community of the pure (Khalsa) and enforcing the Sikh code of conduct (Rahit), which was enforced with the implementation of the Five K’s.

What does the evolution of this religion tell us about religion in general?
The evolution of Sikhism informs us that religion is a living entity. It is bound to the circumstances of it’s time and adapts to said circumstances. Although religion may face resistance and splintering amongst its brethren, if organized with a strong central structure, religion can sustain any hardships it may face.