Guru Gobind Singh Ji or the 10th Guru of Sikhism was born as Gobind Rai in Patna, Bihar on 5 January 1666. He was the only son of the 9th Guru Teg Bahadur Ji and Mata Gujri. He is known as one of the most influential Gurus in Sikhism, a fierce warrior and he also established Khalsa, a warrior community. On his birth place, the Takht Sri Patna Harmandar Sahib was formed later.
Early Days and 10th Guru
Guru Teg Bahadur Ji was publically executed by the Tyrant Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb for not converting to Islam. After the death of his father, the Sikhs made Guru Gobind Rai as the 10th Guru and elected him as the spiritual leader. He got educated and learnt the warrior strategies in Anandpur. He became a fierce force and his army fought against the Mughals to protect the Sikhs who were mercilessly killed at that time.
Khalsa
In order to make the Sikh community more strong and powerful, he formed the Khalsa Community. This was known as the Warrior Community. They had strict rules and he introduced Five K’s for the Khalsa. The Five K’s are Kesh – Uncut Hair, Kangha – Wooden Comb, Kara – an iron or steel bracelet for the wrist, Kripan – Sword or Dagger, Kacchera – Short Breeches. He inducted the ceremony of Amrit or nectar for the Khalsa member, which is similar as Baptization. The Khalsa literally meant Warriors and it was not mandatory for the Sikhs. His Khalsa Army became very strong and they had new surname “Singh” that meant Lion.
Sikh Scriptures
His contribution to the Sikh Scriptures was immense. He formalized and composed the Guru Granth Sahib. He also declared that the Guru Granth Sahib would be the eternal Guru forever for the Sikhs. He formalized from many Granth including Adi Granth and Kartapur Pothis. He also formalized the Dasam Granth which is considered as one of the most important religious books for the Sikhs.
War
He fought many wars against the Mughals. He was brave and fought for the justice. He, in fact, saw many deaths during his extensive war against the Mughals. He lost his Mother and Four sons in the bitter war. However, he continued to fight against them.
Death
He died of fatal wound created by an assassin in the Godavari region, present day Andhra Pradesh, where he went to meet the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah to reconcile. He died on October 7, 1708.