All About Sikhism
| Name | Birth | Depth | Age | Age at Guruship |
No. of Children | Name of town Founded |
Contribution to Sikh Religion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guru Nanak Dev Ji | April 15, 1469 | Sep. 22, 1539 | 70 | 38 | 2 | Kartarpur | The Founder |
The Sikhs had ten prophets called the Gurus. The time-period of the history of the Gurus ranged from 1469 A.D , when Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikhism was born, to 1708 A.D, when the last prophet, Guru Gobind Singh left this mortal world for his heavenly abode (239 years).
Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion was born in a Hindu family of Kshatriya caste. He revolted against that order when he was only 13 years old. God spoke to him when he was 38. He was taken to God’s abode where God gave him Two Commandments known as `Moolmantar’ and `Sloak’. They read:
Guru Nanak was appointed as God’s latest prophet and was asked to spread the name of God and the rules of both divinity and morality.
Guru Nanak travelled as far as Tibet in the north, Sri Lanka in the south, Mecca in the west and Dhaka in the east to deliver God’s message. He was welcomed wherever he went. He met both kings and robbers, gave them the message of God and reformed them. He is the only prophet in the world who did not meet any violent opposition and was not harmed by the enemies. In fact he had no enemies. (compare him with: Moses and the Pharaos; Jesus and the Jewish clergy and the Romans; Ram and Ravan; Krishen and Kans; Mohammed and the Meccan pagans).
Guru Nanak was revered by both the Hindus and the Muslims. He was received with respect and folded hands by Babar, the Muslim Emperor of India and Shivnabh, the Hindu King of Sri Lanka; he was honoured by the clergy of both the Hindus and the Muslims.
Guru Nanak was a family man, was married and had two sons. While living with his father he looked after the family fields and the cattle; staying with his sister, Babe Nanki, he worked as a store keeper with the local ruler; and for the last 17 years of his life, he tilled his own fields at Kartarpur, a town founded by him. There are 41 Sikh shrines founded in his memory.
For 14 years, from 1507-1510 he travelled around the then known world and spread the message of God. In history, he is the most travelled of all the known prophets. (Jesus travelled in the central plains of Palestine; Mohammed travlled from Mecca to Medina and back to Mecca; Moses travelled from Egypt to outskirts of Palestine; Ram travelled from Ayodhaya to Sri Lanka; Krishna travelled from Mathura to Dwarka).
Guru Nanak died at the age of 70. His 974 hymns are recorded in the Sikh holy book.
