The 10 Gurus of Sikhism Trivia Quiz

Answer:

The succession of the Gurus was not selected based on hereditary succession alone. Each Guru chose his successor based on spiritual merit and leadership, although several successors did happen to be relatives.

Guru Nanak Dev Ji (1469-1539) was born in Talwandi (now Nankana Sahib, Pakistan). He established the faith, founding Sikhism and serving as Guru from 1499 until his death in 1539. He emphasized belief in one God, equality, honest living, and service to others. He taught the oneness of God, equality of all people regardless of caste or gender, and rejected empty ritualism. He made many missionary journeys ("udasis"), traveling widely before settling in Kartarpur. Each successive Guru built on his teachings until Guru Gobind Singh ended the line of human Gurus, passing spiritual authority to the Guru Granth Sahib (the Sikh scripture) itself.

Guru Angad Dev Ji (1504-1552) was the second Guru in the succession from 1539 to 1552. He developed and standardized the Gurmukhi script, helping preserve Guru Nanak's teachings. The Gurmukhi script is the writing system used mainly for the Punjabi language in India, and is closely tied to the Sikh religion. The system was standardized in the 16th century.

Guru Amar Das Ji (1479-1574) became the third Guru at the age of 73, serving from 1552 to 1574. He promoted the equality of women, and opposed caste discrimination. He established the langar (community kitchen) as a central institution. He strengthened community structure through the "manji system" of administrative districts, promoting gender equality. He opposed practices like the historical customs from the Indian subcontinent, sati and purdah. Sati was the now-illegal practice of a widow self-immolating on her husband's funeral pyre. Purdah refers to the obscuring of women from public life through physical barriers and concealing clothing.

Guru Ram Das Ji (1534-1581) was Guru from 1574 to 1581. In 1577, he founded the city of Amritsar, the spiritual center of Sikhism named after the sacred pool Amrit Sarovar, meaning "pool of nectar", that he had excavated at the site where the city's Golden Temple now stands. Ram Das also composed the Lavan, the four sacred hymns central to the Sikh wedding ceremony, known as the Anand Karaj.

Guru Arjan Dev Ji (1563-1606) was the fifth Guru, filling that role from 1581 to 1606. He compiled the first Sikh scripture, the Adi Granth, in 1604, and oversaw construction of the Harmandir Sahib, or Golden Temple before he became the first Sikh martyr. In 1606, the Mughal Emperor Jahangir was angered by reports that Guru Arjan had given aid and blessings to Jahangir's rebellious son, Khusrau Mirza, so Jahangir ordered Arjan to remove passages from the Sikh scripture that Janhangir found offensive to Islam and Hinduism. When Guru Arjan refused, he was executed, becoming the first martyred Sikh Guru.

Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji (1595-1644) was the sixth Guru from 1606 to 1644. He introduced the principle of Miri-Piri, combining spiritual and temporal authority, and organized Sikh self-defense. He also developed the principle of Miri-Piri, joining spiritual and temporal responsibility and introduced the concept of "Miri-Piri" (temporal and spiritual authority), symbolized by wearing two swords. He built the Akal Takht and began militarizing the Sikh community in response to persecution.

Guru Har Rai Ji (1630-1661) was the seventh Guru, holding that title from 1644 to 1661. He was known for his compassion, service, and care for nature. Even though he did not disband the roughly 2,000 armed warriors (the "Saint-Soldiers") established by his grandfather, Guru Hargobind, to ensure the protection of the Sikhs, Har Rai Ji avoided direct political or armed conflict with the Mughal Empire. Instead, he expanded missionary work, emphasizing compassion and environmental care, expanding herbal medicine and charitable works.

Guru Har Krishan Ji (1656-1664) became Guru at age five in 1661--he was the youngest Guru ever, and is remembered for caring for smallpox victims in Delhi before dying of the disease himself in 1664 at the age of eight.

Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji (1621-1675) took over, becoming the ninth Guru in 1664, serving until his death in 1675. Persecuted for defending religious freedom, especially the rights of Kashmiri Hindus to practice their faith, Tegh Bahadur Ji was also a martyr after he was executed by Emperor Aurangzeb in Delhi for refusing to convert to Islam. The site of his martyrdom is now marked by the Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib in Delhi; Tegh Bahadur Ji's severed head was taken by a devotee and cremated in Anandpur Sahib, now the site of Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib, a historic Sikh place of worship in Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi.

The tenth Guru of Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh Ji was born in 1666 and served as Guru from 1675 to 1708. In 1699, he founded the Khalsa, a community of initiated, baptized Sikhs who have formally dedicated their lives to Sikhism. The occasion was celebrated with a ceremony in which he introduced the "Five Ks", which were five articles of faith that all Khalsa Sikhs were commanded to carry at all times. These symbols included Kesh (uncut hair), Kanga (a wooden comb), Kara (a steel bracelet), Kachera (specific cotton undergarments), and Kirpan (a ceremonial sword). Gobind Singh Ji then declared the Guru Granth Sahib to be the eternal Guru after his death--there would be no human Guru after him. Instead, he invested spiritual authority in the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy scripture, a sacred book considered to be the living Guru of the Sikhs, the eternal, final Guru - ending the line of human Gurus.

For Sikhs today, the Guru Granth Sahib is the eternal Guru, containing the writings of the Sikh Gurus as well as hymns by Hindu and Muslim saints whose teachings aligned with Sikh principles. It is treated with the same reverence that was once shown to the human Gurus. It is the eternal and sovereign Guru of the Sikhs.

Romany Malco, Manu Narayan, Omid Djalili, Gotham Chopra, and Suresh John are not amongst The Ten Gurus of Sikhism but were instead amongst the main cast members of the Mike Myers film "The Love Guru."