ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the role of the “Guru” in the Sikh world, focusing on the life and legacies of the ten personal Gurus. Beginning with the foundations laid by Guru Nanak (1469–1539), it investigates the process of crystallization of the Sikh tradition under his nine successors in response to the changing historical context in each Guru’s lifetime. The tenth and the last human Guru, Gobind Singh (1666–1708), institutionalized the Order of the Khalsa in 1699, an order of loyal Sikhs bound by common identity and discipline. Removing the threat of dissidents, he terminated the line of personal Gurus before he passed away in 1708 by investing his authority in the collective body of the Khalsa, along with the scriptural authority of the Guru Granth Sahib. Since then, the twin doctrine of Guru-Granth and Guru-Panth has continued the process of consolidating the Sikh tradition up to the present times.
