Sikhism

===Growth of Sikhism===
[[File:Guru.Nanak.with.Hindu.holymen-b.JPG|thumb|[[Guru Nanak]] explaining [[Sikh beliefs|Sikh teachings]] to [[Sadhu]]s]]
After its inception, Sikhism grew as it gained converts among Hindus and Muslims in the Punjab region.<ref name="Singh2008"/><ref name="Singh1989">{{cite book |last1=Singh |first1=Teja |last2=Singh |first2=Ganda |title=A Short History of the Sikhs: 1469–1765 |date=1989 |publisher=[[Punjabi University]] |isbn=978-81-7380-007-8 |page=41 |language=en |quote=He made many converts to Sikhism from the Hindus and the Muslims. In Kashmir particularly he converted thousands who had gone over to Islam.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Sikhism and Indian Society |date=1967 |publisher=[[Indian Institute of Advanced Study]] |page=197 |language=en |quote=Thus the social barriers between various castes and creeds were broken and intermarriages took place not only between the Sikhs coming from various castes but there were marriages even between Muslim converts to Sikhism with Hindu converts.}}</ref><ref name="Singh1996">{{cite book |last1=Singh |first1=Darshan |title=Sikhism: Issues and Institutions|date=1996 |publisher=Sehgal Book Distributors |isbn=978-81-86023-03-7 |page=14 |language=en |quote=During the time of Guru Nanak, a number of Hindus, Muslims and Dalits joined the fold of Guru Nanak.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U3rXAAAAMAAJ&q=%22During+the+time+of+Guru+Nanak,+a+number+of+Hindus,+Muslims+and+Dalits+joined+the+fold+of+Guru+Nanak.%22}}</ref> In 1539, Guru Nanak chose his disciple Lahiṇā as a successor to the Guruship rather than either of his sons. Lahiṇā was named [[Guru Angad]] and became the second Guru of the Sikhs.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Shackle |first1=Christopher |last2=Mandair |first2=Arvind-Pal Singh |date=2005 |title=Teachings of the Sikh Gurus: Selections from the Sikh Scriptures |publisher=[[Routledge]] |location=Abingdon-on-Thames, England |isbn=978-0-415-26604-8 |page=xv}}</ref><ref name="Fenech2014p36">{{cite book |first1=Louis E. |last1=Fenech |first2=W. H. |last2=McLeod |title=Historical Dictionary of Sikhism |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=xajcAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA36 |date=2014 |publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]] |location=Lanham, Maryland |isbn=978-1-4422-3601-1 |page=36}}</ref> Nanak conferred his choice at the town of [[Kartarpur (Pakistan)|Kartarpur]] on the banks of the river [[Ravi River|Ravi]]. [[Sri Chand]], Guru Nanak's son was also a religious man, and continued his own commune of Sikhs. His followers came to be known as the [[Udasi]] Sikhs, the first parallel sect of Sikhism that formed in Sikh history.<ref name="Oberoi1994p78">{{cite book |first=Harjot |last=Oberoi |title=The Construction of Religious Boundaries: Culture, Identity, and Diversity in the Sikh Tradition |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=1NKC9g2ayJEC&pg=PA78 |date=1994 |publisher=[[University of Chicago Press]] |isbn=978-0-226-61592-9 |pages=78–80}}</ref> The Udasis believe that the Guruship should have gone to Sri Chand, since he was a man of pious habits in addition to being Nanak's son.<ref name="Oberoi1994p78" />

Guru Angad, before joining Guru Nanak's commune, worked as a ''[[pujari]]'' (priest) and religious teacher centered around Hindu goddess [[Durga]].<ref name="Fenech2014p36" /><ref name="ColeSambhi1995p18" /> On Nanak's advice, Guru Angad moved from Kartarpur to Khadur, where his wife [[Mata Khivi|Khivi]] and children were living, until he was able to bridge the divide between his followers and the Udasis. Guru Angad continued the work started by Guru Nanak and is widely credited for standardising the [[Gurmukhī script]] as used in the sacred scripture of the Sikhs.<ref name="ColeSambhi1995p18">{{cite book |first1=William Owen |last1=Cole |first2=Piara Singh |last2=Sambhi |title=The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=zIC_MgJ5RMUC&pg=PA18 |date=1995 |publisher=Sussex Academic Press |isbn=978-1-898723-13-4|pages=18–20}}</ref>

[[Guru Amar Das]] became the third Sikh Guru in 1552 at the age of 73. He adhered to the [[Vaishnavism]] tradition of Hinduism for much of his life, before joining the commune of Guru Angad.<ref name="FenechMcLeod2014p29">{{cite book |first1=Louis E. |last1=Fenech |first2=W. H. |last2=McLeod |title=Historical Dictionary of Sikhism |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xajcAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA29 |date=2014 |publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]] |location=Lanham, Maryland |isbn=978-1-4422-3601-1 |pages=29–30 |access-date=25 October 2017 |archive-date=28 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200528215151/https://books.google.com/books?id=xajcAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA29%2F |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=Eileen |last=Osborne |title=Founders and Leaders|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=GMnpUthHyvEC&pg=PA24|date=2005|publisher=Dublin: Folens Limited |isbn=978-1-84303-622-7|page=24}}</ref> [[Goindval]] became an important centre for Sikhism during the Guruship of Guru Amar Das. He was a reformer, and discouraged veiling of women's faces (a Muslim custom) as well as [[sati (practice)|sati]] (a Hindu custom).<ref name=eosamardas>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.learnpunjabi.org/eos/index.aspx |title=Amar Das, Guru (1479–1574) |last1=Kushwant Singh |encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia of Sikhism |publisher=Punjab University Patiala |access-date=9 April 2016 |archive-date=29 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729230458/http://www.learnpunjabi.org/eos/index.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=Nikky-Guninder |last=Kaur Singh |title=Sikhism |date=2004 |publisher=Infobase |isbn=978-1-4381-1779-9|page=120}}</ref> He encouraged the [[Kshatriya]] people to fight in order to protect people and for the sake of justice, stating this is [[Dharma]].<ref name="Sambhi2005p29">{{cite book |first1=W. Owen |last1=Cole |first2=Piara Singh |last2=Sambhi |title=A Popular Dictionary of Sikhism: Sikh Religion and Philosophy|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=vcSRAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA29 |date=2005 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |location=Abingdon-on-Thames, England |isbn=978-1-135-79760-7|pages=29–30}}</ref> Guru Amar Das started the tradition of appointing [[Manji (Sikhism)|''manji'']] (zones of religious administration with an appointed chief called ''sangatias''),<ref name="FenechMcLeod2014p29" /> introduced the ''[[dasvandh]]'' (tithe) system of revenue collection in the name of Guru and as pooled community religious resource,<ref name="Farhadian2015p342">{{cite book |first=Charles E. |last=Farhadian |title=Introducing World Religions |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=5VV-BAAAQBAJ&pg=PT342 |date=2015|publisher=Baker Academic |isbn=978-1-4412-4650-9|pages=342}}</ref> and the famed ''[[Langar (Sikhism)|langar]]'' tradition of Sikhism where anyone, without discrimination of any kind, could get a free meal in a communal seating. The collection of revenue from Sikhs through regional appointees helped Sikhism grow.<ref name="FenechMcLeod2014p29" /><ref name="HaarKalsi2009p21">{{cite book |first1=Kristen |last1=Haar |first2=Sewa Singh |last2=Kalsi |title=Sikhism |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=YOI1nB_zTyAC&pg=PA21 |date=2009 |publisher=Infobase |isbn=978-1-4381-0647-2 |pages=21–22}}</ref>

Guru Amar Das named his disciple and son-in-law Jēṭhā as the next Guru, who came to be known as [[Guru Ram Das]]. The new Guru faced hostilities from the sons of Guru Amar Das and therefore shifted his official base to lands identified by Guru Amar Das as Guru-ka-Chak.<ref name="Mandair2013p38">{{cite book |first=Arvind-Pal Singh |last=Mandair |title=Sikhism: A Guide for the Perplexed |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jn_jBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA38 |date=2013 |publisher=Bloomsbury |isbn=978-1-4411-5366-1 |pages=38–40 |access-date=25 October 2017 |archive-date=28 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240328171957/https://books.google.com/books?id=Jn_jBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA38#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref> He moved his commune of Sikhs there and the place then was called Ramdaspur, after him. This city grew and later became [[Amritsar]] – the holiest city of Sikhism.<ref name="McLeod1990p28">{{cite book |first=W. H. |last=McLeod |title=Textual Sources for the Study of Sikhism |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7xIT7OMSJ44C&pg=PA28 |date=1990 |publisher=[[University of Chicago Press]] |isbn=978-0-226-56085-4 |pages=28–29 |access-date=25 October 2017 |archive-date=28 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240328171958/https://books.google.com/books?id=7xIT7OMSJ44C&pg=PA28#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref> Guru Ram Das expanded the ''manji'' organization for clerical appointments in Sikh temples, and for revenue collections to theologically and economically support the Sikh movement.<ref name="Mandair2013p38" />

In 1581, [[Guru Arjan]] – the youngest son of [[Guru Ram Das]], became the fifth Guru of the Sikhs. The choice of successor, as throughout most of the history of Sikh Guru successions, led to disputes and internal divisions among the Sikhs.<ref name="ShackleMandair2013xv">{{cite book |last1=Shackle |first1=Christopher |last2=Mandair |first2=Arvind-Pal Singh |title=Teachings of the Sikh Gurus: Selections from the Sikh Scriptures |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VvoJV8mw0LwC |date=2013 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |location=Abingdon-on-Thames, England |isbn=978-1-136-45101-0 |pages=xv–xvi |access-date=16 May 2016 |archive-date=8 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240308155950/https://books.google.com/books?id=VvoJV8mw0LwC |url-status=live }}</ref> The elder son of Guru Ram Das named [[Prithi Chand]] is remembered in the Sikh tradition as vehemently opposing Guru Arjan, creating a faction Sikh community which the Sikhs following Guru Arjan called as ''Minaas'' (literally, "scoundrels").<ref name=fenech39>{{cite book |first1=Louis E. |last1=Fenech |first2=W. H. |last2=McLeod |title=Historical Dictionary of Sikhism |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xajcAwAAQBAJ |date=2014 |publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]] |location=Lanham, Maryland |isbn=978-1-4422-3601-1 |page=39 |access-date=16 May 2016 |archive-date=17 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230817161136/https://books.google.com/books?id=xajcAwAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="McLeod2009p20">{{cite book |first=W. H. |last=McLeod |title=The A to Z of Sikhism|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=vgixwfeCyDAC&pg=PA86 |date=2009|publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=978-0-8108-6344-6|page=20}}</ref>

Guru Arjan is remembered in the Sikh for many things. He built the first [[Harimandir Sahib]] (later to become the [[Golden Temple]]). He was a poet and created the first edition of Sikh sacred text known as the [[Adi Granth|Ādi Granth]] (literally "the first book") and included the writings of the first five Gurus and other enlightened 13 Hindu and 2 Muslim Sufi saints. In 1606, he was tortured and killed by the [[Mughal emperors|Mughal emperor]] [[Jahangir]],<ref>{{cite book |last1=Shackle |first1=Christopher |last2=Mandair |first2=Arvind-Pal Singh |date=2005 |title=Teachings of the Sikh Gurus: Selections from the Sikh Scriptures |publisher=[[Routledge]] |location=Abingdon-on-Thames, England |isbn=978-0-415-26604-8 |pages=xv–xvi}}</ref> for refusing to convert to Islam.<ref>{{cite book |first=Pashaura |last=Singh |title=Life and Work of Guru Arjan: History, Memory, and Biography in the Sikh Tradition |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FbPXAAAAMAAJ |date=2006 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-567921-2 |pages=23, 217–218 |access-date=25 October 2017 |archive-date=28 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240328171959/https://books.google.com/books?id=FbPXAAAAMAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=pashauraarjan/><ref>Louis E. Fenech (2006), Martyrdom in the Sikh Tradition, Oxford University Press, {{ISBN|978-0-19-567901-4}}, pp. 118–121</ref> His martyrdom is considered a watershed event in the history of Sikhism.<ref name=pashauraarjan/><ref>{{cite book |first=W. H. |last=McLeod |date=1989 |title=The Sikhs: History, Religion, and Society |publisher=Columbia University Press |isbn=978-0-231-06815-4 |pages=26–51}}</ref>