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Sikhism (or Sikhi) is one of the major world religions, primarily
developed in 16th and 17th century India. "Sikhi" comes from the word
"Sikh", and the word "Sikh" comes from its Sanskrit root "śiṣya" (शिष्य)
which means "disciple" or "learner".
Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji was the founder of Sikhism. Sikhism was well established by the time of Guru Arjan
Dev Ji, the fifth Guru. Guru Arjan Dev Ji completed the establishment
of Amritsar as the capital of the Sikh world, and compiled the first
authorized book of Sikh scripture, Adi Granth. Sixth Guru Har
Gobind Sahib Ji, started to militarize the community so that they
would be able to resist any oppression. The Sikhs fought a number of
battles to preserve their faith. The first military leader of the
Sikhs to follow the Gurus was Banda Singh Bahadur.
The opening sentence of the Sikh scriptures is only two words long, and
reflects the base belief of all who adhere to the teachings of the
religion: Ek Onkar "Ek" is One and "Onkar" is God - "There is only one
God."
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