Sikhism

One God, human equality, and devotion expressed as honest service.

1469 CE → · Punjab · Dharmic

Founded by Guru Nanak in Punjab, Sikhism proclaims one formless God, the equality of all human beings, and a life of honest labor, generosity, and remembrance of the divine name. Its ten Gurus culminated in the scripture Guru Granth Sahib, honored as the eternal living Guru. Though it arose amid Hindu devotional (bhakti) and Islamic Sufi currents, Sikhs regard it as a distinct revelation, not a blend — expressed vividly in the free communal kitchen (langar) open to all.

Key figures

• Guru Nanak & the ten Gurus
• The Guru Granth Sahib (eternal Guru)

Texts

• Guru Granth Sahib

Beliefs

• One formless God (Ik Onkar)
• Equality of all people
• Honest work, sharing, and devotion
• Rejection of caste and empty ritual

Rituals

• Kirtan (devotional song)
• Langar — the free communal kitchen
• The five articles of faith (5 Ks)

Grew from

• Hinduism
• Sufism

Connections in the atlas

• Amritsar and the Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib)
• Guru Gobind Singh
• Khanda
• The word guru
• The Bijak of Kabir
• Indian Ocean diaspora
• Prayer postures and fixed prayer times (ritual)
• Prayer beads
• The Indo-Aryans
• Hinduism
• Nankana Sahib
• Kabir