SSC
Guru Gobind Singh laid the foundation of the:
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Answer: Option D — Khalsa Panth
Detailed Solution
Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708) was the tenth and last human Guru of the Sikhs. He was born in Patna, Bihar, where the Takht Sri Patna Sahib now stands, and became Guru at the age of nine after his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Guru, was executed in Delhi in 1675 on the orders of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
On the day of Baisakhi in 1699, at Anandpur Sahib in Punjab, Guru Gobind Singh founded the Khalsa ("the pure"), a community of initiated Sikhs committed to righteousness, courage and the defence of the faith and the oppressed. He asked for volunteers ready to give their lives, and five men came forward. They became the "Panj Pyare" (the Five Beloved Ones). He initiated them through a ceremony called "Amrit Sanchar" (Khande di Pahul), using sweetened water stirred with a double-edged sword, and then received initiation from them himself.
Members of the Khalsa:
- Took the surname "Singh" (lion) for men and "Kaur" (princess) for women.
- Were required to wear the five Ks: Kesh (uncut hair), Kangha (a wooden comb), Kara (a steel bracelet), Kachera (a type of undergarment) and Kirpan (a sword).
- Were to follow a strict code of conduct and reject caste distinctions.
Guru Gobind Singh fought many battles against the Mughals and the hill chiefs. He lost all four of his sons: two died in the Battle of Chamkaur (1704), and the two youngest were bricked alive at Sirhind on the orders of the Mughal governor Wazir Khan. He was also a great poet and writer; his compositions are collected in the "Dasam Granth".
Before his death at Nanded (Maharashtra) in 1708, he declared that there would be no more human Gurus, and that the Guru Granth Sahib (the holy scripture) would be the eternal Guru of the Sikhs. The Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Sahib stands at Nanded.
Why not the other options?
- ✗The Golden Temple was built under Guru Arjan Dev.
- ✗The Adi Granth was compiled by Guru Arjan Dev in 1604.
- ✗The langar (community kitchen) was started by Guru Nanak and institutionalised by Guru Angad and Guru Amar Das.
Quick tip
Remember: Khalsa = Guru Gobind Singh, Baisakhi 1699 at Anandpur Sahib, Panj Pyare and five Ks; Guru Granth Sahib declared eternal Guru (Nanded, 1708); Adi Granth = Guru Arjan Dev (1604).
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Sikh Gurus & Maratha Empire — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Sikh Gurus & Maratha Empire, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the ten Sikh Gurus, from Guru Nanak Dev to Guru Gobind Singh, and their contributions, the rise of the Sikh state under Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and the Maratha Empire from Shivaji to the Peshwas, including Maratha administration and the Anglo-Maratha wars. Questions often ask which Guru compiled the Adi Granth (Guru Arjan Dev), founded the Khalsa (Guru Gobind Singh, 1699) or introduced the Gurmukhi script (Guru Angad Dev). On the Marathas, expect questions on Shivaji's Ashtapradhan council, his coronation at Raigad in 1674, the Peshwas, and the Third Battle of Panipat (1761). Practise the Sikh Gurus and Maratha Empire questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.