Sikhs: Map & History
Sikhs are followers of Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the teachings of Guru Nanak.
Wikipedia Encyclopedic Compendium
Historiographical synthesis & structured realm registry
Sikhs are followers of Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the teachings of Guru Nanak. The term Sikh has its origin in the Sanskrit word śiṣya, meaning 'seeker', 'disciple' or 'student'.
Modern Countries Once Part of Sikhs
At its mapped extent, Sikhs covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Sikhs's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Sikhs in Depth
History
Guru Nanak (1469–1539), the founder of Sikhism, was born in a Hindu Khatri family to Mehta Kalu and Mata Tripta in the village of Talwandi, present-day Nankana Sahib, near Lahore. Throughout his life, Guru Nanak was a religious leader and social reformer. However, Sikh political history may be said to begin in 1606, with the death of the fifth Sikh guru, Guru Arjan. Religious practices were formalised by Guru Gobind Singh on 30 March 1699, when the Guru initiated five people from a variety of social backgrounds known as the Panj Piare ('beloved five'), to form a collective body of initiated Sikhs known as the Khalsa ('pure').
The early followers of Guru Nanak were Khatris, but later a large number of Jats joined the Sikh faith.
Art and culture
Sikh art and culture are nearly synonymous with that of Punjab, and Sikhs are easily recognised by their distinctive turban (Dastar). Punjab has been called India's melting pot, due to the confluence of invading cultures from the rivers from which the region gets its name. Sikh culture is therefore a synthesis of cultures. Sikhism has forged a unique architecture, which S. S. Bhatti described as "inspired by Guru Nanak's creative mysticism" and "is a mute harbinger of holistic humanism based on pragmatic spirituality". The American non-profit organisation United Sikhs has fought to have Sikh included on the United States census as well, arguing that Sikhs "self-identify as an ethnic minority" and believe "that they are more than just a religion".
Sikhs in modern history
Manmohan Singh was an Indian economist, academic and politician who served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014. The first and only Sikh and non-Hindu in office, Singh was also the first prime minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to be re-elected after completing a full five-year term.
Notable Sikhs in science include nuclear scientist Piara Singh Gill, fibre-optics pioneer Narinder Singh Kapany; and physicist, science writer and broadcaster Simon Singh.
In business, the UK-based clothing retailers New Look and the Thai-based JASPAL were founded by Sikhs. India's largest pharmaceutical company, Ranbaxy Laboratories, is headed by Sikhs. Apollo Tyres is headed by Onkar Singh Kanwar.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Sikhs (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Sikhs: Key Facts
| Religion | Sikhism |
|---|
Facts from Wikidata Q582779 (CC0).
Sikhs Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 24,700 km² in 1715 CE.
Sikhs: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Sikhs exist?
Sikhs is dated to 1709 CE – 1717 CE, in the Early Modern & Age of Discovery era.
How large was Sikhs at its peak?
At its peak in 1715 Sikhs covered about 24,700 km².
Other Sovereign Realms
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Söğüt, Bursa, Edirne, Constantinople
Industrial Era • Capital: London
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Lahore, Delhi
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Raigad