Sanatan Dharam was re-established by Akali Guru Nanak Dev Ji Maharaj (1469-1539) and this teaching continued to be expounded by the nine Living Gurus that followed:
Akali Guru Angad Dev Ji
Akali Guru Amardas Ji
Akali Guru Ramdas Ji
Akali Guru Arjan Dev Ji
Akali Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji
Akali Guru Har Rai Sahib Ji
Akali Guru Har Krishan Sahib Ji
Akali Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji
Akali Nihang Guru Gobind Singh Ji and the Akali Nihang Singh Khalsa, Udhasi Panth, Seva Panthi/Addan Shahi Panth, and the Nirmala Panth

Das (Ten) Gurus
An ancient Persian painting depicting the ten Sanatan Sikh Gurus.
top rown left to right: Akali Guru Ramdas, Akali Guru Angad Dev, Akali Guru Amardas, Akali Guru Arjan Dev
middle row left to right: Akali Guru Hargobind Sahib, Akali Guru Nanak Devji with Mardana and Bhai Bala, Akali Guru Har Rai Sahib
bottom row left to right: Akali Guru Har Krishan Sahib, Akali Nihang Guru Gobind Singh, Akali Guru Tegh Bahadur

After the Tenth Living Guru had departed this earth, the Guruship was vested by him to Adi Guru Durbar (also known as Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji within modern mainstream Sikhism).

Adi Guru Durbar
A photograph of an Akali Nihang Singh reading from Adi Guru Durbar
(alongside is kept the Dasam Guru Durbar that contains teachings of the tenth Guru)

Akali Nihang Guru Gobind Singh left the Akali Nihang Singh Khalsa in charge as the defender of Sanatan Dharam. The Khalsa being the living form of the Guru along with the sacred sacred scripture. The Akali Nihang Singh Khalsa, in turn, vested Guruship to the writings of Akali Nihang Guru Gobind Singh ji, in the form of Dasam Guru Durbar, and Sarbloh Guru Durbar.

Back to Top