Early Sikh community

Timeline

1. c. 1500–1606Punjab plains · PunjabGuru Nanak and his successors spread the teachings in Punjab; the fifth guru, Arjan, compiled the Adi Granth and oversaw construction of the Golden Temple, with the community cohering believers through langar communal dining and ideals of equality.
2. 1611–1620Amritsar · PunjabThe sixth guru, Hargobind, in the 1610s wore two swords symbolizing spiritual and temporal authority, established the Akal Takht, and organized armed followers, transforming the community from a purely religious body into an organization capable of self-defense.
3. c. 1620–1700Punjab · PunjabAfter the 1620s the community clashed repeatedly with Mughal authorities; gurus were imprisoned or martyred, but the panth survived through dispersed communities and armed followers, laying the social foundation for later Sikh political power.