10th Guru of Sikhism
Guru Gubind Sīngh was the tenth and last Guru of the Sikhs, having ascended to the apostolic leadership following the execution of the ninth Guru (Gubind Sīngh’s father) by the order of Mughal Emeror Awrangzīb (see Awrangzīb (ʿĀlamgīr I)) 1n 1086/1675. One of the most revered figures in Sikh history, Gubind Sīngh “succeeded to the apostleship as a mere boy, but ended his career by completely transforming a community of mere devotees into a nation of warriors who were destined to rule the Pandjab for nearly a century”. For most of his life, Gubind Sīngh was occupied with establishing the political power of the Sikhs and the abolition of the Mughal state.
But more than any concrete political or territorial gains, Guru Gubind Sīngh had a dramatic influence on the theology and religious practice of the Sikhs as well as transforming the Sikh community’s overall outlook. He instituted the practice of the pahul (initiation or baptism) for all Sikhs in addition to composing the Dasam Granth, which has been regarded as a supplement to the sacred scripture Adi Granth compiled by the fifth Sikh Guru Arjan. In regards to religious matters, it may be said that he made “Sikh theology more formal and prescribed rules for guidance in private and social affairs”. Guru Gubind Sīngh died in 1120/1708.
Fatḥ-nāmah (completed 1116/1704)
Ẓafar-nāmah (completed 1117/1705)
Ẓafar-nāmah and Fatḥ-nāmah are two letters written by Guru Gubind Sīngh to Mughal ruler Awrangzīb. Ẓafar-nāmah is a “masnavī poem overflowing in diction with genuine sentiments of a brave hero and born rebel”.