page_title: Khalsa
hierarchical_section_title: Khalsa
caption_attribution_description: English: Pencil, ink, watercolor, gold and silver on paper. Similar
context_page_description: Khalsa refers to both a community that considers Sikhism as its faith, as well as a special group of initiated Sikhs. The Khalsa tradition was initiated in 1699 by the last living Guru of Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh. Its formation was a key event in the history of Sikhism. The founding of Khalsa is celebrated by Sikhs during the festival of Vaisakhi.
  Guru Gobind Singh started the Khalsa tradition after his father Guru Tegh Bahadur had been beheaded during the Islamic sharia rule of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. Guru Gobind Singh created and initiated the Khalsa as a warrior with a duty to protect the innocent from any form of religious persecution. The founding of the Khalsa started a new phase in the Sikh tradition. It formulated an initiation ceremony and rules of conduct for the Khalsa warriors. It created a new institution for the temporal leadership of the Sikhs, replacing the earlier masand system. Additionally, the Khalsa provided a political and religious vision for the Sikh community.
  Upon initiation, a Khalsa Sikh was given the titles of Singh meaning lion and Kaur meaning princess. The rules of life, included behavioral code, and a dress code.
context_section_description: Khalsa (Punjabi: ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ, [ˈxaːlsaː], "To be pure, to be clear, to be free from") refers to both a community that considers Sikhism as its faith, as well as a special group of initiated Sikhs. The Khalsa tradition was initiated in 1699 by the last living Guru of Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh. Its formation was a key event in the history of Sikhism. The founding of Khalsa is celebrated by Sikhs during the festival of Vaisakhi.
  Guru Gobind Singh started the Khalsa tradition after his father Guru Tegh Bahadur had been beheaded during the Islamic sharia rule of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. Guru Gobind Singh created and initiated the Khalsa as a warrior with a duty to protect the innocent from any form of religious persecution. The founding of the Khalsa started a new phase in the Sikh tradition. It formulated an initiation ceremony (amrit pahul, nectar ceremony) and rules of conduct for the Khalsa warriors. It created a new institution for the temporal leadership of the Sikhs, replacing the earlier masand system. Additionally, the Khalsa provided a political and religious vision for the Sikh community. 
  Upon initiation, a Khalsa Sikh was given the titles of Singh (male) meaning lion and Kaur (female) meaning princess. The rules of life, included behavioral code (Rahit, such as no tobacco, no alcohol, no adultery, no halal meat), and a dress code (Five Ks).
caption: 19th century Akali Sikh warriors.
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