Guru Gobind Singh

Designation: Guru Gobind Singh Date: approx. 1830 Medium: Opaque watercolors on paper Place of Origin: India | Punjab state | or | Pakistan | Punjab province Credit Line: Gift of the Kapany Collection Label: The religious leadership of Guru Nanak was continued after his death by several generations of disciples. By the time of Gobind Singh (1675– 1708), Sikhs were being persecuted and Sikh religious teachers dying in defense of their faith; Tegh Bahadur, the ninth guru and Gobind Singh’ s father, was beheaded by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. In response to this persecution, Gobind Singh established the Khalsa (the Pure) as a community of Sikhs whose solidarity was proclaimed by participation in certain ceremonies and the adoption of such emblems as uncut hair. Gobind Singh organized these Sikhs into a military force, convincing them of the morality of their fight against oppression. The line of human gurus ended with the death of Gobind Singh. He appointed as his successor— and eternal guru— the Adi Granth (Primal Book), the holiest of Sikh texts.

Portrait of the Tenth Guru, Gobind Singh, c. 1830, India or Pakistan, Punjab region, opaque watercolors and gold on paper, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. Rendered in the manner of a princely equestrian portrait, this painting depicts Gobind Singh haloed and accompanied by three Sikh attendants. Culture: Sikh Subject: portrait | horse On display: no Collection: PAINTING Dimensions: H. 7 1/4 in x W. 6 in, H. 18.4 cm x W. 15.2 cm (image); H. 9 1/2 in x W. 8 1/4 in, H. 24.1 cm x W. 20.9 cm (overall)