Person1469 – 1539
Guru Nanak
Also called: Nanak, Guru Nanak Dev
First Guru of Sikhism, who taught devotion to one God and human equality and criticised caste and empty ritual
As a young man he kept the stores of a Lodi official at Sultanpur. After a profound religious experience he made long journeys with the Muslim musician Mardana, spreading his teaching through hymns. In his last years he founded a community at Kartarpur on the Ravi, where he opened a common kitchen (langar) at which all ate together regardless of caste or creed. His hymns were later included in the Sikh scripture, and he named his disciple Angad as his successor.