The Foundation of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh was an epoch making event in the history of Sikhism. "It was a grand creative deed of history which wrought a revolutionary change in men's minds."

1. Product of mission undertaken by Guru Gobind Singh's Predecessors : The creation of the Khalsa was culmination of the process started by Guru Nanak. The harvest which ripened in the time of Guru Gobind Singh had been sown by Guru Nanak and watered by his successors. The sword which carved the Khalsa's way to glory was undoubtedly forged by Gobind but the steel was provided by Nanak." The teachings of Nanak contain the traits of the Khalsa. He vehemently condemned the caste prejudices, the practice of idol worship, empty ritual practices and emphasised unity of Godhead. He established the institutions of the `Sangat and Pangat' which were the essential characteristics of the Khalsa. Guru Nanak lamented the atrocities of the tyrants. He called upon the people to fight against injustice and for freedom from the tyrants. After Nanak, the second and third and the fourth Gurus consolidated the work begun by the first Guru. Guru Arjan had made the Sikhs a theocratic community by giving it a code, a holy book and a treasury. Next, Guru Hargobind adopted a New Policy which transformed the Sikhs into saint-soldiers. No doubt, the seventh, eighth and ninth Gurus were peace loving, they did not make any changes in the basic policies of their predecessors. Guru Teg Bahadur preached his followers to shun fear but not frighten others. He enjoined upon his followers to be courageous, brave and fearless. By creating the Khalsa, Guru Gobind Singh, in fact, completed the process begun by his predecessors. The Sikh Gurus had thus gradually and unconsciously paved the way for the establishment of the Khalsa.

2. Political and religious tyranny : The young Guru during his stay at Paonta, brooded over the sins and sufferings of his countrymen. He felt that his co-religionists were groaning under two kinds of tyranny-political and religious. The alien rulers had denied them even the elementary rights of citizenship, freedom of religion, and security of life, honour and property. They were also subject to the tyranny of the priestly class, the Brahmans, who through empty religious practices had been exploiting the ignorant and superstitious masses to their own advantage. The political tyranny was discriminate and occasional but the religious was indiscriminate and continuous, being practised everyday in kitchens, at village wells, in temples and hundreds of other places of mutual resort." This deplorable condition of the society inspired Guru Gobind Singh with the ambition of organising a military force to fight for religion and freedom.

3. Lack of self-confidence and courage among the Hindus : To worsen the situation, after centuries of persecution, the Hindus had become weak and cowardly. They could not think of active resistance to the mighty power of the Mughal rulers. They could not dare to take to up arms against injustice and religious intolerance. Gobind's followers, the Sikhs too were in a state of dejection after the death of Guru Tegh Bahadur. He was sorry to learn that most of them had deserted his father at the time of his trial. They lamentably lacked self-confidence and courage which alone could make them fight against the oppression of the Mughal Government. The Guru came to the conclusion that he must infuse in their hearts bravery and courage which was needed for the long fight ahead.

4. Opposition of the hilly Rajas : In the pre-Khalsa period, Guru Gobind Singh tried to make a common cause with the hilly Rajas against the Mughal Government. But the hilly Rajas did not prove to be reliable allies. They were all self-seeking and treacherous. The Guru realised that he had none to depend upon but his own followers. He must create a national army upon which he could depend for the achievement of his goal.

5. Dissensions among the Sikh sects : The dissensions among the Sikh sects also made Guru Gobind Singh to take this momentous decision. The Minas, Dhirmalias and Ram Rayeas had repeatedly created troubles for Guru Gobind's predecessors. The machinations of Prithia in complicity with Chandu Shah had been an important factor which led to the torture and execution of Guru Arjan Dev. Prithia's son Meharban had been a sworn enemy of Guru Hargobind. It was again, to escape the jealousy and hostile activities of these disgruntled elements that Guru Teg Bahadur had, for some time, to leave Punjab and to go on tours to eastern India. Guru Gobind Singh realised the necessity of unifying the Sikhs under one banner.

6. The shackles of the caste system : The old shackles of the caste system were severely condemned by the Sikh Gurus. The Sikh institutions of "Sangat and Pangat" had gone a long way in giving a severe blow to the caste system.The idea of nationalism had not yet been born in the community. The difference in the social level of the low caste Shudras and the highborn Brahmins and Kshatriyas was so great that this required a drastic action to be taken.

7. Degeneration of the Masand System : Another important cause of the creation of the Khalsa was the disintegration of the corrupt Masand System. This institution was organised by Guru Arjan to carry, the message of Guru Nanak far and wide in India. But by the time of Guru Gobind, the Masands had become corrupt and greedy. Guru Gobind Singh awarded severe punishments to the Masands and abolished the system for ever. But the Guru was not satisfied and felt that the maladies could not be uprooted unless the courage and understanding of the victims were raised. This required some drastic action which the Guru had to take.

8. Inclusion of the Jats into the fold of Sikhism : Since the time of Guru Hargobind, the Jats of Majha and Malwa had been coming into the fold of Sikhism. Guru Teg Bahadur, during his tours of Malwa, had converted more and more Jats to his faith. The Jats had become an important part of the Sikh community. They were by nature and tradition freedom loving, sturdy and brave people. Guru Gobind Singh was deeply impressed by the martial qualities of the Jats. So the influence of these people was also a factor which made Guru Gobind Singh to lay the foundation of the Khalsa.

9. Faith in his Divine Mission as a deliverer : While going through the Puranas, the Guru had been deeply struck by the idea that God had been sending a saviour at critical times to save the virtuous and destroy the evil doers. From his earlier times, he felt that he himself had been sent by Almighty to perform this mission. In the Bachitra Natak, Guru Gobind declared "God had commissioned him to advance righteousness, to emancipate the good and destroy all evil doers root and branch." To save the suffering humanity he, therefore, considered armed resistance as the only course which he could adopt. To fulfil his divine mission, Guru Gobind Singh needed such men as should be thoroughly self-representing, brave, sincere and totally indifferent to the hardships in the discharge of their duties. He knew that men from abroad were not to be brought to achieve the purpose. The best solution under the prevailing condition of the society was to transform his own Hindu brethren into doughty warriors. in order to fulfil his lofty mission, the great Guru laid the foundation of the Khalsa in 1699, declaring "I shall make the lions of the men of all the four castes and destroy the Mughals."

August Assembly at Anandpur :

In 1699 A.D., on the Baisakhi day, the tenth Guru called a meeting of his followers at Anandpur. It is said that more than 50,000 men and women came from far and near to attend this mass Darbar. As it was the beginning of the summer, the great congregation was held in the large open plain which is known as Keshgarh. The Guru had pitched his tent at one end of the place. Guru Gobind Singh's object in calling the assembly was to form an organisation which should profess full faith in the teachings of the Gurus, and should always be ready to face any danger and hardship to uphold their teachings. It should be ready to take up arms in defence of the Hindu nation of which the Guru's followers were a part and parcel. After the usual prayers, the Guru appeared before the assembly and suddenly flashed his sword and called out, "Is there any true Sikh of mine who is ready to die for Dharma ?" After a moment's silence, one Daya Ram (a Kishatriya of Lahore), stood up and most humbly said to the Guru, "If my life is needed, take it." The Guru led him into a tent with heavy curtains. There was a thud. The Guru came out of the enclosure with his sword dripping with blood. Again he asked the audience,"Is there another who is brave enough to give his life for his faith." One Ram Lal responded to his call. He was also taken in the tent. But the sacrifice was incomplete. Three more heads were wanted. The third man who offered his head was Himat Singh. The fourth disciple was Mohkam Chand and the fifth was Sahib Chand. When all the five were taken into the tent and the gathering was anxious to have a look at the remains of their departed comrades, the curtains of the tent were rolled up. All the five Sikhs, clad in saffron robes, stood there, in front of them dignified and radiant. In fact, the Guru had slain five goats in place of his devoted followers. The Guru then declared that they were his five chosen ones (Panj Payaras). Addressing his astonished devotees he said, "Noble souls like these are fit for heaven any day, but there is work for them on earth yet and must be done in the fullness of time, before they appear before their maker in glory.”

Baptism of Sword :

Soon after this great event, the great Guru impressed upon his devotees the need of founding an organisation. It was necessary that its members should be initiated into the organisation by a specific and sacred ceremony. At a simple and impressive ceremony, the Guru baptised his five chosen ones. An iron urn was brought and some sweets were put into it. The Guru stirred it with a double edged dagger while the recitation of the hymns from the holy scriptures was going on. The Guru then gave each of the five beloved ones handful of the holy water (Amrit) to drink. They were thus welded into a common brotherhood. After this the Guru took another revolutionary and extremely dramatic step. After he had baptised the five beloved ones, he himself knelt down and asked them to administer Amrit to him in the same manner. This time the Guru equated the disciples with himself.

The ceremony was named as 'administering the Pahaul' or baptism; the new organisation was named the Khalsa.