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5 things to know about Sikhism

Newly unclassified documents indicate Britain advised India on its 1984 assault on the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Sikhism's holiest site. Sikhism is the fifth largest religion in the world, with an estimated 20 to 30 million Sikhs worldwide. There are roughly 500,000 Sikhs each in the United States and Britain. Here are 5 things to know about the faith. (Editor's note: This is a revised version of the original.)

1. How did Sikhism begin?

Sanjeev Syal/AP
Two Indian Sikh devotees take holy dip in the sacred pond of the Golden Temple, Sikh's holiest shrine in Amritsar, India, Monday, Aug. 6.

  • By Staff

Sikhism was founded in 1469 by Guru Nanak in the Indian region of Punjab. Guru Nanak and his nine successors shaped the core beliefs of the religion during the 16th and 17th centuries.

Sikhs first arrived in the US in the late 19th century.

Sikh (often pronounced "seek," but properly pronounced "sik-kh" according to the Sikh Coalition based in New York) means "disciple" in Punjabi.

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