Gobind's early grasp (at the age of nine) of the concept of martyrdom in defence of man's essential freedoms - the right to life, to religious beliefs, and to ideals and principles served him well through the dangerous years ahead. He was clear that the upper-caste Hindu customs had no place in the Sikh faith, but had nevertheless to be respected since countless Hindus venerated them.

No less clear was the uniqueness of his father's deed - a bold defiance of the imperium which demanded that its subjects compromise their beliefs by giving in to its arrogant diktats.

By voluntarily setting out for Delhi - while most had to be dragged to their persecutors - Tegh Bahadur had challenged the arrogant assumptions of imperial power, accustomed to having its own way with a shackled people. None of this was lost on Gobind.

The experience of his father's martyrdom shaped his outlook and actions during the next thirty-three years - between the age of nine, when his father died, and his own death at the age of forty-two. According to J.D. Cunningham, a politcial official in the East India Company and author of A Classic History of the Sikhs:

"He resolved upon awakening his followers to a new life and upon giving precision and aim to the broad and general institutions of Nanak. In the heart of a powerful empire he set himself to the task of subverting it, and from the midst of social degradation and religious corruption he called up simplicity of manners, singleness of purpose, and enthusiasm of desire."

Gobind Singh was convinced, even at the young age when he had held his father's severed head in his hands, that the flames lit by Guru Hargobind had to be stoked still further, that the enemy must be made to take notice. Fully convinced that the tyrant's injustice and cruelty had to be met by armed warriors with an iron will, he set about building up his troops and concentrating on their intensive military training.

He would see to it that whilst there was no deviation from religious or moral goals, the Sikhs would not allow their self-esteem to be compromised. Their foes, who inflicted pain on innocents, would be made to pay for their inhumanity, thereby adding a new dimension to Guru Nanak's dictum 'truth is pure steel'. Steel would now seal the fate of those who mocked the right of others.

The years from 1675/76 from the death of Guru Tegh Bahadur and his own succession as the tenth Guru - to 1685 were a time of preparation for what lay ahead. He knew that following Guru Tegh Bahadur's martyrdom, the Sikhs had to be inspired by his own exemplary conduct and confidence.

Gobind Singh's most dramatic step was to set the Sikh community apart once and for all. He baptized the Sikhs into a brotherhood which he called the Khalsa, or 'Pure Ones'. This innovation aimed at providing every Sikh with cultural distinctiveness, imbuing him with a strong sense of self-esteem and purpose, committed to opposing tyranny and despotism, and the appearance, too, of every Sikh would be emblematic of the Khalsa.

Attitudes to caste, idols, rituals, orthodoxy, priesthood, fanaticism and bigotry had already set the Sikhs apart from Hindus and Muslims, but the time had now come to develop even more assertive Sikh characteristics and to establish a visible and separate Sikh identity. The creation of the Khalsa reflected Guru Gobind Singh's conviction that Sikhism was a tisar panth, a third religion, distinct from Hinduism and Islam.

The decree that the Khalsa's unshorn hair would be a proud symbol of this new fraternity was a move of deep psychological significance. The distinctive appearance of each Sikh, a celebration of his individualism, would instill in him the confidence to stand out in a crowd unselfconsciously and confidently.

As a final stamp of distinction and dedication, Guru Gobind Singh gave each Sikh the surname Singh, or Lion - a fitting tribute to a people who had been fighting for their identity for almost 230 years. And because of the distinctive turban which Sikh men tie around their hair each day, they stand out in a crowd and are easy to identify. The turban, of fine muslin, evolved as a means of managing long hair which is left unshorn as a sign of respect for the God-given form; the turban's colour and its shape when tied are matters of personal preference.

The act of transforming the Sikhs into the Khalsa was a highly dramatic event. It coincided with the Baisakhi festival, a time of celebration in Punjab, heralding a good harvest. In 1699 this date corresponded to 30 March in the Western calendar. (Owing to the divergence between the Christian and Bikrami years, Baisakhi now falls on 13th April). The gathering of over 80,000 Sikhs at Anandpur that year was especially large.

Guru Gobind Singh's message to the assembled Sikhs was clear. "You are the sons of Nanak, the Creator's own, the chosen ones... You will love man as man, making no distinction of caste or creed... You will only bow your heads to your Master. You will never worship stock, stone, idol or tomb. Remember always, in times of danger or difficulty, the holy names of the Masters: Nanak, Angad, Amar Das, Ram Das, Arjun Dev, Hargobind Sahib, Har Rai Sahib, Har Krishan, Tegh Bahadur. I make you a rosary of these names and you shall not pray each for himself, but for the entire Khalsa. In each of you the whole brotherhood shall be incarnated. You are my sons, both in flesh and spirit."

The emphasis on flesh and spirit was a reiteration of the idea of the fellowship of the Khalsa - not a hierarchical order of the high above and the dispossessed below, but a casteless community of inspired people; a family knit together by its ideals and beliefs. Gobind Singh was to prove the strength of his own belief in this ideal time and again, especially in the face of personal tragedy: he was soon to lose his four sons. When news of the younger two was brought to him, he would tell the assembled Khalsa that even through he had lost four sons, thousands of his beloved ones were still alive.

In a practical demonstration of the fellowship idea he first baptized, in the presence of the entire gathering, the first five members of the Khalsa, the panjpiyare or 'beloved five', then knelt before them to be baptized in turn - a reaffirmation of the priciple of absolute equality. The ceremony of baptism was simple. Into an iron bowl full of clear water he added sugar, then stirred it with a double-edged sword accompanied by recitations from the Granth Sahib. The magical mix of sweetness and steel, which he called amrit, or life giving ambrosia, was administered to the panjpiyare, as it has
continued to be given to all baptized Sikhs ever since. He then recited in a resonant voice a line he had composed for the occasion and which has been a rallying-cry for the Khalsa since then: Sri Wahe Guruji ka Khalsa, Sri Wahe Guruji Ki Fateh - The Khalsa belong to God, and God's truth will always prevail.

Gobind Singh now chose to stay at nearby Talwandi Sabo, south of the Sutlej, later renamed Damdama Sahib, which means 'place of calm and tranquility'. It is a milestone in Sikh history for many reasons. Not only because over a hundred thousand people in this rugged region of Malwa converted to Sikhism during the Guru's nine months stay here, but also because the final version of the Granth Sahib was transcribed at Damdama, by Bhai Mani Singh, a childhood friend and confidant of Guru Gobind Singh. To the first copy of the Adi Granth written under Guru Arjan Dev's direction in 1603-4, the tenth Guru now added Guru Tegh Bahadur's compositions. This volume is acknowledged as the authorized version of the Granth Sahib.

On 17 October, 1708, at the comparatively young age of 42, Guru Gobind Singh died confident that the Khalsa to whom he had given so much, and invested such high hopes, would not let him down.

But before the end, well aware of the chaos that could follow his death and determined to ensure continuity of the faith he had nurtured with such single-minded devotion, he drew on his formidable reserves of inner strength and assembled his followers, directing them to revere the Granth Sahib as their Guru thereafter. The collective wisdom of the saints and savants, and the philosophic vigour of their work, were to be their guide from then on. Whenever decisions of consequence had to be taken, the panjpiyare would take them. 'Wherever there are five Sikhs assembled who abide by the Guru's teachings', he said to his followers, 'know that I am in the midst of them.... Read the history of your Gurus from the time of Guru Nanak. Henceforth the Guru shall be the Khalsa and the Khalsa the Guru. I have infused my mental and bodily spirit into the Granth Sahib and the Khalsa.'

This far-sighted move reflected a keen awareness of the human psyche's susceptibility to resentments, envy and conflicting pressures, and the extent to which these could endanger the cohesiveness and vitality of the movement unless it was held together by an unbreakable bond. And what could be better for the purpose than the sacred scriptures of the Sikhs containing the divine insights of their Gurus? Who could question the logic and authority of men who had had such an impact on their times, who had founded a new faith on the bedrock of their certainties and their suffering? Whilst decisions on day-to-day matters would be taken by elected representatives, the overall framework of personal and ethical conduct would be provided by the Granth Sahib or Guru Granth Sahib as it would henceforth be known. Guru Gobind Singh's injunction to all Sikhs has been recited each day ever since after every prayer.

The life of this exceptional man is a saga of perseverance and perfect poise. Through ceaseless personal tragedies such as few leaders face in their lifetimes, his sense of mission never faltered. The brutal murders of his father and great-grandfather, the killing of his four sons and of countless comrades-in-arms, did not deflect him from opposing rulers who subjected people to moral and physical degradation. While others were petrified of the paramount power, he publicly accused it of perverse conduct. He also handsomely acknowledged that he owed his achievements to the Khalsa's loyalty. This inspired involvement of the entire community with Sikh destiny was to show extraordinary results as an exultant Khalsa, proud of what it stood for, performed heroic deeds in the years to come.

Excerpted from Patwant Singh's latest book, The Sikhs, published in the UK by John Murray. Harper Collins publishes it in India.