Guru Gobind Singh established the Khalsa in 1699.
The Khalsa was inaugurated at Anandpur Sahib on Vaisakhi, traditionally dated 30 March 1699. Guru Gobind Singh asked for a volunteer willing to sacrifice his life; five men came forward in turn. They became the Panj Pyare, or Five Beloved Ones, and were initiated through the Khande di Pahul ceremony.
The first members received the names Singh for men and Kaur for women, helping express a shared identity that rejected inherited caste distinctions. Khalsa Sikhs also adopted the Five Ks: kesh, kangha, kara, kirpan, and kachera. These articles represent discipline, faith, readiness, and commitment.
The Khalsa was not simply a military organization. It was a community with religious, ethical, and social responsibilities. Guru Gobind Singh later directed Sikhs to recognize the Guru Granth Sahib as the eternal Guru, ending the succession of human Gurus in 1708.