Who compiled the first major Sikh scripture, the Adi Granth?

Guru Arjan compiled the first major Sikh scripture, the Adi Granth.

The fifth Sikh Guru organized the hymns of earlier Gurus together with compositions by contemporary saints and poets. The work was completed in 1604 and installed at the Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar. Bhai Gurdas served as the principal scribe of the manuscript.

Guru Arjan’s compilation helped preserve Sikh teachings in an authoritative collection and established a central scriptural foundation for the community. The Adi Granth included compositions not only by Sikh Gurus but also by figures from different religious backgrounds whose poetry expressed devotion to the divine.

The Adi Granth later became the basis of the Guru Granth Sahib after hymns of Guru Tegh Bahadur were added. Guru Gobind Singh gave the scripture permanent status as the Sikh Guru in 1708, so Guru Arjan’s compilation and the later expanded scripture are related but not identical terms.