Who was the first of the ten Sikh Gurus?

Guru Nanak was the first of the ten Sikh Gurus.

Born in 1469 at Rai Bhoi Ki Talwandi, now Nankana Sahib in Pakistan, Guru Nanak is regarded as the founder of Sikhism. He taught devotion to one God, honest living, equality, and service to others. His hymns became part of the Guru Granth Sahib, Sikhism’s central scripture.

Rather than passing leadership to one of his sons, Nanak selected his disciple Bhai Lehna as successor. He renamed him Guru Angad, meaning “one’s own limb” or “part of you.” This succession established the line of human Gurus that guided the Sikh community for more than two centuries.

Guru Nanak is sometimes confused with Guru Angad because Angad immediately followed him, or with Guru Gobind Singh because Gobind Singh was the tenth and final human Guru. Nanak died in 1539 at Kartarpur, where a major gurdwara commemorates his life and teachings.