Pre Guru India

India before the arrival of Gurus was filled with the darkness of superstitions and irrational beliefs. Very few people actually remembered God; they were lost in egotism and greed. Hindus considered their religion superior, while Muslims considered theirs.

Buddhism was also flourishing in India. Statues of Buddha became very common and were installed in their temples. Instead of worshipping God, people started worshipping the stone statue of Buddha. They ignored the fact that Buddha himself was a devotee of God. Furthermore, "The Hindu society set up their own gods and goddesses and began to worship their stone images. The Hindu priests who had been for centuries, the self-made custodians of religion and its teachings, had reduced the religion to a mockery performing rites and rituals and superstitious ceremonies devoid of any sense and meaning. The Hindu leaders neglected to teach the spiritual realities to the people at large who were sunk in superstitions and materialism. Religion became confused with caste distinction and taboos about eating and drinking...,” writes Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, a philosopher and former President of India.

In addition, people where segregated due to the caste system. Most Hindu priests (Brahmins) believed in the caste system and perpetuated it as much as possible, by segregating individuals of certain backgrounds (perceived as lower) and looking down on them. People whom they considered of low caste were deeply degraded and insulted. Religious reading, writing and teaching was strictly the monopoly of the Brahmans. The lowest of the lowest class was called the Untouchables. Some people in India, who considered themselves of a high-class society wouldn’t even touch a person who they considered a part of lower class. If touched accidentally they would take a bath.

There was a huge difference between rich and poor. The poor were treated inhumanly and were severely degraded. They also would serve food to their servants and workers on the floor and would themselves eat while sitting at higher level.

Furthermore, most people believed in making pilgrimages because they thought that taking bath at pilgrimages would wash their sins. Hindus and Muslims believed in fasting and thought that fasting will bring them peace and happiness. In addition, animal sacrifice was commonly performed. People believed that they would make God happy by killing innocent animals. Almost all Hindus were performing idol worship. Furthermore, people were into black magic and strongly believed in superstitions like crossing of black cat, sneezing etc. Essentially people had forgotten God and were caught in the cycle of irrational rituals and beliefs.

In both Hinduism and Islam, women did not have equal rights. Indian women were severely degraded and oppressed by their society. Given no education or freedom to make decisions, their presence in religious, political, social, cultural, and economic affairs was virtually non-existent. Woman was referred to as “the root of all evil, a snare, a temptress.” Her function was only to perpetuate the race, do household work, and serve the male members of society. Female infanticide was common, and the practice of sati was encouraged, sometimes even forced. In Sati system, if the husband of any women dies then the women was to cremate alive with his husband’s body.

Muslim invaders from the west began pouring in large numbers one after the other. Muslim invasion started in the eleventh century by Mahmood of Gazni. All Muslim invaders massacred men, women and children without mercy, plundered their homes, desecrated and demolished their temples and robbed the wealth of these temples. The Hindus were converted to Islam at the point of the sword. Nobles, scholars, sufies, poets and philosophers who also came along with these invaders, settled in the various parts of India, and they laid the foundation of Muslim culture in the country.

Out of the dark clouds of falsehood, hypocrisy, injustice cruelty and bigotry, there came a ray of sunshine from the Heaven as described by Bhai Gurdas, a Sikh apostle:

“Heaven at last heard the prayers of the people,
Guru Nanak was sent to the world.
The disciples met and drank the nectar of his Lotus feet,
And realized the Divine in this age of materialism.
Guru Nanak re-established Dharma,
All castes he merged into one caste of man.
The rich and the poor he brought on one level,
From this Founder of Humanity a new race of love goes forth.
In humility they bow down to each other.
The Master and the disciple became one,
His song of Naam gives us a new life,
He is the Savior in this age of materialism.


Nanak came, the world was lighted,
The sun rose, the darkness disappeared.
Wherever the Guru put his foot,
It became the temple of worship.


The far-famed seats of the Sidhas changed their names,
The Yoga-houses became Guru-houses.
Humanity resounded with his divine hymns;
In every house of the disciple, the Lord was worshipped.
The Guru went in all directions,
Seeking his own all over the earth.
A river of love and peace flows in us singing his song.”
(Bhai Gurdas, Vaar 1, Pauree 23-27)

God sent Guru Nanak to this world in order to enlighten people and show them the right path to attain salvation and eternal peace.