Sikhism originated in the Indian region known as Punjab during the fifteenth century. Sikhs follow the teachings of ten holy men, known as gurus, who lived between the years of 1469 and 1708. The gurus taught that all people were equal-a concept that went against the dominant caste system of Hinduism, the major religion of India. Since the death of the last guru, Sikhs have continued to revere their teachings, some of which are recorded in a book of wisdom known as the Guru Granth Sahib. Today, there are approximately 23 million Sikhs in the world, making Sikhism the world's fifth-largest religion. More than 93 percent of all Sikhs live in or near the Indian subcontinent, while North America is home to the second-largest Sikh communities. The Major World Religions series provides information about six of the most important religious faiths practiced around the world. More than 75 percent of the world's population-over 5.

2 billion people-observes the tenets of one of these six religions. Each book in the series describes the important beliefs of a particular religion, along with information about its history, practices, and rituals. Book jacket.