List of Sikhs

Sikh (/ˈsiːk/ or /ˈsɪk/; Punjabi: ਸਿੱਖ, sikkh IPA: [ˈsɪkkʰ]) is the title and name given to an adherent of Sikhism. The term has its origin in the Sanskrit term śiṣya, meaning "disciple, learner" or śikṣa, meaning "instruction".

Historical importance to Sikh religion[]

• Bhai Mardana (1459–1534) was Guru Nanak Dev's companion on all of his Udasis (travels) and he played kirtan.
• Bebe Nanaki (1464–1518) is known as the first Sikh. She was the elder sister of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder and first Guru (teacher) of Sikhism. Bebe Nanaki was the first to realize her brother's spiritual eminence.
• Sri Chand ( ਸ੍ਰੀ ਚੰਦ )(1494–1629)^[1] was the first son of Guru Nanak, raised by his sister. Sri Chand was a renunciate yogi. After his father left Sri Chand stayed in Dera Baba Nanak and maintained Guru Nanak's temple. He established the Udasi order who travelled far and wide to spread the Word of Nanak.
• Mata Khivi ( ਮਾਤਾ ਖੀਵੀ ) (1506–1582) is the only woman mentioned in the Siri Guru Granth Sahib. She was the wife of Guru Angad, and established the langar system, a free kitchen where all people were served as equals. Only the best possible ingredients were used, and everyone was treated with utmost courtesy. Her hospitality has been emulated over the centuries and has become the first cultural identity of the Sikhs. She helped her husband to establish the infant Sikh community on a stronger footing, and is described as good natured, efficient, and beautiful.
• Baba Buddha (6 October 1506 – 8 September 1631) was one of the earliest disciples of Guru Nanak. He lived an exemplary life and was called on to perform the ceremony passing the guruship on to five gurus, up to Guru Hargobind. Baba Buddha trained the sixth Guru in martial arts as a young man to prepare him for the challenges of the guruship.
• Bhai Gurdas ( ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ ) (1551–1637) is one of the most eminent literary personalities in the history of the Sikh religion. He was a scholar, poet and the scribe of the Adi Granth. He was an able missionary and an accomplished theologian. Being well versed in Indian religious thought, he was able to elaborate profoundly the tenets of Sikhism.
• Mata Gujri (1624–1705) joined the ninth Guru in his long meditation at Baba Bakala before he assumed the guruship. She gave birth to and raised the tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh. Mata Gujri accompanied her youngest grandsons, Baba Fateh Singh and Baba Zorawar Singh to their martyrdom at Sirhind-Fategarh, and subsequently passed as well.
• Mai Bhago (ਮਾਈ ਭਾਗੋ)^[2] is one of the most famous women in Sikh history. She is always pictured on horseback wearing a turban with her headscarf gracefully flowing in the wind, courageously leading an army into battle. A staunch Sikh by birth and upbringing, she was distressed to hear in 1705 that some of the Sikhs of her village who had gone to Anandpur to fight for Guru Gobind Singh had deserted him under adverse conditions. She rallied the deserters, persuading them to meet the Guru and apologize to him. She led them back to Guru Gobind Singh Ji in the battlefield at Muktsar (Khidrana) Punjab. She thereafter stayed on with Guru Gobind Singh as one of his bodyguards, in male attire. After Guru Gobind Singh left his body at Nanded in 1708, she retired further south. She settled in Jinvara, where, immersed in meditation, she lived to an old age.
• Bhai Mani Singh (1644–1738) was an 18th-century Sikh scholar and martyr. He was a childhood companion of Guru Gobind Singh[1] and took the vows of Sikhism when the Guru inaugurated the Khalsa in March 1699. Soon after that, the Guru sent him to Amritsar to take charge of the Harmandar, which had been without a custodian since 1696. He took control and steered the course of Sikh destiny at a critical stage in Sikh history. The nature of his death in which he was dismembered joint by joint has become a part of the daily Sikh Ardas (prayer).
• Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780–1839) was the leader of the Sikh Empire which ruled the northwest Indian subcontinent in the early half of the 19th century. Ranjit Singh's reign introduced reforms, modernization, investment into infrastructure, and general prosperity. His government and army included Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims and Europeans. Ranjit Singh's legacy includes a period of Sikh cultural and artistic renaissance, including the rebuilding of the Harimandir Sahib in Amritsar as well as other major gurudwaras, including Takht Sri Patna Sahib, Bihar and Hazur Sahib Nanded, Maharashtra under his sponsorship. He was popularly known as Sher-i-Punjab, or "Lion of Punjab".
• Bhagat Puran Singh ( ਭਗਤ ਪੁਰਨ ਸਿੰਘ )(1904–1992) was a great visionary, an accomplished environmentalist and a symbol of selfless service to humanity. He was the founder of the All India Pingalwara charitable society which imparts service to the poor, downtrodden, the dying, and the mentally and physically handicapped people.
• Harbhajan Singh Khalsa (1929–2004) spread awareness of Sikhism in the West. Through his influence, thousands of young people adopted the Sikh faith. Harbhajan Singh's interfaith work included meetings with popes and archbishops in the 1970s and 80s, when Sikhism was little known outside of India. A number of scholars have concurred that Harbhajan Singh Khalsa's introduction of Sikh teachings into the West helped identify Sikhism as a world religion while at the same time creating a compelling counter-narrative to that which identified Sikhs solely as race with a shared history in India.^[3]

Martyrs[]

• Bhai Dayala Delhi, 1675.
• Bhai Mati Das Delhi, 1675.
• Bhai Sati Das Delhi, 1675.
• Bhai Mani Singh Amritsar, 1738.
• Bhai Taru Singh Lahore, 1745
• Kartar Singh Sarabha Lahore 1915.
• Bhagat Singh Lahore 1931
• Udham Singh Barnsbury, England, 1940.
• Fauja Singh Amritsar, 1979.
• Baba Deep Singh
• Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale

Other Religious Figures[]

• Bhai Kanhaiya
• Bhai Daya Singh
• Bhai Dharam Singh
• Bhai Himmat Singh
• Bhai Mohkam Singh
• Bhai Sahib Singh
• Bhai Nand Lal
• Randhir Singh
• Babaji Singh

Gurbani Keertan[]

• Bhai Nirmal Singh Khalsa – Performer of Sikh Keertan at Harimandir Sahib
• Singh Kaur – Composer and performer of Sikh Keertan and New-age music
• Snatam Kaur – Performer of Sikh Keertan and New-age music

Entertainment[]

Punjabi Cinema[]

Bollywood[]

Telugu Cinema[]

Hollywood[]

British film, drama and entertainment[]

• Alexandra Aitken (Uttrang Kaur Khalsa) – Environmental campaigner, model, actress, artist and socialite
• Ameet Chana – Actor
• Amrit Maghera – Professional model turned actress
• Chandeep Uppal – Critically acclaimed starring role as Meena Kumar in the film Anita and Me.
• Harnaam Kaur – Model, anti-bullying activist, body positive activist
• Jassa Ahluwalia – Actor and presenter
• Lena Kaur – Best known for her role as Leila Roy in Channel 4's Hollyoaks
• Neelam Gill – Model, known for her work with Burberry, Abercrombie & Fitch and appearing in Vogue.
• Paul Chowdhry – Comedian and actor
• Perry Bhandal – Film director, screenwriter
• Simon Rivers – English actor who played the role of Kevin Tyler in Doctors
• Stephen Uppal – Known for playing Ravi Roy in the long-running British soap Hollyoaks
• Mandip Gill – Actress

Internet celebrities[]

• Lilly Singh
• Jasmeet Singh

Pop and western Bhangra[]

Bhangra and other Punjabi Legends[]

Sikh nationalist leaders[]

Indian revolutionaries and freedom fighters[]

• Bhai Randhir Singh
• Baba Gurdit Singh
• Baba Gurmukh Singh
• Baldev Singh
• Bhagat Singh, also known as "Shaheed-e-Azam",^[17] was a charismatic Indian socialist revolutionary whose acts of dramatic violence against the British in India and execution at age 23 made him a folk hero of the Indian independence movement
• Captain Mohan Singh
• Gurdan Saini
• Kartar Singh Sarabha,^[18][19] Indian Sikh revolutionary and the most active member of the Ghadar Party
• Labh Singh Saini
• Teja Singh Samundri
• Udham Singh^[20]
• Harnam Singh Saini
• Sardul Singh Kavishar
• Sardar Ajit Singh, was an Indian revolutionary, he was the uncle of sardar Bhagat Singh
• Dharam Singh Hayatpur was an Indian revolutionary, he was a prominent member of the Sikh political and religious group the Babbar Akali Movement in India
• Kartar Singh Jhabbar, was an Indian revolutionary, he was a Sikh leader known for his role in the Gurdwara Reform Movement of the 1920s
• Ripudaman Singh, Indian revolutionary
• Baba Kharak Singh
• Bhai Balmukund was an Indian revolutionary freedom fighter
• Ram Singh, credited as being the first Indian to use non-cooperation and boycott of British merchandise and services as a political weapon.
• Kishan Singh Gargaj
• Sewa Singh Thikriwala
• Sohan Singh Bhakna, was an Indian revolutionary, the founding president of the Ghadar Party
• Sohan Singh Josh, was an Indian communist activist and freedom fighter
• Diwan Mulraj Chopra
• Gulab Kaur
• Sunder Singh Lyallpuri, was a General of Akali Movement
• Maya Singh Saini
• Jagbir Singh Chhina
• Achhar Singh Chhina
• Sadhu Singh Hamdard, well-known freedom fighter and the journalist of Punjab
• Darshan Singh Pheruman, Indian freedom fighter, Sikh activist and politician
• Jaswant Singh Rahi
• Giani Ditt Singh
• Ganda Singh, was a prominent member of the Ghadar Party
• Teja Singh Swatantar

Politicians[]

Singapore[]

Ambassador Umej Bhatia is Singapore’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva and the United Nations Office in Vienna, resident in Geneva. Ambassador Bhatia is concurrently Resident Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency and Permanent Representative to the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test Ban Treaty Organization.

Canada[]

Pakistan[]

• Mahindar Pall Singh, Sikh MPA, politician and Business man from Multan

Fiji[]

• Ujagar Singh Elected to the Legislative Council of Fiji in the 1968, representing the National Federation Party (NFP). He was also a member of independent Fiji's House of Representatives.

India[]

• Amarinder Singh
• Preneet Kaur Kahlon
• Nirmal Singh Kahlon
• Baldev Singh
• Buta Singh
• Darbara Singh
• Giani Zail Singh
• Gurcharan Singh Tohra
• Gurdial Singh Dhillon
• Harkishan Singh Surjeet
• Harsimrat Kaur Badal
• Manmohan Singh,^[21][22]
• Master Tara Singh
• Montek Singh Ahluwalia,^[23][24][25] Deputy Chairman, Planning commission of India
• Parkash Singh Badal
• Pratap Singh Bajwa
• Pratap Singh Kairon
• Rajinder Kaur Bhattal
• Sant Fateh Singh
• Sardar Ujjal Singh, former Governor of Punjab and Tamil Nadu^[26]
• Sardul Singh Caveeshar
• Simranjit Singh Mann
• Sukhbir Singh Badal
• Surinder Singh Bajwa
• Surjit Singh Barnala
• Swaran Singh
• Varinder Singh Bajwa
• Jagjit Singh Dardi

Malaysia[]

• Gobind Singh Deo – Democratic Action Party Central Executive Committee, Current Member of Parliament, Minister of Communications and Multimedia
• Karpal Singh – Chairman of DAP. Member of parliament (aka "Tiger of Jelutong")

Mauritius[]

• Kher Jagatsingh – Minister of Education and Minister of Planning & Economic Development (1967-1982)

New Zealand[]

• Kanwal Singh Bakshi, Member of Parliament from 2008 (first Indian and first Sikh MP in New Zealand)
• Sukhi Turner, Mayor of Dunedin 1995-2005

United Kingdom[]

United States[]

Athletes[]

Athletics[]

• Milkha Singh,^{[27][28][29][30]}
• Ranjit Bhatia
• Gurbachan Singh Randhawa
• Kamaljeet Sandhu
• Fauja Singh,^[31] a centenarian marathon runner

Basketball[]

• Sim Bhullar, Canadian professional basketball player^[32]
• Satnam Singh Bhamara

Boxing[]

• Andrew Singh Kooner, current Bantamweight Champion of Canada
• Akaash Bhatia, British featherweight professional boxer

Cycling[]

• Alexi Grewal, Olympic Gold medalist^[33][34] (1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles)

Cricket[]

• Anureet Singh
• Arshdeep Singh
• Balwinder Sandhu
• Bhupinder Singh, Sr.
• Bishan Singh Bedi, former captain of Indian cricket team
• Jasprit Bumrah
• Gurkeerat Singh Mann
• Gursharan Singh
• Harbhajan Singh
• Tanveer Sangha, member of Australia cricket team
• Gurinder Sandhu, member of Australia cricket team
• Harvinder Singh^[35]
• Ish Sodhi, member of New Zealand cricket team
• Simi Singh, member of Ireland cricket team
• Mandeep Singh
• Maninder Singh
• Manpreet Gony
• Monty Panesar,^[36] member of English cricket team
• Navjot Singh Sidhu, former cricketer and current MP
• Ravi Bopara,^[37] member of English cricket team
• Reetinder Sodhi
• Sarandeep Singh
• Simranjit Singh
• Sunny Sohal
• V. R. V. Singh
• Yograj Singh
• Yuvraj Singh

Equestrian[]

• Amarinder Singh

Football[]

• Inder Singh
• Gurdev Singh Gill
• Harmeet Singh
• Sarpreet Singh

Association football[]

• Harpal Singh
• Harmeet Singh^[38]
• Rikki Bains
• Roger Verdi
• Danny Batth
• Mal Benning

Golf[]

• Jyoti Randhawa^[39]
• Arjun Atwal^[39]
• Gaganjeet Bhullar^[39]
• Ashbeer Saini
• Jeev Milkha Singh
• Vijay Singh

Hockey[]

Mixed martial arts[]

• Kultar Gill

Muay Thai[]

• Kash Gill

Powerlifting[]

• Rajinder Singh Rahelu, Sikh paralympian and also 2004 Athens bronze medalist

Rally[]

• Karamjit Singh, PRWC champion 2002, Asia Pacific Rally Championship champion 2001. A Malaysian known as the "Flying Sikh"

Rugby[]

• Tosh Masson

Shooting[]

• Abhinav Bindra^{[39][40][41][42]} Olympic gold medalist in shooting
• Avneet Sidhu, Commonwealth Games medalist in shooting
• Manavjit Singh Sandhu, world champion in shooting
• Heena Sidhu, world champion in shooting

Swimming[]

• Pamela Rai, 1984 Olympic bronze medalist, 1986 Commonwealth Games gold medalist

Wrestling[]

• Dara Singh
• Tiger Joginder Singh
• Randhawa
• Tiger Jeet Singh^[43][44][45]
• Gurjit Singh
• Jinder Mahal
• Ranjin Singh
• Gadowar Singh Sahota
• Arjan Bhullar
• Tiger Ali Singh

Business[]

Historians[]

• Harbans Singh
• Jodh Singh
• Rattan Singh Bhangu
• Max Arthur Macauliffe

Journalists[]

• Khushwant Singh
• Tavleen Singh
• Sathnam Sanghera
• Jagjit Singh Dardi (Punjab Rattan)

Writers[]

Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu[]

• Rajkavi Inderjeet Singh Tulsi
• Bhai Gurdas
• Nanak Singh
• Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha
• Bhai Vir Singh
• Rajinder Singh Bedi
• Jaswant Neki
• Rupinderpal Singh Dhillon
• Harbhajan Singh
• Harcharan Singh (playwright)
• Jaswant Singh Kanwal
• Amrita Pritam
• Dalip Kaur Tiwana
• Kulwant Singh Virk

English[]

• Rupi Kaur
• Bali Rai
• Jaspreet Singh
• Khushwant Singh
• Dayal Kaur Khalsa
• Ranj Dhaliwal
• Shauna Singh Baldwin

Models[]

• Jesse Randhawa

Humanitarians[]

• Narinder Singh Kapany,^[49][50] known as the father of fibre optics.
• Bhagat Puran Singh,^[51][52] founder of Pingalwara, Home of Disabled, Amritsar
• Bhai Trilochan Singh Panesar, devoted his life to sewa (service to community and God) and simran (remembrance of God), the two tenets of Sikh life.
• Harpal Kumar, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK
• Ravi Singh, CEO, Khalsa Aid
• Amanpreet Singh, Managing Director, Asia-Pacific, Khalsa Aid
• Alex Sangha, social worker and documentary film producer and Founder of Sher Vancouver

Painters and artists[]

• Amrita Sher-Gil^[53][54]
• Aman Singh Gulati
• Sobha Singh
• S. G. Thakur Singh
• Sohan Singh
• Prem Singh

Architects[]

• Ram Singh, one of pre-partition Punjab's foremost architects

Health and wellness[]

• David Shannahoff-Khalsa, prolific researcher on the psychiatric applications of Kundalini Yoga based at the Biocircuits Institute at the University of California, San Diego.
• Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, Harvard University-based researcher of Kundalini Yoga and an authority on the field of yoga research.

Science and technology[]

Medicine[]

• Harvinder Sahota, cardiologist; invented the FDA-approved Perfusion Balloon Angioplasty and holds patents of 24 other medical inventions.^{[citation needed]}
• Harminder Dua, discovered a previously unknown layer lurking in the human eye named the "dua's layer".^{[citation needed]}

Physics[]

• Narinder Singh Kapany, physicist, specializing in fiber optics. He was named as one of the seven "Unsung Heroes" by Fortune Magazine in its Businessmen of the Century (November 22, 1999) edition.^{[citation needed]}

Lawyers[]

• Jasvir Singh - Family law barrister

Military leaders[]

Indian Army[]

• General Joginder Jaswant Singh, former Chief of Army Staff of Indian Army.
• General Bikram Singh, former Chief of Army Staff of Indian Army.
• Lieutenant General Bikram Singh, GOC XV Corps, 1960–63
• Lieutenant General Joginder Singh Dhillon
• Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora

Indian Navy[]

• Vice Admiral Surinder Pal Singh Cheema

Indian Air Force[]

• Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh, former Chief of the Air Staff, Indian Air Force.^[55]
• Air Chief Marshal Dilbagh Singh, former Chief, Indian Air Force.
• Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa, former chief, Indian Air Force.
• Harjit Singh Arora
• Trilochan Singh Brar
• Kulwant Singh Gill
• Jasjit Singh
• Jagjeet Singh

Singaporean Army and Navy[]

• General Ravinder Singh
• Pritam Singh
• Colonel Gurcharan Singh Sekhon

Sikhs In US Military[]

• Bhagat Singh Thind
• Uday Singh Taunque

Akal Purakh Ki Fauj after 1947[]

• Saint Jarnail Singh Khalsa Bhindranwale
• Baba Gurbachan Singh Manochahal
• Bhai Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala
• Talwindar Singh Babbar
• Bhai Sukhdev Singh Babbar
• Bhai Jugraj Singh Toofan
• Maj Gen Shahbeg Singh
• Bhai Amrik Singh
• Bhai Avtar Singh Brahma
• Bhai Kulwant Singh Gumty
• Bhai Anokh Singh Babbar

Military Gallantry Award Winners[]

British Indian Army[]

Victoria Cross[]

• Ishar Singh, first Sikh to receive the Victoria Cross
• Nand Singh
• Gian Singh
• Parkash Singh
• Karamjeet Singh Judge

Indian Armed Forces[]

Param Veer Chakra[]

• Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, only Indian Air Force officer to be awarded Param Vir Chakra
• Subedar Bana Singh
• Karam Singh
• Joginder Singh Sahnan

Mahavir Chakra[]

• Dewan Ranjit Rai, first Indian to receive Mahavir Chakra
• Brigadier Rajinder Singh
• Rajinder Singh Sparrow
• Sant Singh
• Ranjit Singh Dyal
• Brigadier Kuldip Singh Chandpuri, known for his heroic leadership in the famous Battle of Longewala
• Major General Kulwant Singh Pannu

See also[]

• List of British Sikhs
• List of Canadian Sikhs

References[]