born 1595, Wadali, India
died 1644, Kiratpur, near the Himalayas
Sixth Sikh Guru (160644).
He became Guru after the execution of his father, Guru Arjan , by the Mughal rulers of India. Until his time, Sikhism had been a passive and peace-loving religion, but Hargobind gave it a strong military character in response to the enmity of the Mughals. He created an army, fortified cities, and built a defensive encampment near the holy city of Amritsar. For this he was jailed for 12 years by the emperor. After his release he defeated the armies of Shah Jahan , ending the notion of Mughal invincibility. He was succeeded by his grandson, Hari Rai .