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

• Mai Bhago ( ਮਾਈ ਭਾਗੋ )^[1] 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Hazrat Mian Mir ( ਹਜਰਤ ਮੀਆਂ ਮੀਰ ) (c. 1550 – August 11, 1635) popularly known as Mian Mir is a famous Sufi saint who resided in Lahore, specifically in the town of Begampura (in present-day Pakistan). He belonged to the Qadiri order of Sufism. He is famous for being a spiritual instructor of Dara Shikoh, the eldest son of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. He is identified as the founder of the Main Khail branch of the Qadiri order.
  Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Sikh Guru, often visited Lahore, the birthplace of his father (the fourth Guru, Guru Ram Das) to meet his relatives. On the occasion of one of these visits, he called on Mian Mir. The two men of God met and became lifelong friends. Mian Mir was thirteen years older than Guru Arjan.
• Bhai Mardana ( ਭਾਈ ਮਰਦਾਨਾ )(1459–1534) was of the Muslim faith and a long term companion of the Sikh founder guru, Nanak throughout his extensive journeys across the India and abroad. He was son of a Mirasi (a professional group of genealogists) born to the couple, Badra and Lakkho, of Talvandi Rai Bhoe, now Nankana Sahib, in Sheikhupura district of Pakistan. Mardana came to Guru Nanak to seek help because many members of his family were passing on at a young age. Guru Nanak Dev ji told him not to worry and that his family members will no longer pass before their time hence the name "mar-da-na" meaning 'will not die' (in Punjabi) was given to Bhai Mardana.
• Sri Chand ( ਸ੍ਰੀ ਚੰਦ )(1494–1629) ^[2]) was the first son of Guru Nanak, raised by his sister. Sri Chand was a renounciate 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.

Entertainment

Punjabi Cinema

Bollywood

Hollywood

Internet celebrities

• Lilly Singh
• Jasmeet Singh

Pop and western Bhangra

• Jazzy B

Bhangra and other Punjabi folk

Sikh nationalist leaders

Indian revolutionaries and freedom fighters

Politicians

India

• Amarinder Singh
• Baldev Singh
• Buta Singh
• Darbara Singh
• Giani Zail Singh
• Gurcharan Singh Tohra
• Gurdial Singh Dhillon
• Harkishan Singh Surjeet
• Manmohan Singh,^[20][21]
• Master Tara Singh
• Montek Singh Ahluwalia,^[22][23][24] 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 ^[25]
• Sardul Singh Caveeshar
• Simranjit Singh Mann
• Sukhminderpal Grewal
• Surinder Singh Bajwa
• Surjit Singh Barnala
• Swaran Singh
• Varinder Singh Bajwa

Canada

Malaysia

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

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,^{[26][27][28][29]}
• Gurbachan Singh Randhawa
• Kamaljeet Sandhu
• Fauja Singh,^[30] a 100-year-old marathon runner

Basketball

Sim Bhullar, Canadian professional basketball player^[31] Satnam Singh Bhamara

Boxing

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

Cycling

• Alexi Grewal, Olympic Gold medalist^[32][33] (1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles)

Cricket

• Anureet Singh
• Balwinder Sandhu
• Bhupinder Singh, Sr.
• Bishan Singh Bedi, former captain of Indian cricket team
• Gursharan Singh
• Harbhajan Singh
• Harvinder Singh^[34]
• Ish Sodhi, member of New Zealand cricket team
• Mandeep Singh
• Maninder Singh
• Manpreet Gony
• Monty Panesar,^[35] member of English cricket team
• Navjot Singh Sidhu, former cricketer and current MP
• Ravi Bopara,^[36] member of English cricket team
• Reetinder Sodhi
• Sarandeep Singh
• Simranjit Singh
• Sunny Sohal
• V. R. V. Singh
• Yograj Singh
• Yuvraj Singh

Equestrian

• Amarinder Singh
• Sehaj Singh Virk

Football

• Inder Singh
• Gurdev Singh Gill
• Harmeet Singh

Association football

• Harpal Singh
• Harmeet Singh^[37]
• Rikki Bains
• Roger Verdi
• Danny Batth
• Malvind Benning

Golf

• Jyoti Randhawa^[38]
• Arjun Atwal^[38]
• Gaganjeet Bhullar^[38]
• Ashbeer Saini
• Jeev Milkha Singh
• Vijay Singh

Hockey

Mixed martial arts

• Kultar Gill

Gurdarshan "Saint Lion" Mangat

Muay Thai

• Kash Gill

Gurdarshan "Saint Lion" Mangat

Powerlifting

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

Rugby

• Tosh Masson

Shooting

• Abhinav Bindra^{[38][39][40][41]} 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 medal
  1986 Commonwealth Games gold medal

Wrestling

• Dara Singh
• Tiger Joginder Singh
• Randhawa
• Tiger Jeet Singh^[42][43][44]
• Gurjit Singh
• Jinder Mahal
• Ranjin Singh
• Gadowar Singh Sahota
• Arjan Bhullar

Business

Historians

• Rattan Singh Bhangu

Journalists

• Khushwant Singh
• Tavleen Singh
• Sathnam Sanghera

Writers

Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu

• 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

• Shauna Singh Baldwin
• Ranj Dhaliwal
• Bali Rai
• Jaspreet Singh
• Khushwant Singh

Models

• Jesse Randhawa
• Neelam Gill

Humanitarians

• Narinder Singh Kapany,^[48][49] worked with optical fibers
• Bhagat Puran Singh,^[50][51] 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

Painters and artists

• Amrita Sher-Gil^[52][53]
• Sobha Singh
• S. G. Thakur Singh
• Sohan Singh
• Prem Singh
• Navalpreet Rangi

Science and technology

Medicine

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

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.

Military leaders

• Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh, former Chief, Indian Air Force.^[54]
• Air Chief Marshal Dilbagh Singh, former Chief, Indian Air Force.
• Gen. Joginder Jaswant Singh, former Chief, Indian Army.
• Gen. Bikram Singh, former Chief, Indian Army.
• Lt. Gen. Bikram Singh, G O C, XV Corps,1960–63
• Lt. Gen. J.S. Aurora, Army Commander, Eastern Command, 1971
• Flying officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, only Indian Air Force officer to be awarded Param Vir Chakra. India's highest military decoration.
• Joginder Singh Sahnan, winner of the Param Vir Chakra
• Gurmukh Singh Saini, Sikh soldier during World War I, winner of Cross of St. George and Indian Order of Merit . This medal was equivalent to British Victoria Cross, US Medal of Honor, French Legion of Honor or Indian Param Vir Chakra.
• Kartar Singh Taunque, first soldier of Indian Air Force who won a gallantry award
• Uday Singh Taunque, first Indian American to die in Operation Iraqi Freedom
• Havildar Ishar Singh, leader of the contingent of the twenty-one Sikhs from the 36th Sikhs battalion, which made history in Battle of Saragarhi, one of the eight collective stories on bravery published by UNESCO
• Major General Shabeg Singh

References