Khalsa
/ˈkɑːlsə/noun
The community of initiated Sikhs established by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699.
Did you know?The Khalsa was formally founded through the Amrit initiation ceremony and identified by the Five Ks, sacred articles of Sikh identity and discipline.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Arabic
Arabic
khāliṣ
“Pure, genuine, unmixed, or exclusively belonging to someone”
Medieval Persian
Persian
khālsa
“Land or property reserved exclusively for the ruler or crown”
16th Century
Persian
khālsa
“Crown-controlled domain, as distinguished from privately held or assigned land”
1699
Punjabi
Khālsā
“The community of initiated Sikhs founded by Guru Gobind Singh”
Modern English
English
Khalsa
“The collective body of initiated Sikhs and, more broadly, the Sikh religious order”