Who was Guru Nanak Dev ji ?

Guru Nanak Dev founded Sikhism. He was a great reformer and one of the leading lights of the Bhakti Movement. During Nanak's time, India was facing social and spiritual crises. At such a turbulent time, Guru Nanak appeared as a spiritual leader. He pleaded for liberalization. His message was a great blessing at that time. He showed the right path to suffering humanity. 

Guru nanak was born in the yea 1469 AD.His birthplace was Talwandi, 40 miles away from Lahore. The place is now called Nankana Sahib. His father, Mehta Kalu, belonged to the Bedi caste of Hindu Khatri. Hos father was employed as a patwari ( revenue official or an accountant ) with the local Muslim chief, Rai Bular. His mother was Tripta. Bibi Nanaki was his elder sister and his first disciple. Rai Bular became his second disciple.

As a child, Guru Nanak was of a contemplative and withdrawn nature. He loved spending time with religious people. He studied Sanskrit and Persian. His parents wanted him to be in some trade or occupation. But he was happy in the company of Wandering mystics, devoting most of his time to meditation.

At the age of eighteen, he got married to Bibi Sulakhni. Two sons, named Lakshmi Das and Siri Chand, were born to them. Nanak Dev has no attachment to worldly life. He got an appointment as a storekeeper to the chief of Sultanpur. During this period, A divine revelation came to him. One morning, he went to have a dip in the Bein, a small river near Sultanpur. Then he returned after three days. By then, he had already determined to leave home and travel worldwide. 

Nanak realized that human beings are all one and being the children of God, divisions of creeds are false. 

Nnank denounced all forms of ritualism, ceremonialism, and superstitions prevalent in contemporary society. He laid supreme stress on true Faith, simplicity and purity of life, and religious tolerance. He founded a new religion called Sikhism. In this, he focused on the fundamental and essential precepts of Hinduism and Islam.

Love and Equality form the foundation of Sikhism. To propagate his religious views and understanding. Nanak traveled to various places in India. He also went to the remote Himalayas, Afghanistan, Iran, Baghdad, and Mecca. At some places he had visited, Gurudwaras were built in his memory; one Gurudwara in Kabul, one at Askara, nine miles from Kabul, and one at Hassan Abdal, Near Taxila. The Gurudwara at Hassan Abdal is now in Pakistan and is called the Punja Sahib.

On most of his journeys, he was accompanied by a Muslim minstrel who sang on his rabab, the hymns of ' divine devotion.' Nanak made four itineraries called Udasis. During the course of the journey, he composed most of his hymns and Shabads ( songs). The voluminous compositions of Guru Nanak are enshrined in the Adi Granth.

After traveling extensively for about 25 years, at the age of about 52, Nanak set at Kartarpur. There he rejoined his family and continued to preach from there. Eventually, he breathed his last in 1539 and merged with eternity.