The history of Sikhism is closely associated with the history of Punjab and the socio-political situation in medieval India. Sikh distinction was further enhanced by the establishment of the Khalsa (ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ), by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699. Sikhism originated based on the spiritual revelations of Nanak, the first Guru or Prophet-Master, during the fifteenth century in the Punjab region. The religious practice was formalized by Guru Gobind Singh on 30 March 1699.