The Sikh faith has been a passive one until Hargobind's time. Hargobind is said to have stubbornly carried two swords during his succession ceremony, representing his dual power as the community's temporal and spiritual leader. He also dedicated a significant lot of time and resources to army duty and martial arts, eventually becoming a superb swordsman, boxer, and horse warrior. Hargobind bolstered his troops and fortified his towns against the opposition. In 1609, he constructed the Akal Takht in Amritsar, a temple and assembly hall in one, where the Sikh nation's spiritual and worldly problems could be settled. He called a fort he erected near Amritsar Lohgarh. He skillfully instilled in his followers the will to fight and built strong morale. The Mughal ruler Jahangir saw the rise of Sikh power as a danger and imprisoned Guru Hargobind in Gwalior's stronghold. Guru Hargobind was imprisoned for 12 years, yet Sikh dedication to him only grew stronger. Finally, the emperor relented and freed the Guru, ostensibly to earn the support of the Sikhs as key supporters against the Indian nations still resisting Mughal control. Hargobind continued on his previous aggressive path, foreseeing a battle with Mughal power.

Following Jahngr's death (1627), the next Mughal emperor, Shah Jahn, began a systematic persecution of the Sikh community. Hargobind Singh's Sikhs beat Shh Jahn's army four times, shattering the Mughal illusion of invincibility. Guru Hargobind, therefore, added another Sikh principle to his predecessor's: the Sikhs' right and obligation to protect their beliefs with the dagger if needed. Guru Hargobind designated his grandson, Har Rai, as his successor shortly before his death.