Sikhism is a lot closer to christianity than it is to hinduism -- they don't believe in reincarnation, there is no caste system, and they believe in a single creator god. It has a lineage of gurus going back to the 1500's, and has about 25 million devotees world wide... by today's standards, that's not much more than a personality cult, consider the mormons... 12 million devotees after less than 200 years. There are 900 million hindus. Sikhism is considered a separate religion.

Hinduism, over the centuries, has developed two clear strains, one the successor to the Aryan folk-religion as expressed in the Vedas, which is corporate and community based, and another which is individualistic. The individualistic strain grew as a result of some Hindus wanting more than a religion of works and rituals, desiring something for the intellect and that assured an individual of salvation. The sects of the individualistic strain had a lot in common: basically they were centred on a teacher (guru) and his pupils (sisya/siswa). Buddhism began as one of these, then went its own way. Jainism began as another,went its own way then was partially reabsorbed into mainstream Hinduism. Sikhism is quite a young development out of Hinduism, being only about 500 years old. Sikhism, which comes from the word sisya (pupil) acknowledges 10 gurus who lived between 1469 and 1708. Sikhism recognises only one Holy Book, the Granth. Sikhism believes in one God, who has no avatars.Sikhism believes that humanity's aim is to break the cycle of reincarnation and merge with God ( the method is by reading an meditating on the Granth, and by acts of charity. to break the cycle humans have to overcome The five cardinal vices, which are; Kam (lust), Krodh (anger), Lobh (greed), Moh (worldly attachment) and Ahankar (pride). Sikhs reject all forms of blind rituals such as fasting, religious vegetarianism, pilgrimages, superstions, yoga, as well as any form of idol worship. Normal Family life is encouraged, celibacy or renunciation of the world is not necessary to achieve salvation. The devotee must live in the world yet keep his mind pure. He must be a soldier, a scholar, a saint. Sikhism rejects all distinctions of caste, creed, race or sex. The Gurus stressed the full equality of women, rejecting female infanticide, sati (wife burning), permitting widow remarriage and rejecting purdah (women wearing veils).