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Guru Arjan
Dev (1563-1606)
Guru
Arjan Dev was the youngest son of Guru Ram Das and Mata
Bhani. He was born at Goindwal on April 15, 1563. In 1579
Guru Arjan was eventually married to Ganga Devi daughter
of Krishan Chand in 1579.
Around the year 1590 Guru Arjan Dev decided to go on an
extensive tour of Punjab accompanied by such trusted Sikhs
as Bhai Gurdas and Bidhi Chand. He visited Khadur, Goindwal,
Sarhali, Bhaini, Khanpur, Taran Taran, Lahore, Dera Baba
Nanak, as well as Barath where he met the aged ascetic son
of Guru Nanak, Baba Sri Chand. Guru Arjan Dev also purchased
some land near Jullundur and laid the foundations of a new
township called Kartarpur as well as digging a well called
Ganga Sagar.
Meanwhile Sulhi Khan upon hearing that both Guru Arjan Dev
and his treasure were no longer in Amritsar put off his
attack on the city. In Amritsar Prithi Chand tried to convince
the Sikhs that he was the real Guru and not Arjan Dev. He
only met with disappointment though, as the Sikhs continued
to flock to see Guru Arjan Dev. Prithi Chand therefore concocted
a plan to assassinate the Guru's only child Hargobind. He
sent a wet-nurse with poison, got a snake charmer to release
a snake near Hargobind, and on another attempt sent a servant
with poison milk. All of these attempts failed with the
perpetrators all publicly confessing that Prithi Chand had
sent them.
Eventually a large delegation of Sikhs were able to convince
the Guru to return to Amritsar.
A situation now arose which would require the Guru's complete
attention. Reports came to the Guru that Prithi Chand was
composing his own hymns and was passing them to the visiting
Sikhs as the compositions of Guru Nanak as well as other
Guru's. Others were also passing of their own compositions
as the works of the Sikh Guru's. Guru Arjan Dev realized
that if this situation was allowed to continue it would
be the undermining of the Sikh religion. Having given the
Sikhs a central place of worship, they now needed an authentic
compilation of the hymns of their Guru's. Thus Guru Amar
Das started collection the original verses of all the Guru's.
He sent trusted Sikhs such as Bhai Piara, Bhai Gurdas and
Baba Buddha across the country in search of original manuscripts.
Guru Arjan Dev made trips to Goindwal, Khadur and Kartarpur
to visit the families of the previous Guru's. Guru Arjan
Dev collected original manuscripts of the Guru's from Mohan
(son of Guru Amar Das), Datu (son of Guru Angad) as well
as Sri Chand (son of Guru Nanak). Putting Baba Buddha in
charge of the spiritual needs of the large number of pilgrims
visiting Harmandir Sahib, Guru Arjan now pitched a tent
by the side of Ramsar tank and started the arduous task
of compiling the first edition of the Holy Guru Granth Sahib.
Bhai Gurdas was entrusted as the Guru's scribe for the master
copy. Unlike any other religious book in history, Guru Arjan
Dev decided to also include the compositions of Hindu and
Muslim saints which he considered consistent with the teachings
of Sikhism and the Guru's. Guru Arjan Dev included the works
of such Hindu Bhaktas as Kabir, Jaidev, Namdev, Dahnna,
Ravidas, Pipa and Ramanand. The Guru also included the works
of such Muslim divines as Farid, Mardana, Satta and Balwand,
the Guru's minstrels, as well as several bards (Bhatts).
Bhai Gurdas was invited by the Guru to include his own verses,
but declined out of modesty.
The monumental task was finally completed. This first edition
of the Guru Granth Sahib known at that time as Pothi Sahib
was installed on a high pedestal within the Harmandir Sahib
in August 1604. Guru Arjan Dev seated himself at a lower
level and instructed all Sikhs to bow before it, not as
an idol, but as the book of divine inspiration which instructed
living men in the ways of God and dedicated secular life.
The revered Baba Buddha was appointed the first Granthi
(custodian) of the book. Guru Arjan Dev dictated that unlike
the Hindu scriptures, the Pothi Sahib could be open to reading
by anyone of any caste, creed or type. This original copy
is still in existence today. On October 17, 1605 Akbar died
and was succeeded by Jahangir as Emperor. Jahangir was a
person of lax morals, pleasure loving and fond of drinking.
He left much of the administration duties of running his
kingdom to others. Because of his lax morals Jahangir set
out to please the orthodox Muslim clergy which he knew did
not approve of his actions, or the tolerant attitude that
his father Akbar had previously displayed to other religions.
Jahangir wrote the following in his memoirs called Tuzak-i-Jehangiri;
"At Goindwal on the banks of the river Beas, lived a Hindu,
Arjan by name, in the garb of a Pir or Sheikh. Thus, many
innocent Hindus and even foolish and ignorant Muslims he
brought into his fold who beat the drum noisily of his self-appointed
prophethood. He was called Guru. From all sides, worshippers
came to offer their homage to him and put full trust in
his word. For three or four generations, they had warmed
up this shop. For a long time I had harbored the wish that
I should set aside this shop of falsehood or I should bring
him into the fold of Islam." Jahangir further writes; "In
these days, Khusro (Jahangir's rebel son) passed through
this way. The foolish person resolved to call on him. Khusro
halted for a time at this place and this man came to see
him and discoursed with him on many matters and also applied
with saffron on his forehead what the Hindus call kashkeh
(tilak) and consider a good omen. When I heard this account
personally, I knew about his false pretenses. So I ordered
that he be brought into my presence, that his property be
confiscated and his sons and other possessions be made over
to Murtaza Khan and he be dealt with in accordance with
the political and common law of the land."
When Guru Arjan received the summons to appear before Jahangir,
he knew that it was not a good sign. The Guru declared that
his son Hargobind should be installed as the next Guru.
Prominent Sikhs gathered and revered Baba Buddha applied
the saffron mark on Hargobind's forehead anointing him as
Guru Hargobind.
Upon reaching Lahore, Jahangir demanded that Guru Arjan
Dev revise the Holy Granth, removing all references to Islam
and Hinduism. This of course the Guru refused to do. Since
Jahangir was on his way to Kashmir, he asked Murtaza Khan
to deal with the Guru.
Murtaza Khan immediately jailed the Guru, and ordered the
Guru Arjan Dev to be tortured to death if he did not agree
to remove the alleged derogatory references in the Holy
Granth. The Guru was cruelly tortured. He was made to sit
on a red hot iron sheet. They poured burning hot sand on
his body. The Guru was dipped in boiling water. The bore
all of these brutalities with calm serenity, for five long
days he was tortured. When the torturers found the Guru
unresponsive to their torture they did not know what to
do. On May 30, 1606 the Guru asked for a bath in the river
Ravi by the side of the Mughal fort. Thousands of followers
watched the Guru who could barely walk make his way to the
river with tears in their eyes. His bare body was covered
with blisters, Guru Arjan Dev repeated over and over; "Sweet
is Your will, O God; the gift of your Name alone I seek."
The Guru then calmly walked into the river bank, bidding
his farewell to his followers and was gone forever, his
body carried away by the currents. This act of brutality
in ending such a saintly life with such cruelty was to forever
change the course of Sikhism.
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