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Guru Arjan Dev Ji or Guru Arjun Dev Ji (Template:Lang-pa) (born in Amritsar, Punjab, India on 15 April, 1563 – 30 May, 1606 Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan) was the fifth of the Eleven Gurus of Sikhism and became a Guru on 1 September1581 following in the footsteps of Guru Ram Das. He was born at Goindval, and was the youngest of the sons of Guru Ram Das and Bibi Bhani, the daughter of Guru Amar Das. Before his death, he nominated his son Har Gobind as the next Guru of the Sikhs.
Guru Arjan was head of Sikhism for a quarter of a century and accomplished a lot during his regime. He completed the construction of Amritsar and founded other cities such as Taran Taran and Kartarpur. He constructed a Baoli at Lahore. The most important work of Arjan Dev was the compilation of Adi Granth. He collected all the work of the first four Gurus and dictated it in the form of verses in 1604. It is, perhaps, the only kind of writing of a scriptural nature which has preserved without embellishments or misconstruction of the original writings of religious literatures.
Guru Arjan organised the Masand system. The Sikhs were asked to pay one-tenth of their income to the Guru in future. He appointed representatives to collect the money. He encouraged his followers to trade in horses.
Life
Guru Arjan clearly understood the wide import of the teachings of Nanak and perceived how applicable they were to every state of life and to every condition of society. He made Amritsar the proper seat of his followers and a centre which would attract the worldly longings for a material bond of union. The city became populous and a great place of pilgrimage of the Sikh people.
Composing the Adi Granth, he gave to his followers their fixed rule of religious and moral conduct. His starting of collection of offerings by way of Masand system, in a systematic way, accustomed them to a regular government. He traded in horses, though not extensively, and encouraged his followers to follow his example, to be as zealous in trade as they were in their faith.
Guru Arjan became famous among his pious devotees and his biographers dwell on the number of Saints and Holy men who were edified by his instructions. He was equally headed by men in high positions. During his time, the principles of Nanak took a firm hold on the minds of his followers.
Compositions
Beside compiling the Adi Granth, Guru Arjan also composed a lot of hymns and included them in it. He appointed Bhai Buddha, who was a companion of Guru Nanak, as the chief priest of the Golden Temple. He placed the Adi Granth on the seat reserved for him and himself sat among his disciples. Sukhmani, one the most recited banis (sacred hymn) by Sikhs, was composed by Guru Arjan. Hymn from the Sukhmani Sahib (Guru Granth Sahib page 262):
- Meditate, meditate, meditate peace is obtained, Worry and anguish is expelled from the body.
- Remembering God, you’re not reborn. Remembering God, the fear of death is dispelled.
- Remembering God, death is eliminated. Remembering God, your enemies are repelled.
- Remembering God, no obstacles are met. Remembering God, night and day you’re fully awake.
- Remembering God, fear cannot touch you. Remembering God, you don’t suffer with sorrow.
- Remembrance of God, in the Company of Saints. All treasures, O Nanak, are by Lord’s Blessing. ||2||
Martyrdom of Guru Arjan
Chandu Shah, a Hindu revenue collector of Lahore became a deadly foe of the Guru and began to conspire against him after the Guru refused to marry Shah's daughter with his son Hargobind. Chandu started conspiring against the Guru to Emperor Akbar that Guru Arjan has written derogatory hymns against Hindus and Muslims in the Sikh scripture Adi Granth and must be punished. However, Emperor Akbar was not convinced after he read the hymns in the Adi Granth and paid home age to the Guru at Amritsar. Chandu Shah got his chance when, after the death of the liberal minded Akbar, his son, Jahangir, ascended the Mughal throne.The death of Emperor Akbar in October 1605 marked a sea change in the policy of his successor, Prince Salim alias Nuruddin Jahangir, who out of political necessity was forced to uphold Islamic Puritanism of Naqashbandi revivalists led by Khwaja Mohammad Baqi-Billa (1564-1603) of Turan. Shaikh Farid Bukhari, one of his followers had emerged as a strong force in Akbar’s Court by the end of the latter’s reign, while the spiritual mantle fell on Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi also known as Mujadid Alif-i-Sani (1561-1624).
After Jahangir's revolt, and Akbar’s forgiving his errant son and proclaiming him heir-apparent, the leading nobles of Akbar’s Court were divided into two factions. One, favoring Akbar’s policy of Din-i-Ilahi and Sulha-i-Kul (Peace for All), favored liberal minded Prince Khusrau, Salim’s son, and held Salim unsuitable for kingship. The other, of Islamic fundamentalists, sick of Akbar policy of religious tolerance, aligned with Salim and extracted promises to reverse Akbar’s religious policy and further the cause of Islam at the cost of the non-Muslims.12 They were to be humiliated and shown no quarters. Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi’s letters, Maktubat-i-Emam-i-Rabani, fully reflect his philosophy of contempt for the non-Muslims.
In Punjab, the Hindu position was listless except that they would hobnob with the convenient officials against the growing Sikh influence. Chandu Shah continued to spear poison against the Guru in the new Emperor's mind. On the other hand, Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi who, in one of his letters, described Guru Arjun Dev as Chief of Infidels – Rais-i-ahl-i-Shirk – and a leader of the Kafirs – imam-i-kufr. Gokal Chand Narang describes Guru Arjun Dev as "the first great organiser of the Sikh nation."In the words of Mohsin Fani, the Sikhs had by now "become accustomed to a form of self government within the Empire".
Khusrau’s indiscreet revolt against his father on April 6, 1606 and his hurrying to the Punjab, on way to the North West Frontier, to gain adherents greatly helped to strengthen the position of Islamic revivalists. Khusrau was pursued by Shaikh Farid Bukhari who in turn was being followed by Jahangir. The persons who directly or indirectly helped Khusrau were immediately punished.
Khusrau crossed river Beas and was followed by Shaikh Farid Bukhari who inflicted on him a crushing defeat near Bhairowal Khusrau was captured on April 27, 1606, near Chenab and brought as prisoner to Lahore.
Jahangir crossed to Beas on April 26, and was encamped at Jhabal. Upto May 22, i.e. for 27 days, there was no mention at all of Khusrau’s calling on Guru Arjun much less the latter’s blessing him.
Around May 23, a report about Guru Arjun’s blessing Khusrau and affixing a saffron mark on his forehead poured into Jahangir’s ears. That made him to call for Guru Arjan into his presence. Emperor Jahangir finally decided to arrest the Guru after he came to learn that Khusrau, his prince had become a contemporary of Guru Arjan himself. Many scholars allege that it was merely a propaganda by Shaikh Ahmed Bukhari. Guru Arjan was arrested on the charge that he had received and blessed the rebel prince. The Emperor asked the Guru to pay the fine of two lac rupees and remove verses from the Adi Granth that were offensive to Hindus and Muslims. The Guru refused stating that there was nothing in the Adi Granth that was offensive to anyone. The Adi Granth enunciated unadulterated monotheism and humanism. The Emperor due to pressure from Chandu Shan and Shaikh Ahmed Sirhindi who were bittered by the number of converts the Guru was gaining decided to put the Guru to death through torture. Murtaza Khan, the governor of Lahore, was to carry out the sentence. According to Sikh chronicles, it was Chandu Shah who took charge of the holy prisoner and had him done to death with the cruelest torments. The Guru was imprisoned and excessively tortured in 1605. His body was exposed in the scorching heat of May 30 1605. He was made to sit on the red-hot sand, and boiling hot water was poured on his naked body. As time passed, Jahangir became reconciled to Guru Arjan`s successor, Guru Hargobind. Chandu Shah later had to face the wrath of the Sikhs in Lahore as he was dragged through the streets of Lahore who had witnessed the atrocities perpetrated by him, Chandu Shah died a miserable death. The final blow came ironically from the very person whom Chandu Shah had employed to pour hot sand on Guru Arjan`s blistered body. His body was later disposed into river Ravi in Punjab.
This is what Emperor Jahangir wrote in his diary called the Tuzk-e-Jahangiri, which translates to "Memoirs of Jahangir". From the details in Tuzuk-i-Jehangiri, it is obvious that Jahangir was looking for an opportunity to deal with Guru Arjun.
In Goindwal, which is on the river Biyãh (Beas), there was a Hindu named Arjan, in the garments of sainthood and sanctity, so much so that he had captured many of the simple-hearted of the Hindus, and even of the ignorant and foolish followers of Islam, by his ways and manners, and they had loudly sounded the drum of his holiness. They called him Guru, and from all sides stupid people crowded to worship and manifest complete faith in him. For three or four generations (of spiritual successors) they had kept this shop warm. Many times it occurred to me to put a stop to this vain affair or to bring him into the assembly of the people of Islam. At last when Khusrau passed along this road this insignificant fellow proposed to wait upon him. Khusrau happened to halt at the place where he was, and he came out and did homage to him. He behaved to Khusrau in certain special ways, and made on his forehead a finger-mark in saffron, which the Indians (Hinduwän) call qashqa, (Tilak) and is considered propitious. When this came to my ears and I clearly understood his folly, I ordered them to produce him and handed over his houses, dwelling-places, and children to Murtaza Khan, and having confiscated his property commanded that he should be put to death."
— Jahangir, Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri
The manner in which Guru Arjan was put to death "convinced the sikhs that they must arm themselves and fight, if they wanted to live". It proved a turning point in the history of Sikhs.
External links
- The Sikh History Web Site
- Eternal Glory of Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji
- Video on 400th Martyrdom Anniversary of Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji
- Video as a Tribute to Guru Arjan Partakh Har
- Learn more about Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji
- Guru Arjan, the Apostle of Peace - eBook
- AllAboutSikhs.com
- www.bbc.co.uk
- www.sgpc.net
- www.sikh-heritage.co.uk
- http://www.gurmat.info
Notes
- Mcleod, Hew (1997). Sikhism. London: Penguin Books. p. 28. ISBN 0-14-025260-6.
- Mahajan, Vidya Dhar. "ten". Muslim Rule In India (fifth ed.). p. 232.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters:|accessyear=,|origmonth=,|accessmonth=,|month=,|chapterurl=,|origdate=, and|coauthors=(help) - Cunnigham, J.D. (1853). "Gooroo Arjoon". A History Of The Sikhs. John Murray.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters:|accessyear=,|origmonth=,|accessmonth=,|month=,|chapterurl=,|origdate=, and|coauthors=(help) - Cunnigham, J.D. (1853). "Gooroo Arjoon". A History Of The Sikhs. John Murray.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters:|accessyear=,|origmonth=,|accessmonth=,|month=,|chapterurl=,|origdate=, and|coauthors=(help) - Cunnigham, J.D. (1853). "Gooroo Arjoon". A History of The Sikhs. John Murray.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters:|accessyear=,|origmonth=,|accessmonth=,|month=,|chapterurl=,|origdate=, and|coauthors=(help) - The Sikh Encyclopedia:Chandu Shah
- Ganda Singh, "The Martyrdom of Guru Arjun", PP&P. Vol. XII, April 1978, p. 171
- Narang, Gokul p 67
- Sangat Singh: http://www.sikhspectrum.com/102002/sangat_s.htm
- The Sikh Encyclopedia: Chandu Shah
- Mahajan, Vidya Dhar. Muslim Rule In India. Teja singh (Fifth ed.). p. 233.
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References
- 1. "Tuzuk-i-Jahagiri or Memoirs of Jahagir" Translated by Alexander Rogers. Edited by Henry Beveridge Published by Low Price Publication www.lppindia.com ISBN 978-81-7536-148-5
- 2. History of the Panjab, Syad Muhammad Latif, Published by: Kalyani Publishers, Ludhiana, Punjab, India ISBN 978-81-7096-245-8
Koubouter van het Gerrit Rietveld College, Zeer normaal schoolkind. XD
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