Chanchal Manohar Singh
1
SRI GURU ARJAN DEV JI SACRIFICED HIS LIFE TO
UPHOLD THE RIGHT TO PROFESS ONE’S RELIGION (420th
MARTYRDOM DAY ON JUNE 18, 2026)
Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji (1563-1606), the Fifth Guru of the Sikhs was born on
Baisakh Vadi 7, 1620 Bikrimi i.e. April 15, 1563 at Goindwal Sahib, which now falls in
the present day Tarn Taran district of Punjab. He was the third and youngest son of
Bhai Jetha Ji who later named as Sri Guru Ram Das Ji became the Fourth Guru of
the Sikhs and Bibi (Lady) Bhani Ji, daughter of Sri Guru Amar Das Ji, the Third Guru
of the Sikhs.
From his early childhood he had a religious bent of mind. In view of his spiritual
temperament and dedication his father Sri Guru Ram Das Ji before leaving for his
heavenly abode on September 1, 1581, chose him as his successor to Guruship.
During the 25 years of his Guruship he provided a scriptural, organizational and
economic base to the Sikh religion. He was married to (Mata) Ganga Ji and in June,
1595, a son was born who was named Hargobind Sahib.
The first major task that he undertook was the completion of Amritsar sarover
(the holy tank). Sri Guru Amar Das Ji, had instructed Bhai Jetha Ji to establish a new
town and to construct a sarovar (holy pool). Thus, a site was selected 40 kms northwest
of Goindwal Sahib. This new town was first named Guru Ka Chakk (the Guru's
village), then Ramdaspur (the city of Ram Das) and finally Amritsar (the pool of
nectar). The work of the sarovar at Amritsar had been started by Sri Guru Ram Das Ji
in 1577, but was completed by Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji, who also raised the structure of
Sri Harimandar Sahib (also known as Golden Temple) in the middle of it. Sri Guru
Arjan Dev Ji requested Sain Mian Mir, a popular Muslim Sufi Saint, to lay the
cornerstone of this building. As stated by Ghulam Muhayy ud-Din, Sain Mian Mir "with
his own blessed hands put four bricks, one on each side and another one in the middle
of the tank." Contrary to the then existing tradition of entrance of the temples to face
the east, Harimandar Sahib had four entrances one in each direction, implying thereby
that it was open to people of all religions and castes. In addition to the main building,
a community kitchen to serve meals to people from all castes and creeds, and rest
houses for pilgrims were also constructed. The completion of Sri Harimandar Sahib
was achieved with the installation of the Holy Scripture, Sri Adi Granth Sahib in the
center of the inner sanctuary on August 16, 1604. To strengthen the economic base,
markets were developed around the main building to which he invited traders from far
and distant regions to settle and open their business.
A very major contribution of Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji is the compilation of
Sri Adi (Primal) Granth Sahib, a voluminous anthology of the hymns (sacred
verses) uttered by the first four Gurus and his own hymns. Later on, Sri Guru Gobind
Singh Ji, the Tenth Guru with Bhai Mani Singh Ji as his amanuensis gave this Holy
Book the final form by including the verses of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib, the
2
Ninth Guru of the Sikhs and it became the Holy Scripture of the Sikhs, now known
as Sri Guru Granth Sahib which for the Sikhs is Guru Eternal.
In compiling this Holy Scripture Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji announced that as the
Panth (community) has been revealed unto the world, so there must be a Granth (holy
book), too. As a first step he approached Baba Mohan Ji, son of Sri Guru Amar Das
Ji at Goindwal Sahib who had pothis (manuscript collections) of the hymns of the first
three Gurus. The pothis were then placed on a palanquin decorated with precious
stones. The Sikhs carried the palanquin on their shoulders and Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji
walked behind barefooted to cover the 40 km distance from Goindwal Sahib to
Amritsar. They broke journey at Khadur Sahib. A few kms short of Amritsar, a large
number of Sikhs along with the young son of Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji Hargobind Sahib
had come to receive them. Hargobind Sahib showered petals in front of the pothis.
From then onwards Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji, Hargobind Sahib, Bhai Gurdas Ji and Bhai
Buddha Ji carried the palanquin on their shoulders marching towards Amritsar led by
musicians, playing flutes and beating drums.
In Amritsar, for compiling this Holy Scripture, Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji, chose a
lonely place, Ramsar Sahib which is very near to Sri Harimandar Sahib and at that
time was surrounded by jand (specigera), banyan, berry, fig and pipal trees. He
himself collected the hymns of Sri Guru Ram Dass Ji. He compiled the hymns of his
four predecessor Sikh Gurus to which he added his own hymns and thus compiled
the Holy Book i.e. Adi Granth Sahib. The Adi Granth Sahib is unique in the sense that
he included the hymns of Hindu and Muslim saints belonging to various castes and
creeds including both 'low' castes and 'high' castes. The work of compilation was
concluded on August 15, 1604. The sacred volume, thus in addition to the
compositions of the first five Gurus included compositions of fifteen Bhaktas and Sufis
from different parts of India. It contained 974 leaves i.e. 1948 pages 9¼" x 13¼" in
size. He also constructed a sarovar at Ramsar Sahib.
After getting it bound, Sri Adi Granth Sahib was ceremoniously installed in Sri
Harimandar Sahib on a decorated dais on August 16, 1604. Thus the 400th
Anniversary of the installation of Sri Adi Granth Sahib compiled by Sri Guru Arjan Dev
Ji fell on August 16, 2004. A very major highlight of the year 2004 was that the 400th
Anniversary of the installation of the Holy Granth was celebrated on August 16, 2004
by the Sikhs all over the world with a deep religious fervour.
This Holy Granth Sahib preaches universality of God, equality of mankind and
brotherhood. The hymns aim at dispelling the caste, creed and colour prejudices. The
first copy was caligraphed by Bhai Gurdas Ji at Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji's dictation in
which the compositions of the first four Gurus, his own compositions and the
compositions of fifteen Bhaktas and Sufis were preserved. Adi Granth Sahib thus
became an authorized volume. The compilation of Sri Adi Granth Sahib reveals his
rare spiritual insight and poetic sense. His own compositions as well as editing of the
bani (hymns) of other Gurus, Bhaktas and Sufis reflects his many-sided learning and
intellectual in-depth.
To spread Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji's message he travelled through majha
territory and constructed a shrine and sarovar at Tarn Taran Sahib which is 24 kms
3
south of Amritsar. While at Tarn Taran Sahib, one day while going for a morning walk
he came across a group of 4-5 persons who seemed to be forcing a person to
accompany them. The person was wailing with pain. On being asked by Guru Sahib
who they were and where they were taking the man, he was told that the man in pain
was a chaudhary (a rich man) of village Muradpur and was afflicted with leprosy and
inspite of many treatments it had not been possible to cure him. As per his wishes he
was being taken to river Beas for drowning. Guru Sahib asked these men to take that
leper to Tarn Taran Sahib where he himself treated the leper and cured him. He then
established a Leper's Home at Tarn Taran Sahib where a large number of lepers
started coming for treatment whom he treated.
During his tours he encouraged people to dig wells to alleviate the hardship caused
by famine. He also undertook several other activities of public welfare. He raised the
town of Kartarpur now in Jallandhar district and in 1587 rebuilt a ruined village Ruhela
and renamed it Sri Gobindpur now named as Sri Hargobindpur which falls in District
Gurdaspur. His travels motivated several people from Kabul and Central Asia to come
into the fold of Sikhism. He appointed masands (local leaders) at far off places to look
after the Sikh sangat and collect dasvandh i.e onetenth of their income for
community's sharing. A contemporary Persian source the Dabistan-i-Muzahib states
that "during the time of each Mahal (Guru) the Sikhs increased till in the reign of Guru
Arjan Mall they became numerous and there were not many cities in the inhabited
countries where some Sikhs were not found."
As fate would have it, in 1605 Emperor Jahangir succeeded Akbar on the
throne of Delhi. Jahangir depended mostly on the orthodox section of his courtiers.
As advised by these courtiers, Jahangir developed a hatred for non-Muslims and felt
alarmed at the ever increasing following of Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji. As Jahangir has
written in his book Tuzk," So many of the simple minded Hindus, nay many foolish
Muslims too had been fascinated by the Guru's ways and teachings. For many years
the thought had been presenting itself to my mind that either I should put an end to
this false traffic, or that he be brought into the fold of Islam." Thus, Jahangir was on
the lookout for an occasion to kill Guru Sahib.
Within a few months of Jahangir's succession, his son Khusrau, rebelled
against him and, on his way to Lahore, met Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji at Goindwal Sahib
to seek his blessings. According to the historical evidence Khusrau partook of the
hospitality of Guru ka Langar (community meal) and resumed his journey the
following morning. Jahangir decided to use this incident as a pretext to kill Guru
Sahib. After the rebellion by Khusrau was suppressed Jahangir decided to take
vengeance on the people he suspected of having helped his son. In this context Sri
Guru Arjan Dev Ji was heavily fined and on his refusal to pay the fine was arrested.
To quote again from Jahangir's Memoirs, "I fully knew of his heresies, and I ordered
that he should be brought into my presence, that his property be confiscated and
that he should be put to death with torture."
Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji was taken to Lahore where he was asked to court Islam
or death. Firm in his attitude of not changing his religion and upholding the right of a
person to follow the religion of his own choice he refused to get converted to Islam.
4
He was subjected to various types of physical torture. He was made to sit on a redhot
iron sheet with fire burning under it and hot sand was poured on him. Still refusing
to change his religion, he was put in a large deg (pot) of boiling water. The place where
Guru Sahib was tortured was a platform outside the Fort of Lahore near the river Ravi.
Finally, Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji was taken to Ravi river. A dip in the river's
water was more than the blistered body could bear. On May 30, 1606 engrossed in
meditation he left for his heavenly abode. He became the first Sikh shaheed (martyr).
As a contemporary Jesuit-document, a letter written from Lahore on September 25,
1606 by Father Zerome Xavier says, "In that way their good Pope died, overwhelmed
by the sufferings, torments, and dishonours." Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji fulfilled the ethical
injunctions of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji that willingness to suffer trial for one's conviction
was a religious imperative.
In the eighteenth century at the place where Guru Sahib was subjected to
various types of tortures, a shrine named Gurdwara Dehra Sahib was erected. This
place now falls in Pakistan. Every year on Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji's martyrdom day
thousands of Sikhs from all over the world assemble in this Gurdwara Sahib to pay
their homage. In 2016 his Martyrdom day was observed on June 8 all over the world
except that at Gurudwara Dehra Sahib, Lahore in Pakistan it was observed on June
6, 2016 as per Nanakshahi Calendar adopted in 2013. On this occasion the Pakistan
Govt. announced that (i) in November 2016 on the British Anniversary of Sri Guru
Nanak Dev Ji the Foundation Stone will be laid for establishing “Sri Guru Nanak Dev
Ji World University” (ii) at Kartarpur Sahib usually referred to as Kartarpur (Ravi) to
distinguish it from the town with the same name in Jallandhar district, from which Sri
Guru Nanak Dev Ji left for his heavenly abode and which now falls in District Narowal
of Pakistan, the work of constructing Angitha Sahib was entrusted to Sikh Sangat of
Canada and that (iii) on the occasion of the next death anniversary of Maharaja
Ranjit Singh foundation Stone was laid for erecting a monument in the sacred
memory of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
During the last 10 years many developments have taken place pertaining
to these announcements by the Pakistan Govt. The process of establishing ‘Sri Guru
Nanak Dev Ji World University’ at Nankana Sahib is under-way. On the occasion of
the 550th Birth Anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji n November, 2019 Gurdwara
Kartarpur Sahib, District Narowal, Pakistan was made accessible to Sikhs on the
basis of a permit (The details about the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor will be given in
another write-up).
In 2021, because of COVID the Pakistan Govt. did not allow the Sikh Jatha
from India to go to Gurudwara Dehra Sahib, Lahore. But in 2022 the Pakistan
Government granted visas to Sikh Jathas to go to Gurdwara Dehra Sahib, Lahore
to pay their homage to the great Martyr Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji. This year i.e. in 2026
Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji’s Martyrdom day will be observed on June 18 when the Sikhs
all over the world would pay their obeisance to this great martyr.
DHAN DHAN SRI GURU ARJAN DEV JI!
Dr. Amrit Kaur Retd. Professor Punjabi University Patiala, Punjab India