Guru Arjan ਗੁਰੂ ਅਰਜਨ |
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Portrait Carved on Gold
Gurdwara Lachi Ber, Amritsar |
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Religion | Sikhism |
Known for |
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Other names | The Fifth Master |
Personal | |
Born |
Goindval, Tarn Taran district, Mughal Empire (Present day India) |
15 April 1563
Died | 30 May 1606 Lahore, Mughal Empire (Present day Pakistan) |
(aged 43)
Resting place | Gurdwara Dera Sahib, Walled City of Lahore |
Spouse | Mata Ganga |
Children | Guru Hargobind |
Parents | Guru Ram Das and Bibi Bhani |
Religious career | |
Predecessor | Guru Ram Das |
Successor | Guru Hargobind |
Guru Arjan ([ɡʊru əɾdʒən]; 15 April 1563 – 30 May 1606) was the first martyr of the Sikh faith and the fifth of the ten Sikh Gurus, who compiled the first official edition of the Sikh scripture called the Adi Granth, which later expanded into the Guru Granth Sahib.
He was born in Goindval, in the Punjab, the youngest son of Bhai Jetha, who later became Guru Ram Das, and Mata Bhani, the daughter of Guru Amar Das. He was the first Guru in Sikhism to be born into a Sikh family. Guru Arjan led Sikhism for a quarter of a century. He completed the construction of Darbar Sahib at Amritsar, after the fourth Sikh Guru founded the town and built a pool. Guru Arjan compiled the hymns of previous Gurus and of other saints into Adi Granth, the first edition of the Sikh scripture, and installed it in the Harimandir Sahib.
Guru Arjan reorganized the Masands system initiated by Guru Ram Das, by suggesting that the Sikhs donate, if possible, one tenth of their income, goods or service to the Sikh organization (dasvand). The Masand not only collected these funds but also taught tenets of Sikhism and settled civil disputes in their region. The dasvand financed the building of gurdwaras and langars (shared communal kitchens).
Guru Arjan was arrested under the orders of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir and asked to convert to Islam. He refused, was tortured and executed in 1606 CE. Historical records and the Sikh tradition are unclear whether Guru Arjan was executed by drowning or died during torture. His martyrdom is considered a watershed event in the history of Sikhism. It is remembered as Shaheedi Divas of Guru Arjan every year on 16 June, according to the Nanakshahi calendar released by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee in 2003.