guru amardas ji -

Guru Amardas Ji

Early Life and Family History

Guru Amardas Ji was born on Sunday, May 5, 1479 in a village called Basarke, which is near Amritsar, Punjab, India. His father, Tej Bhan Ji, was a farmer and a businessman but his mother, Mata Lachmi Ji, was known to be a very religious woman. Guru Amar Das Ji was strongly influenced by the Vaishnavites in his life early childhood. He grew up in a family where religious adherence was of more significance and these activities influenced his childhood. Guru Amar Das Ji got married to Mata Mansa Devi and together they had four children, two sons and two daughters, Bhai Mohan, Bhai Mohri and Bibi Dani, Bibi Bhani. Bibi Bhani then got married to the man, Bhai Jetha, who was the fourth Guru of Sikhs.

Guru Amar Das Ji in his early years was a businessman and engaged in the day to day economic activities of his people. In this period, he obeyed the conventional Hindu rituals and practices like pilgrimage and fasting. Even though he devoted his life to these studies, a tremendous change was about to happen in his spiritual life that was to change the face of his life and the history of Sikhism.

Spiritual Transformation and Sikhism Adoption

Guru Amar Das Ji who was 61 years old changed allegiance and became a committed Sikh, having been a Vaishnavite Hindu. This evolutionary turning point started when he stumbled on the hymns of Guru Nanak Dev Ji who is the founder of Sikhism. These hymns were recited by Bibi Amro Ji who was a daughter of Guru Angad Dev Ji, the second Sikh Guru. Guru Amar Das Ji was impressed with her recitations and melodious and deep chanting that he took the initiative of visiting Guru Angad Dev Ji at Khadur Sahib.

The meeting with the Guru Angad Dev Ji marked a breakthrough to Guru Amar Das Ji. He was very much impressed by the teachings and spiritual message of Guru Angad Dev Ji hence he chose to become a Sikh in full. This ruling made him move to Khadur Sahib where he devoted himself to serving the Guru and Sikh people. The humble service of Guru Amar Das Ji was shown by the fact that he brought water to the Beas River, cleaned the clothes of Guru Angad Dev Ji and collected wood in the Langar (community kitchen). The zeal and modesty were manifested in his attitude towards such ventures.

Guruship

Guru Amar Das Ji was appointed the successor of Guru Angad Dev Ji in March 1552. Guru Amar Das Ji assumed the position of the third Sikh Guru at the age of 73 years. Respect and challenge were some of the features that surrounded his appointment. Guru amar Das Ji was challenged in succession by his son, Datu, the son of Guru Angad Dev Ji. Out of jealousy, Datu had tried to enforce his right by forcibly taking away the seat of the Guru and publicly slandering Guru Amar Das Ji.

Guru Amar Das Ji responded with a high level of humility and dignity even after the attack and shame to the community. When Datu kicked him, Guru Amar Das Ji was more concerned about the well being of Datu, adding that his old bones could have harmed the tender foot of Datu.

This great show of humility showed the dedication of Guru Amar Das Ji to the teachings of Sikhism. After this event Guru Amar Das Ji retired to his village of Basarke, where he frustrated his followers with his solitary meditation.

Eventually a team of passionate Sikhs led by Baba Buddha discovered Guru Amar Das Ji and pleaded with him to come back. They pointed at their intensive necessity of his religious education, their faithfulness. Guru Amar Das Ji was touched by their devotion and accepted an invitation to come back to Goindwal Sahib and thus again he acted as Guru and proceeded with his mission of guiding and serving the Sikhs.

The Manji System

Guru Amar Das Ji resumed his leadership and introduced various administrative reforms to handle the growing Sikh community. One of his major accomplishments was the creation of the Manji system. This structure split the Sikh Sangat into 22 areas, each led by a local preacher, or “Manji,” who was in charge of propagating Sikhism’s teachings and governing the local congregation.

The Manji system aided the development and structure of the Sikh community. Preachers noted for their devotion and mastery of Sikh beliefs were assigned to a variety of places, including Majha, Jalandhar Doab, Kangra Hills, Kashmir Hills, Malwa and Sind. This mechanism guaranteed that Sikh teachings were widely disseminated and that the community functioned efficiently.

The Piri System

The Piri system was also part of the administration of guru Amar Das Ji and it was used to spread the Sikhism word through missionaries. One of these missionaries was a renowned poet, scholar Bhai Gurdas Ji. Guru Amar Das Ji attributed that Bhai Gurdas Ji had a comprehensive knowledge of Hindu scriptures and languages and sent him to spread Sikh doctrines in Agra. Bhai Gurdas Ji was a great messenger since he was well versed in Sikhism and was devoted towards Sikhism.

Guru Amar Das Ji came up with a Sikh system of practicing that stressed on the importance of prayers, meditation and ethical conduct daily. He urged Sikhs to rise early in the morning, take a dip in sacred water and concentrate on spiritual activities. This discipline was supposed to help Sikhs create a disciplined and spiritual way of life.

Contributions to Sikh Practice

Guru Amar Das Ji made a lot of contribution in Sikh culture and social reforms. He was an advocate of social justice and equality. Among the major things he introduced was the introduction of Langar (community kitchen), which he introduced as a compulsory requirement to all visitors. Guru Amar Das Ji had asked that everyone, irrespective of their social status or caste, attend Langar before going to the Guru. This custom reflected the Sikh doctrine of equality and indicated the fact that all people were entitled to the Sikh community.

The efforts made by Guru Amar Das Ji to stop the caste system were pioneering. He was working to abolish untouchability and encourage social inclusion. Another step taken by him was gender equality. He was strongly against the practices like Sati (burning of widows) and Parda (veil covering women). He supported the remarriage of widows and the rights of the newborn baby girl as opposed to the traditional customs that were oppressive towards the woman.

Interaction with Emperor Akbar

The influence of Guru Amar Das Ji was not only in Sikh society but also in the rest of the political-social context of the time. Among such interactions were the Mughal emperor, Emperor Akbar. Before meeting Guru Amar Das Ji, Akbar visited him and was made to partake in Langar. This encounter had a powerful impression on Akbar who comprehended the relevance of the Langar system and its contribution to the establishment of equality.

Although Akbar gave the Langar as a gift of royal property, Guru Amar Das Ji politely declined. Rather, he convinced Akbar to waive the toll fee on non-Muslims who cross Yamuna and Ganga rivers, which eased pilgrimage among Sikhs and other non-Muslims. This was a sign of diplomatic skills shown by Guru Amar Das Ji and his dedication to developing peaceful relations.

Foundation of Goindwal Sahib

In 1552 Guru Amar Das Ji established Goindwal Sahib on the banks of the river Beas. It was during his Guruship that this town came to be the spiritual and administrative centre of the Sikhs. The construction of the Baoli Sahib, an 84-step well, was also one of the significant contributions that Guru Amar Das Ji made to Goindwal Sahib and the place developed into a renowned pilgrimage site among Sikhs.

The decision made by Guru Amar Das Ji to construct Goindwal Sahib and the construction of Baoli Sahib contributed to the expansions made by Sikh institutions and practices. These activities created a physical and spiritual centre of the Sikh community, where communal worship and service was important.

Legacy and Succession

When Guru Amar Das Ji saw the end of his life, he made his son-in-law, Bhai Jetha, whom later became Guru Ram Das Ji, as his successor. This was done in remembrance of the talents and profound understanding of Sikh faiths by Bhai Jetha. When Guru Amar Das Ji chose to appoint a son in law as his successor instead of a biological son, he created the concept that Guruship was founded on merit and commitment and not on family lineage.

Guru Amar Das Ji passed away on the 1 st of September 1574 and was 95 years old. He died at the close of a glorious career of service and rule. The life and teachings of the Guru are still motivating Sikhs and people in general who endeavour to keep the values of equality, humility and service. His teachings are still present in the form of the Guru Granth Sahib Ji which is the holy book of Sikhism and includes his songs and his works in Sikhism philosophy.

Conclusion

The contributions of Guru Amar Das Ji to Sikhism and its development were great. His social practices, administration and spiritual guidance reforms affected the values of the Sikh community. Thanks to his selflessness, modesty, and vision, Guru Amar Das Ji established the Sikhism upon the doctrine of equality, service, and spiritual devotion. His legacy still shapes Sikh thoughts and practices to prove that he is still relevant to Sikh faith.