Guru
Har Rai Sahib
Guru Hargobind Sahib, before his departure for heavenly abode,
nominated his grand son, Har Rai Ji at the tender age of 14, as his
successor (Seventh Nanak), on 3rd March, 1644. Guru Har Rai Sahib was
the son of Baba Gurdita Ji and Mata Nihal Kaur Ji(also known as Mata
Ananti Ji). Guru Har Rai Sahib married to Mata Kishan Kaur Ji(Sulakhni
Ji) daughter of Sri Daya Ram Ji of Anoopshahr (Bulandshahr) in Utter
Pradesh on Har Sudi 3, Samvat 1697. Guru Har Rai Sahib had two sons:
Sri Ram Rai Ji and Sri Har Krishan Sahib Ji(Guru).
Guru Har Rai Sahib was a man of peace but he never disbanded or
discharged the armed Sikh Warriors(Saint Soldiers), who earlier were
maintained by his grandfather (Guru Hargobind Sahib). He otherwise
further boosted the military spirit of the Sikhs. But he never himself
indulged in any direct political and armed controversy with the
contemporary Mughal Empire. Once on the request of Dara Shikoh (the
eldest son of emperor Shahjahan). Guru Sahib helped him to escape
safely from the bloody hands of Aurangzebs armed forces during the war
of succession.
Once Guru Sahib was coming back from the tour of Malwa and Doaba
regions, Mohamad Yarbeg Khan, (son of Mukhlis Khan, who was killed by
Guru Hargobind Sahib in a battle) attacked the kafla of Guru Sahib
with the force of one thousand armed men. The unwarranted attack was
repulsed by a few hundred Saint Soliders of Guru Sahib with great
courge and bravery. The enemy suffered a heavy loss of life and fled
the scene. This self-defense measure, (a befitting reply to the
unwarranted armed attack of the privileged muslims), was an example
for those who professed the theory of so called non-violence or "Ahimsa
Parmo Dharma". Guru Sahib often awarded various Sikh warriors
with gallantry awards.
Guru Sahib also established an Aurvedic herbal medicine hospital and
a research centre at Kiratpur Sahib. There, he maintained a zoo also.
Once Dara Shikoh, the eldest son of Shah Jahan fell seriously ill by
some unknown disease. The best physicians available in the country and
abroad were consulted, but there was no improvement. At last the
emperor made a humble request to Guru Sahib for the treatment of his
son. Guru Sahib accepting the request, handed over some rare and
suitable medicines to the messenger of the emperor. The life of Dara
Shikoh was saved from the cruel jaws of death. The emperor, whole
heartily thanked and wanted to grant some "Jagir", but Guru
Sahib never accepted.
Guru Har Rai Sahib also visited Lahore, Sialkot, Pathankot, Samba,
Ramgarh and many places of Jammu and Kashmir region. He established
360 Sikh missionary seats (ManJis). He also tried to improve the old
corrupt Masand system and appointed pious and committed personalities
like Suthre Shah, Sahiba, Sangtia, Mian Sahib, Bhagat Bhagwan, Bahagat
Mal and Jeet Mal Bhagat (also known as Bairagi), as the heads of
ManJis.
Guru Har Rai Sahib faced some serious difficulties during the period
of his guruship. The corrupt massands, Dhir Mals and Minas always
tried to preclude the advancement of Sikh religion. After the death of
Shah Jahan, the attitude of the state headed by Aurangzeb towards the
non-muslims, turned hostile.
The emperor Aurangzeb made an excuse for the help rendered to prince
Dara Shakoh by Guru Sahib during the war of succession and framed
false charges against Guru Sahib and was summoned to Delhi. Ram Rai Ji
appeard on behalf of Guru Sahib in the court. He tried to clarify some
mis-understandings regarding Guru Ghar and Sikh faith, created by
Dhirmals and Minas. Yet another trap, which he could not escape, was
to clarify the meaning of the verse "The Ashes of the Mohammadan
fall into the potter's clot, It is molded into pots and bricks, and
they cry out as they burn".
Ram Rai, in order to please the emperor and gain more sympathy
replied that the text had been needlessly corrupted by some ignorant
person and inserted the word Musleman instead of word Beiman
(dishonest). (The actual meaning of the verse is that the human soul
is not bound to the physical structure or the body of a person. The
physical material of the bodies of both Hindus and Muselmans face the
same fate and it is a universal truth. The soul leaves the body
immediately after the death and it does not remain in the grave
waiting for doom's day. And the earth consumes the body-material in
due course of time) It is a rational and scientific view of Sikhism.
When Guru Har Rai Sahib was informed about this incident, he
immediately excommunicated Ram Rai Ji from the Sikh Panth and never
met him, through the later pleaded repeatedly for forgiveness. Thus
Guru Sahib established a strict property for the Sikhs against any
alteration of original verse in Guru Granth Sahib and the basic
conventions set up by Guru Nanak Sahib.
Knowing that the end was near, Guru Har Rai Sahib installed his
younger son Har Krishan as the Eighth Nanak and passed away on Kartik
Vadi 9 (5 Kartik), Bikrami Samvat 1718, (6th October, 1661) at
Kiratpur Sahib.
