Guru Arjan Dev Ji
(1563-1606)
Biography of Guru Arjan Dev Ji: Shaping Sikhism With Compassion
Guru Arjan was born in 1563 and became the fifth guru of the Sikhs in 1581 at the age of 18. He completed the construction of Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) at the sacred pool founded by his father Guru Ram Das.
Guru Arjan designed it as the center of Sikh worship with four entrances to represent its inclusiveness. He compiled the first edition of the Sikh scripture Adi Granth to preserve the teachings of the four previous gurus along with other Bhakti movement saints.
As the Sikh community grew, Guru Arjan established other prominent Sikh institutions such as the city of Kartarpur. He emphasised that Sikhs focus on nourishing the soul through meditation on divine name and selfless service.
Guru Arjan introduced the Masand system to manage donations. His growing influence alarmed the Mughal emperor Jahangir who saw him as a threat. He was imprisoned, tortured and executed in 1606.
Before his death, he nominated his son Hargobind as the next guru.
