Guru Ram Das Ji
(1534 – 1581)
About Guru Ram Das Ji: Nurturing The Sikh Tradition With Love
Guru Ram Das was born Jetha and became the fourth Sikh guru in 1574. He was known for his humility and service, often sweeping the dust and cleaning shoes at the gurdwara. Guru Ram Das further strengthened the Masand system to increase outreach efforts of Sikh missionaries
He encouraged his followers to live an honest life, rise before dawn, and recite the name of God (nam simran). In 1577, Guru Ram Das founded the town of Ramdaspur, later known as Amritsar.
Here he started the construction of a pool believed to have healing powers. Guru Arjan later completed the pool and Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) in the center of it. Guru Ram Das composed 2,678 hymns which were included in the Sikh holy book.
To promote equality, he appointed women to leadership roles in the Sikh community. In 1581, he chose his youngest son Arjan to succeed him as the next guru.
Punjabi