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| {{Short description| |
{{Short description|Seventh Sikh guru from 1644 to 1661}} | ||
| {{Use dmy dates|date= |
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}} | ||
| {{Infobox religious biography | {{Infobox religious biography | ||
| | religion = ] | | religion = ] | ||
| | name = Guru Har Rai | | name = Guru Har Rai | ||
| | alt = Guru Har Rai | | alt = Guru Har Rai | ||
| | image = Guru Har Rai.jpg | | image = Guru Har Rai, Guler-Basohli painting.jpg | ||
| | caption = Guru Har Rai |
| caption = Guru Har Rai receives a devotee. Family workshop of Nainsukh of Guler, Punjab Hills, ca.1790 | ||
| | birth_name = | | birth_name = | ||
| | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1630|01|16}} | | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1630|01|16}} | ||
| | birth_place = ], ], ] |
| birth_place = ], ], ] | ||
| | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1661|10|06|1630|01|16}} | | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1661|10|06|1630|01|16}} | ||
| | death_place = |
| death_place = Kiratpur Sahib, Lahore Subah, Mughal Empire | ||
| | period = 1644–1661 | | period = 1644–1661 | ||
| | other_names = '' |
| other_names = ''Seventh Master''<br>''Seventh Nanak' | ||
| | predecessor = ] | | predecessor = ] | ||
| | successor = ] | | successor = ] | ||
| | |
| parents = ] (father) , | ||
| ] (mother) | |||
| | spouse = Mata Krishen Devi | |||
| ] (father in law) | |||
| ] (mother in law)<ref>"Sri Gur Panth Prakash" by Rattan Singh Bhangoo:</ref><ref>"Sri Gur Sobha" by Sainapati</ref><ref>Bhai Gurdas Vaaran</ref><ref>"Gurbilas Patshahi 6" by Koer Singh</ref> | |||
| | spouse = Mata Krishen Devi (also known as Sulakhni, Kot Kalyani,<ref>{{cite web |title=History - Darbar Shri Guru Ram Rai Ji Maharaj - Dehradun |url=http://www.sgrrdarbar.org/history.aspx |website=www.sgrrdarbar.org}}</ref> or Kishan Kaur) | |||
| | children = ]<br> ] | | children = ]<br> ] | ||
| | native_name = ਗੁਰੂ ਹਰਿ ਰਾਇ | | native_name = ਗੁਰੂ ਹਰਿ ਰਾਇ | ||
| | native_name_lang = pa | | native_name_lang = pa | ||
| | native name lang = pa | | native name lang = pa | ||
| | signature = |
| signature = Nisan (signature) of Guru Har Rai, at the beginning of a Guru Granth Sahib manuscript dated 1716 Bikrami Samvat (1659 C.E.).jpg | ||
| }} | }} | ||
| {{Sikhism sidebar}} | {{Sikhism sidebar}} | ||
| '''Guru Har Rai''' (]: ਗੁਰੂ ਹਰਿ ਰਾਇ, pronunciation: {{IPA-pa|gʊɾuː ɦəɾ ɾaːɪ|}}; 16 January 1630 – 6 October 1661)<ref name=eosghr>{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/details/TheEncyclopediaOfSikhism-VolumeIiE-l/page/n275 |title=Har Rai, Guru (1630–1661) |author=Bhagat Singh |editor=Harbans Singh|display-editors=etal| website=Encyclopaedia of Sikhism |publisher=Punjabi University Patiala |access-date=16 January 2017}}</ref> revered as the ''seventh ]'', was the seventh of ten Gurus of the ] religion.<ref name=britharrai>, Encyclopedia Britannica (2015)</ref> He became the Sikh leader at age 14, on 3 March 1644, after the death of his grandfather and the sixth Sikh leader ].<ref name="Mandair2013p50">{{cite book|author=Arvind-Pal Singh Mandair|title=Sikhism: A Guide for the Perplexed |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vdhLAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA50 |year=2013|publisher=Bloomsbury Academic|isbn=978-1-4411-0231-7|pages=50–51}}</ref> He guided the Sikhs for about seventeen years, till his death at age 31.<ref name="Mandair2013p50"/><ref name="Grewal1998p67">{{cite book|author=J. S. Grewal|title=The Sikhs of the Punjab|url= https://archive.org/details/sikhsofpunjab0000grew|url-access=registration|year=1998|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-63764-0|pages=–69}}</ref> | '''Guru Har Rai''' (]: ਗੁਰੂ ਹਰਿ ਰਾਇ, pronunciation: {{IPA-pa|gʊɾuː ɦəɾ ɾaːɪ|}}; 16 January 1630 – 6 October 1661)<ref name=eosghr>{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/details/TheEncyclopediaOfSikhism-VolumeIiE-l/page/n275 |title=Har Rai, Guru (1630–1661) |author=Bhagat Singh |editor=Harbans Singh|display-editors=etal| website=Encyclopaedia of Sikhism |publisher=Punjabi University Patiala |access-date=16 January 2017}}</ref> revered as the ''seventh ]'', was the seventh of ten Gurus of the ] religion.<ref name=britharrai>, Encyclopedia Britannica (2015)</ref> He became the Sikh leader at age 14, on 3 March 1644, after the death of his grandfather and the sixth Sikh leader ].<ref name="Mandair2013p50">{{cite book|author=Arvind-Pal Singh Mandair|title=Sikhism: A Guide for the Perplexed |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vdhLAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA50 |year=2013|publisher=Bloomsbury Academic|isbn=978-1-4411-0231-7|pages=50–51}}</ref> He guided the Sikhs for about seventeen years, till his death at age 31.<ref name="Mandair2013p50"/><ref name="Grewal1998p67">{{cite book|author=J. S. Grewal|title=The Sikhs of the Punjab|url= https://archive.org/details/sikhsofpunjab0000grew|url-access=registration|year=1998|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-63764-0|pages=–69}}</ref> | ||
| Guru Har Rai is notable for maintaining the large army of Sikh soldiers that the sixth Sikh Guru had amassed, yet avoiding military conflict. He supported the moderate Sufi influenced ] instead of conservative ] influenced ] as the two brothers entered into a war of succession to the Mughal Empire throne.<ref name="Mandair2013p50"/> | Guru Har Rai is notable for maintaining the large army of Sikh soldiers that the sixth Sikh Guru had amassed, yet avoiding military conflict. He supported the moderate Sufi influenced ] instead of conservative ] influenced ] as the two brothers entered into a war of succession to the Mughal Empire throne.<ref name="Mandair2013p50"/> | ||
| After Aurangzeb won the succession war in 1658, he summoned Guru Har Rai in 1660 to explain his support for the executed Dara Shikoh. Guru Har Rai sent his elder son ] to represent him. Aurangzeb kept Ram Rai as hostage, questioned Ram Rai about a verse in the ] – the holy text of Sikhs at that time. Aurangzeb claimed that it disparaged the Muslims.<ref name=britharrai/><ref name="Grewal1998p67"/> Ram Rai changed the verse to appease Aurangzeb instead of standing by the Sikh scripture, an act for which Guru Har Rai is remembered for excommunicating his elder son, and nominating his younger son ] to succeed him.<ref>{{cite book|author1=William Owen Cole|author2=Piara Singh Sambhi|title=The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zIC_MgJ5RMUC&pg=PA33 |year=1995|publisher=Sussex Academic Press|isbn=978-1-898723-13-4|pages=33–34}}</ref> Har Krishan became the eighth Guru at age five after Guru Har Rai's death in 1661.<ref name=britharrai/> |
After Aurangzeb won the succession war in 1658, he summoned Guru Har Rai in 1660 to explain his support for the executed Dara Shikoh. Guru Har Rai sent his elder son ] to represent him. Aurangzeb kept Ram Rai as hostage, questioned Ram Rai about a verse in the ] – the holy text of Sikhs at that time. Aurangzeb claimed that it disparaged the Muslims.<ref name=britharrai/><ref name="Grewal1998p67"/> Ram Rai changed the verse to appease Aurangzeb instead of standing by the Sikh scripture, an act for which Guru Har Rai is remembered for excommunicating his elder son, and nominating his younger son ] to succeed him.<ref>{{cite book|author1=William Owen Cole|author2=Piara Singh Sambhi|title=The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zIC_MgJ5RMUC&pg=PA33 |year=1995|publisher=Sussex Academic Press|isbn=978-1-898723-13-4|pages=33–34}}</ref> Har Krishan became the eighth Guru at age five after Guru Har Rai's death in 1661.<ref name=britharrai/> | ||
| == Names == | |||
| Some Sikh literature spell his name as '''Hari Rai'''.<ref name="Singh2014p400">{{cite book |author1=Pashaura Singh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8I0NAwAAQBAJ |title=The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies |author2=Louis E. Fenech |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2014 |isbn=978-0-19-969930-8 |page=400}}</ref> Some modern Sikhs refer to him as the '''Green Guru''' due to the sensitivity he displayed to the natural world.<ref name=":02">{{Cite book |last=Prill |first=Susan E. |title=The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies |date=27 March 2014 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780191004117 |editor-last=Singh |editor-first=Pashaura |pages=223–234 |chapter=19. Ecotheology |editor-last2=Fenech |editor-first2=Louis E.}}</ref> | |||
| ==Biography== | ==Biography== | ||
| Guru Har Rai was born to Nihal |
Guru Har Rai was born to Ananti (also known as Nihal Kaur) and Baba Gurditta into a ] ] household. His father died when he was 8 years old. At age 10, in 1640, Guru Har Rai was married to Mata Kishan Kaur (sometimes also referred to as Sulakhni) the daughter of Daya Ram. They had one daughter Rup Kaur<ref>Harjinder Singh Dilgeer: Sikh History in 10 Volumes. </ref> and two sons, Ram Rai and Har Krishan (the latter of whom became the eighth ].<ref>{{cite book|author=J. S. Grewal|title=The Sikhs of the Punjab|url=https://archive.org/details/sikhsofpunjab0000grew|url-access=registration| year=1998|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-63764-0|pages=–63, 67–69}}</ref> | ||
| Guru Har Rai had brothers. His elder brother Dhir Mal had gained encouragement and support from ], with free land grants and Mughal sponsorship. Dhir Mal attempted to form a parallel Sikh tradition and |
Guru Har Rai had brothers. His elder brother Dhir Mal had gained encouragement and support from ], with free land grants and Mughal sponsorship. Dhir Mal attempted to form a parallel Sikh tradition and criticized his grandfather and sixth Guru, Hargobind. The sixth Guru disagreed with Dhir Mal, and designated the younger Har Rai as the successor. | ||
| Authentic literature about Guru Har Rai life and times are scarce, he left no texts of his own and some Sikh texts composed later spell his name as "Hari Rai".<ref>{{cite book|author1=Louis E. Fenech|author2=W. H. McLeod|title= Historical Dictionary of Sikhism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xajcAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA148 |year=2014|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers|isbn=978-1-4422-3601-1|page=148}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author1=Pashaura Singh|author2=Louis E. Fenech|title=The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8I0NAwAAQBAJ |year=2014|publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-969930-8|page=41}}</ref> Some of the biographies of Guru Har Rai written in the 18th century such as by Kesar Singh Chhibber, and the 19th-century Sikh literature are highly inconsistent.<ref>{{cite book|author=Surjit Singh Gandhi|title=History of Sikh Gurus Retold: 1606–1708 C.E |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vZFBp89UInUC&pg=PA590 |year=2007|publisher=Atlantic Publishers |isbn=978-81-269-0858-5|pages=590–591 with note 2}}</ref> | Authentic literature about Guru Har Rai life and times are scarce, he left no texts of his own and some Sikh texts composed later spell his name as "Hari Rai".<ref>{{cite book|author1=Louis E. Fenech|author2=W. H. McLeod|title= Historical Dictionary of Sikhism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xajcAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA148 |year=2014|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers|isbn=978-1-4422-3601-1|page=148}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author1=Pashaura Singh|author2=Louis E. Fenech|title=The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8I0NAwAAQBAJ |year=2014|publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-969930-8|page=41}}</ref> Some of the biographies of Guru Har Rai written in the 18th century such as by Kesar Singh Chhibber, and the 19th-century Sikh literature are highly inconsistent.<ref>{{cite book|author=Surjit Singh Gandhi|title=History of Sikh Gurus Retold: 1606–1708 C.E |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vZFBp89UInUC&pg=PA590 |year=2007|publisher=Atlantic Publishers |isbn=978-81-269-0858-5|pages=590–591 with note 2}}</ref> | ||
| ===Dara Shikoh=== | ===Dara Shikoh=== | ||
| Guru Har Rai provided medical care to ], possibly when he had been poisoned by Mughal operatives.<ref name=britharrai/><ref name="Mandair2013p50"/> According to Mughal records, Guru Har Rai provided other forms of support to Dara Shikoh as he and his brother Aurangzeb battled for rights to succession. Ultimately, Aurangzeb won, arrested Dara Shikoh and executed him on charges of ] from Islam. In 1660, Aurangzeb summoned Guru Har Rai to appear before him to explain his relationship with Dara Shikoh.<ref name="Mandair2013p50"/> | Guru Har Rai provided medical care to ], possibly when he had been poisoned by Mughal operatives.<ref name=britharrai/><ref name="Mandair2013p50"/> According to Mughal records, Guru Har Rai provided other forms of support to Dara Shikoh as he and his brother Aurangzeb battled for rights to succession. Ultimately, Aurangzeb won, arrested Dara Shikoh and executed him on charges of ] from Islam. In 1660, Aurangzeb summoned Guru Har Rai to appear before him to explain his relationship with Dara Shikoh.<ref name="Mandair2013p50"/> | ||
| In the Sikh tradition, Guru Har Rai was asked why he was helping the Mughal prince Dara Shikoh whose forefathers had persecuted Sikhs and Sikh Gurus. Guru Har Rai is believed to have replied that if a man plucks flowers with one hand and gives it away using his other hand, both hands get the same fragrance.<ref>{{cite book|author=Arvind-Pal Singh Mandair|title=Sikhism: A Guide for the Perplexed |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vdhLAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA226 |year=2013|publisher=Bloomsbury Academic|isbn=978-1-4411-0231-7|pages=226 with note 7}}</ref> | In the Sikh tradition, Guru Har Rai was asked why he was helping the Mughal prince Dara Shikoh whose forefathers had persecuted Sikhs and Sikh Gurus. Guru Har Rai is believed to have replied that if a man plucks flowers with one hand and gives it away using his other hand, both hands get the same fragrance.<ref>{{cite book|author=Arvind-Pal Singh Mandair|title=Sikhism: A Guide for the Perplexed |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vdhLAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA226 |year=2013|publisher=Bloomsbury Academic|isbn=978-1-4411-0231-7|pages=226 with note 7}}</ref> | ||
| After Aurangzeb won the succession war in 1658, he summoned Guru Har Rai in 1660 to explain his support for the executed Dara Shikoh. Guru Har Rai sent his elder son Ram Rai to represent him. Aurangzeb kept the 13 year old Ram Rai as hostage, questioned Ram Rai about a verse in the Adi Granth – the holy text of Sikhs. Aurangzeb claimed that it disparaged the Muslims. Ram Rai changed the meanings of the verse to appease Aurangzeb instead of standing by the Sikh scripture, an act for which Guru Har Rai excommunicated his elder son, and nominated the younger Har Krishan to succeed as the next Guru of Sikhism. | |||
| ⚫ | === Influence === | ||
| ⚫ | He started several public singing and scripture recital traditions in Sikhism. The ''katha'' or discourse style recitals were added by Guru Har Rai to the '']'' singing tradition of Sikhs. He also added the '']'' or continuous scripture singing tradition of Sikhism, as well as the tradition of ''jotian da kirtan'' or collective folk choral singing of scriptures.<ref name="Singh2014p400" /> | ||
| ⚫ | ==== Reforms ==== | ||
| ⚫ | The third Sikh leader ] had started the tradition of appointing '']'' (zones of religious administration with an appointed chief called ''sangatias''),<ref name="cole20">{{cite book|author1=William Owen Cole|author2=Piara Singh Sambhi|title=The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zIC_MgJ5RMUC&pg=PA22| year=1995| publisher= Sussex Academic Press|isbn=978-1-898723-13-4|pages=20–21}}</ref><ref name="FenechMcLeod2014p29">{{cite book|author1=Louis E. Fenech|author2=W. H. McLeod|title=Historical Dictionary of Sikhism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xajcAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA29|year=2014|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=978-1-4422-3601-1|pages=29–30}}</ref> introduced the '']'' ("the tenth" of income) system of revenue collection in the name of Guru and as pooled community religious resource,<ref name="Farhadian2015p342">{{cite book|author=Charles E. Farhadian|title=Introducing World Religions |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5VV-BAAAQBAJ&pg=PT342 |year=2015|publisher=Baker Academic|isbn=978-1-4412-4650-9|pages=342}}</ref> and the famed '']'' tradition of Sikhism where anyone, without discrimination of any kind, could get a free meal in a communal seating.<ref name="FenechMcLeod2014p29" /> | ||
| ⚫ | The organisational structure that had helped Sikhs to grow and resist the Mughal persecution had created new problems for Guru Har Rai. The donation collectors, some of the ]s (local congregational leaders) led by Dhir Mal – the older brother of Guru Har Rai, all of them encouraged by the support of ], land grants and Mughal administration – had attempted to internally split the Sikhs into competing movements, start a parallel guruship, and thereby weaken the Sikh religion. Thus a part of the challenge for Guru<ref name="eosghr" /> Har Rai was to keep Sikhs united.<ref>{{cite book|author=Surjit Singh Gandhi|title=History of Sikh Gurus Retold: 1469–1606 C.E |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qw7-kUkHA_0C&pg=PA365 |year=2007|publisher=Atlantic Publishers |isbn=978-81-269-0857-8|pages=365–367}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Holy People of the World: A Cross-cultural Encyclopedia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H5cQH17-HnMC&pg=PA345 |year=2004|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-57607-355-1|page=345}}</ref> | ||
| ⚫ | He appointed new masands such as Bhai Jodh, Bhai Gonda, Bhai Nattha, Bhagat Bhagwan (for eastern India), Bhai Pheru (for Rajathan), Bhai Bhagat (also known as Bairagi), as the heads of Manjis. | ||
| ===Death and succession=== | ===Death and succession=== | ||
| He appointed his 5-year-old youngest son ] as the eighth Guru of the Sikhs before his death. | He appointed his 5-year-old youngest son ] as the eighth Guru of the Sikhs before his death. | ||
| == Environmental stewardship == | |||
| ⚫ | ==Influence== | ||
| Guru Har Rai is associated in the Sikh tradition for his interest in the natural world.<ref name=":02" /> Guru Har Rai taught that the environment should be cared for by Sikhs.<ref name=":02" /> | |||
| ⚫ | He started several public singing and scripture recital traditions in Sikhism. The ''katha'' or discourse style recitals were added by Guru Har Rai |
||
| ] | |||
| According to a traditional '']'' (with there existing variations of the same tale), when Guru Har Rai was a youth, he was strolling in a garden when the cloak of his garb happened to break a flower off of its stem after coming into contact with it.<ref name=":02" /> After seeing what had happened, he felt a strong sense of remorse for what had occurred, leading him to carefully ensuring his clothing does not harm any other plants for the rest of his life by being cautious through gathering his clothing while walking.<ref name=":02" /> This story depicts the Guru's sensitivity to harm of flora.<ref name=":02" /> | |||
| Guru Har Rai is said to have participated in hunting much like the previous gurus.<ref name=":02" /> However in-contrast to his predecessors, he never actually killed the animals he hunted but rather kept them in a zoo located in Kiratpur.<ref name=":02" /> | |||
| ⚫ | ===Reforms=== | ||
| ⚫ | The third Sikh leader ] had started the tradition of appointing '' |
||
| === Medicinal knowledge === | |||
| ⚫ | The organisational structure that had helped Sikhs to grow and resist the Mughal persecution had created new problems for Guru Har Rai. The donation collectors, some of the ]s (local congregational leaders) led by Dhir Mal – the older brother of Guru Har Rai, all of them encouraged by the support of ], land grants and Mughal administration |
||
| A traditional Sikh garden located in ], known as Naulakha Bagh (meaning "garden of 900,000 plants"), was believed to have been founded and cared for by Guru Har Rai during his guruship period.<ref name=":02" /> It was large and contained many ].<ref name=":02" /> One story narrates that Dara Shikoh was close to death after having been poisoned by tiger whiskers, as per tradition, and the treatments offered by his father, Shah Jahan, failed to absolve his illness.<ref name=":02" /> After trying every treatment with no resolve, Shah Jahan eventually made contact with Guru Har Rai for his assistance, with the latter freely offering it to the Mughal prince.<ref name=":02" /> Guru Har Rai sent medicinal plants to Shah Jahan to treat his son's condition.<ref name=":02" /> Despite the hostility that existed at that time between the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and the Sikhs, the Sikh guru still helped the emperor's poisoned son, which is a reflection of Guru Har Rai's far-reaching compassion.<ref name=":02" /> | |||
| ⚫ | He appointed new masands such as Bhai Jodh, Bhai Gonda, Bhai Nattha, Bhagat Bhagwan (for eastern India), Bhai Pheru (for Rajathan), Bhai Bhagat (also known as Bairagi), as the heads of |
||
| == Salok Mahalla Satvaan (7) == | == Salok Mahalla Satvaan (7) == | ||
| The common Sikh belief is that Guru Hargobind, Guru Har Rai and Guru Harkrishan did not contribute to any Bani at all.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Sardar Harjeet |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fleka3YEE8sC&q=a+couplet+attributed+to+Guru+Har+Rai&pg=PA100 |title=Faith & Philosophy of Sikhism |date=2009 |publisher=Gyan Publishing House |isbn=978-81-7835-721-8 |pages=103–104 |language=en}}</ref> This is not entirely true as Guru Har Rai is said to have written the Salok Mahalla Satvaan.<ref name=":0" /> | |||
| ⚫ | This mahalla is in the Kiratpuri Bir of the Guru Granth Sahib. Although it is clearly marked as a composition of Guru Har Rai the seventh Mina Guru Miharban also used the marker leaving open the possibility of mistaken attribution.<ref name=":0" /> The Salok does not appear in any of the texts containing the writings of Miharban. At the same time no text about the Sikh Gurus lives reference Guru Har Rai writing Bani.<ref>Faith and Philosophy of Sikhism Pg.103</ref> It cannot therefore be securely attributed to Guru Har Rai. Gurus each had their own way of starting poems or couplets.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Singh|first=Sardar Harjeet|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fleka3YEE8sC&q=a+couplet+attributed+to+Guru+Har+Rai&pg=PA100|title=Faith & Philosophy of Sikhism|date=2009|publisher=Gyan Publishing House|isbn=978-81-7835-721-8|language=en}}</ref> | ||
| ⚫ | Guru Har Rai's was: ''Through the voice of Har Rai, the Guru.''<ref>{{Cite book|last=Singh|first=Pashaura|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aiwpDwAAQBAJ&q=a+couplet+attributed+to+Guru+Har+Rai&pg=PT212|title=The Guru Granth Sahib: Canon, Meaning and Authority|date=26 September 2003|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-908773-0|language=en}}</ref> | ||
| == Legacy == | |||
| In 2011, 14 March was the date selected to celebrate Sikh Environment Day because it was the anniversary date of Guru Har Rai's '']'' (ascension to the guruship).<ref name=":02" /> | |||
| In 2013, the president of EcoSikh described Guru Har Rai as the "green guru", emphasizing the Sikh guru's close-bond with nature, in a press-release statement.<ref name=":02" /> | |||
| == Popular culture == | |||
| ⚫ | This mahalla is in the Kiratpuri Bir of the Guru Granth Sahib. Although it is clearly marked as a composition of Guru Har Rai the seventh Mina Guru Miharban also used the marker leaving open the possibility of mistaken attribution. The Salok does not appear in any of the texts containing the writings of Miharban. At the same time no text about the Sikh Gurus lives reference Guru Har Rai writing Bani.<ref>Faith and Philosophy of Sikhism Pg.103</ref> It cannot therefore be securely attributed to Guru Har Rai. Gurus each had their own way of starting poems or couplets.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Singh|first=Sardar Harjeet|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fleka3YEE8sC&q=a+couplet+attributed+to+Guru+Har+Rai&pg=PA100|title=Faith & Philosophy of Sikhism|date=2009|publisher=Gyan Publishing House|isbn=978-81-7835-721-8|language=en}}</ref> | ||
| In 2013, a painting by Rahi Mohinder Singh was gifted to ] which depicts Guru Har Rai giving a tree to a petitioner to plant, however the tree species portrayed in the painting is an ], a ] that was not found during the lifetime of Guru Har Rai, making the painting ].<ref name=":02" /> | |||
| == Gallery == | |||
| ⚫ | Guru Har Rai's was: ''Through the voice of Har Rai, the Guru.''<ref>{{Cite book|last=Singh|first=Pashaura|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aiwpDwAAQBAJ&q=a+couplet+attributed+to+Guru+Har+Rai&pg=PT212|title=The Guru Granth Sahib: Canon, Meaning and Authority|date= |
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| <gallery> | |||
| File:Guru Hargobind with his grandson, the young Guru Har Rai.jpg|] (right) with his grandson, the young Har Rai (left). | |||
| File:Painting of Guru Har Rai holding a flower, kept in the Sursinghwala collection.jpg|Guru Har Rai, Pahari painting. | |||
| File:Painting of Guru Har Rai holding a flower, kept in the Bhai Rupa Chand collection.jpg|Portrait of Guru Har Rai holding a blue flower | |||
| File:Guru Har Rai painting.jpg|Guru Har Rai, the Seventh Guru (ca.1800–1825 Pahari painting) | |||
| </gallery> | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
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| ==External links== | ==External links== | ||
| {{commons category|Guru Har Rai}} | |||
| {{Portal|India|Biography|Punjab}} | {{Portal|India|Biography|Punjab}} | ||
| * , Sikhs.org | * , Sikhs.org | ||
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Latest revision as of 07:45, 6 October 2024
Seventh Sikh guru from 1644 to 1661
| Guru Har Rai | |
|---|---|
| ਗੁਰੂ ਹਰਿ ਰਾਇ | |
 Guru Har Rai receives a devotee. Family workshop of Nainsukh of Guler, Punjab Hills, ca.1790 | |
| Personal life | |
| Born | (1630-01-16)16 January 1630 Kiratpur Sahib, Lahore Subah, Mughal Empire |
| Died | 6 October 1661(1661-10-06) (aged 31) Kiratpur Sahib, Lahore Subah, Mughal Empire |
| Spouse | Mata Krishen Devi (also known as Sulakhni, Kot Kalyani, or Kishan Kaur) |
| Children | Baba Ram Rai Guru Har Krishan |
| Parent(s) | Baba Gurditta (father) ,
Mata Nihal Kaur (mother) Baba Daya Ram (father in law) Mata Ananti (mother in law) |
| Other names | Seventh Master Seventh Nanak' |
| Signature | _of_Guru_Har_Rai,_at_the_beginning_of_a_Guru_Granth_Sahib_manuscript_dated_1716_Bikrami_Samvat_(1659_C.E.).jpg) |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Sikhism |
| Religious career | |
| Period in office | 1644–1661 |
| Predecessor | Guru Hargobind |
| Successor | Guru Har Krishan |
Guru Har Rai (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਹਰਿ ਰਾਇ, pronunciation: [gʊɾuː ɦəɾ ɾaːɪ]; 16 January 1630 – 6 October 1661) revered as the seventh Nanak, was the seventh of ten Gurus of the Sikh religion. He became the Sikh leader at age 14, on 3 March 1644, after the death of his grandfather and the sixth Sikh leader Guru Hargobind. He guided the Sikhs for about seventeen years, till his death at age 31.
Guru Har Rai is notable for maintaining the large army of Sikh soldiers that the sixth Sikh Guru had amassed, yet avoiding military conflict. He supported the moderate Sufi influenced Dara Shikoh instead of conservative Sunni influenced Aurangzeb as the two brothers entered into a war of succession to the Mughal Empire throne.
After Aurangzeb won the succession war in 1658, he summoned Guru Har Rai in 1660 to explain his support for the executed Dara Shikoh. Guru Har Rai sent his elder son Ram Rai to represent him. Aurangzeb kept Ram Rai as hostage, questioned Ram Rai about a verse in the Adi Granth – the holy text of Sikhs at that time. Aurangzeb claimed that it disparaged the Muslims. Ram Rai changed the verse to appease Aurangzeb instead of standing by the Sikh scripture, an act for which Guru Har Rai is remembered for excommunicating his elder son, and nominating his younger son Har Krishan to succeed him. Har Krishan became the eighth Guru at age five after Guru Har Rai's death in 1661.
Names
Some Sikh literature spell his name as Hari Rai. Some modern Sikhs refer to him as the Green Guru due to the sensitivity he displayed to the natural world.
Biography
Guru Har Rai was born to Ananti (also known as Nihal Kaur) and Baba Gurditta into a Sodhi Khatri household. His father died when he was 8 years old. At age 10, in 1640, Guru Har Rai was married to Mata Kishan Kaur (sometimes also referred to as Sulakhni) the daughter of Daya Ram. They had one daughter Rup Kaur and two sons, Ram Rai and Har Krishan (the latter of whom became the eighth Guru).
Guru Har Rai had brothers. His elder brother Dhir Mal had gained encouragement and support from Shah Jahan, with free land grants and Mughal sponsorship. Dhir Mal attempted to form a parallel Sikh tradition and criticized his grandfather and sixth Guru, Hargobind. The sixth Guru disagreed with Dhir Mal, and designated the younger Har Rai as the successor.
Authentic literature about Guru Har Rai life and times are scarce, he left no texts of his own and some Sikh texts composed later spell his name as "Hari Rai". Some of the biographies of Guru Har Rai written in the 18th century such as by Kesar Singh Chhibber, and the 19th-century Sikh literature are highly inconsistent.
Dara Shikoh
Guru Har Rai provided medical care to Dara Shikoh, possibly when he had been poisoned by Mughal operatives. According to Mughal records, Guru Har Rai provided other forms of support to Dara Shikoh as he and his brother Aurangzeb battled for rights to succession. Ultimately, Aurangzeb won, arrested Dara Shikoh and executed him on charges of apostasy from Islam. In 1660, Aurangzeb summoned Guru Har Rai to appear before him to explain his relationship with Dara Shikoh.
In the Sikh tradition, Guru Har Rai was asked why he was helping the Mughal prince Dara Shikoh whose forefathers had persecuted Sikhs and Sikh Gurus. Guru Har Rai is believed to have replied that if a man plucks flowers with one hand and gives it away using his other hand, both hands get the same fragrance.
After Aurangzeb won the succession war in 1658, he summoned Guru Har Rai in 1660 to explain his support for the executed Dara Shikoh. Guru Har Rai sent his elder son Ram Rai to represent him. Aurangzeb kept the 13 year old Ram Rai as hostage, questioned Ram Rai about a verse in the Adi Granth – the holy text of Sikhs. Aurangzeb claimed that it disparaged the Muslims. Ram Rai changed the meanings of the verse to appease Aurangzeb instead of standing by the Sikh scripture, an act for which Guru Har Rai excommunicated his elder son, and nominated the younger Har Krishan to succeed as the next Guru of Sikhism.
Influence
He started several public singing and scripture recital traditions in Sikhism. The katha or discourse style recitals were added by Guru Har Rai to the sabad kirtan singing tradition of Sikhs. He also added the akhand kirtan or continuous scripture singing tradition of Sikhism, as well as the tradition of jotian da kirtan or collective folk choral singing of scriptures.
Reforms
The third Sikh leader Guru Amar Das had started the tradition of appointing Manji (zones of religious administration with an appointed chief called sangatias), introduced the dasvandh ("the tenth" of income) system of revenue collection in the name of Guru and as pooled community religious resource, and the famed langar tradition of Sikhism where anyone, without discrimination of any kind, could get a free meal in a communal seating.
The organisational structure that had helped Sikhs to grow and resist the Mughal persecution had created new problems for Guru Har Rai. The donation collectors, some of the Masands (local congregational leaders) led by Dhir Mal – the older brother of Guru Har Rai, all of them encouraged by the support of Shah Jahan, land grants and Mughal administration – had attempted to internally split the Sikhs into competing movements, start a parallel guruship, and thereby weaken the Sikh religion. Thus a part of the challenge for Guru Har Rai was to keep Sikhs united.
He appointed new masands such as Bhai Jodh, Bhai Gonda, Bhai Nattha, Bhagat Bhagwan (for eastern India), Bhai Pheru (for Rajathan), Bhai Bhagat (also known as Bairagi), as the heads of Manjis.
Death and succession
He appointed his 5-year-old youngest son Har Krishan as the eighth Guru of the Sikhs before his death.
Environmental stewardship
Guru Har Rai is associated in the Sikh tradition for his interest in the natural world. Guru Har Rai taught that the environment should be cared for by Sikhs.
According to a traditional sakhi (with there existing variations of the same tale), when Guru Har Rai was a youth, he was strolling in a garden when the cloak of his garb happened to break a flower off of its stem after coming into contact with it. After seeing what had happened, he felt a strong sense of remorse for what had occurred, leading him to carefully ensuring his clothing does not harm any other plants for the rest of his life by being cautious through gathering his clothing while walking. This story depicts the Guru's sensitivity to harm of flora.
Guru Har Rai is said to have participated in hunting much like the previous gurus. However in-contrast to his predecessors, he never actually killed the animals he hunted but rather kept them in a zoo located in Kiratpur.
Medicinal knowledge
A traditional Sikh garden located in Kiratpur, known as Naulakha Bagh (meaning "garden of 900,000 plants"), was believed to have been founded and cared for by Guru Har Rai during his guruship period. It was large and contained many medicinal species of plants. One story narrates that Dara Shikoh was close to death after having been poisoned by tiger whiskers, as per tradition, and the treatments offered by his father, Shah Jahan, failed to absolve his illness. After trying every treatment with no resolve, Shah Jahan eventually made contact with Guru Har Rai for his assistance, with the latter freely offering it to the Mughal prince. Guru Har Rai sent medicinal plants to Shah Jahan to treat his son's condition. Despite the hostility that existed at that time between the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and the Sikhs, the Sikh guru still helped the emperor's poisoned son, which is a reflection of Guru Har Rai's far-reaching compassion.
Salok Mahalla Satvaan (7)
The common Sikh belief is that Guru Hargobind, Guru Har Rai and Guru Harkrishan did not contribute to any Bani at all. This is not entirely true as Guru Har Rai is said to have written the Salok Mahalla Satvaan.
This mahalla is in the Kiratpuri Bir of the Guru Granth Sahib. Although it is clearly marked as a composition of Guru Har Rai the seventh Mina Guru Miharban also used the marker leaving open the possibility of mistaken attribution. The Salok does not appear in any of the texts containing the writings of Miharban. At the same time no text about the Sikh Gurus lives reference Guru Har Rai writing Bani. It cannot therefore be securely attributed to Guru Har Rai. Gurus each had their own way of starting poems or couplets.
Guru Har Rai's was: Through the voice of Har Rai, the Guru.
Legacy
In 2011, 14 March was the date selected to celebrate Sikh Environment Day because it was the anniversary date of Guru Har Rai's gurgaddi (ascension to the guruship).
In 2013, the president of EcoSikh described Guru Har Rai as the "green guru", emphasizing the Sikh guru's close-bond with nature, in a press-release statement.
Popular culture
In 2013, a painting by Rahi Mohinder Singh was gifted to EcoSikh which depicts Guru Har Rai giving a tree to a petitioner to plant, however the tree species portrayed in the painting is an eucalyptus, a non-native species that was not found during the lifetime of Guru Har Rai, making the painting anachronistic.
Gallery
-
Guru Hargobind (right) with his grandson, the young Har Rai (left).
-
Guru Har Rai, Pahari painting.
-
Portrait of Guru Har Rai holding a blue flower
-
Guru Har Rai, the Seventh Guru (ca.1800–1825 Pahari painting)
References
- "History - Darbar Shri Guru Ram Rai Ji Maharaj - Dehradun". www.sgrrdarbar.org.
- "Sri Gur Panth Prakash" by Rattan Singh Bhangoo:
- "Sri Gur Sobha" by Sainapati
- Bhai Gurdas Vaaran
- "Gurbilas Patshahi 6" by Koer Singh
- ^ Bhagat Singh. Harbans Singh; et al. (eds.). "Har Rai, Guru (1630–1661)". Encyclopaedia of Sikhism. Punjabi University Patiala. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
- ^ Har Rai: Sikh Guru, Encyclopedia Britannica (2015)
- ^ Arvind-Pal Singh Mandair (2013). Sikhism: A Guide for the Perplexed. Bloomsbury Academic. pp. 50–51. ISBN 978-1-4411-0231-7.
- ^ J. S. Grewal (1998). The Sikhs of the Punjab. Cambridge University Press. pp. 67–69. ISBN 978-0-521-63764-0.
- William Owen Cole; Piara Singh Sambhi (1995). The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices. Sussex Academic Press. pp. 33–34. ISBN 978-1-898723-13-4.
- ^ Pashaura Singh; Louis E. Fenech (2014). The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies. Oxford University Press. p. 400. ISBN 978-0-19-969930-8.
- ^ Prill, Susan E. (27 March 2014). "19. Ecotheology". In Singh, Pashaura; Fenech, Louis E. (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies. Oxford University Press. pp. 223–234. ISBN 9780191004117.
- Harjinder Singh Dilgeer: Sikh History in 10 Volumes.
- J. S. Grewal (1998). The Sikhs of the Punjab. Cambridge University Press. pp. 62–63, 67–69. ISBN 978-0-521-63764-0.
- Louis E. Fenech; W. H. McLeod (2014). Historical Dictionary of Sikhism. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 148. ISBN 978-1-4422-3601-1.
- Pashaura Singh; Louis E. Fenech (2014). The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies. Oxford University Press. p. 41. ISBN 978-0-19-969930-8.
- Surjit Singh Gandhi (2007). History of Sikh Gurus Retold: 1606–1708 C.E. Atlantic Publishers. pp. 590–591 with note 2. ISBN 978-81-269-0858-5.
- Arvind-Pal Singh Mandair (2013). Sikhism: A Guide for the Perplexed. Bloomsbury Academic. pp. 226 with note 7. ISBN 978-1-4411-0231-7.
- William Owen Cole; Piara Singh Sambhi (1995). The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices. Sussex Academic Press. pp. 20–21. ISBN 978-1-898723-13-4.
- ^ Louis E. Fenech; W. H. McLeod (2014). Historical Dictionary of Sikhism. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 29–30. ISBN 978-1-4422-3601-1.
- Charles E. Farhadian (2015). Introducing World Religions. Baker Academic. p. 342. ISBN 978-1-4412-4650-9.
- Surjit Singh Gandhi (2007). History of Sikh Gurus Retold: 1469–1606 C.E. Atlantic Publishers. pp. 365–367. ISBN 978-81-269-0857-8.
- Holy People of the World: A Cross-cultural Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. 2004. p. 345. ISBN 978-1-57607-355-1.
- ^ Singh, Sardar Harjeet (2009). Faith & Philosophy of Sikhism. Gyan Publishing House. pp. 103–104. ISBN 978-81-7835-721-8.
- Faith and Philosophy of Sikhism Pg.103
- Singh, Sardar Harjeet (2009). Faith & Philosophy of Sikhism. Gyan Publishing House. ISBN 978-81-7835-721-8.
- Singh, Pashaura (26 September 2003). The Guru Granth Sahib: Canon, Meaning and Authority. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-908773-0.
Bibliography
- Macauliffe, M.A. (1909). The Sikh Religion: Its Gurus Sacred Writings and Authors. Low Price Publications. ISBN 81-7536-132-8.
- Singh, Khushwant (1963). A History of the Sikhs: 1469-1839 Vol.1 (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-567308-5.
External links
- Guru Har Rai, Sikhs.org
- Guru Har Rai, Sikh-History.com
- Guru Har Rai, Official Website of Gurudwara Shri Guru Har Rai Village Bhungarni
| Preceded byGuru Hargobind | Sikh Guru 3 March 1644 – 6 October 1661 |
Succeeded byGuru Har Krishan |
