7TH SIKH GURU :
SRI GURU HAR RAI JI
- Full Name : Har Rai
- Birth : Sunday, 31 January 1630
- Guruship : Tuesday, 19 March 1644
- Joti Jot : Sunday, 20 October 1661
- Parents : Baba Gurdita & Mata Nihal Kaur
- Brother : Brother - Dhir Mall
- Spouse : Mata Krishen Kaur
- Children : Baba Ram Rai & Guru Har Krishan
Brief History :
Guru Har
Rai ji was the son of Baba Gurdita Ji and Mata Nihal Kaur Ji (also known as
Mata Ananti Ji). Baba Gurdita was son of the sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind. Guru
Har Rai ji married Mata Kishan Kaur Ji (sometimes also reffered to as Sulakhni
Ji) daughter of Sri Daya Ram Ji of Anoopshahr (Bulandshahr) in Utter Pradesh on
Har Sudi 3, Samvat 1697. They had two sons: Baba Ram Rai Ji and Sri Har Krishan
Ji.
Although,
Guru Har Rai Ji was a man of peace, he never disbanded the armed Sikh Warriors
(Saint Soldiers), who earlier were maintained by his grandfather, Guru
Hargobind. He always 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 in a battle)
attacked the kafla of Guru Sahib with a force of one thousand armed men. The
unwarranted attack was repulsed by a few hundred Saint Soliders of Guru Sahib
with great courage 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.
Mool Mantar
in the handwriting of Guru Har Rai ji.
Guru Sahib also
established an Aurvedic herbal medicine hospital and a research centre at
Kiratpur Sahib. There also he maintained a zoo. 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 him some "Jagir", but Guru Sahib never accepted.
Guru Har
Rai Ji 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.
Suthre Shah
was born in sampat 1672, in the village of Berampur in the house of Nanda
Khatri. He was born with a full set of teeth, his father after consulting the
pundits and astrologers, placed the child outside the house, leaving him to and
uncertain fate (most likely death), but it just so happened that Sri Guru
Hargobind Sahib ji, on his way back from Kashmir, saw the abandoned infant and
took pity on him and he order his sikhs to carry the child with them, it was
Guru Hargobind sahib ji who named the child 'Suthra'.
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 the Sikh religion
