Guru Arjan Biography

Guru Arjan Dev was the fifth of the ten Sikh Gurus. He became the first martyr of Sikh faith when he was arrested under the orders of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir and tortured to death when he refused to convert to Islam. His martyrdom was a significant turning point in the history of Sikhism. The hitherto peace loving community took up arms for self-defense and for protecting the rights of the weaker sections against the atrocities perpetuated by the Mughals. Guru Arjan Dev was the son of Guru Ram Das, the fourth Guru in Sikhism. He succeeded his father as the leader of Sikhs upon his death and went on to significantly influence the development of Sikhism. His tenure as the guru lasted for 25 years over which he greatly enriched the Sikh tradition with his many important contributions. He completed the construction of Amritsar which was further developed into one of the most important centers of Sikhism. He compiled the hymns of the previous Sikh Gurus along with selected writings of other saints from different backgrounds which he considered consistent with the teachings of Sikhism. A peaceful and saintly person, he was much revered by people belonging to all religions which made the Mughals insecure and jealous. Thus Jahangir had him arrested and executed.