Person · fourth Sikh Guru
Guru Ram Das
Also known as Ram Das, Guru Ram Dasji, Jetha
Guru Ram Das Ji (24 September 1534 - 1 September 1581), the fourth Sikh Guru from 1574 to 1581 and the founder of Amritsar. Born as Jetha at Chuna Mandi, Lahore, he became Guru Amar Das's disciple and later son-in-law after marrying Bibi Bhani. On his appointment as Guru in 1574, he began the construction of the city of Ramdaspur (later Amritsar) at the site of the sacred tank Amrit Sarovar (c.1577) that gave the city its name. He laid the foundations of the Harmandir Sahib (though it was completed by his son Guru Arjan). He composed 638 hymns including the Lavan (the four-verse Sikh wedding ceremony) in Suhi raga. He died at Goindwal and appointed his youngest son Guru Arjan as the fifth Guru — making Sikh succession hereditary.
- Date
- 1534–1581
- Function
- Authority & administration
- Patron dynasty
- Sikh gurus
- Confidence
- Established / referenced
Connections (1)
- FoundedHarmandir Sāhib (Golden Temple)
Guru Ram Das founded the city of Ramdaspur (later Amritsar) around the sacred Amrit Sarovar tank in c.1577 during his tenure as the fourth Guru (1574-1581). He laid the foundations of the Harmandir Sahib temple complex and composed 638 hymns including the Lavan — the four-verse Sikh wedding ceremony — in Suhi raga. He appointed his youngest son Guru Arjan as the fifth Guru, making Sikh succession hereditary from his line.
Sources
Standard biography.
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