Guru Arjan
Guru Arjan (गुरु अर्जन, 1563–1606) was the fifth of the ten Sikh Gurus, serving from 1581 until his death. He compiled the Adi Granth, built the Harmandir Sahib at Amritsar, and was executed at Lahore in 1606 under Mughal authority — the first Sikh martyr.
Life
Guru Arjan was born in 1563 at Goindwal, the youngest son of Guru Ram Das and Bibi Bhani. He succeeded his father in 1581 and led the Sikh community during a period of growth and internal rivalry, including disputes with his elder brother Prithi Chand over succession. In 1606 he was arrested by Mughal officials in Lahore, subjected to torture, and executed — by Sikh tradition by order of Emperor Jahangir, with the circumstances and causes (including the involvement of Chandu Shah and the Guru’s blessing of the rebel Prince Khusrau) recorded variously in Persian and Sikh sources. He is venerated as Shaheedan de Sartaaj, the crown of martyrs.
Contributions
Guru Arjan compiled the Adi Granth in 1604, assembling the hymns of the Gurus and of Hindu and Muslim bhagats into a single canonical scripture, installed in the Harmandir Sahib. He designed and built the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) at Amritsar, famously placing it on ground level and with entrances on all sides as a statement of openness. Roughly 2,218 of his hymns are in the Guru Granth Sahib. He also founded towns including Tarn Taran and Hargobindpur and strengthened the masand network.
Legacy
Guru Arjan’s compilation fixed the shape of Sikh scripture; his execution marked a decisive turn toward Sikh militarization under his successor, Guru Hargobind.
Verification notes
- Audited against Wikipedia (September 2026).
- Dates (1563–1606), the 1604 Adi Granth compilation, the ~2,218 hymn count, and the Harmandir Sahib are per Wikipedia.
- The precise circumstances and responsibility for his 1606 execution differ among Persian and Sikh sources.