Lives of the Gurus ยท 3rd Guru
Guru Amar Das Ji (1479โ1574): Twelve Years of Seva, Goindwal Sahib, the Manji System and Social Reform
Guru Amar Das Ji became Guru at an age when most people retire, yet the twenty-two years of his Guruship were among the most creative in Sikh history. He built Goindwal into a centre of pilgrimage, organised the community into regional units, gave women preaching roles and spoke out against sati and purdah. This guide explains each of these contributions with the facts exams ask.
Life at a glance
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Born | 1479, Basarke (Amritsar district) |
| Family | Bhalla Khatri; father Tej Bhan, mother Mata Lachhmi |
| Wife | Mata Mansa Devi |
| Children | Sons Mohan and Mohri; daughters Bibi Dani and Bibi Bhani |
| Became Guru | 1552, at the age of 73 |
| Centre | Goindwal Sahib, on the Beas |
| Passed away | 1574, Goindwal Sahib |
| Successor | Bhai Jetha โ Guru Ram Das Ji, his son-in-law |
A seeker for sixty years
Amar Das was a devout Vaishnav who, tradition says, made around twenty pilgrimages to Haridwar. On one journey a sadhu asked him who his guru was; he had none, and the question troubled him.
Back at Basarke, he heard Bibi Amro, daughter of Guru Angad Dev Ji (married to his nephew), singing a hymn of Guru Nanak Dev Ji in the early morning. Deeply moved, he asked to be taken to Khadur. At over sixty years of age he became a disciple of a Guru twenty-five years younger than himself.
Twelve years of seva
For twelve years he fetched water from the Beas every morning for the Guru's bath and worked in the langar. One stormy night he stumbled into a weaver's peg and fell; the weaver's wife mocked him as "Amru nithawan" โ Amru the homeless. Hearing this, Guru Angad Dev Ji declared that Amar Das was "the home of the homeless" and the "support of the unsupported". In 1552, he was installed as the third Guru.
Goindwal Sahib
Goindwal was a new settlement on the Beas, on the main road from Lahore to Delhi, built on land given by a merchant named Goinda. Guru Angad Dev Ji had asked Amar Das to settle there, and it became the centre of the third Guru's work.
- He built the baoli (step-well) with 84 steps, completed in 1559, so that people of every caste could draw water from the same source. Tradition holds that reciting the Japji Sahib on each of the 84 steps brings spiritual merit.
- Goindwal became the first place of Sikh pilgrimage, with gatherings on Baisakhi, Diwali and Maghi, which he fixed as days for Sikhs to come together.
- It sat at a river crossing, which helped the message spread to travellers and traders.
Pangat before sangat
Guru Amar Das Ji made eating in the langar a condition for meeting him: "pehle pangat, phir sangat". Everyone sat in rows (pangat) on the floor and ate the same food.
According to tradition, when Emperor Akbar came to Goindwal, he too sat in the pangat. Impressed, Akbar is said to have offered a land grant, which the Guru declined for himself; tradition records that land was later given to Bibi Bhani. The Raja of Haripur is also said to have eaten in the langar before meeting the Guru.
Organising the community
Manjis and pirhis
The community had grown too large to be guided from one place. The Guru set up:
| Unit | Number | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Manji | 22 | Regional preaching centres, each led by a devout Sikh who taught, collected offerings and settled disputes |
| Pirhi | 52 (by tradition) | Smaller preaching seats, several of them given to women |
The term manji comes from the cot on which the preacher sat. The system created a network of local leaders long before the masand system.
Women's role
Guru Amar Das Ji is remembered as a reformer for women:
- he spoke strongly against sati, saying that a true sati is one who lives with virtue, not one who burns on a pyre;
- he discouraged purdah (veiling) in the sangat;
- he supported the remarriage of widows;
- he appointed women to preach.
Ceremonies
He introduced simple Sikh ceremonies for birth and death, based on kirtan and prayer in place of elaborate rites performed by priests.
The Goindwal pothis
Under Guru Amar Das Ji the hymns of the first three Gurus, along with some Bhagat bani, were collected into manuscript volumes known as the Goindwal pothis (also called the Mohan pothis, after his son Mohan who kept them). These were among the main sources used by Guru Arjan Dev Ji when he compiled the Adi Granth in 1604.
His bani
Guru Amar Das Ji contributed close to 900 hymns to the Guru Granth Sahib โ more than any Guru except Guru Arjan Dev Ji and Guru Nanak Dev Ji. His best-known composition is:
- Anand Sahib ("Song of Bliss") in Ramkali raag โ its first five and last stanzas are recited at the close of every Sikh service.
His hymns emphasise the idea of the Gurmukh (one who follows the Guru) as against the manmukh (one who follows his own ego).
Succession
Bibi Bhani, his younger daughter, was married to Bhai Jetha, a young Sodhi Khatri from Lahore who had served at Goindwal with great devotion. Tradition records a test in which several disciples were asked to build platforms; only Jetha patiently rebuilt his again and again. In 1574, Guru Amar Das Ji passed Guruship to him as Guru Ram Das Ji, and before his death asked him to build a new centre โ the future Amritsar.
Places linked with Guru Amar Das Ji
- Basarke (Amritsar) โ birthplace.
- Khadur Sahib โ years of seva.
- Goindwal Sahib (Tarn Taran) โ Gurdwara Baoli Sahib, Gurdwara Chubara Sahib, where he passed away.
Exam traps
- The baoli is at Goindwal, not Khadur Sahib or Amritsar.
- There were 22 manjis; the number 52 refers to pirhis by tradition.
- Anand Sahib is by Guru Amar Das Ji; Sukhmani Sahib is by Guru Arjan Dev Ji.
Key points to remember
- Born 1479, Basarke; Guru 1552โ1574 at 73.
- Goindwal baoli, 84 steps (1559).
- Pangat before sangat; Akbar sat in langar.
- 22 manjis, women preachers; against sati and purdah.
- Goindwal pothis; Anand Sahib in Ramkali raag.
- Successor: son-in-law Bhai Jetha (Guru Ram Das Ji).
Practice questions
Q1. Guru Amar Das Ji was born at:
- (a) Basarke
- (b) Goindwal
- (c) Khadur Sahib
- (d) Chuna Mandi, Lahore
Show answer
Answer: (a) Basarke โ He was born at Basarke in Amritsar district.
Q2. At what age did Guru Amar Das Ji become Guru?
- (a) 33
- (b) 51
- (c) 73
- (d) 61
Show answer
Answer: (c) 73 โ He became Guru in 1552 at the age of 73.
Q3. The three gatherings fixed by Guru Amar Das Ji were on:
- (a) Holi, Diwali and Lohri
- (b) Baisakhi, Diwali and Maghi
- (c) Baisakhi, Holi and Dussehra
- (d) Maghi, Lohri and Teeyan
Show answer
Answer: (b) Baisakhi, Diwali and Maghi โ Sikhs gathered at Goindwal on Baisakhi, Diwali and Maghi.
Q4. The Goindwal pothis are also known as the:
- (a) Bhai Banno Bir
- (b) Mohan pothis
- (c) Damdami Bir
- (d) Kartarpur Bir
Show answer
Answer: (b) Mohan pothis โ They were kept by his son Mohan.
Q5. Anand Sahib is composed in which raag?
- (a) Asa
- (b) Gauri
- (c) Ramkali
- (d) Suhi
Show answer
Answer: (c) Ramkali โ Anand Sahib is in Ramkali raag.
Q6. Who was Guru Amar Das Ji's successor?
- (a) His son Mohri
- (b) His son-in-law Bhai Jetha
- (c) Baba Buddha
- (d) Datu
Show answer
Answer: (b) His son-in-law Bhai Jetha โ Bhai Jetha became Guru Ram Das Ji in 1574.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Guru Amar Das Ji build the baoli at Goindwal?
To give people of all castes one common source of water and a place of pilgrimage for the Sikhs.
What were the manjis?
Twenty-two regional preaching centres, each led by a trusted Sikh, created by Guru Amar Das Ji to organise the community.
What did Guru Amar Das Ji say about sati?
He rejected the practice, teaching that a true sati is a woman who lives a virtuous life, not one who burns herself.
Official sources
- Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC)
- Punjab Digital Library
- Encyclopaedia Britannica โ Guru Amar Das
Rules, dates and figures can change. Always check the latest official notification or government release before relying on a detail.