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Sri Guru Amar Das, though born in 1479,
became the Guru in 1552 when he was
in his seventies. Guru Amardas ji were
born as Bhalla Khatri at village Basarke
about 13 kms south-west of Amritsar.
His father was Tej Bhan Bhalla,, a local
petty trader. They were all staunch
sanatanists, and vegetarians. Guru Amar
das had a wife, two sons and two daughters.
He often went to Haridwar and Jwalamukhi
on pilgrimages and strictly observed
all religious rites and ceromonies.
Before coming into contact with Sikhkism
Guru Amar Das had crossed sixty years
of age. His brother Manak chand lived
nearby his house, Manak Chand's wife
Bibi Amro use to sing Guru Nanak's hymns.
Bhai Amar Das (Later Guru) must have
heard her singing many times before.
He engquired whose hymns she was singing
and immediately made up his mind to
call on Guru Angad. It was in 1541,
when Amardas was 62 years old. Guru
Amardas ji were on Guruship from 1552
to 1574, he moved to Goindwal from Khadur
to avoid conflict with Guru Angad's
son's., elder of whom named Datu had
declared himself as a Guru. 
All the same he took many significant
steps. He established new centres for
conveying to the people the message
of Guru Nanak. Guru Amardas ji, condemnned
Hindus for Sati, allowed widow remarriage
and against Caste systems he started
Guru Ka Langar. He passed on his Guru
Ship to his son in law, Ramdas Sodhi,
who was his most devoted disciple. Guru
Amardas ji organised the proleystaion
of Sikh faith into Manjis. He divided
the area into 22 branches called Manjis
and appointed a local Sikh preacher
at each place. The preacher sat on a
Manji (a cot) while the congregation
all around it. Here are the name of
the people he appointed to preach Sikhism.
in the are of Majha (Amritsar, Lahore,
Sialkote)
1. Manak Chand Jhinwar (Water Carrier)
at Variowal in Amritsar.
2. Sada ram, a Blacksmith near Amritsar.
3. Hindal at Jandiala near Amritsar.
4. Gangu Shah banker at Lahore.
5. Mutho-Murari, a devoted couple, at
Chunian in Lahore Dist.
In Jalandhar Doab
1. Paro Julka at Jalandar.
2. Mahesh Dhir at Sultanpur Lodi.
In Kangra Hills.
1. Sawan mal, Nephew of Guru Amar
Das, at Haripur Guler.
2. Name not given, at Dharamsala.
Kashmir Hills.
1. Phirya at Mirpur.
Malwa (Area of Patiala, Ludhiana, Bhatinda)
1. Kheira at Firozpur.
2. Mai Das Bairagi in charge of Ludhiana
dist.
3. Mai Bhago at village Wayun, tehsil
Kharar, dist. Rupar.
4. Mai Sewan at Village Gardnoh in Patiala
District.
5. Sachna Shah in charge of Ambala distt.
Sind
1. Lalu in chage of some area in Sind.
He started the system of holding two
annual gatherings of his disciples from
all over the country. At his headquarters,
he undertook the construction of a baoli
(a well with a perennial source of spring
water). For the Sikhs the headquarters
of the Guru and this baoli became a
holy place of pilgrimage.
Guru Angad had collected the hymns
of Guru Nanak. To these Guru Amar Das
added the hymns of the former as well
as his own. Guru Amardas appointed three
women as preachers was a unique contribution
of Amardas. Guru Amardas ji were highle
pleased with one of his disciple named
Bhai Jetha, first Guru Amardas ji married
his daughter Bibi Bhani to Bhai Jetha,
and then delighted with the couple's
devotion, he passed on the Guruship
to Bhai Jetha as Guru Ramdas. In his
devotion to Guru Nanak, Guru Angad,
God and his Sikhs Guru Amardas was as
firm as a rock. He departed from this
world on September 1, 1574. They administered
both to the religious and the temporal
needs of the disciples; for, in the
Guru's system legitimate temporal needs
were included in the religious needs.
They collected offerings from the disciples
and sent them to the Guru for the common
use of the community. The Guru himself
earned his living as a small tradesman.
As an anti-caste and anti-pollution
measure, he made it incumbent that no
one, irrespective of his status or caste,
could see him unless he had first partaken,
along with others, of the food cooked
at the common kitchen. Emperor Akbar
had also to dine at the langar before
he met the Guru.
In his time, ascetics and recluses
again made an attempt to enter the Guru's
flock. But the Guru issued a final injunction
that no recluse or ascetic could be
a Sikh. He also denounced the system
of sati and of purdah among women.
According to the Guru, the human body
was the temple of God. He, therefore,
laid emphasis on keeping it healthy
and sound to the end. For the same reason,
he denounced the ascetic practices of
torturing the body. The Guru felt that
the health of the body could not be
divorced from moral and spiritual well-being.
Copyright © Harbans
Singh "The encyclopedia of Sikhism.
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