Gurmukhi
Gurmukhī ( , Shahmukhi: ) is an abugida developed from the Laṇḍā scripts, standardized and used by the second Sikh guru, Guru Angad (1504–1552). Commonly regarded as a Sikh script, Gurmukhi is used in Punjab, India as the official scrip ...
: ਗੁਰੂ ਹਰਿ ਕ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਨ, pronunciation: ; 7 July 1656–30 March 1664) also known as Bal Guru (Child
Guru
Guru ( ; International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''guru'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian religions, Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: tr ...
),HS Singha (2009), The Encyclopedia of Sikhism, Hemkunt Press, , pp. 96–97 or Hari Krishan Sahib, was the eighth of the ten
Sikh guru
The Sikh gurus (Punjabi language, Punjabi: ਸਿੱਖ ਗੁਰੂ; Hindi: सिख गुरु) are the spiritual masters of Sikhism, who established the religion over the course of about two and a half centuries, beginning in 1469. The year ...
s. At the age of five, he succeeded his father,
Guru Har Rai
Guru Har Rai (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਹਰਿ ਰਾਇ, pronunciation: ; 16 January 1630 – 6 October 1661) revered as the ''seventh Nanak'', was the seventh of ten Gurus of the Sikh religion. and became the youngest guru in Sikhism. He contracted
smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...
in 1664 and died before reaching his eighth birthday, with the shortest reign as guru, lasting only two years, five months, and 24 days.
He is remembered in the Sikh tradition for saying "Baba Bakale" before he died, which Sikhs interpreted to identify his grand-uncle
Guru Tegh Bahadur
Guru Tegh Bahadur ( Punjabi: ਗੁਰੂ ਤੇਗ਼ ਬਹਾਦਰ (Gurmukhi); ; 1 April 1621 – 11 November 1675) was the ninth of ten gurus who founded the Sikh religion and was the leader of Sikhs from 1665 until his beheading in ...
as his successor.
Biography
Har Krishan was born in Kiratpur Sahib (
Shivalik Hills
The Sivalik Hills, also known as Churia Hills, are a mountain range of the outer Himalayas.
The literal translation of "Sivalik" is 'tresses of Shiva'. The hills are known for their numerous fossils, and are also home to the Soanian Middle Paleo ...
) in the northwest
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...
to Krishen Devi (Mata Sulakhni) and
Guru Har Rai
Guru Har Rai (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਹਰਿ ਰਾਇ, pronunciation: ; 16 January 1630 – 6 October 1661) revered as the ''seventh Nanak'', was the seventh of ten Gurus of the Sikh religion.Sodhi
Sodhi is a clan of Khatris who historically lived in both eastern and western Punjab.
Some notable Sikh Gurus, including Hari Das, Guru Ram Das, Prithi Chand, to Guru Arjan were from the Sodhi clan.
Origin
According to a legend, some of the ...
clan of
Khatris
Khatri () is a caste originating from the Malwa and Majha areas of Punjab region of South Asia that is predominantly found in India, but also in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Khatris claim they are warriors who took to trade. In the Indian ...
. In the war of succession to the Mughal Empire throne between the sons of Shah Jahan, Har Krishan's father supported the moderate
Sufi
Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism.
Practitioners of Sufism are r ...
-influenced
Dara Shikoh
Dara Shikoh (20 March 1615 – 30 August 1659), also transliterated as Dara Shukoh, was the eldest son and heir-apparent of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. Dara was designated with the title ''Padshahzada-i-Buzurg Martaba'' () and was favoured ...
over the conservative Sunni-influenced
Aurangzeb
Alamgir I (Muhi al-Din Muhammad; 3 November 1618 – 3 March 1707), commonly known by the title Aurangzeb, also called Aurangzeb the Conqueror, was the sixth Mughal emperors, Mughal emperor, reigning from 1658 until his death in 1707, becomi ...
as the two brothers entered into a war of succession to the Mughal Empire throne.
After Aurangzeb won the war in 1658, he executed his brother and later called Guru Har Rai to his court to explain his support for Dara Shikoh. Guru Har Rai, however, sent his elder son
Ram Rai
Ram Rai (Gurmukhi: ਰਾਮ ਰਾਏ; ''rāma rā'ē''; 1645–1687) was the excommunicated eldest son of the seventh Sikh gurus, Sikh Guru, Guru Har Rai, and the founder of the Ramraiyas, an unorthodox and heretical sect in Sikhism.
Biograp ...
, aged 13, to represent him. Aurangzeb kept Ram Rai as hostage and questioned him about a verse in the
Adi Granth
The Guru Granth Sahib (, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and eternal Guru following the lineage of the ten human gurus of the religion. The Adi Granth (), its first rendition, w ...
, the Sikh holy text, claiming that it disparaged the Muslims.Har Rai: Sikh Guru Encyclopædia Britannica (2015) Instead of standing by the Sikh scripture, Ram Rai changed the verse to appease Aurangzeb, an act for which Guru Har Rai excommunicated him and nominated his younger son Har Krishan, aged five, to succeed him. The child became Sikhism's eighth guru on 7 October 1661.
Aurangzeb
Alamgir I (Muhi al-Din Muhammad; 3 November 1618 – 3 March 1707), commonly known by the title Aurangzeb, also called Aurangzeb the Conqueror, was the sixth Mughal emperors, Mughal emperor, reigning from 1658 until his death in 1707, becomi ...
meanwhile rewarded Ram Rai, patronizing him with land grants in the
Dehra Dun
Dehradun (), also known as Dehra Doon, is the winter capital and the most populous city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and is governed by the Dehradun Municipal Corporation, ...
region of the Himalayas. A few years after Har Krishan assumed the role of Sikh Guru, Aurangzeb summoned him to his court in Delhi through Raja Jai Singh, with an apparent plan to replace the child guru with his elder brother Ram Rai.
When Har Krishan arrived in Delhi in 1664, however, he contracted smallpox and his meeting with Aurangzeb was canceled. Some sources state that the cancellation was due to Har Krishan's outright refusal to meet with the
Mughal emperor
The emperors of the Mughal Empire, who were all members of the Timurid dynasty (House of Babur), ruled the empire from its inception on 21 April 1526 to its dissolution on 21 September 1857. They were supreme monarchs of the Mughal Empire in ...
because he foresaw that Aurangzeb would demand that he perform miracles, forbidden in Sikhism.
Har Krishan's illness, which may have occurred because he contracted smallpox while successfully curing his followers, brought him to the point of death at the age of only seven and a half. Sikh historian
Kavi Santokh Singh
Kavi Santokh Singh (8 October 178719 October 1843/1844) was a Sikh historian, poet and writer. He was such a prolific writer that the Sikh Reference Library at Darbar Sahib Amritsar was named after him, located within the Mahakavi Santokh Singh H ...
describes the final moments of the child guru, speaking with the ''sangat'' or congregation, in which he said that there were many reasons why he was dying but that it was of no use to go into them because the ''gaddi'' (throne) of Guru Nanak Dev—representing succession of gurus—was continuous and glorious. Because the body is only temporary, he counseled, the true guru is the Granth Sahib, Sikhism's holy scripture, and that those wishing to see or speak to him could do so by just viewing or reading or listening to it. At this, the community asked him not to leave them leaderless but to bless them with someone like him, whereupon he requested a coconut and five paise—an action symbolic to Sikhs—and went on to describe the greatness of the next guru, saying that he would attract millions of followers and greatly evolve Sikhism.''''
He then pronounced, ''"Baba basay je gram bikale,"'' which the ''sangat'' interpreted this to mean that his successor would be located in the village of Bakale. In time,
Tegh Bahadur
Guru Tegh Bahadur ( Punjabi: ਗੁਰੂ ਤੇਗ਼ ਬਹਾਦਰ ( Gurmukhi); ; 1 April 1621 – 11 November 1675) was the ninth of ten gurus who founded the Sikh religion and was the leader of Sikhs from 1665 until his beheading i ...
(Har Krishan's great-uncle) was identified there as the ninth Sikh guru, which greatly frustrated Aurangzeb because he had wanted Ram Rai in that position so he could control the community.
Historiography
Authentic literature with more details about Guru Har Krishan's life and times is scarce and not well recorded. Although some biographies of him, particularly about who his mother was, were written in the 18th century—in particular by Kesar Singh Chhibber—and the 19th century, they are considered highly inconsistent.
Gallery
File:Front view of Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, Delhi.jpg,
Gurudwara
A gurdwara or gurudwara () is a place of assembly and worship in Sikhism, but its normal meaning is "place of guru" or "home of guru". Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as ''Gurdwara Sahib''. People from all faiths and religions are welcomed in gurd ...
Bangla Sahib
Gurdwara Bangla Sahib () is one of the most prominent Sikh gurdwaras, or Sikh house of worship, in Delhi, India, and known for its association with the eighth Sikh Guru, Guru Har Krishan, as well as the holy pond inside its complex, known as th ...
, residence of Raja Jai Singh of Delhi, where Guru Har Krishan died—now one of North India's most famous gurudwaras
File:Gurudwara Panjokhra Sahib, Haryana.jpg,
Gurudwara
A gurdwara or gurudwara () is a place of assembly and worship in Sikhism, but its normal meaning is "place of guru" or "home of guru". Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as ''Gurdwara Sahib''. People from all faiths and religions are welcomed in gurd ...
Panjokhra Sahib,
Ambala
Ambala () is a city and a municipal corporation in Ambala district in the state of Haryana, India, located on the border with the Indian state of Punjab (India), Punjab and in proximity to both states capital Chandigarh. Politically, Ambala ...
,
Haryana
Haryana () is a States and union territories of India, state located in the northern part of India. It was carved out after the linguistic reorganisation of Punjab, India, Punjab on 1 November 1966. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with les ...
, which Guru Har Krishan visited on his way to Delhi—now dedicated to his memory
File:Sri Guru Har Krishan Ji Gurudwara Pothi Mala.jpg, Fresco of Guru Har Krishan, circa 1745
File:Guru Har Krishan painting.jpg, Painting of Guru Har Krishan (left) fanned by an attendant, circa 1700–1750
File:Guru Har Krishan miniature painting.jpg, Miniature painting of Guru Har Krishan
File:Guru Har Krishan being worshipped by his followers.jpg, Devotees bowing to Guru Har Krishan
File:Original structure of Gurudwara Sri Sheesh Mahal Sahib, Kiratpur Sahib.jpg, Original structure of
Gurdwara
A gurdwara or gurudwara () is a place of assembly and place of worship, worship in Sikhism, but its normal meaning is "place of guru" or "home of guru". Sikhism, Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as ''Gurdwara Sahib''. People from all faiths and rel ...
Sri Sheesh Mahal Sahib,
Kiratpur Sahib
Kiratpur, also known as Kiratpur Sahib, (lit. "city of glory") is a town, just 30 km from Rupnagar, Rupnagar city in Rupnagar district of Punjab, India, Punjab, India. The town is the location of the Gurdwara Patal Puri where many Sikhs take as ...
, birthplace of Guru Har Krishan
See also
*
Gurudwara Bangla Sahib
Gurdwara Bangla Sahib () is one of the most prominent Sikh gurdwaras, or Sikh house of worship, in Delhi, India, and known for its association with the eighth Sikh Guru, Guru Har Krishan, as well as the holy pond inside its complex, known as t ...