|
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, condemned 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 organized the proleystation
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
Jalandhar. |
|
2. |
Mahesh Dhir
at Sultanpur Lodi. |
|
In Kangra Hills. |
|
1. |
Sawan mal,
Nephew of Guru Amardas, at Haripur Guler. |
|
2. |
Name not
given, at Dharamsala. |
|
In 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. Ropar.
|
|
4.
|
Mai Sewan at
Village Gardnoh in Patiala District.
|
|
5.
|
Sachna Shah in
charge of Ambala dist. |
|
In
Sind
|
|
1.
|
Lalu in charge
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 Amardas
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 highly 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.
|
|
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