Guru Amar Das
A Sikh spiritual leader who championed social equality, dismantled caste barriers, and established a revolutionary community kitchen.
1479–1574 (age 95)·Third Sikh guru from 1552 to 1574·Birthday: May 5
Biography
Guru Amar Das assumed leadership of the Sikh faith at the age of 73, bringing the wisdom of his years to a pivotal period of institution-building. He established the Manji system, a network of preaching districts that organized and spread the faith across regions. Perhaps his most enduring physical legacy is the Baoli, a stepped well he had constructed in Goindwal, which became a central pilgrimage site. He vehemently opposed practices like purdah (veiling) and sati, insisting on the spiritual equality of women and mandating that anyone wishing to meet him must first eat at the Langar, the free communal kitchen where all sat together regardless of background. His writings, compiled in the Anand Sahib, remain a core part of Sikh liturgy, and his administrative genius provided a sturdy framework for the young religion's explosive growth.
#1 When Guru Was Born
The biggest hits of 1479
Guru's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1479Born
1484Started school
1492Became a teenager
1495Could drive
1497Could vote
1500Turned 21
1509Turned 30
1519Turned 40
1529Turned 50
1539Turned 60
1549Turned 70
1559Turned 80
1574Died at 95
Key Achievements
- Established the Manji system, a formal ecclesiastical organization of 22 preaching districts for Sikhism.
- Constructed the Baoli, a sacred stepped well in Goindwal, as a major Sikh pilgrimage center.
- Strengthened and institutionalized the Langar, the free communal kitchen, as a mandatory practice for breaking social barriers.
- Composed the Anand Sahib, a collection of hymns that forms a vital part of daily Sikh prayers.
Did You Know?
He became the third Sikh Guru at the age of 73 after serving as a devout follower of his predecessor for over two decades.
He decreed that the Mughal emperor Akbar, like all visitors, must eat in the common Langar before being granted an audience.
He explicitly prohibited the practice of sati (widow burning) among his followers.
His daughter, Bibi Bhani, was married to his successor, Guru Ram Das, making his grandson Guru Arjan Dev.
“The divine light pervades all places; the temple of God is in every heart.”
