Guru Ram Das, the fourth of the ten Sikh Gurus, is remembered for a life that began in hardship and grew into one of the most enduring legacies in Sikh history. Born in Lahore in 1534 and orphaned as a young child, he was raised in poverty yet became known for a humility and spirit of service that would define his guruship. He founded the settlement that became the city of Amritsar, began the excavation of its sacred pool, and composed the wedding hymns that are still sung at Sikh marriages today. His story is one of devotion rewarded not with comfort but with responsibility.
Early life as Bhai Jetha
He was born Jetha, meaning the firstborn, in the Chuna Mandi quarter of Lahore on 24 September 1534. Both of his parents died while he was still a young boy, leaving him in the care of his maternal grandmother in a village near the city. Accounts of his childhood describe him selling boiled chickpeas to support himself, a memory of poverty that later shaped his deep sympathy for the humble and the working poor. Despite these hardships, he was remembered as a child of gentle temperament and unusual devotion.
A move to Goindval
As a young man, Bhai Jetha travelled to Goindval, the town established by Guru Amar Das, the third Sikh Guru. There he joined the growing Sikh community and devoted himself to its daily life, taking part in the collective service that has always sat at the heart of Sikh practice. He gave himself to the building work, the carrying of provisions, and the running of the free community kitchen, the Langar, where all people ate together as equals. His tireless service drew the attention and affection of Guru Amar Das.
Marriage and devotion
Bhai Jetha married Bibi Bhani, the daughter of Guru Amar Das, and so became the Guru's son-in-law. His new family ties did not change his conduct: he continued to serve with the same humility as before, never seeking privilege from his closeness to the Guru. Sikh tradition recounts a well-known test in which Guru Amar Das asked his sons-in-law to build platforms, then declared them imperfect and ordered them rebuilt. While others grew weary and resentful, Bhai Jetha rebuilt his without complaint each time he was told it was flawed, taking the correction as a gift rather than a grievance.
His humility was not weakness but a discipline, a steady willingness to place service above self that the community came to recognise as the mark of a true leader.
Becoming the fourth Guru
In 1574, before his death, Guru Amar Das chose Bhai Jetha to succeed him, passing over his own sons in favour of the man whose devotion had proven itself through years of selfless work. On his accession he took the name Ram Das, meaning servant of God. The choice reflected a principle that runs through the line of the Ten Gurus: leadership was conferred on the basis of merit and spiritual fitness rather than birth. His guruship would last only seven years, yet it left a lasting imprint.
Founding Amritsar
Guru Ram Das is best known for founding the settlement first called Ramdaspur, which grew into the city of Amritsar, today the spiritual centre of the Sikh faith. On land in the region he began the excavation of a great sacred pool, the Amrit Sarovar, or pool of nectar, from which the city takes its name. This pool would later surround the Harmandir Sahib, known today as The Golden Temple. The shrine itself was completed by his son and successor, Guru Arjan, but the vision and the first labour belonged to Guru Ram Das, who invited traders and craftsmen to settle there and helped a true city take root.
The Laavan and Sikh marriage
Among his many contributions to Sikh worship, Guru Ram Das composed the Laavan, the four hymns that form the heart of the Anand Karaj, the Punjabi wedding ceremony. As the couple circle the Guru Granth Sahib, one hymn is recited and sung for each round, describing the soul's journey towards union with the divine. The Laavan turn a marriage into a spiritual progression rather than a mere contract, and they remain central to Sikh weddings around the world. Many other of his compositions were later gathered into the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh scripture.
Legacy and succession
Guru Ram Das died at Goindval on 1 September 1581. Before his passing he chose his youngest son, Arjan, to follow him as the fifth Guru, again selecting on the strength of devotion rather than the claim of seniority. Guru Arjan would go on to complete the Harmandir Sahib and to compile the Adi Granth, building directly on his father's foundations. The city Guru Ram Das began, the pool he first dug, and the wedding hymns he composed all endure, so that his short guruship continues to shape Sikh life and Punjabi culture more than four centuries later.