Guru Amar Das Ji succession was resented by Guru Angad Dev Ji’s son Datu, who ejected Guru Amar Das Ji from Khadur. Guru Ji moved to a town called Gowindwal. Guru Amar Das Ji was a very pious and humble person, once when Datu in a rage kicked Guru Ji, with hands together Guru Amar Ji said humbly “ This must have hurt your foot.”
Guru Ji showed great devotion and made the langar an integral part of Sikhism insisting that anyone who wanted to see him had first to accept hospitality by eating with the disciples. Among those who came to see Guru Ji was the Emperor Akbar, who was so impressed with the way of life in Gowindwal that he assigned the revenues of several villages to Guru Ji’s daughter Bhani Ji as a marriage gift.
Guru Ji increased the number of parishes or manjis to twenty two and appointed masands to organise worship and collect the offerings. Copies were made of the hymns of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and Guru Angad Dev Ji and were added to those written by Guru Amar Das Ji. Since this was written ingurmukhi it gained great popularity amongst the masses. Guru Ji also introduced new forms of ceremonies for birth and death. The Guru rejected the practises of purdha (veiling of women) and of sati , the burning of widows on the funeral pyres of their husbands. This aroused the hostility of the Brahmins who saw the size of their flock dwindling and started to persecute the Sikhs, they also tried to turn the Emperor against the Guru, but when he refused to take action they bribed local officials to harass the Sikhs. This was the start of Sikh oppression which eventually made them take up arms and break with Hindu social traditions.
Guru Sahib Ji lived to the age of ninety five, he did not choose any of his sons to succeed him, instead he chose his son-in-law, Ram Das, a Khatri of the Sodhi family.
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