The Source Book On Sikhism

Guru Angad Dev Ji (1504 - 1552)

Born in Matte-di-Sarai in the Ferozepur district of Panjab into a very poor family, he was 45 when he came to the Throne of Nanak.

He continued the work of Guru Nanak for thirteen years after him. His chief contribution to the Sikh movement was his insistence on absolute surrender to God, humility and dedicated service to humanity. It is recorded that it was he who introduced the native script of Punjabi, Gurmukhi, and got the sayings and a biography of his Master written in this script, though the script was known and widely used even before him by the Khatris for keeping their accounts. Before him, Guru Nanak too had rejected Sanskrit, in preference to the indigenous spoken languages of the people, Punjabi and Hindi, as the great Buddha had done before by making Pali, then the vernacular of North India, the vehicle of his message. This dealt a severe blow to the hereditary priestly class.

Guru Angad was a married householder before he was converted to the new faith, and had two daughters and two sons. After he ascended to the throne of Nanak, his wife, Khivi, served in the community kitchen, he himself living on coarse bread earned by him by twisting moonj.

Along with his spiritual mission, he inculcated in his people the love of sports and organizes wrestling bouts for the youngsters.

A man of great forbearance, he once reprimanded Amar Das, his devout follower, for giving his approval to the violence the villagers indulged in against a monk who was very jealous of the Guruís repute and incited them to do violence to the person of the Guru. Guru Angad said to Amar Das, “You should endure what is unendurable, suffer what is insufferable. You should have endurance like the earth, steadfastness in joy and sorrow like a mountain, and have pardon in the heart like the river.”

Like Guru Nanak, he too put his sons to a severe test, but finding them wanting, he made Amar Das, his devout disciple, his successor.