ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>MAJLAS R&#256I R&#256J&#256</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="MAJLAS,RI,RJ"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279MAJLAS R&#256I, R&#256J&#256, a Br&#257hma&#7751 native of Lopoke in Amritsar district of the Punjab and a <i> d&#299w&#257n</i> or revenue minister at the court of Emperor Bah&#257dur Sh&#257h I (1707-12), was a devotee of Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh whom he frequently visited during journey to the Deccan in 1708. The Gur&#363 while stopping at N&#257nde&#7693 was stabbed by an Af<u>gh</u>&#257n agent of the <i>faujd&#257r</i> of Sirhind, and, as his wound was well on the way to recovery, a Sikh brought a present of two heavy bows. According to Kuir Si&#7749gh, <i>Gurbil&#257s P&#257tsh&#257h&#299 10</i>, the Gur&#363 proceeded at once to string the bows and test them when Majlas R&#257i, who was then present in the <i>sa&#7749gat</i> stood up and humbly warned him, "Listen, O cherisher of the poor! Your wound is still raw and might open up again if you strain yourself." The Gur&#363 at first paid heed to the R&#257j&#257's counsel and dropped the bows, but after some time he picked them both together and bent them with such force that they were both broken. Majlas R&#257i's worst fears came out to be true; stitches of the Gur&#363's wound snapped and it bled profusely. Majlas R&#257i hastened to the imperial camp and sent the same physician as had earlier treated the Gur&#363, but it was of no avail. Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh calmly sent for the Granth S&#257hib and formally installed it as the successor-Gur&#363 in perpetuity. He passed away the following day, 7 October 1708.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In 1710, R&#257j&#257 Majlas R&#257i accompanied the emperor back to Delhi where he regularly attended upon Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh's widows, M&#257t&#257 Sundar&#299 and M&#257t&#257 S&#257hib Dev&#257&#7749. Kesar Si&#7749gh Chhibbar, <i>Ba&#7749s&#257val&#299n&#257m&#257</i>, records that when it was proposed to appoint a day for a regular religious <i>mel&#257</i> or festival for the Sikhs, R&#257j&#257 Majlas R&#257i was one of the prominent Sikhs consulted by M&#257t&#257 S&#257hib Dev&#257&#7749. It was decided to hold the <i>mel&#257</i> annually on the occasion of D&#299v&#257l&#299 at Amritsar as times were not favourable for large Sikh gatherings at the imperial capital.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Kuir Si&#7749gh, <i>Gurbil&#257s Patsh&#257h&#299 10</i>. Patiala, 1968<BR> <li class="C1"> Santokh Si&#7749gh, Bh&#257&#299, <i>Sr&#299 Gur Prat&#257p S&#363raj Granth</i>, Amritsar, 1927-35<BR> <li class="C1"> Jagg&#299, Rattan Si&#7749gh, ed., <i>Ba&#7749s&#257val&#299n&#257m&#257</i>, Chandigarh 1972<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Pi&#257r&#257 Si&#7749gh Padam<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>