ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>R&#256M R&#256I (1646-1687)</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="RM,RI,Person,Person"> <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">&#65279R&#256M R&#256I (1646-1687), the elder son of Gur&#363 Har R&#257i, N&#257nak VII, was born to M&#257t&#257 Sulakkha&#7751&#299 at K&#299ratpur on 11 March 1646. Brought up under the loving care of his parents amid an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity that reigned over K&#299ratpur, their resort in the Siv&#257liks, R&#257m R&#257i grew up into a robust youngman, well versed in the sacred lore and in the use of arms.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; During the war of succession fought among the sons of Emperor Sh&#257h Jah&#257n, Prince D&#257r&#257 Shukoh, defeated in battle and hotly pursued by the victor, Aura&#7749gz&#299b, met Gur&#363 Har R&#257i at Goindv&#257l in the last week of June 1658 and sought consolation in his blessing. Reports of the meeting between the Gur&#363 and the fugitive prince were carried to Aura&#7749gz&#299b who, after he had established himself securely on the throne, summoned Gur&#363 Har R&#257i to meet him. The latter wondered why he had been called to Delhi. To quote Bh&#257&#299 Santokh Si&#7749gh, <i>Sr&#299 Gur Prat&#257p S&#363raj Granth</i>, he said, "I rule over no territory, I owe the king no taxes, nor do I want anything from him. Of what avail will this meeting be?" He, therefore, deputed R&#257m R&#257i to represent him, giving him the exhortation : "Answer squarely and without fear any questions the Emperor may ask. Exhibit no hesitation. Read the Granth attentively as you make hales on the way. The Gur&#363 will protect you wherever you might be." Accompanied by D&#299w&#257n Darg&#257h Mall and some other Sikhs, R&#257m R&#257i left K&#299ratpur for Delhi on 30 March 1661.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; R&#257m R&#257i made a very favourable impression on the Emperor by virtue of the many miracles he displayed, but he overreached himself when, to please the Emperor, he deliberately misread one of the verses from the (Gur&#363) Granth S&#257hib and substituted the word <i>be&#299m&#257n</i>, i.e. faithless, or evil, for Musalm&#257n. The original hymn appearing in Gur&#363 N&#257nak, <i>&#256s&#257 k&#299 V&#257r</i>, read, "The clay from a Musalm&#257n's grave is kneaded into the potter's lump. It is shaped into vessels and bricks and then burns in the kiln...." The hymn reflects on the essentially conditioned state of man against the mystery and absoluteness of Divine power and on the futility of dividing humanity by rites of cremation or burial (practised by Hindus and Muslims, respectively). Aura&#7749gz&#299b and his Muslim advisers, however, equated the burning of a Muslim's remains to eternal damnation of his soul. Hence their objection to the hymn. B&#257b&#257 R&#257m R&#257i's misquotation satisfied the Emperor but displeased the Sikhs who sent a report to Gur&#363 Har R&#257i. The Gur&#363 anathematized R&#257m R&#257i for the sacrilege he had committed in altering what was unalterable and debarred him from his presence. Gur&#363 Har R&#257i, before his death on 6 October 1661, chose his younger son, Har Krishan, to be his spiritual successor instead of R&#257m R&#257i.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; R&#257m R&#257i continued to enjoy imperial patronage. He was granted a <i>j&#257g&#299r</i> in the Ga&#7771hv&#257l plateau to which he shifted from Delhi establishing a <i>&#7693er&#257</i> or missionary centre in the <i>d&#363n</i> (valley), wherefrom the place came to be known as Dehr&#257 D&#363n. He preached the gospel of Gur&#363 N&#257nak, but the Sikhs by and large shunned him and his followers, collectively dubbed as R&#257mr&#257&#299&#257s. R&#257mr&#257&#299&#257s still form a dissident sect of the Ud&#257s&#299 Sikhs. R&#257m R&#257i met Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh during the latter's stay at P&#257o&#7751&#7789&#257 (1685-88). He died at his <i>&#7693er&#257</i> on 4 September 1687.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><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"> Padam, Pi&#257r&#257 Si&#7749gh, ed., <i>Sau S&#257kh&#299</i>. Patiala, 1986<BR> <li class="C1"> Tej&#257 Si&#7749gh and Ga&#7751&#7693&#257 Si&#7749gh, <i>Sikh Itih&#257s</i>. Patiala, 1983<BR> <li class="C1"> Harbans Singh, <i>The Heritage of the Sikhs</i>. Delhi, 1983<BR> <li class="C1"> Gupta, Hari Ram, <i>History of Sikh Gurus</i>. Delhi, 1973<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Gurcharan Si&#7749gh Anand<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>