Sodhis cont'd

Another Sodhi of note was Ram Rai. He was the elder brother of Akali Guru Har Krishan Sahib Ji. Once, the Moghal Emperor Aurangzeb summoned the sixth Guru following a complaint by some mischief-makers that the Sikh sacred text, Adi Guru Durbar, contained derogatory references to Muslims. Akali Guru Har Rai did not go himself instead he sent his eldest son Ram Rai.

Akali Guru Har Krishan Sahib Ji
Mirza Raja Zai Singh (left) paying his respects to the eight Sikh Guru (center), circa 1740-1750

The clever Ram Rai won over the Emperor with his wit, charm and show of miraculous powers/magical tricks. Ram Rai changed the meaning of the line within Adi Guru Durbar to which some Muslims had objected to. The word ‘Musalman’ he changed to ‘Beiman’ (meaning untrustworthy).

Aurangzeb
The great Moghal Emperor (with the hawk) with his generals, circa late 17th century

When Akali Guru Har Rai heard how his son had altered the wording of Adi Guru Durbar Sahib, he promptly disowned him and never saw him again. Ram Rai remained in the Moghal court of Delhi and soon after he established his base at Dehra Dune. Whilst Ram Rai was in sitting in deep meditation, some Mahants murdered him and cremated him whilst he was still breathing. Ram Rai’s petrified wife, Punjab Kaur, sent a message to Rai Rai’s cousin to help her and her family. Akali Nihang Guru Gobind Singh Ji, forgetting all past feuds immediately came to her rescue and punished the offending Masands appropriately.

Akali Guru Har Rai
A Pahari painting of the seventh Sikh Guru with an attendant, circa 1800

In Ram Rai’s life time the Udhasis linked with Ballo Hassan, considering Ram Rai as Guru had come to reside in Dehra Dune. In this way Rai Rai’s followers merged with Udhasis.

Another powerful lineage of Sodhis was that which descended from Akali Guru Hargobind Sahib’s son Suraj Mal, born by his third wife Maha Devi. Suraj Mal’s son was Deep Chand. He in turn had two sons Gulab Rai and Shyam Chand. Shyam Chand was initiated into the Khalsa by Akali Nihang Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Whereas Gulab Rai had no descendants, it was the descendents of Shyam Singh who went on to occupy alongside the Akali Nihangs, the prominent shrines of Anandpur in the 19th century.

Akali Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji
A Pahari painting of the sixth warrior Sikh Guru with his beloved hawk, circa 1800