Ramraiya
 Painting of a Ramraiya ascetic of Varanasi from a folio of a manuscript of theSilsilah-i-Jogiyan,ca.1800 | |
| Founder | |
|---|---|
| Ram Rai | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Punjab•Uttarakhand(Dehradun) | |
| Religions | |
| Sikhism | |
| Languages | |
| Punjabi |
| Part ofa serieson |
| Sikhism |
|---|
 |
Ramraiyas(Gurmukhi: ਰਾਮਰਾਈਆ;rāmarā'ī'ā), also referred to asRam Raiyas,are aSikh sectthat followRam Rai,the excommunicated eldest son ofGuru Har Rai(1630–61).[1]
History[edit]
Ram Rai was sent by his father as an emissary to the Mughal emperorAurangzebin Delhi. Aurangzeb objected to a verse in the Sikh scripture (Asa ki Var) that stated, "the clay from a Musalman's grave is kneaded into potter's lump", considering it an insult to Islam. Baba Ram Rai explained that the text was miscopied and modified it, substituting "Musalman" with "Beiman" (faithless, evil) which Aurangzeb approved.[2][3][4]The willingness to change a word led Guru Har Rai to bar his son from his presence, and name his younger son as his successor. Aurangzeb responded by granting Ram Rai ajagir(fief) in theGarhwal region(Uttarakhand). The area of modern Dehradun was under the rule of KingFateh ShahofGarhwal Kingdom,whom had been commanded by Aurangzeb to facilitate Ram Rai and establish himself in the wilds of the valley, where he established hisDurbarin 1676, with the work on the building finally being completed by his widow, Panjab Kaur, in 1699.[5]The town later came to be known asDehradun,afterDehra,referring to Baba Ram Rai's shrine.[3]
Many followers of Ram Rai settled with Ram Rai, they followed Guru Nanak, but Sikhs have shunned them.[2][6]They were one of the Panj Mel, the five reprobate groups that Sikhs are expected to shun with contempt. The other four are theMinas,theMasands,the Dhirmalias, the Sir-gums (those Sikhs who acceptAmrit baptismbut subsequently cut theirhair).[7][8]
After the death of Ram Rai, successivemahantsof theDehradun Darbarbecame the leaders of the sect, whom were worshiped by its followers.[citation needed]
Leaders[edit]
| No. | Name
(Birth–Death) |
Portrait | Leadership term | Reference(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Ram Rai(1645 – 1687) | 
|
?– 1687 | [1][9] |
| Mahants | ||||
| 2. | Aud Das[note 1] | 
|
1687 – 1741 | [9][10] |
| 3. | Har Prasad |
|
1741 – 1766 | [9][10] |
| 4. | Har Sewak |
|
1766 – 1818 | [10][11] |
| 5. | Har Swaroop Das |
|
1818 – 1842 | [10][11] |
| 6. | Preetam Das |
|
1842 – 1854 | [10][11] |
| 7. | Narayan Das | 
|
1854 – 1885 | [10][11] |
| 8. | Prayag Das | 
|
1885 – 1896 | [10][11] |
| 9. | Laxman Das | 
|
1896 – 1945 | [10][12] |
| 10. | Indiresh Charan Das
(14 November 1919 – 10 June 2000) |
|
1945 – 2000 | [10][13] |
| 11. | Davendra Das |
|
2000 – present | [10][14] |
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^According to the tradition of the Guru Ram Rai Darbar Sahib, Aud Das was the successor to Ram Rai. However, Henry George Walton in theBritish Garhwal: A Gazetteer,regards Har Prasad as his immediate successor, ignoring Aud Das.
References[edit]
- ^ab"Rām Rāiyā",Encyclopædia Britannica
- ^abRam Rai,Encyclopedia of Sikhism, Editor in Chief: Harbans Singh, Punjab University
- ^abLouis E. Fenech; W. H. McLeod (2014).Historical Dictionary of Sikhism.Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 260–261.ISBN978-1-4422-3601-1.
- ^Singh, Harinder (8 March 2017)."The Next Panjab Kaur".Sikh Research Institute.Retrieved2023-05-15.
- ^"Guru Ram Rai Gets a Historian".Garhwal Post.13 May 2022.Retrieved2023-05-15.
- ^Rām Rāiyā,Encyclopædia Britannica
- ^Arvind-Pal S. Mandair; Christopher Shackle; Gurharpal Singh (2013).Sikh Religion, Culture and Ethnicity.Taylor & Francis. pp. 36–37.ISBN978-1-136-84634-2.
- ^SS Kohli (1993).The Sikh and Sikhism.Atlantic Publishers. pp. 2–3.
- ^abcKamboj, B. P. (2003).Early Wall Painting of Garhwal.Indus Publishing. pp. 26–29.ISBN9788173871399.
- ^abcdefghij"Mahants & Gurus, Darbar Shri Guru Ram Rai Ji Maharaj - Dehradun".www.sgrrdarbar.org.Retrieved2022-08-20.
- ^abcdeKamboj, B. P. (2003).Early Wall Painting of Garhwal.Indus Publishing. p. 130.ISBN9788173871399.
- ^Sharma, Gopi Nath (1992).Haqiqat bahida: 27-37.Haqiqat bahida: H.H. Maharana Fateh Singhji, 24th Dec. 1884 to 24 May 1930. Maharana Mewar Research Institute. p. 98.
- ^Chandola, Anoop (2012).In the Himalayan Nights: Tales from Two Continents.Savant Books and Publications. p. 178.ISBN9780982998700.
- ^"Doon Sikh Welfare Society thanks Mahant Devendra Das".Garhwal Post.5 April 2023.Retrieved2023-05-13.
