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Guru Arjan dev had tremendous work for the mankind. The most kind hearted, full of love for all, had to face even the enmity of his elder brother Prithi Chand and other relatives. Attempts were made even to misguide the Sikh Sangat to break away from the Guru. Simplicity and kindness of Guru Arjan and sincerity and devotion of the wise leading Sikhs and the Sikhs in general proved the futility of the enmity of Prithi Chand against the Guru.
Guru Arjan Dev Ji established the most famous place of worship called 'Hari Mandir Sahib' - House of God - also called 'Golden Temple' and 'Darbar Sahib' in Amritsar in the year 1588 AD. There can be no better example of love and co existence between all the persons of all the religions than what Guru Arjan Dev did. A Muslim saint and friend of the Guru 'Sanyen Mian Meer' laid the foundation stone of Golden Temple in the year 1588 AD. THERE IS NOT A SINGLE EXAMPLE IN THE WORLD THAT THE MOST SACRED PLACE OF A RELIGION IS FOUNDED BY A SAINT OF OTHER RELIGION.
In 1590 AD the Guru started work for constructing a holy tank 'Sarovar' and Gurdwara at Taran Taaran Sahib. In the year 1604 AD, he composed the holy book, later on called 'Guru Granth Sahib' and installed the same in Golden Temple in his own place and he sat by its side. Thus in his own life, he treated the Word of Gurus and numbers of Muslim and Hindu saints higher than himself.
At the time of Emperor Jahangir, some of the so called high caste Hindus and a few narrow minded fanatic Muslims complained to Jahangir about the increasing influence of Guru Arjan Dev and his followers. As Jahangir himself was of the same narrow and fanatic nature, he ordered for the arrest of the Guru. Looking into the conditions and circumstances and foreseeing his time of departure from the world, he selected his only son as the next capable personality to carry on the message of Guru Nanak, bowed himself to Har Gobind and declared him the 6 th Guru of the Sikhs in the year 1606 AD, advised him to take to weapons as it was becoming the need of the time, and offered himself for arrest.
Guru Arjan Dev Ji was asked to:
1. Accept Muslim religion.
2. Add praise to Hazrat Muhammad Sahib in the Holy Book (Guru Granth Sahib)
3. Pay a fine of Rupees 2 lacs for helping the rebellious emperor Khusro.
4. Accept death.
The Guru replied that:
1. Choice of religion is a right of an individual.
2. Praise of an individual, whosoever big he may be, cannot be added in Guru Granth Sahib.
3. The house of Guru is open for all. It gives food and shelter to the needy, irrespective of their omissions and commissions. There is no question of paying fine as no crime is made and the money is the offerings of the poor people and not the personal assets of the Guru.
4. Death is acceptable.
The Guru was boiled in hot water, asked to sit on a red hot iron plate with fire underneath and sprinkling hot sand over his body and thus he gave away his life in the waters of river Raavi (now in Pakistan) in the year 1606 AD. Thus he was really the immortal.
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