History of Darbar Sahib
The origin and evolution of the place where the Golden Temple now stands is covered in mystery. Some sources trace its origin from the pre-historic era as an Indian place of worship. The location of the Golden Temple is a low lying area with a big pond surrounded by dense jungle. This piece of land was shred by Sultanwind Tung, Gilwali and Gumtala etc. villages. More over its geographical location was superb. It was next to the city of Lahore, the then capital of Punjab and the highway connecting India and Central Asian countries was also running through this piece of land.
Select Chronology of Darbar
Sahib and Amritsar
1573 AD The construction work of the holy water tank started
under the supervision of Guru RamDas Ji.
1577 AD Guru Ram Das Ji laid the foundation of Amritsar
(earlier known as Ram Das Pur)
1588 AD The foundation of Harimandir was laid by a Muslim
saint Mian Mir.
1604 AD The central shrine completed.
1606 AD The Sikh Guru Hargobind ji adopted two swords, one
for religious affairs and another for worldly affairs. Guru Hargobind sahib ji
also laid the foundation of Akal Takht.
1621 AD Guru Teg Bahadur ji was born in Amritsar.
1628 AD The first ever Sikh-Mughal armed conflict, and the Sikhs
emerged victorious under the command of Guru Hargobind sahib ji.
1634 AD Guru Hargobind sahib ji left for Kiratpur with his devotees
to avert possible attack on visiting Sikh devotees.
1665 AD Guru Teg Bhadur visited the Golden Temple after becoming
the ninth Sikh Guru but he was denied entry by its priests.
1721 AD Bhai Mani Singh appointed the head priest and administrator
of the Golden Temple. After a century long period, the Golden Temple's control
was again under the Sikhs.
1725 AD Dispute between the two Sikh sects over the Golden Temple's
control. Bhai Mani singh resolved it in a fair manner.
1738 AD The head priest Bhai Mani Singh hacked into pieces for not
paying demanded revenue to the Mughal authorities
1739 AD The Mughals negotiated peace and granted independent
territory [jagir] to the Sikhs.
1739 AD Persian king Nadis Shah attached the Golden Temple
1740 AD The Sikhs avenged the act of sacrilege by a Mughal
administrator named Massa Ranghard. Two Sikh warriors Sukha singh and Mehtab
singh chopped his head in the sanctum where he was watching dance under he
effect of alcohol with his friends and soldiers.
1745 AD A wave of suppression started to curb the Sikhs.
1757 AD Afghan King Ahmed Shah Abdali attacked the Golden
Temple and Baba Deep Singh martyred.
1762 AD After the greater holocaust of Feb 5, 1762 Afghan
king Abdali Razed the Golden Temple to the ground and filled its holy tank with
debris, rubbish and animal carcasses.
1764 AD Once again Abdali came to Amritsar and ruined what
ever he came across. Baba Gubaksh Singh and his thirty comrades were ruthlessly
murdered near the Akal Takhat.
1767 AD Udasi saints Nirvan Pritam Das and Mahant Santokh
Das brought 35 miles long water canal to fill the holy water tank with the water
of river Ravi.
1773 AD Sikh Misal chiefs raised the building of Gurdwara
baba Atal near the Golden Temple.
1776 AD Reconstruction of the damaged holy water tank,
entrance gate and bridge.
1802 AD Maharaja Ranjit Singh occupied the territory of
Amritsar.
1808 AD Amritsar's famous Gobindghar fort was raised to
shift Lahore's treasure to Amritsar.
1813 AD Maharaja Ranjit Singh obtained famous diamond "Ko-he-noor",
now studded in the English crown, and a great army march past in the streets of
Amritsar.
1822 AD Amritsar's fortification wall with twelve gates
completed.
1831 AD Gold world of the Golden Temple Reached its final
stages.
1839 AD Maharaja Ranjit Singh came to Golden Temple in March
1839, it proved his last visit.
1849 AD The Sikhs lost their rule over the unified territory
of Punjab.
1857 AD Amritsar observed a little effect of the mutiny
against the British.
1871 AD Kuka [Namdhari] movement rocked Amritsar, Several
Muslim butchers were assassinated. British administrators hanged several Kuka
disciples to death in Amritsar near Maharaja Ranjit Singh's summer palace.
1873 AD Singh Sabha Movement gained roots.
1881 AD The British government introduced their management
agents or managers [Sarbarah] to exercise their full control over the Golden
Temple.
1893 AD Khalsa College, Amritsar opened.
1902 AD Pro British chief Khala Diwan Formed.
1919 AD Jallian Wala Bagh massacre took life of several
thousands innocent Sikhs and others on the Baisakhi day in Amritsar.
1921 AD The Sikhs took control of several Sikh shrines
including the Golden Temple. SGPC like mother body emerged that took its final
shape after some years.
1923 AD The first Ka Sewa or cleansing of the holy water
tank took place.
1925 AD Sikh Gurdwara Act passed.
1947 AD Amritsar became a border city after India's
partition.
1949 AD Sikh Reference library formed.
1958 AD Central Sikh museum formed.
1973 AD The second Kar Sewa of the holy water tank.
1977 AD The city of Amritsar observed its 400th birthday.
1978 AD Sikh - Nirankari conflict took life of thirteen
innocent Sikh demonstrators and it changed the Punjab forever.
1984 AD Indian Army invaded Golden Temple under operation
"Blue Star", that claimed life of several innocent thousands of lives and
resulted into the destruction of the Golden Temple complex.
1988 AD Another Para military action took place this year
aimed to flush out Sikh militants from the Golden Temple complex.
1988 AD Several thousand shops and houses generally of the
Sikhs were removed to make a corridor around the Golden Temple. It added long
awaited beauty and space to the Golden Temple.
1997 AD English Queen Elizabeth II and her husband paid a
visit to the Golden Temple.
2004 AD The Golden Temple observed the first Kar Sewa of the
21st century for the purpose of installing water treatment plants. This year
also observed the largest ever recorded strength of devotees visiting the Golden
Temple at once, on the eve of Quadricentennial Installation celebrations of the
Sikh Scripture in September 2004.
