Amritsar city is one of the prominent cities of the Sikh nation. Under instructions from Guru Amar Das Sahib, Guru Ram Das Sahib founded this city in 1564, on the land bought by him from the owners of the village Tung and began digging Santokhsar Sarovar. But under instructions from Guru Amar Das Sahib, he had to return to Goindwal; hence the project could not be accomplished. After the death of Guru Amar Das Sahib (1.9.1574), Guru Ram Das became fourth Guru. Within a short time, Guru Ram Das moved to this town and built his residence here (at the site of Gurdwara Guru De Mahal).
At that time, this village was known as Guru-Da-Chakk. (Later, it came to be known as Chakk Ram Das). Guru Ram Das Sahib began excavation of the Amritsar Sarovar (tank) in 1577. It was ready by 1581. Guru Arjun Sahib renovated this tank in 1586. [Since 19th century, this city is known as Amritsar (after the name of the Sarovar)]. Guru Arjan Sahib had laid the foundation of the Darbar Sahib on January 3, 1588. (Later, it was propagated by Bute Shah, a mischievous Muslim writer that the foundation stone of Darbar Sahib was laid down by Sain Mian Mir. Although Sain Mian Mir was very friendly with Guru Sahib but the foundation of Darbar Sahib was laid down by Guru Sahib himself). By this time Santokhsar Sarovar too was ready. In 1590, Guru Arjan Sahib moved to village Wadali (now known as Guru di Wadali) where Guru Hargobind Sahib was born on June 19, 1590. By 1601, the Darbar Sahib was fully ready. In 1604, the first copy of Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh scripture, was prepared in this city and was displayed at Darbar Sahib on August 16, 1604.
It is here that Akal Takht Sahib (Throne of God) was revealed by Guru Hargobind Sahib in 1609. Here Guru Hargobind Sahib wore two swords of Miri and Piri (temporal and transcendental authority). The buildings of Akal Takht Sahib and Darbar Sahib were twice demolished by Afghan armies (in 1757 and 1762) and were very badly damaged by the Indian army (in June 1984). The Indian government repaired the buildings during July-September 1984. The Sikhs began demolishing the government-repaired building, on January 26, 1986. The present structure has been constructed by Bhindran-Mehta Jatha.
On April 13, 1634, the Mogul army attacked Guru Hargobind Sahib. From 1635 to 1698, Amritsar remained under the control of the Mina family (descendants of Pirthi Chand). During this period, on November 23, 1664, Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib visited the town. In April 1698, Bhai Mani Singh was appointed as the caretaker of the town of Amritsar.
The Mogul chief of Patti tried to occupy Amritsar several times. One such attempt was made in April 1709. The Sikhs, under the command of Bhai Mani Singh and Bhai Tara Singh of Dall-Wan, repelled this attack. When Baba Banda Singh Bahadur occupied several areas in the Punjab, Bhai Mani Singh chose to leave Amritsar in order to avoid the Mogul attacks. On December 30, 1711, the Mogul emperor, Bahadur Shah, granted Ajit Singh Palit the charge of Amritsar in order to use him against Baba Banda Singh Bahadur. After the death of Bahadur Shah, Ajit Singh Palit returned to Delhi. In 1721, Bhai Mani Singh returned to Amritsar and re-started regular worship.
On March 29, 1733, a major gathering of the Sikhs was held here in front of Akal Takht Sahib. In this gathering, the Sikh leaders discussed the Mogul offer of Nawab-hood. In April 1734, Bhai Mani Singh, along with his family and other Sikhs, was arrested from here and was martyred at Lahore on June 24, 1734.
In 1740, Massa Ranghar, a debauched official, desecrated Darbar Sahib. Bhai Sukkha Singh and Bhai Mahitab Singh punished him on August 11, 1740. In April-May 1757 Afghan army demolished Darbar Sahib and Akal Takht Sahib. Baba Dip Singh led a big Jatha (band) of Sikhs against the Afghan. A major battle was fought on November 11, 1757. Baba Dip Singh and all his companions embraced martyrdom. In 1758, the Amritsar tank was re-cleaned and the shrines were rebuilt. Again, in 1762, Afghan army demolished the Darbar Sahib complex. On December 1, 1764, the Afghan army made another attack. 30 Sikhs, led by Jathedar Gurbakhsh Singh, fought against mammoth Afghan army and embraced martyrdom. In 1765, the Sikhs finally began re-construction of the shrines. The central part of the Darbar Sahib was ready by 1776. The Bhangi Misl, which ruled the area of Amritsar and around it, decorated and gold-plated some parts of Darbar Sahib. In 1802, Ranjit Singh occupied Amritsar. Around 1830, he gold-plated the remaining parts of the inner section of the Darbar Sahib (as a result as some ignorant people began unjustly calling it Golden Temple).
In 1846, the British established themselves in Lahore Darbar, with a Resident in the Court; and, Amritsar became a place of frequent visits by the British. In order to keep sanctity of the city, H. M. Lawrence, the British Resident, issued an order, dated March 24, 1847, asking the English people to follow the Sikh protocol while visiting the Sikh centres. In 1858, a Municipal Committee was set up here. In 1862, train services between Lahore and Amritsar were started. Khalsa College, the first Sikh college was established here in 1892. [Later. in 1969 Guru Nanak University was also founded here].
In 1913, the city was electrified. In September 1915, the British declared Amritsar a “Holy City”. (After August 15, 1947, this order was secretly annulled by the Indian regime). On April 13, 1919, General Dyer opened fire on a gathering, at Jallianwala Bagh, near Darbar Sahib and killed 379 people and wounded another 1200. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (S.G.P.C.) and the Shiromani Akali Dal were founded here in 1920.
Most of the agitations have been launched by the Sikhs after making prayers at Akal Takht Sahib e.g. Gurdwara Reform Movement (1920-25), Punjabi Suba Movement (1955 and 1960), fast unto death by Darshan Singh Pheruman (1969), Dharam Yudh Morcha (1982-84). On April 13, 1978, a Nirankari-called cult killed Bhai Fauja Singh and 12 more Sikhs and with this began a new era in the Punjab. This led to a prolonged agitation in the Punjab. The Indian army, with the help of tanks, helicopters and all the other war machinery, invaded Darbar Sahib complex on June 4, 1984 and killed several thousand innocent Sikh men, women and children in cold blood. Those killed included Baba Jarnail Singh Bhindranwala, General Subeg Singh and Bhai Amrik Singh etc. For a very long period, the shrine remained occupied by the Indian army. It was attacked by Surjeet Barnala government on April 30, 1986 and Rajiv Gandhi’s government on May 9, 1988. Several Sikhs were killed in the later invasion also.
The famous Sikh shrines at Amritsar include: Five Sarovars (tanks): Amritsar (1574), Santokhsar (1564, 88), Ramsar (1601-03), Kaulsar (1627), Bibeksar (1628); and, Gurdwaras: Baba Atal (1770), Shaheed Ganj Baba Dip Singh (1803, partly in 1823), Shaheed Ganj Baba Gurbakhsh Singh, Guru De Mahal (It was the residence of Guru Ram Das Sahib, Guru Arjan Sahib, Guru Hargobind Sahib and Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib. Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib was born here), Darshani Deodi (near Guru Bazaar, associated with the memory of Guru Arjan Sahib), Thara Sahib (on the bank of Amritsar Sarovar; associated with the memory of Guru Ram Das Sahib and Guru Arjan Sahib), Gurdwara Thara Sahib (in memory of the visit of Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib), Damdama Sahib (in memory of the visit of Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib, in 1664), Pippali Sahib (associated with the memory of Guru Arjan Sahib and Guru Hargobind Sahib), Gurdwara Tahli Sahib (it is on the bank of Santokhsar tank; Guru Ram Das Sahib used to rest under a Tahli, i.e. shisham {Tahli} tree, believed to be the same still exists), Chaurasti Atari (associated with memory of Guru Hargobind Sahib), Gurdwara Lohgarh Qila (earlier it was a fort built by Guru Hargobind Sahib between the period 1609-12) etc. Besides, 68 Bungas had been constructed in the town from time to time.
The Central Sikh Museum and the Sikh Reference Library have also been established here. On June 6-7, 1984, the Indian army burnt the records of the offices of the Akali Dal and the S.G.P.C. It also army carried away the Sikh Reference Library, which consisted of thousands of the precious volumes of Sikh literature as well as several hundred rare documents from the time of Guru Sahibs. These documents and artefacts have not been returned at least up to 2006.
Amritsar is a big town with a population of above one million. It is a major trade centre. The offices of the Sikhs’ representative organizations i.e. Akali Dal, the S.G.P.C., the Sikh Students’ Federation, the Chief Khalsa Diwan have also been set up at Amritsar.