Ramraiya
{{Short description|Sikh sect founded by Ram Rai}}
{{Infobox religious group|group=Ramraiya
{{Small|ਰਾਮਰਾਈਆ}}|founder=Ram Rai|religions=Sikhism|image=Painting of a Ramraiya ascetic from a folio of a manuscript of the Silsilah-i-Jogiyan, ca.1800.jpg|image_caption=Painting of a Ramraiya ascetic of Varanasi from a folio of a manuscript of the Silsilah-i-Jogiyan, ca.1800|regions=Punjab • Uttarakhand (Dehradun)|scriptures=|languages=Punjabi}}
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Ramraiyas (Gurmukhi: ਰਾਮਰਾਈਆ; rāmarā'ī'ā), also referred to as Ram Raiyas, are a Sikh sect that follow Ram Rai, the excommunicated eldest son of Guru Har Rai (1630–61).[https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ram-Raiyas "Rām Rāiyā"], Encyclopædia Britannica
History
File:Guru Nanak’s Temple, Dehradun, India.jpg
Ram Rai was sent by his father as an emissary to the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 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.[https://archive.org/details/TheEncyclopediaOfSikhism-VolumeIiiM-r/page/n477 Ram Rai], Encyclopedia of Sikhism, Editor in Chief: Harbans Singh, Punjab University{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Harinder |date=8 March 2017 |title=The Next Panjab Kaur |url=https://sikhri.org/articles/the-next-panjab-kaur |access-date=2023-05-15 |website=Sikh Research Institute |language=en}} 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 a jagir (fief) in the Garhwal region (Uttarakhand). The area of modern Dehradun was under the rule of King Fateh Shah of Garhwal Kingdom, who had been commanded by Aurangzeb to facilitate Ram Rai and establish himself in the wilds of the valley, where he established his Durbar in 1676, with the work on the building finally being completed by his widow, Panjab Kaur, in 1699.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=13 May 2022 |title=Guru Ram Rai Gets a Historian |url=https://garhwalpost.in/guru-ram-rai-gets-a-historian/ |access-date=2023-05-15 |website=Garhwal Post |language=en}} The town later came to be known as Dehradun, after Dehra, referring to Baba Ram Rai's shrine.{{cite book|author1=Louis E. Fenech|author2=W. H. McLeod|title=Historical Dictionary of Sikhism |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xajcAwAAQBAJ |year=2014|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-4422-3601-1|pages=260–261}}
Many followers of Ram Rai settled with Ram Rai, they followed Guru Nanak, but Sikhs have shunned them.[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/490354/Ram-Raiyas Rām Rāiyā], Encyclopædia Britannica They were one of the Panj Mel, the five reprobate groups that Sikhs are expected to shun with contempt. The other four are the Minas, the Masands, the Dhirmalias, the Sir-gums (those Sikhs who accept Amrit baptism but subsequently cut their hair).{{cite book|author1=Arvind-Pal S. Mandair|author2=Christopher Shackle|author3=Gurharpal Singh|title=Sikh Religion, Culture and Ethnicity|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=79ZcAgAAQBAJ |year=2013|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-1-136-84634-2|pages=36–37}}{{cite book|author=SS Kohli |title=The Sikh and Sikhism |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ED0syBKqafMC&pg=PA2 |publisher=Atlantic Publishers | year=1993 |pages= 2–3}}
After the death of Ram Rai, successive mahants of the Dehradun Darbar became the leaders of the sect, who were worshiped by its followers.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}
Leaders
See also
Notes
{{Notelist|group=note}}