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Summary of Question:	Gurus Wives
Category:	General Sikhism
Date Posted:	Tuesday, 9/05/2000 2:23 AM MDT

I would like to know the reason why some of the Gurus had more than 1 wife. I accept that whatever the Gurus did, they did for a reason and they are always right. I know it is not right for us to have more than 1 wife/husband. The reason I ask this question is to settle an argument with my brother-in-law - who refuses to believe the gurus married more than once.

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Reply
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The culture of the time did allow more than one wife. Who can deny this. The social form of our way of life took 500 years to evolve.

Some fathers out of their devotion would dedicate one of their daughters to the Guru at their birth. Women were not given autonomy to decide nor were they given equal rights. A women would have to be married to be garanteed survival or livlihood. It wsa out of respect for this that any Guru might have taken more than one wife.

Guru Gobind Singh had 2 wives. One was his wife that he had children by, the other was under his care and protection, but he had no physical relationship with.