Previous PreviousNext NextAsk a Question Ask a Question

Sikhnet Youth Forum Sikh Youth - Question and Answer Forum

Summary of Question:Did 9Th Guru Teg Bahadur Ji Get Married At Age 13?
Category:The Sikh Gurus
Date Posted:Tuesday, 1/15/2002 10:17 AM MST

Sat Siri Akal

Waheguru Ji da Khalsa
Waheguru Ji di Fateh
I have a question. I used to think like our religion as started by our Great Guru, Guru Nanak Dev Ji is all against old rituals of society like child marriage etc.Guru Teg Bahadur Ji got married at the age of thirteen. How would we as sikhs explain this.If somebody asks us what should we say. Thirteen is a very childish age I guess,and marriage at the age of thirteen is not acceptable in all of the countries,I guess. So what was the reason that guruji got married at the age of thirteen.
please do response.
I am really confused.
Deg Teg Fateh.

*******
REPLY
*******
Sat Siri Akaal. I asked a Punjabi scholar of Sikh studies about this. He said it's unclear how old 9th Guru was when he married, BUT he also said that in those times, it was quite common for people --even the Guru -- to be engaged or married at what we would now consider to be a very young age. At that time it was not considered child marriage, since (1) average lifespan was closer to 40, not 65, and (2) it made the parents of the girl rest at ease knowing their daughter was arranged for marriage. Guru Gobind Singh was engaged by the time 14, and married by the time he was 17; so it was not uncommon then.

Times change. Generally, the industrialized world regards marriage before 18 as young, although many people would advise young adults to wait til they are in their early 20s.



[Previous Main Document]
Did 9Th Guru Teg Bahadur Ji Get Married At Age 13? (01/15/2002)
[Next Main Document]

by Topic | by Category | by Date | Home Page




History - Donation - Privacy - Help - Registration - Home - Search

Copyright © 1995-2004 SikhNet