Rup Kaur

Rup Kaur (born 8 April 1649 or 1652 ), also spelt as Roop Kaur, was the daughter of Guru Har Rai and sister of Guru Har Krishan. She was born in the Shish Mahal of Kiratpur. Sources conflict on her existence and relationship to Guru Har Rai. She may have been one of the earliest literate Sikh women and she produced her own works. Her writings remain one of the few sources regarding the teachings of Guru Har Rai. Some of her personal items and writings are preserved at Gurdwara Manji Sahib in Kiratpur. She personally knew four of the ten Sikh gurus: her father Guru Har Rai, brother Guru Har Krishan, Guru Tegh Bahadur, and Guru Gobind Singh.

Historicity 19th century depiction of Guru Har Rai with his wife, Mata Sulakhani, and two sons, Ram Rai and Har Krishan. No daughter is depicted. Sources are conflicted on Rup Kaur's existence and relationship to Guru Har Rai. There is also a disagreement amongst sources on whether she was the biological or adopted daughter of Guru Har Rai.

Marriage and family Photograph of Gurdwara Sri Manji Sahib, Kiratpur Sahib, Punjab, by Dhanna Singh 'Patialvi', 10 May 1934. The gurdwara was the former place of residence of Rup Kaur and relics associated with her are preserved there.Rup Kaur married Khem Karan, son of a Dhussā Khatri named Bhai Paira Mal of Pasrur in Sialkot District on 3 December or 4 November 1662, with the couple after moving to Kot Kalyanpur village, located near Kiratpur. Shortly after his succession to guruship, Guru Tegh Bahadur visited Rup Kaur in Kiratpur on 21 August 1664 to console her over the death of her brother Guru Har Krishan. A meeting between Rup Kaur and Guru Gobind Singh in Anandpur is also recorded after the guru fought the Battle of Bhangani. The pothi consists of 559 pages, mostly consisting of gurbani, with Rup Kaur later adding her own writings toward the end of the pothi. The work was written by Rup Kaur shortly after her father's death in 1661. In the work, Rup Kaur explains how to properly conduct the daily Ardas prayer. She also preserved a teaching regarding the treatment of women in her writings.

Piara Singh Padam published some of the sakhis found in the work in Prachin Punjabi Gadd. Narinder Kaur Bhatia also published information regarding the pothi in her work Sri Satguru Ji de Muhain dian Sakhian.

Death and legacy Rup Kaur died in Dayalpur, where present-day Gurdwara Nabha Sahib is located. Rup Kaur died sometime before December 1705 and her family relocated to Banur. Her literary contribution remains one of the few contemporary sources on the guruship of her father, Guru Har Rai. According to Daljit Kaur, the managers of Gurdwara Manji Sahib have mistakenly attributed the relics held there to Bibi Veero, daughter of Guru Hargobind, where in-fact they should be properly related to Rup Kaur.