Guru Arjan Dev was born at Goindwal on April 15, 1563. In 1579 he married Ganga Devi, daughter of Krishan Chand.

His father made him guru in 1581.

Guru Arjan left Goindwal for Ramdaspur (Amritsar) to complete the work started there by his father and to get away from his troublemaking elder brother Prithichand.

He completed the two tanks of Santoksar and Amritsar and undertook the expansion of Ramdaspur.

On June 14, 1595, the guru was blessed with a son, Hargobind.

Guru Arjan Dev also started collecting the original verses of all the gurus. He sent trusted disciples such as Bhai Piara, Bhai Gurdas, and Baba Buddha across the country in search of the original manuscripts.

He made trips to Goindwal, Khadur, and Kartharpur and met the families of the previous gurus. He then started the arduous task of compiling the first edition of what was to become the Guru Granth Sahib.

Guru Arjan Dev also decided to include the compositions of Hindu and Muslim saints in the book. The first edition, known at the time as the Pothi Sahib, was installed on a high pedestal within the Harmandir Sahib at Amritsar in August 1604.

Hargobind succeeded his father when Guru Arjan Dev was tortured to death on May 30, 1606, in Lahore for defying the Mughal Emperor Jehangir, who believed he was a charlatan and ordered him to revise the holy Granth.