RAS question
The seventh Sikh Guru was:
Correct answer: (A) Guru Har Rai.
Guru Har Rai was the seventh Sikh Guru, serving as Guru from 1644 to 1661.
Explanation
Guru Har Rai is the right answer because the sequence being tested is the Sikh Guru lineage: Britannica identifies him as the seventh Sikh Guru and gives his guruship as 1644-61. His life dates were 1630-1661, and two traits often attached to his profile in exam questions are his gentle nature and his maintained herbal garden for medicinal purposes. The Dara Shikoh connection also matters for recall, because Britannica notes that Dara Shikoh had apparently been assisted in some capacity by Guru Har Rai before Dara lost the Mughal succession struggle to Aurangzeb. Together, these details distinguish Guru Har Rai from the neighbouring sixth, eighth, and ninth Gurus.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Guru Hargobind was the sixth Sikh Guru, and Britannica identifies him as Guru Har Rai's grandfather rather than the seventh Guru.
- (C) Guru Har Krishan was the eighth Sikh Guru, succeeding Guru Har Rai rather than occupying the seventh position.
- (D) Guru Tegh Bahadur was the ninth Sikh Guru, so he belongs later in the lineage than the seventh Guru asked here.
Concept
This tests the chronological order of the Sikh Gurus within medieval Indian religious history. RAS repeats such lineage questions because they are compact factual anchors for linking Sikh history with Mughal-era political context.