Guru Amar Das (5 May 1479 – 1 September 1574) was the third of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism and was given the title of Sikh Guru on 26 March 1552.

Guru Amar Das was the eldest son of Sri Tej Bhan Bhalla , a farmer and trader, and Mata Lachmi .The Guru's father was a shopkeeper in the village of Basarke near Amritsar.

GuruJi married Mata Mansa Devi and had 4 children – 2 sons (Mohan & Mohri ) and 2 daughters (Bibi Bhani & Bibi Dani ). Bibi Bhani later married Bhai Jetha who became the fourth Sikh Guru, Guru Ram Das. (See article Platforms of Jetha.)

Guru Amar Das became Sikh Guru at the age of 72 following in the footsteps of his teacher Sri Guru Angad Dev Sahib, who left the world on 29 March 1552 at age 48. Guru Amar Das established his headquarters in the town of Goindwal Sahib, which was established by Sri Guru Angad Dev.

Guru Amar Das took up cudgels of spirituality to fight against caste restrictions, caste prejudices and the curse of untouchability.

He strengthened the tradition of the free kitchen, Guru Ka Langar (started by Guru Nanak), and made his disciples, whether rich or poor, whether high born or low born (according to the Hindu caste system), have their meals together sitting in one place.

He thus established social equality amongst the people. Guru Amar Das introduced the Anand Karaj marriage ceremony for the Sikhs, replacing the Hindu form.

He also completely abolished amongst the Sikhs, the custom of Sati[citation needed], in which a married woman was forced to burn herself to death in the funeral pyre of her husband. The custom of Paradah (Purda), in which a woman was required to cover her face with a veil[citation needed], was also done away with.

Guru Ji was the eldest son of Sri Tej Bhan Ji a farmer and trader and Mata Lachmi Ji, his devoted mother. He was a shopkeeper and lived in a village called Basarke which is near Amritsar. The third Sikh Guru was married to Mata Mansa Devi and they had four children - Two sons named Bhai Mohan and Bhai Mohri and two daughters named Bibi Dani Ji and younger daughter named Bibi Bhani Ji. Bibi Bhani later married Bhai Jetha who became the fourth Sikh Guru, Guru Ram Das. See article Platforms of Jetha.

The Third Sikh Guru contributed the following to the people of the world:

•     All visitors to Gurdwaras were to first take Langar (Free Blessed Food) together before seeing the Guru. "First Pangat then Sangat"
•     Further abolished the Caste System.
•     Guru lifted the status of women and gave them equality with men. He strictly prohibited the practice of Sati (the dying of the wife on her husband's funeral pyre), "Parrda" (veil to cover the face), etc.
•     Established an Administration system for management of the increasing size of the Sikh congregations, called Manjis
•     Gift of the prayer called Anand Sahib, which is one of the Five Banis recited daily by devout Sikhs.
•     Established the city of Goindval on the banks of river Bias in 1552 A.D.
•     The Guru contributed a total of 907 hymns to the Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

Before Guru Ji died at the age of 95, he nominated Guru Ram Das (Bhai Jetha) as the fourth Guru of the Sikhs.