Sahib Rai, a powerful revenue official of village Naushehr was a cruel and a haughty man. He would let loose his horses in the green fields of the Sikhs and abuse and threaten them with dire consequences, if they protested. The Sikhs even offered to supply fodder free of cost for his horses if he refrained from doing this, but in vain. To avoid a confrontation, some of the poor Sikh peasants decided to leave the village and move out.
Bhai Tara Singh, a devout Sikh from an adjoining village in Amritsar, sent for them and provided them with food and lodging until they made some other arrangements. He was a saint-soldier and had fought bravely in the campaigns of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur. He liked to help the needy of every caste and creed.
When Sahib Rai, heard of this, he tried the same old trick on Bhai Tara Singh’s village. The Sikhs there, drove some of his horses away and sold the rest in the open market and used the money so obtained to feed the refugees from Naushehr.
Sahib Rai blamed Bhai Tara Singh for all this and lodged a complaint against him, to the Head of the County, Chief of ‘Patti’, accusing him to be an old rebel who deserved exemplary punishment.
The Head of the County (Faujdar) was a fanatic Muslim. He sent mounted and foot soldiers to arrest and punish Bhai Tara Singh. The Sikhs of the village got together and blocked the way of the invading soldiers. The soldiers attacked the Sikhs, the Sikhs put up a brave fight and beat them back. Many died on both sides and the soldiers had to retreat.
The Head of the County reported the matter to the Governor of Lahore, Zakria Khan, who sent a strong force consisting of 2200 armed horsemen, forty cannons and five elephants against Bhai Tara Singh and his 22 companions.
Well aware of the odds, Bhai Tara Singh and the other brave Sikhs of the Guru, decided to stand their ground, fight to the last drop of their blood and face death boldly. The village was surrounded by the Mughal forces. Bhai Tara Singh and his men fought bravely. One by one, the Sikh warriors, fell martyrs after striking heavy causalities on the enemy forces.
By now, Bhai Tara Singh was left alone, badly wounded, yet undaunted, he called out a loud Jai-Kara of ‘Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal’ and sprang upon the enemy slicing through their ranks like lightning. A large number of Mughal soldiers fell upon him from all sides and cut him into pieces.
Bhai Tara Singh and his men died in the heroic Khalsa tradition. His martyrdom took place in 1725 A.D.
Bhai Tara Singh, a devout Sikh from an adjoining village in Amritsar, sent for them and provided them with food and lodging until they made some other arrangements. He was a saint-soldier and had fought bravely in the campaigns of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur. He liked to help the needy of every caste and creed.
When Sahib Rai, heard of this, he tried the same old trick on Bhai Tara Singh’s village. The Sikhs there, drove some of his horses away and sold the rest in the open market and used the money so obtained to feed the refugees from Naushehr.
Sahib Rai blamed Bhai Tara Singh for all this and lodged a complaint against him, to the Head of the County, Chief of ‘Patti’, accusing him to be an old rebel who deserved exemplary punishment.
The Head of the County (Faujdar) was a fanatic Muslim. He sent mounted and foot soldiers to arrest and punish Bhai Tara Singh. The Sikhs of the village got together and blocked the way of the invading soldiers. The soldiers attacked the Sikhs, the Sikhs put up a brave fight and beat them back. Many died on both sides and the soldiers had to retreat.
The Head of the County reported the matter to the Governor of Lahore, Zakria Khan, who sent a strong force consisting of 2200 armed horsemen, forty cannons and five elephants against Bhai Tara Singh and his 22 companions.
Well aware of the odds, Bhai Tara Singh and the other brave Sikhs of the Guru, decided to stand their ground, fight to the last drop of their blood and face death boldly. The village was surrounded by the Mughal forces. Bhai Tara Singh and his men fought bravely. One by one, the Sikh warriors, fell martyrs after striking heavy causalities on the enemy forces.
By now, Bhai Tara Singh was left alone, badly wounded, yet undaunted, he called out a loud Jai-Kara of ‘Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal’ and sprang upon the enemy slicing through their ranks like lightning. A large number of Mughal soldiers fell upon him from all sides and cut him into pieces.
Bhai Tara Singh and his men died in the heroic Khalsa tradition. His martyrdom took place in 1725 A.D.
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