ਸਿਰ ਜਾਵੇ ਤਾਂ ਜਾਵੇ ਮੇਰਾ ਸਿੱਖੀ ਸਿਦਕ ਨਾ ਜਾਵੇ

Today is the martyrdom anniversary of Bhai Taru Singh Ji who was martyred through the removal of his scalp on the orders of the then Lahore Governor Zakaria Khan. 

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Bhai Taru Singh was born on 1st October 1720 at Village Poohla in Amritsar. His father Bhai Jodh Singh had died in the battle and Bhai Sahib was very small at that time. Bhai Taru Singh Ji was raised as a proper Gursikh by his widowed mother Bibi Dharam Kaur.

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Bhai Sahib used to do 21 paaths of Jaap Sahib alongwith the whole nitnem before eating anything in the morning. Bhai Sahib was a farmer. The family of Bhai Sahib was used to fed food to poor people and the Sikh fighters who used to live in Jungle during those troubled times.

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The killing of Nawab of Patti village during a skirmish with Sikh forces had attracted the ire of Zakaria Khan, the Governor of Lahore. He had ordered to arrest Sikhs wherever they found and had announced prizes for the same.

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When Mahant Niranjania of Poohla village got to know about this, in greed he tipped off the governor that Bhai Taru Singh and family had given food to the Sikh fighters. Governor sent his soldiers to arrest Bhai Taru Singh's family.

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When soldiers reached home of Bhai Sahib, he was not at home at that time. Bhai Sahib's mother offered the soldiers food even after knowing that they had come to arrest them. When Bhai Sahib came home, the soldiers arrested his whole family.

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Villagers of Poohla gathered outside the home of Bhai Sahib and started protesting. Seeing the protest, the soldiers gets scared and released the family but Bhai Sahib didn't accepted the pardon and went away with the soldiers alone, leaving behind his mother and sister.

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Later, Bhai Sahib was presented in Zakaria Khan's court. Khan asked him to embrace Islam in order to pardon his punishment, to which Bhai Sahib refused, saying that he loves his Sikhi more than his life.

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Khan ordered the soldiers to torture Bhai Sahib by rolling him over the spiked Charkhadis. Bhai Sahib was tortured and then again he was presented in Khan's court in injured state.

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Then Zakaria Khan again asked him to embrace Islam and taunted him that if Bhai Sahib cut off his Kesh (hairs), then he will use it in making his new cot bed. Hearing this, Bhai Sahib got angry and spoke that Khan will go to hell with constant hitting of shoes over his head.
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Khan got angry with Bhai Sahib and ordered his execution by removal of scalp of Bhai Sahib. A cobbler of Lahore was called on to execute Bhai Sahib. He, with his tool, removed the scalp (Brain + Hairs)of Bhai Sahib.

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Bhai Taru Singh Ji was thrown off the ridge by the soldiers. Later when Zakaria Khan found that Bhai Sahib is still alive, he taunted him by asking how he's still alive,

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to which Bhai Sahib reminded him of his words by saying "We will first send you in hell by hitting shoes over your head. I will come later". By the afternoon, Zakaria Khan was unable to pass on the urine and started screaming in pain.

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Many hakims, vaids and traditional doctors checked him but were unable to find out the cause of the problem. The advisor of Zakaria Khan then thought of the words of Bhai Sahib and asked Khan to apologize to Bhai Sahib.

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Advisor with the Maafinama of Khan went to Bhai Sahib who was now being treated by the group of Sikhs in Lahore. The head of group told about the apology letter to Bhai Sahib

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and after a brief discussion, gave the pair of shoes which Bhai Sahib were wearing to the advisor and told him to hit them on Zakaria Khan's head so that he can pass on urine. The advisor did the same and Khan got temporary relief.

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This cycle continued for 21 days. On 22nd day, i.e., 1st July 1745, Zakaria Khan died due to infection caused by urine blockage. When Bhai Taru Singh Ji got the news of Khan's death, he also passed away peacefully.

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Bhai Taru Singh Ji lived without scalp for 22 days. Bhai Sahib was just 24 years old when he was martyred.

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Gurdwara Shaheed Ganj Bhai Taru Singh Ji in Naulakha Bazaar, Lahore, Pakistan - The place where the scalp of Bhai Sahib was removed on the orders of Zakaria Khan.

THE END

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