Bhai Taru Singh Ji Shahidi

Bhai Taru Singh ji was born around 1720 in Amritsar. He was raised a Sikh by his widowed mother and had one sister, Tar Kaur.
At the time Bhai Taru Singh decided to become initiated into the Khalsa, Sikh revolutionaries were plotting the overthrow of the Mughal governor of Punjab, Zakaria Khan. Bhai Sahib ji and his sister who served the revolutionary gursikhs, were arrested for treason.

After a period of imprisonment and torture, Bhai Taru Singh was brought before Zakharia Khan and asked where he got his powers from to undergo such agony. His reply was, through his keshas (‘unshorn hair’) blessed by Guru Gobind Singh ji. Zakaria Khan ordered to cut his hair to dispossess him of his power. When the barber attempted to do so, his hair became as strong as iron. Angered by this, the emperor ordered him to be scalped. According to prominent early Sikh historian Ratan Singh Bhangu, in response to having his scalp torn off, Taru Singh cursed Zakaria Khan, saying he would be killed by his shoes. According to Sikh sources, after cutting Bhai Sahib’s scalp, Zakaria Khan was stricken with unbearable pain.

As a last resort, Khan sent an apology to the Khalsa Panth for his persecution of Sikhs and begged for forgiveness. It was then suggested that if Khan hit himself with Bhai Taru Singh ji’s shoes, his condition might be lifted. Although it would cure Khan of his condition, he died 22 days later from having hit himself with the shoes, just as predicted. Upon hearing that he had outlived Zakharia Khan, Bhai Taru Singh ji let go of his breath at will on 1 July 1745.

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji ki Fateh.