In most world religions, there have been prophets and people who have died for their faith. Indeed, in Christianity, Islam and Sikhism, to endure suffering and to die for one's faith is seen as one of the highest honours a believer can receive, provided it is for a righteous cause.

It has been admitted by most neutral and non Sikh historians that out of all the major world religions, Sikhism has produced the most martyrs in history. The Sikh word for martyrdom is "Shaheedi". Indeed Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of the Sikh faith has composed a verse in the Guru Granth Sahib, by which Guru Ji states that if one wanted to embrace the Sikh faith, one must be willing to sacrifice one's life for it.

Jo Tau Prem Khelan Ka Chau, Sir Dhar Tali Gali Meri Aao.

If one wishes to play the game of divine love, come to me with your head on your palm.

Guru Arjan Dev Ji, the 5th Sikh Guru and the first martyr for the faith also states in the Gurbani,

Pehla Maran Kabool Kar, Shadh Jivan Ka Aas, Ho Sabna Ka Renka, Ta Aao Hamare Pas.

First accept death, renounce all hope of living, be the dust of everyone's feet and then come to me.

The revered saint, Bhagat Kabir Ji wrote a verse in the Guru Granth Sahib, in which he describes the position of a righteous warrior .

Sura So Pechaniye, Jo Lare Deen Ke Hait, Purja Purja Kat Mare, Kabhu Na Shadhe Keth.

He alone is the true warrior who fights for his faith, despite being cut to pieces, he will never leave the field.

Below is a chronology of the glorious history of martyrdom in Sikhism, spanning almost four centuries from 1606 to the present times.

June 16, 1606 - Guru Arjan Dev Ji, the 5th Sikh Satguru was imprisoned and tortured to death under the orders of the Mughal Emporer Jahangir and on the instigation of Chandu Lal and Murtza Khan, Governor of Lahore who was a follower of Sheikh Ahmed Sirhandi, head of the right-wing Islamic Naqshbandi sect. For five days in the burning heat of June, Guru ji was made to sit in a cauldron of boiling water, had hot sand poured over his body and he was later made to sit on a red hot plate. After this, Guru Ji was stoned and after being tied hand and foot with ropes was thrown in the river Ravi from where his body was never recovered. Guru Ji's martyrdom took place in Lahore.

1628 - 1634 - Guru Har Gobind Ji, the sixth Satguru fought four battles against the Mughal forces of Shah Jahan and the right wing Brahmin mercenaries in defence of the Sikh faith. Each time, Guru Ji emerged victorious. Thousands of GurSikhs embraced martyrdom in these battles, including the revered poet, Bhatt Mathura Ji and Bhai Praga Ji, father of Bhai Mati Das Ji and Bhai Sati Das Ji.

November 23, 1675 - Bhai Mati Das Ji, Bhai Dayal Das Ji and Bhai Sati Das Ji, the three chosen companions of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, the 9th Satguru were all martyred under the orders of the chief Qazi of the Mughal Emporer Aurangzeb at Chandni Chowk in Delhi. Bhai Mati Das was publicly sawn in two, Bhai Dayal Das was boiled alive in a red hot cauldron and Bhai Sati Das was covered with cotton and set alight on fire.

1701 - 1704 - Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the 10th Satguru had to fight a series of battles against the Hindu hill rajas and the Mughal forces of Aurangzeb. During these battles, thousands of GurSikhs embraced martyrdom.

December 1704 - Battle of Sirsa. While trying to cross the river Sirsa, Guru Gobind Singh Ji and the Sikhs were attacked on all sides by the Mughal forces and the Hindu hill rajas. Hundreds of Sikhs became Shaheeds including Bhai Udai Singh, son of Bhai Mani Singh and Baba Jeevan Singh, formerly known as Bhai Jetha Ji, the beloved GurSikh who had brought Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji's severed head to Anandpur.

December 1704 - Battle of Chamkaur. One of the most soul stirring battles in Sikh history took place at the fortress of Chamkaur when 40 hungry Sikhs under the command of Guru Gobind Singh Ji fought against thousands of the Mughal forces and the armies of the Hindu hill Rajas. 37 Singhs fought valiantly against impossible odds and embraced martyrdom. Among the GurSikhs who were martyred were three of the Panj Piare, Bhai Himmat Singh, Bhai Mohkam Singh and Bhai Sahib Singh. The two elder Sahibzades of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, Baba Ajit Singh Ji and Baba Jujhar Singh Ji also embraced martyrdom at Chamkaur. Another beloved GurSikh, Bhai Sangat Singh Ji who had changed his costume with Guru Ji also became a martyr in this battle.

December 1704 - One of the most shocking and inhuman acts occurred in the entire history of mankind, when the two younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, Baba Zorawar Singh Ji, aged 9 yrs and Baba Fateh Singh Ji, aged 7 yrs were martyred at Sirhand under the orders of Wazir Khan, the Nawab of Sirhand. On their refusal to embrace Islam, the two Sahibzades were first bricked alive in a wall and afterwards their throats were slit. Mata Gujjar Kaur Ji, mother of Guru Gobind Singh Ji passed away in prison when she received news of the martyrdom of the Sahibzades.

1705 - Battle of Muktsar. In his last major battle, Guru Gobind Singh Ji defeated the Mughal forces of Wazir Khan. Among the GurSikhs who were martyred in this battle were the revered Chali Mukte ( The Forty Saved Ones ). These GurSikhs had earlier renounced their alliegence to Guru Ji at Anandpur, but later having realised their mistake, they came back under the leadership of Mai Bhago to fight the enemy forces at Muktsar. All forty Sikhs including their leader Bhai Maha Singh died fighting at Muktsar. After the battle, Guru Ji named the forty martyrs "Muktas", which means " Saved Ones ".

April 1715 - December 1715 - Siege of Gurdas Nangal. Baba Banda Singh Bahadur and his companions were besieged in the fortress of Gurdas Nangal by the imperial Mughal forces of Farrukh Siyyar and the Hindu hill rajas. During this eight month siege, 8,000 Singhs attained martyrdom on the battlefield. When the fortress finally fell to the Mughal forces due to the fact that all the remaining Singhs were victims of total starvation, the imperial forces immediately martyred 2,000 starving Singhs outside the fortress. Baba Banda Singh Bahadur was captured and locked up in an iron cage, his 26 commanders were also captured along with 200 more Singhs. Baba Ji and his Sikh companions were taken under armed escort to Delhi. On the route to Delhi, Abdus Samad Khan, the Governer of Lahore captured 580 more Sikhs who were living in nearby villages so that the number of Singhs that reached Delhi in captivity were 780 in number.

February 1716 - The 780 Sikh companions of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur were all martyred by the Mughal authorities in one ghastly week in February 1716. Each day, 100 Singhs were given the choice of either to convert to Islam or to embrace death. All of the brave 780 Singhs of Guru Ji chose death and were immediately beheaded. There is the harrowing story of one newly married young Singh, who despite his mother's plea to the Mughal Emporer that her son was not a Sikh, rebuked his mother and said to the authorities," This woman is not my mother, my father is Guru Gobind Singh Ji and my mother is Mata Sahib Kaur Ji, please let me join my brothers." After this the young Singh was immediately martyred. Even eye-witness accounts marvelled at the extraodinary courage the 780 Singhs showed in the face of death. It is noted that the Singhs were even trading jokes with the executioner.

June 9, 1716 - Baba Banda Singh Bahadur was tortured to death under the orders of the Mughal Emporer, Farrukh Siyyar in Delhi. On his refusal to embrace Islam, Baba Ji's eldest son, Ajai Singh who was 4 years of age was hacked to pieces by the executioners. Ajai Singh's heart was put in Baba Ji's mouth. After this, the executioners took out both of Baba Banda Singh Ji's eyes, cut off both his hands and his left foot and tore his skin with red hot pincers. Finally Baba Ji was beheaded. Through all this torture, Baba Ji remained calm and composed in heavenly bliss. Ironically in 1719, Farrukh Siyyar was overthrown by his nephews and died in the same way that Baba Ji had attained martyrdom.

June 10, 1716 - The 26 chosen companions of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur were all martyred by the Mughal authorities in Delhi. When the turn of Bhai Baj Singh came, Farrukh Siyyar said to him, " I hear thet you are brave and sharp as a Baj,(eagle), where is your bravery now ?" Bhai Baj Singh replied to the Emporer, " Unchain me and I will show you what spirit we are made of ". On Farrukh Siyyar's orders, Baj Singh was unchained. Then in an episode of unparalelled bravery, Bhai Baj Singh single-handedly sent thirty Mughals including nine executioners to their doom before Bhai Ji himself was overpowered and martyred.

1724 - Martyrdom of Bhai Tara Singh of Van village who with his 200 companions died fighting against the 3,000 strong army of the Mughal commander, Zain Khan.

1737 - Martyrdom of Bhai Mani Singh, the revered Sikh scholar and writer of the Dam Dama Sahib Bir of the Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Due to his refusal to accept Islam, Bhai Sahib was imprisoned and then cut limb by limb in Lahore under the orders of Zakariya Khan, the Mughal Governer.

1741 - Chotta Ghallugara ( The small holocaust ) - this event commemorates the massacre of 10,000 Sikhs, including women and children by thousands of Mughal forces under the command of Zakariya Rai and the Khatri army of Lakhpat Rai.

1743 - Martyrdom of Bhai Bota Singh and Bhai Garja Singh. These two brave Singhs embraced martyrdom while single-handedly fighting Mughal forces which were around 2,000 in number.

1745 - Bhai Mehtab Singh, the great Sikh warrior who had slain the evil Massa Ranghar was captured by the Mughal authorities and publicly broken on the wheel in Lahore.

1745 - Martyrdom of Bhai Haqiqat Rai, who had provided shelter to countless Sikh warriors. Bhai Sahib, who was only 19 years of age was publicly put to death by the Mughal authorities in Lahore.

July 1, 1745 - Bhai Taru Singh who was only 25 years of age was given the choice by Zakariya Khan of either to convert to Islam and have his sacred Kesh shaved off or to face death. Bhai Sahib refused to shed his Keshas and chose death. The executioner then scalped Bhai Taru Singh's head with his Kesh intact. Five days after Bhai Sahib's martyrdom, Zakariya Khan died because he failed to pass urine.

1745 - Bhai Subheg Singh and his son Bhai Shahbaz Singh were both publicly broken on the wheel by the Mughal authorities because they refused to accept Islam. The martyrdom of these two beloved Singhs occurred in Lahore.

1745 - 1749 - During this period, Mir Mannu was the Mughal governer of Lahore. Under his rule, thousands of Sikh women were imprisoned in Lahore and on their refusal to accept Islam were starved to death and made to grind corn in prison. Newly born Sikh babies were cut to pieces by the executioners and their remains were made into necklaces which their mothers had to wear.

1757- Baba Deep Singh, the 1st Jathedar of the Damdami Taksal embraced martyrdom while fighting the Mughal forces in order to free the Harmandir Sahib from the oppressors. Baba Ji, despite being badly wounded managed to free the Harmandir Sahib from the Mughal forces and he breathed his last there.

1762 - Wadda Ghallugara ( The large holocaust ) - About 20,000 Sikhs including women and children were massacred by the Afghan forces of Ahmed Shah Abdali.

1763 - Baba Gurbaksh Singh, the 2nd Jathedar of the Damdami Taksal along with 30 companions embraced martyrdom while fighting the 10,000 strong Afghan army of Ahmed Shah Abdali at the Harmandir Sahib, Amritsar.

1832 - Martyrdom of Akali Phulla Singh, Jathedar of the Akal Takht and General of Maharaja Ranjit Singh's forces. Bhai Phulla Singh died fighting against the Afghan forces of Dost Muhammed Khan during the battle of Attock.

1837 - Bhai Hari Singh Nalwa, Commander in Chief of Maharaja Ranjit Singh's army is martyred while fighting Afghan forces at the battle of Jamrud.

1842 - 1849 - During the Anglo-Sikh wars, thousands of Sikh soldiers attained martyrdom defending the Khalsa Raj against the British. Among the notable Sikhs martyred were Bhai Sham Singh Atariwala, Bhai Maharaj Singh and Bhai Bir Singh.

1865 - Hundreds of Namdhari Sikhs are rounded up by the British authorities and blown up in cannons because they boycotted British rule. The Namdhari leader, Baba Ram Singh was arrested by the authorities and exiled to Andaman prison where he died in 1878.

1913 - Hundreds of Indians, mainly Sikhs are martyred by the British authorities when their ship, the Komagata Maru arrives in Calcutta from the U.S.A.

1915 - Bhai Kartar Singh Sarabha, who was only 17 years of age was hanged by the British government in Lahore, because he tried to fight for Indian independance.

1919 - 379 civilians, mostly Sikhs are fired upon and massacred in cold blood at Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar by the British forces under the command of General Dyer.

1919 - Sikh demonstrators under Bhai Lachman Singh are massacred at Nankana Sahib Gurudwara by the forces of Mahant Narain Das. Bhai Lachman Singh was tied to a Jand tree and set alight on fire.

1920 - 1935 - During these years, the Sikhs peacefully demonstrated and courted arrest plus persecution in order to free many Gurudwaras from corrupt Mahants and British agents. Hundreds of Sikhs embraced martyrdom at places such as Jaito and Guru Ka Bagh.

March 23, 1931 - Sardar Bhagat Singh, the Sikh revolutionary and his colleagues, Sukhdev and Rajguru are hanged by the British authoritites in Lahore.

1935 - Six members of the Babbar Akali movement, including their leader Bhai Krishan Singh Gharj were hung by the British authorities in Lahore for leading an armed rebellion against the regime.

July 31, 1940 - Martyrdom of Sardar Udham Singh in London, England. Bhai Udham Singh was hanged by the British for assasinating Sir Michael O'Dwyer who was governer of Punjab at the time of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

1969 - Martyrdom of Bhai Darshan Singh Pheruman. While Master Tara Singh and Sant Fateh Singh broke their fasts, Bhai Darshan Singh fasted to death in protest against the Indian Government's plans to stop the creation of a self governed Sikh state, ( Punjabi Suba ).

April 13, 1978 - Massacre of 18 Sikhs at Vaisakhi in Amritsar by Indian security forces. Among those martyred was Bhai Fauja Singh, leader of the Akhand Kirtani Jatha.

June 1 to June 8, 1984 - Operation Blue Star. During this holocaust, which happened at the anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev Ji's martyrdom, around 5,000 Sikhs, including women and children were massacred by the Indian army under the orders of the Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. Most of the victims were innocent pilgrims. The only resistance that the Indian army met were from 350 brave saint soldiers under the command of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhinderanwale, the 14th head of the Damdami Taksal. Sant Jarnail Singh, Bhai Amrik Singh, Major General Subheg Singh and their companions all embraced martyrdom defending the Akal Takhat Sahib from the Indian army.

Also during this week, 94 other Gurudwaras in Punjab were attacked by the Indian army and many Sikhs were massacred there.

July to Sept. 1984 - Operation Woodrose was a program operated by the Indian army where Sikh youth were rounded up in villages in Punjab and executed by the Indian forces.

31 Oct.1984 - Shaheed Beant Singh, the slayer of Indira Gandhi was martyred by the Indian security forces in Delhi.

2 Nov to 8 Nov 1984 - Anti Sikh riots flare up in Northern India after the assasination of Indira Gandhi. Around 5,000 Sikhs were massacred by Congress I thugs, mostly in Delhi. The police did nothing to stop the inhuman carnage. Many Sikh women were raped. Even today, 22 years after the massacres, Indian MP's such as Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler, who actively organised the riots have not been brought to justice and have been acquitted by the Indian courts.

1985 - 1994 - During this period, many Sikhs who were fighting for the independant state of Khalistan achieved martyrdom fighting against the Indian government forces. Among the Sikhs who were martyred were Bhai Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala, Bhai Gurbachan Singh Manochaal, Bhai Manbir Singh Chehru, Bhai Avtar Singh Brahma, General Labh Singh, Bhai Gurjant Singh Rajasthani and Bhai Gurdeep Singh Dipa-Hera.

Jan 6, 1989 - Martyrdom of Bhai Satwant Singh and Bhai Kehar Singh in Tihar jail, Delhi. Bhai Satwant Singh had brought Indira Gandhi to justice in 1984 for her ordering Operation Bluestar against the Sikh Panth. Both Singhs were hung by the Indian Authorities.

Oct.9 1992 - Bhai Harjinder Singh Jinda and Bhai Sukhdev Singh Sukha were martyred by the Indian authorities in Poona jail. Bhai Harjinder Singh and Bhai Sukhdev Singh were those brave GurSikhs who had slain General Vaidya, who had led the miltary attack on the Harmandir Sahib in 1984 and these two brave Singhs also brought evil politicians such as Arjun Das and Lalit Maken, who had organised the November 1984 anti Sikh riots to justice. Both these beloved Sikhs were hung by the Indian authorities.

Jan.2 1993 - Martyrdom of Bhai Gurdev Singh Kaonke, Jathedar of the Akal Takhat by the Indian security forces.

1992 - 1995 - Thousands of Sikh youths in Punjab were rounded up by the Indian security forces under the command of K.P.S. Gill during Beant Singh's regime as Chief Minister of the state. Most of the Sikh youth were executed by the Indian forces in false "encounters".

Nov. 1994 - Martyrdom of Bhai Jaswant Singh Khalra, the Sikh Human Rights worker by Indian security forces.

Sept.1 1995 - Martyrdom of Bhai Dilawar Singh Babbar, who achieved Shaheedi,when he put the tyrant Beant Singh to death in a car explosion.

Let us bow our heads and pay tribute to our immortal martyrs. They are the glowing light and inspiration that will guide the Panth in the future.