A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for advocating, refusing to renounce, and/ or refusing to advocate a belief or cause, usually a religious one.
This section describes the biographies of Sikh Martyrs who protected the humanity from the onslaught of islamist tyrannical forces. The Sikh Martyrs laid down their lives for religious freedom for all and to protect their own faith.
Martyrdom in Sikhism represents an important element of the faith; Sikh festivals mostly centre around the lives of the Gurus and Sikh martyrs. The first landmark in this field is the sacrifice by the Fifth Guru, Guru Arjan Sahib Ji. Guru Arjan was the first prophet in the religious history of India to be a martyr of faith. Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, the Ninth Guru, and Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the Tenth Guru, both sacrificed themselves for the cause of truth or religion.
The Gurus kept an army and struggled with the oppressive mughal empire involving the loss of life of thousands of Sikhs. The Sikh Gurus demonstrated, during non-violent protests, that not only is martyrdom a religious (and essential) institution but it is also the most potent method of education and training for the cause of righteousness, love and truth. This is amply proved by the capacity of the Sikhs to make maximum sacrifices for the cause of religion and man.
