Martyrdom of Bhai Mani Singh

Bhai Mani Singh had grown up alongside Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, and Guru Ji sent him to Amritsar to take charge of the Harmandir Sahib. In later years he worked to settle the quarrel between the Bandai and Tatt Khalsa. The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism also credits him with compiling the Dasam Granth.

The Encyclopaedia's account runs as follows. In 1737 he asked Zakariya Khan for leave to hold Diwali at Amritsar, and the governor agreed in return for a tax of 5,000 rupees, or 10,000 according to Ratan Singh Bhangu. On learning that troops under Diwan Lakhpat Rai would attack the gathering, he told Sikhs to stay away, so no money could be raised. He was tried at Lahore for non-payment, refused to accept Islam, and was martyred by having his body cut apart joint by joint.

The date is not settled, and one historian gives two. Hari Ram Gupta's book on the Gurus ties the same story to Vaisakhi 1734 and dates the martyrdom to 24 June 1734, while his later volume on the confederacies says November 1738. Wikipedia gives 14 June 1738. A short study by K. B. S. Sidhu has the request in 1737 and the martyrdom in 1738. SikhiWiki gives 9 July 1737, which falls before that year's Diwali, and elsewhere on the same page gives 1734. An SGPC page prints 1724, earlier than any other account.

The year 1737 is used here to place the event, following the Encyclopaedia. A contemporary record that fixes the date has not been confirmed. The SGPC locates the site inside the Masti Gate behind Lahore Fort, and the Encyclopaedia records that Gurdwara Shahid Ganj stood there until partition.[EoS][Gupta][Gupta][Web][Web][Web][Web]