Martyrdom in Sikhism

When one calls an individual a shahid, this connotes more than its definition in Arabic vocabulary or Islamic faith, which is death in battle with the infidels.

For the Sikh, the perfect martyr or shahid is one who died not just in battle but also one who suffered death by refusing to renounce his faith, tenets and principles.

Later, Amir-e-Makkah asked him to leave Sikhism but Qazi refused to disown his faith, then 7 orders [7] were issued against him mentioning different types of tortures and method of killing him.

[10] The later martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur, who refused to convert to Islam in an effort to protect Hindu religious practice, is credited with making respect for freedom of conscience a key part of Sikh identity.

[12] To avoid fear and demoralization, he instituted a new Sikh order called Khalsa, founded on discipline and loyalty, and martyrdom became one of its foundations.