Mehtab Singh (d. 1745) was a Sikh warrior and martyr. He was the son of Hara Singh of Mirarikot, a Ravidas Sikh of the Bhangu clan.

Sikh Persecution

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising a ...

had gone through an era of Sikh persecution under the Mughal governor of

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city ...

Zakariya Khan from 1726 to 1745 A.D. In 1740, the governor of Lahore put

Massa Ranghar Massa Ranghar, formally Ranghar, also known by his birth name Musalal Khan was the Ranghar choudhary of Mandiala. In 1738, Qazi Abdul Razzaq was killed in an encounter with the Sikhs under Nawab Kapur Singh. The Governor of Lahore Zakariya Khan Ba ...

or Musalul Khan, a Chaudhury of Mandiala, in charge of Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple). Sikhs were not allowed to visit Harmandir Sahib or to take a dip in the holy waters of its tank (sarovar). Massa Ranghar persecuted the Sikhs and looted the shops and homes of Hindus. He watched dancing girls perform, drank alcohol and smoked shisha inside Harmandir Sahib.

News from Amritsar

Two residents of Amritsar, Tej Ram, a Hindu, and Bulaka Singh, took this news to a band of Khalsa in the deserts of

Bikaner Bikaner () is a city in the northwest of the state of Rajasthan, India. It is located northwest of the state capital, Jaipur. Bikaner city is the administrative headquarters of Bikaner District and Bikaner division. Formerly the capital of ...

under the leadership of Sardar Sham Singh. Tej Ram and Bulaka Singh narrated their stories to the congregation of Sikhs. After listening, Sardar Mehtab Singh Bhangu volunteered to bring Massa Ranghar's head back to Bikaner. Another Sikh, Sardar Sukha Singh of Mari Kamboki also stood up and asked to accompany Mehtab Singh. Both of the Sikhs disguised themselves as landlords (Chaudhries) bringing revenue to Amritsar. They rode across the desert and reached

Damdama Sahib The Takht Sri Darbar Sahib Damdama Sahib, Fourth Takhts or Seat of Temporal Authority of Sikhism, Takht Sri Damdama Sahib is in Talwandi Sabo in Punjab, India and is the place where Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, prepared the full ...

at Talwandi Sabo near

Bathinda Bathinda is a city and municipal corporation in Punjab, India. The city is the administrative headquarters of Bathinda District. It is located in northwestern India in the Malwa Region, west of the capital city of Chandigarh and is the fifth l ...

. They filled up bags of broken pottery pieces and made them look as if they were full of coins.

Revenge at Harmandir Sahib

On August 11, 1740 A.D. they dressed up as landlords from Patti and entered the city of Amritsar. They reached Harmandir Sahib and then tied their horses to the berry tree and went inside Harmandir Sahib carrying the bags.

was smoking shisha and watching dancing girls. The Sikhs threw the bags under Massa's bed and said that they had come to pay the revenue. Massa bent downwards to have a look at the bags. Mehtab Singh immediately took his sword and slashed it at Massa's neck and instantly severed his head. Sukha Singh finished off the guards of Massa Ranghar. They put Massa's head in a bag and rode their horses back to

Talwandi Sabo Talwandi Sabo is a town and Municipal Council in Bathinda district, Punjab, India. It is famous for being one of the five Takhts of Sikhism (Sikh Religious Places), Takht Sri Damdama Sahib. It is also famous for its Baisakhi, which is celebrate ...

the same evening. The next day they reached

and presented Massa Ranghar's head on a spear to the congregation (Dal) of Sikhs.

Death

Taru Singh and Mehtab Singh Bhangu martyrdom

He was crushed on the spikes of wheel (charkhari) and put to death in 1745. He was martyred alongside Taru Singh, who was scalped alive.

Legacy

Rattan Singh Bhangu, author of the Sikh historiographical text 'Prachin Panth Parkash', was his grandson.

References