Bota Singh

Bota Singh (died 1739) was a Sikh martyr who was killed by Mughal forces dispatched by Zakaria Khan under the command of Jalal Din after he started collecting a tax from travellers on the main road to Lahore as a mark of sovereignty for the Sikhs.^[1][2] He is remembered by Sikhs as one of the notable martyrs of the 18th century.^[3] His martyrdom was a sign of the changing power dynamics of Mughal Punjab between the Mughals and the Sikhs.^[4]

Biography

Bota Singh was from the village of Bharana in Amritsar district.^[5][6][2] He was born into a Sandhu Jat family.^[1] His companion Garja Singh was of a Rangreta background.^[5][6]

During the days of anti-Sikh persecution when there was a bounty for the head of a Sikh, the Sikhs had dispersed to hiding spots, such as forests.^[2] Bhai Bota Singh lived in one such forest near Tarn Taran and would come out of hiding at night to find food and sometimes visit Amritsar to take a dip in the holy pool around Darbar Sahib.^[6][2] One day he was noticed by some zamindars who thought he was a Sikh but a member of their party objected saying he could not have been a Sikh, for had he been one, he would not have concealed himself.^[6][2] Other versions of the story say that Mughal guards were passing the forest when one said that the Sikhs were all deceased and there were none left.^[7]

Vexed by the observer's remark, Bota Singh set on a plan whereby he and his companion Garja Singh took up a position on the main highway near Tarn Taran in a dilapidated inn.^[2] There, they proclaimed the sovereignty of the Khalsa and collected a small toll tax (octroi tax) from each passerby.^[8][9][2] However, this failed to attract the Mughal governor's attention so they also sent a notice with a traveller for the governor of Lahore province to be noticed.^[10][9][4] After seven days 1000 soldiers^[11] with 100 horsemen^[12] under Jalal Din came to apprehend the two Sikhs who then died fighting in 1739 as they refused to surrender.^{[13][14][2][4]}