Mehtab Singh Bhangu was a Sikh

Sikh

A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...

 warrior. He was born to Hara Singh, a Jat of Bhangu

Bhangu

Bhangu, Bhangoo, or Bhango is a Jat gotra or clan mainly found in the Punjab state of North India, Sindh and Punjab province of Pakistan.-History:...

 clan of the village of Mirankot near Amritsar

Amritsar

Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...

.

Sikh persecution

Punjab

Punjab region

The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...

 had gone through an era of Sikh persecution under the Mughal

Mughal Empire

The Mughal Empire ,‎ or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...

 governor of Lahore

Lahore

Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...

 Zakriya Khan from 1726 to 1745 A.D. The Sikhs of Punjab had taken refuge in the deserts of the Rajputana

Rajputana

Rājputāna was the pre-1949 name of the present-day Indian state of Rājasthān, the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area. George Thomas was the first in 1800 A.D., to term this region as Rajputana...

. Mehtab Singh Bhangoo had taken up employment under the ruler of Bikaner.

Desecration of Harmandir Sahib

In 1740, the governor of Lahore put Massa Ranghar or Musalul Khan, a Chaudhury of Mandiala as the incharge of the Harmandir Sahib

Harmandir Sahib

The Harmandir Sahib also Darbar Sahib , also referred to as the Golden Temple, is a prominent Sikh gurdwara located in the city of Amritsar, Punjab . Construction of the gurdwara was begun by Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh Guru, and completed by his successor, Guru Arjan Dev...

 (Golden Temple). Sikhs were not allowed to visit the 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 home of Hindus. He watched the dancing girls perform, drank alcohol and smoked hookah inside the Harminder 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 under the leadership of Sardar Sham Singh. Tej Ram and Bulaka Singh nararted their stories to the congregation of Sikhs. After listening Sardar Mehtab Singh 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 at Talwandi Sabo near Bathinda. They filled up bags of broken pottery pieces and made them look as if they are 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 the Harmandir Sahib and them tied their horses to the berry tree and went inside the Harmandir Sahib carrying the bags. Massa Ranghar was smoking the hukkah and watching the 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 the same evening. The next day they reached Bikaner and presented Massa Ranghar's head on a spear to the congregation (Dal) of Sikhs.

Martyrdom

In 1745 A.D. Bhai Mehtab Singh heard the news of the arrest and torture of Bhai Taru Singh . He decided to surrender himself voluntarily to die aside Bhai Taru Singh. In June 1745 A.D. Bhai Mehtab Singh was ordered by the governor of Lahore, to be tortured until death and was martyred on the rotating wheels of nails.