The Role of Shaheedi Pehre in Sikh Martyrology Hardcover – March 9, 2026

Any examination of sources and current scholarship in the field of Sikh martyrology will show that numerous key concepts have either been misrepresented or overlooked altogether. More specifically, there is a lack of research on the dynamic concept of Shaheedi Pehre (the invocation of martyrs), which merits further attention. In other words, current research within the field largely concerns itself with the symbolism behind martyrdom rather than the martyrs ("Shaheeds") themselves - including their post-death realms and lives.In conducting this research, we will survey Sikh historical texts and hagiographies to, first and foremost, posit a better understanding of the role of Shaheedi Pehre. Additionally, we will analyze the Sikh sentiments behind commemorating Shaheeds and their Shaheed Ganj (martyr-shrines) and references to the cosmic realm of Shaheeds (known as the Shaheedi Mandal) that is seen as affecting both Sikhs and non-Sikhs on Earth.The methodology behind this dissertation will be a historical analysis of literature that involves accounts from the early 1700s to the late 1900s. Beginning with the re-examination of Suraj Prakash and Panth Prakash, both texts that are prominent within this field, we will come to appreciate overlooked notions of martyr-veneration and post-martyrdom positionality and actions. Building upon this, we will then look to analyze a previously unstudied account found in Naveen Panth Prakash about a Shaheed displaying agency within both private and public forms of Shaheedi Pehre. Working from this new analysis, we will look to a Sikh hagiography, Do Gursikh Nirmolak Heerey, which is being framed for the first time within the sphere of Sikh martyrology. From this text, we will not only look to more recent accounts of Shaheedi Pehre but give the term a new definition within the study: when a Shaheed possesses a host body and gives counsel. Taking all this information into account, a summary will be offered that will not only make sense of the history but also provide new avenues and questions for future research. Read more