Kartar Singh was born in Sarabha, a village in district Ludhiana, in 1896.
He was the only son of his parents. He was still very young when his father died. His grandfather brought him up with great care.
After passing the ninth grade, he went to Orissa to live with his uncle. He completed his high school and began college while there.
It was the year 1910-1911, when he had the opportunity to read a lot of books outside the narrow range of school or college text books. This was also the time of nationalist movement. It was this political environment that aroused the feeling of patriotism in him. It was then that he decided that he must travel to America.

He arrived in San Francisco in 1912.
A paper named Gadar was launched. Its first issue was published in November 1913. Kartar Singh was also a member of its editorial board.

In a public meeting held in Stockton in February 1914, Indian freedom flag was unfurled. Oaths for freedom and equality were taken. Kartar Singh was one of the main speakers in this meeting.

In September 1914 Kamagata Maru ship had to return without unloading its human cargo after its passenger suffered indescribable tortures at the hand of the imperialist whites. So Kartar Singh along with Kranti Priya Gupta and an American anarchist named Jack went to Japan. He met Baba Gurdit Singh in Kobe and held consultations with him.

On November 16, 1915 he was hanged. That day too he was happy as always. His weight too increased. He embraced the hanging rope with the words, "Victory to Mother India."

He wrote a popular song which he would sing and it is said that he died singing it:

"Sewa desh di jinddhiye badhi aukhi
gallan karnia dher sukhalliyan ne,
jinha desh sewa 'ch pair paya
ohna lakh museebtan jhalliyan ne."

Serving ones country is very difficult
It is so easy to talk
Anyone who walked on that path
Must endure millions of calamities.