Tarn Taran Sahib was founded by the fifth Sikh Guru Shri Guru Arjan Dev Ji (1563–1606). He laid the foundation of Sri Tarn Taran Sahib Temple.

Tarn Taran Sahib Was Part of the Bhangi Sikh Dynasty Ruled by a Powerful Sikh Family of Dhillon Clan From 1716-1810)

In 1947, the year of the Partition of India and the Partition of Punjab, Tarn Taran was the only tehsil (district) in Punjab along with Shiekhupura, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Hoshiapur, Kapurthala, Amritsar, Lyallpur, Patiala with a majority Sikh population. The city was a center of the Sikh insurgency during the 1980s and early 1990s. Tarn Taran Sahib was suggested as the capital of Khalistan, the proposed Sikh independent nation. The main occupation in this area is agriculture and agroindustry with very few other industries.

Tarn Taran district was formed in 2006. The declaration to this effect was made by Captain Amarinder Singh, Ex-Chief Minister of Punjab, during the celebrations marking the martyrdom day of Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji. With this, it became the 19th district of Punjab.



Guru Arjan Dev Ji the Fifth Sikh Master founded Tarn Taran Sahib in the Year 1590 in the Land of Panjab (Majha Region) and the digging of the tank started. When the tank was completed it was the biggest and largest tank in the whole of Panjab and the foundation stone of Darbar Sahib was laid By Dhan Dhan Baba Buddha Ji a Famous Sikh Saint (1506–1631). Later The Sixth Sikh Master Guru Hargobind Sahib came here and stayed here for some time. Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Master, also Visited Tarn Taran Sahib and preached to the Sikh sangat.

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Baba Deep Singh Shaheed At Tarn Taran Sahib made a mark on the ground and asked the Sikhs if they were ready to die fighting against the enemies before entering into war against the Mughal Empire in 1757.

In 1768 Sardar Budh Singh Virk of Singhpuria Misl and Maharaja Jassa Singh Ramgarhia of Ramgarhia Misl joined hands to rebuild the Darbar Sahib Tarn Taran.

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Later Maharaja Ranjit Singh Sher-e-Panjab (1799–1839), who visited Darbar Sahib Tarn Taran from 1802-1837, reconstructed the present Darbar Sahib Tarn Taran in 1836-1837 and also completed the work of the Parikarma which was left undone by the two Sardars Singhpuria Misl and Ramgarhia Misl. Sher-e-Panjab Gold plated the Darbar Sahib Tarn Taran as he did with the Harmandir Sahib at Amritsar. Artisans were called in by the Maharaja Of Panjab Kingdom to decorate the inside of Darbar Sahib Tarn Taran.

Sher-e-Panjab built 17 massive gates entrances in Tarn Taran in which elephants could easily go through. When Maharaja Nau Nihal Singh the grandson of Sher-e-Panjab came to Tarn Taran he Built a minara (tower) at the end of the Sarovar. Only one was completed, which you can see while walking to Darbar Sahib. Three others were planned on each end of the Sarovar, but were not constructed due to the death of Maharaja Nau Nihal Singh and also because of the two Anglo-Sikh Wars (1845–1849) against the British.
[edit] British Period 1849-1947

During the British Rule (1849–1947) Sardar Arur Singh Shergill (1865–1926) was made the manager of Tarn Taran Sahib Gurdwara from 1907-1920 by the British. In 1905 an earthquake damaged the Lotus Dome of Darbar Sahib Tarn Taran soon after it was rebuilt. The Sikhs of Punjab fought and sacrificed to gain independence from the British rulers. In 1921 greedy priests divided the income of the Gurdwara among themselves. It was in 1921 that the Sikhs decided to free Tarn Taran Sahib. Seventeen Sikhs got injured at Tarn Taran. Two Sikhs attained martyrdom - Sardar Hazara Singh of Village Aladinpur District Amritsar and Sardar Hukam Singh of Village Wasoo Kot District Gurdaspur.

They were the first martyrs of the Gurdwara reform movement. On arrival of more squads on 26 January, the priests handed over the management of the Gurdwara to the Prabhandak Committee. This martyrdom was known as Saka Tarn Taran .