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{{Short description|Person who suffers persecution}}
{{Other uses}}
[[File:Martyrdom-of-Nagasaki-Painting-1622.png|thumb|The Christian [[Martyrs of Japan]]; 17th-century Japanese painting]]
A '''martyr''' ({{Lang-el|μάρτυς}}, ''mártys'', "witness", or {{Lang|el|μαρτυρία}}, ''marturia'', [[Word stem|stem]] {{Lang|el|μαρτυρ-}}, ''martyr-'') is someone that suffers [[persecution]] and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or cause as demanded by an external party. In the martyrdom narrative of the remembering community, this refusal to comply with the presented demands results in the punishment or execution of an actor by an alleged oppressor. Accordingly, the status of the 'martyr' can be considered a [[posthumous title]] as a reward for those who are considered worthy of the concept of martyrdom by the living, regardless of any attempts by the deceased to control how they will be remembered in advance.<ref>Gölz, Olmo [https://www.academia.edu/39112997/G%C3%B6lz_Martyrdom_and_the_Struggle_for_Power_Interdisciplinary_Perspectives_on_Martyrdom_in_the_Modern_Middle_East._Editorial_Behemoth_12_no._1_2019_2_13 "Martyrdom and the Struggle for Power. Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Martyrdom in the Modern Middle East."], Behemoth 12, no. 1 (2019): 2–13, 5.</ref> Insofar, the martyr is a relational figure of a society's boundary work that is produced by collective memory.<ref>Gölz, Olmo [https://www.academia.edu/41498238/G%C3%B6lz_The_Imaginary_Field_of_the_Heroic_On_the_Contention_between_Heroes_Martyrs_Victims_and_Villains_in_Collective_Memory._helden.heroes.h%C3%A9ros_Special_Issue_5_Analyzing_Processes_of_Heroization._Theories_Methods_Histories._Ed._by_N_Falkenhayner_S_Meurer_and_T_Schlechtriemen_2019_27_38 "The Imaginary Field of the Heroic: On the Contention between Heroes, Martyrs, Victims and Villains in Collective Memory."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200103113440/https://www.academia.edu/41498238/G%C3%B6lz_The_Imaginary_Field_of_the_Heroic_On_the_Contention_between_Heroes_Martyrs_Victims_and_Villains_in_Collective_Memory._helden.heroes.h%C3%A9ros_Special_Issue_5_Analyzing_Processes_of_Heroization._Theories_Methods_Histories._Ed._by_N_Falkenhayner_S_Meurer_and_T_Schlechtriemen_2019_27_38 |date=2020-01-03 }} In helden.heroes.héros, Special Issue 5: Analyzing Processes of Heroization. Theories, Methods, Histories. Ed. by N Falkenhayner, S Meurer and T Schlechtriemen (2019): 27–38, 27.</ref> Originally applied only to those who suffered for their religious beliefs, the term has come to be used in connection with [[Martyr (politics)|people killed for a political cause]].

Most martyrs are considered holy or are respected by their followers, becoming symbols of exceptional leadership and heroism in the face of difficult circumstances. Martyrs play significant roles in religions. Similarly, martyrs have had notable effects in secular life, including such figures as [[Socrates]], among other political and cultural examples.

==Meaning==
In its original meaning, the word martyr, meaning ''[[witness]]'', was used in the secular sphere as well as in the [[New Testament]] of the [[Bible]].<ref>See e.g. Alison A. Trites, ''The New Testament Concept of Witness'', {{ISBN|0-521-60934-8}} and {{ISBN|978-0-521-60934-0}}.</ref> The process of bearing witness was not intended to lead to the death of the witness, although it is known from ancient writers (e.g. [[Josephus]]) and from the New Testament that witnesses often died for their testimonies.

During the [[early Christianity|early Christian]] centuries, the term acquired the extended meaning of believers who are called to witness for their religious belief, and on account of this witness, endure suffering or death. The term, in this later sense, entered the [[English language]] as a [[loanword]]. The death of a martyr or the value attributed to it is called ''martyrdom''.

The early Christians who first began to use the term ''martyr'' in its new sense saw [[Jesus]] as the first and greatest martyr, on account of his [[Crucifixion of Jesus|crucifixion]].<ref>Frances M. Young, ''The Use of Sacrificial Ideas in Greek Christian Writers from the New Testament to John Chrysostom'' (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2004), pp. 107.</ref><ref>[[Eusebius]] wrote of the early Christians: "They were so eager to imitate Christ ... they gladly yielded the title of martyr to Christ, the true Martyr and Firstborn from the dead." Eusebius, ''Church History'' 5.1.2.</ref><ref>Scholars believe that [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] was written during the period when the word for ''witness'' was gaining its meaning of ''martyr''. Revelation describes several Christian reh with the term ''martyr'' (Rev 17:6, 12:11, 2:10-13), and describes Jesus in the same way ("Jesus Christ, the faithful witness/martyr" in Rev 1:5, and see also Rev 3:14).</ref> The early Christians appear to have seen Jesus as the [[Archetype|archetypal]] martyr.<ref name="D. Rusk, 2011 pp. 217-229">A. J. Wallace and R. D. Rusk, ''Moral Transformation: The Original Christian Paradigm of Salvation'' (New Zealand: Bridgehead, 2011), pp. 217-229.</ref>

The word ''martyr'' is used in English to describe a wide variety of people. However, the following table presents a general outline of common features present in stereotypical martyrdoms.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto; width: 75%;"
|+ '''Common features of stereotypical martyrdoms'''<ref>From A. J. Wallace and R. D. Rusk, ''Moral Transformation: The Original Christian Paradigm of Salvation'' (New Zealand: Bridgehead, 2011), pp. 218.</ref>
| style="width:5%;"| 1.
| style="width:20%;"| A hero
| style="width:75%;"| A person of some renown who is devoted to a cause believed to be admirable.
|-
| 2. || Opposition || People who oppose that cause.
|-
| 3. || Foreseeable risk || The hero foresees action by opponents to harm him or her, because of his or her commitment to the cause.
|-
| 4. || Courage and commitment || The hero continues, despite knowing the risk, out of commitment to the cause.
|-
| 5. || Death || The opponents kill the hero because of his or her commitment to the cause.
|-
| 6. || Audience response || The hero's death is commemorated. People may label the hero explicitly as a martyr. Other people may in turn be inspired to pursue the same cause.
|}

== Baháʼí Faith ==
{{main|Martyrdom in the Baháʼí Faith}}
In the [[Baháʼí Faith]], martyrs are those who sacrifice their lives serving humanity in the name of God.<ref name="winters_conclusion">{{cite book | title =Dying for God: Martyrdom in the Shi'i and Babi Religions | first = Jonah | last = Winters | date = 1997-09-19 | access-date = 2007-01-23 | chapter = Conclusion | url = http://bahai-library.com/theses/dying/dying8.conclusion.html | publisher = M.A. Thesis}}</ref> However, [[Bahá'u'lláh]], the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, discouraged the literal meaning of sacrificing one's life. Instead, he explained that martyrdom is devoting oneself to service to humanity.<ref name="winters_conclusion" />

== Chinese culture ==
{{main|Martyrdom in Chinese culture}}
Martyrdom was extensively promoted by the [[Tongmenghui]] and the [[Kuomintang]] party in modern China. Revolutionaries who died fighting against the Qing dynasty in the [[Xinhai Revolution]] and throughout the [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|Republic of China]] period, furthering the cause of the revolution, were recognized as martyrs.{{Citation needed|date = December 2016}}

==Christianity==
{{main|Christian martyrs}}

[[File:Westminster Abbey C20th martyrs.jpg|thumb|From the Gallery of 20th Century Martyrs at [[Westminster Abbey]]—l. to r. [[Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine (1864–1918)|Mother Elizabeth of Russia]], Rev. [[Martin Luther King Jr.]], Archbishop [[Óscar Romero]] and Pastor [[Dietrich Bonhoeffer]]]]
In [[Christianity]], a martyr, in accordance with the meaning of the original Greek ''martys'' in the New Testament, is one who brings a testimony, usually written or verbal. In particular, the testimony is that of the Christian [[Gospel]], or more generally, the [[Word of God (Bible)|Word of God]]. A Christian witness is a biblical witness whether or not death follows.<ref>See Davis, R.[http://www.newmatthewbible.org/martyr.html "Martyr, or Witness?"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511195005/http://www.newmatthewbible.org/martyr.html |date=2011-05-11 }}, New Matthew Bible Project</ref>

[[File:Christian martyrs burned at the stake in Madagascar.jpg|thumb|left| Illustration of Christian martyrs burned at the stake by Ranavalona I in Madagascar]]
The concept of Jesus as a martyr has recently received greater attention. Analyses of the Gospel [[Passion (Christianity)|passion narratives]] have led many scholars to conclude that they are martyrdom accounts in terms of genre and style.<ref>J. W. van Henten, "Jewish Martyrdom and Jesus' Death" in Jörg Frey & Jens Schröter (eds.), ''Deutungen des Todes Jesu im Neuen Testament'' (Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2005) pp. 157 – 168.</ref><ref>Donald W. Riddle, "The Martyr Motif in the Gospel According to Mark." The Journal of Religion, IV.4 (1924), pp. 397 – 410.</ref><ref>M. E. Vines, M. E. Vines, "The 'Trial Scene' Chronotype in Mark and the Jewish Novel", in G. van Oyen and T. Shepherd (eds.), ''The Trial and Death of Jesus: Essays on the Passion Narrative in Mark'' (Leuven: Peeters, 2006), pp. 189 – 203.</ref> Several scholars have also concluded that [[Paul the Apostle]] understood Jesus' death as a martyrdom.<ref>Stephen Finlan, ''The Background and Content of Paul's Cultic Atonement Metaphors'' (Atlanta, GA: SBL, 2004), pp. 193 – 210</ref><ref>Sam K. Williams, ''Death as Saving Event: The Background and Origin of a Concept'' (Missoula, MT: Scholars Press for Harvard Theological Review, 1975), pp. 38 – 41.</ref><ref>David Seeley, ''The Noble Death'' (Sheffield: JSOT Press, 1990), pp. 83 – 112.</ref><ref>Stanley Stowers, ''A Rereading of Romans: Justice, Jews, and Gentiles'' (Ann Arbor: Yale University Press, 1997), p. 212f.</ref><ref>Jarvis J. Williams, ''Maccabean Martyr Traditions in Paul's Theology of Atonement'' (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2010)</ref><ref>S. A. Cummins, ''Paul and the Crucified Christ in Antioch'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001).</ref> In light of such conclusions, some have argued that the Christians of the first few centuries would have interpreted the [[crucifixion of Jesus]] as a martyrdom.<ref name="D. Rusk, 2011 pp. 217-229"/><ref>Stephen J. Patterson, ''Beyond the Passion: Rethinking the Death and Life of Jesus'' (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress, 2004).</ref>

In the context of church history, from the time of the [[persecution of early Christians in the Roman Empire]], and [[Nero]] it developed that a martyr was one who was killed for maintaining a [[religion|religious]] belief, ''knowing'' that this will almost certainly result in imminent death (though without intentionally seeking [[death]]). This definition of ''martyr'' is not specifically restricted to the Christian faith. Though Christianity recognizes certain Old Testament Jewish figures, like [[Abel]] and the [[Maccabees]], as holy, and the New Testament mentions the imprisonment and beheading of [[John the Baptist]], Jesus's possible cousin and his prophet and forerunner, the first Christian witness, after the establishment of the Christian faith (at Pentecost), to be killed for his testimony was [[Saint Stephen]] (whose name means "crown"), and those who suffer martyrdom are said to have been "crowned". From the time of [[Constantine I|Constantine]], Christianity was decriminalized, and then, under [[Theodosius I]], became the [[State church of the Roman Empire|state religion]], which greatly diminished persecution (although not for non-Nicene Christians). As some wondered how then they could most closely follow Christ there was a development of ''desert spirituality'', desert monks, self-mortification, [[ascetics]], ([[Paul the Hermit]], [[Anthony the Great|St. Anthony]]), following Christ by separation from the world. This was a kind of ''white martyrdom'', dying to oneself every day, as opposed to a ''red martyrdom'', the giving of one's life in a violent death.<ref>''[[Arena (UK TV series)|Arena]]'', ''Saints'', directed by Paul Tickell, 2006</ref>

[[File:Anneken van den Hove te Brussel levend begraven (Jan Luyken, 1597).PNG|thumb|[[Jan Luyken]]'s drawing of the [[Anabaptist]] [[Anna Utenhoven]] being buried alive at [[Vilvoorde]] (present-day [[Belgium]]) in 1597. In the engraving, her head is still above the ground and the Catholic priest is exhorting her to recant her faith, while the executioner stands ready to completely cover her up upon her refusal. This engraving was part of a major Protestant outrage praising Utenhoven as a martyr.]]
In Christianity, death in [[sectarian]] persecution can be viewed as martyrdom. There were martyrs recognized on both sides of the schism between the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England after 1534. Two hundred and eighty-eight Christians were martyred for their faith by [[Foxe's Book of Martyrs|public burning]] between 1553 and 1558 by the Roman Catholic [[Mary I of England|Queen Mary I]] in England leading to the reversion to the [[Church of England]] under [[Elizabeth I of England|Queen Elizabeth I]] in 1559. "From hundreds to thousands" of [[Waldensians]] were martyred in the [[Mérindol massacre|Massacre of Mérindol]] in 1545. Three hundred Roman Catholics were said to be martyred by the Church authorities in England in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.{{Citation needed|date = December 2016}}

Even more modern day accounts of martyrdom for Christ exist, depicted in books such as ''[[Jesus Freaks (book)|Jesus Freaks]],'' though the numbers are disputed. There are claims that the numbers of Christians killed for their faith annually are greatly exaggerated,<ref>{{cite news|last=Alexander |first=Ruth |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24864587 |title=Are there really 100,000 new Christian martyrs every year? |work=BBC News |date=2013-11-12 |access-date=2014-08-22}}</ref> but the fact of ongoing Christian martyrdoms remains undisputed.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-50924266|title=IS 'beheads Christian hostages' in Nigeria|date=2019-12-27|work=BBC News|access-date=2020-02-17|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/martyr-killed-by-bulldozer-becomes-symbol-of-growing-persecution-of-christians-in-china|title=Martyr killed by bulldozer becomes symbol of growing persecution of Christians in China|last=Chiaramonte|first=Perry|date=2016-04-21|website=Fox News|language=en-US|access-date=2020-02-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.jpost.com/Christian-News/Christian-evangelist-murdered-in-southeast-Turkey-608669|title=Christian evangelist murdered in southeast Turkey|website=The Jerusalem Post {{!}} JPost.com|access-date=2020-02-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/christian-martyrs-victims-radical-islam/story?id=9976549|title=Christianity's Modern-Day Martyrs: Victims of Radical Islam|website=ABC News|language=en|access-date=2020-02-17}}</ref>{{clear left}}

==Hinduism==
Despite the promotion of ''[[ahimsa]]'' (non-violence) within [[Sanatana Dharma]], and there being no concept of martyrdom,<ref>Stephen Knapp (2006) The Power of the Dharma: An Introduction to Hinduism and Vedic Culture [https://books.google.com/books?id=O9upBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT138&dq=martyrdom+and+hinduism&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjq5pLEluTLAhXh83IKHUKxDKkQ6AEISzAJ#v=onepage&q=martyrdom%20&f=false]</ref> there is the belief of righteous duty (''[[dharma]]''), where violence is used as a last resort to resolution after all other means have failed. Examples of this are found in the [[Mahabharata]]. Upon completion of their exile, the Pandavas were refused the return of their portion of the kingdom by their cousin Duruyodhana; and following which all means of peace talks by [[Krishna]], [[Vidura]] and [[Sanjaya]] failed. During the great war which commenced, even [[Arjuna]] was brought down with doubts, e.g., attachment, sorrow, fear. This is where Krishna instructs [[Arjuna]] how to carry out his duty as a righteous [[warrior]] and fight.

==Islam==
{{main|Shahid}}
[[File:Brooklyn Museum - Battle of Karbala - Abbas Al-Musavi - overall.jpg|thumb|The painting commemorating the martyrdom of the 3rd Shia Imam [[Husayn ibn Ali]] at the [[Battle of Karbala]], 680 AD|alt=]]
''Shahid'' originates from the [[Quran]]ic Arabic word meaning "witness" and is also used to denote a martyr. ''Shahid'' occurs frequently in the [[Quran]] in the generic sense "witness", but only once in the sense "martyr, one who dies for his faith"; this latter sense acquires wider use in the [[hadith]]s. Islam views a martyr as a man or woman who dies while conducting ''[[jihad]]'', whether on or off the battlefield (see [[greater jihad]] and [[lesser jihad]]).<ref>A. Ezzati (1986). [http://www.al-islam.org/al-serat/concept-ezzati.htm The Concept Of Martyrdom In Islam]. [[Tehran University]].</ref>
The concept of the martyr in Islam had been made prominent during the Islamic revolution (1978/79) in Iran and the subsequent Iran-Iraq war, so that the cult of the martyr had a lasting impact on the course of revolution and war.<ref>Gölz, [https://www.academia.edu/39134486/G%C3%B6lz_Martyrdom_and_Masculinity_in_Warring_Iran_The_Karbala_Paradigm_the_Heroic_and_the_Personal_Dimensions_of_War._Behemoth_12_no._1_2019_35_51 "Martyrdom and Masculinity in Warring Iran. The Karbala Paradigm, the Heroic, and the Personal Dimensions of War."], Behemoth 12, no. 1 (2019): 35–51, 35.</ref>

==Judaism==
{{main|Martyrdom in Judaism}}{{See also|Self-sacrifice in Jewish law|Kiddush Hashem}}

[[File:Attavante, martirio dei sette fratelli ebrei, bibl ap vaticana bibbia ms. urb lat 2 f 174v.jpg|thumb|left|''[[Woman with seven sons|Martyrdom of the seven Hebrew brothers]]'', [[Attavante degli Attavanti]], [[Vatican Library]]]]
Martyrdom in [[Judaism]] is one of the main examples of ''[[Kiddush Hashem]]'', meaning "sanctification of God's name" through public dedication to Jewish practice. Religious martyrdom is considered one of the more significant contributions of [[Hellenistic Judaism]] to [[Western Civilization]]. [[1 Maccabees]] and [[2 Maccabees]] recount numerous martyrdoms suffered by [[Jews]] resisting [[Hellenization|Hellenizing]] (adoption of Greek ideas or customs of a [[Hellenistic civilization]]) by their [[Seleucid]] overlords, being executed for such crimes as [[Shabbat|observing the Sabbath]], [[Brit milah|circumcising their boys]] or [[Kashrut|refusing to eat pork or meat sacrificed to foreign gods]]. According to [[W. H. C. Frend]], "Judaism was itself a religion of martyrdom" and it was this "Jewish psychology of martyrdom" that inspired Christian martyrdom. However, the notion of martyrdom in the two traditions differ considerably.<ref>See Philippe Bobichon, « Martyre talmudique et martyre chrétien », ''Kentron : Revue du Monde Antique et de Psychologie Historique'' 11, 2 (1995) and 12, 1 (1996), pp. 109-129</ref>

==Sikhism==
{{main|Martyrdom in Sikhism}}
[[File:Mehdiana 5.jpg|thumb|Sculpture at [[Mehdiana Sahib]] of the execution of [[Banda Singh Bahadur]] by [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]]s in 1716]]
Martyrdom (called ''shahadat'' in Punjabi) is a fundamental concept in [[Sikhism]] and represents an important institution of the faith. Sikhs believe in ''Ibaadat se Shahadat'' (from love to martyrdom). Some famous Sikh martyrs include:<ref>{{cite web |author=Sandeep Singh Bajwa |url=http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/martyrs/nojava.html |title=Biographies of Great Sikh Martyrs |publisher=Sikh-history.com |date=2000-02-11 |access-date=2014-08-22 |archive-date=2019-04-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403054654/http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/martyrs/nojava.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [[Guru Arjan]], the fifth leader of Sikhism. Guru ji was brutally tortured for almost 5 days before he attained shaheedi, or martyrdom.
* [[Guru Tegh Bahadur]], the ninth guru of Sikhism, martyred on 11 November 1675. He is also known as ''Dharam Di Chadar'' (i.e. "the shield of Religion"), suggesting that to save Hinduism, the guru gave his life.
* [[Bhai Dayala]] is one of the Sikhs who was martyred at Chandni Chowk at Delhi in November 1675 due to his refusal to accept Islam.
* [[Bhai Mati Das]] is considered by some one of the greatest martyrs in Sikh history, martyred at Chandni Chowk at Delhi in November 1675 to save Hindu Brahmins.
* [[Bhai Sati Das]] is also considered by some one of the greatest martyrs in Sikh history, martyred along with Guru Teg Bahadur at Chandni Chowk at Delhi in November 1675 to save kashmiri pandits.
* [[Sahibzada Ajit Singh]], [[Sahibzada Jujhar Singh]], [[Sahibzada Zorawar Singh]] and [[Sahibzada Fateh Singh]] – the four sons of Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Sikh guru.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allaboutsikhs.com/sikh-institutions/sacrifice-and-martyrdom |title=Sacrifice and Martyrdom - Gateway to Sikhism |date=28 June 2006 |publisher=Allaboutsikhs.com |access-date=2014-08-22}}</ref>

==Notable martyrs==
[[File:Interior of Martyrs Shrine Coliseum.jpg|thumb|Interior of the Coliseum at the [[National Shrine of the North American Martyrs]], Auriesville, New York, showing the sanctuary and high altar.]]
* 399 BCE – [[Socrates]], a Greek philosopher who chose death rather than renounce his ideals.
* c. 34 CE – [[Saint Stephen]], considered to be the first Christian martyr.
* c. 2nd century CE – [[Ten Martyrs]] of [[Judaism]].
* c. 288 – [[Saint Sebastian]], the subject of many works of art.
* c. 304 – [[Saint Agnes of Rome]], beheaded for refusing to forsake her devotion to Christ, for Roman paganism.
* c. 680 – [[Husayn ibn Ali]], grandson of [[Muhammed]] beheaded for opposing the Umayyad caliphate.
* 1415 – [[Jan Hus]], Christian reformer burned at the stake for heresy
* 1535 – [[Thomas More]], beheaded for refusing to acknowledge [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]] as Supreme Head of the Church of England.
* 1606 – [[Guru Arjan Dev]], the fifth leader of [[Sikhism]].
* 1675 – [[Guru Tegh Bahadur]], the ninth Guru of [[Sikhism]], referred to as "Hind di Chadar" or "Shield of India" martyred in defense of religious freedom of Hindus.
* 1941 – [[Maximilian Kolbe]], [[Ordo Fratrum Minorum|OFM]], a Roman Catholic priest, who was martyred in the Nazi concentration camp at [[Auschwitz]], August 1941.

==Political martyrs==
{{Main|Martyr (politics)}}
A political martyr is someone who suffers persecution or death for advocating, renouncing, refusing to renounce, or refusing to advocate a political belief or cause. Notable political martyrs include:

*1793 – [[Jean-Paul Marat]], a French [[Jacobin]] assassinated by [[Charlotte Corday]].
*1793 – [[Charlotte Corday]], a [[Girondins|Girondin]] sympathizer executed during the [[French Revolution]] for assassinating [[Jean-Paul Marat]].
*1835 - [[Hintsa kaKhawuta|King Hintsa kaKhawuta]], a [[Xhosa people|Xhosa]] monarch who was shot and killed while attempting to escape captivity during [[Xhosa Wars|Sixth Frontier War]], also known as the Hintsa War.
*1859 - [[John Brown (abolitionist)|John Brown]], a militant [[Abolitionism in the United States|abolitionist]] who was [[Capital punishment|executed]] after [[John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry|his raid on Harper’s Ferry]]. Many abolitionists of the time extolled him as a martyr.
*1865 – [[Abraham Lincoln]], the 16th [[President of the United States|U.S. President]]. Assassinated by a [[John Wilkes Booth|Confederate sympathizer]] after the end of the [[American Civil War]].
*1919 – [[Rosa Luxemburg]], a German Marxist revolutionary summarily executed along with [[Karl Liebknecht]] for their roles in the [[Spartacist uprising]].
*1920 - [[Yusuf al-Azma]], Syrian army commander whose refusal to surrender to the French, his insistence on entering battle with inferior forces and his death commanding the Syrians in Maysalun made him a hero in Syria and the Arab world
*1929 – [[Nurkhon Yuldashkhojayeva]], an Uzbek dancer murdered in an [[honor killing]] for dancing without veil; depicted as a martyr of [[Hujum]] in the play "Nurkhon" by Kamil Yashin after her death.
*1930 – [[Horst Wessel]] killed by [[Albrecht Höhler]] (a Communist Party member). Became [[Nazi Germany|Nazi]] martyr, due to promotion by [[Joseph Goebbels]].
*1943 – [[Hans and Sophie Scholl]], killed during [[the Holocaust]] for distributing leaflets [[Anti-Nazism|opposing Nazism]].
*1948 – [[Mahatma Gandhi]], an [[Indian nationalism|Indian nationalist]] leader referred as the 'Father of the Nation' by Indians, assassinated by Hindu fanatic [[Nathuram Godse]] for trying to spread communal harmony.
*1956 – [[Imre Nagy]], a [[Hungary|Hungarian]] [[Communism|communist]] [[politician]]. Executed for his leadership role in the [[Hungarian Revolution of 1956]].
*1957- [[Larbi Ben M'hidi|Larbi Ben Mhidi]], an Algerian Revolutionary leader also one of the 6 leaders of the [[National Liberation Front (Algeria)|FLN]] that fought for the independence of Algeria against the French. He was captured, arrested and tortured to death by the French.
*1961 – [[Patrice Lumumba]], born in 1925, assassinated in Mwadingusha in Katanga, Prime minister at the time in 61. He is considered the symbol of the independence of Congo.
*1963 – [[Medgar Evers]], assassinated in 1963 for his leadership of the [[civil rights movement|Civil Rights Movement]] in his home state Mississippi.
*1965 – [[Malcolm X]], assassinated in 1965 on account of his leadership in [[Black nationalism]].
*1966 – [[Sayyid Qutb]], an Egyptian Islamist and a key figure in the founding of modern [[political Islam]] in the 1950s. Hung in 1966 for plotting the assassination of [[President of Egypt|Egyptian president]] [[Gamal Abdel Nasser]].
*1967 – [[Che Guevara]], an [[Argentina|Argentine]] [[Marxism|Marxist]] [[revolutionary]]. Executed for trying to [[Ñancahuazú Guerrilla|foment revolution]] in [[Bolivia]].
*1968 – [[Martin Luther King Jr.]], assassinated in 1968 for his leadership of the [[civil rights movement|Civil Rights Movement]].
*1977 – [[Steve Biko]], a South African activist killed in Police Custody for his anti-[[Apartheid]] activism.
*1978 – [[Harvey Milk]], the first openly gay city council member of a major US city ([[San Francisco]]), murdered by fellow city council member [[Dan White]] who had previously expressed prejudiced views against homosexuals.
*1980 – [[Óscar Romero]], Archbishop of [[San Salvador]], assassinated on the orders of far-right death-squad leader [[Roberto D'Aubuisson]] after calling on Salvadoran soldiers to disobey commands to kill civilians.
*1981 – [[Bobby Sands]], an Irish Republican who died during a hunger strike while imprisoned.
*1987 – [[Thomas Sankara]], a [[Burkina Faso|Burkinabé]] Marxist revolutionary, deposed and assassinated for his efforts to transform the [[Republic of Upper Volta]] (which he renamed [[Burkina Faso]]) into a [[socialist state]].
*1989 – [[Safdar Hashmi]], an [[India]]n Marxist revolutionary playwright and actor, killed while performing a street play in support of workers' rights.
*1993 - [[Thembisile Chris Hani]], [[South Africa]] anti-[[Apartheid]] Activist, [[ANC]] military wing Mkhonto weSizwe commander was assassinated by [[Janusz Walus]] outside his home.
*1995 – [[Ken Saro-Wiwa]], [[Nigeria]]n activist killed for speaking against the destruction of indigenous [[Ogoni people|Ogoni]] land.
*1995 – [[Iqbal Masih]], a [[Pakistan]]i child killed at age 12 for advocating against child labor.

==Revolutionary martyr==
The term "revolutionary martyr" usually relates to those dying in [[revolution]]ary struggle.<ref>''The French Revolution'' Page 95 Linda Frey, Marsha Frey - 2004 "He was immortalized by the painter David in the famous painting of the death scene that became the icon of the revolution and an emblem of revolutionary propaganda. The revolutionary martyr was commemorated not only in painting and in ..."</ref><ref>Revolutionary Mexico: The Coming and Process of the Mexican ... - Page 250 John Mason Hart - 1987 "They popularized Ricardo Flores Magon as a revolutionary martyr who was harassed by the American and Mexican ..."</ref> During the 20th century, the concept was developed in particular in the culture and propaganda of communist or socialist revolutions, although it was and is also used in relation to nationalist revolutions.

* In the [[culture of North Korea]], martyrdom is a consistent theme in the ongoing revolutionary struggle, as depicted in literary works such as ''[[Sea of Blood]]''. There is also a [[Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery]] in the country.
* In [[Vietnam]], those who died in [[Indochina Wars|the independence struggle]] are often honoured as martyrs, or ''liệt sĩ'' in Vietnamese. [[Nguyễn Thái Học]] and schoolgirl [[Võ Thị Sáu]] are two examples.<ref>Vietnam At War Mark Philip Bradley - 2009 "As the concept of 'sacrifice' (hi sinh) came to embody the state's narrative of sacred war (chien tranh than thanh), the ultimate sacrifice was considered to be death in battle as a 'revolutionary martyr' (liet si)."</ref>
* In [[India]], the term "revolutionary martyr" is often used when referring to the world history of socialist struggle. [[Guru Radha Kishan]] was a notable Indian independence activist and communist politician known to have used this phrasing.
*In [[Algeria]], 132 years of Colonialism and [[Algerian War|Algerian War for independence]] leading up to 20 million Martyrs. Algeria in the Arabic world is knows as the land of a million and a half martyrs. Algerians for the last 6 years leading to 1962 gave 1.6 million martyrs. Today there is a famous movie ''[[The Battle of Algiers]]'' is seen as a classic and a controversial movie for many people depicting the last 6 years of the [[Algerian War|Algerian Revolution]] including Famous revolutionary leader [[Ali La Pointe]] .

== See also ==
{{cmn|colwidth=30em|
* [[Altruistic suicide]]
* [[Martyr complex]]
* [[Martyrology]]
* ''[[Martyrs Mirror]]''
* [[Perpetua and Felicity]]
* [[Religious persecution]]
* [[Religious views on suicide]]
}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09736b.htm "Martyrs"], ''Catholic Encyclopedia''
* Foster, Claude R. Jr. (1995). ''Paul Schneider, the Buchenwald apostle: a Christian martyr in Nazi Germany: A Sourcebook on the German Church Struggle''. Westchester, PA: SSI Bookstore, West Chester University. {{ISBN|978-1-887732-01-7}}
* History.com Editors. “Abolitionist John Brown Is Hanged.” HISTORY, 4 Mar. 2010, www.history.com/this-day-in-history/john-brown-hanged.

== Further reading ==
* Bélanger, Jocelyn J., et al. "The Psychology of Martyrdom: Making the Ultimate Sacrifice in the Name of a Cause." Journal of Personality & Social Psychology 107.3 (2014): 494-515. Print.
* Kateb, George. "Morality and Self-Sacrifice, Martyrdom and Self-Denial." Social Research 75.2 (2008): 353-94. Print.
* Olivola, Christopher Y. and Eldar Shafir. "The Martyrdom Effect: When Pain and Effort Increase Prosocial Contributions." Journal of Behavioral Decision Making 26, no. 1 (2013): 91-105.
* PBS. "Plato and the Legacy of Socrates." PBS. https://www.pbs.org/empires/thegreeks/background/41a.html (accessed October 21, 2014).
* Reeve, C. D. C.. A Plato Reader: Eight Essential Dialogues. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Pub. Co., 2012. Print.

== External links ==
{{Wiktionary}}
{{wikiquote|Martyrdom}}
{{Commons category|Martyrs}}
* [http://www.ccel.org/ccel/foxe/martyrs.html ''Fox's Book of Martyrs''] – 16th century classic book, accounts of martyrdoms
* [http://www.cqpress.com/incontext/terrorism/links/epr_martyrdom.html "Martyrdom from the perspective of sociology"]. ''Encyclopedia of Politics and Religion''.

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[[Category:Martyrdom| ]]
[[Category:Religious terminology]]
[[Category:Jungian archetypes]]

Martyr - Revision history

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