Lala Lajpat Rai, honoured as "Punjab Kesari" — the Lion of Punjab — was a lawyer, Arya Samaj leader, educationist, banker and writer who, with Tilak and Bipin Chandra Pal, led the radical wing of the national movement. His death after a police assault during the protest against the Simon Commission in 1928 stirred the whole country.
Life
- 1865Born on 28 January at Dhudike in Punjab.
- 1880sStudies law in Lahore; joins the Arya Samaj and works for the Dayanand Anglo-Vedic (DAV) school and college movement.
- 1894Among the founders of the Punjab National Bank.
- 1907Deported to Mandalay without trial for his role in agrarian agitation in Punjab; released after public protest.
- 1914–19In the United States; founds the Indian Home Rule League of America (1917) and writes "Young India" (1916).
- 1920Presides over the special session of the Congress in Calcutta.
- 1921Founds the Servants of the People Society.
- 1928Leads the protest against the Simon Commission in Lahore on 30 October; injured in a police lathi charge; dies on 17 November.
Ideas and work
Lajpat Rai combined the Arya Samaj's reforming Hinduism with modern nationalism. He championed education in Indian hands, swadeshi enterprise — he helped found a bank and an insurance company — famine relief and the uplift of the depressed classes. Abroad, he argued India's case for self-rule to American and British audiences, and in "Unhappy India" (1928) he answered Katherine Mayo's hostile book "Mother India".
Criticism and debate
In the 1920s Lajpat Rai was active in the Hindu Mahasabha, and in a series of articles in 1924 he discussed a possible division of Punjab and Bengal along religious lines as a way out of communal conflict. Historians debate how far these writings anticipated later partition politics; admirers stress that he remained a Congress leader committed to a united, free India.
Legacy
His death was avenged by Bhagat Singh and his comrades, who shot the police officer J. P. Saunders in December 1928 — an episode that made both men national heroes. Lajpat Nagar in Delhi, many colleges and the Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial in Lahore keep his memory alive.
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Frequently asked questions
Why is Lala Lajpat Rai called Punjab Kesari?
"Punjab Kesari" means "the Lion of Punjab", a title given for his fearless leadership.
How did Lala Lajpat Rai die?
He was injured in a police lathi charge while leading a protest against the Simon Commission in Lahore on 30 October 1928 and died on 17 November 1928.
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Read nextMahatma Gandhi on Hindu DharmaSources & copyright status
- Lala Lajpat Rai, Young India (1916); Unhappy India (1928) — public domain
- V. C. Joshi (ed.), Lala Lajpat Rai: Writings and Speeches (1966) — facts only
- Historical facts: not subject to copyright.
- Commentary and translations on this page: original to The Hindu Book. © The Hindu Book, all rights reserved.
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