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7/24/2019 Lala Lajpat Rai 5307

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Lala Lajpat Rai Biography

Lala Lajpat Rai was a prominent Indian freedom fighter who

actively participated in the Indian freedom struggle against the

British rule. Check out this biography to know in details about

his childhood, life, profile and timeline.

Quick Facts

Nationality Indian

Born on 28 January 1865 AD

Zodiac Sign Aquarius

Born in Dhudike, India

Died on 17 November 1928 AD

Father Munshi Radha Krishna Azad

Mother Gulab Devi

Popularly known as Punjab Kesari or the Lion of Punjab, Lala

Lajpat Rai was one of the greatest leaders of India, who actively

took part in the Indian fight for independence from the British


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rule. Blessed with exceptional organizing abilities and oratorical

skills, he instigated in Indian youth the seed for Indian

Independence. Educated in law, he was deeply impressed by

the ideals of Arya Samaj movement founded by Dayananda

Saraswati. He was one of the leaders of famous 'Lal Bal Pal' trio

who were a thorn in the flesh of British administration. He also

travelled to the US to propagate the cause of Indian freedom.

He founded Servants of the People Society, a non-profit welfare

organization. A prominent member of the Indian National

Congress, he was brutally assaulted by the police while

protesting against the arrival of Simon Commission, set up by

the British government, to report on the political situation in

India, and that ultimately led to his death.

Childhood & Early Life

Born as Lajpat Rai to the Munshi Radha Krishna Azad and

Gulab Devi at the Dhudike village of Punjab on January

28, 1865, he belonged to the Aggarwal Bania community.

His father was a scholar of Persian and Urdu language.

Young Rai attained his elementary educational trainingfrom the Government Higher Secondary School in Rewari

where his father was posted as an Urdu teacher.

Upon completing his basic education, he enrolled at the

Government College at Lahore in 1880 to attain a degree

in law. It was while at college that he befriended Indian

patriots and future freedom fighters like Lala Hans Raj

and Pandit Guru Dutt.

Career

In 1885, he completed his study of law and started his

legal practice in Hissar. However, unlike other lawyers

from his fraternity, he did not aim at making legal practise

his preferred profession and instead wanted to devote his

life to social service.It was during this time that he became an ardent follower

of Dayananda Sarasvati, the founder of the conservative

Hindu society Arya Samaj. Along with the latter, he helped


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establish the nationalistic Dayananda Anglo-Vedic School.

After the death of Swami Dayanand, he along with his

associates worked hard to develop the Anglo-Vedic

colleges and educational institutes. It was due to his

impartial and unbiased attitude that he was elected to the

Hissar municipality as a member first, eventually becoming

its secretary.

In 1888, he entered politics and made impressive

contribution in the countrys struggle for independence by

working as a freedom fighter. At the Congress session in

Allahabad, he was one of the eighty delegates whose

heroic speech made waves in the Congress circle and

uplifted his popularity by leaps and bounds.To serve the cause of the country better, he decided to

shift from the small town of Hissar. As such, qualifying to

practice as an advocate, he moved to Lahore where he

took up legal practice at the Punjab High Court. He

constantly juggled between legal duties and social

service.

He actively participated against the partition of Bengal

and launched Swadeshi campaign. His name resounded in

the emergence of the new leadership at the Indian

National Congress as he became part of the famous Lal-

Bal-Pal trio. He was unaffected by the repressive measure

adopted by the government and constantly worked to

infuse in people national pride and self-respect.

His active measures in creating a tide of revolution

caused riots in Lahore and Rawalpindi in 1907 which

resulted in his imprisonment in Mandalay jail for six

months until November, 1907.

After being out of Congress for a couple of years, he re-

entered the Indian National Congress in 1912. Two years

later, he served as one of the delegates of the Congressin England.

The outbreak of the First World War in 1914 however

disrupted his plan for staying in England for six months


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and resulted in him moving to America on a self-imposed

exile. It was in America that he strongly raised his voice

about the pitiable state of India and Indians through his

revolutionary speeches and books.

In America, he established the Indian Home Rule League

and initiated a journal called, Young India which dealt

with the significance of Indian culture and necessity for

Indian freedom. It was through the paper that he initiated

a movement that made him popular worldwide.

Returning to India in 1920, he took over as the President

of the National Congress at the Special Session held in

September. His surging popularity made him a national

hero as people blindly accepted and followed him.Following year, he founded the Servants of the People

Society, a non-profit welfare organization, in Lahore.

Unable to contain his growing popularity and his potential

threat to the British Raj, he was imprisoned from 1921 to

1923.

Freed from jail, he turned his attention to the communal

problem which became a rising threat to India. Though he

was a devout Hindu and strongly was influenced by Arya

Samaj, he understood the need for Hindu Muslim unity

and actively worked for it.

In 1925, he presided over the Hindu Mahasabha held in

Calcutta where his inspiring speech instigated numerous

Hindus to join the national movement for Independence.

The year 1928 proved to a curtain puller in the life of this

freedom fighter who voiced strongly against the Britishs

Simon Commission, which aimed at discussing

Constitutional reforms needed in India but without having

any Indian member on its panel.

Infuriated, he led a peaceful protest against the

Commission, introducing a legislative assembly resolution

for completely boycotting the latter and demanding that

they return to their own country. British response in the

form of lathi charge gravely injured him from which he


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never completely recovered.

Personal Life & Legacy

He breathed his last on November 17, 1928, due to heart

attack. His death is celebrated as Martyrs Day in India.

Popularly referred to as the Lion of Punjab, Lala Lajpat

Rais legacy continues to thrive in the country in the form

of various schools, colleges and educational institutes

which bear his name.

His statues adorn various roads, squares and lanes in

numerous towns and metropolis of India. Additionally,

markets and localities also bear his name to mark his

relentless contribution in the freedom struggle.

In his life, he made lasting contribution in the field of

commerce and journalism as well. While he is responsible

for the establishment of the Punjab National Bank and the

Lakshmi Insurance Company, his newspapers, journals

and weeklies played a dominant role in instigating Indian

youth to join in the freedom struggle.

His contribution as a social worker and member of theArya Samaj has been invincible. He served as a father

figure to the orphans, helped set up numerous

orphanages which function till date and toiled tirelessly to

improve the working condition of the working class.

Trivia

This great Indian political leader and freedom fighter was

referred to as Punjab Kesari or Lion of Punjab.

lala lajpat rai 5307

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