Indian history Β· Freedom struggle Β· Revolutionaries
Shaheed Bhagat Singh (1907β1931): Family, Influences, HSRA, the Saunders Case, the Assembly Bomb, Hunger Strike, Writings and Execution β Exam Notes
Bhagat Singh was only 23 when he was hanged in Lahore jail in 1931, yet he remains one of the most admired figures of India's freedom struggle. He was a revolutionary, a reader and a writer who argued for socialism and secularism, and used his trial as a platform for ideas. This guide goes deeper than our Punjab freedom-struggle overview, covering his life, actions, trial and writings.
Life at a glance
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Born | 28 September 1907, Banga, Lyallpur district (now in Pakistan) |
| Ancestral village | Khatkar Kalan (Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district, Punjab) |
| Father / mother | Kishan Singh / Vidyavati |
| Uncles | Sardar Ajit Singh (Pagri Sambhal Jatta, 1907) and Swaran Singh |
| Education | DAV School, Lahore; National College, Lahore |
| Organisations | Naujawan Bharat Sabha (1926), HSRA (1928) |
| Executed | 23 March 1931, Lahore Central Jail, with Rajguru and Sukhdev |
| Memorial | National Martyrs Memorial, Hussainiwala (Ferozepur) |
A family of nationalists
Bhagat Singh was born on the day his father and uncle Swaran Singh were released from jail. His uncle Ajit Singh had led the 1907 canal colonies agitation with Lala Lajpat Rai and was deported to Mandalay; he lived in exile until 1947 and died on 15 August 1947. The family had links with the Ghadar movement and with the Arya Samaj.
Influences
- Jallianwala Bagh (1919): at the age of eleven, Bhagat Singh visited the site after the massacre and is said to have collected soil soaked with blood.
- Kartar Singh Sarabha: the Ghadar hero hanged in 1915 at 19 was his idol; Bhagat Singh carried his photograph.
- Non-Cooperation Movement: he left the government school to join the National College, Lahore, founded by Lala Lajpat Rai, where teachers such as Bhai Parmanand and Jaichandra Vidyalankar encouraged him to read history and politics.
- Nankana Sahib (1921) and the Akali movement also affected him deeply.
- He read widely β Marx, Lenin, Bakunin, the Irish and Russian revolutionaries β and wrote for Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu journals such as Kirti and Pratap, using pen names such as Balwant.
Organisations
- 1924: joined the Hindustan Republican Association in Kanpur, where he worked with Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi's paper Pratap.
- 1926: founded the Naujawan Bharat Sabha in Lahore, with Bhagwati Charan Vohra and others, to mobilise youth, peasants and workers and spread secular, socialist ideas.
- 1928: at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi, the HRA became the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA), with Chandrashekhar Azad as commander-in-chief and Bhagat Singh in charge of ideas and propaganda.
The Saunders killing (17 December 1928)
On 30 October 1928, Lala Lajpat Rai led a silent protest against the all-white Simon Commission in Lahore. Police under Superintendent James A. Scott baton-charged the crowd, and Lajpat Rai, badly beaten, died on 17 November 1928.
The HSRA decided to kill Scott. On 17 December 1928, by mistake, Bhagat Singh and Rajguru shot John P. Saunders, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, outside the police headquarters; Chandrashekhar Azad shot a head constable, Chanan Singh, who chased them. Bhagat Singh escaped from Lahore disguised in a hat and western clothes, travelling with Durgawati Devi (Durga Bhabhi) posing as his wife.
The Assembly bomb (8 April 1929)
The government was about to pass the Public Safety Bill and the Trade Disputes Bill. On 8 April 1929, Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt threw two low-intensity bombs into the empty benches of the Central Legislative Assembly in Delhi, showered leaflets and shouted "Inquilab Zindabad" and "Down with imperialism".
- They did not try to escape and courted arrest.
- Their leaflet began: "It takes a loud voice to make the deaf hear", echoing the French anarchist Vaillant.
- No one was killed; the aim was propaganda, not murder.
- They were sentenced to transportation for life in the Assembly Bomb Case.
Hunger strike in jail (1929)
In jail, Bhagat Singh and his comrades demanded the status of political prisoners β decent food, books, newspapers and clothes. Their hunger strike began in June 1929 and drew national attention.
Jatin Das (Jatindra Nath Das), a revolutionary from Bengal, died on 13 September 1929 after 63 days of fasting. His funeral procession in Calcutta, led by Subhas Chandra Bose, was attended by huge crowds.
The Lahore Conspiracy Case and execution
Police connected Bhagat Singh to the Saunders killing. In the Lahore Conspiracy Case, a special tribunal set up by an ordinance of the Viceroy tried him with Rajguru, Sukhdev and others; the accused largely boycotted the proceedings.
- On 7 October 1930, the tribunal sentenced Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev to death.
- Appeals, including to the Privy Council, failed. Many leaders appealed for clemency, and the issue arose during the GandhiβIrwin Pact talks (March 1931), but the sentence stood.
- On 23 March 1931, a day earlier than scheduled, the three were hanged in Lahore Central Jail in the evening. Their bodies were secretly cremated near Hussainiwala on the Sutlej.
- 23 March is observed as Shaheed Diwas (Martyrs' Day).
The Karachi session of the Congress (late March 1931) passed a resolution admiring their bravery while reaffirming non-violence.
Writings and ideas
| Work | Theme |
|---|---|
| "Why I Am an Atheist" (1930, written in jail) | Defence of rationalism; rejects belief in God without vanity |
| Jail notebook | Notes from his reading β Marx, Engels, Rousseau, Jefferson and others |
| "To Young Political Workers" (1931) | Call for organising workers and peasants |
| Articles in Kirti | Against communalism and untouchability; on language |
| HSRA Manifesto and "Philosophy of the Bomb" | Drafted with Bhagwati Charan Vohra |
His key ideas: freedom must mean the end of exploitation of man by man, not just a change of rulers; socialism; secularism and opposition to communal politics; and the importance of ideas ("the sword of revolution is sharpened on the whetstone of ideas").
Memory and honours
- Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district (earlier Nawanshahr), Punjab.
- Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, Mohali (renamed in 2022).
- Museum at Khatkar Kalan; Shaheedi Mela at Hussainiwala on 23 March.
- Rajguru (Shivaram Hari Rajguru, from Khed, now Rajgurunagar, Maharashtra) and Sukhdev Thapar (from Ludhiana) are honoured with him.
Exam traps
- Saunders (not Scott) was killed on 17 December 1928.
- The Assembly bomb was thrown with B. K. Dutt, not Rajguru or Sukhdev.
- Jatin Das died after 63 days of hunger strike β he was not hanged.
- Executions took place on 23 March 1931 in Lahore; cremation near Hussainiwala.
Key points to remember
- Born 28 September 1907, Banga; ancestral village Khatkar Kalan.
- Naujawan Bharat Sabha (1926); HSRA (1928) with Azad.
- Saunders β 17 December 1928; Assembly bomb with Dutt β 8 April 1929.
- Hunger strike; Jatin Das died 13 September 1929.
- Death sentence 7 October 1930; hanged 23 March 1931 with Rajguru and Sukhdev.
- "Why I Am an Atheist"; "Inquilab Zindabad".
Practice questions
Q1. Bhagat Singh was born at:
- (a) Khatkar Kalan
- (b) Banga, Lyallpur district
- (c) Ludhiana
- (d) Amritsar
Show answer
Answer: (b) Banga, Lyallpur district β He was born at Banga in Lyallpur district; his ancestral village is Khatkar Kalan.
Q2. Who threw bombs in the Central Legislative Assembly with Bhagat Singh?
- (a) Sukhdev
- (b) Rajguru
- (c) Batukeshwar Dutt
- (d) Chandrashekhar Azad
Show answer
Answer: (c) Batukeshwar Dutt β Bhagat Singh and B. K. Dutt threw the bombs on 8 April 1929.
Q3. The police officer killed by Bhagat Singh and Rajguru on 17 December 1928 was:
- (a) James Scott
- (b) John Saunders
- (c) Michael O'Dwyer
- (d) Douglas Kingsford
Show answer
Answer: (b) John Saunders β They shot John P. Saunders, mistaking him for Scott.
Q4. Which revolutionary died after a 63-day hunger strike in 1929?
- (a) Bhagwati Charan Vohra
- (b) Jatin Das
- (c) Sukhdev
- (d) Ashfaqulla Khan
Show answer
Answer: (b) Jatin Das β Jatin Das died on 13 September 1929.
Q5. 'Why I Am an Atheist' was written by:
- (a) Chandrashekhar Azad
- (b) Bhagat Singh
- (c) Ram Prasad Bismil
- (d) Sachindra Nath Sanyal
Show answer
Answer: (b) Bhagat Singh β Bhagat Singh wrote it in jail in 1930.
Q6. Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were cremated near:
- (a) Hussainiwala
- (b) Wagah
- (c) Anandpur Sahib
- (d) Jallianwala Bagh
Show answer
Answer: (a) Hussainiwala β Their bodies were secretly cremated near Hussainiwala on the Sutlej.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Bhagat Singh throw bombs in the Assembly?
To protest against repressive bills and to spread the HSRA's message; the bombs were not meant to kill, and he and Dutt courted arrest.
Who were Rajguru and Sukhdev?
Shivaram Hari Rajguru from Khed in Maharashtra and Sukhdev Thapar from Ludhiana β HSRA comrades hanged with Bhagat Singh on 23 March 1931.
What is the National College, Lahore?
A nationalist college founded during the Non-Cooperation Movement with Lala Lajpat Rai's support, where Bhagat Singh studied.
Official sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica β Bhagat Singh
- National Archives of India (Abhilekh Patal)
- Punjab Digital Library
Rules, dates and figures can change. Always check the latest official notification or government release before relying on a detail.