Bhagat Singh: Full Biography

Birth and Family Environment

Bhagat Singh was born on 28 September 1907 at Banga in the Lyallpur district of British India, now in Faisalabad district, Pakistan. His parents were Kishan Singh and Vidyawati. He was born into a Sikh family whose members had already participated in social reform and anti-colonial political activity.

Family influence

The family environment exposed the young Bhagat Singh to political discussion, imprisonment and the wider struggle against colonial rule. His uncle Ajit Singh was a prominent anti-colonial activist, while his father Kishan Singh was also involved in political and social causes.

Primary-text reference: Bhagat Singh, Why I am an Atheist.

Jallianwala Bagh and Political Awakening

The Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 13 April 1919 became a defining event in Punjab's anti-colonial history. Bhagat Singh was about 12 years old. Later accounts of his youth connect this political atmosphere, together with the Non-Cooperation period, with his growing interest in India's freedom struggle.

A formative period

The massacre did not by itself determine his later politics, but it formed part of the political environment in which he grew up. His later writings show sustained interest in history, political theory and the organisation of mass movements.

National College, Lahore

Bhagat Singh studied at National College in Lahore, an institution associated with Lala Lajpat Rai and nationalist education. The college gave him an environment for studying history, literature, theatre and political ideas outside the framework of colonial government education.

Reading, theatre and political contacts

His college years were important for intellectual development. He took interest in literature and theatre and developed relationships with young activists who later became part of revolutionary networks.

Naujawan Bharat Sabha

Bhagat Singh was closely associated with the Naujawan Bharat Sabha in Lahore, a youth organisation connected with political education, anti-colonial mobilisation and social reform. Its activities sought to bring young people into public life and oppose communal divisions.

From romantic revolution to political study

In his later prison writing, Bhagat Singh described a turning point in which systematic study and realism became increasingly important to him. He read Marx, Lenin, Trotsky, Bakunin and other political writers.

Primary source: Why I am an Atheist.

Lala Lajpat Rai and the Saunders Case

In October 1928, a demonstration in Lahore against the Simon Commission was met by a police lathi charge. Lala Lajpat Rai was injured and died on 17 November 1928. Bhagat Singh and fellow revolutionaries subsequently planned an attack on James A. Scott, whom they held responsible for the police action.

Saunders was mistakenly targeted

On 17 December 1928, assistant superintendent of police J. P. Saunders was shot and killed in Lahore. The intended target was Scott, but Saunders was killed instead. Bhagat Singh then escaped Lahore in disguise.

Central Legislative Assembly Bombing

On 8 April 1929, Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt threw bombs inside the Central Legislative Assembly in Delhi as a political protest. They distributed leaflets, shouted slogans and deliberately stayed at the scene to be arrested.

A political platform

The action was intended to publicise their political message and bring their ideas before a court and a wider audience. The subsequent proceedings gave Bhagat Singh an opportunity to make political statements.

Jail Hunger Strike

After arrest, Bhagat Singh and other prisoners protested prison conditions and demanded treatment appropriate to political prisoners. Their demands included better food, clothing, reading material and basic facilities.

Jatin Das and public attention

The hunger strike lasted for weeks. Jatin Das died on 13 September 1929 after a prolonged fast. His death generated widespread public attention and intensified the political impact of the prisoners' protest.

Bhagat Singh's surviving documents include the hunger-strikers' demands and prison correspondence: document archive.

Writings and Political Thought

Bhagat Singh used prison as a period of intensive reading and writing. His surviving letters, statements and essays discuss revolution, socialism, imperialism, religion, atheism, youth and political organisation.

Why I am an Atheist

He wrote "Why I am an Atheist" in prison on 5–6 October 1930. He explained that his atheism had developed before imprisonment and described a movement from inherited belief toward scepticism, study and reason.

Revolution and social change

His writings increasingly connected revolution with social transformation, political education and changes in systems of exploitation, rather than treating revolution only as an isolated act of violence.

Primary source: Why I am an Atheist.

Trial and Martyrdom

Bhagat Singh was tried in the Lahore Conspiracy Case in connection with the killing of J. P. Saunders. Shivaram Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar were also sentenced to death. The proceedings took place before a special tribunal established by the colonial government.

23 March 1931

Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were executed at Lahore Jail on 23 March 1931. Bhagat Singh was 23 years old. His death became a major symbol of India's anti-colonial struggle.

Historical legacy

His image and writings continued to circulate after independence. Historians and readers continue to study his revolutionary methods, socialism, secular thought, writings and relationship with the wider freedom movement.