Why in News?
Shyamji Krishna Varma is recently in the news because India is observing his death anniversary on March 30, 2026. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders have paid tributes to him, highlighting his role in awakening a "new consciousness" in the freedom movement through his revolutionary ideas.
Personal Profile
- Birth: Born on October 4, 1857, in Mandvi, Kutch district, Gujarat.
- Scholarship: A renowned scholar of Sanskrit and other languages, he was the first non-Brahmin to be conferred the title of 'Pandit' by the scholars of Kashi in 1877.
- Education & Legal Career: A graduate of Balliol College, Oxford, he was the first Indian Bar-at-law and served as the Divan of several princely states, including Ratlam and Junagadh.
Revolutionary Foundations in London
- Indian Home Rule Society: Founded on February 18, 1905, to advocate for complete self-rule (Swaraj).
- India House: Established a student residence in London (1905–1910) that became a major hub for Indian revolutionaries abroad.
- The Indian Sociologist: Launched this monthly journal to spread nationalist ideas and critique British colonial policies.
Ideological Influence
- Inspirations: Deeply influenced by Swami Dayanand Saraswati (founder of Arya Samaj), Herbert Spencer, and Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
- Mentorship: He mentored and inspired a generation of revolutionaries, most notably Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, as well as Madam Bhikhaiji Cama and Lala Hardayal.
- Arya Samaj: Served as the first President of the Bombay Arya Samaj.
Later Life and Legacy
- Exile: To avoid arrest by British authorities, he moved his headquarters to Paris in 1907 and later to Geneva, Switzerland, in 1914.
- Death: Passed away on March 30, 1930, in Geneva.
- Return of Ashes: In 2003, his ashes (and those of his wife Bhanumati) were brought back to India from Geneva by then-Gujarat CM Narendra Modi.
- Memorial: A memorial named Kranti Teerth, featuring a replica of India House, was inaugurated in 2010 at his birthplace in Mandvi.
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