Prelims: Current events of national importance | Modern Indian History
Why in News?
The Prime Minister of India has paid homage to Shyamji Krishna Varma on his death anniversary.
Shyamji Krishna Verma – He was a Revolutionary freedom fighter who operated mainly from Europe.
Early life & Education
He was born on the 4th October, 1857, at Mandvi ( in Gujarat State ) to a poor Bhanushali family.
He excelled in Sanskrit and English, and later became the first Indian M.A. at Oxford University.
He married Bhanumati in 1875, the daughter of a wealthy Bombay merchant.
He practised law as an Advocate of the Bombay High Court after returning from Oxford and served as a minister in several princely states.
Influenced by – He was greatly influenced by Swami Dayanand Saraswati and became the first President of Bombay Arya Samaj.
Advocacy – He supported both non-cooperation and, if necessary, armed struggle against colonial rule.
Revolutionary Contributions
Founded the Indian Home Rule Society in London in 1905 to campaign against British domination.
Established the India House in London, a hub for Indian students and revolutionaries in 1905.
Published ‘The Indian Sociologist’, a radical English monthly journal for spreading nationalist ideas.
Advocated Swaraj (Self-Rule) long before it became mainstream.
Influence on Revolutionaries
Mentored and supported V.D. Savarkar, Lala Hardayal, V.V.S. Iyer, and Biren Chattopadhyay.
Inspired Madam Bhikhaiji Cama and others to intensify independence activities.
Later, he shifted to Paris due to political pressure in London, continued activism in Paris and later Geneva.
Death – He died on 31 March 1930 in Paris; his ashes were later repatriated to India after independence.
A memorial called Kranti Teerth dedicated to him was built and inaugurated in 2010 near Mandvi.
Legacy – He was the first Indian leader to demand complete independence from British rule, whose intellectual activism and visionary efforts laid the foundation for later nationalist movements by bridging thought with action.
