Mahendra Pratap

Raja Mahendra Pratap

Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh (December 1, 1886–April 29, 1979) was a freedom fighter, journalist, writer and revolutionary social reformist of India. He was popularly known as the Aryan Peshwa. He was born in Thenua gotra Jat Hindu princely family of state of Mursan in Hathras District of Uttar Pradesh on 1 December 1886. He was the third son of Raja Ghanshyam Singh. At the age of three, Raja Harnarayan Singh of Hathras adopted him as his son.^[1] He was married to a Jat Sikh family of Jind princely state of Haryana (then in Punjab) in 1902 while studying in college. She died in 1925.

Education

In 1895 Raja Mahendra Pratap took admission in the Government High School, Aligarh but soon he switched over to the Muhammedan Anglo-Oriental Collegiate School.^[1]. Here, he received his education under British Headmasters and Muslim teachers all from Mohammedan Anglo Oriental College Aligarh founded by Sir Sayed Ahmad Khan. With this background he shaped into a true representative of secular society. To bring India at par with European Countries, Raja Mahendra Pratap established a free indigenous technical institute, ‘Prem Mahavidyalaya’ in his palace at Vrindavan on May 24, 1909.

Freedom movement

In spite of objections from his father-in-law, Raja Mahendra Pratap went to Kolkata in 1906 to attend the Congress session and met several leaders involved in the Swadeshi movement. He decided to promote small industries with indigenous goods and local artisans. He was very much against social evils, especially untouchability. To eliminate this evil he dined with a Tamata family of Almora in 1911 and Mehtar family of Agra in 1912. He was influenced by the speeches of Dadabhai Naoroji, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Maharaja Baroda, and Bipin Chandra Pal. The speeches of these great leaders made him a patriot who turned Swadeshi. He started the movement to burn the foreign made clothes in his state.

He tried sincerely to liberate his motherland. On 20 December 1914, at the age of 28, Raja Mahendra Pratap left India for the third time, with a desire to liberate India from the clutches of the British colonial rule with outside support. In January 1915, on learning about his presence in Switzerland, Chatto alias Virendranath Chattopadhyay of the newly founded Berlin Committee (Deutsche Verein der Freunde Indien)requested Von Zimmermann of the German Foreign ministry to get Pratap invited to Berlin. Already Chatto had sent a first mission to Afghanistan led by the Parsi revolutionary Dada Chanji Kersasp. Informed about Chatto's activities from Shyamji Krishnavarma and Lala Hardayal, Pratap insisted on meeting the Kaiser Wilhelm II personally; Chatto rushed to Geneva to intimate Pratap of the Kaiser's eagerness to see him, and they went to Berlin together. Har Dayal, too, followed them. Decorating Pratap with the Order of the Red Eagle, the Kaiser showed his awareness of the strategic position of the Phulkian States (Jind, Patiala and Nabha), if India was invaded through the Afghan frontier. According to Pratap's wish, he was taken to a military camp near the Polish border for a firsthand knowledge of the army policies and functionings. On 10 April 1915, accompanied by the German diplomat Von Hentig, Maulavi Barkatullah and a few other members, Pratap left Berlin, with due credentials from the Kaiser. In Vienna, the delegation met the then Khedive of Egypt who, during a conversation with Pratap, expressed his desire to see the end of the British Empire. On their way, in Turkey they had an excellent contact with Enver Pasha, son-in-law of the Sultan and Defence Minister, who appointed a trusted military officer to guide the Mission. They were received by Rauf Bey with a detachment of 2000 soldiers at Ispahan. They reached Kabul on 2 October and were greeted by Habibullah. They had a number of discussions.

Provisional Government of India

On 1 December 1915, Pratap's 28th birthday, he established the first Provisional Government of India at Kabul in Afghanistan, during First World War. It was a government-in-exile of Free Hindustan with Raja Mahendra Pratap as President, Maulavi Barkatullah, Prime Minister, Maulavi Abaidullah Sindhi, Home Minister.^[2] Anti-British forces supported his movement. But, for some obvious loyalty to the British, the Amir kept on delaying the expedition. Due to his revolutionary ideas Raja Mahendra Pratap had a good relationship with Lenin. Lenin invited him to Russia on its liberation and welcomed him. He had become a real threat to foreign rule in India. The British Government of India declared a reward on his head, attacked his entire estate and declared him a fugitive.

In Japan

He went to Japan in 1925. He published ‘World Federation Monthly Magazine’ in 1929. Raja Mahendra Pratap tried his best to utilize the world war situations to free India. During Second World War he stayed at Tokyo in Japan and continued his movement from ‘World Federation Centre’ to free India from British rule. He formed the Executive Board of India in Japan in 1940 during Second World War. At last the British government relented and Raja Mahendra Pratap was permitted to come to India from Tokyo with respect. He was also nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1932.^[3]

Back to India

He returned to India after about 32 years by ‘the City of Paris’ Ship and landed at Madras on 9 August 1946. On reaching India he immediately rushed to Wardha to meet Mahatma Gandhi.

After independence also he continued his struggle for transfer of power to the common man. His vision was that the Panchayat Raj was the only tool, which will give the real power in the hands of people and will reduce corruption and bureaucratic hurdles. He was the member of the second Lok Sabha from 1957-1962. He was elected as an independent candidate from Mathura constituency. He was president of Indian Freedom Fighters’ Association. He was president of All India Jat Mahasabha also. He died on 29 April 1979.

Man of vision

Raja Mahendra Pratap was a man of grand vision, who devoted his entire life to the service of mankind. This life-long revolutionary wanted to bring radical changes in the society and world order. His idea of ‘World Federation’ was a revolutionary one where he treated entire world as a family. His view was that this idea would cut the expenditures on police and armed forces that can be used for the development of nations. Raja Mahendra Pratap was a dedicated journalist and a prolific writer who wrote a large number of books on varied topics.

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Bhattacharya, Abinash Chandra (1962). Bahirbharate Bharater Muktiprayas (in Bengali), Kalikata:Firma K.L.Mukhopadhyaya, pp. 9-24
2. ^ Contributions of Raja Mahendra Prata by Hakim Syed Zillur Rahman, International Seminar on Raja Mahendra Pratap & Barkatullah Bhopali|Maulavi Barkatullah, Barkatulla University, Bhopal, December 1-3, 2005.
3. ^ The Nomination Database for the Nobel Prize in Peace, 1901-1955

References

• Dr. Vir Singh (2004), My Life History: 1986-1979, Raja Mahendra Pratap, ISBN 81-88629-24-3
• "Mahendra Pratap (Raja)" in Dictionary of National Biography, 1974, Vol.III,pp10-11
• Les origines intellectuelles du mouvement d'indépendance de l'Inde (1893-1918) by Prithwindra Mukherjee, Paris, 1986 (PhD Thesis)

See also

External links

• http://www.rajamahendrapratap.net/index.html
• http://www.punjabiamericanheritagesociety.com/paf/paf2000/ghadar_ki_goonj.html
• http://www.punjabilok.com/misc/freedom/history_of_the_ghadar_movement8.htm