Lala Hardayal was a prominent Indian revolutionary, scholar, and nationalist thinker who played a key role in organizing India’s freedom struggle from abroad. He was born on 14 October 1884 in Delhi. Exceptionally intelligent, he studied at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, and later went to England, where he came into contact with revolutionary ideas.
Lala Hardayal strongly opposed British colonial rule and believed that complete independence could only be achieved through active resistance. He left a promising academic career to dedicate himself fully to the cause of freedom. He traveled extensively across Europe and the United States, spreading revolutionary ideas among Indians living overseas.
He was one of the founding leaders of the Ghadar Party in 1913 in the United States. As a chief ideologue of the party, Lala Hardayal inspired Indian immigrants, especially soldiers and workers, to rise against British rule. Through the newspaper Ghadar, he encouraged rebellion, patriotism, and sacrifice for the motherland.
The British government considered him a serious threat and tried repeatedly to arrest him. Due to political pressure, he had to move frequently between countries. Later in life, Lala Hardayal distanced himself from active revolutionary politics and focused on writing, philosophy, and social thought.
He passed away on 4 March 1939 in Philadelphia, USA. Lala Hardayal is remembered as a fearless revolutionary intellectual whose efforts internationalized India’s freedom struggle and inspired generations to think beyond fear and foreign domination.