ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>LAKSHMA&#7750 SI&#7748GH BHAGAT (1863-1944)</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="LAKSHMAF,SIDGH,BHAGAT,Person,Person"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279LAKSHMA&#7750 SI&#7748GH, BHAGAT (1863-1944), educationist and writer, was born of Hindu parents, Bhagat K&#257han Chand and Bhagatan&#299 Gurditt&#299 (the prefix "Bhagat" came down to the family from an ancestor who was a reputed Vaishnava <i>bhagat</i> or devotee), on 8 June 1863 at R&#257walpi&#7751&#7693&#299, now in Pakistan, receiving the Sikh rites in 1895 at the hands of B&#257b&#257 Khem Si&#7749gh Bed&#299 in direct line of descent from Gur&#363 N&#257nak. After his early schooling at R&#257walpi&#7751&#7693&#299 Presbyterian Mission High School, Lakshma&#7751 Si&#7749gh went to Lahore where he joined in 1881 the Municipal Board High School. Not a very brilliant student, he took five years to clear the Matriculation examination and three to obtain his (one-year) Teachership certificate. He went through a variety of employments thereafter, serving in the district court as clerk, postal department as cashier and Municipal Board Middle School at Har&#299pur in Haz&#257r&#257 district as headmaster. From May 1894 to October 1898, he taught at the Gordon Mission School, R&#257walpi&#7751&#7693&#299. During this period he was, as he records in his autobiography, offered by Dy&#257l Si&#7749gh Maj&#299&#7789h&#299&#257, at the instance of L&#257l&#257 Harkishan L&#257l, editorship of <i>The Tribune</i>, which he declined.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; On 5 January 1899 he however launched his own weekly paper <i>The Khalsa</i> --- the first-ever English-language Sikh journal to make its appearance. Through its columns, he vigorously espoused the cause of the Si&#7749gh Sabh&#257, but the paper had to be closed down in April 1901 owing to financial difficulties. Lakshma&#7751 Si&#7749gh entered government service as Assistant Inspector of Schools, F&#299rozpur, in 1903, becoming District Inspector of Schools, Jehlum, in 1906. He served as second master at Government High School, R&#257walpi&#7751&#7693&#299, from June 1910 to March 1914, and as headmaster of Government High School, F&#299rozpur, from 1916 to 1918. Retiring from government service in 1922, he took over as manager of Bh&#363pindr&#257 <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 High School, Mog&#257, which position he quit in February 1927. In 1929, he restarted <i>The Khalsa</i>, and continued with his characteristic verve the campaign in behalf of Si&#7749gh Sabh&#257 reform. Besides editing his own paper, Lakshma&#7751 Si&#7749gh contributed articles to <i>The Tribune</i> and other journals. He also published two books, <i>A Short Sketch of the Life and Work of Gur&#363 Gobind Singh</i> (Lahore, 1909) and the <i>Sikh Martyrs</i> (Madras, 1929), both written in energetic English style. A book of memoirs, <i>Bhagat Lakshman Singh : Autobiography</i>, was published (Calcutta, 1965) posthumously by his lifelong friend and admirer Dr Ga&#7751&#7693&#257 Si&#7749gh.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Bhagat Lakshma&#7751 Si&#7749gh died on 27 December 1944 at his residence on the As<u>gh</u>ar Mall in R&#257walpi&#7751&#7693&#299.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Ganda Singh, ed., <i>Bhagat Lakshman Singh : Autobiography</i>. Calcutta, 1965<BR> <li class="C1"> Tuteja, K.L., <i>Sikh Politics</i>. Kurukshetra, 1984<BR> <li class="C1"> Pi&#257r Si&#7749gh, <i>Bh&#257&#299 Jodh Si&#7749gh : J&#299van te Rachn&#257</i>. Patiala, 1983<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Sard&#257r Si&#7749gh Bh&#257&#7789&#299&#257<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>