Bhai Balmukund (1889 – 8 May 1915) was an Indian revolutionary freedom fighter. He was sentenced to death and hanged by the

British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...

for his role in Delhi conspiracy case. He was a cousin of another revolutionary

Bhai Parmanand Bhai Parmanand (4 November 1876 – 8 December 1947) was an Indian nationalist and a prominent leader of the Ghadar Party and Hindu Mahasabha. Early life Parmanand was born on 4 November 1876 in Karyala (Punjab, Pakistan) to Bhai Tara Chand C ...

, who was a founder member of

Ghadar Party The Ghadar Movement or Ghadar Party was an early 20th-century, international political movement founded by expatriate Panjabi s to overthrow British rule in India. Many of the Ghadar Party founders and leaders, including Sohan Singh Bhakna, ...

Early life

Bhai Balmukund was born in 1889 at Kariala village in

Jhelum district Jhelum District () is a district, located partially on the Pothohar Plateau and in Indus Plain, in Punjab, Pakistan. Jhelum is one of the oldest districts of Punjab. It was established on 23 March 1849. Jhelum is known for providing many sold ...

(now in Pakistan). His father was Bhai Mathura Das. His family hailed from a famous martyr of Hindu history

Bhai Mati Das Bhai Mati Das (Punjabi language, Punjabi: ਭਾਈ ਮਤੀ ਦਾਸ; died 11 November 1675; also known as Dewan Mati Dasa), along with his younger brother Bhai Sati Das were martyrs of early Sikh history. Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Dayala, and Bhai ...

from whom they attached the epithet ''Bhai'' to their names. Balmukund's interest in national movement aroused when he was a student. After graduation, he took the profession of teaching, but his attachments to the national movement made him an ardent nationalist.

Revolutionary activities

On 23 December 1912, when Lord Hardinge was marching in a state through the

Chandni Chowk The Chandni Chowk (meaning Moonlight Square) is one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi, India. There is another location in Pune with the name Chandani Chowk. Located close to the Old Delhi railway station, the Mughal-era Red Fort ...

, Delhi, a bomb was thrown on him. The Viceroy received minor injuries only, but his attendant was killed. Another bomb was thrown at some Europeans at Lawrence Garden, Lahore five months later on 17 May 1913. Following investigations, Balmukund was arrested from

Jodhpur Jodhpur () is the second-largest city of the north-western Indian state of Rajasthan, after its capital Jaipur. As of 2023, the city has a population of 1.83 million. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Jodhpur district and ...

, where he was working as a tutor of the Jodhpur Maharaja's sons.

Death

A trial was held at Delhi after the investigations of the bombings and Bal Mukund was sentenced to death along with his companions Master Amir Chand, Awadh Behari, and

Basanta Kumar Biswas Basanta Kumar Biswas (6 February 1895 – 11 May 1915) was an Indian pro-independence activist involved in the Jugantar group who, in December 1912, played a role in the bombing of the Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst, Viceroy' ...

on 8 December 1914. On 11 May 1915, Bal Mukund was hanged in the Ambala Central Jail at 32 years of age.

References

Bibliography

* * {{Indian Revolutionary Movement Indian revolutionaries 1915 deaths 1889 births Revolutionary movement for Indian independence People from Jhelum