Kunwar Pratap Singh Barhath

Indian independence activist (1893 – 1918)

Kunwar Pratap Singh Barhath (25 May 1893 – 7 May 1918), also known as ‘Kunwar Ji’, was an Indian anti British activist known for his role in the revolutionary plot to assassinate the Viceroy of India, Charles Hardinge, in 1912. He was a prominent member of the Revolutionary Party led by Rash Behari Bose. In December 1912, at the procession of the Viceroy in Delhi, Singh was with his uncle, Zorawar Singh Barhath, who threw the bomb at Hardinge. He led the Benaras Conspiracy, part of the larger Ghadar Movement, in the armed rebellion of 1915 against the British Raj. In 1916, he was arrested and imprisoned in the Banaras Conspiracy Case and sentenced to five years in jail. Subjected to brutal physical torture to weaken him, he refused to divulge the names of other co conspirators and died on 7 May 1918. Singh was part of the celebrated Barhath family of Shahpura State (now in Bhilwara district) whose members were prominent revolutionary leaders in the freedom struggle against the British Raj. Thakur Krishna Singh Barhath, his sons Thakur Kesari Singh Barhath and Thakur Zorawar Singh Barhath and grandson Kunwar Pratap Singh Barhath (son of Thakur Kesari Singh) took part in the freedom struggle and devoted their lives and belongings for the cause of Indian independence.

Kunwar Pratap Singh was born on 25 May 1893 in Udaipur at Kaviraja Shyamaldas Haveli. He was a member of the affluent Barhath family who were aristocrats in Rajputana and jagirdars of Devpura (Shahpura State). At the time, Pratap's father, Thakur Kesari Singh Barhath, was serving as Chief Counsellor to the Maharana of Mewar. He was later invited to join the court of the Maharaja of Kota State, where he served as a member of the Council. Hence, Pratap's childhood was spent in Kota. Pratap Singh completed his education at Herbert High School Kota and later at DAV High School, Ajmer. In his father's view, English medium colleges like Mayo College Ajmer, where the feudal and ruling class of Rajputana sent their children to study, were creating an inferiority complex among the students. He wished to promote nationalist education in which the students learned about the history and culture of their nation. Therefore, Pratap was sent at a young age to Arjunlal Sethi who ran 'Vardhman Pathshala' in Jaipur which secretly gave training in revolutionary activities. Later, Pratap was introduced to Rash Behari Bose. When the school moved to Indore, Kesari Singh thought it best send Pratap to Delhi. Although Kesari Singh was in a high position in the native states, he was also secretly connected to the Revolutionary Party. Thus, he sent his younger brother, Thakur Zoravar Singh Barath, his son Pratap and son in law Ishwar Dan Ashiya to Master Amirchand, another nationalist, in Delhi. The 20 year old Singh began travelling to prepare people for the freedom struggle.

On 23 December 1912, Zorawar Singh and Pratap Singh went to the roof of the building of Marwari College in Chandni Chowk, Delhi. They wore a disguise and went on the roof, where Zorawar Singh threw a bomb directed at Lord Hardinge. Lord Harding was gravely injured but survived the attack while one of his guards died at the impact. After the bombing, both Zorawar Singh and his nephew Pratap Singh absconded from the place and remained hidden. The police made frantic efforts to catch the revolutionaries and even announced a reward of Rs. 1 Lakh for any clue. Pratap Singh and his brother in law, Ishwar Dan Ashiya were arrested by the police but were subsequently released due to lack of evidence.

In 1914, after the arrests of his father and other prominent figures, the leadership fell onto Singh. He collaborated with dissident soldiers of the British Indian Army in a conspiracy to murder Sir Reginald Craddock, a member of the British Government of India. His murder was supposed to be a signal to Meerut and other garrisons of the Indian Army, part of an armed rebellion against the British. Singh was entrusted with the assassination, which came to nothing because Craddock failed to appear. The revolutionaries of the Ghadar Party of Punjab received information that the British Government had come to know about their plan for rebellion, so they decided to change the date but this information could not reach Sachindra Nath Sanyal in time. As per the predetermined schedule, on 21 February 1915, Sanyal along with his associates reached the Parade Ground in Benaras, but the prepared police force present there surrounded them and started arresting them. A total of 25 arrests were made including Sanyal. Meanwhile, Bose feld to Japan. Sanyal was sentenced to life imprisonment. 16 revolutionaries, including Ranveer Singh and Gurcharan Kar, were tried under the Defense of India Act. This trial came to be known as Benaras Conspiracy Case.

Pratap Singh was held in Bareilly Central Jail, where he was mentally and physically tortured in an attempt to get him to divulge the names and whereabouts of other revolutionary activists.

Since last 50 years, from 1974 onwards, every year on 23 December, Shaeed Mela is celebrated in memory of the Barhath family. It was on this day that Zorawar Singh hurled a bomb on the British Viecroy of India in 1912. A fair is organized in their hometown at Shahpura and the event takes place at Shahid Trimurti Memorial which displays the statues of Thakur Kesari Singh, Thakur Zorawar Singh, and Kunwar Pratap Singh. The event is presided by the political class including MPs, MLAs, and local politicians.

Shri Pratap Singh Barhath Government College, Shahpura is a government college in Shahpura, Rajasthan.

In January 2019, portraits of revolutionaries of the Barhath family, including Pratap Singh Barhath, were placed in the gallery of the Delhi Legislative Assembly.

The haveli of the Barhath family has now become a national museum, in which their personal weapons and armaments are displayed.

Pratap Singh Memorial was constructed at Asanada Railway Station in Jodhpur.