Tej Bahadur Sapru
Encyclopedia
Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru KCSI
(8 December 1875 – 20 January 1949) was an eminent lawyer, political and social leader in India
during the British Raj
. He was knighted in 1922.
Tej Bahadur Sapru was born on December 8, 1875 in Aligarh, what is now a district of the state of Uttar Pradesh
. He was born in a Kashmiri
Hindu
family of the Sapru sub-caste. He was educated at the Agra
College,
Sapru worked in the Allahabad High Court
as a lawyer
where Purushottam Das Tandon
worked as his junior. Tej Sapru was probably the best Hindu lawyer in British India. Only Shia Muslim barristers such Sir Ali Imam, Syed Hasan Imam
, M. A. Jinnah and Sir Sultan Ahmed
were considered better than him.
. He favoured a dialogue with the British Empire
and sought self-government reforms, but not independence from the Empire.
Sapru and others like M.R. Jayakar favored discussions and dialogue with the British, and were regular participants in the provincial and central legislatures that most Indians thought were rubber-stamps of the Viceroy.
in the radicalized post-Amritsar Massacre period after World War I. Sapru criticized Mahatma Gandhi
's leadership, as well as the Non-Cooperation Movement
and the Salt Satyagraha
.
However, he often acted as a mediator which helped him to broker the Gandhi-Irwin Pact
, bringing the Salt Satyagraha to an end; and the Poona Pact
, striking an agreement between Gandhi, B.R. Ambedkar and the British government.
However, in the polarized atmosphere of the time, his Liberal Party remained an intellectual talking shop with little popular backing - it was less than the sum of its distinguished leadership.
in 1934.
. However, Sapru was one of the most important lawyers engaged to defend captured soldiers of the Indian National Army
, led by Subhas Chandra Bose.
Although regarded with respect in independent India, Sapru was slightly unpopular amongst common people due to his pro-British opposition to the Indian National Congress
and leaders like Mahatma Gandhi
.
He died shortly after India's independence, on January 20, 1949 in Allahabad
.
. He and his wife had 3 sons (Prakash Narain, Trijugi Narain, and Anand Narain) and 2 daughters (Jagdembashwari and Bhuvaneshwari.) He is the grandfather of Jagdish Narain Sapru
.
Order of the Star of India
The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion...
(8 December 1875 – 20 January 1949) was an eminent lawyer, political and social leader in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
during the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
. He was knighted in 1922.
Tej Bahadur Sapru was born on December 8, 1875 in Aligarh, what is now a district of the state of Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
. He was born in a Kashmiri
Kashmiri Pandit
The Kashmiri Pandits are a Hindu Brahmin community originating from Kashmir, a mountainous region in South Asia.-Background:The Hindu caste system of the region was influenced by the influx of Buddhism from the time of Asoka, around the third century BCE, and a consequence of this was that the...
Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
family of the Sapru sub-caste. He was educated at the Agra
Agra
Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most...
College,
Sapru worked in the Allahabad High Court
Allahabad High Court
The Allahabad High Court or the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad is a high court having jurisdiction over the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh since 1950...
as a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
where Purushottam Das Tandon
Purushottam Das Tandon
Purushottam Das Tandon पुरुषोत्तम दास टंडन , was a freedom fighter from Uttar Pradesh in India, of Punjabi Khatri descent. He is widely remembered for his efforts in achieving the Official Language of India status for Hindi. He was customarily given the title Rajarshi...
worked as his junior. Tej Sapru was probably the best Hindu lawyer in British India. Only Shia Muslim barristers such Sir Ali Imam, Syed Hasan Imam
Syed Hasan Imam
Syed Hasan Imam born in year 1871, was an Indian politician who served as the President of the Indian National Congress.He was the fourth Muslim to become the President of Indian National Congress. One of his ancestors was the private tutor to Aurangzeb. Hasan Imam's father was a professor of...
, M. A. Jinnah and Sir Sultan Ahmed
Sir Sultan Ahmed
Sir Syed Sultan Ahmed KCSI was an Indian Barrister & Politician. He had a very successful practice as a barrister having victories over Motilal Nehru, Tej Bahadur Sapru and Sarat Chandra Bose...
were considered better than him.
Indian Liberal
Sapru was a jurist and leader of the Indian Liberal PartyIndian Liberal Party
The Liberal Party of India was a political organization espousing liberal, pro-British points of view in the politics of India under the British Raj.-Liberal point of view:...
. He favoured a dialogue with the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
and sought self-government reforms, but not independence from the Empire.
Sapru and others like M.R. Jayakar favored discussions and dialogue with the British, and were regular participants in the provincial and central legislatures that most Indians thought were rubber-stamps of the Viceroy.
Political career
He carried forward the moderate policies of Gopal Krishna GokhaleGopal Krishna Gokhale
Gopal Krishna Gokhale, CIE was one of the founding social and political leaders during the Indian Independence Movement against the British Empire in India. Gokhale was a senior leader of the Indian National Congress and founder of the Servants of India Society...
in the radicalized post-Amritsar Massacre period after World War I. Sapru criticized Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
's leadership, as well as the Non-Cooperation Movement
Non-cooperation movement
The non-cooperation movement was a significant phase of the Indian struggle for freedom from British rule which lasted for years. This movement, which lasted from September 1920 to February 1922 and was led by Mohandas Gandhi, and supported by the Indian National Congress. It aimed to resist...
and the Salt Satyagraha
Salt Satyagraha
The Salt March, also known as the Salt Satyagrahah began with the Dandi March on March 12, 1930, and was an important part of the Indian independence movement. It was a campaign of tax resistance and nonviolent protest against the British salt monopoly in colonial India, and triggered the wider...
.
However, he often acted as a mediator which helped him to broker the Gandhi-Irwin Pact
Gandhi-Irwin Pact
Gandhi–Irwin Pact refers to a political agreement signed by Mahatma Gandhi and the then Viceroy of India, Lord Irwin on 5 March 1931 before the second Round Table Conference in London...
, bringing the Salt Satyagraha to an end; and the Poona Pact
Poona Pact
The Poona Pact refers to an agreement between the lower caste Untouchables of India led by Dr. B. R...
, striking an agreement between Gandhi, B.R. Ambedkar and the British government.
However, in the polarized atmosphere of the time, his Liberal Party remained an intellectual talking shop with little popular backing - it was less than the sum of its distinguished leadership.
Legislative career
Sapru served in the United Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh) Legislative Council (1913–16), the Imperial Legislative Council (1916–20), and was law member of the Viceroy's Council (1920–23). He was very active in the Indian Round Table Conferences 1931-1933 (see Muldoon) and served as an informal spokesman for liberal views in the first of these which was boycotted by Congress. He was also a member of the Privy councilPrivy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
in 1934.
The 1940s: WWII, Public image and death
Sapru strongly supported Britain and the inclusion of British India in World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. However, Sapru was one of the most important lawyers engaged to defend captured soldiers of the Indian National Army
Indian National Army
The Indian National Army or Azad Hind Fauj was an armed force formed by Indian nationalists in 1942 in Southeast Asia during World War II. The aim of the army was to overthrow the British Raj in colonial India, with Japanese assistance...
, led by Subhas Chandra Bose.
Although regarded with respect in independent India, Sapru was slightly unpopular amongst common people due to his pro-British opposition to the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
and leaders like Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
.
He died shortly after India's independence, on January 20, 1949 in Allahabad
Allahabad
Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
.
Family life
Sapru was the only son of Ambika Prasad Sapru, and Gaura Hukku. He was the first cousin of Allama Iqbal, whose grandfather was Sahaj Ram SapruSahaj Ram Sapru
Sahaj Ram Sapru was the grandfather of the British-Indian Muslim philosopher Sir Muhammad Iqbal, who was an official in Kashmir during the administration of the Afghan Governor Azim Khan . According to R.K...
. He and his wife had 3 sons (Prakash Narain, Trijugi Narain, and Anand Narain) and 2 daughters (Jagdembashwari and Bhuvaneshwari.) He is the grandfather of Jagdish Narain Sapru
Jagdish Narain Sapru
Jagdish Narain Sapru , the grandson of eminent lawyer, political, and social leader Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru, was the former chairman of ITC Limited, BOC India, DIC India , Nicco Park, and the Indian Chamber of Commerce. He was also the president of the Tollygunge Club, a prestigious golf club in...
.
See also
- Indian Independence MovementIndian independence movementThe term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide area of political organisations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending first British East India Company rule, and then British imperial authority, in parts of South Asia...
, Indian National CongressIndian National CongressThe Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
, Indian Liberal PartyIndian Liberal PartyThe Liberal Party of India was a political organization espousing liberal, pro-British points of view in the politics of India under the British Raj.-Liberal point of view:... - Leaders of the Independence Movement