Khalsa Tract Society Explained

Formation:1893
Founder:Kaur Singh
Kaur Singh
Purpose:Sikh religious organization

The Khalsa Tract Society was an organization created by Bhai Vir Singh and Kaur Singh in 1893 to promote the aims and objects of the Singh Sabha Movement.[1] [2]

History

In 1893, Vir Singh helped found the Khalsa Tract Society alongside Kaur Singh (who was the son of Sadhu Singh Dhupia). The majority of the tracts published by the society were authored by Vir Singh. The society published small, cheap volumes on religious and social subjects. Alongside religious topics, with society also published works on other subjects, such as social evils that had sprung up within the wider Sikh community. Keeping in-line with the ideals of the Khalsa Tract Society, Vir Singh would later found the Khalsa Samachar newspaper.

In 1902, the Khalsa Tract Society claimed in its report that up till then, it had published 200 works and distributed half a million copies of these works.

In a discussion between Master Tara Singh and Lala Lajpat Rai, the former suggested to the latter that if he is a true patiot (desh bhagat), then he should study Sikhism in-detail, specifically the Punjabi works published by the Khalsa Tract Society.[3] According to J. S. Grewal, the efforts of the Khalsa Tract Society helped modern Punjabi arise as a language of instruction.

Notes and References

  1. Book: Dhillon, Parneet Kaur . Bhai Vir Singh (1872–1957): Religious and Literary Modernities in Colonial and Post-Colonial Indian Punjab . Dhanju . Jaspal Kaur . 27 April 2023 . Taylor & Francis . 9781000867008 . Malhotra . Anshu . 5: Revisiting The Khalsa Samachar (1899-1900) – Women's Issues and Concerns . Murphy . Anne.
  2. Book: Barrier, N. G. . The Encyclopedia of Sikhism . Patiala Punjabi University . 2004 . 817380530X . Singh . Harbans . 2nd . 4: S–Z . 161–166 . Sikh Journalism.
  3. Book: Grewal, J. S. . Master Tara Singh in Indian History: Colonialism, Nationalism, and the Politics of Sikh Identity . March 2018 . Oxford University Press . 9780199089840 . Online . 62–85 . 3 - Early Life and Career of Master Tara Singh: (1885–1919).