Manmath Nath Gupta
Born 7 February 1908 · Uttar Pradesh
Died 26 October 2000
Participated in the 1925 Kakori train robbery against British colonial rule.
🔔 Add birthday reminderManmath Nath Gupta was an Indian Marxist revolutionary writer and author of autobiographical, historical and fictional books in Hindi, English and Bengali. He joined the Indian independence movement at the age of 13 and was an active member of the Hindustan Republican Association. He participated in the famous Kakori train robbery in 1925 and was imprisoned for 14 years. On release from jail in 1937, he started writing against the British government.
✨ A detail that surprised us
Manmath Nath Gupta was imprisoned twice by the British: first for 14 years following the Kakori train robbery and again from 1939 to 1946, narrowly missing India's independence by just one year after his final release.
1. In 1925, at just 17, Manmath Nath Gupta participated in the audacious Kakori train robbery, an act that led to his 14-year imprisonment and placed him firmly in the revolutionary spotlight.
2. 🌟 At 13, in 1921, he boldly distributed anti-British pamphlets in Benares during the Prince of Wales' visit, refusing to cooperate in court and earning a three-month jail term despite harsh treatment.
3. After his 1937 release, he shifted from armed rebellion to penning revolutionary histories and critiques against British rule, writing in Hindi, English, and Bengali, including his notable work, "They Lived Dangerously."
4. He introduced the legendary revolutionary Chandrasekhar Azad to the Hindustan Republican Association, recounting moments of tension including Azad nearly firing a pistol on him while training.
5. ❓ How did Manmath Nath Gupta’s dual role as both a militant revolutionary and a historian shape the way India's freedom struggle is remembered today?
Awards & Honours
🔍 One thing most people don't know
Manmath Nath Gupta was jailed for distributing pamphlets against the 1921 reception of the Prince of Wales, showing youthful defiance at just 13 years old in Benares.
🖼️ Through the Years
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📅 The Journey
🗝️ Discoveries
"We were called revolutionaries but we were just ordinary people ready to sacrifice our lives for our country."
— Manmath Nath Gupta
🎥 Speeches & Recordings
75 Days - 75 Stories - India@75 Podcast Series | Manmath Nath Gupta | 62nd Episode
YouTube📖 Curated Sources
🌱 What changed because of them
Manmath Nath Gupta's writings provided a rare insider's perspective on the revolutionary wing of India's independence movement, influencing later generations' understanding of militant activism. His editorial leadership at the Hindi magazine Aajkal helped sustain revolutionary ideas in literary circles. Institutions and historians have since used his autobiographical accounts as primary sources to study pre-independence revolutionary activities.
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