The Life of Rai Bahadur Mul Raj
1855 - 1945
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Born just 6 years after the British annexation of Punjab. A nation in transition.
First Punjabi to earn a Master's degree from Calcutta University - a revolutionary achievement.
This meeting in Lahore changed the course of his life and Punjab's future.
Education revolution begins. Today, 900+ institutions educate millions.
India's first indigenous national bank - economic self-reliance begins.
Two years before independence - but his institutions live on forever.
Born in 1855, Mul Raj entered a world still reeling from the British annexation of Punjab in 1849. The Sikh Empire had fallen, and colonial rule was reshaping every aspect of Punjabi life.
Yet in this time of upheaval, his family saw opportunity in education - the British system that would ironically produce the leaders who would eventually demand independence.
At just 19 years old, Mul Raj achieved what no other Punjabi had done before - earning a Master's degree from Calcutta University. This wasn't just personal achievement; it was a statement that Punjabis could excel in the colonial education system.
This academic foundation would give him the credibility and skills to become a bridge between traditional Indian values and modern institutional building.
In 1877, a 22-year-old Mul Raj met Swami Dayanand Saraswati in Lahore. The founder of Arya Samaj was touring Punjab, preaching reform, questioning orthodoxy, and calling for a return to Vedic principles.
Mul Raj was captivated. This was the intellectual and spiritual revolution he had been searching for - one that honored India's past while building its future.
"Back to the Vedas, forward to the future"
Read the complete 400-page autobiography, dictated in the 1930s, documenting these incredible moments and many more. A firsthand account of India's journey to freedom.