Shyamji Krishna Varma (Shyamji Krishna Nakhua) (1857–1930) was an Indian
revolutionary,lawyer and journalist who founded the
Indian Home Rule Society,
India House and
The Indian Sociologist in
London. A graduate of
Balliol College, Krishna Varma was a noted scholar in Sanskrit and other Indian languages. He pursued a brief legal career in India and served as the
Divan of a number of Indian princely states in India A resident of kathiawar who had settled in London as a barrister as early as 1897 started the Indian Hokmerule Society in Londonin January 1905, with the
Indian Sociologist as its monthly organ. In Dec 1905, he instituted six lectureships each of Rs. 1000/- for enabling authors, journalists, and other qualified Indians to visit Europe, America and other places of Europe for equiping themselves properly to spread the idea of freedom and national unity among the Indians. Krishnavarma also published a letter from S.R.rana of Paris, another Indian settled abroad, who offered three travelling scholarships of Rs. 2000/- each to be named after famous Indian heroes of the past loke Rana pratap and Sivaji.By means of these offers krishnavarma collected in London some recruits like
V.D, Savarkar (right), Lala Hardayal (left), Madan lal Dhingra (left) and others. During 1906-1907 the India House of Krishnavarma of London became a hotbed of revolutionary activity.The Indian Sociologist preached the ideal of complete independence for India to be realized by the apploication of Russian (nihilist) methods.
The growing revolutionary zeal of Krishnavarma could not but draw the attention of the British politicians and in July,1907, a question was put in the House of Commons, inquiring whether the Govt. proposed to take any action against him.Though the liberal Govt. did not take any action immediately but Krishnavarma shifted his residence to Paris. The Indian Sociologist was , however printed in England and V.D. Savarkar gradually rose to the position of acknowledged leader of the India House. The 50th anniversary of the great revolt of 1857-1858 was celebrated at the India House in May 1908and Savarkar published his famous book The
Indian War of Independence , 1857, in 1909. Later
on savarkar was arrested and sent to India to face his trial in the
Nasik Conspiracy Case (1910). His attempt to escape though the porthole of his ship at Marseilles failed and he was ultimately sentenced to transportation for life.
