Bhagat Singh Thind Materials

Collection Overview

Date Range: 1912?-1967?
Geographical Coverage: Astoria, Oregon;
Camp Lewis, Washington;
Milwaukee, Wisconsin;
Cleveland, Ohio;
Chicago, Illinois
Language(s): English (13), Punjabi (7), Urdu (2), Uncategorized (49)
Number of Items: 71
Item Types: Photograph (52), Correspondence (9), Newspaper Clipping (1), Text (1), Uncategorized (8)
Collection Creator: David Thind
Donor(s): David Thind

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About the Collection

Collection Description
Digitized photographs, personal correspondence, lecture transcripts, and event pamphlets related to the life and teachings of Bhagat Singh Thind. Photographs depict Bhagat Singh Thind in portrait form, with his family, and in training with the U.S. Army for service in World War I. Lecture pamphlets and transcripts detail Thind's eventual incarnation as a philosopher and spiritual teacher.

Biographical History
Bhagat Singh Thind (October 3, 1892 – September 15, 1967) was an Indian-American Sikh writer, scientist, and a lecturer on spirituality who was involved in an important 1923 Supreme Court case over the rights of Indians to obtain U.S. citizenship. He enlisted in the U.S. army to serve as a soldier in World War I and then completed his PhD and gave lectures in metaphysics. He campaigned for the independence of India from the British Empire. In 1936, Thind received U.S. citizenship through the state of New York. Until his death in 1967, Dr. Thind lectured throughout the United States and counted thousands as disciples of his Inner Life philosophy.

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Related Materials

Collection Themes: Family (15), Military Service (7), Philosophy & Spirituality (4), Religion (1), Uncategorized (44)

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Administrative Information

Access & Use: Items in this SAADA collection are open for research. Items may not be sold or redistributed, copied or distributed as a photograph, electronic file, or any other media without express written consent from the copyright holder and the South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA). The user is responsible for all issues of copyright.

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