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{{Short description|Sikh preacher (1877–1965/67)}}
{{For|other people called Teja Singh|Teja Singh (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2014}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = Teja Singh
| image = Teja Singh LCCN2014680975 (cropped).jpg
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| birth_date = 14 May 1877
| birth_place = Balowali, [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab]], [[British India|India]]
| death_date = 1965 or 1967
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| honorific_prefix = Sant
}}

'''Teja Singh''' (14 May 1877 – ''debated'') was a [[Sikh]] scholar, teacher, author, and preacher.{{Efn|His personal name is alternatively spelt as 'Tejah'.|group=note}} He was a Cambridge and Columbia University-educated humanitarian, intellectual, and Sikh community leader.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Lo |first=Michael John |date=6 October 2024 |title=Community historians unearth photo of legendary Sikh figure in 1912 Victoria parade |url=https://www.timescolonist.com/local-news/community-historians-unearth-photo-of-legendary-sikh-figure-in-1912-victoria-parade-9619656 |access-date=16 October 2024 |work=Times Colonist}}</ref> He became a role model and trailblazer for the Sikh community due to his Western-education and knowledge in the Sikh religion.<ref name=":0" /> Teja Singh was reportedly treated like a “veritable demigod” by his co-religionists.<ref name=":0" />

== Biography ==

=== India ===
Teja Singh was born on 14 May 1877 to a Mehta Khatri family at Balowali, Gujranwala District, Punjab (now in Pakistan) to parents Ralia Singh and Sada Kaur (renamed Ram Kaur after she underwent the ''[[Amrit Sanskar|Pahul]]'').<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Grewal |first=Reeta |title=Five Centuries of Sikh Tradition: Ideology, Society, Politics, and Culture: Essays for Indu Banga |publisher=Manohar |year=2005 |isbn=9788173046537 |pages=174}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=The Sikh Courier International, Volumes 33-37 |publisher=Sikh Cultural Society of Great Britain |year=1993 |pages=26 |chapter=Sant Teja Singh: Mystic and Visionary}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Joginder |title=Sikh Leadership: Early 20th Century |publisher=Guru Nanak Dev University |year=1999 |pages=334}}</ref>

=== Canada ===
[[File:Photograph of Teja Singh on-horseback leading a procession to commemorate the opening of the Khalsa Diwan Sikh Temple in Victoria, taken by Richard Pocock, 6 October 1912.jpg|thumb|Photograph of Teja Singh on-horseback leading a procession to commemorate the opening of the Khalsa Diwan Sikh Temple in Victoria, taken by Richard Pocock, 6 October 1912]]
He eventually moved overseas to Canada, where he assisted the local Sikh community and acted as a community leader.<ref name=":0" /> In 1908, Teja Singh helped stop a secret Canadian government plan to mass-deport all of its South Asian residents to [[Belize]].<ref name=":0" /> Teja Singh also helped kickstart Sikh-Canadian organizations, such as the Khalsa Diwan Society and the Guru Nanak Mining & Trust Company.<ref name=":0" /> He provided assistance to Sikhs attempting to immigrate to Canada and fought for the right-to-vote.<ref name=":0" /> He helped establish the first purpose-built gurdwara in Victoria in 1912.<ref name=":0" /> During the commemoration of the opening of the Khalsa Diwan Sikh Temple in Vancouver in 1912, Teja Singh led the procession to 1210 Topaz Ave. from Government and Herald streets on horseback, with the event being attended by one-fifth of all Canadian-Sikhs at that time.<ref name=":0" /> Though tensions between South Asians and White-Canadians had been high, the procession was peaceful and without incident.<ref name=":0" /> By the end of the procession, there were more White-Canadians in the crowd than South Asians, as the drawn-in crowds of White folk were curious.<ref name=":0" />

== Death ==
Some sources state his death year was 1965 whilst other give a slightly later death year of 1967.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Pashaura |title=The Religions of Canadians |date=Mar 15, 2012 |publisher=University of Toronto Press |isbn=9781442605183 |editor-last=Scott |editor-first=Jamie S. |pages=329 |chapter=8: Sikhs}}</ref><ref name=":1" />

== Legacy ==
The province of [[British Columbia]] declared 1 July 2023 as Sant Teja Singh Day to commemorate his life and accomplishments toward racial equality and justice.<ref name=":0" />

In October 2024, photographs of Teja Singh at a procession commemorating the establishment of the Khalsa Diwan Sikh Temple in Victoria in 1912 that were discovered in the City of Victoria's archives by Jindi Singh and Paneet Singh were revealed to the public.<ref name=":0" />

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.saadigitalarchive.org/entity/teja-singh Teja Singh materials in the South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA)]

{{Sikhism}}
{{Modern Sikh writers}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Sant Teja}}
[[Category:1877 births]]
[[Category:1965 deaths]]
[[Category:Canadian Sikhs]]
[[Category:Indian emigrants to Canada]]
[[Category:Punjabi Sikhs]]
[[Category:Scholars of Sikhism]]
[[Category:Sikh writers]]
[[Category:Writers from Vancouver]]

Teja Singh (preacher) - Revision history

FrancescaToscano: New new biography added tags