Khushwant Singh
Writer, journalist and columnist, author of Train to Pakistan
- Lived
- 99 yrs
- 1915 – 2014
- Works listed
- 4
- Novel, Book
- Honours
- 2
- Most recent 2007
- Profile views
- 0
- 0 followers
Khushwant Singh was a novelist, historian and journalist known for his novel about Partition, Train to Pakistan, his history of the Sikhs and decades of witty, irreverent newspaper columns. He died in 2014 at the age of 99.
Biography
Lawyer to writer
Khushwant Singh studied in Delhi, Lahore and London and practised law in Lahore before Partition. He then joined the Indian foreign service briefly and worked for All India Radio and UNESCO.
Train to Pakistan
His novel Train to Pakistan (1956), set in a Punjabi border village during the violence of 1947, is one of the best-known novels about Partition. He also wrote the two-volume A History of the Sikhs.
Editor and columnist
As editor of The Illustrated Weekly of India from 1969 to 1978 he made it one of the most widely read magazines in the country. His columns, such as “With Malice towards One and All”, were famous for humour, candour and gossip.
Public life
He was a member of the Rajya Sabha from 1980 to 1986. He received the Padma Bhushan in 1974 but returned it in 1984 in protest against Operation Blue Star, and later received the Padma Vibhushan in 2007. He died in Delhi on 20 March 2014.
Timeline
-
1915
Born in Hadali, Punjab, British India (now Pakistan)
-
1956
Train to Pakistan
-
1963
A History of the Sikhs, volume one
-
1969
Editor of The Illustrated Weekly
-
1974
Padma Bhushan
-
1984
Returns the Padma Bhushan
-
2007
Padma Vibhushan
-
2014
Dies in Delhi
-
2014
Died, aged 99
Notable works
-
1956
Train to Pakistan Novel
-
1963
A History of the Sikhs Book
-
1990
Delhi: A Novel Novel
-
2002
Truth, Love and a Little Malice Book
Autobiography.
Awards and honours
-
Padma Bhushan
1974 · Returned in 1984.
-
Padma Vibhushan
2007
Did you know?
-
1
He returned a national award in protest in 1984.
-
2
His columns ran for decades in many newspapers.
-
3
He lived to 99.
Connections
Also born on 2 February
Frequently asked
Who is Khushwant Singh?
Khushwant Singh was a novelist, historian and journalist known for his novel about Partition, Train to Pakistan, his history of the Sikhs and decades of witty, irreverent newspaper columns. He died in 2014 at the age of 99.
When did Khushwant Singh die?
Khushwant Singh died on 20 March 2014 at the age of 99.
Where is Khushwant Singh from?
Khushwant Singh was born in Hadali, Punjab, British India (now Pakistan).
What is Khushwant Singh known for?
Khushwant Singh is best known for Train to Pakistan; A History of the Sikhs; editing The Illustrated Weekly of India; his witty columns.
What awards has Khushwant Singh received?
Notable honours include Padma Bhushan (1974), Padma Vibhushan (2007).
References
- Khushwant Singh — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 2 November 2026.
- Khushwant Singh — Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 2 November 2026.
- Khushwant Singh — IMDb. IMDb. Retrieved 2 November 2026.
- Khushwant Singh — Goodreads author page. Goodreads. Retrieved 2 November 2026.
- Khushwant Singh — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 2 November 2026.
- Khushwant Singh (Q1740716) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 2 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Khushwant Singh”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 2 November 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Khushwant Singh.” TrackFame, last updated 3 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/khushwant-singh
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