# Inquilab: How a Word Became a Slogan for Change

2026-08-15T04:10:46+00:00 | India | Indian Opinion Desk

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‘Inquilab’ means revolution, upheaval or fundamental change. The word comes from the Arabic inqilāb, whose older sense relates to turning or transformation. It entered Persian before becoming part of Urdu and South Asian political vocabulary. In India, ‘Inquilab Zindabad’, meaning ‘Long Live the Revolution’, became linked to the freedom movement. Hasrat Mohani is credited with first using the slogan in 1921, while Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt popularised it. They shouted it in the Central Legislative Assembly in Delhi on 8 April 1929, and later during their trial. The word continues to appear in political movements and protests, where its meaning can range from social change to revolution.

## Coverage

- english.mathrubhumi.com <https://english.mathrubhumi.com/features/books/word-of-the-day-august-15-inquilab-meaning-pronunciation-synonyms-y9kwvcdt>

Tags: Batukeshwar Dutt, Bhagat Singh, Hasrat Mohani, India
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