When was East India Company established?
The East India Company, also known as the British East India Company was a British joint venture capital company. It was started by British businessmen on September 23rd, 1600 AD and was named ‘The Governor and Company of Merchants of London Training into the East Indies’. It was granted permission by Queen Elizabeth I on 31st December, 1600, to conduct business in the East. This company was responsible for the beginnings of the British Empire in India.
When and between whom was the Surjigaon Treaty made?
The Treaty of Surji – Arjungaon was signed on December 30th, 1803 between the then Maratha chief Daulat Rao Sindhia and the British. This occurred during the time period of the Second Anglo-Maratha War (1802 -1805) after the Battle of Assaye and Battle of Laswari (September -November, 1803) where the Marathas lost to the British.
Where did Tipu Sultan rule?
Tipu Sultan was the eldest son and successor of Sultan Haider Ali of Mysore. He ruled the Kingdom of Mysore and is known for leading an offensive against the East India Company. He actively participated in the Anglo-Mysore Wars which occurred during the last three decades of the 18th Century between the Kingdom of Mysore against the British East India Company, the Maratha Confederacy and the Nizam of Hyderabad. He died during the last war fought in 1799 and this resulted in the overthrowing of his house and dismantlement of the Kingdom of Mysore for the benefit of the British East India Company.
When was the Treaty of Amritsar signed?
The Treaty of Amritsar was signed on 16th March, 1846 to formalize the arrangements that were made in the Treaty of Lahore (13th February, 1846) between the British East India Company and Raja Gulab Singh of Jammu after the First Anglo-Sikh War.
Why were the Sanyasis angry with the British?
The Sannyasi rebellion or Sannyasi Revolt (1773-1800) was the rebellious activities of sannyasis and fakirs in Bengal against the East India Company rule in the late 18th century. Following a devastating famine in 1769-70, the British officials were harsh in their tax collections and this harsh treatment extended even to the pilgrims. The restrictions imposed on the pilgrims angered the Sanyasis who along with the public raided English factories and collected contributions from towns creating a series of conflicts between themselves and the English rulers.
From which province did Vasudev Phadke belong to?
Vasudev Balwant Phadke was an Indian independence activist and revolutionary who blamed the British Raj for the plight of the farmers as witnessed by him during the Deccan Famine in 1876-77. He belonged to the Panvel Taluka in the Raigad district of the Maharashtra province where he instigated guerilla warfare against the British rulers. He was ultimately captured and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was deported to Aden where he died in 1889. He is known as the Father of armed revolution against the British Raj in India.
Who administered the revolt of 1857 in Bihar?
The Revolt of 1857 was a major uprising in India against the rule of the British East India Company which began in Delhi but soon filtered to various other parts of the country. In Bihar, it was led by Kunwar Singh, an eighty-year-old Rajput zamindar of Jagdishpur. He led a select band of armed soldiers against the troops under the command of English army chief Milmel, Col. Dax, Mark and Major Delus. He won the initial battle and was able to regain his Kingdom in April 1858. But later on in the same month he lost the final battle and also lost his life in the process.
Who was the first Satyagrahi of individual Satyagraha?
The Individual Satyagraha Movement or Personal Satyagraha Movement was launched by the Indian National Congress as proposed by Mahatma Gandhi on October 17, 1940. This movement constituted of individual Satyagrahis as selected by Gandhiji speaking against the inclusion of India in the Second World War in a public place, in a nonviolent manner. The first satyagrahi thus selected was Acharya Vinoba Bhave , who was arrested and jailed for three months.
When was Bengu Peasants Movement started?
The Begun Peasants Movement was one of the farmer's movements of Rajasthan during British Raj in India. Farmers from the Bengu thikanas in Chittorgarh was suffering under the British rule as they had to pay a large number of cesses and customs duties and also very high land revenues. Inspired by the Bijolia Peasants Movement, the Bengu farmers gathered in Bhairokund, Menal in 1921 which signifies the beginning of their movement against the oppressive British Rule. The initial leadership of this movement was under Vijay Singh Pathik who later transferred it to Ramanrayan Chaudhury.
Mention about the first Anglo-Maratha war.
The first Anglo-Maratha war was a direct result of the ‘divide and rule’ policy followed by the British East India Company. The Marathas had been established as a powerful race in the 18th Century whose importance reduced with their loss in the 1761 Battle of Panipat. But they still possessed the power to stop the Britishers from ruling all over the country. In this scenario, the then Peshwa Madhavrao passed away in 1772 and was succeeded by his brother Narayan Rao. But their uncle Raghunath Rao wanted to be the Peshwa and signed the Treaty of Surat with the Britishers on March 6th, 1775. According to the treaty, he was to cede Surat, Salsette and Bassein in return for British help to secure for himself the post of Peshwa. This ultimately led to the first Anglo-Maratha War which occurred between 1775 – 1782 and in which the English lost to the Marathas. The war was concluded by the Treaty of Vadgaon on 29th January 1799. The Britishers had to recognize Madhu Rao II as the Peshwa along with handing over any conquests, Raghunath Rao was given the Pune Darbar and retired on an allowance while Salsette and some other islands were retained by the British.
What was the result of the fourth Anglo-Mysore war?
The Fourth Anglo– Mysore War was contention in South India between the Kingdom of Mysore against the British East India Company and the Hyderabad Deccan in 1798– 99. The Anglo– Mysore Wars were a progression of wars fought in over the last three decades of the 18th century between the Kingdom of Mysore on the one hand, and the British East India Company (represented chiefly by the Madras Presidency), and Maratha Confederacy and the Nizam of Hyderabad on the other. Hyder Ali and his successor Tipu Sultan battled a war on four fronts with the British assaulting from the west, south and east, while the Marathas and the Nizam's powers assaulted from the north. In the Fourth War, the British had a definitive triumph in the Battle of Srirangapatna (1799) and Tipu Sultan was killed during the battle. Britain took indirect control of Mysore, restoring the Wodeyar Dynasty to the Mysore throne (with a British commissioner to advise him on all issues). The rest of the territories under the Kingdom of Mysore was divided between the British, the Nizam and the Marathas. The Wodeyars continued to rule Mysore until its annexation to the Union of India in 1947.
What was the contribution of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in the freedom struggle of India?
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was an eminent Indian revolutionary who fought for the independence of the country from British rule. His involvement in the struggle for India’s independence began early on when he founded the ‘Mitramela’- a secret organisation of revolutionaries in Nasik in 1900. This organization known for encouraging revolutionary and nationalist views was renamed as ‘Abhinav Bharat’ in 1904. Savarkar went for his higher studies to London through a scholarship provided by the India House. From London, he supported the Indian independence movement by sending in guns and by writing revolutionary literature. Savarkar published The Indian War of Independence about the Indian rebellion of 1857 that was banned by British authorities. He also wrote an inspiring biography of Joseph Mazzini, the famous Italian revolutionary. He was arrested in 1910 for his connections with the revolutionary group India House. Savarkar was sentenced to two life terms of imprisonment totaling fifty years and was moved to the Cellular Jail in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, but released in 1921 after several mercy petitions to the Britishers. In his autobiography ‘Majhi Janmathep’ he wrote down about his experiences during incarceration. After his release, he was detained in Ratnagiri by the government. Savarkar started many social movements such as the removal of caste differences, removal of untouchability, common dining, purification of language etc. He was the President of Marathi Sahitya Sammelan at Mumbai in 1938. Not only was Savarkar a great writer but he will be remembered in the annals of Indian history as one of the first to take up armed resistance against the British rule in India.
Write a note on Champaran Peasants Movement.
The Champaran Peasants Movement or the Champaran Satyagraha of 1917 was the first Satyagraha movement inspired by Gandhi and a noteworthy revolt in the Indian Independence Movement. It was a farmer's uprising that took place in Champaran district of Bihar, India during the British Rule. The farmers were protesting their having to forcibly grow opium with barely any payment for it. Under Colonial-era laws and the ‘Teenkathiya System’, many tenant farmers were forced to grow opium/ indigo on 3/20th of their lands and then forced to sell the same at pre-determined prices by the European planters and landowners. Gandhi accompanied by Babu Rajendra Prasad carried out a detailed enquiry into the peasant's problems and issues which infuriated the local district officials. He was ordered to leave but with popular support backing him created peaceful protests and rallies to highlight the atrocities faced by the farmers. Sensing a shift in the popular opinion, the Government was forced to form a Committee in June 1917 with Gandhi as a member to address the grievances. This led to the creation of the Champaran Agrarian Act which freed the peasants from the oppression of the planters and owners.
When and how was Indian National Congress formed?
The Indian National Congress was considered to be the largest and most prominent Indian public organization, as well as the central and defining influence of the long Indian Independence Movement. It was founded on 28 December 1885 by Allan Octavian Hume, a retired British officer, who wanted to create a platform where the educated Indian people could have a civic and political dialogue with the representatives of the British Raj. This platform would also allow Indians a greater share in the governance of the country while the Britishers would be able to keep an eye on any new political leaders and take appropriate steps to curb strong efforts made for the country’s freedom.
The Indian National Congress was founded at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College in Bombay on 28 December 1885, , with 72 delegates in attendance. Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee, an eminent barrister from Calcutta was elected President while A. O. Hume was the first General Secretary of the party. This convention established four objectives for the party which have been stated below –
• The organization was to act as an indirect Indian Parliament.
• It was to lay down the future course of action with respect to public interest.
• It was to promote friendly relations between different political leaders from different parts of the country.
• It was to follow the Parliament in England and oppose India’s Government actions against the same.
Which movement was run by Govind Guru?
Govind Guru was a social and religious reformer in the early 1900s in the Adivasi-dominated border areas of present-day Rajasthan and Gujarat. He mainly worked with the Bhils who were a conservative tribal community. He led Adivasi movements not only against English rule, but also against native kings and the Begari (forcing village workers to work without wages) practices of jagirdars. To create moral upliftment among the Bhils, he established the Sampath Sabha. He also started the Bhagat Movement and preached monotheism, observance of temperance, forsaking crimes, following agriculture, giving up beliefs in superstition, etc. He faced high opposition from the native rulers and the English which led to the dire events at Mangarh. Govind Guru and his followers had gathered in the hills of Mangarh. The English, fearing the unity of the Bhils sent in troops to subjugate them who open fire on the gathered crowd resulting in the death of almost 1500 Bhils. This led to the cessation of the Bhagat movement and Govind Guru was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Explain Bijaulia Peasants Movement.
The Bijolia movement was a peasant movement in the Bijolia jagir of the former Mewar state (in present-day Rajasthan in India) against excessive land revenue exactions. Originating in the former jagir (feudal estate) of Bijolia (near the town of Bijolia in Bhilwara district), the movement gradually spread to neighbouring jagirs. Leadership to the movement was provided, at different times, by Sitaram Das, Vijay Singh Pathik, and Manikyalal Verma. The Bijolia Peasant Movement may be divided into three main phases –
• The first phase between 1897 – 1915 was marked by a spontaneous movement which was advanced by the local leadership.
• The second phase 1915 -1923 saw a rise in the consciousness of the peasant class and the movement was led by trained and matured leaders of national level.
• The third phase saw a decline in the movement as leadership was lost due to differences in opinion and the peasant's reluctance to surrender their lands indefinitely.
The movement continued till 1941 after a bitter struggle lasting about half a century, gained national attention and resisted state oppression. It may have failed to succeed but it did serve as a severe attack on the feudal system. It inspired other peasant movements in the country and acted as a founding stone for mass struggle and social development.
Why was Simon Commission opposed by the Indians?
The reforms introduced by the Montague Chelmsford Act of 1919 were unsatisfactory. Hence there was discontent among the Indian people. On this background, the British
appointed a commission under the chairmanship of Sir John Simon. The Simon Commission was sent to India in 1927 by the British Government to suggest further reforms in the structure of the Indian Government. The Commission did not include any Indian member and the Government showed no intention of accepting the demand for Swaraj. The three main reasons behind the opposition of the Simon Commission by the Indians are as follows –
1) The British refused Indian representation on the Commission. Therefore, it sparked a wave of protests all over the country and the Congress as well as the Muslim League gave a call to boycott it under the leadership of Lala Lajpat Rai.
2) During this time, the average Indian wanted complete independence from British rule. The need for a self-governed India led to the opposition.
3) The drastic measures undertaken by the British against the opposition added more fuel to it. In Lahore, where the protest was led by Lala Lajpat Rai, the police lathi-charged the protestors and Lalaji was grievously injured and ultimately led to his death.
The passing of a well-loved leader further intensified the protest against the Commission and led to its complete rejection.
Why were Prajamandals established in Rajasthan?
The Praja Mandala movement was a part of the Indian independence movement from the 1920s in which people living in the princely states, who were subject to the rule of local aristocrats rather than the British Raj, campaigned against those feudatory rulers, and sometimes also the British administration, in attempts to improve their civil rights. In 1927, the All India States People’s Conference was held in Bombay after which the congress allowed people from dierent Princely States to join the party and the Indian freedom Struggle. In 1927 itself, the Akhil Bhartiya Desi Rajya Lok Parishad or All India Native States Public Council was established in Bombay and Vijay Singh Pathik became its chairperson. In Rajasthan, Rajputana Desi Lok Parishad or Rajputana Native States Public Council was established. These councils laid the foundation for Praja Mandal movement in Rajasthan. The main demand of the Praja Mandal movements was the democratic (fundamental) rights. The people of Praja Mandal movement fought against their feudal princes and the British administration simultaneously for their rights. Several social programs including establishment of schools, encouragement of Indian cottage industries, protests against untouchability were implemented during the Praja Mandal movement and these were an echo of the practices followed by the Indian National Movement. Thus, there was a social and political awakening among the people of the Indian princely states because of the Prajamandal Movement.
Describe the struggle of Marathas and Mysore with the British.
The conflicts between the Marathas, Mysore and the British was a direct result of the ‘divide and rule’ policy followed by the British East India Company. The Marathas had been established as a powerful race in the 18th Century whose importance reduced with their loss in the 1761 Battle of Panipat. But they still possessed the power to stop the Britishers from ruling all over the country which was a major obstacle for the British rulers. In the case of Mysore, the British wanted the riches of the Mysore Kingdom as well as the lands for expansion over the Indian domain. This resulted in a series of wars called the Anglo-Maratha wars and the Anglo-Mysore wars.
The Anglo–Maratha Wars were three wars fought between the Maratha Empire and the British East India Company.
• The First Anglo Maratha War - When the Peshwa Madhavrao passed away in 1772 and was succeeded by his brother Narayan Rao, their uncle Raghunath Rao wanted to be the Peshwa and signed the Treaty of Surat with the Britishers on March 6th, 1775. According to the treaty, he was to cede Surat, Salsette and Bassein in return for British help to secure for himself the post of Peshwa. This ultimately led to the first Anglo-Maratha War which occurred in between 1775 – 1782 and in which the English lost to the Marathas. The war was concluded by the Treaty of Vadgaon on 29th January 1799. The Britishers had to recognize Madhu Rao II as the Peshwa along with handing over any conquests, Raghunath Rao was given the Pune Darbar and retired on an allowance while Salsette and some other islands were retained by the British.
• The Second Anglo Maratha War – The rivalry between the Maratha leaders and Lord Wellesly’s imperialist fueled this war from 1802 to 1805. Owing to the rivalries, the Marathas could not band together against the English leading to their downfall. The Treaty of Deogaon was signed on 17th December, 1803 by Bhonsle when he lost the battle of Amargaon against the English. The Treaty of Surji – Arjungaon was signed on December 30th, 1803 between the then Maratha chief Daulat Rao Sindhia and the British after he lost to them in the Battle of Assaye and Battle of Laswari (September -November, 1803) . The British moved on to hostilities against Yashwantrao Holkar on 6th April, 1804. The result of this was inconclusive but resulted in the Treaty of Rajghat. Through this treaty, Holkar was forced to relinquish his rights over the northern region of the Chambal river and was not allowed any interference in the matters of the Rajputana.
• The Third Anglo Maratha War – This was the decisive conflict between the Marathas and the English. The Peshwa lost his influence with the defeats of Bhonsle at Sitabardi and Holkar at Mahidpur. The Peshwa was eventually captured and placed on a small estate at Bithur, near Kanpur under the terms of the treaty signed on 18th June, 1818 where he died in 1852. British victories were swift, resulting in the breakup of the Maratha Empire and the loss of Maratha independence.
The Anglo– Mysore Wars were a progression of wars fought in over the last three decades of the 18th century between the Kingdom of Mysore on the one hand, and the British East India Company (represented chiefly by the Madras Presidency), and Maratha Confederacy and the Nizam of Hyderabad on the other. Hyder Ali and his successor Tipu Sultan battled a war on four fronts with the British assaulting from the west, south and east, while the Marathas and the Nizam's powers assaulted from the north.
• First Anglo – Mysore War – Hyder Ali gained a measure of success in this war fought between 1767 -69 when he almost captured Madras. The Nizam of Hyderabad was influenced by the English to go against Hyder Ali but he changed sides and supported Hyder Ali which was temporary. Once the Nizam signed a treaty with the English in February 1768, Hyder Ali had to contend with a British Bombay army attacking on the west and a Madras army attacking from the northeast. But Madras Government sued for peace on Hyder Ali’s attack which resulted in the Treaty of Madras and the end of the first war in 1769.
• Second Anglo – Mysore War – This was a savage war which occurred in the period between 1780 -84. Tipu Sultan defeated Baillie and Braithwaite at the Battles of Pollilur in Sept. 1780, and at Kumbakonam in Feb. 1782 respectively. Both of them were taken as prisoners to Seringapatam. This war saw the rise of Sir Eyre Coote, the British commander who defeated Hyder Ali at the Battle of Porto Novo and Arni. Following his father's death Tipu continued the war which finally ended on 11th March 1784 with the Treaty of Mangalore. The Treaty of Gajendragad in April 1787 ended the conflict between Mysore and the Marathas.
• Third Anglo – Mysore War – This war between 1790-92 lasted three years and was a resounding defeat for Mysore. Tipu Sultan allied with France and invaded the neighbouring Travancore in1789 which had British allegiance. The British forces commanded by Governor- General Cornwallis ended the war in 1792 with the siege of Seringapatam and the Treaty of Seringapatam was signed. Tipu Sultan had to hand over half of his kingdom to Britain and her allies because of the treaty.
• Fourth Anglo – Mysore War – In the Fourth War, the British had a definitive triumph in the Battle of Srirangapatna (1799) and Tipu Sultan was killed during the battle. Britain took indirect control of Mysore, restoring the Wodeyar Dynasty to the Mysore throne (with a British commissioner to advise him on all issues). The rest of the territories under the Kingdom of Mysore was divided between the British, the Nizam and the Marathas. The Wodeyars continued to rule Mysore until its annexation to the Union of India in 1947.
Describe the First Freedom Struggle of 1857.
The Battle of Plassey (1757) marked the beginning of the conquest of India by the British Raj and it was a complete endeavor by the end of Dalhousie's tenure in 1856. This was not a smooth transition period as many local revolts occurred during this time against the supremacist attitude of the British rulers. One such local revolt which began among the military soldiers of Meerut soon turned into a nationwide protest which challenged the fledgling British rule. This revolt came to be known as the Mutiny of 1857 and is often regarded as the First War of Indian Independence.
The Mutiny of 1857 occurred as the result of an accumulation of factors over time, rather than any single event. Several political, economic, social and military causes contributed to the discontent and disenchantment of the Indian people against the British rule. This burst out in a revolt by the 'sepoys' at Meerut whose religious sentiments were offended when they were given new cartridges greased with cow and pig fat, whose covering had to be stripped out by biting with the mouth before using them in rifles.
Beginning of the Revolt - In March 1857, Mangal Pandey, a sepoy in Barrackpore, who refused to use the cartridge and attacked his senior officers, was hanged to death on 8th April. On 9th May, 85 soldiers in Meerut refused to use the new rifle and were sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment. This caused a rebellion in the Meerut Cantonment. The Meerut Mutiny (May 9, 1857) marked the beginning of the Revolt of 1857. The Indian sepoys in Meerut murdered their British officers and broke open the jail, marching on to Delhi on May 10th, 1857.
Importance of Delhi in the revolt – The sepoys in Delhi joined the rebellion and on May 11th, the sepoys proclaimed the aging Bahadur Shah Zafar the Emperor of Hindustan. Soon, the revolt spread to a wider area and there was an uprising in almost all parts of the country. In September, after six days of intense fighting, the British reoccupied Delhi. Thousands of innocent people were massacred and hundreds were hanged. The old king was captured and later deported to Rangoon where he died in 1862. His sons were shot dead, thereby ending the imperial dynasty of the Mughals.
Other Important Centers - Besides Delhi, Awadh, Rohilkhand, Bundelkhand, Allahabad, Agra, Meerut and western Bihar were the other centres where the fighting was most intense. The rebellious forces under the commands of Kanwar Singh in Bihar and Bakht Khan in Delhi were able to defeat the British. Nana Sahib, Tantya Tope and Rani Lakshmibai were the prominent leaders who led the revolting armies against the British.
Resultof the revolt - The Revolt of 1857 lasted for more than a year and was suppressed by the middle of 1858 with the defeat of the Indian revolting armies. On July 8, 1858, fourteen months after the outbreak at Meerut, peace was finally proclaimed by Canning.
Causes ofFailure - Although the revolt was fairly widespread, a large part of the country remained unaffected by it. The rebels lacked resources in terms of men and money. It was not an all India phenomenon and this made it easy for the Britishers to subdue the Indians.
But the great uprising of 1857 was an important landmark in the history of modern India. The revolt marked the end of the East India Company’s rule in India who now came under the direct rule of the British Crown.
Describe the movement happened from 1919 AD to 1949 AD.
The events concerning the Indian National Movement between 1919 and 1949 can be divided into the following phases -
• Rowlatt Act (1919) - The Rowlatt Act was passed in 1919, which empowered the Government to put people in jail without trial. This caused widespread indignation, leading to massive demonstration and hartals, which the Government repressed with brutal measures like the Jaliawalla Bagh massacre, where thousands of unarmed peaceful people were gunned down on the order of General Dyer.
• Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (1919) - Jalianwala Bagh massacre of April 13, 1919 was one of the most inhuman acts of the British rulers in India. The people of Punjab gathered on the auspicious day of Baisakhi at Jalianwala Bagh, adjacent to Golden Temple (Amritsar), to lodge their protest peacefully against persecution by the British Indian Government. General Dyer appeared suddenly with his armed police force and fired indiscriminately at innocent empty-handed people leaving hundreds of people dead, including women and children.
• The Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-1922) - The Non-Cooperation Movement was pitched in under leadership of Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian National Congress from September 1920 to February 1922, marking a new awakening in the Indian Independence Movement. Gandhiji realised that there was no prospect of getting any fair treatment at the hands of British, so he planned to withdraw the nation's co-operation from the British Government, thus launching the Non-Cooperation Movement and thereby marring the administrative set up of the country. This movement was a great success as it got massive encouragement to millions of Indians. This movement almost shook the British authorities. But the whole movement failed when Gandhi called it off on 12th February, 1922 after the incident of Chauri Chaura where an angry mob had set fire to a police station killing 22 policemen.
• Simon Commission (1927) - The Simon Commission was sent to India in 1927 by the British Government to suggest further reforms in the structure of Indian Government. The Commission did not include any Indian member and the Government showed no intention of accepting the demand for Swaraj. Therefore, it sparked a wave of protests all over the country and the Congress as well as the Muslim League gave a call to boycott it under the leadership of Lala Lajpat Rai. The crowds were lathi charged and Lala Lajpat Rai, also called Sher-e-Punjab (Lion of Punjab) died of the blows received in an agitation.
• Civil Disobedience Movement (1929 – 1933) - Mahatma Gandhi led the Civil Disobedience Movement that was launched in the Congress Session of December 1929. The aim of this movement was a complete disobedience of the orders of the British Government. During this movement it was decided that India would celebrate 26th January as Independence Day all over the country. On 26th January 1930, meetings were held all over the country and the Congress tricolour was hoisted. The British Government tried to repress the movement and resorted to brutal firing, killing hundreds of people. Thousands were arrested along with Gandhiji and Jawaharlal Nehru. But the movement spread to all the four corners of the country Following this, Round Table Conferences were arranged by the British and Gandhiji attended the second Round Table Conference at London. But nothing came out of the conference and the Civil Disobedience Movement was revived. During this time, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru were arrested on the charges of throwing a bomb in the Central Assembly Hall (which is now Lok Sabha) in Delhi, to demonstrate against the autocratic alien rule. They were hanged to death on March 23, 1931. In 1933, Gandhi accepted the failure of this movement and resigned from the Congress.
• Individual Satyagraha (1940) - The Individual Satyagraha Movement or Personal Satyagraha Movement was launched by the Indian National Congress as proposed by Mahatma Gandhi on October 17, 1940. This movement constituted of individual Satyagrahis as selected by Gandhiji speaking against the inclusion of India in the Second World War in a public place, in a nonviolent manner. The first satyagrahi thus selected was Acharya Vinoba Bhave , who was arrested and jailed for three months.
• Quit India Movement (1942 – 1946) - In August 1942, Gandhiji started the 'Quit India Movement' and decided to launch a mass civil disobedience movement 'Do or Die' call to force the British to leave India. The movement was followed, nonetheless, by large-scale violence directed at railway stations, telegraph offices, government buildings, and other emblems and institutions of colonial rule. There were widespread acts of sabotage, and the government held Gandhi responsible for these acts of violence, suggesting that they were a deliberate act of Congress policy. However, all the prominent leaders were arrested, the Congress was banned and the police and army were brought out to suppress the movement.
Mention about the contribution of revolutionaries in the freedom struggle of India.
The Revolutionary movement for Indian independence is a part of the Indian independence movement comprising the actions of the underground revolutionary factions. Groups believing in armed revolution against the ruling British fall into this category. The revolutionary groups were mainly concentrated in Bengal, Maharashtra, Bihar, the United Provinces and Punjab. More groups were scattered across India. The revolutionary philosophies and movement made its presence felt during the 1905 Partition of Bengal.
Revolutionary Movement in Maharashtra –
• In Maharashtra, Vasudev Balwant Phadke gave an armed struggle against the British. He took the training of arms from Vastad Lahuji Salve. He organised the Ramoshis and revolted against the British. This rebellion became unsuccessful. The British Government sent him to Aden jail. There he died in 1883.
• The Chapekar Brothers - The three Chafekar brothers, Damodar, Balkrishna, and Vasudev were Indian revolutionaries who were hanged till death for the assassination of W.C. Rand who was the British plague Commissioner for Pune. Pune was hit by a bubonic plague in 1896 and Rand took drastic measures to curb the effects. The drastic measures were an example of tyranny and oppression to the local population which made Rand an extremely unpopular figure. This led to his assassination in the hands of the Chafekar brothers.
• India House - India House, in London, was an important centre which provided for assistance to revolutionary groups as well as students. Pandit Shyamji Krishna Varma, an Indian patriot, had established India House. Through this organisation Indian youths were given scholarships for higher education in England. Swatantryaveer Savarkar received such scholarship.
• Contribution of Savarkar - Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was an eminent Indian revolutionary who fought for the independence of the country from British rule. His involvement in the struggle for India’s independence began early on when he founded the ‘Mitramela’- a secret organisation of revolutionaries in Nasik in 1900. This organization known for encouraging revolutionary and nationalist views was renamed as ‘Abhinav Bharat’ in 1904. Savarkar started many social movements such as removal of caste differences, removal of untouchability, common dining, purification of language etc. He was the President of Marathi Sahitya Sammelan at Mumbai in 1938. Not only was Savarkar a great writer but he will be remembered in the annals of Indian history as one of the first to take up armed resistance against the British rule in India.
Revolutionary Movement in Bengal –
After the partition of Bengal, the outrage against British became more severe. In place of local rebellions comprehensive revolutionary movements started rising at national level. The initial steps to organise the revolutionaries in Bengal were taken by Aurobindo Ghosh, his brother Barin Ghosh, Bhupendranath Datta, etc when they formed the Jugantar party in April 1906.
• Anushilan Samiti and Khudiram Bose – The Anushilan Samiti had more than 500 branches. Barindrakumar Ghosh, brother of Aurobindo Ghosh, was the chief of this organisation. This organisation received counsel and guidance from Aurobindo Ghosh. The Anushilan Samiti had a bomb manufacturing centre at Maniktala near Kolkata. Khudiram Bose was a Bengali -Indian revolutionary who attained martyrdom by going against the British Rule. He was a member of the Anushilan Samiti, a revolutionary group in erstwhile Bengal, which opposed the British rule in India through armed revolts and guerrilla tactics. Under their aegis, Khudiram Bose along with Prafulla Chaki planned to kill a judge named Kingsford in 1908 because of his tyrannical nature and biased judgments. But they failed in their endeavor, as they had targeted the wrong coach resulting in the murder of two English women. While Prafulla Chaki killed himself with a bullet to escape the authorities, Khudiram Bose was caught, tried and hanged for his actions.
In the freedom struggle of India revolutionary movement made an important contribution. These revolutionaries displayed daring and determination while fighting against the British rule. The love for the nation and attitude of sacrifice was just incomparable. Their sacrifice proved to be an inspiration to the Indians.
Describe the Peasants’ Movements of Rajasthan.
The peasantry in the former princely states of Rajasthan was under the weight of double exploitation of British imperialism and native feudalism. Beginning with 1920 the peasants were in revolt against their horrible conditions of life. The peasantry in Rajasthan had to pay a large number of lag-bags (cesses), customs duties and also perform begar (forced labour) in addition to paying heavy land-revenue which was half of the gross produce.
• The Bijolia Peasants Movement (Bhilwara) - The Bijolia movement was a peasant movement in the Bijolia jagir of the former Mewar state (in present-day Rajasthan in India) against excessive land revenue exactions. The Bijolia Peasant Movement may be divided into three main phases –
o The first phase between 1897 – 1915 was marked by a spontaneous movement which was advanced by the local leadership.
o The second phase 1915 -1923 saw a rise in the consciousness of the peasant class and the movement was led by trained and matured leaders of national level.
o The third phase saw a decline in the movement as leadership was lost due to differences in opinion and the peasant's reluctance to surrender their lands indefinitely.
The movement continued till 1941 after a bitter struggle lasting about half a century, gained national attention and resisted state oppression
• Sikar Peasants Movement - Peasant struggles in Shekhwati originated in 1922 as protests against arbitrary increases in demands of land revenue by the Rao Raja (thikanedar) of Sikar in a year that had seen widespread drought and crop failures in Sikar.
o The first phase, from 1922 to about 1930, was of incipient attempts to demand relief against excesses of the Jagirdars, in particular, Rao Raja of Sikar. During this phase, representatives of peasants took advantage of contradictions between the Jagirdars and the Jaipur state, which was then directly under British administration, and appealed to the Jaipur state and British authorities against excesses of Rao Raja. The major success of the peasant movement in this phase was the reversal of increases in land revenue as a result of interventions by the Jaipur state.
o The second phase, from 1930 through 1938, was a period of organisational consolidation of the Sikar Peasant Movement. Kisan Jat Panchayats and Kisan Sabhas were organised during this period. In August 1934, under pressure from the British, the Rao Raja of Sikar agreed to a number of demands of the peasants including waiver of taxes, permission to use pasture land for grazing, and the abolition of the bag (unpaid labour services). However, the agreement was not implemented and peasants further intensified their struggle.
o The third phase, from 1938 until end of the 1940s, was a period in which the Indian National Congress, through the Jaipur State Praja Mandal, became involved in issues of the peasantry in Sikar. Involvement, and coming to dominance, of Praja Mandal critically determined the future course of the peasant movement and eventual abolition of Jagirdari system in the early 1950s.
• Begun Peasants Movement (Chittorgarh) - The Begun Peasants Movement was one of the farmer's movements of Rajasthan during British Raj in India. Farmers from the Bengu thikanas in Chittorgarh was suffering under the British rule as they had to pay a large number of cesses and customs duties and also very high land revenues. Inspired by the Bijolia Peasants Movement, the Bengu farmers gathered in Bhairokund, Menal in 1921 which signifies the beginning of their movement against the oppressive British Rule. The initial leadership of this movement was under Vijay Singh Pathik who later transferred it to Ramanrayan Chaudhury.
• Barad Peasants Movement (Bundi) – Similar to the other peasant movements in Rajasthan, this movement was also a result of the oppression faced by the peasants in the Bundi area. Nayanuram Sharma led this movement. During a meeting held on 2nd April, 1923 in Dabu village, police open fired on the peasants leading to the deaths of Nanak Bheel and Devraj Gurjar. But with the failure of leadership, this movement ended in 1927.
• Neemuchana Peasants Movement (Alwar) – This movement was a result of differences in taxes paid by different castes. On 14th May, 1925, the farmers of Alwar had organized a Kisan Sabha in Neemuchana village against the taxation difference. The royal army of Alwar surrounded and opened fired on them killing around 800 farmers.
Peasant struggles in Rajasthan in the first half of the twentieth century brought an end to the shackles of the Jagirdari system. Jagirdari Abolition brought about a fundamental change in the structure of control over land in Rajasthan with tenants-at-will getting ownership rights over land.