WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION IN THE INDIAN NATIONAL MOVEMENT

Submitted By

Subham Das

UID: SM0117051

B.A. L.L.B. 1st year, 1st semester

Faculty-in-charge

Mrs Namrata Gogoi

National Law University, Assam

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction……………………………………………………………..3-4
1.1 Literature Review…………………………………………………..4-5
1.2 Scope and Objectives……………………………………………….6
1.3 Research Questions…………………………………………………6
1.4 Research Methodology……………………………………………...6
2. Notable Female Leaders in the Indian National Movement…………….7
2.1 Rani Lakshmi Bai…………………………………………………...7
2.2 Sarojini Naidu………………………………………………………7-8
2.3 Sarojini Naidu…………………………………………………........8-9
3. Women Organisations…………………………………………..………10-11
4. Participation of Female Leaders in the Indian National Movement.……12-15
5. Conclusion………………………………………………………………16
6. Bibliography…………………………………………………………….17

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 1. Introduction

Movements are group actions. They are large, sometimes informal, groupings
of individuals or organizations which concentrates on specific political or social issues. In
other words, they carry out, resist, or undo a social change. They provide a way of social change
from the bottom within nations. It is a mass movement and a collective attempt of people to
bring about a change, or to resist any change. The central idea to any movement is that people
intervene in the process of social change, rather than remaining mere spectators or passive
participants in the ebb and flow of life.

The Indian national movement was undoubtedly one of the biggest mass movements modern
society has ever seen. It was a movement which galvanized millions of people of all classes
and ideologies into political action and brought to its knees a mighty colonial empire.

India's movement toward independence occurred in stages prompted by the inflexibility of the
British and, in many instances, their violent responses to peaceful protests. Many attribute the
Indian Revolt of 1857 (known by the British as the Sepoy Mutiny) as the first battle in the
struggle for Indian independence. The 1857 Indian Revolt revealed the miscalculations of the
British in understanding the social and cultural issues important to Indians. Indian soldiers
called sepoys (from the Hindi sipahi) grew increasingly uncomfortable with the British
encroachment on India's states and provinces as the English East India Company expanded its
influence in the region. In addition, poor wages and harsh policies made nationals increasingly
tired of the British presence in India. In 1885, the Indian National Union was formed, which
became the Indian National Congress and had as its goal the moderate position of seeing more
locals in political representation. The Indian National Congress (INC) was created to help ease
the tensions in the British relationship with Indians after the Sepoy Mutiny. The INC is the
oldest political party in India. After World War II two faction developed within the INC. The
split in the INC was eased under the influence of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869–1948)
in 1920 when he became party leader. The push for independence occurred in three
interconnected stages: the noncooperative movement, the civil disobedience movement, and
finally the "Quit India" movement. None of these stages were rigidly defined; they naturally
flowed into one another as a result of contemporary events. The foundational principles of the
noncooperative movement included resisting the British by not buying imported goods,
refusing to pay taxes, and not working for the British, rather than violence as a means of gaining

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independence. In 1942 Gandhi announced the "Quit India" campaign. Backed by the INC, all
thoughts turned toward eliminating the British presence in India and establishing self-
governance. The issuance of the declaration resulted in the British government outlawing the
Indian National Congress and in the subsequent arrests of INC leaders, including Gandhi. The
public fray between the INC and the British brought the Quit India campaign into prominence
across the country, and resistance grew.1

Women’s participation in India’s, freedom struggle began over a century before country
became independent at the time when conservative traditions and social customs had derived
them their rightful place in the society. Among earlier women fighters to raise banner of revolt
were Lakshmi Bai, Rani Jhansi, Rani of Ramgarh, Rani of Taci and Begum Hazart of Lucknow.
After attaining independence in 1947, India had huge task of social reconstruction, economic
development and political awakening to be able to ensure justice and equality to all its citizens.
The framers of Indian constitution, which amongst others, had prominent women like Sarojini
Naidu, Hansa Mehta, Durgabai, Renuka Ray and Malti chowdhry as its members.
The participation of women in Indian freedom struggle are landmarks in the history.2

1.1 Literature Review

• Sanjay Singh, INDIAN NATIONAL MOVEMENT & GLIMPSES OF INDIAN

CULTURE, Arihant Publications

This book provides a concise account of the various movements of Indian National Movement.
It also highlights the various leaders that made the Indian National Movement a success. This
book gives description of the events in pointwise form. This book has helped the researcher to
fulfil the objectives of the project.

1
“Indian National Movement”, http://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-
maps/indian-national-movement
2
Arun K tangnu, “Indian Women Past and Present”, http://creative.sulekha.com/indian-women-past-and-
present_499275_blog

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• Dr. Namrata Singh, THE WOMEN’s QUESTION: PARTICIPATION IN THE
INDIAN NATIONAL MOVEMENT AND ITS IMPACT, IOSR Journal of Humanities
and Social Sciences

This article provides a detailed account role played by women in the Indian National
Movement. It also highlights the various women organisations that were present during the
National Movement. This article has helped the researcher to fulfil the objectives of the
project.

• Atul Kulkarni, ROLE PLAYED BY WOMEN IN INDIAN FREEDOM STRUGGLE,

https://atulkulkarni123.wordpress.com/2015/08/05/role-played-by-women-in-indian-
freedom-struggle/

This article provides a concise account of the role played by women in the Indian National
Movement. Moreover, it gives detailed accounts of the various women leaders who
contributed in the National Movement. This article has helped the researcher to fulfil the
objectives of the project.

• Shodganga, WOMEN IN THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT,

http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/2879/14/14_chapter%206.pdf

This article provides a detailed account of the of the role played by women in the Indian
National Movement. It also highlights the contribution of women in Indian National
Movement and also explains about the Indian National Movement in general. This article
has helped the researcher to fulfil the objectives of the project.

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 1.2 Scope and Objectives

Scope

This project shall focus on Indian National Movement, try to understand the concept of Indian
national Movement, and understand who are the main women leaders of Indian National
Movement. The project shall also try to analyse contribution of women in Indian National
Movement.

Objectives

• To try and understand what is Indian National Movement.

• To understand who are the main women leaders of Indian National Movement.
• To analyze the contribution of women in Indian National Movement.

1.3 Research Questions

• What is Indian National Movement?

• Who are the main women leaders of Indian National Movement?
• What is the contribution of women in Indian National Movement?

1.4 Research Methodology

In this research work, the Doctrinal Method of Explanatory Research Design has been
employed for conducing the research. Only secondary sources such as books, articles and
journals have been used for the collection of information for the research work.

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 2. Notable Female Leaders in the Indian National Movement

There are many women leaders who have participated and contributed in the Indian National
Movement but there are some more prominent and important women leaders. The researcher
would only focus on a few notable women leaders namely Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi, Sarojini
Naidu, Annie Besant.

2.1 Rani Lakshmi Bai

Rani Lakshmi Bai was the queen of the princely state of Jhansi, which is located on the north
India. She was one of the most important women leader of the first war of India's independence
that started in 1857.

Rani Lakshmibai was one of the leading warriors of India’s freedom struggle who laid an
outstanding influence on the succeeding women freedom fighters. She used to go into the
battlefield dressed as a man. Holding the reins of there, horse in her mouth she used the sword
with both hands. She fought valiantly and although beaten she refused to surrender and fell as
a warrior should, fighting the enemy to the last. Her remarkable courage inspired many men
and women in India to rise against the alien rule. She was a symbol of bravery, patriotism, self-
respect, perseverance, generosity and resistance to British rule. She fought till her last breath
for the welfare of women in the country and for the noble cause of India’s independence.3

2.2 Sarojini Naidu

Sarojini Naidu was an India political leader best known as the first female President of the
India National Congress. In 1916 she met Mahatma Gandhi which sparked her interest in the

3
Atul Kulkarni, ROLE PLAYED BY WOMEN IN INDIAN FREEDOM STRUGGLE,
https://atulkulkarni123.wordpress.com/2015/08/05/role-played-by-women-in-indian-freedom-struggle/

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fight for India’s freedom. In 1925 she was elected as the first female President of the India
National Congress. After India’s independence from England, Naidu became the first woman
Governor of Uttar Pradesh.

Sarojini Naidu, the Nightingale of India, was a distinguished poet, renowned freedom fighter
and one of the great orators of her time. She was elected as the president of Indian National
Congress. The dynamic phase of Sarojini’s career was from 1917-1919. She campaigned for
the Khalifat Movement. When Gandhi launched the Civil Disobedience Movement, she proved
a faithful lieutenant. With great courage she quelled the rioters, sold proscribed literature, and
addressed frenzied meetings on the carnage at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar. In 1930 when
Mahatma Gandhi chose her to lead the Salt Satyagraha the stories of her courage became
legion. After Gandhi’s arrest she had prepared 2,000 volunteers under the scorching sun to raid
the Dahrsana Salt Works, while the police faced them half a mile up the road with rifle, lathis
(canes) are steel tipped clubs. She gave up writing poetry and fully devoted herself to
emancipation of women, education, Hindu-Muslim unity etc. She became a follower of
Gandhiji and accompanied him to England. Whenever in England, she openly criticized British
rule in India which caught the attention of scholars and intellectuals.4

2.3 Annie Besant

Annie Besant was a prominent British women's rights activist, writer and orator and supporter
of Indian self-rule. She became involved in politics in India, joining the Indian National
Congress. During the World War I in 1914, she helped launch the Home Rule League to
campaign for democracy in India and gaining dominion status within the British Empire. This
led to her election as president of the India National Congress in late 1917. After the war, she
continued to campaign for Indian independence.

Annie Besant an Irish lady the leader of the Theosophical Society joined the Indian National
Congress and gave it a new direction. She was the first woman president of the Congress and

4
Atul Kulkarni, ROLE PLAYED BY WOMEN IN INDIAN FREEDOM STRUGGLE,
https://atulkulkarni123.wordpress.com/2015/08/05/role-played-by-women-in-indian-freedom-struggle/

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gave a powerful lead to women’s movement in India. She soon became a leading labour
organizer, strike leader and reformer. She also became involved in Indian Nationalism and in
1916 established the Indian Home Rule League of which she became President. She started a
newspaper, “New India”, criticized British rule and was jailed for sedition. She came to be
associated with rationalistic congress group of workers who did not appreciate Gandhi’s views.
She got involved in political and educational activities and set up a number of schools and
colleges, the most important of which was Central Hindu College High School at Banaras
which she started in 1913.5

5
Atul Kulkarni, ROLE PLAYED BY WOMEN IN INDIAN FREEDOM STRUGGLE,
https://atulkulkarni123.wordpress.com/2015/08/05/role-played-by-women-in-indian-freedom-struggle/

9|Page
 3. Women Organisations

When the Indian National Movement was going on which saw some active participation form
women for the freedom of India from under the British Empire, the Indian women got together
in central as well regional levels to form women’s organisations in order to fight for women’s
rights in aspects like women’s education, abolition of evil social customs like purdah, child
marriage, equality of rights and opportunities and women’s suffer- age and right for
representation in legislatures and most importantly for attaining independence of India from
the British Empire.

Women’s organization appealed to both government and nationality for support. However
government support was often a compromise. The nationalists on the other hand were more
sympathetic for the women’s question, since 1920, because they needed their participation in
the nation-building project. Women too privileged these “pieces of universalisation” by placing
nationalism before women’s issues. The women’s fight for suffrage was granted in
Government of India Act 1935 where the ratio of female voters was raised 1:5 and women also
got reserved seats in legislative. Similarly, various social legislations and acts tried to improve
gender parity. For example: The Sarda Act. Of 1929 – which fixed the minimum age of
marriage for females at 14 and male at eighteen, laws defining women’s woman’s right to
property, inheritance, divorce, to restrain dowry and control position.6

In the early, twentieth century many women’s organization came into picture who were active
in the public arena and also focused on women’s political and legal rights.

-Rashtriya Stree Sangha or Das Devika Sangha was started as auxiliary body of Congress.

-1910 Sarala Devi Chaudhurani ‘Bharat stree Mahanandala’ tried to spread education

-In 1917, in Madras women’s Indian Association was started by enlightened European and
Indian ladies – Margaret Cousins and Annie Besant.

6
Dr. Namrata Singh, THE WOMEN’s QUESTION: PARTICIPATION IN THE INDIAN NATIONAL
MOVEMENT AND ITS IMPACT, IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

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-1925, the National Council of Women in India was formed as a branch of the International
council of Women Lady Mehribai Tata was an actives of this society.

-1927, All India, Women Conference came into existence which championed for all sorts of
women rights, from franchise to marriage reform and the rights of women laborers.

- In 1920 in Bengal, Bangiya Nari Samaj campaigned for women’s voting rights.

- All Bengal Women’s union campaigned for legislation against trafficking of women.7

Some of the important women’s organisations were:

• Bharat Mahila Parishad

• Bharat Stri Mahamandal

• Women’s Indian Association

• National Council of Women in India

• All India Women’s Conference

• Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust

7
Dr. Namrata Singh, THE WOMEN’s QUESTION: PARTICIPATION IN THE INDIAN NATIONAL
MOVEMENT AND ITS IMPACT, IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

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 4. Participation of Female Leaders in the Indian National Movement

Women played a significant role in the Indian National Movement which actually started after
the sepoy mutiny of 1857. Even though the contribution of women in attaining independence
of India is generally neglected and not given importance to but in reality, they played a crucial
role in the movement. Apart from the prominent, famous and popular women leaders like Rani
Laxmi Bai, Sarojini Naidu, Annie Besant, Kasturba Gandhi, etc there are numerous other less
known women who have given their all and contributed in the Indian National Movement.
Women’s participation in India’s, freedom struggle began over a century before country
became independent at the time when conservative traditions and social customs had derived
them their rightful place in the society.

The Nationalist struggle in India against the British colonial rule brought about the political
mobilisation of both men and women. It encouraged middle-class and elite women to adopt
new models in the public domain and to engage in the range of activities such as social reform
spreading the nationalist message and mobilisation for the movement. From liberal homes and
conservative families, urban centres and rural districts, women-single and married, young and
old came forward and joined the struggle against colonial rule. Women's participation called
into question the British right to rule, legitimized the Indian nationalist movement and won for
activist women, at least for a time, the approval of Indian men.8

Indian women association with the freedom struggle took a new dimension with the growth of
popular politics of the Gandhian congress mass movements. The women’s participation before
Gandhi was in a limited manner for example in Swadeshi Movement in Bengal (1905-11) and
Home Rule Movement. They also attended sessions of Indian National Congress. But the
involvement of really large number of women in freedom struggle began with Gandhi who
gave special role to women. “The nationalist expressions of women in the freedom struggle
needs to be analysed from following standpoints:

1. That women engaged with Nationalist polities despite constraints of social practices like the
purdah system, backwardness and low level of female literacy.

8
Shodganga, WOMEN IN THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT,
http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/2879/14/14_chapter%206.pdf

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2. That women participated in INM through two parallel processes.

a) The domestication of the public sphere - women participated in the streets without
compromising on their domestic values.

b) The politicization of the domestic sphere - women handled situations in their families when
nationalism entered households through the activities of their husbands and sons.

3. That women used the symbolic repertoire of the INM and the political language of Gandhi
to facilitate their own participation.”9

Women participated in all the important movements like the Non-Corporation Movement
(NCM), Civil Disobedience Movement and also Quit India Movement. The women have
continued to work and participate in movements even after independence for the upliftment of
women in the society.

Now we can take a look at the important contributions of women in the some of the most
important movements regarding the Indian National Movement like Non-Corporation
Movement (NCM), Civil Disobedience Movement and also Quit India Movement.

The Non-cooperation movement was a significant phase of the Indian struggle for freedom
from British rule. Many women participated in this movement by performing their domestic
and social roles. Sarla Devi, Muthulaxmi Reddy, Susheela Nair, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur,
Sucheta Kripalani and Aruna Asaf Ali are some the women who participated in the Non -
violent Non-cooperation movement. Kastruba Gandhi, Kamla Nehru, Vijayalakshmi Pandit
and Swarup Rani also participated in the national movement, Lado Rani Zutshi and her
daughters Manmohini, Shyama and Janak led the movement in Lahore. Women, literate and
illiterate, rural and urban swelled the ranks of the freedom fighters, took over positions of
responsibility, courted imprisonment, and were arrested in large numbers. It was in the political
struggle against imperialism (British rule) that Indian women began actively participating in
life outside the home. The participation of women legitimised the Indian National Congress.
Women marched and picketed in sex-segregated groups, usually wearing distinctive orange or
white saries to emphases their purity and sacrifice. Women won great respect for their political

9
Dr. Namrata Singh, THE WOMEN’s QUESTION: PARTICIPATION IN THE INDIAN NATIONAL
MOVEMENT AND ITS IMPACT, IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

13 | P a g e
work and social benefits followed. Women's in activities validated Indian unity and
Satyagraha.10

One of the most important features of the Civil Disobedience Movement was the large-scale
participation of women. During Gandhiji’s salt march, thousands of women participated in
marches, manufactured salt and picketed foreign cloth and liquor shops. Many went to jail.
In urban areas, these women were from high caste educated family e.g. Sarojini Naidu,
Satyavati Devi, Kamala Nehru, Vijaylakshmi Pandit, Kasturba Gandhi, etc. In rural areas,
women came from rich peasant households. Bengal being the nerve centre of female education
in India, increased the women’s participation in nationalism. In 1930, women rallied before
Bethune College, Calcutta in support of Gandhiji’s Civil Disobedience Movement.
In Bombay, large section of women of Gujarati community was influenced by Gandhiji’s
idealism and participated in National Movement. But all these participations were symbolic as
women did not hold any position of authority for a long time.

Women in the Quit India Movement featured prominently, partaking of the movement in every
way possible. There were a number of prominent women leaders, such as Matangini Hazra,
Aruna Asaf Ali, Usha Mehta and Sucheta Mazumdar Kripalani who took the reins and led the
movement in different parts of the country. Women in the Quit India Movement formed a
prominent part of the agitating crowds. The participation of women in the Quit India Movement
took many different forms. Usha Mehta, a committed patriot set up a radio transmitter, called
the 'Voice of Freedom' to disseminate information about the war for freedom, for which she
was sentenced to four years of jail. In the rural areas large numbers of peasant women joined
men in protesting against taxes, land tenure, and landholder's rights.
Aruna Asaf Ali was another leader of the Quit India Movement. Aruna broke the salt law, was
arrested, sentenced, and imprisoned in Lucknow. She became a leader of the underground
movement in 1942 and was forced to remain in hiding until 1946. During her three and a half
years in hiding, Aruna was constantly in motion, urging people to liberate the land from foreign
rule. Some historians have labelled Aruna as the most important leader of the resistance. She

10
Ganamukhi, THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE NON COORPORATION MOVEMENT, Golden Research
Thoughts

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is widely remembered for having hoisted the national flag at Mumbai during the Quit India
Movement. the involvement of women in the Quit India movement took different forms, from
active protests to the organisation of non-violent movements. Methods notwithstanding. The
participation of women in the Quit India Movement went a long way in making it a success.11

11
Usha Mehta, WOMEN IN THE QUIT INDIA MOVEMENT,
http://www.indianetzone.com/7/women_quit_india_movement.htm

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 5. Conclusion

After the completion of the research project by the researcher the researcher can conclude that
the Indian National Movement began after the sepoy mutiny in 1857 which saw a surge in the
nationalist sentiments develop in the people of India which led to various other movements like
Non-Corporation Movement, Civil Disobedience Movement and Quit India Movement among
others taking place in order to attain freedom from the British Empire. It was not only the
Indian men who participated and contributed in the National movement but the women also
played an active role in the movement. There were a lot of women participating in the
movement but some the prominent ones who have been dealt with in this research are Rani
Laxmi Bai, Sarojini Naidu, Annie Bessant. The contribution of women in the freedom struggle
of India is often overlooked but in reality, they played a very important role in the movement
and without the women’s contribution attaining freedom would be much more difficult. During
the period of the National Movement the Indian women formed various women organisations
in order to boost the plight of women in the country as well as help in attaining the bigger goal
of independence from the British Empire.

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6. Bibliography

• Sanjay Singh, INDIAN NATIONAL MOVEMENT & GLIMPSES OF INDIAN

CULTURE, Arihant Publications
• Dr. Namrata Singh, THE WOMEN’s QUESTION: PARTICIPATION IN THE
INDIAN NATIONAL MOVEMENT AND ITS IMPACT, IOSR Journal of Humanities
and Social Sciences
• Atul Kulkarni, ROLE PLAYED BY WOMEN IN INDIAN FREEDOM STRUGGLE,
https://atulkulkarni123.wordpress.com/2015/08/05/role-played-by-women-in-indian-
freedom-struggle/
• Shodganga, WOMEN IN THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT,
http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/2879/14/14_chapter%206.pdf
• “Indian National Movement”, http://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-
almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/indian-national-movement
• Arun K tangnu, “Indian Women Past and Present”, http://creative.sulekha.com/indian-
women-past-and-present_499275_blog
• Ganamukhi, THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE NON COORPORATION
MOVEMENT, Golden Research Thoughts
• Usha Mehta, WOMEN IN THE QUIT INDIA MOVEMENT,
http://www.indianetzone.com/7/women_quit_india_movement.htm

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