Chapter-13

Initial Phase of Revolutionary Action

Surge of Revolutionary Activity:
➢ Fallout of the Swadeshi and Boycott Movement.
➢ Frustration with failed leadership (both Moderate and Extremist) to find new forms of struggle.
➢ Government repression closing peaceful avenues of protest.
➢ Belief in forceful expulsion of British as the only path to independence.
Revolutionary Program:
➢ Not aiming for mass revolution or subversion of the army (initially).
➢ Inspired by Russian nihilists and Irish nationalists.
➢ Methods:
✓ Assassinations of officials, traitors, and informers.
✓ "Swadeshi dacoities" (armed robberies) to fund activities.
✓ Military conspiracies during World War I (seeking enemy help).
➢ Goals:
✓ Terrorize rulers.
✓ Arouse the people and remove fear of authority.
✓ Inspire mass action through individual acts of heroism.
➢ Missed Opportunity:
✓ Extremist leaders failed to offer a clear ideological alternative, allowing individualistic violence
to take root.

A Survey of Revolutionary Activities (Pre-WWI & WWI)

Bengal:
➢ Early 20th Century: Rise of revolutionary groups (Anushilan Samiti, Jugantar Party).
➢ 1906-1907:
✓ Newspapers advocated violence (Yugantar).
✓ Secret societies formed (Rashbehari Bose, Sachin Sanyal).
✓ Abortive attempt to assassinate Sir Fuller (Lt. Governor).
➢ 1907-1908:
✓ Bomb thrown at carriage targeting British judge (Prafulla Chaki, Khudiram Bose).
✓ Alipore Conspiracy Case (Aurobindo Ghosh acquitted, Barindra Ghosh sentenced).
➢ 1909-1910:
✓ Public prosecutor and police officer assassinated in Calcutta.
✓ Barrah dacoity (fundraising for revolutionaries).
➢ 1912: Bomb attack on Viceroy Hardinge in Delhi (Rashbehari Bose, Sachin Sanyal).
➢ WWI:
✓ Jugantar Party planned "German Plot" (arms import, uprising).
✓ Jatindranath Mukherjee ("Bagha Jatin") led the effort.
✓ "Taxicab" and "boat dacoities" for funding.
✓ Plot leaked, revolutionaries confronted police in Balasore (Jatin Mukherjee killed).
Impact:
➢ Substantial legacy of Swadeshi Bengal.
➢ Inspired educated youth for a generation.
➢ Overemphasis on Hinduism alienated Muslims.
➢ Limited by lack of mass involvement and narrow social base.
➢ Ultimately unsuccessful against state repression.
Maharashtra
➢ Early Activity (1879):
✓ Vasudev Balwant Phadke formed Ramosi Peasant Force.
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 ✓ Aimed for armed revolt and disruption of communication lines.
✓ Suppressed prematurely.
➢ 1890s:
✓ Bal Gangadhar Tilak promoted militant nationalism through festivals and journals.
✓ Chapekar brothers assassinated British officials (1897).
➢ Late 19th-Early 20th Century:
✓ Savarkar brothers and others formed secret societies (Mitra Mela, Abhinav Bharat).
✓ Anant Kanhere assassinated British official (1909).
✓ Savarkar sentenced to life imprisonment for conspiracy.
Punjab
➢ Fuel for Extremism:
✓ Famines, rising taxes, exploitation by landlords.
✓ Influence of events in Bengal.
➢ Early Leaders:
✓ Lala Lajpat Rai (Newspaper: Punjabee)
✓ Ajit Singh (Anjuman-i-Mohisban-i-Watan, Bharat Mata journal)
✓ Others: Aga Haidar, Syed Haider Raza, Bhai Parmanand, Lalchand Falak
➢ Government Crackdown (1907):
✓ Ban on meetings, deportation of leaders (Lajpat Rai, Ajit Singh).
➢ WWI and Beyond:
✓ Ajit Singh and others became revolutionaries.
✓ Rashbehari Bose involved in Ghadr Revolution.
✓ Collaboration with Bengal on all-India uprising plans.
✓ Bose escaped to Japan after failed revolution (1915).

Revolutionary Activities Abroad

Motivations:
➢ Escape British censorship (Press Acts).
➢ Publish revolutionary literature ("India House").
➢ Secure arms for rebellion.
Centers:
➢ London (1905): "India House" by Shyamji Krishnavarma.
✓ Members: Savarkar, Hardayal (later deemed too dangerous).
✓ Assassination of British official (Madanlal Dhingra, 1909).
➢ Paris and Geneva: Madam Bhikaji Cama ("Bande Mataram" journal), Ajit Singh.
➢ Berlin (post-1909): Virendranath Chattopadhyaya.

The Ghadr Party (1913):

➢ Base: San Francisco (branches along US/Canadian west coast).
➢ Members: Mainly Punjabi ex-soldiers and peasants seeking work abroad.
➢ Leaders: Lala Hardayal, Ramchandra, Bhagwan Singh, Kartar Singh Saraba, Barkatullah, Bhai
Parmanand.
➢ Goals:
✓ Assassinations of officials.
✓ Anti-imperialist publications.
✓ Incite rebellion among Indian troops abroad.
✓ Procure arms.
✓ Simultaneous revolt in all British colonies.

The Komagata Maru Incident (1914):

➢ Ship carrying Punjabi immigrants denied entry to Canada.
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 ➢ Returned to India, sparking outrage.
Ghadr Activity in WWI:
➢ Encouraged by Komagata Maru and war.
➢ Recruited fighters in India (Rashbehari Bose, Sachin Sanyal).
➢ Political dacoities for funding (targeted moneylenders in some cases).
➢ Planned armed revolt (February 1915) foiled by leaks.
British Crackdown:
➢ Defence of India Act (1915): detentions, harsh sentences, court-martials.
➢ Leaders arrested, deported, or hanged.
➢ Rashbehari Bose fled to Japan.
Evaluation of Ghadr:
➢ Spread secular militant nationalism.
➢ Failed to achieve lasting success due to:
✓ Lack of organized leadership.
✓ Insufficient preparation (organization, ideology, finances, tactics).
✓ Hardayal's limitations as an organizer.

Revolutionaries in Europe (WWI)

➢ Berlin Committee (1915):
✓ Founded by Virendranath Chattopadhyay, Bhupendranath Dutta, Lala Hardayal (with German
support).
✓ Aimed to mobilize Indian citizens abroad for rebellion.
✓ Sent missions to western Asia to incite anti-British sentiment.
✓ Established a "provisional Indian government" in Kabul.
Mutiny in Singapore (1915)
➢ Punjabi Muslim soldiers (5th Light Infantry, 36th Sikh battalion) rebelled.
➢ Led by Jamadar Chisti Khan, Jamadar Abdul Gani, Subedar Daud Khan.
➢ Crushed by British forces (many killed).
➢ 37 executed, 41 imprisoned for life.
Important Leaders
1.Rash Behari Bose (1886-1945)
Early Life and Education
➢ Born: 1886, Subaldaha village, Bardhaman District, West Bengal
➢ Studied at Dupleix College, Chandernagore (French colony)
Revolutionary Activities
➢ Influenced by French Revolution ideals
➢ Mastermind behind assassination attempt on Viceroy Lord Hardinge (1912)
➢ Associated with Ghadar movement (WWI)
➢ Fled to Japan (1915) and founded Indian Independence League (1942)
Marriage and Later Life
➢ Married a Japanese woman and became a Japanese citizen (1923)
➢ Instrumental in appointing Subhash Chandra Bose as President of Indian National Army (INA)
➢ Awarded 'Order of the Rising Sun' by Japan
Death: 1945 (tuberculosis)

2. Sachindra Nath Sanyal (1893-1942)

Revolutionary Activities
➢ Founded Hindustan Republican Association (HRA, later HSRA) for armed resistance against British
rule
➢ Involved in Ghadar Conspiracy (WWI)
➢ Close associate of Rash Behari Bose
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 ➢ Considered India's most senior revolutionary leader after Bose's escape
➢ Mentor to Chandrashekhar Azad and Bhagat Singh
Beliefs
➢ Known for his strong Hindu beliefs despite many Marxist followers
➢ Debated Mahatma Gandhi on gradualism vs. revolution (1920-1924)
Imprisonment and Writings
➢ Sentenced to life for Kakori conspiracy
➢ Imprisoned twice in Cellular Jail (Port Blair)
➢ Authored "Bandi Jeevan" (A Life of Captivity) while imprisoned

3. Barin Ghosh (1880-1959)

Early Life and Influences
➢ Born: Croydon, England (1880)
➢ Family:
✓ Younger brother of Sri Aurobindo Ghosh
✓ Son of Dr. Krishnadhan Ghosh and Swarnalata Devi (daughter of Rajnarayan Basu)
➢ Education: Deoghar school, Patna College
➢ Military training: Baroda
➢ Influenced by Aurobindo and drawn to revolutionary movement
Revolutionary Activities
➢ Founded Jugantar, a Bengali revolutionary weekly (1906)
➢ Co-founded Jugantar, a revolutionary organization (1906)
➢ Recruited revolutionaries with Jatindranath Banerjee
➢ Involved in Maniktala group for bomb making and arms collection
➢ Arrested after Alipore Bomb Case (1908)
➢ Sentenced to life imprisonment, later commuted (1908)
➢ Briefly escaped Cellular Jail (1915), recaptured later
Later Life and Activities
➢ Released from Cellular Jail (1920)
➢ Became a journalist in Kolkata
➢ Formed an ashram and published memoirs
➢ Influenced by Aurobindo towards spirituality (1923)
➢ Returned to journalism in Kolkata (1929)
➢ Edited The Dawn of India and Dainik Basumati
➢ Died in Kolkata (1959)

4. Prafulla Chaki: (1888-1908)

Early Life and Influences
➢ Born: 1888, Bihar village, Bogra district (present-day Bangladesh)
➢ Education: Rangpur National School (exposed to revolutionary ideas)
Revolutionary Activities
➢ Joined Jugantar party under Barin Ghosh
➢ Attempted assassination of Sir Joseph Bampfylde Fuller (unsuccessful)
➢ Threw bomb at carriage mistaken for Kingsford's (mistaken identity, killed civilians)
➢ Fled with Khudiram Bose, took refuge with railway worker Triguna Charan Ghosh
Death and Aftermath
➢ Committed suicide by gunshot to avoid capture by police inspector Nandalal Banerjee
➢ Head severed for identification by Khudiram, who was later captured
➢ Nandalal Banerjee assassinated by revolutionaries Srishh Pal and Ranen Ganguly

5. Jatindranath Mukherjee "Bagha Jatin": (1879-1915)

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Early Life and Influences
➢ Born: 1879, Jhenaidha district, Bengal
➢ Nickname: "Bagha Jatin" (earned for killing a tiger)
➢ Influenced by:
✓ Sister Nivedita (Irish disciple of Swami Vivekananda)
✓ Bhagavad Gita, writings of Bankim Chandra
✓ Aurobindo Ghosh's Bhavani Mandir
✓ Swami Vivekananda
Revolutionary Activities
➢ Founded Chhatra Bhandar (student organization as a front for revolutionaries)
➢ Mentored young revolutionaries, including M.N. Roy
➢ Arrested and acquitted in Alipore Bomb Case (1908)
➢ Arrested and acquitted in Howrah Conspiracy Case (1911)
➢ Networked with overseas revolutionaries
German Connection and Martyrdom
➢ Saw WWI as an opportunity for rebellion against British
➢ Sought German arms and support for a socialist uprising (1914)
➢ M.N. Roy tasked with acquiring German weapons
➢ Died of wounds sustained in a shootout with British police (1915)

6. Shyamji Krishna Varma: (1857-1930)

Early Life and Influences
➢ Born: October 4, 1857, Mandvi, Gujarat
➢ Scholar of Sanskrit and other languages
➢ Inspired by: Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Herbert Spencer
Revolutionary Activities in London
➢ Founded:
✓ Indian Home Rule Society
✓ India House
✓ The Indian Sociologist (magazine promoting nationalist ideas)
➢ Criticized British rule in India
➢ Inspired young Indians like Veer Savarkar
Legal Troubles and Exile
➢ Barred from practicing law in London (1905) on sedition charges
➢ Posthumously reinstated by Inner Temple (2015)
➢ Shifted base to Paris, then Geneva
Later Life and Legacy
➢ Died: March 30, 1930, Geneva, Switzerland

7. Lala Har Dayal: (1884-1939)

Early Life and Education
➢ Born: 1884, Delhi
➢ Brilliant student: graduated from St. Stephen's College (Delhi) and Punjab University (Sanskrit)
➢ Awarded scholarships to Oxford but abandoned them for revolutionary ideals
Revolutionary Activities
➢ Influenced by Shyamji Krishna Varma, V.D. Savarkar, and Madame Cama
➢ Advocated for armed struggle against British rule
➢ Founded the Ghadar Party (1913)
➢ Arrested in the US for promoting anarchism
Later Life and Legacy
➢ Lived in exile (Europe, US)
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 ➢ Became a professor of Indian philosophy in Sweden
➢ Died in Philadelphia (1939)
➢ Honored by India Post with a commemorative stamp (1987)

8. Madam Bhikaji Cama: (1861-1936)

Early Life and Background
➢ Born: September 24, 1861 to Sorabji Framji Patel and Jaijibai Sorabai Patel
➢ Wealthy Parsi family
Freedom Fighter and Activist
➢ Prosecuted Indian independence in England
➢ First to hoist an Indian flag (designed with Vinayak Savarkar) in Germany (1907)
➢ Founded Paris Indian Society with M.B. Godrej and S.R. Rana
➢ Empowered women through campaigns and exhibitions
➢ Arrested for inciting Indian troops in Bordeaux (WWI)
➢ Authored and distributed revolutionary publications ("Bande Mataram", "Madan's Talwar")
Legacy and Recognition
➢ Streets and places named after her in Indian cities
➢ Commemorative stamp issued on Republic Day (1962)
➢ Indian Coast Guard vessel named ICGS Bhikaji Cama (1997)

9.Veer Savarkar(1883-1966)
Early Life and Revolutionary Activities
➢ Founded Abhinav Bharat Society, a secret revolutionary group (1904)
➢ Involved with India House and Free India Society in London (1906)
➢ Authored books on 1857 Sepoy Mutiny and Hindu identity ("Hindutva")
Trials and Imprisonment
➢ Arrested for links to revolutionary activities (1909, 1910)
➢ Convicted of abetment to murder and sentenced to cellular jail (Kala Pani) in Andaman (1911)
Later Life and Death
➢ President of Hindu Mahasabha (1937-1943) - Hindu nationalist organization
➢ Died in 1966
Controversies
➢ Views on Hinduism and nationalism are debated by historians
Additional Information
➢ Abhinav Bharat Society: Secret revolutionary group founded by Savarkar brothers (1904)
➢ India House: London organization promoting Indian nationalism (founded 1905 by Shyamji Krishna
Varma)
➢ Free India Society: London organization founded by Savarkar inspired by Italian nationalism
➢ Hindu Mahasabha: Hindu nationalist organization founded in 1907
10.Sardar Ajit Singh: (1881-1947)
Early Life and Activism
➢ Born: February 23, 1881
➢ Outspoken critic of British colonial rule
➢ Provided relief to people affected by famine, floods, and earthquakes (1905)
➢ Founded Bharat Mata Book Agency to spread anti-colonial messages
➢ Built a network with revolutionaries across Europe
Exile and Escape
➢ Exiled to Burma with Lala Lajpat Rai (1907) but later released
➢ Escaped to Iran with Sufi Amba Prasad (1909) and lived in exile for 38 years
Return and Legacy
➢ Returned to India in March 1947
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 ➢ Died on August 15, 1947, the day India gained independence
➢ Overshadowed by his nephew Bhagat Singh but remains an important figure in the freedom struggle

11.Maulana Barkatullah: (1854-1927)

Early Life and Travels
➢ Born: July 7, 1854, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
➢ Professor of Hindustani at Tokyo University (1904)
➢ Founded anti-colonial journal "Islamic Fraternity" (banned by British in 1912)
Revolution and Activism
➢ Joined Gadar Party in US, became Vice President
➢ Co-founded "Indian Council for Independence" in Germany (1914)
➢ Formed "Government of India in Exile" in Afghanistan (1915) with Raja Mahendra Pratap
➢ Sought support from Turkey, Russia (unsuccessful)
➢ Published revolutionary newspapers in Germany
➢ Delivered anti-imperialist speech at Belgium conference (1927)
Legacy
➢ Died: September 20, 1927, USA
➢ Bhopal University renamed Barkatullah University in 1988

12.Bhai Parmanand: (1876-1947)

Early Life and Education
➢ Born: November 4, 1876, Kariala, Punjab (now Pakistan)
➢ Influenced by Arya Samaj and leaders like Lala Lajpat Rai
➢ Graduated from DAV College, Lahore with a Master's degree in History (1902)
Spreading Arya Samaj and Anti-Colonial Activities
➢ Established Arya Samaj branches in South Africa (1905)
➢ Demanded a united Hindu-Muslim state (1905)
➢ Taught history and spread Arya Samaj ideals at DAV College, Lahore
➢ Wrote a book on Indian history ("Twarikhe Hindu") banned by British (1908)
Arrest and Imprisonment
➢ Arrested under suspicion of revolutionary activities (1909)
➢ Acquitted but placed under surveillance
Global Revolutionary Network
➢ Inspired Har Dayal to spread Indian culture in the Americas (1911)
➢ Co-founded the Ghadar Party, an Indian independence movement (US)
➢ Returned to India to promote revolution (1913)
Later Life and Legacy
➢ Sentenced to death for Lahore conspiracy (1913), later commuted to life imprisonment
➢ Released in 1920 after a hunger strike
➢ Became Chancellor of National College, Lahore
➢ Joined Hindu Mahasabha and served as president (1933)
➢ Died on December 8, 1947
➢ Honored by India Post with a commemorative stamp (1979)

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