The Start of Organised

Nationalism
 Indian National Congress(INC)

 72 delegates from all over India.

 Bombay in December 1885.
 Allan Octavian Hume, a retired British official
(Indian Civil Servant).
 Early leadership: Dadabhai Naoroji,
Pherozeshah Mehta, S Subramania Iyer, P Ananda
Charlu, Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee, Badruddin
Tyabji, Romesh Chandra Dutt – largely from
Bombay & Calcutta
 INC started holding its sessions annually, in
different parts of India.
Indian National Congress (INC)

 not formed to demand independence.

 to influence policymaking.
 In the first two decades after its formation,
dominated by 'Moderates'.
 orderly progress and constitutional
agitation.
 1905 - Extremists - a rival group.
 The Moderate Phase(1885-1905)
 Main leaders - Dadabhai Naoroji, Surendranath Banerji, Subramania Iyer,
Pherozeshah Mehta, GK Kokale,MG Ranade.
 moderate in their functions.
 Believed in constitutional methods
 Didn’t demand independence
 Deeply influenced by western education
 Didn’t think about self-govt

 Demands for the Moderates:

 Freedom of speech
 Elected representatives – provincial& central legislative councils
 Civil service exams to India like UK
 reduction in land revenue
 Greater expenditure on irrigation, education & other constructive activities
 Amendments in Arms act
 The Radical Phase(1905-1918)

 Led by Lala lajpat Rai,Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal

 Lal-Bal-Pal
 Criticised moderates – “politics of prayer”.
 Emphasized bold methods-strike, boycott(British goods&
institutions), mass demonstration, spread awareness
 Later demanded “swaraj” or freedom from rule.
 Partition of Bengal(1905)
 Viceroy Curson partitioned Bengal -1905.
 Largest province – include Orissa & Bihar
 Divided into 2 – Eastern Bengal & Assam as one part, rest of Bengal in another part.
 Eastern Bengal ( high % of Muslims)
 rest of Bengal ( high % of Hindus)
 Instead of eradicating non-Bengali areas – govt divide east Bengal from the rest.
 Administrative convenience –
 actual reason – reduce the influence of Bengali politicians & create disunity
 Moderates & Extremists against this.
 Public meetings, demonstrations & mass protest held
 Boycott – refuse to use british products – burnt the goods – converted into “Swadesi
Movement” – Swadeshi – “One’s own country”.
 Encouraged the ideas of self –help, swadeshi enterprise, national education & use of Indian
language.
Partition of Bengal
The Muslim League(1906)

 After the Bengal partition –

 Founded in 1906 by Aga Khan, Nawab Mohsin-ul-
Mulk and the nawab of Dhaka
 Partition of Bengal was supported by ML
 Separate electorate to the Viceroy Lord Minto.
 Surat Split (1907)
 Moderates & extremists differed on several issues
 Congress session held at Surat
 Major diff.came up between them
 After this session – moderates began to work within
congress – radicals functioned from outside but had a
same goal.
 1916 – united again in Lucknow session – Lucknow
pact – ML joined with INC
 Minto- Morley Reforms(1909)
 Morley – the secretary of state,
Minto – Viceroy
 Increased the no.of elected
members in the central &
provincial legislative council.
 Introduced a separate electorate
for Muslim voters – elect their
leaders from their own community
 Created communal divide
 Also known as Indian Councils of
Act
 The First World War & The Indian
National Movement
 1914 - 18 – I WW
 Indian resources & soldiers
 Indian leaders hope – support to British – fulfill demands after the
war
 Home rule movement – 1916-18
 Tilak (April 1916) ( Maharashtra, Karnataka, Central Provinces) &
Annie Besant(Sep 1916) – two home rule leagues – merged
 After 1919 – all segments –peasants, tribes, students, women,
workers
 Transformed national movement into mass movement
 Gandhiji is credited for this transformation
 Emergence of Gandhi

 1915-Gandhiji returned to India from South Africa

 Satyagraha – peaceful non-violent agitation

 1917 – Champaran Movement

 1918 – Ahmedabad Mill Workers Movement
 1918 – Kheda Movement
 Montagu – Chelmsford Reforms(1919)
 1919 – Govt. of India act was passed
 Montagu - the Secretary of State for India during the latter parts of World War I
 Chelmsford - Viceroy of India between 1916 and 1921
 Features:
 The Central Legislative Council – 2 houses – bi cameral system
 1. The Imperial Legislative Assembly
 2. The Council of State
 The Provinces – follow the dual system
 1. Reserved power– important subjects – finance, police – under the control
of Governor & his council
 2. Transferred power – less important subjects – public health, education –
ministers were responsible
The Rowlatt Act : First All Indian
Satyagraha
 Govt. of India act – disappointed Indians – protest all over
 To control situation – Rowlatt Act(1919)
 The act authorized the govt. to imprison any person
without trial
 “Black act”
 Gandhiji launched an anti Rowlatt Satyagraha – gave msg
to Indians that 6th April 1919 was to observed as a day of
hartal, fasting & prayer.
 The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
 Hartal – all over the country
 Gandhiji was arrested on 6th April 1919
 13th April – peaceful demonstration - Jallianwala Bagh,
Amritsar
 General Dyer – Military commander of Punjab – well armed
soldiers – surrounded the place – blocked the exit
 Ordered his soldiers to shoot – without warning – opened
the fire – men, women, children – more than 1000 died –
many injured
 It created shock & horror among the people – protest
violently – British reacted brutally – torturing, arresting
people
 All leaders condemned the massacre.
 Tagore reacted by renouncing his “Knighthood”
 Govt banned newspapers – repress the freedom of Indians.
 15th April – Martial Law in Punjab
 Anti – British Movements

 Khilafat Movement – (1920)

 After I ww – international politics
 Humiliating terms – Turkey
 Ruler – Caliph of Muslims
 Muslims of India reacted against British – change the policies towards Turkey
 Ali brothers – Muhammad Ali & Shaukat Ali
 INC supported under the leadership of Gandhiji
 Non – Cooperation Movement (1920-22)

 1st Aug 1920 – Gandhiji gave the call – redress the wrong done in Punjab & Turkey
 INC demanded Swaraj & not co-operate with the govt in any manner
 Constructive programme was launched –
 Khadhi & Charkha
 Spread of education
 Equality (abolition of untouchability)

 All sections of the society involved

 Start with renunciation – 2nd stage – boycott – huge public bonfire
 All were willing to go to jail to strengthen the movement
 1921 – Congress session at Ahmedabad – non-payment of tax – last step to defy the British
rule – but the plan could not be carried out
 Violent incident in Chauri Chaura -5th Feb 1922 – protest march by peasants – police opened
fire, killed many peasants – in return set fire to the police station – 22 policemen died
 Gandhiji deeply saddened – called off the movement
 Events after the NCM
 Swaraj Party:
 After NCM – debate started regarding next course of political activity
 Gandhiji’s followers – Rajendra Prasad, Rajaji & Patel decided to
continued the work suggested by Gandhiji – “No Changers”
 Chittaranjan Das & Motilal Nehru - fighting elections & entering
councils – “Pro Changers” – formed Swaraj party in 1923
 SP won many seats in both Central & Provincial legislature
 1925 - Chittaranjan Das died – soon SP faded away
 Communist party – Kanpur in 1925 – aim was to establish a classless
society.
 Events after the NCM
 Revolutionaries:
 Sudden withdrawal of NCM resulted in revolutionary
activities
 New organisations formed – supported the assassination of
British officers
 HRA – Hindustan Republican Association – renamed HSRA
 Chandrasekar Azad, Bhagat Singh – members – strong in
Bengal
 Bengal – Surya Sen organised Indian Republican Army –
attacked police armoury at Chittagong ( 18th April 1930)
along with others to take arms
 In the same year, 3 revolutionaries (Badal Gupta, Dinesh
Gupta & Benoy Bose) killed the Inspector – General of prison
 The Simon Commission
 1927 – British govt – committee to India –
recommend the constitutional changes
 Sir John Simon – no Indian representative – refused
the demand of self – govt.
 INC & ML boycotted the commission
 Feb,1928 – SC arrived – launched protest, greeted
with black flags & banners saying “Simon, go back”.
 Lahore – peaceful demonstration against SC – Lala
lajpat Rai – badly wounded in a lathi charge – died
soon after.
Re-emergence of Revolutionary
activities
 Bhagat Singh, Chandrasekar Azad & Rajguru killed Saunders –
1928
 1929 - Bhagat Singh & B.K Dutt threw bomb in CLA – surrendered
after throwing bomb.
 Repressive measures from British
 Bhagat Singh, Rajguru & Sukhdev were tried- hanged to death
on 23rd March 1931
 The Nehru Report – 1928
 Motilal Nehru & Tej Bahadur Sapru – attempt to draft a constitution
 Demanded “Dominion Status of India” – autonomous communities
within the British empire – no subordination – equal in status
 ML rejected the report
 Lahore session – 1929
 Presided by Jawaharlal Nehru – declared “Purna Swaraj”
 31st Dec 1929 , newly adopted tricolor flag hoisted
 Slightly different from our National Flag
 Civil Disobedience Movement – (1930-34)
 Different from NCM
 focused on complete independence, making the British administrators
helpless & functioning of the govt difficult.
 The Dandi March
 Satyagraha against the salt law
 Salt law – manufacturing salt – buy salt
 Gandhiji – break the salt law – produce the salt
 Dandi – 385 km - Sabarmati
 12th March 1930 – 6th April 1930
 Made handful of salt
 North - west part – Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan – Frontier Gandhi
 Effects:
 Repressive measures
 Satyagrahis arrested
 INC –illegal – major congress leaders jailed
 1930 – I Round Table Conference
The Round Table Conferences (London)
 I – Round Table Conference:
 Held in 1930
 Discuss the proposals of Simon Commission
 INC boycotted
 Failure - no decision could be taken without the participation of
INC
Gandhi – Irwin Pact:
 1931
 Govt agreed to free all political prisoners except those involved in
violence
 INC suspended the CDM – also agreed to participate in II - RTC
 The Round Table Conferences (London)

 II– Round Table Conference:

 1931
 Gandhiji represented INC
 British focused on the rights of the minorities & the princely states
 Didn’t discuss the transfer of power
 Failure – relaunched CDM

 III – Round Table Conference:

 1932
 INC boycotted the conference
 Failure
Movement resumed:
 CDM resumed – govt reacted with aggression – many leaders including Gandhiji were
arrested – movement lost its vigor – INC withdraw the CDM in 1934
 The Government of India Act, 1935

 It suggested the creation of All – India Federation of British Indian provinces

and Indian states.
 At the center – Governor general was made responsible for reserved subjects –
defence & foreign affairs – also looked for transferred subjects.
 Autonomy was granted to provinces – ministers were responsible to the
legislature.
 Governors enjoyed the special powers – full control over the civil services &
the police – VETO power
 Failure – didn’t satisfy the demands of the Indians
 1936 – Lucknow session – INC rejected the act – but, agreed to participate in
provincial elections – 1937 – Congress secured majority – formed the govt in
7/11 provinces.
 1939 – II WW – without consulting INC –Britain declared war on India’s behalf –
resulted in resignation of congress ministers in 1939.
 Netaji Subash Chandra Bose & INA
 Most powerful national leader – escaped from India to organize an armed struggle
against the British rule.
 1939 – he left from INC
 He formed INA ( Azad Hind Fauj) in Singapore – to launch a military campaign for the
freedom of India
 Japan supported INA – along with Japanese force INA marched towards India through
Burma
 1944 – conquered Imphal & Kohima
 The defeat of Japan in II – WW came as a setback – Japan withdraw its support
 1945 – Bose died
 Demand for Pakistan(1940)
 Muhammad Ali Jinnah
 Two-Nation Theory – Hindus & Muslims constituted two separate

nations within India & the political separation alone could solve
their problem.
 Began to demand a separate homeland or country for Muslims.
 ML passed a resolution in 1940 – states that the partition of India

& the creation of new state after India obtained freedom.

 INC opposed the theory – many Muslim nationalists – Abul Kalam Azad , Khan Abdul
Ghaffar Khan
 The Cripps Mission (1942)
 March – 1942 – mission headed by a Cabinet Minister - Sir Stafford
Cripps.
 To secure the co-operation of the Indians in the war
 Dominion status for India was proposed by Cripps at the end of the
war
 INC & ML rejected the proposal
 Discussion between Cripps & the leaders failed
 Quit India Movement (1942)

 INC launched QIM in August 1942 – 3rd mass movement after the failure of Cripps
Mission.
 Demanded immediate end of British rule.
 Mass struggles were organised – women, children inspired
 Gandhiji’s slogan “Do or Die”(karo ya maro) was a great source of inspiration.
 9th Aug 1942 – Gandhiji & other senior leaders were arrested – people were shocked
& reacted violently – destroyed post offices, police stations, railway lines, telegraph
wires.
 British used extensive force to crush the movement.
 Thousands of people were sent to jail – thousands were killed – peaceful processions
were lathi-charged – imprisoned most of the congress leaders.
 a terrible famine in Bengal (1943) – 30 lakhs people died – govt did little to recover.
 The Cabinet Mission (1946)
 1945 – WW – II – came to an end.
 INC won all the general seats in the post – war elections.
 Seats reserved for the Muslims were won by ML.
 Widespread unrest in India
 Clement Atlee(PM of Britain) decided to transfer power to the Indians as soon as he
could.
 1946, British govt sent a 3 member cabinet mission - headed by Lord Pethick Lawrence –
main aim is to discuss the terms for transfer of power
 An interim govt was proposed - govt was given the responsibility to convene a
Constituent Assembly – duty was to frame a constitution for free India.
 In Sep – 1946 – an interim cabinet headed by Jawaharlal Nehru by the congress.
 In Dec – 1946 - Constituent Assembly began the work of framing the constitution.
 Birth of a New Nation
 ML refused to participate in the working of the Constituent Assembly.
 ML demanded separate country for Muslims – after the failure of the Cabinet Mission – ML
decided on mass agitation for winning its demand.
 16th August 1946 – “Direct Action Day” – riots broke out in Calcutta – lasting several days –
death of thousands of people.
 March 1947 – violence spread to different parts of N.India.
 March 1947 – Lord Mountbatten became the Viceroy – put forth a plan for an independent
India to be divided into 2 countries – India & Pakistan.
 Princely states were given the option of joining either country
 During this time, the country was torn by Hindu – Muslim riots – resulted in the
announcement of partition.
 14th August 1947 – Pakistan – included West Punjab, Sind, North – west frontier province &
east Bengal.
 15th August 1947 – India became independent.