- (Nature): An underground revolutionary organization.
- Formation : In 1903, in Nashik
- Founders: Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and his older brother Ganesh Savarkar
- Evolution: Mitra Mela transformed into the Abhinav Bharat Society in 1906.
- Objectives:
- Overthrowing British rule in India.
- Reviving Hindu pride and identity.
- Significance: Played a crucial role in the early 20th-century independence movement in India.
- Founded: 12 June 1905, at Fergusson Hill, Poona (now Pune).
- Founder: Gopal Krishna Gokhale; key associates included G.K. Devadhar, N.A. Dravid, A.V. Patwardhan.
- Objective:
- To train selfless, full-time national missionaries.
- Promote education, social reform, uplift of the poor and depressed classes.
- Strengthen civic and national unity through legal and constitutional methods.
- Ideals: Members took vows of simple living, minimal personal needs, and lifelong national service.
- Nature: Functioned like a secular missionary order dedicated to nation-building.
- Significance:
- Represented Gokhale’s moderate, constitutional path.
- Served as an alternative to the extremist approach.
- Aimed to achieve Swaraj through reform, education, and peaceful agitation.
The Moderates were pioneers in exposing the economic exploitation under British rule. Thinkers like Dadabhai Naoroji, M.G. Ranade, R.C. Dutt, G.K. Gokhale, G. Subramaniya Iyer, and P.C. Ray laid the groundwork for economic nationalism.
- Drain of wealth : Dadabhai Naoroji suggested the economic drain was equivalent to more than total land revenue, half of government revenue, or one-third of total savings (approximately 8% of the national product)
- Critique of Colonial Economy: India transformed into a supplier of raw materials, a market for British goods, and a field for British capital investment.
- Foreign trade and railways : Analysts, like G.V. Joshi, rejected the idea that foreign trade and railways benefited India’s development. Railways were critiqued for primarily serving British interests by transporting raw materials for export and importing finished goods, exacerbating India’s economic dependency.
- Tariff Policy : One-way free trade policies and tariffs favored British industries, harming Indian artisans and industries.
- Advocacy for Indian Industrialization: Moderates advocated for industrialization with Indian capital to reduce economic drain
Their critiques debunked the myth of benevolent colonialism and sparked early economic nationalism, forming the intellectual base for future demands for economic and political independence.
The Indian National Movement was not a monolithic or uniform struggle. Instead, it was a broad-based mass movement that witnessed the active participation of diverse social groups, ideologies, regions, and communities, each contributing in its own way.
1. Moderates and Extremists (Early Phase)
- Moderates (1885–1905): Leaders like Dadabhai Naoroji, Gopal Krishna Gokhale focused on constitutional reforms, petitions, and dialogue with the British.
- Dadabhai Naoroji’s Drain of Wealth theory (1901) highlighted £30M annual economic drain.
- Extremists (1905–1919): Leaders like Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, Lala Lajpat Rai advocated swaraj and direct action, including boycotts and national education.
2. Revolutionary Nationalism
- Young revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, Ram Prasad Bismil rejected non-violence and believed in armed struggle to overthrow British rule.
- Secret societies like Anushilan Samiti, Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) operated underground.
- Chittagong Armoury Raid (1930) by Surya Sen involved Pritilata Waddedar.
3. Gandhian Mass Movement
- Mahatma Gandhi turned the national movement into a truly mass-based struggle involving peasants, workers, women, and the middle class.
- Non-Cooperation Movement (1920)
- Civil Disobedience Movement (1930)
- Quit India Movement (1942)
- These movements saw active participation from all over India including rural and urban areas.
4. Role of Women
- Women such as Sarojini Naidu, Kasturba Gandhi, Aruna Asaf Ali, and thousands of unnamed women broke traditional boundaries to join picketing, protests, and satyagraha.
- Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay in Civil Disobedience (17,000 women arrested); Durga Bhabhi in HSRA.
- They gave a unique voice to the movement focused on equality and dignity.
5. Peasant and Tribal Movements
- Movements like the Eka Movement, Bardoli Satyagraha, and Tebhaga Movement raised agrarian issues.
- Tribal revolts like the Santhal Rebellion and Birsa Munda Ulgulan represented indigenous resistance against colonial exploitation.
6. Leftist and Socialist Voices
- Parties like the Communist Party of India (CPI) and Congress Socialist Party (CSP) worked for the rights of workers and peasants within the larger independence framework.
- Tebhaga Movement (1946–47) demanded 2/3rd crop share for peasants.
7. Subhas Chandra Bose and INA
- Azad Hind Fauj (INA) and Bose’s call for military liberation of India added an international dimension and energized nationalist feelings, especially among Indians abroad.
- INA (1942–45) with Rani of Jhansi Regiment; INA trials (1945) sparked nationwide protests.
8. Regional and Communal Groups
- The Akali movement in Punjab, Khilafat Movement by Indian Muslims, and Dravidian movement in the south expressed region-specific grievances but also tied into the broader freedom struggle.
Synthesis and Impact
The Indian National Movement’s strength lay in its ability to integrate these diverse streams into a cohesive struggle. Each stream mobilized different sections of society:
- Geographic Reach: From urban Bengal (Swadeshi) to rural Bihar (Champaran) and Southeast Asia (INA).
- Social Inclusivity: Encompassing elites (moderates), peasants (Champaran, Tebhaga), workers (socialists), women, and tribals.
- Ideological Diversity: Ranging from constitutionalism to armed rebellion, socialism to cultural nationalism.
The cumulative pressure from these streams—evident in the Quit India Movement (1942), which saw nationwide uprisings—compelled the British to grant independence in 1947.
The Ghadar Movement, led by revolutionaries such as Sohan Singh Bhakna, Lala Hardayal, and Bhai Parmanand, emerged in 1913 in San Francisco with the aim of liberating India through armed struggle.
Major Contributions of the Ghadar Movement
1. Internationalisation of India’s Freedom Struggle
- For the first time, Indian revolutionaries created a global anti-colonial network, with centres in USA, Canada, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, and Iran.
- The Ghadar newspaper, published in multiple languages from San Francisco, spread revolutionary ideas worldwide.
2. Promotion of Militant Nationalism
- Ghadarites openly declared the goal of armed revolution, shifting the nationalist discourse from petitions to direct action.
- Inspired Indian youth to view freedom as a right to be seized, not granted.
3. Secular and Class-based National Unity
- The movement united Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and all Indian immigrants against British rule.
4. Mobilisation of Indian Immigrants Abroad
- Indian workers in America and Canada, especially Punjabis, were politically awakened.
- Organisations like Hindustan Association of the Pacific Coast created political consciousness among migrants who later returned to India to participate in rebellions.
5. Inspiring Armed Uprisings During World War I
- Ghadarites attempted coordinated revolts such as:
- Lahore Armed Revolt (1915) led by Rasbihari Bose
- Singapore Mutiny (February 1915) by Indian soldiers
- Gun-running operations through Iran and Southeast Asia
- Though unsuccessful, they shook British confidence in the loyalty of Indian soldiers.
6. Strengthening Revolutionary Tradition in India
- The movement inspired later revolutionaries such as Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, and the HSRA.
- It provided ideological foundations of sacrifice, heroism, and anti-imperialism.
7. Undermining British Moral Legitimacy
- Incidents like Komagata Maru (1914), highlighted by Ghadarites, exposed racial discrimination by Western powers and intensified anti-British anger in India.
Though the Ghadar Movement did not succeed militarily, it played a crucial role in challenging British authority globally, nurturing revolutionary nationalism, and laying the ideological groundwork for future armed struggles.
During the early years of the Congress, moderate leaders such as Dadabhai Naoroji, R.C. Dutt, G.K. Gokhale, and Pherozshah Mehta dominated the scene. Their approach was characterized by agitation within the framework of the law, emphasizing orderly political progress.
Approach 🤲
- Constitution Agitation Within Legal Boundaries.
- Creation of Strong Political Opinion to Arouse National Consciousness and Unity.
- Utilization of the “3 Ps” – Prayer, Petition, and Protest.
- Campaigning for Support through a British Committee of the INC in London.
Limitations of Their Approach 👎:
- Limited Social Base: They believed the movement should be restricted to the middle-class intelligentsia, considering the masses not yet ready for political participation.
- Belief in England’s Providential Mission in India.
- Advocacy for Political Connections with Britain in India’s Social, Political, and Cultural Interests.
- Professed Loyalty to the British Crown.
- Support for Modest Political Reforms without Demanding Full Freedom.
- No Major Protests Organized during Their Time.
- The outbreak of World War I exposed the limitations of the Moderate approach.
Role in Awakening National Sentiments through 👍:
- Economic Critique of British Imperialism:
- Criticized the drain of wealth from India, demanding reduction in land revenue, abolition of salt tax, reduction in military expenditure, and tariff protection for Indian industries.
- In “Poverty and Un-British rule in India”, Naoroji calculated drain of 200-300 mn pounds of revenue to britain
- Demanded Expansion and Reforms in Councils → Control over Finances.
- Efforts Culminated into the Indian Councils Act of 1892: though Limited in its goal
- Campaign for General Administrative Reforms:
- Indianization of Government Services.
- Separation of Judiciary from Executive.
- Criticism of Aggressive Foreign Policy.
- Increase in Welfare Expenditure on Education and Agriculture.
- Better Treatment of Indian Labor Abroad.
- Protection of Civil Rights: Advocated for Rights to Speech, Thoughts, Association, and a Free Press.
- Contribution to Awakening Consciousness of Common Interests and a Common Enemy, fostering a sense of belonging to one nation.
- Popularized Modern Ideas like Democracy.
Despite the constraints in their approach, the Moderates played a crucial role in shaping the initial nationalist discourse, laying a robust foundation for the mass-based national movement in the subsequent years.
