Revolutionary Activities against British Government

Revolutionary Activities against British Government: In the subject of Modern History of India, revolutionary activities emerged as a militant response to colonial rule, aiming to overthrow British authority through armed struggle. Organizations and leaders such as the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association, Bhagat Singh, and Chandra Shekhar Azad played a significant role in inspiring resistance and intensifying the freedom movement.

First stage of Revolutionary Activities

Revolutionary Activities During 1907-1915

Moderate vs Extremist

• Reasons for the Rise of revolutionary nationalism – 
  • Recognition of the True Nature of British Rule
    • British government refused to concede important nationalist demands.
    • Growing belief that only Indian rule could lead to progress.
  • Economic miseries of the late 1890s:
    • Famines (90 lakh deaths, 1896–1900)
    • Bubonic plague in Deccan
    • Large-scale riots
  • British increasingly taking away rights instead of granting them – 
  • Repressive Actions (Chronology)
    • 1892 – Indian Councils Act disappointed nationalists.
    • 1897 – Natu brothers deported; Tilak jailed (sedition).
    • 1898 – Sedition laws strengthened (IPC 124A + Section 156A).
    • 1899 – Fewer Indian members in Calcutta Corporation.
    • 1904 – Official Secrets Act restricted press.
    • 1904 – Indian Universities Act → more government control.
• Growth in Confidence and Self-Respect
  • Leaders like Tilak, Aurobindo, B.C. Pal urged reliance on Indian strength.
  • Increasing belief in the capacity of the masses to fight for freedom.
• Growth of Education
  • Education spread → greater political awareness.
  • Rising educated unemployment highlighted colonial economic stagnation.
  • Increased frustration among radical youth.
• International Influences
  • Japan’s rapid progress (post-1868) showed Asian modernisation possible.
  • Ethiopia defeating Italy (1896), Boer Wars (1899–1902), Japan defeating Russia (1905) →
    European invincibility shattered.
  • Inspired by national struggles in Ireland, Russia, Egypt, Turkey, Persia, China.
  • Realisation: United, sacrificing nations can defeat empires.
• Reaction to Excessive Westernisation
  • Fear of losing Indian identity under colonial cultural domination.
  • Indian inspiration from:
    • Swami Vivekananda
    • Bankim Chandra Chatterjee
    • Swami Dayanand Saraswati
  • These thinkers highlighted India’s glorious past; broke myth of Western superiority.
  • Dayananda’s message: “India for the Indians.”
• Dissatisfaction with Moderates
  • Youth disappointed with moderate achievements (1885–1905).
  • Criticised peaceful constitutional methods (prayer, petition, protest) as “political mendicancy.”
• Reactionary Policies of Curzon
  • Curzon’s rule (1899–1905) insulted nationalists and denied India’s nationhood.
  • Repressive measures:
    • Official Secrets Act
    • Indian Universities Act
    • Calcutta Corporation Act
    • Partition of Bengal (1905) — most provocative
  • Strengthened belief that British rule was reactionary and harmful.
• Existence of a Militant School of Thought
  • Prominent leaders:
    • Bengal: Raj Narain Bose, Ashwini Kumar Dutta, Aurobindo Ghosh, B.C. Pal
    • Maharashtra: Vishnushastri Chiplunkar, Bal Gangadhar Tilak
    • Punjab: Lala Lajpat Rai
• Emergence of a Trained Leadership
  • New leaders channelised mass energy into organised political struggle.
  • This potential burst forth during the anti-partition movement in Bengal, leading to the Swadeshi Movement.

Revolutionary Activities

Bengal

• Early Secret Societies
  • By 1870s: Calcutta students had many secret societies (inactive).
• 1902:
  • Revolutionary group in Midnapore led by Jnanendranath Basu.
  • Anushilan Samiti formed in Calcutta (Promotha Mitter, Jatindra Nath Banerjee, Barindra Ghosh).
  • Activities initially limited to physical/moral training.
• Yugantar
• 1906
  • Anushilan samiti (Barindra Ghosh, Bhupendranath Dutta) started Yugantar, advocating violent revolution.
• Bhawani Mandir – 
  • Political Pamphlet Barindra Ghosh and Aurobindo Ghosh published this to organise revolutionary activities .
  • Hemchandra Ghosh and Leela Nag founded ‘Bengal Swayamsevak Sangh’ and Anil Rai founded ‘Shri Sangha’
• Expansion of Revolutionary Network
  • Rashbehari Bose & Sachin Sanyal formed a secret society across Punjab, Delhi, UP.
  • Hemchandra Kanungo went abroad for military training.

Important Revolutionary Actions (1907–1908)

• Attempt on Sir Fuller (1907)
  • Abortive assassination attempt on first Lt. Governor of Eastern Bengal & Assam.
• Attempt on Lt. Governor Fraser (Dec 1907)
  • Train derailed in attempt to kill Andrew Fraser.
• Muzaffarpur Bomb Case (1908)
  • Prafulla Chaki & Khudiram Bose targeted Judge Kingsford (known for cruelty).
  • Mistaken carriage → two British women killed.
  • Prafulla: killed himself.
  • Khudiram: tried & executed.
• Alipore Conspiracy Case (1908–1909)
  • Entire Anushilan group arrested (including Aurobindo and Barindra Ghosh).
  • Charged with waging war against the King (treason).
  • C.R.Das defended Aurobindo → acquitted due to lack of evidence.
  • Barindra Ghosh & Ullaskar Dutta given death penalty, later commuted to life.
  • Crown witness Narendra Gosain assassinated in jail by Satyendranath Bose & Kanailal Dutta.
• Other Major Action
  • 1908 Barrah dacoity by Dacca Anushilan to raise funds.
• Delhi Conspiracy Case (1912)
  • Rashbehari Bose & Sachin Sanyal organised bomb attack on Viceroy Hardinge in Delhi.
  • Hardinge was injured but survived.
  • Resulting trial led to execution of Basant Biswas, Amir Chand, Avadh Behari.
  • Rashbehari Bose escaped in disguise, later played  key role  in INA formation.
• Rise of Jugantar & Bagha Jatin
  • Western Anushilan reorganised under Jatindranath Mukherjee (Bagha Jatin).
  • Strong networks across Bengal, Bihar, Orissa.
• Revolutionary Publications
  • Sandhya newspaper ( Brahma Bandhav Upadhyay) Yugantar (Bengal).
  • Kal (Maharashtra).
• Limitations:
  • Too much reliance on Hindu imagery → alienated Muslims.
  • Encouraged individual terrorism, not mass mobilisation.
  • Had narrow upper-caste, urban, middle-class base.
  • Lacked organisational stability.
  • Eventually crushed by strong state repression.

 Maharashtra

• 1879: Vasudev Balwant Phadke organised the Ramosi Peasant Force.
  • Aim: Armed revolt, disrupt British communication, finance through dacoities.
  • Movement suppressed early.
• Tilak’s Influence (1890s)
  • Spread militant nationalism through:
    • Ganapati & Shivaji festivals.
    • Journals: Kesari (Marathi), Mahratta (English).
• Chapekar Brothers (1897)
  • Disciples of Tilak.
  • Killed:
    • Plague Commissioner Rand,
    • Lt. Ayerst → protest against harsh plague measures.
• Savarkar & Abhinav Bharat
  • 1899: Savarkar brothers formed Mitra Mela.
  • 1904: Merged into Abhinav Bharat (inspired by Mazzini’s “Young Italy”).
  • Nasik, Poona, Bombay became centres of bomb-making.
• Nasik Conspiracy (1909)
  • Collector A.M.T.Jackson assassinated by Anant Kanhere of Abhinav Bharat.
  • 38 arrested; Savarkar and brothers identified as the main leaders.
• Savarkar was sentenced to life sentences.
• Savarkar brothers –
  • Narayan Damodar
  • Vinayak Damodar
  • Ganesh Damodar

Punjab

• Causes of Extremism
  • Frequent famines.
  • Increased land revenue and irrigation taxes.
  • Practice of begar (forced labour).
  • Influence of Bengal’s Swadeshi movement.
• Important Leaders & Organisations
• Lala Lajpat Rai –
  • Published Punjabee (motto: self-help at any cost).
• Ajit Singh –
  • Formed Anjuman-i-Muhibban-i-Watan; published Bharat Mata.
• Aga Haidar, Syed Haider Raza, Bhai Parmanand, poet Lalchand ‘Falak’.

Peasant Mobilisation

• Ajit Singh’s group earlier led campaigns urging peasants to not pay revenue/water rates.

Government Crackdown (1907)

• Ban on political meetings.
• Lajpat Rai and Ajit Singh deported → extremism temporarily suppressed.

Shift to Revolutionary Path

• Ajit Singh, Sufi Ambaprasad, Lalchand, Bhai Parmanand, Lala Hardayal became full-fledged revolutionaries after exile.

Revolutionary Activities Abroad 

• India House (London – 1905)
  • Founded by Shyamji Krishna Varma.
  • Indian Home Rule Society
  • India House
  • Journal – The Indian Sociologist.
  • Members included Savarkar and Lala Hardayal.
• Madanlal Dhingra (1909)
  • Assassinated Sir Curzon Wyllie of the India Office.
  • After this, London became unsafe; crackdown intensified.
  • Savarkar extradited (1910) → transported for life imprisonment.
• Paris & Geneva
  • Led by Madam Bhikaji Cama → published Bande Mataram and ‘Madan Ki Talwar’. 
  • Madam Bhikaji Cama also known as Mother of Indian revolution.
  • She formed ‘India Society’ in Paris .
  • She hoisted tiranga for the first time in Stuttgart in 1907.
  • Ajit Singh was also active.Berlin:
  • Virendranath Chattopadhyaya used it as base, especially after 1909.
  • Indian Freedom League  founded by Lala Hardayal, Berlin.

• Ghadar Movement 
  • Organised around weekly paper ‘The Ghadar’
  • Headquarters at San Francisco .
  • Full armed revolution against British rule.
• The Ghadar Party 
  • Founded 1913 with headquarters in San Francisco.
  • Hindi Association’ was the precursor of Ghadar Party revolutionary organisation.
  • Aimed to overthrow British rule in India and establish an independent nation.
  • Early activists included Ramdas Puri, G.D. Kumar, Taraknath Das, Sohan Singh Bhakna, Lala Hardayal.
  • Set up Swadesh Sevak Home (Vancouver) and United India House (Seattle) to support revolutionary work.
  • Ramnath Puri started ‘Hindustan Association’ and ‘Circular-e-Azadi’ in San Francisco.
  • Baba Sohan Singh Bhakna (1870-1968): He was the founder and the first President of Ghadar Party in the U.S.A. 
  • Lala Har Dayal: He was the General Secretary of the Ghadar party. He was also the editor of the weekly paper Ghadar. 
  • Pandit Kanshi Ram Morali: He, along with Sohan Singh Bhakna, established the ‘Hindi Association’. He was the treasurer of the Ghadar party.
  • Bhai Parmanand: He was also a founder member of the Ghadar party. He also wrote a book for the Ghadar party named ‘Tarikh-i-Hind’.
• Objectives
  • Organise assassinations of British officials.
  • Publish revolutionary and anti-imperialist literature.
  • Work among Indian troops abroad.
  • Procure arms.
  • Instigate simultaneous revolt in all British colonies.
• Leaders – 
• Lala Hardayal, Ramchandra, Bhagwan Singh, Kartar Singh Saraba, Bhai Parmanand.
• Komagata Maru Incident (1914)
  • Gurdit Singh, Ship Komagata Maru carried 376 mainly Sikh & Punjabi Muslim passengers from Singapore → Vancouver.
  • Canadian authorities turned them back after 2 months, allegedly influenced by British government.
  • Ship returned to Calcutta; passengers refused to board Punjab-bound train → police clash at Budge Budge.
• Berlin Committee (1915):
  • Founded by Virendranath Chattopadhyay, Bhupendranath Dutta, Lala Hardayal, with German support (Zimmerman Plan).
• Activities:
  • Mobilise Indian settlers abroad to send volunteers and arms to India.
  • Incite rebellion among Indian troops in British army.
  • Organise armed invasion of British India.
• Missions sent to Baghdad, Persia, Turkey, Kabul to incite anti-British sentiments.

• Kabul mission: 
  • Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh, Barkatullah, Obaidullah Sindhi attempted to form a provisional Indian government with crown prince Amanullah.
  • Damodar Das Rathi Provide financial assistance to Rash Behari Bose and Raja Mahendra Pratap for armed revolution during World War I.

Mutiny in Singapore (1915)

• Date: February 15, 1915
  • Forces: 5th Light Infantry (Punjabi Muslims) and 36th Sikh Battalion
  • Leaders: Jamadar Chisti Khan, Jamadar Abdul Gani, Subedar Daud Khan
  • Outcome: Mutiny crushed; heavy casualties.
  • Punishments: 37 executed, 41 transported for life.
• Aftermath
  • Leaders arrested/deported; 45 executed.
  • Rashbehari Bose fled to Japan.
  • Sachin Sanyal transported for life.
  • British passed Defence of India Act (March 1915) → mass detentions, special courts, court-martials.

Second stage of Revolutionary Activities

Communist & Revolutionary Activities 

Emergence of New Forces (1920s)

• General Characteristics
• The 1920s marked:
  • Entry of masses into the national movement
  • Crystallisation of major political currents
• These currents partly arose from reactions (positive/negative) to Gandhian satyagraha philosophy.
• International influences on Indian political thinkers increased.
• New Forces That Emerged
  • Spread of socialist/Marxist ideas
  • Youth activism
  • Trade unionism
  • Peasant movements
  • Caste movements
  • Revolutionary activity with socialist orientation
• Spread of Marxist and Socialist Ideas
  • Ideas of Marx and socialist thinkers inspired formation of socialist and communist groups.
  • Rise of a left wing within Congress represented by Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhash Bose.
  • These young nationalists were:
    • Inspired by the Soviet Revolution
    • Dissatisfied with Gandhian methods
    • Advocated radical solutions

Communist Party of India (CPI)

• Formed in 1920 at Tashkent (Uzbekistan).
• Founders: M.N.Roy, Abani Mukherji, and others.
• Founded after the Second Congress of Comintern.
• M.N.Roy became the first Indian elected to Comintern leadership.
• Arrests and Trials
• 1924 Kanpur Bolshevik Conspiracy Case: 
• Arrested leaders –
  • S.A. Dange
  • Muzaffar Ahmed
  • Shaukat Usmani
  • Nalini Gupta 
• 1925: Indian Communist Conference at Kanpur formally founded the CPI.
• 1929 Meerut Conspiracy Case: 31 communists, trade unionists, left-wing leaders were arrested and tried.( Muzaffar Ahmed, S.A. Dange, Shaukat Usmani, Philip Spratt and Benjamin Bradley.)
• Workers’ and peasants’ parties spread Marxist and communist ideas.
• These groups remained part of the national movement and worked alongside Congress.
•  Growth of Trade Union Movement
  • Led by All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), founded 1920.
  • First President: Lala Lajpat Rai
  • General Secretary: Dewan Chaman Lal
  • Tilak was also a major figure behind its creation.
• Major Strikes (1920s)
  • Kharagpur Railway Workshops
  • Tata Iron and Steel Works (Jamshedpur)
  • 1923 First May Day celebrated in India, in Madras.
• Revolutionary Activity with Socialist Orientation
• Two major strands:
  • Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) – Punjab, UP, Bihar
  • Yugantar, Anushilan, Chittagong Revolt Group under Surya Sen – Bengal
• Two streams:
• Punjab-UP-Bihar
• Bengal

Rise in Revolutionary Activity After Non-Cooperation

• Background
  • Revolutionaries suffered repression during WWI.
  • Early 1920: Many released under general amnesty (to help Montford Reforms).
  • Many revolutionary groups joined or suspended activities for Non-Cooperation Movement (NCM) due to persuasion by Gandhi and C.R. Das.
  • Sudden withdrawal of NCM disillusioned them.
  • They rejected:
    • Swarajists’ parliamentary approach
    • No-Changers’ slow constructive work
  • They concluded violent methods were needed, reviving revolutionary activity.
•  Influences on Revolutionaries
  • Growth of working-class trade unionism (post-WWI).
  • Russian Revolution (1917) and success of Soviet Union.
  • Spread of Marxist and socialist ideas by communist groups.
  • Journals: Atmasakti, Sarathi, Bijoli.
  • Books/novels:
    • Bandi Jiwan (Sachin Sanyal)
    • Pather Dabi (Sharatchandra Chatterjee) — government ban increased popularity.
• Punjab–UP–Bihar Revolutionary Activity
• Hindustan Republican Association (HRA)
  • Founded October 1924 in Kanpur.
  • Founders:
    • Ramprasad Bismil
    • Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee
    • Sachin Sanyal
    • Ashfaqulla Khan
    • Yogesh Chandra Chatterjee
• Aim:
  • Armed revolution
  • Overthrow colonial rule
  • Establish Federal Republic of United States of India
  • Adult franchise as basic principle

Kakori Robbery\Kakori Train Action (August 1925)

• HRA activists held up 8-Down train at Kakori near Lucknow.
• Looted official railway cash.
• Government crackdown followed.
• 4 hanged:
  • Ramprasad Bismil
  • Ashfaqullah Khan
  • Roshan Singh
  • Rajendra Lahiri

 HSRA (Reorganisation After Kakori)

• Historic meeting at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi, September 1928.
• Led by Chandrashekhar Azad.
• Adopted socialism as official goal.
• Key participants:
  • Bhagat Singh
  • Sukhdev
  • Bhagwati Charan Vohra
  • Bejoy Kumar Sinha
  • Shiv Verma
  • Jaidev Kapur
• Saunders’ Murder (December 1928)
• Trigger: Death of Lala Lajpat Rai from lathi injuries during anti-Simon Commission protest (October 1928).
• Misidentifying the target, Bhagat Singh and Rajguru killed J.P.Saunders, not James Scott.

 Assembly Bomb Incident (April 8, 1929)

• HSRA decided to spread revolutionary message.
• Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt threw bombs in Central Legislative Assembly.
• Purpose: Protest Public Safety Bill and Trade Disputes Bill.
• Bombs were deliberately non-lethal — intended to “make the deaf hear.”
• Aim: Get arrested to use court trial for propaganda.
• Government reaction against Revolutionaries (Punjab–UP–Bihar)
• Lahore Conspiracy Case & Jail Protests
  • Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru were tried in the Lahore Conspiracy Case.
  • In jail, revolutionaries demanded honourable and decent treatment as political prisoners.
  • Jatin Das went on a hunger strike in Lahore Jail and died on the 63rd day of his hunger strike in September 1929.

Death of Chandrashekhar Azad

• Chandrashekhar Azad attempted to blow up Viceroy Irwin’s train in 1929.
• Azad met fellow revolutionaries on February 27, 1931 at Alfred Park, Allahabad (now Chandrashekhar Azad Park).
• He was betrayed by an associate. He shot himself dead to avoid capture, fulfilling his pledge never to be taken alive.

Execution of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru – 

• They were hanged on March 23, 1931, for the assassination of Saunders. 
• March 23 is now observed as Shaheed Diwas and Sarvodaya Day.

Revolutionary Activities in Bengal 

• Split in Bengal Congress
  • After C.R.Das’s death in 1925, Bengal Congress split into two factions:
    • One led by J.M.Sengupta (supported by Anushilan group)
    • One led by Subhash Bose (supported by Yugantar group)
• Formation of Indian Republican Army:
  • A revolutionary force founded by Surya Sen .
  • Objective: Aimed to liberate Chittagong and ignite a nationwide uprising against colonial rule.
• Assassination Attempt by Gopinath Saha (1924) –
  • Gopinath Saha attempted to assassinate Calcutta Police Commissioner Charles Tegart in 1924. 
  • Gopinath Saha was hanged.

Chittagong Armoury Raid (April 1930) – 

• Execution –
  • Seizing two main Chittagong armouries
  • Destroying telephone & telegraph lines
  • Dislocating railway links
  • Raid conducted in April 1930.
  • Indian Republican Army – Chittagong Branch.
  • Notable Members: Included Ganesh Ghosh, Kalpana Dutt, Pritilata Waddedar, Ambika Chakrabarty, and other activists.
• Features of new phase of revolutionary movement – 
  • Large-scale participation of young women, especially under Surya Sen.
  • Emphasis on group action against organs of colonial state, not individual action.
  • Earlier Hindu religious symbolism declined; rituals like oath-taking ended. This enabled more Muslim participation.
• Prominent Women Revolutionaries – 
  • Pritilata Waddedar – died during a raid.
  • Kalpana Dutt – arrested, tried with Surya Sen, sentenced to life imprisonment.
  • Santi Ghosh and Suniti Chowdhury – schoolgirls who shot the district magistrate of Comilla (December 1931).
  • Bina Das – shot the governor of bengal during her convocation (February 1932).
• Shift in Revolutionary Thought
  • Bhagat Singh and comrades brought major ideological rethinking. 
  • HRA decided to spread revolutionary and communist principles.
  • Abolition of all systems enabling exploitation of man by man.
  • Nationalisation of railways, transport, and heavy industries (ship-building, steel).
  • Start labour and peasant organisations.
  • Work for an organised, armed revolution.
  • By late 1920s, revolutionaries moved away from individual violent action toward mass politics.
  • Emphasised Hindu-Muslim unity.
  • Declared faith in communism and equality.
• “Every human being has equal rights over the products of nature.”
• Before arrest, Bhagat Singh abandoned belief in individual violent action. Accepted Marxism and idea that revolution must be mass-based.
• Philosophy of the Bomb
  • Bhagwati Charan Vohra wrote The Philosophy of the Bomb.