Modern India Facts Sheet

MODERN INDIA FACTS SHEET
ACTS
Regulating Act of 1773

• first step of British Government to control and regulate the affairs of the East
India Company in India;
• recognized, for 1st time, the political and administrative functions of EIC;
• Laid foundations of central administration in India.
• Features
• Governor-General of Bengal’
• Designated Governor of Bengal as ‘Governor-General of Bengal’.
• 1st Governor-General - Lord Warren Hastings.
• Governors of Bombay and Madras presidencies subordinate to
him.(Earlier independent)
• Executive Council
• Of four members to GG.
• Supreme Court
• establishment of a SC at Calcutta (1774)
• One chief justice and three other judges.
• Private trade
• Prohibited servants of EIC from engaging in
i. any private trade
ii. Accepting presents or bribes from the ‘natives’.
• Report
• Court of Directors (governing body of the Company) to report on its
revenue, civil, and military affairs in India to British Government
• It strengthened the control of the British Government over the
Company
Bengal Judicature Act or Amending Act of 1781 --

Act of Settlement:
• Actions of public servants of the Company in their official capacity were
exempted from the jurisdiction of Supreme Court.
WWW.INSIGHTSIAS.COM 1
• Jurisdiction of Supreme Court was defined. SC had to take into consideration and
respect the religious and social customs and usages of the Indian while enforcing
its decrees and processes.
• The rules and regulations made by GG-in-Council were not to be registered with
SC.
Pitt’s India Act of 1784

• Distinguision
o Between the commercial and political functions of the Company.
• Established a system of double government.
o Court of Directors
▪ to manage the commercial affairs
o Board of Control
▪ New body created to manage the political affairs.
▪ Empowered to control, supervise and direct all operations of the
civil and military government or revenues of the British possessions
in India.
• Company’s territories in India were for the first time called the ‘British
possessions in India’
• British Government was given the supreme control over Company’s affairs and
its administration in India.
Act of 1786:
Governor General was given the power to over-ride the Council and was made
the Commander-in-chief also to prevail upon Cornawalis to accept the GG-ship of India
Charter Act of 1793:

• Company given monopoly of trade for 20 more years.
• laid the foundation of govt. by written laws, interpreted by courts
• Reserved all the posts worth 500 pounds per annum for the covenanted servants
of the company
• Home government members were to be paid out of Indian revenues.
Charter Act of 1813 -- East India Company Act,

1813
• Renewed the East India Company’s charter for another 20 years.
• Defined for the first time the constitutional position of British Indian territories.
Background
• Due to Napoleon Bonaparte’s Continental System in Europe (which prohibited
the import of British goods into French allies in Europe), British traders and
merchants suffered.
• So they demanded they be given a share in the British trade in Asia and dissolve
the monopoly of the East India Company.
• British merchants were allowed to trade in India under a strict licensing system
under the Charter Act of 1813.
Features
• End of Trade Monopoly of East India Company
o However the company’s monopoly in trade with China and trade
in tea with India was kept intact.
o Trade with India for all commodities except Tea was thrown open to all
British subjects.
• Permission to Christian Missionaries
o Permission to the persons who wished to go to India for promoting moral
and religious improvements. (Christian Missionaries)
• Company’s territorial revenues and commercial profits
o Now regulated
• Debt
o The company debt was to be reduced and dividend was fixed @10.5% per
annum.
• Education
o Company should invest Rs. 1 Lakh every year on the education of
Indians.
• Local governments
o Empowered the local governments to impose taxes on the persons subject
to the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.
Charter Act of 1833

• Final step towards centralization in British India.
• Features
o Governor-General of India
▪ Governor-General of Bengal was now Governor-General of India
▪ Had all civil and military powers.
▪ For the first time, a Government of India having authority over the
entire territorial area possessed by the British in India.
▪ Had exclusive legislative powers for the entire British India
▪ William Bentinck 1st Governor-General of India.
o Governor of Bombay and Madras
▪ Deprived of their legislative powers. The Governor-
General of India was given.
o East India Company
▪ Activities as a commercial body came to an end (Trade with China
and Tea abolished)
▪ Became a purely administrative body.
o Civil Service
▪ Act attempted to introduce a system of open
competition for selection of civil servants, and
stated that the Indians should not be debarred from holding any
place, office and employment under the Company.
▪ But was opposed by the Court of Directors.
o European immigration
▪ All restrictions on the European immigration and acquisition of
property in India were lifted
o Law Making
▪ A law member was added to the governor general council for
professional advice on law making
▪ Indian laws were to be codified & consolidated
o Slavery
▪ Administration was urged to take steps to ameliorate the conditions
of slaves & to ultimately abolish slavery.
o Others
▪ The laws made under the previous acts were called as Regulations
while laws made under this act were called as Acts
▪ It provided that the company’s territories in India were held by it ‘in
trust for His Majesty, His heirs and successors’
Charter Act of 1853

• last of the series of Charter Acts passed by the British Parliament between 1793
and 1853
• Features
o Separation of the legislative and executive functions of
the Governor-General’s council.
o Indian (Central) Legislative Council
▪ Established a separate Governor-General’s legislative council which
came to be known as the Indian (Central) Legislative Council.
▪ It provided for addition of six new members called legislative
councilors to the council.
o Civil Service
▪ It introduced an open competition system of
selection and recruitment of civil servants.
▪ Civil service was thus thrown open to the Indians also.
o It extended the Company’s rule and allowed it to retain the possession of
Indian territories on trust for the British Crown. But, it did not specify any
particular period, unlike the previous Charters. This was a clear indication
that the Company’s rule could be terminated at any time the Parliament
liked.
o Local representation
▪ Introduced, for first time, local representation in the Indian
(Central) Legislative Council.
▪ Of the six new legislative members of the governor general’s
council,
• 4 - appointed by the local (provincial) governments of
Madras, Bombay, Bengal and Agra.
Government of India Act of 1858

• “ Act for the Good Government of India”,
• Abolished the East India Company, and transferred the powers of government,
territories and revenues to the British Crown.
• Features
• Her Majesty
o India henceforth was to be governed by and in the name of ‘Her
Majesty’.
• Viceroy of India
o Designation of Governor-General of India changed to Viceroy of India.
He (viceroy) was the direct representative of the British
Crown in India.
o Lord Canning -- first Viceroy of India.

• End of double government
o Board of Control and Court of Directors abolished.
• Secretary of State for India
o new office, Secretary of State for India, vested with complete authority
and control over Indian administration was created
o SOS was a member of the British cabinet
o Responsible to the British Parliament.
• Council of India
o 15-member Council of India was formed to assist secretary of
state for India.
o Advisory body.
o Chairman - Secretary
• It did not alter in any substantial way the system of government that prevailed
in India.’
Indian Councils Act of 1861

• To seek the cooperation of the Indians in the administration of their country
• Features
• Nomination of Indians
o Beginning of by associating Indians in law-making
process. It thus provided that the viceroy should nominate some
Indians as non-official members of his expanded council.
o Lord Canning, nominated three Indians to his legislative council—
▪ Raja of Benaras,
▪ Maharaja of Patiala
▪ Sir Dinkar Rao.
• Decentralisation
o Initiated process of decentralization
o Restored the legislative powers to the Bombay and Madras
Presidencies.
• New Legislative Council
o It also provided for the establishment of new legislative councils for
Bengal, North-Western Frontier Province (NWFP) and Punjab,
which were established in 1862, 1866 and 1897 respectively.
• Viceroy Power
o It empowered the Viceroy to make rules and orders for the more
convenient transaction of business in the council.
• Portfolio’ system
o It accorded statutory recognition to the
portfolio system.
o A member of the Viceroy’s council was made in-charge of one or

more departments of the government and was authorised to issue
final orders on behalf of the council on matters of his department.
• Ordinances
o Empowered Viceroy to issue ordinances, without the concurrence of
the legislative council, during an emergency.
o The life of such an ordinance was six months
India Council Act of 1892

• Legislative Council
o It increased the number of additional (non-official) members in the
Central and provincial legislative councils, but maintained the official
majority in them.
o It increased the functions of legislative councils and gave them the power
of discussing the budget5 and addressing questions to the executive.
• Nominations
o It provided for the nomination of some non-official members of the
▪ Central Legislative Council by the viceroy on the recommendation
of the provincial legislative councils and the Bengal Chamber of
Commerce,
▪ That of the Provincial legislative councils by the Governors on the
recommendation of the district boards, municipalities, universities,
trade associations, zamindars and chambers.
• Election
o ‘The act made a limited and indirect provision for the use of election in
filling up some of the non-official seats both in the Central and provincial
legislative councils.
o The word “election” was, however, not used in the act.
o The process was described as nomination made on the recommendation
of certain bodies.’
Indian Councils Act of 1909/ Morley-Minto

Reforms
• Morley -- Secretary of State for India
• Lord Minto -- Viceroy of India
• Features
• Size of Legislative Council
• Increased the size of the legislative councils, both Central and provincial.
• Central Legislative Council was raised from 16 to 60.

• Majority
• It retained official majority in the Central Legislative Council
• Allowed the provincial legislative councils to have non-official majority.
It enlarged the deliberative functions of the legislative councils at both the

levels. For example, members were allowed to ask supplementary questions,
move resolutions on the budget, and so on.
• Indian Representation in Viceroy’s Executive Council

o It provided (for the first time) for the association of Indians with
the executive Councils of the Viceroy and Governors.
o Satyendra Prasad Sinha became the first Indian to join the
Viceroy’s Executive Council.
o He was appointed as the law member.
• Separate Electorate
o Started communal representation for Muslims by accepting the
concept of ‘separate electorate’.
o Muslim members were to be elected only by Muslim voters.
• It also provided for the separate representation of presidency
corporations, chambers of commerce, universities and zamindars.

• 1917 - British Government declared, for the first time, that its objective was
the gradual introduction of responsible government in India7.
• Act is also known as Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms (Montagu was the
Secretary of State for India and Lord Chelmsford was the Viceroy of India)
• Features of the Act
• Demarcation and separation of subjects into the central and provincial
subjects. The central and provincial legislatures were authorized to make
laws on their respective list of subjects. However, the structure of
government continued to be centralized and unitary.
• Dyarchy
o It further divided the provincial subjects into two parts—transferred
and reserved. The transferred subjects were to be administered by
the governor with the aid of ministers responsible to the legislative
Council.
o The reserved subjects, on the other hand, were to be administered

by the governor and his executive council without being responsible
to the legislative Council. This dual scheme of governance was
known as ‘dyarchy’—a term derived from the Greek word di-arche
which means double rule. However, this experiment was largely
unsuccessful.
• Bicameralism
o It introduced, for the first time, bicameralism and direct elections
in the country. Thus, the Indian Legislative Council was replaced by
a bicameral legislature consisting of an Upper House (Council of
State) and a Lower House (Legislative Assembly). The majority of
members of both the Houses were chosen by direct election.
• Indians in Viceroy’s EC
o Three of six members of Viceroy’s executive Council (other than the
commander-in-chief) were to be Indian.
• Separate Electorate Extension
o It extended the principle of communal representation by providing
separate electorates for Sikhs, Indian Christians, Anglo-Indians and
Europeans.
• Franchise
o It granted franchise to a limited number of people on the basis of
property, tax or education.
• High Commissioner
o It created a new office of the High Commissioner for India in
London and transferred to him some of the functions hitherto
performed by the Secretary of State for India.
• Public Service Commission
o It provided for the establishment of a public service commission.
Hence, a Central Public Service Commission was set up in 1926 for
recruiting civil servants.
• Budget
o It separated, for the first time, provincial budgets from the Central
budget and authorised the provincial legislatures to enact their
budgets.
• Review
o It provided for the appointment of a statutory commission to
inquire into and report on its working after ten years of its coming
into force.

• All-India Federation
o It provided for the establishment of an All-India Federation consisting of
provinces and princely states as units.
o The Act divided the powers between the Centre and units in terms of three
lists—
▪ Federal List (59 items),
▪ Provincial List (54 items)
▪ Concurrent List (36 items).
o Federation never came into being as the princely states did not join it.
• Residuary Powers
o With the Viceroy.
• Dyarchy and Provincial Autonomy
o Abolished in provinces
o Introduced ‘provincial autonomy’ in its place.
o The provinces were allowed to act as autonomous units of administration
in their defined spheres.
• Responsible governments in provinces
o Act introduced responsible governments in provinces,
o Governor was required to act with the advice of ministers responsible to
the provincial legislature.
o This came into effect in 1937 and was discontinued in 1939.\
• Dyarchy at Centre
o It provided for the adoption of dyarchy at the Centre.
o Federal subjects were divided into reserved subjects and transferred
subjects.
o However, this provision of the Act did not come into operation at all.
• Bicameralism in the provinces
o It introduced bicameralism in six out of eleven provinces.
o Thus, the legislatures of Bengal, Bombay, Madras, Bihar, Assam and the
United Provinces were made bicameral consisting of a legislative council
(upper house) and a legislative assembly (lower house). However, many
restrictions were placed on them.
• Separate Electorate
o Extended for depressed classes (scheduled castes), women and labour

(workers).
• Council of India
o established by the Government of India Act of 1858 was abolished
o The secretary of state for India was provided with a team of advisors.
• Franchise
o Extended franchise.
o About 10 per cent of the total population got the voting right.
• RBI
o Provided for establishment of Reserve Bank of India to control the
currency and credit of the country.
• Public Service Commission
o It provided for the establishment of not only a Federal Public Service
Commission but also a Provincial Public Service Commission and Joint
Public Service Commission for two or more provinces.
• Federal Court
o Provided for the establishment of a Federal Court, which was set up in
1937
Indian Independence Act of 1947

• End of British Rule
o It declared India as an independent and sovereign state from August 15,
1947.
• Partition of India
o two independent dominions of India and Pakistan were created, with the
right to secede from the British Commonwealth
• Office of Viceroy
o abolished
o For each dominion, a governor-general, who was to be appointed by the
British King on the advice of the dominion cabinet.
o His Majesty’s Government in Britain was to have no responsibility with
respect to the Government of India or Pakistan.
• Constituent Assembly
o It empowered the Constituent Assemblies of the two dominions
▪ to frame and adopt any constitution for their respective nations
▪ To repeal any act of the British Parliament, including the
Independence act itself.
▪ to legislate for their respective territories till the new constitutions
were drafted and enforced
▪ 5. It empowered the Constituent Assemblies of both the. No Act of

the British Parliament passed after August 15, 1947 was to extend to
either of the new dominions unless it was extended thereto by a law
of the legislature of the dominion.
• Secretary of State
o Was abolished
o His functions were transferred to the Secretary of State for
Commonwealth Affairs.
• Princely States
o It proclaimed the lapse of British paramountcy over the Indian princely
states and treaty relations with tribal areas from August 15, 1947.
o It granted freedom to the Indian princely states either to join the
Dominion of India or Dominion of Pakistan or to remain independent.
• Government of India Act 1935
o It provided for the governance of each of the dominions and the provinces
by the Government of India Act of 1935, till the new Constitutions were
framed.
o The dominions could make modifications in the Act.
• Veto Power
o It deprived the British Monarch of his right to veto bills or ask for
reservation of certain bills for his approval.
o But, this right was reserved for the Governor-General.
o The Governor-General would have full power to assent to any bill in the
name of His Majesty.
• Governor General
o It designated the Governor-General of India and the provincial governors
as constitutional (nominal) heads of the states.
o They were made to act on the advice of the respective council of ministers
in all matters.
• Titles
o It dropped the title of Emperor of India from the royal titles of the king of
England.
• Civil Services
o It discontinued the appointment to civil services and reservation of posts
by the secretary of state for India.
o The members of the civil services appointed before August 15, 1947 would
continue to enjoy all benefits that they were entitled to till that time.
Note:
• Laws made before Charter Act of 1833 were called Regulations and those made
after are called Acts.
• Lord Warren Hastings -- created the office of District Collector in 1772, but judicial
powers were separated from District collector later by Cornwallis.
• 1921: Railway Budget was separated from the General Budget.
• From 1773 to 1858, the British tried for the centralization of power. It was from the
1861 Councils act they shifted towards devolution of power with provinces.
• Till 1947, the Government of India functioned under the provisions of the 1919 Act
only. The provisions of 1935 Act relating to Federation and Dyarchy were never
implemented.
• The Executive Council provided by the 1919 Act continued to advise the
Viceroy till 1947. The modern executive (Council of Ministers) owes its legacy to the
executive council.
Committees & Commissions

Education
• Hunter Commission – 1882- Lord Rippon – review progress of
education in the country since 1854 Wood’s dispatch
• Raleigh Commission – 1902 – Lord Curzon – go into the conditions &
prospects of universities in India & suggest measure for improvement in their
working
• Sadler Commission – 1917 - Lord Chelmsford – Study & report on
problems of Calcutta university
• Hartog Commission - 1929 - Lord Irwin – To report on the
development of education
• Lindsay commission – 1929 – Lord Irwin – To develop missionary
education
• Sargent Plan – 1944 - Lord Wavell -- Raise the standard of education like
Britain
• Zakir Hussain committee – 1937 – Indian committee set up by
congress – formulate detailed national scheme for basic education.
Famine Commissions
• Campbell Commission – 1866 - John Lawrence – After 1865-66

famine of Orissa, Bengal, Bihar, and Madras -The Government was expected to
borrow money in order to finance for building of Railways and canals. Further
the district officers were made responsible for saving all preventable deaths.
• Stratchy Commission - 1880 - Lytton – To give relief to the famine
sticken
• Lyall Commission - 1886 - Elgin – To give suggestion on earlier
reports
• Mac Donnell Commission - 1901 - Curzon – To give suggestion on
famine report
• Famine inspection or Woodhead commission – 1943 – 44 –
Wavell – To investigate the events of Bengal Famine
Currency Commissions
• Mansfield Commission – 1886 - Lord Dufferin
• Fowler Commission – 1898 - Lord Elgin-II
• Babington Smith Commission – 1919 - Lord Chelmsford
• Hilton young Commission – 1939 - Lord Linlithgow
Army
• Skeen Commission – 1925 Lord Reading – To suggest indianization of
Indian army
• Chatfield Commission – 1939 – Linlithgow
Civil Services
• Aitchison Commisison – 1886 – Dufferin – To involve more
Indians in the civil services
• Royal commission on civil services --

Islignton Commission - 1912 Lord Hardinge (Public Service) – To
give 25% high post to Indian.
• Royal commission or Lee Commission – 1923 - Lord Reading – to
remove defects of civil services
Agriculture
• Irrigation commission -- Scott-Moncrieff Commission -
1901 – Lord Curzon – To plan for expenditure on Irrigation
• Opium commission – 1893 – Landsdown – To investigate about
the effect of opium on Health
• Linlithgo commission – 1928 – Lord Irwin – To study the problem in
agriculture
• Floud Commission – 1940 – Linlithgow – Tenancy in Bengal
• Indigo commission – Inquire into the problem of Indigo
cultivation in Bengal
Working classes or labour

• Whitley Commission – 1929 - Lord Irwin – To study the conditions of
labour in industries & gardens
• Indian Measurement committee – Sir Lary Hamand – 1935 –
To arrange for inclusion of labour in federal assembly
• Sapru Commission - 1935 - Linlithgow – Unemployment
Committees on state
• Award Committee – 1852 – Dalhousie- To inspect the titles of the King
• Butler Commission - 1928 - Lord Irwin – To examine Relation
between British Government and Native States
Police reforms
Fraser Commission - 1902 - Lord Curzon – To investigate working of Police
Punjab Disturbances
Disorders Inquiry Committee -- Hunter Commission – 1919 Lord
Chelmsford - to investigate the Jallianwala Bagh Tragedy
Constitutional reforms
Simon Commission – 1927 – To evaluate reforms of 1919
Women in Freedom Struggle

Aruna Asaf Ali
• Born into a Bengali family in 1909.
• First step in Freedom Struggle - participation in Salt Satyagraha in 1930.
• After Gandhi Irwin Pact she was arrested by the Chief Commissioner
• Again arrested for Individual Satyagraha.
• In 1942, she was the first to hoist tricolor at Gowalia Tank
Maidan on 9th August after all the major leaders were arrested the previous day.
• In 1942, all her properties were confiscated and was asked to surrender to get them back.
When she refused to surrender they were sold off.
• Along with Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya brought out Inqilab Patra where they
created awareness about freedom struggle and many students quit colleges to join the
movement.
• She was called Rani Jhansi of 1942.
• She became First lady Mayor of Delhi Municipal Corporation.
• Journals -- LINK and PATRIOT.
Sucheta Kriplani
• born in 1908
• Primary education in Lahore and M.A from Delhi University
• Entered public service in 1932 and joined politics in 1939.
• 1940 -- Elected by Gandhiji for Individual Satyagraha and got arrested for
that.
• She founded All India Mahila Congress after she went underground and
used it as a platform to inspire women to fight for the country.
• She founded underground Volunteer force in 1942 that trained women
in drills, operating arms, first aid and self-defense techniques.
• She was arrested in 1944 and after she came out in 1945 she was into social service.
• She was the first lady chief minister of Independent India for U.P
from 1963-1967.
Kalpana Dutta
• Born - 1913 in Sripur in Bengal Province.
• Student of Higher education and hated English rule and their language and even wanted
to change the pledge from ‘to be loyal to God and King ‘ to ‘to be loyal to God and
Country’.
• She took admission in Calcutta University and there she learnt use of different weapons.
• Although she came into touch with revolutionaries in 1929 she became active
only after 1932.
• Usually dressed herself in Man’s clothes.
• She was innovated in secretly conducting raids on Government buildings.
• Later she was caught and booked under Chittagong Armory Raid case and
was sentenced to life imprisonment.
• When she was freed in 1942 she was joined Communist party and married
Communist leader P.C. Joshi in 1943.
Rani Gaidinliu
• She was known as Lakshmi Bai of Nagaland.
• At age of 13 she had decided to fight against the British rule.
• Hareka Moment
• well versed in Guerilla War and Arm Operations.
• was sentenced to Life Imprisonment.
• She was 30 years old when she was out of jail and been called as RANI for her bravery by
Pandit Nehru.
• Awarded Padma Bhushan for her role in freedom struggle.
Pritlatha Waddenar
• Born in 1911 in Chittagong.

• Did her B.A with distinction in Calcutta University.
• Joined Surya Sen’s Revolutionary Party. She was a member of the
group that raided Chittagong Armory.
• In 1931 she and other members attacked European Club in Chittagong.
• She and other members attacked indiscriminately. British counter attacked and she was
hit with a bullet.
• Knowing that she would die she consumed Potassium Cyanide and died before
succumbing to the injury.
Sarojini Naidu
• Joined the National Movement around 1905 during Partion of Bengal.
• Became second woman president in 1925.
• East African Indian Congress was presided by her in 1929.
• British Government awarded her Kaisar-i-hind for her work during plague
epidemic
• She participated in Salt Satyagraha at Darshana Salt works.
• 1931 She along with Gandhi and Malviya participated in round table
conference.
• She was also closely associated with the formation of Women’s Indian Association and
accompanied the women’s voting rights delegation to
London.
• She played a leading role in Civil Disobedience Movement and Quit
India movement and has been jailed for both.
• She became the first governor of united province of Oudh and
Agra.
• Work
• “Golden Threshold”
• “The Bird of Time”
• “The Broken Wings”
Durgabai Deshmukh
• Born in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh.
• got married at 8 years old,
• Attracted to the Indian Freedom Struggle. She later left her family to pursue her
education.
• Criminal lawyer of India.
• Follower of Mahatma Gandhi and thus played an active role in Gandhi

Satyagraha movement and played a role of Indian struggle.
• She founded the Andhra Mahila Sabha (Andhra Women’s Conference) in
1937
• She was
• Lok Sabha member
• Member of Planning Commission of India.
• Was founder chairperson of Central Social Welfare Board
Annie Besant
• Though she was British socialist she was a supporter of Indian self-rule.
• In 1890 she joined Theosophical society as a member and later became its
president thus; she visited India where she helped in the establishment of Central
Hindu College, and Sind National Collegiate Board in Mumbai in
1902.
• Started Home Rule league
• This compelled the Company to declare that they are working towards the Indian self-
government.
• joined Indian National Congress and became president of the Congress
-1917
Madam Bhikaji Cama

• Parsi, philanthropist, active social worker.
• She dreamt an Independent India, designed a flag and became the first
woman to
hoist Indian Freedom Struggle flag in Germany - 1907
• During the epidemic of bubonic plague that hit Mumbai in 1896, she herself got infected
with the disease while providing aid to the others and she was sent to Britain for her
treatment.
• Throughout her life, she struggled for Indian Independence from abroad as she was told
by her acquaintances not to take part in freedom struggle if she comes back to India.
• While working as secretary to Dadabhai Naoroji she supported the founding of
Shyamji Krishna Verma’s Indian Home Rule Society.
• She was an active freedom fighter and was later sent to exile in Europe until 1935.
• Bande Mataram
Umabai Kundapur
• Born: 1892, Karnataka

• Died: 1992, Hubli.
• Founder of the ‘Bhagini
Mandal'.
• Leader of women's wing of Hindustani Seva Dal.
• Provided shelter to the freedom fighters from the British
Capt Laxmi Sehgal

• Born: 24 October 1914, Malabar District
• Led the Rani Jhansi Regiment, one of the first women contingents of the
world.
• She received the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award, for the
undying contribution to the society
Uda devi
• Born: Lucknow
• Female Dalit participants or “Dalit Veeranganas” of the 1857
Indian Rebellion.
• The queen Begum Hazrat Mahal helped Uda Devi form a women’s battalion under
her command to prepare for the battle that was headed their way.
Janaky Athi Nahappan

• Born: 25 February 1925, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Founding member of the Malaysian Indian Congress
• She was among the first women to join the Indian National Army
• After the Second World War, she emerged as a welfare activist.
• She was awarded the fourth highest civilian honor of Padma Shri in 2000,
by the Indian Government.
Matangini Hazra
• Born: 19 October 1870, Tamluk
• Indian revolutionary
• Affectionately known as the ‘Gandhi Buri’ meaning the old Lady Gandhi, she
was shot dead by the British Indian police in front of the Tamluk Police Station (of
erstwhile Midnapore District) on 29 September 1942.
Nellie Sengupta
• Born: 1886, Cambridge, United Kingdom
• Went door to door during the pre-independence time to sell Khadi.
• For addressing an unlawful assembly, she suffered four months' imprisonment at
Delhi for addressing an unlawful assembly, in 1931.
• Nellie was also appointed as the President of Congress when many senior leaders of
the party were arrested during Salt Satyagraha.
Rokeya SakhawatHussain,
• An educationalist and story writer from Bengal
• 1908 -- Wrote Sultana’s Dream. This short story introduced the
reader to the idea of women’s own governance system
Sarala Debi Chaudhurani (Rabindranath

Tagore’s niece)
• 1910 -- Organized Bharat Stree Mahamandal
• She combined Hindu revivalism with political protest. She modified the Hindu
festival of ashtmi as birashtmi so as to celebrate the victorious heroes
from the past
Margaret Cousins (1878- 1954)

• An Irish suffragette
• Associate of Annie Beasant
• Drafted the Indian
women’s voting rights bill
• Launched the Women’s Indian Association
FOREIGNERS IN INDIA
Annie Besant (1847-1933)
1. Came to India as a part of Theosophical Society, and thereafter became a patron of
Indian self-rule.
2. Founder of Central Hindu School (College), now known as the Banaras Hindu
University.
3. one of the first persons to demand a self-rule for India
4. 1915 - set up the Home Rule League
5. Arrested on the allegation of tyranny, and it was a joint effort (protest) of the Congress
and Muslim league together that had set her free.
6. President – INC Session in 1917 in Kolkatta
7. couldn’t come in terms with Gandhiji’s policy behind the Non-cooperation movement
and the boycott movement
Charles Freer “Dinabandhu” Andrews

1. Came to India as a Missionary Philanthropist.
2. Became a part of the social and political movements
3. Championed the causes
of the laborers, railway workers and
other such downtrodden people.
4. service to uplift the causes of untouchables and the Harijans, along with Dr.
B.R. Ambedkar won him the title “Dinabandhu”
5. He also negotiated with the then Indian Government regarding the freedom of Gandhiji
from prison.
Madeleine Slade/Mirabehn
1. Born in an aristocratic family in London, Madeleine Slade preferred to live a humble and
simple life after coming in contact with Mahatma Gandhi.
2. Took part in Gandhi-led socio-political struggles in India and promoted Khadi and
Satyagraha.
3. Was placed under detention for her support and participation in the Quit India
Movement
4. Awarded India's second highest civilian honor, the Padma Vibhushan in 1981
Satyanand Stokes
1. real name was Samuel Evans Stokes Jr
2. Was the heir to a wealthy American family
3. He came to India to work in a leaper home in Himachal
Pradesh, he went on to champion the cases of the laborers in areas adjoining Shimla
and fought relentlessly for their welfare.
4. Joined the Congress and attended the Congress Session at Nagpur in 1920, thereby
being the sole American to have done so.
5. Sole foreigner to sign the Congress manifesto in 1921 which

called all the Indians to join the National Independence Struggle by giving up on
the Government Jobs.
David Hare
1. Scottish
2. A watchmaker and later a philantrophist
3. Wanted to promote English Education
4. Played important role in setting up
a. Hindu College at Calcutta - 1817 (Now Presidency College)

b. School Book Society - 1817
c. Calcutta School Society – 1818
Alexander Duff
1. Christian missionary in India
2. played a large part in the development of higher education
3. first overseas missionary of the Church of Scotland to India
4. Founded
a. General Assembly's Institution in Calcutta, now known as
Scottish Church College.
b. Free Church Institution
5. Played important role in setting up
a. Calcutta University
b. Hindu College,Calcutta
6. was twice Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland
7. Proposed “downward filter theory" in which he believed that by catering to the
middle and upper social classes, the knowledge of Christianity would eventually filter
down the social ladder.
8. Sought to spread Christianity through vernacular medium , although he felt all local
languages inferior to English
A.O.Hume
1. member of the Imperial Civil Service
2. Political reformer, ornithologist and botanist who worked in British India.
3. one of the founders
of the Indian National Congress
4. Father of Indian Ornithology
5. Critic of Lord Lytton
6. Secretary to the Department of Revenue,
Agriculture, and Commerce under Lord Mayo
7. biographical memoir of A. O. Hume was written by Sir William Wedderburn, or W.
Wederbirn
Iwaichi Fujiwara
1. 1941, Major Iwaichi Fujiwara was sent by the Japanese with intelligence missions to recruit
as many soldiers as possible, from South Asian British colonies, including India.
2. Fujiwara found himself impressed by the revolutionary fervour of Indians, particularly Sikhs.
3. Inspiration for the organization of the Indian National Army grew out of talks between
Fujiwara and two Sikhs: Pritam Singh and Captain Mohan Singh.
4. In conversations with Mohan Singh, Fujiwara pointed to several historic ties between Japan
and India, and suggested the Pacific War was a chance for Indians to rise and fight for Indian
freedom, with Japanese help. This was the genesis of the Indian National Army.
5. Fujiwara was later self- described as “Lawrence of Indian National

Army”.
ASOCIATIONS:
Bangabhasha Prakasika Sabha

• Year : 1836
• By : Associates of Raja Ram Mohan Roy
• Purpose
o A political Association in Bengal
Zamindari Association (Bengal Landholder’s Society)
• Year : 1836
• By
o Prasanna Kumar Tagore,
o Dwarkanath Tagore
o Radhakant Deb
o Ramkamal Sen
o Bhabani Charan Mitra
• Purpose
o safeguarding the interests of Landlords.
o used constitutional methods of agitation to fulfil their demands.
British India Society

• Year : 1839
• By : William Adam, a friend of Raja Ram Mohan Roy
• Location : London
• Purpose
o to improve the situation of Indians by letting the people of England know of the dire
condition in which the British were keeping the Indians.
British India Association

• Year : 1851
• By : Merging
o Bengal Landholder’s Society (D.Tagore)
o British India Society
• Purpose
o submit petitions for the grievances of common people
o separate legislative council of popular nature,
o Abolition of stamp, salt and abkari duties,
o reducing the salaries of British officers at higher posts
• However, organisation was not able to penetrate the country through its branches, mainly
because of lack of a constructive political policy
• Post 1857 revolt, the organisation supported the British in giving harsh punishments to the
rebels.
Indian League
• Year : 1875
• By : Sisir Kumar Ghosh
• Location : Calcutta
• Purpose
o develop the feeling of nationalism among the common people.
Indian Association of Calcutta (Indian National Association)

• Year : 1876
• By - Anand Mohan Bose and Surendranath Banerjee
• Purpose
o British India Association’s pro landlord policies and conservative outlook was a
source of discontent among young Bengali’s, which led to the formation of this
organization
o Demands were Nationalist in nature
o Create strong public Opinion on political questions
o Reforms in Civil Services
o Surendranath Banerjee was the first Indian to gain all India popularity when he
travelled across India to gain support for the demands of the association.
• Merged with the Indian National Congress.
East India Association

• Year : 1867
• By : Dadabhai Naoroji
• Location : London
• Purpose
o make the people of UK aware about the conditions in India and generate a popular
support among British People
• Also called the predecessor to INC
• Had branches in Bombay, Madras and Calcutta in 1869
National Indian Association

o Year : 1870
o By : Mary Carpenter
o Location : Bristol
o Purpose
o to improve education for Indian women
Indian Society
o Year : 1872
o By : Anand Mohan Bose
o Location : London
o Purpose
o foster the spirit of nationalism among the Indian residents in Britain
o Later became a platform for Indians to voice their demands.
o
Bombay Association (Bombay Native Association)

• Year : 1852
• By :
o Jaggannath Shankersheth
o Vinayak Shankarshet
o Sir Jamshedji Jejibhai,
o Naoroji Fursungi,
o Dr. Bhau Daji Lad,
o Dadabhai Naoroji
• Purpose
o address public grievances through Legal agitational means.
• first political party/organisation in Bombay Province.
Poona Sarvanajanik Sabha

• Year : 1870
• By :
o Mahadev Govind Ranade
o Ganesh Vasudeo Joshi,
o S. H. Chiplunkar
• Location : Pune
• Purpose
o Act as connecting link between the Government and the common people.
o legal rights of the peasants.

• Lokmanya Tilak was member of this organisation.
Bombay Presidency Association

• Year : 1885
• By :
o Pheroshah Mehta,
o Badruddin Tayabji
o KT Telang.
• Why?
o in opposition to the Ilbert Bill and Lytton’s other reactionary policies.
Madras Native Association

o Year : 1849
o By : Gazulu Lakshminarasu Chetty
o Location : Madras
o First Political Organisation in Madras
Madras Mahajan Sabha

o Year : 1884
o By :
o B. Subramaniya Aiyyar,
o P. Ananda-Charlu
o M. Viraraghavachari.
o Location : Madras
INC SESSIONS
Year Venue President Importance
1885 Bombay W.C.Bannerji (2) 1st session attended by

72 delegates
1892 Allahabad
1886 Calcutta Dadabhai Naoroji (3)
1893 Lahore
1906 Calcutta Word Swaraj was

mentioned for the first
time
1887 Madras Badruddin Tyyabji first Muslim President
1888 Allahabad George Yule first English President
1889 Bombay Sir William

Wedderburn(2)
1910 Allahabad
1890 Calcutta Pherozeshah Mehta
1895 Poona S.N.Banerjee (2)
1902 Ahmedabad
1896 Calcutta Rahimtulla M. Sayani The National Song,

Vande Mataram was
sung for the first time
1905 Banaras G.K.Gokhale
1907 Surat Rashbehari Ghosh Surat Split
1908
Madras
1909 Lahore M.M.Malaviya
1918 Delhi
1911 Calcutta Pandit Bishan Narayan National Anthem, Jana

Das Gana Mana was sung
for the first time
1916 Lucknow A.C Majumdar Joint session with

Muslim league in which
the historic Lucknow
pact was signed.
Re-union of the
Congress
1917 Calcutta Annie Beasant First session to be

presided by a Lady
1919 Amritsar Motilal Nehru
1929 December Calcutta
1920 Calcutta (sp.session) Lala Lajpat Rai
1921 Ahmedabad Hakim Ajmal Khan
C.R. Das (Acting Prez)
1923 Delhi (Special Sessio n) Abul Kalam Azad
1940 Ramgarh
1924 Belgaum Mahatma Gandhi
1925 Kanpur Sarojini Naidu First session to be

presided by an Indian
lady.
1928 Calcutta Motilal Nehru First All India

Youth Congress
Formed
1929 (April) Lahore J .L.Nehru (3) The decision to launch a

civil disobedience
movement to achieve
complete
independence and to
observe 26 Jan as
Independence Day was
taken.
Nehru became the

president for the first
time.
1931 Karachi Sardar Patel Here, resolution on

Fundamental rights and
the National Economic
Program was passed
The Gandhi Irwin Pact

was endorsed by the
Congress in this Session
Gandhi was nominated

to represent Congress
in the Second Round
Table Conference.
1932 Delhi (Congress Banned)
1933 Calcutta Congress Banned
1934 Bombay Rajendra Prasad
1936 Lucknow First session in a village

J.L.Nehru (Faizpur)
1937 Faizpur
1938 Haripura S.C.Bose (2) A National Planning

Committed set-up
underJ.L.Nehru
1939 Tripuri S.C.Bose S.C.Bose was re-

elected but had to
resign due to protest

by Gandhiji (as Gandhiji
supported Dr.Pattabhi
Sitaramayya). Rajendra
Prasad replaced him .
1940 Ramgarh Abul Kalam Azad
1946 Meerut Acharya J B Kriplani Last pre-independence

session of the INC.
1948 Jaipur Dr.Pattabhi First session after

Sitaramayya. Independence.
REVOLUTIONARY ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE

INDIA
Shyamji Krishnavarma
• Member of Mitramela Abhinav Bharat revolutionary group.
• Left Bombay in 1897 and went to London.
• Monthly journal - Indian sociologist;
• Established Indian Home Rule society and a hostel for Indian students
living in London, -- Indian House
• In 1907 Shyamji shifted his headquarters to Paris and Savarkar took up the
political leadership of the Indian House in London.
Madanlal Dhingra
• 1909 Madanlal Dhingra, an associate of Savarkar assassinated Curzon-
Wylie an A.D.C.to the Secretary of State for India.
• Madanlal Dhingra hanged - 1st August1909.
The Indian Independence Committee in Berlin

• Year – 1915
• By
o Virendranath Chattopadhyay,
o Bhupendranath Dutta,
o Lala Hardayal
o With help of German foreign office under ‘Zimmerman Plan’.
• Aim
o mobilise Indian settlers abroad to send volunteers and arms to India
o to incite rebellion among Indian troops there
o organise an armed invasion of British India to liberate the country.
• Work
o Indian revolutionaries in Europe sent missions to Baghdad, Persia, Turkey
and Kabul
▪ to work among Indian troops and Indian prisoners of war (POWs)
▪ to incite anti-British feelings among the people of these countries.
o One mission under Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh, Barkatullah and
Obaidullah Sindhi went to Kabul to organise a ‘provisional Indian
government’ there with the help of the crown prince, Amanullah
Hemachandra Kanungo
• Went abroad for military and political training.
Ghadr Party
• revolutionary group organised around a weekly newspaper The Ghadr
• preached militant nationalism with a completely secular approach

• Headquarters
o San Francisco
• Year
o 1913
• Branches
o Along the US coast and in the Far East.
• Who were they?
o mainly ex-soldiers and peasants who had migrated from the Punjab to the
USA and Canada in search of better employment opportunities
o Were based in US and Canadian cities along the western (Pacific) coast.
• Main Leaders
o Lala Hardayal,
o Ramchandra,
o Bhagwan Singh,
o Kartar Singh Saraba,
o Barkatullah,
o Bhai Parmanand.
• Ghadr Programme
o organise assassinations of officials,
o publish revolutionary and anti-imperialist literature,
o work among Indian troops stationed abroad,
o procure arms and bring about a simultaneous revolt in all British colonies
• Attempt to launch an attack in India against British Rule
o 2 reasons
▪ Komagata Maru Incident
▪ Outbreak of 1st World War
o Kartar Singh Saraba and Raghubar Dayal Gupta left for India
o Rashbehari Bose and Sachin Sanyal were asked to lead the movement
o Political dacoities were committed to raise funds ( Moneylenders were
targeted)
o February 21, 1915 as the date for an armed revolt in Ferozepur, Lahore and
Rawalpindi garrisons.
o But failed due to treachery
o Rashbehari Bose fled to Japan (from where he and Abani Mukherji made
many efforts to send arms)
o Sachin Sanyal was transported for life.
British Response
45 people hanged
Defence of India Act passed in 1915 primarily to tackle Ghadr
movement
large-scale detentions without trial,
special courts giving extremely severe sentences,
numerous court-martials of armymen
Why Failed
Lacked an organised and sustained leadership,

▪ underestimated the extent of preparation required at every level—
organisational, ideological, financial and tactical strategy
▪ Lala Hardayal was unsuited for the job of an organiser.
• Pre-Ghadr revolutionary activity
o ‘Swadesh Sevak Home’ at Vancouver
o ‘United India House’ at Seattle.
o Revolutionaries
▪ Ramdas Puri,
▪ G.D. Kumar,
▪ Taraknath Das,
▪ Sohan Singh Bhakna
▪ Lala Hardayal
Newspapers /Journals/Books
Bengal Gazette James Augustus Hicky
Samvad Kaumudi Ram Mohan Roy
Mirat-ul-Akbar
Rast Goftar Dadabhai Naoroji
Som Prakesh Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
Indian Mirror Devendranath Tagore
Amrita Bazar Patrika Sisir Kumar Ghosh and Motilal Ghosh
Tahzib-ul-Akhlaq Syed Ahmad Khan
Hindu Vir Raghavacharya and G.S. Aiyar
Kesari B.G. Tilak
Sudharak Gopal Krishna Gokhale
Hindoo Patriot Girish Chandra Ghosh
Prabuddha Bharata Swami Vivekananda
Udbodhana
Indian Opinion M. K Gandhi
Young India
Nav Jeevan
Harijan
Bande Mataram Aurobindo Ghosh
Bombay Chronicle Firoze Shah Mehta
Comrade Maulana Mohammad Ali
Al-Balagh Abul Kalam Azad
Al-Hilal
Pratap Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi
New India Annie Besant
New India (Magazine) Bipin Chandra PAL
Paridarsak(Bengali)
Independent Motilal Nehru
Mook Nayak B.R. Ambedkar
Hindustan Times Sunder Singh Lyallpuri
Free Hindustan Tarak Nath Das
Hindustan Dainik M.M. Malviya
Theosophist Helena Blavatsky
Stray Feathers A.O.Hume
India Today R P Dutt
Link Aruna Asaf Ali
Patriot
Golden Threshold Sarojini Naidu
The Bird of Time
The Broken Wings
REVOLUTIONARIES
Conspiracy Cases during British Rule in India
1) Muzaffarpur Conspiracy Case - 1908
1. Khudiran Bose and Praful Chaki

2. Target -- Chief Presidency Magistrate DH Kingsford of Muzaffarpur.
3. 2 British women were killed
4. Kudiram Bose was arrested by the Indian British police officer Nandalal Banerjee, who
was later shot dead by Narendranath Banerjee.
5. Prafulla Chaki committed suicide when he was about to be arrested by the Police .
2) Delhi Conspiracy Case 1912 (Delhi-Lahore

Conspiracy)
1. Indian revolutionary underground in Bengal and Punjab and headed by Rashbehari
Bose.
1. Target -- Viceroy of India, Lord Hardinge
2. Convicted
a. Basant Kumar Biswas,

b. Amir Chand
c. Avadh Behari
3. Rash Behari Bose was identified as the person behind the plan. But he escaped in
disguise.
3) Peshawar Conspiracy Case 1922-1927

1. A trial against the Mujahirs, who tried to sneak into India from Russia in order to
start Communist movement in India.
2. There were five cases which continued from 1922 to 1927 AD.
4) Kanpur Bolshevik Conspiracy Case 1924

o Against
o Communists - M N Roy, Muzaffar Ahamed, S A Dange, Shaukat Usmani, Nalini
Gupta, Singaravelu Chettiar, Ghulam Hussain
o Why
o for conspiring against the Government
5) Kakori Conspiracy Case 1925

o against:
o revolutionary organisation i.e., Hindustan Republican Association
o Leader
o Ram Prasad Bismil
o Supported By
o Ashfaqulla Khan,
o Rajendra Lahiri,
o Chandrashekhar Azad,
o Sachindra Bakshi,
o Keshab Chakravarty,
o Manmathnath Gupta,
o Murari Lal Gupta (Murari Lal Khanna),
o Mukundi Lal (Mukundi Lal Gupta) and Banwari Lal.
o Objective
ofund the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) under with funds

stolen from the British administration.
o garner public attention by creating a positive image of the Hindustan
Republican Association (HRA) under among Indians.
o Death Sentence
o Ram Prasad Bismil,
o Thakur Roshan Singh,
o Rajendra Nath Lahiri
o Ashfaqullah Khan
6) Meerut Conspiracy Case 1929

o What is it?
o conspiracy of British Government against the rise of Communism in India.
o Arrested
o 31 labour leaders included three Englishmen were arrested on the charge of
conspiracy.
o Muzafr Ahamed, S.A Dange, S.V Ghate, Dr. G Adhikari, P.C.Joshi,
S.S.Mirajkar, Shaukat Usmani, Philip Stratt
o Why ?
o conspiracy to overthrow the British Government of India through strikes and
other militant methods.
Revolutionary Movements
• first half of the 20th century, revolutionary groups sprang up mainly in Bengal,
Maharashtra, and Punjab.
• Why rise?
o revolutionaries were not satisfied with the methods of both the moderates and
extremists
1st Phase
Maharashtra
1. Ramosi Peasant Force
• By : Vasudev Balwant Phadke

• Year : 1879
• Aim :
• To end British rule by instigating armed revolt by disrupting
communication lines
• How :
• Raising funds through dacoities
2. Balagangadhar Tilak
• propagated a spirit of militant nationalism, including use of violence,
• How
• through Ganapati and Shivaji festivals
• journals Kesari and Maharatta
3. Chapekar Brothers
• Disciples of Tilak
• What did they do?
• Murdered the Plague Commissioner of Poona, Rand, and one Lt.
Ayerst in 1897.
4. Mitra Mela
• A secret society influenced by Mazzini's Young Italy
• At
• Nashik
• BY
• V.D.Savarkar
• Year
• 1899
• Merged with Abhinav Bharath in 1904
• Members
• Mirza Abbas,
• Sikandar Hyat,
• P N. Bapat
• Hem Chandra Das.
• Work
• A member Anant Lakshman Kanhere killed A.M.T. Jackson, the
Collector of Nasik
Punjab
• Issues which fuelled rise of extremism
• Frequent famines
• rise in land revenue
• irrigation tax,
• practice of ‘begar’ by zamindars
• events in Bengal
1. Lala Lajpat Rai

• Newspapers
o Punjabee
o Vande Mataram (Urdu)
2. Ajit Singh
• Secret Society
• Anjuman-i-Mohisban-i-Watan
• Journal : Bharath Mata
3. Other Leaders
• Aga Haidar,
• Syed Haider Raza,
• Bhai Parmanand
• Radical Urdu poet, Lalchand ‘Falak’.
Bengal
1. Jnanendranath Basu
• Organised one of the first revolutionary groups in 1902
• Location : Midnapore
2. Anushilan Samithi
• Location : Calcutta
• Motto : United India
• By
• Promotha Mitter
• Jatindranath Banerjee
• Barindra Kumar Ghosh
• activities were limited to giving physical and moral training to the members
• Yugantar
• A weekly by inner circle of Anushilan
• Barindra Kumar Ghosh,
• Bhupendranath Dutta
• Conducted a few abortive ‘actions’
• Ex)
• very unpopular British official, Sir Fuller first Lt. Governor of the new
province of Eastern Bengal and Assam
• derail the train on which the lieutenant-governor, Sri Andrew Fraser,
was travelling
• Alipore Bomb Case/ Manicktolla bomb conspiracy /
Muraripukur conspiracy
• 1908, Prafulla Chaki and Khudiram Bose threw a bomb at a
carriage supposed to be carrying a particularly sadistic white
judge, Kingsford, in Muzaffarpur. But , two British ladies, instead,
got killed.
• Prafulla Chaki shot himself dead while Khudiram Bose was tried
and hanged.
• Whole Anushilan group was arrested.
• Ghosh brothers were charged with ‘conspiracy’ or ‘waging war
against the King’
• Aurobindo was defended by Chittaranjan Das and was acquitted
• Barindra Ghosh, as the head of the secret society of
revolutionaries and Ullaskar Dutt, as the maker of bombs, were
given the death penalty which was later commuted to life in
prison.
• During trial, Narendra Gosain, who had turned approver and
Crown witness, was shot dead by 2 co-accused, Satyendranath
Bose and Kanailal Dutta in jail
• Barrah Dacoity
• By : Dacca Anushilan under Pulin Das
• Why : raise funds for revolutionary activities
Issues in 1st Phase

• Overemphasis on Hindu religion kept the Muslims aloof.
• Mass involvement was not envisaged
• Had a narrow upper caste social base
2nd Phase : 1920s

• Why rise ?
o sudden withdrawal of the Non-Cooperation Movement
o basic strategy of nationalist leadership and its emphasis on non-violence
was not attractive for younger nationalists
• Influence
o Russian Revolution
o Rise of working class trade unionism
o Rise of communist groups
o Journals emphasizing on self sacrifice like Atmasakti, Sarathi and
Bijoli.
o Novels and books such as
▪ Bandi Jiwan by Sachin Sanyal
▪ Pather Dabi by Sharatchandra Chatterjee
Punjab-United Provinces-Bihar
• Hindustan Republican Association/Army or HRA
o Year – 1924
o Where - Kanpur
o By
▪ Ramprasad Bismil,
▪ Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee
▪ Sachin Sanyal
o Aim
▪ organise an armed revolution to overthrow the colonial government
▪ establish in its place the Federal Republic of United States of India whose
basic principle would be adult franchise
abolition of all systems which made exploitation of man by man possible

▪
nationalisation of railways and other means of transport and of heavy
▪
industries such as ship building and steel.
o Kakori Robbery
▪ Year - August 1925
▪ Most important action of HRA
▪ What is it ?
• Robbed a train and looted its official railway cash
▪ Hanged
• Bismil,
• Ashfaqullah,
• Roshan Singh
• Rajendra Lahiri
•
• HSRA (Hindustan Socialist Republican
Association)
o HRA renamed HSRA
o Why ?
▪ to overcome the Kakori setback
▪ inspired by socialist ideas
o Year
▪ 1928
o Location
▪ Delhi
o By
▪ Chandra Shekhar Azad
▪ Punjab
• Bhagat Singh,
• Sukhdev,
• Bhagwaticharan Vohra
▪ United Provinces
• Bejoy Kumar Sinha,
• Shiv Verma
• Jaidev Kapur
o Goal
▪ Socialism
▪ decided to work under a collective leadership
o Saunders’ Murder
▪ Year - 1928
▪ Location - Lahore
▪Why move towards individual heroism again ?

• death of Sher-i-Punjab Lala Lajpat Rai due to lathi blows an anti-
Simon Commission procession
▪ By
• Bhagat Singh,
• Azad
• Rajguru
▪ Victim
• Saunders, police official responsible for the lathicharge in Lahore
o Bomb in Central Legislative Assembly
▪ Year – 1929
▪ Why
• to let the people know about its changed objectives
• need for a revolution by the masses.
• to protest against passage of Public Safety Bill and Trade Disputes
Bill aimed at curtailing civil liberties of citizens in general and
workers in particular
▪ By ?
• Bhagat Singh
• Batukeshwar Dutt
▪ How?
• The bombs had been deliberately made harmless and
were aimed at making ‘the deaf hear’
▪ Objective
• get arrested and to use the trial court as a forum for propaganda
so that people would become familiar with their movement and
ideology.
▪ Accused
• Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru were tried in the Lahore
conspiracy case
• Many others were arrested.
• Arrested revolutionaries protested against the horrible conditions
through fasting
• Jatin Das became the first martyr on the 64th day of his fast
▪ Congress leaders organized defence of these young revolutionaries
▪ Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru were hanged on March 23, 1931.
Bengal
Some actions of revolutionary groups
• Charles Tegart incident

o assassination attempt on the notorious Calcutta Police Commissioner, Charles
Tegart (another man named Day got killed)
o By
▪ Gopinath Saha (was hanged)
o Year
▪ 1924
• Chittagong Armoury Raid

o Year
▪ 1930
o Why ?
▪ to show that it was possible to challenge the armed might of the mighty
British Empire
o What is it ?
▪ planned to occupy two main armouries in Chittagong to seize and supply
arms to the revolutionaries to destroy telephone and telegraph lines and
to dislocate the railway link of Chittagong with the rest of Bengal.
▪ raid was conducted under the banner of Indian Republican Army—
Chittagong Branch
▪ National flag was hoisted and a provisional revolutionary government
was proclaimed
o By
▪ Surya Sen ( hanged)
▪ Anant Singh,
▪ Ganesh Ghosh
▪ Lokenath Baul
Features of 2nd Phase of Revolutionary Terrorism

in Bengal
• Women Participation
o Pritilata Waddedar
▪ died conducting a raid
o Kalpana Dutt
▪ arrested and tried along with Surya Sen
▪ given a life sentence
o Santi Ghosh and Suniti Chandheri
▪ school girls of Comilla, who shot dead the district magistrate.

▪ 1931
o Bina Das
▪ fired point blank at the governor while receiving her degree at the
convocation
▪ 1932
• Emphasis
o group action
o instead of individual action
• Objective
o set an example before the youth
o demoralise the bureaucracy
• More Muslim Participation

o Satar, Mir Ahmed, Fakir Ahmed Mian and Tunu Mian
o no more rituals like oath-taking
• Drawbacks
o some conservative elements retained
o failed to evolve broader socio-economic goals
o Those working with Swarajists failed to support the cause of Muslim peasantry
against zamindars in Bengal.
MISC
Sakharama Ganesh Deshkar
• Provided a Link between the revolutionaries of Bengal and Bombay Presidency.
Madras
• Bharat Mata Association.
o Secret association
o By
▪ Nilkantha Brahamchari
▪ Vanchi Aiyer
Saharanpur
• Bharat Mata Society
o By
▪ J M Chaterjee
Dacca Anushilan Samiti

• Pulin Bihari Das
Atmonnuti Samiti.
• Bipin Bihari Ganguly
Anusilan Samiti
• first revolutionary organization of Bengal
• Second branch at Baroda
• the leader was Barindra Kumar Ghosh
• Actual leader was P.Mitra
• Book /Periodical published
o Bhawani Mandir.
o Vartaman Ranniti
o Yugnatar
o Mukti Kon Pathe (which way lip salyatinnl
• Barindra Ghosh tried to explore a bomb in Maniktala in Calcutta

• Members: Gurudas Banerjee B.C. Pal
• Both of them believed in the cult of Durga
• Aurobindo Ghosh started Anushilan Samiti in Baroda
• He sent Jatindra Nath Banerjee to Calcutta and his association merged with Anushilan
Samiti in Calcutta

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MODERN INDIA FACTS SHEET

Regulating Act of 1773

Bengal Judicature Act or Amending Act of 1781 --

Pitt’s India Act of 1784

Charter Act of 1793:

Charter Act of 1813 -- East India Company Act,

Charter Act of 1833

Charter Act of 1853

Government of India Act of 1858

o Lord Canning -- first Viceroy of India.

Indian Councils Act of 1861

o A member of the Viceroy’s council was made in-charge of one or

India Council Act of 1892

Indian Councils Act of 1909/ Morley-Minto

• Central Legislative Council was raised from 16 to 60.

It enlarged the deliberative functions of the legislative councils at both the

• Indian Representation in Viceroy’s Executive Council

Government of India Act of 1919

o The reserved subjects, on the other hand, were to be administered

Government of India Act of 1935

o Extended for depressed classes (scheduled castes), women and labour

Indian Independence Act of 1947

▪ 5. It empowered the Constituent Assemblies of both the. No Act of

Committees & Commissions

• Campbell Commission – 1866 - John Lawrence – After 1865-66

• Royal commission on civil services --

Working classes or labour

Fraser Commission - 1902 - Lord Curzon – To investigate working of Police

Women in Freedom Struggle

• Born in 1911 in Chittagong.

• Follower of Mahatma Gandhi and thus played an active role in Gandhi

Madam Bhikaji Cama

• Born: 1892, Karnataka

Capt Laxmi Sehgal

Janaky Athi Nahappan

Sarala Debi Chaudhurani (Rabindranath

Margaret Cousins (1878- 1954)

Charles Freer “Dinabandhu” Andrews

5. Sole foreigner to sign the Congress manifesto in 1921 which

a. Hindu College at Calcutta - 1817 (Now Presidency College)

5. Fujiwara was later self- described as “Lawrence of Indian National

Bangabhasha Prakasika Sabha

Zamindari Association (Bengal Landholder’s Society)

British India Society

British India Association

Indian Association of Calcutta (Indian National Association)

East India Association

National Indian Association

Bombay Association (Bombay Native Association)

Poona Sarvanajanik Sabha

o legal rights of the peasants.

Bombay Presidency Association

Madras Native Association

Madras Mahajan Sabha

Year Venue President Importance

1885 Bombay W.C.Bannerji (2) 1st session attended by

1886 Calcutta Dadabhai Naoroji (3)

1906 Calcutta Word Swaraj was

1887 Madras Badruddin Tyyabji first Muslim President