Revolutionary Activities in India: Struggle Against Colonial Oppression

Introduction

Revolutionary activities in India encompassed a range of actions undertaken by various groups and individuals seeking to overthrow British colonial rule during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Their efforts were driven by a fervent desire for independence and inspired by nationalist ideologies, contributing significantly to the broader struggle for India’s freedom from British rule.

Revolutionary Nationalism: Causes, Strategies, and Leadership Challenges

• Disillusionment with Established Movements: Younger nationalists were not satisfied by lack of new strategies.
• Closure of Peaceful Avenues: Pushed youth to believe only forceful expulsion of the British could achieve independence.
• Revolutionary Approaches: Adopted individualistic tactics like assassinations, swadeshi dacoities, and military conspiracies.
• Terror Tactics and Inspiration: Aimed to remove fear, awaken the populace, and inspire idealistic youth to drive the British out.
• Leadership Failure: Extremist leaders couldn’t counter the ideology of revolutionaries, failing to highlight the difference between mass-based revolution and individual violent activities, allowing the latter to take root unchecked.

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Revolutionary Activities in different Parts of India and Abroad 

The Rise of Revolutionary Activities in Bengal

Militant Nationalism in Maharashtra: A History of Revolutionary Movements and Resistance

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Rise of Extremism and Transition to Revolutionaries in Punjab

Issues Fueling Extremism

•  Frequent famines, increased land revenue, irrigation taxes, and the practice of ‘begar’ by Zamindar was further inspired by events in Bengal.

Active Leaders

• Lala Lajpat Rai: Published Punjabee with the motto of self-help at any cost.
• Ajit Singh: Organized the extremist Anjuman-i-Mohisban-i-Watan in Lahore, and published Bharat Mata. He was Bhagat Singh’s uncle. Before turning to extremism, Ajit Singh’s group urged non-payment of revenue and water rates among colonists and peasants.
• Other Influential Leaders: Included Aga Haidar, Syed Haider Raza, Bhai Parmanand, and the radical Urdu poet, Lalchand ‘Falak’.

Suppression and Transition to Revolutionaries

• Punjab extremism faced a crackdown when the government banned political meetings in May 1907 and deported Lajpat Rai and Ajit Singh.
• Subsequently, Ajit Singh and associates, such as Sufi Amba Prasad, Lalchand, Bhai Parmanand, and Lala Hardayal, evolved into full-scale revolutionaries.

First World War and Ghadr Revolution

• Rashbehari Bose: He was a leading figure in the Ghadr Revolution during World War I. [UPSC 2022]
• 1913: Rashbehari Bose met Jatin to discuss the possibility of an all-India armed uprising akin to the 1857 revolt. 
  • He collaborated with Bagha Jatin, extending the Bengal plan to Punjab and the upper provinces. 
  • The revolution plan didn’t succeed, prompting Rashbehari Bose’s escape to Japan in 1915. 
  • He later played a significant role in founding the Indian National Army.

Revolutionary Activities Abroad: From India House to the Ghadr Movement and Beyond

• India House: Shyamji Krishnavarma started India House (London) in 1905, a center for Indian students, offering scholarships to radical youth from India. The Indian Sociologist journal was published here.
  • Members: Revolutionaries such as Savarkar and Hardayal.
  • Madanlal Dhingra, associated with India House, assassinated Curzon-Wyllie, a bureaucrat, in London in 1909.
  • In 1910, Savarkar was extradited and transported for life in the Nasik conspiracy case, making London unsafe for revolutionaries.
• New Centers: Paris and Geneva emerged, where Madam Bhikaji Cama brought out Bande Mataram and Ajit Singh operated. 
  • 1909: After the deterioration of Anglo-German Relations, Virendranath Chattopadhyaya made Berlin his base.
• Pre-Ghadr revolutionary activity
• • 1911: had been carried on by Ramdas Puri, G.D. Kumar, Taraknath Das, Sohan Singh Bhakna, and Lala Hardayal set up a ‘Swadesh Sevak Home’ at Vancouver and ‘United India House’ at Seattle.

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The Ghadr Movement: Struggle, Resistance, and Revolution

• Ghadr Party: Established in San Francisco in 1913 with branches along the US coast and in the Far East. [UPSC 2014]
• Leaders: Lala Hardayal, Ramchandra, Bhagwan Singh, Kartar Singh Saraba, Barkatullah, and Bhai Parmanand.
• Objectives: Organize assassinations, publish anti-imperialist literature, work among Indian troops abroad, procure arms, and foment a simultaneous revolt in British colonies.

The Komagata Maru Incident: Sparking Resistance and Repression

• 1914: Komagata Maru, a ship carrying mainly Sikh and Punjabi Muslim immigrants, was turned back by Canadian authorities, creating tensions. 
  • The ship later anchored at Calcutta.
  • Inmates refused to board the Punjab-bound train. In the ensuing conflict with the police at  Budge near Calcutta, 22 persons died.
• Result: The incident heightened tensions, leading Ghadr leaders to plan a violent attack to oust British rule in India.
• 1915: Rebellion plans were made in Ferozepur, Lahore, and Rawalpindi garrisons, but the plan was foiled due to treachery.  
• Response: The authorities took immediate action, aided by the Defence of India Rules, leaders were arrested, and  45 of them hanged. Radical pan-Islamists—Ali brothers, Maulana Azad, Hasrat Mohani—were interned for a year.

European Committees and Missions: Catalysts for Indian Independence Efforts

• Berlin Committee: Established by Virendranath Chattopadhyay in 1915 for Indian Independence, Bhupendranath Dutta, Lala Hardayal, and others with the help of the German foreign office under the ‘Zimmerman Plan’.
• Objective: It aimed to mobilize Indian settlers abroad, incite rebellion among Indian troops, and organize an armed invasion of British India.
• Missions: Sent to Baghdad, Persia, Turkey, and Kabul to incite anti-British sentiments and organize among Indian troops and prisoners of war.
• Provisional Indian government in Kabul: One mission under Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh, Barkatullah, and Obaidullah Sindhi went to Kabul to organize a ‘provisional Indian government’ there with the help of the crown prince, Amanullah.

• Decline of Revolutionary activities (after World War I): This was due to the release of prisoners held under Defence of India Rule, Montagu’s August 1917 statement and discussions about constitutional reforms created a conciliatory atmosphere, and Gandhi’s arrival brought hope with his non-violent non-cooperation program.

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Conclusion

• Revolutionary activities in India played an important role in the struggle for independence, alongside the more prominent nonviolent movements led by figures like Mahatma Gandhi.
• These revolutionaries displayed immense courage and determination in their fight against colonial oppression. Their sacrifices and actions contributed to the eventual downfall of British rule and the establishment of an independent India. 
• They left a lasting legacy, inspiring future generations of freedom fighters and shaping the narrative of India’s struggle for self-determination.

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