After the decline of the Swadeshi Movement and the Surat Split of 1907, many young nationalists lost faith in peaceful constitutional politics. They moved towards secret societies, revolutionary propaganda, political assassination, bomb attacks, and armed struggle.
I. Background and Causes #
| Reason | Fact |
|---|---|
| Decline of Swadeshi Movement | Open mass agitation weakened after 1908 due to repression. |
| Surat Split, 1907 | Congress became weak after the split between Moderates and Extremists. |
| Repression of leaders | Tilak was imprisoned in 1908 and deported to Mandalay. |
| Failure of reforms | Morley-Minto Reforms, 1909 gave limited reforms and introduced separate electorates. |
| Youth radicalization | Students and educated youth turned to secret revolutionary societies. |
| Foreign inspiration | Russian revolutionaries, Irish nationalists, Italian unification, and Japan’s victory over Russia inspired Indian revolutionaries. |
II. Main Revolutionary Organizations #
| Organization | Year / Place | Associated Persons | Importance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anushilan Samiti | 1902, Calcutta | P. Mitra | Early Bengal revolutionary society. |
| Dacca Anushilan Samiti | Bengal | Pulin Behari Das | Important revolutionary branch in eastern Bengal. |
| Yugantar | Active from 1906, Bengal | Barindra Ghosh, Bagha Jatin and others | Revolutionary group and newspaper; linked with bomb-making and armed action. |
| Mitra Mela | 1899, Maharashtra | V.D. Savarkar | Early secret society founded by Savarkar. |
| Abhinav Bharat | 1904, Maharashtra | V.D. Savarkar, Ganesh Savarkar | Secret society inspired by Mazzini’s Young Italy. |
| Bharat Mata Society | 1907, Punjab | Ajit Singh, Sufi Amba Prasad | Revolutionary nationalist propaganda group. |
| India House | 1905, London | Shyamji Krishna Varma, V.D. Savarkar, Madan Lal Dhingra | Centre of revolutionary activity among Indian students in London. |
| Paris Indian Society | 1905, Paris | Madam Bhikaji Cama, S.R. Rana | Centre of anti-British propaganda in Europe. |
| Ghadar Party | 1913, San Francisco | Sohan Singh Bhakna, Lala Hardayal, Kartar Singh Sarabha | Overseas revolutionary organization that planned armed revolt in India. |
| Berlin Committee | 1914, Germany | Virendranath Chattopadhyaya, Bhupendranath Dutta and others | Sought German help for Indian independence during World War I. |
III. Bengal and Bihar #
Bengal was the most important centre of revolutionary nationalism after the Swadeshi Movement. Bihar appears here mainly because the Muzaffarpur bomb case was carried out there by Bengal revolutionaries.
| Year | Activity / Case | Place | Persons / Group | Facts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1907 | Attempt on Andrew Fraser | Bengal | Yugantar-linked revolutionaries | Attempt was made to derail the train of the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal. |
| 1908 | Muzaffarpur bomb case | Muzaffarpur, Bihar | Khudiram Bose, Prafulla Chaki | Kingsford was the target; Chaki shot himself to avoid arrest, Khudiram was hanged. |
| 1908 | Alipore conspiracy case | Bengal | Aurobindo Ghosh, Barindra Ghosh and others | Also called the Maniktala bomb conspiracy case; C.R. Das defended Aurobindo. |
| 1908 | Murder of Nandalal Banerjee | Calcutta | Bengal revolutionaries | Banerjee was linked with the arrest of Prafulla Chaki. |
| 1908 | Murder of Narendranath Gosain | Alipore Jail | Kanailal Dutt, Satyendranath Bose | Gosain had turned approver in the Alipore case. |
| 1908 | Barrah dacoity | Dacca (East Bengal) | Pulin Behari Das (Dacca Anushilan Samiti) | Conducted to raise funds for revolutionary activities. |
| 1910 | Howrah-Sibpur conspiracy case | Bengal | Bagha Jatin and others | Tried to link many Bengal revolutionary groups with a single conspiracy. |
| 1914 | Rodda arms robbery | Calcutta | Yugantar revolutionaries | A large consignment of Mauser pistols and ammunition was seized. |
| 1915 | Taxicab dacoities | Calcutta | Bagha Jatin and associates | Series of dacoities to finance the planned armed insurrection (Indo-German conspiracy). |
| 1915 | Balasore encounter | Odisha coast | Bagha Jatin and associates | Linked with the Indo-German arms plan during World War I. |
IV. Maharashtra #
Maharashtra had an earlier revolutionary tradition, especially through the Chapekar brothers and Savarkar’s organizations.
| Year | Activity / Organization | Place | Persons | Facts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1897 | Rand assassination | Poona | Damodar Chapekar, Balkrishna Chapekar | W.C. Rand, Plague Commissioner, was assassinated. |
| 1899 | Mitra Mela | Maharashtra | V.D. Savarkar | Early secret society founded by Savarkar. |
| 1904 | Abhinav Bharat | Maharashtra | V.D. Savarkar, Ganesh Savarkar | Secret society inspired by Mazzini’s Young Italy. |
| 1909 | Nasik conspiracy case | Nasik | Anant Kanhere, Abhinav Bharat members | Collector A.M.T. Jackson was assassinated. |
| 1910 | Savarkar arrest | London / India link | V.D. Savarkar | Later transported to Cellular Jail. |
V. Punjab, Delhi and United Provinces #
Punjab, Delhi and the United Provinces became connected through agrarian unrest, Ghadar activity, and the network of Rash Behari Bose and Sachin Sanyal.
| Year | Activity / Case | Place | Persons | Facts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1907 | Agrarian unrest | Punjab | Ajit Singh, Lala Lajpat Rai | Linked with opposition to colonial agrarian policies. |
| 1907 | Bharat Mata Society | Punjab | Ajit Singh, Sufi Amba Prasad | Revolutionary nationalist propaganda group. |
| 1912 | Delhi conspiracy case | Delhi | Rash Behari Bose, Sachin Sanyal, Basanta Kumar Biswas | Bomb was thrown at Viceroy Lord Hardinge on 23 December 1912. |
| 1913 | Ghadar Party influence | Punjab / overseas link | Lala Hardayal, Sohan Singh Bhakna, Kartar Singh Sarabha | Ghadarites tried to organize revolt in India. |
| 1914 | Komagata Maru incident | Canada / Calcutta link | Baba Gurdit Singh and passengers | Strengthened anti-British feeling among Punjabi migrants and Ghadar supporters. |
| 1915 | Ghadar conspiracy | Punjab and North India | Ghadar revolutionaries | Planned armed uprising during World War I. |
| 1915 | Lahore conspiracy case | Lahore | Kartar Singh Sarabha and others | Many Ghadar revolutionaries were executed or imprisoned. |
| 1915 | Benares conspiracy case | Benares / United Provinces | Sachin Sanyal and associates | Linked with revolutionary networks and Ghadar plans. |
Ghadar and World War I #
- The outbreak of World War I in 1914 gave revolutionaries a chance to plan armed revolt.
- Ghadar revolutionaries returned to India to organize revolt among soldiers.
- The planned uprising was fixed for February 1915.
- The plan failed because British intelligence discovered it.
- Many revolutionaries were arrested under the Defence of India Act, 1915.
VI. South India #
South India had fewer revolutionary attacks than Bengal, Maharashtra and Punjab, but the Ashe assassination is important.
| Year | Activity / Incident | Place | Persons | Facts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1911 | Ashe assassination | Maniyachi, Tirunelveli district | Vanchinathan | Robert W.D. Ashe, Collector of Tirunelveli, was assassinated. |
| Early 1900s | Swadeshi-radical influence | Tamil region | V.O. Chidambaram Pillai, Subramania Siva | Linked more with Swadeshi enterprise and mass agitation than secret terrorism. |
VII. Revolutionary Activities Abroad and Wartime Plans #
Indian revolutionaries abroad tried to organize propaganda, funds, arms and international support. During World War I, they attempted to use Britain’s wartime difficulties to organize revolt in India.
| Year | Activity / Organization | Place | Persons | Facts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1905 | India House | London | Shyamji Krishna Varma, V.D. Savarkar, Madan Lal Dhingra | Published Indian Sociologist and became a revolutionary centre in London. |
| 1905 | Paris Indian Society | Paris | Madam Bhikaji Cama, S.R. Rana | Centre of anti-British propaganda in Europe. |
| 1907 | Stuttgart socialist congress | Germany | Madam Bhikaji Cama | Cama unfurled an early version of the Indian national flag. |
| 1909 | Curzon Wyllie assassination | London | Madan Lal Dhingra | Dhingra was associated with the India House circle and was executed in 1909. |
| 1913 | Ghadar Party | San Francisco | Sohan Singh Bhakna, Lala Hardayal, Kartar Singh Sarabha | Published Ghadar and aimed at armed revolt against British rule. |
| 1914 | Berlin Committee / Indian Independence Committee | Germany | Virendranath Chattopadhyaya, Bhupendranath Dutta and others | Sought German help for Indian independence during World War I. |
| 1914-17 | Hindu-German conspiracy | Germany, USA, Southeast Asia, India | Ghadarites, Berlin Committee, Indian revolutionaries | Attempted to send arms and organize revolt in India. |
| 1915 | Singapore Mutiny | Singapore | Indian soldiers of 5th Light Infantry | Mutiny during World War I; later suppressed by the British. |
| 1915 onwards | Kabul mission / Provisional Government of India | Afghanistan | Raja Mahendra Pratap, Maulana Barkatullah, Ubaidullah Sindhi | Tried to secure foreign support against British rule. |
| 1916 | Silk Letter Movement | India, Afghanistan, Turkey link | Maulana Mahmud Hasan, Ubaidullah Sindhi | Anti-British plan associated with Deoband leaders and foreign assistance. |
VIII. Important Conspiracy Cases #
| Case | Year | Region | Associated With |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alipore Conspiracy Case | 1908 | Bengal | Aurobindo Ghosh, Barindra Ghosh, Anushilan-Yugantar network |
| Nasik Conspiracy Case | 1909 | Maharashtra | Anant Kanhere, Abhinav Bharat, V.D. Savarkar |
| Howrah-Sibpur Conspiracy Case | 1910 | Bengal | Bagha Jatin and Bengal revolutionary networks |
| Delhi Conspiracy Case | 1912 | Delhi / North India | Rash Behari Bose, Sachin Sanyal, Basanta Kumar Biswas |
| Hindu-German Conspiracy | 1914-17 | Overseas / India | Ghadar Party, Berlin Committee, German support |
| Lahore Conspiracy Case | 1915 | Punjab | Ghadar Party, Kartar Singh Sarabha |
| Benares Conspiracy Case | 1915 | United Provinces | Sachin Sanyal and revolutionary networks |
| Silk Letter Conspiracy | 1916 | India / Afghanistan link | Deoband leaders, Ubaidullah Sindhi, Maulana Mahmud Hasan |
IX. Important Personalities #
| Personality | Fact |
|---|---|
| Khudiram Bose | Young revolutionary hanged after the Muzaffarpur bomb case, 1908. |
| Prafulla Chaki | Revolutionary involved in the Muzaffarpur bomb case; died before arrest. |
| Aurobindo Ghosh | Tried in Alipore conspiracy case; later became a spiritual philosopher. |
| Barindra Ghosh | Younger brother of Aurobindo; key member of Yugantar. |
| Bagha Jatin | Led Yugantar-linked revolutionary activity; died after Balasore encounter in 1915. |
| V.D. Savarkar | Founded Abhinav Bharat; associated with India House and Nasik case. |
| Madan Lal Dhingra | Assassinated Curzon Wyllie in London, 1909. |
| Rash Behari Bose | Linked with Delhi conspiracy case and later Indian revolutionary activities abroad. |
| Sachin Sanyal | Associated with Delhi conspiracy case; later founded Hindustan Republican Association in 1924. |
| Lala Hardayal | Important leader of the Ghadar Party. |
| Kartar Singh Sarabha | Young Ghadar revolutionary executed in 1915. |
| Madam Bhikaji Cama | Associated with Paris Indian Society; unfurled an early Indian flag at Stuttgart in 1907. |
| Shyamji Krishna Varma | Founded India House in London. |
| Raja Mahendra Pratap | Linked with the Provisional Government of India at Kabul. |
| Maulana Barkatullah | Associated with revolutionary activity abroad and the Kabul provisional government. |
| Ubaidullah Sindhi | Associated with the Silk Letter Movement and anti-British foreign plans. |
X. Laws Used Against Revolutionaries #
| Law | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Seditious Meetings Act | 1907 | Restricted public meetings. |
| Newspapers Act | 1908 | Suppressed nationalist and revolutionary newspapers. |
| Explosive Substances Act | 1908 | Punished possession or use of explosives. |
| Indian Press Act | 1910 | Allowed confiscation of press and security deposits. |
| Defence of India Act | 1915 | Used during World War I to suppress revolutionary activities. |
XI. Timeline #
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1897 | Chapekar brothers assassinated W.C. Rand in Poona. |
| 1899 | Mitra Mela founded by V.D. Savarkar. |
| 1902 | Anushilan Samiti founded in Bengal. |
| 1904 | Abhinav Bharat founded. |
| 1905 | India House and Paris Indian Society became important overseas centres. |
| 1906 | Yugantar group became active in Bengal. |
| 1907 | Bharat Mata Society became active in Punjab; Bhikaji Cama unfurled an early Indian flag at Stuttgart. |
| 1908 | Muzaffarpur bomb case and Alipore conspiracy case. |
| 1909 | Curzon Wyllie assassination and Nasik conspiracy case. |
| 1910 | Howrah-Sibpur conspiracy case in Bengal. |
| 1911 | Ashe assassination at Maniyachi. |
| 1912 | Delhi conspiracy case against Lord Hardinge. |
| 1913 | Ghadar Party founded in San Francisco. |
| 1914 | Komagata Maru incident, Rodda arms robbery, and Berlin Committee activity. |
| 1915 | Ghadar conspiracy, Lahore conspiracy case, Singapore Mutiny, and Balasore encounter. |
| 1916 | Silk Letter conspiracy came to British notice. |