Indian Freedom Struggle (1905-11)
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Indian Freedom Struggle (1905-11) Modern History Modern History: X - Indian Freedom Struggle (1905-11) Growth Of Militant Nationalism I. Recognition of the True Nature of British Rule: ● Having seen that, the Government was not conceding any of their important demands, the more militant among those politically conscious got disillusioned & started looking for a more effective mode of political action. ● Also, the feeling that only an Indian Government could bring India on a path of progress started attracting more & more people. Modern History: X - Indian Freedom Struggle (1905-11) Growth Of Militant Nationalism (Cont…) ● The economic miseries of the 1890s further exposed the exploitative character of colonial rule. ● Severe famines killed 90 lakh persons between 1896 & 1900. ● Bubonic plague affected large areas of the Deccan leading to large-scale riots there. ● The nationalists were wide awake to the fact that instead of giving more rights to the Indians, the Government was taking away even the existing ones. Modern History: X - Indian Freedom Struggle (1905-11) Growth Of Militant Nationalism (Cont…) ● 1892: Indian Councils Act was criticized by nationalists as it failed to satisfy them. ● 1897: The Natu brothers were deported without trial & Tilak & others, imprisoned on charges of sedition. ● 1898: Repressive laws under IPC Section 124 A were further amplified with new provisions under IPC Section 156 A. ● 1899: Number of Indian members in Calcutta Corporation were reduced. Modern History: X - Indian Freedom Struggle (1905-11) Growth Of Militant Nationalism (Cont…) II. Growth of Confidence & Self-Respect: ● A feeling started gaining currency that only the masses were capable of making the immense sacrifices needed to win freedom. III. Growth of Education: ● Led to an increased awareness among the masses & the rise in unemployment & underemployment among the educated drew attention to poverty & the underdeveloped state of the country's economy under colonial rule. Modern History: X - Indian Freedom Struggle (1905-11) Growth Of Militant Nationalism (Cont…) IV. Reaction to Increasing Westernization: ● The new leadership felt the stranglehold of excessive westernization & sensed colonial designs to submerge the Indian national identity in the British Empire V. Dissatisfaction with Moderates: ● Younger elements within the Congress were dissatisfied with the achievements of the Moderates. They were strongly critical of the methods of peaceful & constitutional agitation, popularly known as the “3 P's”— prayer, petition & protest & described these methods as 'political mendicancy’ Modern History: X - Indian Freedom Struggle (1905-11) Growth Of Militant Nationalism (Cont…) VI. International Influences: ● Progress made by Japan & its emergence as an industrial power. ● The defeat of the Italian army by Ethiopians (1896), the Boer wars (1899-1902) where British faced reverses & Japan's victory over Russia (1905) demolished myths of European invincibility. ● The nationalists were inspired by the nationalist movements worldwide — in Ireland, Russia, Egypt, Turkey, Persia & China. Modern History: X - Indian Freedom Struggle (1905-11) Previous Year Question Which one of the following defines the extremists ideology during the early phase of Indian freedom movement? (a) Stimulating the production of indigenous articles by giving them preference over imported commodities. (b) Obtaining self-government by aggressive means in place of petitions & constitutional ways (c) Providing national education according to the requirements of the country. (d) Organizing coups against the British empire through military revolt Modern History: X - Indian Freedom Struggle (1905-11) Reactionary policies of Curzon ● He spoke derogatorily of Indian character in general. ● Administrative measures adopted during his rule: ○ 1904: Official Secrets Act curbed freedom of press. ○ 1904: Indian Universities Act ensured greater government control over universities, which it described as factories producing political revolutionaries. ○ The partition of Bengal ● Left no doubts in Indian minds about the basically reactionary nature of British rule in India. Modern History: X - Indian Freedom Struggle (1905-11) Reactionary policies of Curzon (Cont…) ● Risley, the Home Secretary to the GoI, was more blunt. ● He said on 6 December 1904: ‘Bengal united, is power, Bengal divided, will pull several different ways. That is what the Congress leaders feel: their apprehensions are perfectly correct & they form one of the great merits of the scheme...in this scheme... one of our main objects is to split up & thereby weaken a solid body of opponents to our rule.’ Modern History: X - Indian Freedom Struggle (1905-11) Partition of Bengal ● Day of Partition: 16 Oct 1905 ● Lord Curzon was the brain behind this partition but by the time actual partition took place, Lord Minto II had replaced Lord Curzon as the Viceroy. ● Reasons for Partition: ○ British Government Explanation: ■ Bengal was a very big state. Very difficult to manage the administrative work Modern History: X - Indian Freedom Struggle (1905-11) Nationalist View ● Divide & Rule Policy as Calcutta was the hub of Nationalistic activities ● Demarcation of boundary in terms of religious & linguistic basis. ● If ease of administration was the only reason why wasn’t Punjab, Bombay or Madras partitioned? Modern History: X - Indian Freedom Struggle (1905-11) Previous Year Question 2009 - In the context of the Indian Freedom struggle, 16th October 1905 is well known for which of the following reasons? (a) The formal proclamation of Swadeshi movement was made in Calcutta town hall (b) Partition of Bengal took effect (c) Dadabhai Naoroji declared that the goal of Indian National Congres was Swaraj (d) Lokmanya Tilak started Swadeshi Movement in Poona Modern History: X - Indian Freedom Struggle (1905-11) Partition of Bengal-divide people ● On the basis of language: ○ Thus, reducing the Bengalis to a minority in Bengal itself as in the new proposal Bengal proper was to have 17 million Bengalis & 37 million Hindi & Oriya speakers. ● On the basis of religion: ○ As the western half was to be a Hindu majority area (42 million out of a total 54 million) & the eastern half was to be a Muslim majority area (18 million out of a total of 31 million) Modern History: X - Indian Freedom Struggle (1905-11) Effect of demarcation ● Created divide amongst residents in terms of Hindu & Muslim religion ● Created a divide in within Hindi, Oriya & Bengali speaking population ● Changed the Fusion to Fission Culture i.e. from collective thinking to individualism or community ideology Modern History: X - Indian Freedom Struggle (1905-11) During the period of 1903-05 ● Government's decision to partition Bengal had been made public in December 1903 ● During this period, the leadership was provided by SN Banerjee, K.K. Mitra & Prithwish Chandra Ray. ● The methods adopted were petitions to the Government, public meetings, memoranda, & propaganda through pamphlets & newspapers such as Hitabadi, Sanjibani & Bengali. Modern History: X - Indian Freedom Struggle (1905-11) Objective ● Exert sufficient pressure on the Government through an educated public opinion in India & England to prevent the unjust partition from being implemented. Modern History: X - Indian Freedom Struggle (1905-11) Swadeshi Movement (After-effects of Partition of Bengal) ● On August 7, 1905: the passage of the Boycott Resolution led to the formal proclamation of Swadeshi Movement. ● People came out on street to protest against decision of partition. ● They assembled at Town Hall & formed Swadeshi Bandhav Samiti which propagated swadeshi goods and services. ● Local industries like textile, paper, glass flourished during this period Modern History: X - Indian Freedom Struggle (1905-11) Swadeshi Movement ● Lawyers resigned from the bar councils & Panchayats started hearing the grievances of people ● Social boycott ● Women, who were traditionally home-centred, especially those of the urban middle classes, took active part in processions &picketing. Modern History: X - Indian Freedom Struggle (1905-11) Students ● Teachers & students boycotted English schools ● Students came out in large numbers to propagate & practise swadeshi, & to take a lead in organising picketing of shops selling foreign goods. ● Police adopted a repressive attitude towards the students. ● Schools and colleges whose students participated in the agitation were to be penalised by disaffiliating them or stopping of grants & privileges to them. ● Students who were found guilty of participation were to be disqualified for government jobs or for government scholarships, & disciplinary action— fine, expulsion, arrest, beating, etc. — was to be taken against them. Modern History: X - Indian Freedom Struggle (1905-11) Effect of movement ● The value of British cloth sold in some of the mofussil districts fell by 5-15 times between September 1904 & September 1905. ● 16 October was declared a day of mourning throughout Bengal. ● People fasted & no fires were lit at the cooking hearth. ● In Calcutta a hartal was declared. Modern History: X - Indian Freedom Struggle (1905-11) Effect of movement (Cont…) ● People took out processions & band after band walked barefoot, bathed in the Ganges in morning & then paraded the streets singing Vande Mataram which, almost spontaneously, became the theme song of the movement. ● People tied rakhis on each other’s hands as a symbol of the unity of the 2 halves. Modern History: X - Indian Freedom Struggle