Orissa Review 1700s and occupied vast tracts the British Empire to strengthen of Indian soil for 347 years their grip over Indians and to whereas the Portuguese and effect broad reforms within Saluting the French had kept their colonial India.The triggering of August influence on some parts of the the Indian rebellion of 1857 was country. British East India a period of uprising in India 15,1947 Company generated more than against the British Rule and it ten percent of England’s was India’s first National War revenue per annum to Britain of Independence. It brought ž Mayadhar Nayak by slaughtering the vibrant about signs of valour and economy of India. Against this bravery about the sacrifice troubled backdrop, the British made by the freedom fighters August 15, 1947 is a glorious rise to power was slow, but of Indian heroes with accounts and memorable day for all remarkably steady because of of unimaginable horror and Indians, the day when the long the competition of the French destruction. The uprising was suppressed nation got with the British in acquiring the result of creation of cultural utterance. It was the day when Indian territory. and ethnic differences between India got her independence the British Officers and Indian After the Battle of soldiers.The policy of divide from the mighty British Empire. Plassey, the British Army under The day reminds us about the and rule and attack on the the leadership of Robert Clive culture triggered widespread end of the British Colonial defeated the Nawab of Bengal Authority from India and the resentment among the Indian and the British East India rulers like Mughals and ex- end of the widespread Company was established. movements that continued to Peshwas.The war of 1752 That was the initial entry of brought about a turning point in roll the nation’s economy.The British Raj in India.The Battle day brought new light and ray the history of modern India. The of Buxur encouraged the East British embarked upon a series of new hopes for India. When India Company to gain and the world was asleep, India of reforms to pacify and strengthen administrative rights integrate the Indian elite and woke up to life and freedom.A over Bihar, Bengal and Orissa new nation was born on that rulers. The Rani of Jhansi joined in 1765. A series of Acts were the rebellion to protect her own day bringing the end of the proclaimed by the British colonial rule, suppressed interest. Following the Uprising, Parliament to strengthen the agitations, movements, etc. the British Crown in Parliament administrative control of the formally took over the First, the Portuguese newly conquered provinces of responsibility of ruling India came to India in the 16th India,like the Regulating Act of from the British East India century followed by the East 1773, the Indian Act of 1784, Company and at the end,the India Company in the guise of the Charter Act of 1813. Then, Moghul Dynasty came to an traders in Bengal. The British the English language was end and Queen Victoria took East India Company came to introduced as the medium of the reign of India with the title India in the middle and late instruction in India in 1835 by of impress of India in 1877. August - 2010 1 Orissa Review What was happening in the Bengal took the lead to start the the first Non-cooperation Indian society all this while was first organised militant movement in 1920. The difficult to overlook. A cultural movements and it later took movement in the form of protest revolution under the leadership political turn giving birth to involved surrendering all titles, of Raja Ram Mohan Ray had Indian National Congress with honorary offices and nominated been taking place even before prominent moderate leaders posts in local bodies. All sorts the event of Uprising of 1857. seeking only their basic rights of government functions and Sati was banned, the Arya to appear for civil services ceremonies were boycotted Samaj came forward to examinations and more rights, showing feeling of strong propagate a new and refined economic in nature, for the nationalism. But the British tried religion, education for women people of the soil of the nation. to suppress it with iron hand. was encouraged and a new Leaders like Lal Bal Pal and The concept and breed of intellectuals taking Shri Aurobindo adopted more magnitude of the Non their root mostly from Bengal, radical approach for getting Cooperation Movement took the mantle of showing political independence from the surprised every political leader their presence in Indian British Raj. Congress under the in India. Gandhiji’s approach of freedom movement. This new leadership of Mahatma Gandhi Non Cooperation had touched breed of Indians was a power came to the forefront to adopt every man on the street. People to reckon with. After the the policies of non violence. came out voluntarily to support Uprising, India was poised at Subash Chandra Bose Gandhi and his movement. the dawn of a new era of adopted the policy of violence political awareness. with military approach to The government Dadabhai Naoroji was engineer the independence machinery did not actually the first Indian to become a movement. A proper mix of break down, but came under member of the House of non-violence engineered by visible strain and stress. Commons of the British Empire Mahatma Gandhi and violence Gandhiji with magical by successfully contesting an launched by Netaji shaked the application of his usual election. The concept of strong foundation of innovative skill, mobilized the “Swaraj is my birth right” was unshakable British Empire. public in support of freedom coined by Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Leaders like Swami movement and the country and which thrilled and inspired the Sahajanand Saraswati the Congress rallied behind hearts of millions of advocated for economic him. The right moment had Indians.Like Netaji,Tilak freedom of the peasants and arrived to launch the Quit India advocated the policy of labour classes along with Movement. The unnerving part extremism, non-violence and political freedom as British East was that the launching of abandonment of British goods India Company generated more another Civil Disobedience supported by Bipin Chandra than ten percent of England’s Movement could coincide with Pal and Lala Rajpat Rai. revenue for onward transfer to the Japanese advances from the However, the Congress Party Britain. The Indian National far-east towards India. It was of 1906 did not support the Congress under the leadership an open rebellion championed acts of violence and disorder. of Mahatma Gandhi launched by Gandhi and adopted by the 2 August - 2010 Orissa Review masses with voluntary willing shocked the country. It also 1922. Suddenly, the future of spirit to court risks for the shook the moderates out of Swaraj, or self-rule within a freedom that was to be their stupor and brought year seemed uncertain. achieved. Gandhiji out in the open. Gandhi came under The British adopted In 1920, under the criticism from several quarters inhuman and repressive leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, for dissociating himself from the policies in Punjab. On April 12, the Indian National Congress Non-Cooperation Movement. 1919, General REH Dyer who launched the first movement of The man of the masses took the had taken over the troops in protest – the Non-Cooperation masses along when he made his Punjab the day before, Movement. It involved exit and this was not to be the prohibited all meetings and surrendering all titles, honorary only time when differences of gatherings. So when a group of offices and nominated posts in opinion cropped up in the unarmed people congregated local bodies. Government Congress about Gandhi’s at the Jallianawala Bagh, a functions and Darbars were to actions and each time, in the walled park with only a single be boycotted. Parents were end, people invariably gave in narrow entrance, on April 13, requested to withdraw their to the Mahatma. Gandhi had 1919 to celebrate the Sikh children from government won over the heart of an entire festival of Baisakhi, General schools and colleges. Indians nation. Dyer ordered fire on the stayed way from the British In 1927 the British innocent people. What courts and army, and were to government set up a followed was to blight the stand for elections to Committee headed by Sir John pages of Indian History and its government and legislative Simon to review the state of peoples’ minds for a very long bodies. Ahimsa or non- affairs in India. However, the time to come. A peaceful violence was to be observed Committee that came to be congregation had been strictly. known as the Simon transformed into an unmitigated Commission did not include blood bath. The oppressive mood of the British angered the Indian even a single Indian. The Later, during the court masses to an unbearable extent. Congress took umbrage to the martial, General Dyer coldly Unfortunately, at a time when omission done by the observed that he had fired only the movement was showing Commission. 1600 rounds of ammunition on signs of success, a mob of 3000 At this time, young the crowd as that was all he people killed 25 policemen and radicals like Jawaharlal Nehru had. He added that he would one officer in Chauri Chaura. and Subhash Chandra Bose have fired more had he so Similar incidents had taken were insisting on making total deemed fit. It indicated the place earlier on November 17, independence as the goal of the inhuman feeling of General 1921, in Bombay and on Congress. At midnight, on Dyer to Indians and its freedom January 13, 1922, in Madras.