Partition of Bengal:

 16th Oct, 1905

 Lord Curzon: Viceroy
 Risely : Home secretary, “Bengal united is a power. Bengal divided ………………………”
 SOS : John Morley
 Famous Boycott resolution passed in 7th August, 1905
 Anti Partition movement :
 Amar Sonar Bangla : Composed by Rabindranath Tagore and Bande Matram (by bankim Chandra
chatterjee) sung on streets.
 Swadeshi and Boycott Movement :
 Acharya P C Ray : Opened Bengal Chemical factories
 Banaras session 1905: GK Gokhale president, INC took resolution supporting Swadeshi and
Boycott
 Calcutta session 1906: Resolution for “Swaraj” like UK or colonies, under Naoroji
 Role of students : Picketing of shops, lead the boycott movement, practiced swadeshi, schools
whose students participated were penalized: grants in aid and other privileges withdrawn ,
disaffiliated, students barred from competing for scholarships, barred from all service under
government . Students did not bend.
 Role of women : Participated in Processions and picketing
 Peasants : Did not join. They were not mobilized by then.
 Muslims : Many prominent joined the, . Maulana azad joined revolutionary terrorist movement.
Middle and upper class muslins stayed away, even supported partition (especially Nawab of
Dhaka” on the grounds that east Bengal will have muslim majority.
 Moderates: Surendranath Banerjee, Krishna Kumar Mitra
 Extremists: Tilak, Aurobindo Ghosh, Bipin Chandra Pal
 Why the leadership passed into the hands of extremists ? (page 252)
 Why did extremists fail and rise of revolutionary terrorism ..
 Tilak jailed for 7 yrs. Lala Lajpat Rai and Ashwini Kumar Dutt deported. Bipin Chandra Pal and
Aurobindo Ghosh retired.
 Partition withdrawn in 1911
 Revolutionary Terrorism :
o Methods of Irish Terrorists and Russian nilhilists i.e. assassination of unpopular officials
copied.
o 1897: Chapekar brothers assassinated two officials in poona.
o 1904 ; V D Savarkar organized “Abhinava Bharat” , a secret society for revolutionaries.
o Newspapers advocating revolutionary terrorism : Sandhya & Yugantar in BENGAL, Kal in
Maharashtra.
o 1908: Khuiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki threw a bomb on carriage mistaking it for
carrying unpopular judge. Bose hanged, Chaki shot himself.
o Anushilan Samiti
 o Centers abroad : London; Shyamaji Krishnavarma, V D Sacarkar and Hardayal
Europe : Madam Cama and Ajit Singh

 Why did Revolutionaries fail?

Important Acts and events :

 Vernacular Press Act , 1878: (Ch-8)

o Passed when Indian newspapers became highly critical of Lord Lytton’s administration
especially his treatment of the victims of famine of 1876-77.
o Directed only against Indian newspapers.
o It provided for confiscation of printing press, paper and other materials of newspaper if
the paper was publishing seditious, material or flouting a warning.
o Newpaper material had to ne proofread by Police and no appeal to court could be
made.
o Repealed by Lord Ripon in 1881 after opposition.

 Bengal Partition :
o Announced in July, 1905 and carried out on 16th Oct , 1905.
o Reasons :
 Bengal with a population of 78 million (1/4th of British provinces population),
administratively unwieldy.
 Real reason Political : Calcutta being the nerve centre of all political nationalist
movements and headquarter sort of for Congress.
o Division intended to :
 curb Bengali influence by reducing them to minority in Bengal itself ( West
Bengal : 17 million Bengali, 37 millon Oriya and hindi speaking people)
 Foster division among people on the basis of religion. Lord Curzon propagated
that this division would help people in East Bengal, prominently muslims to
return to their old glory days of mohammedans domination.

 Swadeshi Movement :
o Started as aretaliation for Bengal Partition.
o Contribution :
 Started innovative forms of mass mobilization such as mass meetings,
processions, use of traditional folk theatre jatras to spread the movement.
 These methods were to be adopted massively in the later phases of national
movement.
 Self-Reliance emphasized to revive national honor and dignity.
Self help and constructive work at village level envisaged to bring social
reform.
Education: many schools and colleges set up. Eg : Bengal technical
institute. National council of education set up.
Entrepreneurship: many nationalist opened up industries. P C Ray’s
Bengal chemical factory became very famous.
 Cultural revival : Songs such as “Amar Sonar Bangla” composed at this time.
And many other literary and artistic works reproduced at this time.
 Science : PC Ray and JC Bose praised world over for their pioneering work.
o Women came out for the first time.(processions and picketing)
o Political direction to economic grievances of the working class : Strikes organized in
Railways and jute mills.
o Peasantry not much involved but it made headway for their future participation.
They were exposed for the first time to nationalistic ideas.
o Students participated in boycott.
o Main drawback : Not able to garner support of muslims especially muslim peasants.
Govt policies responsible for this. All India Muslim league formed at this time.
Nawab of Dacca made centre of opposition to Swadeshi. Riots broke out in the end.
o Reasons for failure :
 Govt came down with heavy hand (on students, ban on public meetings,
processions, control of press etc)
 Split in Congress, the apex all India organization.
 Breakdown of leadership in 1907-1908: Tilak sentenced to 6 yrs, Ashiwini
dutt deported, Aurobindo and Bipin Chandra Pal retired from active poltics
etc.
 Lack of effective organization and party structure in Swadeshi movement.
 Declined because of the very logic of mass movements.

 Congress Split :
o Lal, Bal, Pal and Aurobindo Ghosh (all militant nationalist) wanted to extend the
movement all over India and take it beyond Swadeshi and Boycott to a fully fledged
mass struggle. They defined their aim as “Swaraj” and stopping Bengal partition was
the narrowest of political objects. Boycott to be extended from that of goods to
cooperation in administration but moderates wanted only goods, that too only in
Bengal.
o Moderates not willing to go this far.
o Why did Moderates fail ?
  Lacked faith in common people, did no work among them. Failed to gain
support among them.
 Moderates took a back foot in the time of Swadeshi and Boycott movement,
except in Bengal.
 They believed that they could force govt. to bring reforms , economical and
political but their achievements were meager.
o Calcutta Session, 1906:
 Dadabhai Naoroji became president.
 Four resolutions on Swadeshi, Boycott, National Education and Self govt demands
were passed.
 Boycott resolution :
Adopted in Calcutta Town Hall on 7th August ,1905 against Bengal Partition.
Leaders involved Surendranath Banerjee

 Swadeshi Resolution :
Adopted by Congress in its session at Benares in 1905 presided by GK
Gokhale.
1906 : Naoroji declared in Calcutta session that the aim of INC was “Self
Govt” or “Swaraj” like that of Canada and Australia.
o Moderates:
Pherozshah Mehta: Extremeist ideology would lead to severe repression and breaking up of
Congress, an association built up over 20 yrs. Any hasty decision as extremists suggests
would irate the liberals and their dream of sharing political and administrative space with
British would be shattered.
o Extremists:
Aurobindo Ghosh: Moderates Convinced that the battle of freedom has begun and
moderates were a big drag. Even split is good if they do not help. Congress leadership need
to get rid of moderates.
o Where the problem was?
Extremists failed to see that the moderates were their natural defence line and moderates
failed to see that British govt was negotiating with them not because of their strength but
because of the fear of extremists. Gokhale and Tilak saw this but they could not stand up
against Mehta and Aurobindo Ghosh.
o Surat Session :
 26th Dec, 1907
 Extremists feared that the four resolutions at Calcutta were to scuttled by
moderates.
 They also wanted Rash Behari Ghosh to step down.
 Fighting started and the party then collapsed.
 Tilak was against this. He apologized to Rash bihari and offered his cooperation but
arrogant (:P) Mehta declined.
o Post Split :
  Extremists severly repressed. Their newspapers suppressed. Tilak sent to jail for 6
yrs. Auro resigned. Pal resigned from politics. Lajpat Rai went Britain in 1908.
 Extremists were not able to organize an effective movement.
 Moderates gave up all radical measures adopted at Calcutta and Benares. Expelled
Extremists and were looking forward to build up a new Congress.
 Moderates could not restore congress. Lost their support in political Indians
especially youth. All support, however passive went to Tilak and others. Congress
reduced to a coterie.
 Indian Council act disappointed people (pg 142) : Main purpose of Morley-Minto
reforms to divide the nationalist ranks and to check the growing unity in India by
encouraging the growth of communalism (separate electorates introduced for
muslims with the belief that political, economic and cultural interests of Hindus and
muslims were separate)
 Gave rise to Individual heroism:
irish nationalists and Russian nilhilists methods copied (i.e. assassination of
British officials) as no other way to vent out disaffection.
This would remove the fear of British in the people, arouse their patriotic
feelings, inspire them and create fear in British.
1904, VD Sarvarkar organized secret society called “Abhinava Bharat”
1908 : Prafull Chaki and Khudiram threw a bomb in Muzzafarpur. Failed in
their assassination and killed two British women instead. Chaki shot himself
and Bise was hanged.
Anushilan Samiti and Jugantar: Two most famous secret societies.
Two methods adopted : Assassination and dacqities to raise funds.
186 revolutionaries killed or convicted between 1908 and 1918.
Centres abroad : Har dayal, V D Savarkar, Shyamji Krishnaverma in London;
Madame Cama and Ajit Singh in Europe.
Severely suppressed. No mass base.

Main Features

 There shall be self-government in India.

 The same method should be adopted for the Executive Councils of Governors.
 The India Council must be abolished.
 The salaries of the Secretary of State for Indian Affairs should be paid by the British government
and not from Indian funds.
 The executive should be separated from the judiciary.
 The number of Muslims in the provincial legislatures should be laid down province by province.
 Muslims should be given 1/3 representation in Central Govt.
 There should be separate electorates for all communities until they ask for joint electorate.
  System of weight-age should be adopted.
 Term of Legislative Council should be 5 years.
 Half of the members of Imperial Legislative Council must be Indians.

Sarojini Naidu said that Jinnah is the ambassador of hindu-muslim unity. Tilak made a very significant
proposal that congress should appoint a small working committee that would be responsible for
implementation of its annual resolutions passed in annual sessions. it was unfortunately quashed by
moderates in congress.

 Gandhi entry into the scene :

o Came back India in 1915
o South African adventure :
 Fought against racial discrimination in South Africa. Went there for a civil suit of
Dada Abdullah in 1893 but having faced apartheid, decided to fight for the rights of
Indians. Discovered his method of non violent civil disobedience (Satyagraha) during
this period. Led agitation against :
 Polls tax, Registration of Indian Marriages under Christian act, Immigration laws etc
 Transvaal march carried out.
 He was ultimately successful in leading the movement.
 He learnt the following things from his SA adventure :
Leading people of different religion, region, classes, men and women
together.
The capacity of the weak and poor to fight for a cause
Leadership involves facing ire of not only opponents but also whom you
lead
o Movements in India (1917-1918):
 Champaran :
Against indigo planters who levied tinkathia from the peasants which were
illegal dues and excessive tax.
Raj Kumar Shukla asked him to be a part of the movement.
For the first time, someone defied the order of British when he declined to
move out of Champaran when asked by officials.
He along with Dr. Rajendra Prasad , JB Kriplani and many others inquired
into the matter and collected the peasant version of the story.
Having statements from around 8000 peasants, Gandhiji wa able to
convince the commission of Inquiry of which he was made a part of , that
 tinkathia system is unfair and was successful in getting 25 % refund for the
farmers.
 Ahemdabad :
Against the mill owners who decided to withdraw the plague bonus of the
workers.
Gandhi ji led a movement and asked the workers to go on strike.
When the workers showed sign of fatigue , he went on fast and was
successful in getting 35 % increase in wages.
 Kheda :
Due to failure of crops (less than 1/4th of normal), farmers were asking for
remission, which the govt did not give.
Along with Vallabh bhai Patel (native of Kheda and a lawyer), Gandhi ji
found that their demands were legit.
He asked the farmers to refuse paying the tax and those could pay should
also refuse for others.
However if the govt agrees to remit, then those whio could pay should pay.
Gandhiji later found tat govt has asked to collect tax only from those who
were able and hence withdrew the movement as the farmers were tired.