National Movement and Leaders
🟢 Lite — Quick Review (1h–1d)
Rapid summary for last-minute revision.
National Movement and Leaders — Key Facts for KPSC KAS • Dadabhai Naoroji (1845-1906): Called “Grand Old Man of India”; first Asian MP in British Parliament; formulated Drain Theory — wealth flowing from India to Britain; three times President of INC. • Gopal Krishna Gokhale (1866-1916): Mentor to Gandhi; President of INC (1906); known for “myth of service before self” speech at 1912 Calcutta; founded Servants of the People Society. • Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1857-1920): “Swaraj is my birthright”; founded Kesari newspaper (Marathi); popularized Ganapati and Shivaji festivals for mass mobilization; “Lal Bal Pal” leader; died after British trial. • Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948): Father of the Nation; Champaran (1917), Kheda (1918), Non-Cooperation (1920), Salt Satyagraha/Dandi March (1930), Quit India (1942); Chandi Prasad Bhatt — Chipko movement leader. • Subhas Chandra Bose (1897-1945): “Give me blood and I will give you freedom”; escaped house arrest (1940); formed Indian National Army (INA) with Japanese support; Azad Hind Fauj; died in plane crash (1945, unconfirmed). • Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (1891-1956): Chairman of Drafting Committee; fought for SC/ST rights; Mandal Commission (1979) — 27% OBC reservation; implemented 1990.
⚡ Exam tip: KPSC KAS frequently asks about Gandhi’s movements, contribution of Moderates vs Extremists, and leaders’ philosophical differences. Questions on Gandhi-Ambedkar debates, Bose and the INA, and women’s role in the freedom movement are common.
🟡 Standard — Regular Study (2d–2mo)
Standard content.
National Movement and Leaders — KPSC KAS Study Guide
Moderates, Extremists, and Mass Leaders
Moderate Phase (1885-1905)
Dadabhai Naoroji (1845-1906):
- Drain Theory: Exposed how British extracted wealth from India — through salaries, pensions, home charges, and trade;
- Calculation: British extracted 40-50 million pounds annually; India became poorer despite British claims of development
- Published in “Poverty of India” (1876): Used official British statistics
- Significance: Demonstrated exploitation through economic arguments
Other Moderate Leaders:
- Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee: First President of INC (1885)
- Surendranath Banerjee: Founded Indian Association (1876); two-time President of INC
- Gopal Krishna Gokhale: Served in 1906; mentor to Gandhi; warned about untouchability
Moderate Methods:
- Petitions and memoranda to British authorities
- Request for greater Indian participation in administration
- Loyal approach; believed British would respond to justice
- Focused on political education and awakening
- Press coverage and public meetings
Limitation: No mass base; relied on educated elite; no challenge to British rule itself
Extremist Phase (1905-1919)
Lal Bal Pal (Triad):
- Lala Lajpat Rai (Punjab): Founded Jugantar; died after 1928 protest of Simon Commission (assault by police)
- Bal Gangadhar Tilak (Maharashtra): Kesari newspaper; Ganapati and Shivaji festivals as political mobilization; imprisoned multiple times by British
- Bipin Chandra Pal (Bengal): Swadeshi advocate; Nationalist newspaper
Tilak’s Contribution:
- “Swaraj is my birthright and I will have it” — became the defining slogan
- Popularized festivals: Ganapati festivals (mass public gathering) and Shivaji festivals (regional pride)
- Political calendar: Brought politics to common people beyond elite circles
- Imprisoned 1908: 6 years for sedition; released 1914
Methods Shift:
- Boycott of British goods (Swadeshi)
- National education movement
- Self-reliance (Swadeshi goods, national schools)
- Public demonstrations
British Response — Morley-Minto Reforms (1909):
- Separate electorates for Muslims (led to communal representation)
- Continued British control over key areas
Mahatma Gandhi — Mass Movement Leader
South African Experience (1893-1914):
- Satyagraha against discriminatory laws for Indians in South Africa
- Transvaal Indians: Non-cooperation against registration certificates
- Natal Indian Congress: Mobilized Indian community
Return to India and First Campaigns (1915-1920):
- Champaran (1917): Indigo farmers in Bihar; forced British to repeal tax; first successful satyagraha in India
- Kheda (1918): Farmers Gujarat; crop failure; Gandhi organized no-tax campaign
- Jallianwala Bagh (1919): April 13, 1919; Dyer fired on gathering; Gandhi joined protest movement
Major Movements:
Non-Cooperation (1920-1922):
- Renounce British titles; no government service; law courts; national schools; boycott foreign goods
- National schools: Over 800 established
- Congress transformed from elite organization to mass party
- Chauri Chaura incident (1922): Police burned 22 policemen alive; Gandhi called off movement
Civil Disobedience (1930):
- Dandi March (March 12 - April 6, 1930): 241-mile march to Dandi coast; salt-making; broke British monopoly
- 2.5 lakh participated across India
- Salt Satyagraha became symbol of mass defiance
Quit India (1942):
- “Do or Die” — August 8, 1942; Gandhi’s call for immediate independence
- Mass uprising; British suppression
- Underground movement continued; revolutionary groups active
Other Key Gandhi Actions:
- Round Table Conferences (1930-1932): Attended; negotiations with British
- Poona Pact (1932): Fasting unto death for SC representation; Poona Pact with Ambedkar — reserved seats for SC (later expanded by Mandal Commission)
- Communal Award (1932): Separate electorates for Harijans; Gandhi opposed; fasted until modified
🔴 Extended — Deep Study (3mo+)
Comprehensive coverage.
National Movement and Leaders — Comprehensive KPSC KAS Notes
Gandhi’s Philosophy, Bose’s INA, and Ambedkar’s Contributions
Gandhi’s Philosophy
Satyagraha — The Method:
- Satyagraha: Truth-force; holding onto truth; non-violent resistance to injustice
- Ahimsa: Non-violence in thought, word, deed
- Swaraj: Self-rule; self-discipline; not just political independence
- Constructive Programs: Spinning (charkha), removal of untouchability, Hindu-Muslim unity, basic education
Key Texts:
- Hind Swaraj (1909): Critique of modern civilization; Western industrialization; machine age; argued for self-sufficient village economy
- The Story of My Experiments with Truth (Autobiography): Simple living; truth-telling
Gandhi-Ambedkar Debate:
- 1932 Poona Pact: Ambedkar wanted separate electorates for SC; Gandhi opposed (felt would divide Hindu community permanently) and fasted
- Poona Pact outcome: Reserved seats for SC within general electorate (not separate electorates); joint electorate with reservation
- Philosophical difference: Ambedkar advocated separate political representation for SC protection; Gandhi advocated integration within Hindu society after reform
Gandhi on Social Issues:
- Untouchability: Campaign for removal; harijan (children of God) terminology; temple entry movements
- Hindu-Muslim Unity: All India晴雨表; opposed Partition (1947) but accepted after violence
- Women’s Role: Active participation in movements; Kasturba Gandhi as partner; women picketed liquor shops
Subhas Chandra Bose — The Revolutionary
Early Career:
- Congress President at young age (1938, 1939); differences with Gandhi about war stance
- War in Europe: Bose sought help from Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan to fight British
- Escape from India (1940): House arrest; escaped via Afghanistan, Soviet Union, Germany
Indian National Army (INA):
- Formed by Ras Behari Bose (Japan); Subhas Chandra Bose took over after 1943
- Head: Subhas Chandra Bose — “Netaji” (Respected Leader)
- Azad Hind Fauj: Mixed Indian forces under Japanese command; fought British in Burma
- Onward to India campaign: Captured Andaman and Nicobar Islands (renamed Swaraj and Netaji); but advance stopped at Kohima (1944)
INA Trials (1945-46):
- Three INA officers — Shah Nawaz Khan, Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon, Prem Sehgal — put on trial at Red Fort
- Trial electrified Indian public; mass protests; Congress took up cause
- British were forced to acquit: Army officers refused to participate in execution; fear of army rebellion
Death:
- Died in plane crash on August 18, 1945 near Taipei, Taiwan (Formosa); Japanese news reported death
- Controversy: Various conspiracy theories about survival; most evidence suggests he died in crash
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar — Champion of the Oppressed
Background:
- Born in Untouchable (Mahar) community; faced discrimination throughout life; unable to sit with other students; called “untouchable” by teachers
- Education: Elphinstone College, Bombay; Columbia University (MA, PhD); London School of Economics (DSc)
- Conversion to Buddhism (1956): Led mass conversion ceremony in Nagpur; rejected Hinduism for Buddhism; saw it as path to dignity
Constitutional Contributions:
- Chairman of Drafting Committee
- Strong advocate for fundamental rights: Individual liberty, equality, property rights
- Secularism: State and religion separate; freedom to practice religion
- Social justice: Reservation for SC/ST; article 17 (abolition of untouchability)
- Debated: Did not support Directive Principles as justiciable (unlike Nehru)
Mandal Commission (1979):
- Established by Janata Party government; Morarji Desai as PM
- Commission to identify “Other Backward Classes” (OBCs) for reservation
- 1980 Report: 27% reservation for OBCs in central government jobs and educational institutions
- Implementation (1990): VP Singh’s government implemented; massive protests; suicide by student Bhanvari Devi; Mandal agitation
- Supreme Court cases: Mandal cases challenged in court; Indira Sawhney vs UOI (1992): Supreme Court upheld 27% OBC reservation but capped at 50%
Writings:
- Annihilation of Caste (1936): Unpublished speech; criticized Hindu social system; caste as unbridgeable
- Riddles in Hindu History: Questioned traditional narratives; highlighted oppression of lower castes
Women’s Participation
Key Women Freedom Fighters:
- Sarojini Naidu: Poet; President of INC (1925); called “Nightingale of India”; active in Non-Cooperation and Civil Disobedience
- Kasturba Gandhi: Gandhi’s wife; participated in movements; imprisoned; supported Gandhi’s constructive programs
- Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit: Gandhi’s sister; International diplomat; President of INC
- Aruna Asaf Ali: Quit India movement; first acting president of Congress (underground)
- Sucheta Kriplani: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister (first woman CM in India — 1963)
Women’s Role in National Movement:
- Participation in all major movements (Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience, Quit India)
- Women picketed liquor shops (prohibition campaign)
- Spinning and weaving movements
- Prison-going (over 100,000 women imprisoned by British)
- Rani Lakshmibai (1857) — earlier but symbolic
Examination Strategy
KPSC KAS commonly asks:
- Compare Moderate and Extremist phases of the National Movement
- Analyse Gandhi’s philosophy of Satyagraha
- Discuss Bose’s INA and its contribution to the freedom movement
- Evaluate Ambedkar’s contributions to social justice
- Examine women’s participation in the National Movement
Key distinctions:
- Moderate politics (petitions, loyalty) vs Extremist politics (confrontation, boycott)
- Gandhi’s concept of Swaraj vs Bose’s concept of Azad Hind Fauj
- Ambedkar’s separate electorate demand vs Gandhi’s integration approach
- Civil Disobedience vs Non-Cooperation vs Quit India (different methods and British responses)
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