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Indian National Movement

Part of the RPSC RAS study roadmap. General Studies topic histor-010 of General Studies.

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Indian National Movement

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The Indian National Movement (1885–1947) was one of the most significant political movements of the 20th century — ending 190 years of British colonial rule. The movement progressed from moderate petitions to mass civil disobedience under Mahatma Gandhi’s leadership, culminating in India’s independence on 15 August 1947 and the partition of British India into India and Pakistan.

Key Facts for RPSC RAS:

  • Indian National Congress (INC) was founded in 1885 by A.O. Hume and Dadabhai Naoroji at Bombay.
  • Partition of Bengal (1905) by Lord Curzon — sparked the Swadeshi movement.
  • Mahatma Gandhi returned to India in 1915; led the Non-Cooperation Movement (1920–22), Civil Disobedience Movement (1930), and Quit India Movement (1942).
  • Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of independent India (1947–64).
  • Muhammad Ali Jinnah led the Muslim League — demanded a separate Muslim state (Pakistan); the demand was accepted in the Lahore Resolution (1940).
  • Independence (15 August 1947) — accompanied by the Partition of India and massive communal violence.

⚡ Exam tip: The role of Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Bhagat Singh, Subhas Chandra Bose, and Jinnah are high-yield. Also know the major movements, their years, and consequences.

🟡 Standard — Regular Study (2d–2mo)

Standard content for students with a few days to months.

Early Phase (1885–1905)

Foundation of the Indian National Congress (1885)

Founders:

  • A.O. Hume (British civil servant) — encouraged by Viceroy Lord Dufferin
  • Dadabhai Naoroji — first President (1885)
  • Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee — first President of a session

Objectives of INC:

  • Create a national forum for political discussion
  • Unify the Indian elite across regions and religions
  • Demand greater representation in administration

Early Phase — The “Moderates”:

  • Leaders: Dadabhai Naoroji, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Surendranath Banerjea
  • Methods: Petitions, memoranda, resolutions — constitutional means
  • Goals: Constitutional reforms, civil rights, reduction of military expenditure

Dadabhai Naoroji’s “Drain Theory”:

  • British were draining India’s wealth to Britain
  • Called India the “Sairee Kelecheer” (sponge) of Britain
  • Influenced later nationalist thinking about economic exploitation

The Extremist Phase (1905–1919)

Partition of Bengal (1905)

Lord Curzon’s partition:

  • Divided Bengal into East Bengal (with Assam) and West Bengal (with Bihar and Orissa)
  • Administrative justification: Better governance
  • Political reality: The Hindu-dominated Bengal business class opposed it — they feared losing control

The Swadeshi Movement (1905):

  • Boycott of British goods — promoted Indian-made goods (swadeshi)
  • Picketing of shops selling British goods
  • Promoted Indian education — national schools established

Lal Bal Pal

Extremist leaders who led the Swadeshi movement:

  • Bal Gangadhar Tilak — Maharashtra; “Swaraj is my birthright”
  • Lala Lajpat Rai — Punjab; led the protest against the PLM (Public Library Movement)
  • Bipin Chandra Pal — Bengal; “no compromise with British rule”

The Partition of Bengal was annulled in 1911 — but the Swadeshi spirit remained.

Mahatma Gandhi and the National Movement

Gandhi Returns to India (1915)

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi:

  • Returned from South Africa (where he fought discrimination against Indians)
  • His techniques: Non-violence (Ahimsa), Satyagraha (truth-force), Civil disobedience
  • First major campaigns: Champaran (1917), Ahmedabad (1918), Kheda (1918)

Rowlatt Act (1919)

Black Act:

  • Allowed preventive detention without trial
  • Jailed political activists without trial
  • Sparked massive protests

Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (13 April 1919):

  • General Dyer ordered troops to fire on unarmed protesters at Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar
  • 379-1,500 people killed (figures disputed)
  • Non-cooperation movement was announced in response

Non-Cooperation Movement (1920–1922)

Congress session at Calcutta (September 1920):

  • Adopted Non-Cooperation — refuse to cooperate with British institutions
  • No participation in civil services, courts, schools
  • Khadi and charkha (spinning wheel) became symbols of self-reliance

Withdrawal (1922):

  • The movement was withdrawn after Chauri Chaura incident (1922) — police firing on protesters in Uttar Pradesh
  • Gandhi felt the movement was becoming violent — called it off

Civil Disobedience Movement (1930)

The Salt March (12 March – 6 April 1930):

  • Gandhi marched 241 miles (388 km) from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi (coastal Gujarat)
  • Made salt from seawater — violating the British salt monopoly
  • Mass participation — thousands joined the march

Key features:

  • Dandi March — the defining moment of the movement
  • Salt taxes were deeply unpopular — made salt illegal for Indians to produce
  • Civil disobedience — refusal to pay taxes, boycott of goods

Round Table Conferences (1930–1932):

  • British called conferences in London
  • Gandhi attended but negotiations failed
  • Poona Pact (1932): Gandhi fasted against separate electorates for Harijans (depressed classes); agreed to joint electorates

Quit India Movement (1942)

The Demand:

  • “Quit India” — August 1942 resolution
  • “Do or Die” — Gandhi’s call

Suppression:

  • The British immediately arrested all Congress leaders (Gandhi, Nehru, Patel, etc.)
  • Massive protests across India — over 1,000 killed by British firing
  • Subhas Chandra Bose’s INA was active at this time (outside India)

Key Leaders

Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948)

Methods:

  • Ahimsa (Non-violence) — never advocated killing
  • Satyagraha — truth-force; civil disobedience
  • Sarvodaya — welfare of all

Major Movements:

  • Non-Cooperation (1920-22)
  • Civil Disobedience (1930)
  • Quit India (1942)

Assassinated: 30 January 1948 by Nathuram Godse — a Hindu nationalist

Jawaharlal Nehru (1889–1964)

  • First Prime Minister of India
  • Architect of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)
  • Wrote “Discovery of India” — during his imprisonment
  • Socialist vision — democratic socialism, secularism

Subhas Chandra Bose (1897–1945)

  • Disagreed with Gandhi’s methods — advocated violent resistance
  • Escaped house arrest in 1941; went to Germany, then Japan
  • Formed the Indian National Army (INA) — with Japanese support
  • Fought the British in Burma and Northeast India
  • Died in a plane crash (1945) — circumstances disputed

Famous slogan: “Tum mujhe khoon do, main tumhe azadi doon” (Give me blood, I will give you freedom)

Bhagat Singh (1907–1931)

  • Revolutionary — believed in violent overthrow of British rule
  • Killed J.P. Saunders (1928) — British police officer
  • Bomb in the Central Legislative Assembly (1929) — threw bombs; no one killed
  • Hanged on 23 March 1931 — became a martyr

Partition and Independence

The Lahore Resolution (23 March 1940)

Muslim League under Muhammad Ali Jinnah demanded a separate Muslim homeland (Pakistan):

  • “Separate states” for Muslims in the northwest and northeast
  • Not formally called “Pakistan” in 1940 — the name was proposed later

Cripps Mission (1942)

  • Sir Stafford Cripps sent by Churchill to negotiate
  • Offered: Dominion status after war, immediate representation
  • Congress rejected — wanted immediate complete independence

Simla Conference (1945)

  • Conference to form interim government
  • League and Congress both claimed to represent all Indians
  • Failed to agree

Cabinet Mission Plan (1946)

  • Proposed loose confederation of India with weak centre
  • Congress accepted; League rejected — went back to demand Pakistan

Direct Action Day (16 August 1946)

  • Muslim League called for direct action
  • Great Calcutta Killings — communal violence
  • Spread to Noakhali, Bihar — communal massacres

Partition and Independence

Mountbatten Plan (3 June 1947):

  • Lord Mountbatten — last Viceroy
  • Announced plan to partition British India into India and Pakistan
  • Radcliffe Line drawn by Cyril Radcliffe — demarcated the border

Independence (15 August 1947):

  • India became independent — Jawaharlal Nehru became first PM
  • Pakistan was created — Muhammad Ali Jinnah became first Governor-General
  • Massive communal violence — over 1 million killed; 15 million displaced

Integration of Princely States:

  • V.P. Menon (Sardar Patel) — 562 princely states integrated
  • Hyderabad, Junagadh, Jammu & Kashmir — special cases:
    • Hyderabad: Police Action (September 1948) — Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel sent army
    • Jammu & Kashmir: Instrument of Accession signed (October 1947); first India-Pakistan war over Kashmir

Practice Questions for RPSC RAS

  1. What was the Non-Cooperation Movement? Why was it withdrawn?
  2. What was the Salt March? Why was it significant?
  3. Who was Mahatma Gandhi? What were his methods of resistance?
  4. What led to the Partition of India? What were its consequences?
  5. How did India gain independence? What was the Mountbatten Plan?

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Thinking the entire national movement was non-violent — Bhagat Singh, Subhas Bose, and others advocated violent means.
  • Confusing the Quit India Movement (1942) with the Civil Disobedience Movement (1930) — they were different campaigns.
  • Forgetting that Jinnah was initially a proponent of Hindu-Muslim unity — his politics changed over time.

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