Indian National Movement

Indian National Movement

Overview

The Indian National Movement (1857–1947) represents India's long struggle against British colonial rule, culminating in independence on 15 August 1947. This topic is a cornerstone of TNPSC General Studies, appearing consistently across prelims and mains papers. Questions typically test knowledge of chronology, key leaders, movements, acts, and their consequences.

Understanding this topic requires grasping three broad phases: the early nationalist phase (1857–1905) with moderate methods, the extremist and revolutionary phase (1905–1919), and the Gandhian mass movement phase (1919–1947). Students must connect events causally—how one act or movement triggered another—rather than memorising isolated facts. Tamil Nadu's specific contributions (Bharathi, V.O.C., Vedaranyam) often feature as supplementary questions.

Key Concepts

• Revolt of 1857 was the first large-scale armed resistance against British rule, triggered by the greased cartridge issue but rooted in political, economic, and social grievances. It failed due to lack of coordination, limited geographic spread, and absence of unified leadership.
• Formation of Indian National Congress (1885) by A.O. Hume marked the beginning of organised nationalism. Early Congress leaders (Dadabhai Naoroji, Gokhale, Pherozeshah Mehta) used petitions, prayers, and constitutional methods—hence called "Moderates."
• Extremist Phase (1905–1919) saw leaders like Tilak, Lajpat Rai, and Bipin Chandra Pal advocate Swadeshi, boycott, and national education. Tilak's slogan: "Swaraj is my birthright, and I shall have it."
• Revolutionary Nationalism ran parallel to mainstream movements. Groups like Anushilan Samiti, Ghadar Party, and individuals like Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, and Subhas Chandra Bose's INA pursued armed struggle.
• Gandhian Era (1919–1947) introduced mass participation through Satyagraha (non-violent resistance). Key movements: Non-Cooperation (1920–22), Civil Disobedience (1930–34), and Quit India (1942).
• Communal Politics and Partition emerged from separate electorates (Morley-Minto 1909), Muslim League's two-nation theory (1940 Lahore Resolution), and eventual partition in 1947 with massive communal violence.
• Constitutional Reforms by British—Morley-Minto (1909), Montagu-Chelmsford (1919), Government of India Act (1935)—were responses to nationalist pressure but fell short of Indian demands.

Key Facts and Dates

Important Commissions/Acts:

• Rowlatt Act 1919 – detention without trial ("no vakeel, no daleel, no appeal")
• Communal Award 1932 – separate electorates for depressed classes (led to Poona Pact)
• Cripps Mission 1942 – offered Dominion Status post-war (rejected)
• Cabinet Mission 1946 – proposed three-tier federal structure

Worked Examples

Example 1: Sequence-based Question Arrange in chronological order: (i) Quit India (ii) Dandi March (iii) Jallianwala Bagh (iv) Partition of Bengal

Solution:

• Partition of Bengal – 1905
• Jallianwala Bagh – 1919
• Dandi March – 1930
• Quit India – 1942

Answer: (iv), (iii), (ii), (i)

---

Example 2: Match the Following

Solution:

• Annie Besant started Home Rule League at Madras (1916)
• Tilak started Home Rule League at Pune/Bombay (1916)
• Bardoli Satyagraha (1928) was led by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

Answer: A-2, B-1, C-3

---

Example 3: Statement-based Question Statement I: Non-Cooperation Movement was withdrawn after Chauri Chaura incident. Statement II: Gandhi believed violence would derail the movement.

Solution: Both statements are correct, and Statement II correctly explains Statement I. At Chauri Chaura (February 1922), a mob burned a police station killing 22 policemen. Gandhi withdrew the movement citing violation of non-violence principles.

Common Mistakes

• Confusing Home Rule Leagues: Students mix up Annie Besant (Madras, September 1916) with Tilak (Pune, April 1916). Remember: Tilak started FIRST (April), Besant LATER (September).
• Wrong sequence of Gandhian movements: The correct order is Non-Cooperation (1920) → Civil Disobedience (1930) → Quit India (1942). Students often confuse Civil Disobedience with Non-Cooperation.
• Mixing up Pacts: Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931) ended Civil Disobedience temporarily; Poona Pact (1932) was between Gandhi and Ambedkar on depressed classes' representation—not the same context.
• Attributing "Do or Die" wrongly: This slogan belongs to Quit India Movement (1942), not Civil Disobedience. "Inquilab Zindabad" was Bhagat Singh's slogan.
• Ignoring regional movements: TNPSC specifically asks about Tamil Nadu's role—Vedaranyam Salt March (Rajaji), V.O. Chidambaram Pillai's Swadeshi Steam Navigation, and Bharathi's poetry. Don't neglect these.

Quick Reference

• 1857 Revolt centres: Delhi (Bahadur Shah II), Kanpur (Nana Sahib), Lucknow (Begum Hazrat Mahal), Jhansi (Rani Lakshmibai)
• Moderate-Extremist split: Surat Congress 1907; reunited at Lucknow 1916
• Three Round Table Conferences: 1930 (Congress absent), 1931 (Gandhi attended), 1932 (Congress absent again)
• INA trials (1945): Red Fort; defended by Bhulabhai Desai, Nehru, Asaf Ali
• Last Viceroy: Lord Mountbatten; oversaw partition and transfer of power
• Congress Presidents at key moments: Lahore 1929 (Nehru—Purna Swaraj), Tripuri 1939 (Bose defeated Pattabhi Sitaramayya)