Hello students! Today I’m sharing notes on one of the most imp chapters of our history syllabus – India’s freedom struggle. These notes will help you understand how our country fought for independence from British rule.
1. Introduction
Our freedom struggle was a long journey that changed India forever:
- British rule affected lives of peasants, tribals and women
- They brought new laws, administration and education system
- This created debates about caste, women’s rights and traditional crafts
- The Revolt of 1857 showed Indians could resist British power
- Over time, Indians became more unhappy with colonial control
- This led to the national movement that fought for our freedom
2. Causes of Discontent with British Rule
Many things made Indians unhappy with British rule:
- British conquered Indian kingdoms one by one
- New laws limited rights and freedoms of Indians
- Peasants had to pay very high taxes and land revenue
- Tribal people lost their forest rights and were exploited
- Women had no education and faced many oppressive customs
- Caste system continued to create inequalities
- Traditional crafts declined because of British industrial policies
- Arms Act of 1878 stopped Indians from keeping weapons
- Vernacular Press Act of 1878 tried to silence Indian newspapers
- Ilbert Bill controversy showed British racism
- British economic policies caused poverty and terrible famines
- Food grains were exported even during shortages
- Too much money was spent on military which Indians had to pay for
3. Emergence of Nationalism
Gradually, Indians started questioning British control:
- They began to think of India as one nation for all its people
- They believed country’s resources belonged to Indians, not British
- After 1850, many political associations were formed
- Poona Sarvajanik Sabha worked for public welfare
- Indian Association and Madras Mahajan Sabha were formed
- Bombay Presidency Association spoke about Indian concerns
- Indian National Congress (INC) was formed in 1885
- First meeting happened in Bombay with 72 delegates
- It was led by educated Indians like Dadabhai Naoroji and Pherozeshah Mehta
- A.O. Hume, a retired British official, helped unite regional leaders
- These associations wanted sovereignty for Indian people
- They worked for all Indians, not just specific regions or classes
4. Early Congress (1885-1905)
The first 20 years of Congress are called the Moderate phase:
- They demanded greater role for Indians in government
- They wanted more power for Legislative Councils
- They asked for councils in provinces that didn’t have them
- They pushed for more Indians in administration
- They demanded civil service exams to be held in India too
- They opposed racial discrimination in British hiring practices
- They highlighted how British were draining India’s wealth
- They criticized high land revenue and growing poverty
- They opposed unfair taxes like salt tax and forest policies
- They raised issues of Indian labourers working abroad
- They used newspapers and speeches to raise awareness
- They believed British respected justice and freedom
- Their method was to persuade government with reasonable demands
5. Rise of Radical Nationalism
By 1890s, some leaders started questioning Moderate methods:
- New leaders like Bepin Chandra Pal and Bal Gangadhar Tilak emerged
- Lala Lajpat Rai criticized what he called “politics of prayers”
- These Radicals pushed for self-reliance and swaraj (self-rule)
- Tilak famously declared, “Freedom is my birthright”
- They wanted mass action, not just petitions and prayers
- Their goal was complete independence from British rule
6. Swadeshi Movement (1905)
In 1905, a major protest movement started:
- Viceroy Curzon decided to partition Bengal in 1905
- He claimed it was for better administration
- But real aim was to weaken Bengali political influence
- He split East Bengal and merged it with Assam
- This created anger against British across the country
- Both Moderates and Radicals opposed this partition
- This led to the Swadeshi movement against British rule
- Movement promoted self-help and national education
- People were encouraged to use Indian goods and languages
- There were mass protests and boycotts of British goods
- Movement was strongest in Bengal but spread to other areas
- In Andhra, it was called Vandemataram Movement
- Some people even suggested revolutionary violence
7. Political Developments (1906-1916)
This period saw important political changes:
- All India Muslim League was formed in 1906
- It supported Bengal partition and focused on Muslim interests
- It demanded separate electorates for Muslims
- Government granted separate electorates in 1909
- Congress split in 1907 over boycott tactics
- Moderates didn’t support boycott but Radicals wanted it
- After split, Moderates controlled Congress
- Radicals, led by Tilak, worked outside Congress
- In 1915, Congress and Muslim League came closer
- They signed Lucknow Pact in 1916
- Both agreed to work for representative government
8. Growth of Mass Nationalism
After 1919, the movement became truly mass-based:
- Now it involved peasants, tribals, students and women
- Even business groups supported Congress in 1920s
- First World War changed India’s situation a lot
- War increased taxes, prices and hardships for people
- Indian business groups made profits and wanted growth
- British expanded army and put pressure on villages
- Soldiers returning from war brought anti-colonial ideas
- Russian Revolution of 1917 inspired many nationalists
- News about socialism and workers’ struggles spread in India
9. Mahatma Gandhi’s Leadership
Gandhi’s entry changed the national movement:
- He came back to India in 1915 from South Africa
- In South Africa, he had led non-violent protests against racism
- After returning, he travelled across India to understand people’s problems
- He supported local movements in Champaran and Kheda
- He led Ahmedabad millworkers’ strike in 1918
- He promoted Hindu-Muslim unity in all struggles
- Soon he became a mass leader for national movement
10. Rowlatt Satyagraha (1919)
The first all-India struggle under Gandhi was against Rowlatt Act:
- British passed Rowlatt Act in 1919
- It limited freedom of expression and gave more powers to police
- Gandhi called for satyagraha against this unfair Act
- He declared 6 April 1919 as day of hartal (strike)
- He set up Satyagraha Sabhas to organize protests
- This was first all-India struggle, mainly in cities
- Government used brutal force to stop protests
- Worst was Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar
- General Dyer killed hundreds of innocents on 13 April 1919
- Rabindranath Tagore gave up his knighthood in protest
- During this movement, Hindus and Muslims worked together
11. Khilafat and Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-1922)
Next came a bigger movement that combined two causes:
- British imposed harsh treaty on Turkish Khalifa after WWI
- Indian Muslims started Khilafat movement to support Khalifa
- Mohammad Ali and Shaukat Ali led this agitation
- Gandhi linked Khilafat with Non-Cooperation Movement
- He campaigned against Jallianwala Bagh and Khilafat wrongs
- He demanded swaraj through non-violent means
- Students left government schools and colleges
- Lawyers like Motilal Nehru stopped their legal practice
- People burned foreign cloth and boycotted British institutions
- Foreign cloth imports dropped by half
- Movement gained huge momentum in 1921-1922
12. People’s Initiatives
Different groups joined the movement in their own ways:
- People understood Gandhi’s call differently
- They connected national movement to their local issues
- In Kheda, peasants protested against high land revenue
- In Andhra and Tamil Nadu, people picketed liquor shops
- In Guntur, tribal people started forest satyagrahas
- They protested against forest restrictions and grazing fees
- Many believed Gandhi would remove all taxes and regulations
- In Sind, Muslims and traders supported Khilafat movement
- Bengal saw strong unity between Hindus and Muslims
- In Punjab, Akali movement removed corrupt mahants
- In Assam, tea workers demanded higher wages
- In Pratapgarh, peasants stopped illegal evictions
- Many people saw Gandhi as a messiah and believed in “Gandhi Raj”
- Some actions went beyond Gandhi’s ideas of non-violence
13. Chauri Chaura and Aftermath (1922-1929)
A violent incident changed the course of movement:
- In 1922, angry peasants burned police station in Chauri Chaura
- They killed 22 policemen after police fired on them
- Gandhi immediately stopped Non-Cooperation Movement
- He focused on constructive work in villages
- Leaders like Motilal Nehru and C.R. Das pushed for contesting elections
- Rural work helped expand Congress support base
- Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was formed in 1925
- Communist Party of India was established in 1925
- Revolutionary nationalist Bhagat Singh became active
- Congress demanded Purna Swaraj (complete independence) in 1929
- 26 January 1930 was declared as Independence Day
14. Revolutionary Nationalism
Some young nationalists chose different path:
- Bhagat Singh and Chandra Shekhar Azad led revolutionary movement
- They formed Hindustan Socialist Republican Association in 1928
- They killed Saunders to avenge Lajpat Rai’s death in 1928
- They threw bomb in Legislative Assembly in 1929
- Their aim was to “make the deaf hear” about British exploitation
- Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru were executed in 1931
15. Salt Satyagraha (1930)
Gandhi’s next major movement focused on salt:
- Gandhi announced march to break salt law
- Salt tax was seen as unjust and affected everyone
- He marched 240 miles from Sabarmati to Dandi
- On 6 April 1930, he broke law by making salt
- Peasants, tribals and women joined in large numbers
- Women like Ambabai picketed shops and faced arrests
- Sarojini Naidu led women in the march
- Government used brutal force and jailed thousands
- This movement strengthened national movement’s determination
16. Provincial Autonomy and Congress Rule
In late 1930s, Congress participated in elections:
- Government of India Act of 1935 gave some autonomy to provinces
- Elections were held for provincial legislatures in 1937
- Congress formed governments in 7 out of 11 provinces
- Second World War began in 1939
- Congress supported war but demanded independence
- British refused this demand, so Congress ministries resigned
17. Quit India Movement (1942)
The most intense phase of struggle happened during World War II:
- Gandhi launched Quit India Movement in 1942
- He asked British to leave India immediately
- He called for “do or die” non-violent struggle
- All leaders were jailed, but movement spread widely
- Peasants and youth attacked symbols of government
- People set up their own governments in some areas
- British used severe repression with arrests and killings
- Over 90,000 were arrested and 1,000 killed by 1943
- This movement seriously weakened British control
18. Towards Independence and Partition
Final years saw freedom but also painful partition:
- Muslim League demanded autonomous Muslim states in 1940
- Initially they didn’t mention Pakistan or partition
- They felt Muslims were minority and needed protection
- Tensions between Congress and League grew in 1930s
- Congress rejected joint government with League in 1937
- League gained strong Muslim support in 1940s
- 1946 elections showed League’s strength in Muslim areas
- Cabinet Mission proposed united confederation
- Congress and League couldn’t agree on details
- League announced Direct Action Day in 1946
- Calcutta riots killed thousands and violence spread
- By 1947, partition became unavoidable
- Millions were displaced and faced violence during Partition
- India gained independence but with pain of Partition
19. Indian National Army (INA)
Another important part of freedom struggle:
- Subhas Chandra Bose formed INA in 1941
- He left India secretly and reached Singapore via Germany
- His aim was to free India through armed struggle
- INA attacked India through Imphal and Kohima in 1944
- The campaign failed and INA members were captured
- Trials of INA soldiers caused nationwide protests
- This strengthened anti-British feelings across India
20. Questions and Answers
Why were people dissatisfied with British rule in the 1870s and 1880s?
People were unhappy with British rule because:
- They passed oppressive laws like Arms Act that stopped Indians from having weapons
- Vernacular Press Act tried to silence Indian newspapers
- Economic policies caused poverty and terrible famines
- Racial discrimination was clear from Ilbert Bill controversy
- British policies harmed peasants, tribals and artisans
- High taxes and land revenue made life difficult
- Indians had very little say in their own governance
Who did the Indian National Congress wish to speak for?
Indian National Congress wished to speak for:
- All people of India, regardless of their background
- People from all classes, castes and religions
- Both men and women across the country
- As Badruddin Tyabji said, they wanted to represent entire nation
- Not just specific regions or communities
- All those who lived under British rule in India
What economic impact did the First World War have on India?
First World War affected India’s economy in several ways:
- It increased taxes and prices for common people
- It caused hardships and shortages of essential items
- Indian business groups made profits from war demands
- Industries expanded to meet war needs
- Business groups wanted more development opportunities
- British demanded more resources and men for war
- War economy changed India’s economic structure
What did the Muslim League resolution of 1940 ask for?
Muslim League resolution of 1940 asked for:
- Independent states for Muslims in north-western and eastern areas
- Autonomy for Muslim-majority regions
- Protection of Muslim interests and culture
- Interestingly, it didn’t specifically mention “Pakistan”
- It didn’t clearly call for complete partition
- It wanted self-governing areas within India
- Protection for Muslims who they felt were a minority
Who were the Moderates? How did they propose to struggle against British rule?
Moderates were early Congress leaders who:
- Wanted gradual reforms through constitutional means
- Proposed struggle through petitions, speeches and newspapers
- Demanded more Indian representation in government
- Pushed for Indianisation of administration
- Asked for economic reforms to reduce poverty
- Believed British would respond to just demands
- Trusted British sense of justice and fairness
- Leaders included Dadabhai Naoroji, Gopal Krishna Gokhale
How was the politics of the Radicals within the Congress different from that of the Moderates?
Radicals had very different approach than Moderates:
- They rejected petitions and prayers as ineffective
- They demanded swaraj (self-rule) instead of just reforms
- They promoted self-reliance and swadeshi
- They wanted mass mobilisation and boycotts
- Leaders like Tilak, Pal and Lajpat Rai used stronger language
- They criticized Moderates for “politics of prayers”
- They believed only pressure tactics would work
- Tilak famously said “Freedom is my birthright”
Discuss the various forms that the Non-Cooperation Movement took in different parts of India. How did the people understand Gandhiji?
Non-Cooperation Movement took different forms:
- Students left government schools and colleges
- Lawyers like Motilal Nehru stopped practice
- People burned foreign cloth everywhere
- In Kheda, peasants protested against high land revenue
- In Andhra and Tamil Nadu, people picketed liquor shops
- In Guntur, tribals started forest satyagrahas against restrictions
- In Punjab, Sikhs started Akali movement to remove corrupt mahants
- In Assam, tea workers demanded better wages
- In Pratapgarh, peasants stopped illegal evictions
People understood Gandhi in different ways:
- Many saw him as a messiah who would solve all problems
- They believed in something called “Gandhi Raj”
- They thought he would remove all taxes and regulations
- They gave him credit for all their successful protests
- Some took actions beyond his non-violent principles
- They interpreted his messages according to their local needs
- For many, he represented hope for better future
Why did Gandhiji choose to break the salt law?
Gandhi chose to break salt law for several smart reasons:
- Salt tax affected everyone, both rich and poor
- It was an unjust tax on basic necessity
- Breaking the law was simple act anyone could do
- Salt was available near sea, easy to make
- The march from Sabarmati to Dandi created huge attention
- It connected general desire for freedom with specific issue
- It united people across regions and classes
- It was perfect symbol of unjust British rule
- It showed how even simple things were controlled by British
Discuss those developments of the 1937-47 period that led to the creation of Pakistan.
Several developments between 1937-47 led to Pakistan:
- Congress rejected joint government with Muslim League after 1937 elections
- This made League feel Congress wouldn’t protect Muslim interests
- League passed resolution in 1940 asking for autonomous Muslim states
- League gained strong support among Muslims in 1940s
- In 1946 elections, League won almost all Muslim seats
- Cabinet Mission plan for united confederation failed
- Congress and League couldn’t agree on details
- League announced Direct Action Day in 1946
- Terrible riots in Calcutta killed thousands
- Violence spread to other parts of India
- Communal tensions made living together seem impossible
- By 1947, partition became unavoidable solution
- Millions faced displacement and violence during partition process
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