Comprehensive Study Guide: Indian National Congress and Modern Indian Freedom Struggle
Indian National Congress and Early Nationalist Phase
Dada Bhai Naoroji ("The Grand Old Man of India")
Major Contributions and Achievements:
Pioneered the economic critique of British colonial rule in India.
Formulated the famous "Drain of Wealth" theory, demonstrating how Indian resources and wealth were systematically transferred to Britain without adequate economic return.
Helped establish the East India Association in London in 1866 to inform the British public and Parliament about Indian grievances.
Became the first Indian to be elected to the British House of Commons, serving as a Liberal Party Member of Parliament (MP) for Central Finsbury from 1892 to 1895.
Indian National Congress (INC) Sessions Presided Over:
1886 Calcutta Session: Presided over the second official session of the INC, strengthening the organizational foundation.
1893 Lahore Session: Presided over the session shortly after entering the British Parliament.
1906 Calcutta Session: Presided over a pivotal session where the demand for "Swaraj" (Self-Government) was explicitly declared for the first time from the INC platform.
Major Literary Works:
Poverty and Un-British Rule in India (Published 1901) – Exhaustively detailed the economic exploitation, taxation mechanisms, and wealth drain under British administration.
Formation of the Indian National Congress
Date of Foundation: December 28, 1885.
Founding Members & Organizers: Initiated by retired Anglo-Indian civil servant Allan Octavian Hume (A.O. Hume) alongside prominent Indian leaders including Dadabhai Naoroji, Dinshaw Wacha, and W.C. Bonnerjee.
First Session Venue: Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College, Bombay (Mumbadevi).
First President: Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee (W.C. Bonnerjee).
Attendance: Attended by 72 delegates from various provinces across India.
Important INC Sessions, Presidents, Locations, and Key Outcomes
1885 – Bombay: President: W.C. Bonnerjee. First official meeting; established core demands for civil service reform and administrative expansion.
1886 – Calcutta: President: Dadabhai Naoroji. Expansion of membership; merger of National Conference with INC.
1887 – Madras: President: Badruddin Tyabji. First Muslim President of the INC; issued appeals to the Muslim community to join national politics.
1888 – Allahabad: President: George Yule. First non-Indian / English President of the INC.
1896 – Calcutta: President: Rahimtullah M. Sayani. "Vande Mataram" composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay was sung for the first time at an INC session.
1905 – Benares: President: Gopal Krishna Gokhale. Formal resolution condemning the Partition of Bengal; support declared for Swadeshi and Boycott movements.
1906 – Calcutta: President: Dadabhai Naoroji. Adopted resolutions on Swadeshi, Boycott, National Education, and Swaraj.
1907 – Surat: President: Rash Behari Ghosh. The Surat Split occurred, dividing the party into Moderates and Extremists over ideology and political tactics.
1911 – Calcutta: President: Bishan Narayan Dhar. "Jana Gana Mana" composed by Rabindranath Tagore was sung for the first time.
1916 – Lucknow: President: Ambica Charan Mazumdar. Historic Lucknow Pact signed with the Muslim League; Moderates and Extremists reunited.
1917 – Calcutta: President: Annie Besant. First woman President of the INC.
1924 – Belgaum: President: Mahatma Gandhi. The only INC session presided over by Mahatma Gandhi.
1925 – Kanpur: President: Sarojini Naidu. First Indian woman President of the INC.
1929 – Lahore: President: Jawaharlal Nehru. Passed the landmark "Poorna Swaraj" (Complete Independence) resolution. December 31, 1929 saw the unfurling of the Tricolour flag on the banks of the Ravi River, and January 26, 1930 was fixed as Independence Day.
1931 – Karachi: President: Vallabhbhai Patel. Adopted resolutions on Fundamental Rights and the National Economic Programme; endorsed the Gandhi-Irwin Pact.
1936 – Lucknow: President: Jawaharlal Nehru. Pushed for socialist doctrine within the Congress platform.
1937 – Faizpur: President: Jawaharlal Nehru. First session to be held in a rural area.
1938 – Haripura: President: Subhash Chandra Bose. Set up the National Planning Committee under Jawaharlal Nehru.
1939 – Tripuri: President: Subhash Chandra Bose. Bose defeated Pattabhi Sitaramayya (Gandhi's preferred candidate) but later resigned due to executive differences, leading to his formation of the Forward Bloc.
Bengal Partition, Moderates vs Extremists, and Early Revolutionary Movements
Partition of Bengal (1905)
Announcement and Implementation: Announced by Viceroy Lord Curzon in July 1905; came into force on October 16, 1905.
Official Reason Stated: Administrative convenience for governing a massive population of over 78 million.
Actual Political Motive: Divide and rule tactic aimed at splitting the nationalist epicenter in Bengal along religious lines (Hindu-majority West Bengal and Muslim-majority East Bengal & Assam).
Annulment of Partition: Partition was annulled in 1911 by Lord Hardinge II during the Delhi Durbar visited by King George V. Concurrently, the capital of British India was shifted from Calcutta to Delhi.
Moderates vs. Extremists
Moderates (1885–1905):
Prominent Leaders: Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Dadabhai Naoroji, Pherozeshah Mehta, W.C. Bonnerjee, Justice M.G. Ranade.
Methods Adopted: Constitutional agitation, petitions, prayers, protests (the 3 Ps), resolutions, send delegations to Britain, relying on faith in British justice and fair play.
Extremists (1905–1919):
Prominent Leaders: The Lal-Bal-Pal trio (Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal) and Aurobindo Ghosh.
Methods Adopted: Swadeshi (use of indigenous goods), Boycott of foreign goods and institutions, Passive Resistance, non-cooperative self-reliance (Atmashakti), and national education systems.
Bal Gangadhar Tilak ("Lokmanya")
Key Contributions:
Pioneered mass nationalist mobilization through religious and historic festivals: Ganpati Festival (started 1893) and Shivaji Festival (started 1895).
Established news outlets to criticize British policies: Kesari (written in Marathi) and Mahratta (written in English).
Co-founded the Deccan Education Society and Fergusson College in Pune.
Famous Slogans:
"Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it!" (Swarajya mera janmasiddha adhikar hai aur main isse lekar rahunga!)
Muslim Response & Political Developments
Initial elite Muslim response supported the Partition of Bengal due to the creation of a Muslim-majority province in Eastern Bengal.
Formation of the All-India Muslim League (1906): Founded at Dacca (Dhaka) in December 1906 under the leadership of Nawab Salimullah, Aga Khan, and Waqar-ul-Mulk to safeguard Muslim political rights and advocate loyalty to the British crown.
Indian Councils Act, 1909 (Morley-Minto Reforms):
Introduced the system of Separate Electorates for Muslims, effectively giving legal sanction to communal representation in Indian politics.
Increased the size of legislative councils at both the Central and Provincial levels.
Revolutionary Activities (Phase I)
Organizations: Anushilan Samiti (Calcutta and Dhaka), Jugantar, Abhinav Bharat Society (founded by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in 1904).
Key Events & Assassinations:
1908 Alipore Bomb Conspiracy: Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki attempted to assassinate Kingsford, the magistrate of Muzaffarpur.
1909 Assassination of Curzon Wyllie: Executed in London by Madan Lal Dhingra.
1912 Delhi Conspiracy Case: Bomb hurled at Viceroy Lord Hardinge II during a state procession in Delhi, organized by Rash Behari Bose and Sachin Sanyal.
Home Rule Movement, Lucknow Session, and Regional Events
Home Rule League Movement (1916)
Tilak’s Home Rule League: Launched in April 1916 at Belgaum/Poona. Operated across Maharashtra (excluding Bombay city), Karnataka, Central Provinces, and Berar. Main demands: Swaraj, formation of linguistic states, and education in vernacular medium.
Annie Besant’s Home Rule League: Launched in September 1916 at Adyar (Madras). Covered the rest of India including Bombay city. Used newspapers New India and Commonweal to disseminate home rule concepts.
Lucknow Session of Congress (1916)
President: Ambica Charan Mazumdar.
Reunion of INC: Re-entry of Extremist leaders back into the Congress fold after the 1907 split.
Lucknow Pact (1916): Joint agreement signed between the Indian National Congress and the All-India Muslim League to present combined constitutional demands to the British government, accepting separate electorates for Muslims in political representation.
The Gandhian Era: South Africa to Non-Cooperation Movement
Mahatma Gandhi’s Work in South Africa (1893–1915)
Arrived in South Africa in 1893 to handle a legal case for Dada Abdulla.
Founded the Natal Indian Congress in 1894.
Established the Phoenix Settlement in Durban (1904) and Tolstoy Farm near Johannesburg (1910).
Launched his first Satyagraha (Passive Resistance) campaigns against discriminatory legislation, such as the Asiatic Registration Act (Black Act) and anti-Indian poll taxes.
Published the newspaper Indian Opinion.
Gandhi’s Return and Early Movements in India
Arrival: Returned to India on January 9, 1915 (celebrated as Pravasi Bharatiya Divas).
Political Mentor: Gopal Krishna Gokhale.
Sabarmati Ashram: Founded in Ahmedabad in 1917.
Initial Local Movements:
Champaran Satyagraha (1917) – Bihar: First civil disobedience in India. Fought against the oppressive Tinkathia System, where peasants were forced by British planters to cultivate Indigo on of their land.
Kheda Satyagraha (1918) – Gujarat: First non-cooperation movement. Demanded revenue assessment relief for farmers affected by crop failures and plague.
Ahmedabad Mill Strike (1918) – Gujarat: First hunger strike undertaken by Gandhi. Mediated a 35% wage hike for textile workers against mill owners.
Government of India Act, 1919 (Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms)
Introduced Dyarchy in the provinces, dividing administrative subjects into Transferred (e.g., health, education, local self-government) and Reserved (e.g., finance, police, land revenue).
Established a bicameral legislature at the Central level (Council of State and Central Legislative Assembly).
Extended separate electorates to Sikhs, Europeans, and Anglo-Indians.
Rowlatt Satyagraha, Jallianwala Bagh, and Khilafat Movement (1919)
Rowlatt Act (1919): Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act, authorizing the British government to detain political prisoners without trial for up to two years. Popularly termed "No Dalil, No Vakil, No Appeal".
Rowlatt Satyagraha: Gandhi established the Satyagraha Sabha to organize nationwide strikes (hartals).
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (April 13, 1919):
Occurred in Amritsar, Punjab, on Baisakhi day.
Public gathered peacefully to protest the arrest of leaders Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew and Dr. Satyapal.
Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer ordered troops to open fire on the trapped unarmed crowd.
Impact: Rabindranath Tagore renounced his British Knighthood in protest; Hunter Commission was appointed to inquire into the incident.
Khilafat Movement (1919):
Led by the Ali Brothers (Maulana Mohammad Ali and Shaukat Ali), Abul Kalam Azad, and Hasrat Mohani.
Aimed to protect the spiritual authority and territorial integrity of the Ottoman Caliph (Khalifa) following World War I.
Gandhi saw an opportunity to forge Hindu-Muslim unity and merged the Khilafat cause with national struggle.
Non-Cooperation Movement (1920–1922)
Approval: Special INC session at Calcutta (September 1920) and ratified at the regular Nagpur Session (December 1920).
Programmatic Steps Taken:
Surrender of titles and honorary offices (Gandhi returned his Kaiser-i-Hind medal).
Boycott of government schools, colleges, law courts, and foreign-made cloth.
Promotion of Charkha, hand-woven Khadi, and national schools (Vidyapeeths).
Chauri Chaura Incident (February 4, 1922): Violent clash at Chauri Chaura in Gorakhpur district, Uttar Pradesh. A mob set fire to a police station, killing 22 policemen. Gandhi abruptly withdrew the Non-Cooperation Movement on February 12, 1922, citing a lapse into violence.
Formation of the Swaraj Party (1923)
Founders: Chittaranjan Das (C.R. Das as President) and Motilal Nehru (as Secretary).
Context: Formed after the split between Pro-Changers (who wanted to enter legislative councils to wreck the government from within) and No-Changers (led by C. Rajagopalachari and Vallabhbhai Patel, who favored continued constructive rural work).
Simon Commission, Civil Disobedience Movement, and Round Table Conferences
Simon Commission (1927)
Appointment: Formed under the chairmanship of Sir John Simon to review the functioning of the Government of India Act 1919.
All-White Commission: Excluded Indian members completely, triggering widespread national boycotts with the slogan "Simon Go Back".
Lala Lajpat Rai's Martyrdom: Severe lathi charge inflicted on Lala Lajpat Rai during a protest against the commission in Lahore (1928) led to his death.
Recommendations: Abolition of provincial Dyarchy, establishment of representative government in provinces, retention of separate electorates, rejection of parliamentary responsibility at the center.
Factors Leading to the Civil Disobedience Movement
Rejection of the Nehru Report (1928) (prepared by Motilal Nehru demanding Dominion Status).
Rejection of Jinnah's 14 Points.
Impact of the Great Depression of 1929 on Indian agriculture and trade.
Lord Irwin's vague offer of Dominion Status failing to satisfy national demands.
Passage of the Poorna Swaraj resolution at the 1929 Lahore Congress Session.
Civil Disobedience Movement (1930–1934)
Eleven Demands of Gandhi: Presented to Viceroy Lord Irwin; included reduction of land revenue by 50%, abolition of the Salt Tax and government salt monopoly, release of political prisoners, and protection of Indian textiles.
Dandi March (Salt Satyagraha):
Duration: March 12, 1930 to April 6, 1930.
Route: Marched from Sabarmati Ashram to the coastal village of Dandi ( Gujarat), covering 240 miles over 24 days with 78 chosen followers.
Action: Made salt by boiling seawater on April 6, 1930, symbolically breaking the Salt Law and launching the Civil Disobedience Movement nationwide.
Gandhi-Irwin Pact (March 5, 1931):
Agreement signed between Gandhi and Viceroy Lord Irwin.
Congress agreed to suspend the Civil Disobedience Movement and participate in the Second Round Table Conference.
Government agreed to release non-violent political prisoners, return confiscated property, and permit salt manufacturing for coastal consumption.
Round Table Conferences (RTC) in London:
First RTC (1930–1931): Boycotted by the INC.
Second RTC (1931): Attended by Mahatma Gandhi as the sole delegate of the INC. Conference failed due to deadlocks on minority representation.
Third RTC (1932): Boycotted by the INC. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar attended all three Round Table Conferences.
Poona Pact & Anti-Untouchability Efforts
Communal Award (August 1932): Announced by British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald, extending separate electorates to the "Depressed Classes".
Gandhi’s Fast: Fasted unto death in Yerwada Jail, Pune, arguing that separate electorates would permanently segregate Depressed Classes from Hindu society.
Poona Pact (September 24, 1932): Signed between Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and Madan Mohan Malaviya (on behalf of Gandhi). Abandoned separate electorates for Depressed Classes in favor of increased reserved seats in joint electorates.
Gandhi’s Anti-Untouchability Work: Established the All India Anti-Untouchability League (1932), started the weekly paper Harijan (1933), and undertook the nationwide Harijan Tour (1933–1934).
Government of India Act, 1935
Proposed an All-India Federation consisting of British provinces and Princely States (never came into effect as princely states declined to join).
Abolished Dyarchy in provinces and granted Provincial Autonomy.
Introduced Dyarchy at the Center (reserved subjects handled by Viceroy, transferred by ministers).
Established the Federal Court (1937) and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Elections held under this Act in 1937 saw Congress form governments in 8 out of 11 provinces.
Constitutional Steps, Second World War, Quit India Movement, and Indian National Army
August Offer (1940)
Issued by Viceroy Lord Linlithgow to secure Indian support during World War II.
Proposed expansion of the Viceroy's Executive Council, establishment of an Advisory War Council, and recognition of Indians' right to frame a constitution after the war, with an explicit veto given to minorities.
Rejected by both the INC and the Muslim League.
Individual Satyagraha (1940)
Launched by Gandhi to assert the right to free speech against Indian participation in the war effort.
First Individual Satyagrah: Acharya Vinoba Bhave.
Second Individual Satyagrah: Jawaharlal Nehru.
Cripps Mission (1942)
Headed by Sir Stafford Cripps in March 1942.
Proposals: Dominion status to India after the war, setup of a constitution-making body, right of provinces to decline the new constitution and form separate unions.
Rejected by INC; Gandhi termed the offer a "post-dated cheque on a crashing bank".
Quit India Movement (1942)
Passage: Passed by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) at Gowalia Tank, Bombay on August 8, 1942.
Gandhi’s Special Appeal: Issued the historic call to the nation: "Do or Die" (Karo ya Maro).
Operation Zero Hour: British government arrested all top INC leaders (Gandhi, Nehru, Patel) in early morning raids on August 9, 1942.
Underground & Mass Activities:
Aruna Asaf Ali hoisted the Indian national flag at Gowalia Tank green.
Usha Mehta operated an underground secret Congress Radio station in Bombay.
Underground leaders included Jayaprakash Narayan, Ram Manohar Lohia, and Achyut Patwardhan.
Parallel Governments (Prati Sarkar): Formed in Ballia (Chittu Pandey), Tamluk (Jatiya Sarkar in Bengal), and Satara (Nana Patil).
Indian National Army (INA) and Subhash Chandra Bose
Origin: Concept initiated by Mohan Singh; established with Rash Behari Bose’s Indian Independence League in Southeast Asia.
Leadership: Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose assumed control of the INA (Azad Hind Fauj) in Singapore in July 1943.
Provisional Government: Formed the Provisional Government of Free India (Azad Hind) in Singapore.
Regiments: Included the all-female Rani of Jhansi Regiment, commanded by Captain Lakshmi Swaminathan.
Famous Slogans by S.C. Bose:
"Give me blood, and I will give you freedom!" (Tum mujhe khoon do, main tumhe azadi doonga!)
"Jai Hind!"
"Dilli Chalo!"
Cabinet Mission Plan, Mountbatten Plan, and Transfer of Power
Cabinet Mission Plan (1946)
Members: Lord Pethick-Lawrence (Secretary of State for India), Sir Stafford Cripps (President of the Board of Trade), and A.V. Alexander (First Lord of the Admiralty).
Provisions:
Rejected the demand for a sovereign Pakistan.
Proposed a 3-tier structure: Center, Groups of Provinces, and Provinces.
Grouped provinces into 3 sections: Section A (Hindu-majority provinces), Section B (Muslim-majority northwestern provinces), Section C (Muslim-majority eastern provinces).
Formation of a Constituent Assembly elected by provincial assemblies.
Formation of an Interim Government at the center.
Response: Initially accepted by INC and Muslim League. Subsequent disputes over grouping clauses led Muslim League to reject it and call for "Direct Action Day" on August 16, 1946, leading to widespread communal riots.
Mountbatten Plan (June 3, 1947)
Presented by Viceroy Lord Mountbatten on June 3, 1947.
Formulated the partition of British India into two independent dominions: India and Pakistan.
Provided for referendums in NWFP and Sylhet district, boundary commissions headed by Sir Cyril Radcliffe to demarcate borders, and freedom for Princely States to accede to either dominion or remain independent.
Led to the passage of the Indian Independence Act, 1947 in British Parliament, establishing independent India on August 15, 1947.
Key Administrative Milestones: Governor-Generals, Viceroys, and Constitutional Acts
Important Governor-Generals and Viceroys
Warren Hastings (1773–1785): First Governor-General of Bengal; abolished Dual Government system; Regulating Act 1773 passed.
Lord Cornwallis (1786–1793): Introduced Permanent Settlement of Bengal (1793); created Civil Services in India; introduced Cornwallis Code.
Lord Wellesley (1798–1805): Introduced the Subsidiary Alliance system (First state to accept: Nizam of Hyderabad, 1798).
Lord William Bentinck (1828–1835): First Governor-General of India (via Charter Act 1833); abolished Sati in 1829 (supported by Raja Ram Mohan Roy); suppressed Thuggee system; English Education Act 1835.
Lord Dalhousie (1848–1856): Introduced Doctrine of Lapse (annexed Satara, Jhansi, Nagpur, Sambalpur); introduced first railway line (Bombay to Thane, 1853); telegraph line; established Public Works Department (PWD); Wood's Despatch (1854).
Lord Canning (1856–1862): Last Governor-General and First Viceroy of India; oversaw Revolt of 1857; Government of India Act 1858 passed; Indian Penal Code 1860 enacted.
Lord Ripon (1880–1884): Known as "Father of Local Self-Government"; repealed Vernacular Press Act (1882); introduced First Factory Act (1881); Ilbert Bill controversy (1883).
Lord Curzon (1899–1905): Partition of Bengal (1905); passed Indian Universities Act 1904; Ancient Monuments Preservation Act 1904.
Lord Hardinge II (1910–1916): Annulled Bengal Partition (1911); shifted capital to Delhi (1911).
Lord Chelmsford (1916–1921): Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms (1919); Rowlatt Act; Jallianwala Bagh Massacre.
Lord Irwin (1926–1931): Arrival of Simon Commission; Dandi March; First Round Table Conference; Gandhi-Irwin Pact.
Lord Linlithgow (1936–1943): Outbreak of WWII; August Offer (1940); Cripps Mission (1942); Quit India Movement (1942).
Lord Wavell (1943–1947): Wavell Plan and Shimla Conference (1945); Cabinet Mission Plan (1946).
Lord Mountbatten (1947–1948): Last Viceroy of British India; First Governor-General of Independent India; oversaw partition.
C. Rajagopalachari (1948–1950): First and last Indian Governor-General of Independent India.
Important Constitutional Acts
Regulating Act of 1773: First step by British Parliament to control East India Company affairs; designated Governor of Bengal as Governor-General of Bengal; created Supreme Court at Calcutta (1774).
Pitt’s India Act of 1784: Distinguished between commercial and political functions of EIC; created Board of Control for political affairs.
Charter Act of 1813: Abolished EIC monopoly over Indian trade, except for trade in tea and trade with China; allocated rupees for Indian education.
Charter Act of 1833: Ended all commercial activities of EIC; made Governor-General of Bengal the Governor-General of India (Lord William Bentinck).
Charter Act of 1853: Introduced open competition for civil service selection; separated legislative and executive functions of Governor-General's Council.
Government of India Act 1858: Transferred power from EIC to the British Crown; created office of Secretary of State for India and Viceroy.
Indian Councils Act 1861: Introduced portfolio system; restored legislative powers to Bombay and Madras Presidencies.
Indian Councils Act 1892: Introduced indirect elections for non-official members of legislative councils; allowed discussion on budget.
Indian Councils Act 1909 (Morley-Minto): Introduced separate electorates for Muslims; legalised communal representation.
Government of India Act 1919 (Montagu-Chelmsford): Introduced Dyarchy in provinces; central bicameralism.
Government of India Act 1935: Provincial Autonomy; proposed All-India Federation; federal, provincial, and concurrent lists.
Indian National Congress (INC) & Early Nationalist Phase
Dadabhai Naoroji ("The Grand Old Man of India")
Economic Critique: Formulated the "Drain of Wealth" theory detailing systemic resource transfer to Britain.
Key Publication: Poverty and Un-British Rule in India (1901).
Achievements: Founded East India Association (London, 1866); First Indian MP in British House of Commons (Liberal Party, Central Finsbury, 1892–1895).
INC Sessions Presided:
1886 (Calcutta): Second INC session; consolidated foundation.
1893 (Lahore): Held shortly after election to British Parliament.
1906 (Calcutta): Declared "Swaraj" (Self-Government) for the first time from the INC platform.
Formation of the Indian National Congress
Date & Location: December 28, 1885 at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College, Bombay.
Founders: Initiated by Allan Octavian Hume (A.O. Hume) with Dadabhai Naoroji, Dinshaw Wacha, and W.C. Bonnerjee.
First President: Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee (W.C. Bonnerjee).
Attendance: 72 delegates.
High-Yield INC Sessions
1885 (Bombay): W.C. Bonnerjee — First session; demand for civil service reform.
1886 (Calcutta): Dadabhai Naoroji — Merger with National Conference.
1887 (Madras): Badruddin Tyabji — First Muslim President.
1888 (Allahabad): George Yule — First non-Indian / English President.
1896 (Calcutta): Rahimtullah M. Sayani — "Vande Mataram" sung for the first time.
1905 (Benares): Gopal Krishna Gokhale — Condemned Bengal Partition; supported Swadeshi.
1906 (Calcutta): Dadabhai Naoroji — Adopted Swaraj, Swadeshi, Boycott, and National Education resolutions.
1907 (Surat): Rash Behari Ghosh — Surat Split into Moderates and Extremists.
1911 (Calcutta): Bishan Narayan Dhar — "Jana Gana Mana" sung for the first time.
1916 (Lucknow): Ambica Charan Mazumdar — Lucknow Pact (INC-Muslim League agreement); Moderate-Extremist reunion.
1917 (Calcutta): Annie Besant — First woman President.
1924 (Belgaum): Mahatma Gandhi — Only session presided over by Gandhi.
1925 (Kanpur): Sarojini Naidu — First Indian woman President.
1929 (Lahore): Jawaharlal Nehru — "Poorna Swaraj" (Complete Independence) resolution; Tricolour unfurled on River Ravi (Dec 31, 1929); Jan 26, 1930 declared Independence Day.
1931 (Karachi): Vallabhbhai Patel — Passed resolutions on Fundamental Rights and National Economic Programme.
1936 (Lucknow): Jawaharlal Nehru — Pushed for socialist objectives.
1937 (Faizpur): Jawaharlal Nehru — First session in a rural area.
1938 (Haripura): Subhash Chandra Bose — Setup National Planning Committee.
1939 (Tripuri): Subhash Chandra Bose — Defeated Pattabhi Sitaramayya; resigned later due to differences and formed Forward Bloc.
Partition of Bengal, Extremism & Early Revolutionary Phase
Partition of Bengal (1905)
Announced/Enforced: Lord Curzon (July 1905 / October 16, 1905).
Motive: Stated reason was administrative convenience; actual motive was dividing nationalist movement along religious lines (West Bengal vs East Bengal & Assam).
Annulment: 1911 by Lord Hardinge II (Delhi Durbar); capital shifted from Calcutta to Delhi.
Moderates vs. Extremists
Moderates (1885–1905):
Leaders: G.K. Gokhale, Dadabhai Naoroji, Pherozeshah Mehta, W.C. Bonnerjee, M.G. Ranade.
Methods: Constitutional agitation, petitions, prayers, protests (3 Ps).
Extremists (1905–1919):
Leaders: Lal-Bal-Pal (Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal) and Aurobindo Ghosh.
Methods: Swadeshi, Boycott, Passive Resistance, Atmashakti (self-reliance), National Education.
Bal Gangadhar Tilak ("Lokmanya")
Festivals: Ganpati Festival (1893), Shivaji Festival (1895).
Newspapers: Kesari (Marathi), Mahratta (English).
Famous Slogan: "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it!"
Muslim Response & Political Acts
All-India Muslim League (1906): Founded at Dacca under Nawab Salimullah, Aga Khan, and Waqar-ul-Mulk.
Morley-Minto Reforms (Indian Councils Act, 1909): Introduced Separate Electorates for Muslims.
Phase-I Revolutionary Events
Organizations: Anushilan Samiti, Jugantar, Abhinav Bharat Society (V.D. Savarkar, 1904).
Key Incidents:
1908 Alipore Bomb Case: Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki targeted Kingsford.
1909 London: Curzon Wyllie assassinated by Madan Lal Dhingra.
1912 Delhi Conspiracy Case: Bomb hurled at Viceroy Lord Hardinge II by Rash Behari Bose and Sachin Sanyal.
Home Rule Movement & Gandhian Era
Home Rule Movement (1916)
Tilak’s League (April 1916): Based at Belgaum/Poona; covered Maharashtra (excl. Bombay), Karnataka, CP, and Berar.
Annie Besant’s League (Sept 1916): Based at Adyar (Madras); covered rest of India; journals New India and Commonweal.
Mahatma Gandhi: Early Campaigns
South Africa (1893–1915): Natal Indian Congress (1894), Phoenix Settlement (1904), Tolstoy Farm (1910), newspaper Indian Opinion.
Return to India: January 9, 1915 (Pravasi Bharatiya Divas). Political mentor: G.K. Gokhale.
Early Indian Satyagrahs:
Champaran (1917, Bihar): First civil disobedience; against oppressive Tinkathia System ( compulsory indigo planting).
Kheda (1918, Gujarat): First non-cooperation; revenue exemption during famine/plague.
Ahmedabad Mill Strike (1918): First hunger strike; secured 35% wage increase.
Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms (1919)
Introduced Dyarchy in provinces (Transferred vs Reserved subjects) and central bicameralism.
Mass Movements (1919–1922)
Rowlatt Act (1919): Detention without trial for up to 2 years ("No Dalil, No Vakil, No Appeal").
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (April 13, 1919): General Dyer fired on peaceful crowd in Amritsar protesting arrests of Saifuddin Kitchlew and Satyapal. Tagore renounced Knighthood.
Khilafat & Non-Cooperation Movement (1920–1922): Led by Ali Brothers and Gandhi; ratified at Nagpur INC Session (1920).
Chauri Chaura Incident (Feb 4, 1922): Violent attack on police station in Gorakhpur led Gandhi to withdraw Non-Cooperation Movement on Feb 12, 1922.
Swaraj Party (1923): Founded by C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru to enter legislative councils.
Civil Disobedience, World War II & Freedom
Simon Commission (1927) & Civil Disobedience Movement (1930–1934)
Simon Commission: All-white commission boycotted with "Simon Go Back"; Lala Lajpat Rai martyred following lathi charge in Lahore (1928).
Dandi March (March 12 – April 6, 1930): Gandhi marched 240 miles from Sabarmati to Dandi to break Salt Law.
Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931): Suspended Civil Disobedience to attend 2nd Round Table Conference.
Poona Pact (1932): Agreement between Ambedkar and Gandhi (represented by Malaviya) retaining joint electorates with increased reserved seats for Depressed Classes.
Government of India Act 1935
Granted Provincial Autonomy, abolished provincial Dyarchy, created Federal Court (1937) and RBI.
WWII & Quit India Movement (1942)
August Offer (1940): Dominion status proposal rejected.
Cripps Mission (1942): Post-war dominion proposal termed by Gandhi as a "post-dated cheque".
Quit India Movement (Aug 8, 1942): Launched at Gowalia Tank, Bombay with Gandhi's call "Do or Die". Operation Zero Hour led to mass arrests.
Underground Mobilization: Aruna Asaf Ali, Usha Mehta (Congress Radio), Jayaprakash Narayan.
Indian National Army (INA)
Led by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose in Singapore (1943); Azad Hind Government formed; Rani of Jhansi Regiment led by Lakshmi Swaminathan. Slogans: "Jai Hind!", "Dilli Chalo!", "Give me blood, and I will give you freedom!".
Independence & Constitutional Steps
Cabinet Mission Plan (1946): 3-tier structure; rejected sovereign Pakistan; led to Constituent Assembly and Interim Government.
Mountbatten Plan (June 3, 1947): Partitioned British India into India and Pakistan via Indian Independence Act 1947 (Effective August 15, 1947).
Important Governor-Generals, Viceroys & Key Acts
Key Governor-Generals & Viceroys
Warren Hastings (1773–1785): First Governor-General of Bengal; Regulating Act 1773.
Lord Cornwallis (1786–1793): Permanent Settlement of Bengal (1793); Father of Civil Services in India.
Lord Wellesley (1798–1805): Subsidiary Alliance System (First state: Hyderabad, 1798).
Lord William Bentinck (1828–1835): First Governor-General of India; Abolition of Sati (1829).
Lord Dalhousie (1848–1856): Doctrine of Lapse; First Railway (Bombay to Thane, 1853); Telegraph lines; Wood's Despatch (1854).
Lord Canning (1856–1862): Last Governor-General & First Viceroy; Revolt of 1857; IPC 1860.
Lord Ripon (1880–1884): Father of Local Self-Government; repealed Vernacular Press Act (1882); Ilbert Bill controversy.
Lord Curzon (1899–1905): Partition of Bengal (1905).
Lord Hardinge II (1910–1916): Annulled Bengal Partition (1911); shifted capital to Delhi.
Lord Chelmsford (1916–1921): Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms; Rowlatt Act; Jallianwala Bagh.
Lord Irwin (1926–1931): Simon Commission, Dandi March, Gandhi-Irwin Pact.
Lord Mountbatten (1947–1948): Last Viceroy of British India; Mountbatten Plan.
C. Rajagopalachari (1948–1950): First and last Indian Governor-General of Independent India.
Key Constitutional Acts
Regulating Act 1773: Designated Governor of Bengal as Governor-General of Bengal; Supreme Court at Calcutta (1774).
Charter Act 1813: Ended EIC trade monopoly except tea and China trade; allocated rupees for Indian education.
Charter Act 1833: EIC became purely administrative; Governor-General of Bengal became Governor-General of India.
Government of India Act 1858: British Crown assumed direct control; created Secretary of State for India and Viceroy.
Indian Councils Act 1909 (Morley-Minto): Separate electorates for Muslims.
Government of India Act 1919 (Montagu-Chelmsford): Provincial Dyarchy; central bicameralism.
Government of India Act 1935: Provincial Autonomy; federal list structure; RBI and Federal Court.