Swadeshi Movement

 

Topic: Swadeshi Movement (Continuation)

Context & Recap:

1. This lecture continues the discussion on the Swadeshi Movement, the first of 7 major movements in Modern Indian History.

2. A previous class covered the Partition of Bengal (Bengal Vibhajana).

3. There was a gap between classes because important current affairs topics (Farm Laws repeal, Crypto, Omicron) were covered in detail.

4. Future classes will focus on Modern India until completion, with potential weekly current affairs updates on Sundays.

Partition of Bengal (Reasons & Basis):

1. Primary Reason: To weaken the growing Nationalism (Jatiyavadam) in Bengal, which was considered the "Nerve Center of Nationalism". The British aimed to dilute ("palachana cheyyali") this strength.

2. Basis of Division (Carried out by Lord Curzon):

   • Religion (Matham):

     • East Bengal: Created with a Muslim majority and Bengali Hindu minority.

     • Bengal (West): Remained with a Hindu majority and Muslim minority.

   • Language (Bhasha):

     • In the 'Bengal' province (West), areas of Orissa and Bihar were merged.

     • This made Bengali speakers a minority in their own province, dominated linguistically by Hindi/Oriya speakers.

3. Conclusion: The partition was effectively a division of the Bengali people (Bengalila Vibhajana), aimed at weakening them religiously in one part and linguistically in the other, thereby curbing nationalism.

Swadeshi Movement - Launch & Spread:

1. The movement started as a direct reaction against the Partition of Bengal.

2. Key Dates:

   • 1903: Idea/news of partition became public.

   • July 20, 1905: Official announcement of the Partition.

   • August 7, 1905: Formal launch of the Swadeshi Movement at a massive public meeting in Calcutta Town Hall.

     • Passed the Swadeshi Resolution (use Indian goods) and Boycott Resolution (reject foreign goods).

     • (Note: The word 'Boycott' first appeared in K.K. Mitra's 'Sanjivani').

     • This meeting had no single president and was not an official INC session.

   • October 16, 1905: Partition came into effect. This day was observed as:

     • Day of Mourning (Santapa Dinam)

     • Day of Fasting (Upavasa Dinam)

     • Hartal/Bandh (shops closed, no cooking fires lit - "aggipettelu bandh").

     • Rakhi Tying: Hindus and Muslims tied Rakhi on each other's wrists as a symbol of unity and brotherhood (suggested by Rabindranath Tagore).

     • A large public meeting occurred, addressed by Surendranath Banerjee and Ananda Mohan Bose. Rs 50,000 collected for Swadeshi industries.

3. Spread Outside Bengal (Yes, the movement spread):

   • Bombay & Poona (Maharashtra): Bal Gangadhar Tilak

   • Punjab: Lala Lajpat Rai

   • Madras (South India): Chidambaram Pillai

   • Delhi & Kashmir: Syed Haider Raza (notable Muslim participation)

   • Andhra: Bipin Chandra Pal toured; Gadicherla Harisarvottama Rao ('Andhra Tilak'), Mutnuri Krishna Rao involved.

Forms/Methods of the Swadeshi Movement:

1. Swadeshi: Promotion and use of Indian goods.

   • Slogan: "Be Swadeshi, Buy Swadeshi".

   • Establishment of Swadeshi industries (e.g., Vangalakshmi Cotton Mill, Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company in Tuticorin by Chidambaram Pillai, Bengal Swadeshi Chemical Stores by P.C. Ray).

2. Boycott: Rejection of foreign goods, especially British goods.

   • Boycott of Manchester cloth and Liverpool salt was prominent.

   • Public burning of foreign cloth.

3. Samitis (Volunteer Corps): Groups formed to spread the message and enforce boycott/promote Swadeshi.

   • Most famous: Swadeshi Bandhab Samiti in Barisal, founded by Ashwini Kumar Dutta (AK Dutta), a teacher. Utilized students effectively.

4. Use of Traditional Festivals: Mobilized masses through popular religious/cultural events.

   • Tilak prominently used Ganapati Festivals and Shivaji Festivals in Maharashtra.

5. National Education: Boycotting government institutions and establishing alternatives.

   • National Council of Education established (1906).

   • Led to founding of National Schools and Colleges.

   • Example: Bengal National College (First Principal: Aurobindo Ghosh).

   • Bengal Technical Institution founded.

   • Youth sent to Japan for technical training (Financial help from Munindra Nandi of Kasimbazar).

6. Cultural Aspect (Literature & Art):

   • Rabindranath Tagore wrote "Amar Sonar Bangla" (My Golden Bengal), now the national anthem of Bangladesh.

   • Tagore also promoted "Atmashakti" (Self-Reliance / Inner Strength).

   • Abanindranath Tagore (Rabindranath's nephew) painted the first image of "Bharat Mata", giving a visual identity to the nation.

7. Passive Resistance (Nishkriyatmaka Pratighatana): Concept advocated by Aurobindo Ghosh.

   • Included boycott of schools, colleges, courts, government services, and non-payment of taxes.

   • Aim: To make British administration difficult/impossible without resorting to violence ("Not with arm"). Getting arrested willingly to fill jails.

Role of Indian National Congress (INC):

1. 1905 Benares Session: Presided over by Gopal Krishna Gokhale. Passed resolutions supporting Swadeshi and Boycott.

2. 1906 Calcutta Session: Presided over by Dadabhai Naoroji.

   • Reiterated Swadeshi, Boycott, and National Education.

   • Crucially, declared Swarajya (Self-Government) as the INC's goal for the first time, under pressure from Extremists led by Tilak.

Moderates vs. Extremists:

1. Moderates: Wanted the movement confined to Bengal and limited to boycotting goods. Their goal was more representation within the British system.

2. Extremists (Lal-Bal-Pal + Ghosh): Wanted the movement pan-India and to include a wider boycott (education, jobs, courts, taxes). Their goal was Swarajya (Self-Government). This difference in approach led to conflict.

Alienation of Muslims:

1. Use of Hindu religious symbols/festivals (Ganapati, Shivaji, Kali/Durga worship, Vande Mataram from Anandamath which had anti-Muslim context) alienated a section of Muslims.

2. The British actively encouraged Muslim separatism (leading to Muslim League formation in 1906).

Key Terms & People:

• Vande Mataram Movement: Another name for Swadeshi, given by A.K. Dutta.

• Vande Mataram (Slogan/Song): From Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's "Anandamath" (1882). Controversial for some Muslims.

• Swarajya: Self-Government. First declared as INC goal in 1906 by Dadabhai Naoroji. Concept first articulated (as Self-Govt) by Dayananda Saraswati.

• Swadeshi (Concept): First advocated by Gopalrao Deshmukh (Lokhitawadi).

• Passive Resistance: Aurobindo Ghosh.

• National Handloom Day (Aug 7): Commemorates the launch of Swadeshi Movement. Started by Modi govt in 2015.

• Lal-Bal-Pal: Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal (Extremist leaders).

• Aurobindo Ghosh: Extremist leader, Principal of Bengal National College, proponent of Passive Resistance.

• Dadabhai Naoroji: 'Grand Old Man of India', Moderate, presided over 1906 Calcutta session.

• Gopal Krishna Gokhale: Moderate, presided over 1905 Benares session.

• Ashwini Kumar Dutta: Teacher, founded Swadeshi Bandhab Samiti.

• Rabindranath Tagore: Poet, suggested Rakhi tying, wrote Amar Sonar Bangla, promoted Atmashakti.

• Abanindranath Tagore: Painter, created the first image of Bharat Mata.

• Syed Haider Raza: Led the movement in Delhi/Kashmir.

Decline & Future Topics:

1. The movement largely faded by 1908 (though officially ended with partition annulment in 1911).

2. Reasons for failure, impact, Muslim League formation, Surat Split (INC split into Moderates/Extremists), Minto-Morley Reforms, and the Bharat Mata concept will be discussed in subsequent classes.

Partition of Bengal (1905)

 

Modern Indian History - Lecture Summary

I. Recap & Context (Post-1857 Revolt)

• Previous Class: Covered the 1857 Revolt (Causes, Leaders, Failure, Nature, Impact).

  • The revolt was characterized as a "love failure" - an initial attempt that didn't succeed.

• Path to Independence: Achieving independence requires 7 major steps/movements after 1857.

• Next Focus: The first of these 7 movements.

II. The First Major Movement: Swadeshi Movement

• Name: Swadeshi Movement (also known as Vande Mataram Movement).

• Structure: This topic includes several interconnected sub-topics:

  1. Partition of Bengal (1905): The primary trigger/cause for the Swadeshi Movement.

  2. Swadeshi Movement: The movement launched in direct opposition to the Partition. (Will cover incidents, leaders, success/failure).

  3. INC Split (Surat Split, 1907): Differences over the methods and scope of the Swadeshi Movement led to a split within the Indian National Congress between Moderates and Extremists.

  4. Formation of the Muslim League (1906): Alienation of Muslims due to certain methods used in the Swadeshi Movement (perceived Hindu religious overtones like Ganges bath, oaths before deities, influence of Anandmath) and British 'Divide and Rule' policy contributed to its formation.

  5. Minto-Morley Reforms (1909): Introduced partly to appease Muslims and further the 'Divide and Rule' policy, following the formation of the Muslim League.

• Syllabus Coverage: Completing these 7 major movements covers approximately 80% of the Indian National Movement syllabus.

III. Partition of Bengal (Focus of the First Class in this series)

• British Intention First Revealed: December 1903.

• Proposal Origin: The idea was first proposed by William Ward (Assam Commissioner), not originally by Lord Curzon.

• Official Reasons Given by British:

  • Administrative Convenience: Bengal province was too large (Population: 78.5 million in 1901 Census, approx. 1/4th of British India population), making administration difficult.

  • Lack of Development in Assam: Due to the large size of Bengal, Assam was neglected and needed separate focus for development.

• Real British Intention (The Hidden Agenda):

  • Weaken Bengal: Bengal was the nerve center of rising Indian Nationalism. The British wanted to weaken this hub.

    • Quote (Risley, Home Secretary): "United Bengal is a power. Divided, it will fall."

  • Divide and Rule: To break Hindu-Muslim unity, which was evident during the 1857 Revolt.

    • Religious Basis: Divide the province into Muslim-majority East Bengal (+Assam) and Hindu-majority Bengal (+Bihar+Orissa).

    • Linguistic Basis: Make Bengali speakers a minority in the new Bengal province by adding Hindi (Bihar) and Oriya (Orissa) speakers. (Bengalis became ~18 million out of 54 million in the new Bengal province).

• Key Dates:

  • Intention Announced: December 1903

  • Official Announcement of Partition: July 20, 1905

  • Partition Implemented/Enforced: October 16, 1905 (This date marks the division).

IV. Anti-Partition Agitation (Initial Phase led by Moderates)

• When it Began: Started around 1903-1905 after the British intention became clear, before the Swadeshi Movement was formally named/launched with full vigour.

• Led By: INC Moderates.

• Methods (The "3 Ps"):

  • Pray: Making requests to the British government.

  • Petition: Submitting formal written appeals and memoranda.

  • Protest: Holding mild, non-violent demonstrations and public meetings.

• Key Newspapers & Voices: Used newspapers to voice opposition and publish articles against partition.

  • Sanjivani: Edited by K.K. Mitra. First newspaper to suggest 'Boycott' of British goods.

  • Bengalee: Edited by Surendranath Banerjee.

  • Hitabadi: Edited by Debendranath Tagore.

Lecture Summary: Moderates, Extremists, and Councils Acts (1861 & 1892)

 

Lecture Summary: Moderates, Extremists, and Councils Acts (1861 & 1892)

I. Introduction & Context

• Focus: Modern Indian History - Differences between Moderates and Extremists, and the Councils Acts of 1861 and 1892.

• Relevance: Important for UPSC Prelims, Group 1, Group 2, Group 3, Group 4, and PC exams.

• Approach: Understanding the how and why behind events and acts, not just rote memorization. Importance of political background for each Act. Reference to Laxmikanth but emphasizing deeper understanding.

II. Moderates vs. Extremists

• Framework for Analysis (for both groups):

  1. Aims/Goals (Lakshyamu): What did they want to achieve?

  2. Methods (Paddhati): How did they try to achieve their goals?

  3. Achievements (Vijayalu): What did they succeed in?

  4. Review/Failures (Apajayalu/Samiksha): Critical assessment of their impact.

• Moderates (Mithavaadulu)

  • Period (Implied): Roughly 1885 (INC Formation) to 1905.

  • Key Leaders: Dadabhai Naoroji, Pherozeshah Mehta, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, RC Dutt, Dinshaw Wacha, Badruddin Tyabji.

  • Core Aim: Achieve political and administrative reforms within the British framework. Believed in British justice initially. Aim was not complete independence (Swarajya) at this stage, but gradual progress and participation in governance.

  • Specific Demands/Aims:

    • Legislative Reforms:

      • Increase Indian representation in Legislative Councils.

      • Expand powers of Legislative Councils (e.g., discuss budget, question the executive).

    • Administrative Reforms (ICS - Indian Civil Services):

      • Indianization of services.

      • Increase the maximum age limit for ICS exams.

      • Hold ICS exams simultaneously in India and London.

    • Judicial Reforms:

      • Allow Indian judges to try Europeans (Context of Ilbert Bill controversy).

      • Separation of Judiciary from Executive.

    • Economic Reforms:

      • Reduce military expenditure.

      • Stop the "Drain of Wealth" (highlighted by Naoroji, Dutt, etc.).

      • Reduce land revenue (Shistu) burden on peasants.

      • Reduce Salt Tax.

    • Agricultural Reforms: Encourage food crops, less pressure on commercial crops.

  • Methods:

    • Constitutional Agitation.

    • The "3 Ps": Petition, Prayer, Protest (Peaceful).

    • Belief in appealing to the British sense of justice.

  • Achievements (Partial/Foundation Laying):

    • Created political awareness and a national platform (INC).

    • Exposed the exploitative nature of British rule (Drain Theory).

    • Achieved some expansion of Legislative Councils and powers through the 1892 Act.

    • Foundation for future movements.

  • Criticisms/Failures (Review):

    • Limited reach – mostly confined to educated urban elites (lawyers, intellectuals). Failed to involve the masses (peasants, workers).

    • Methods seen as too mild ("Political Mendicancy").

    • Over-reliance on British goodwill.

• Extremists (Athivaadulu)

  • Period (Rise): Around 1905 onwards (Partition of Bengal context).

  • Key Leaders: Lal-Bal-Pal (Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal), Aurobindo Ghosh. (Ajit Singh mentioned, but possibly more revolutionary).

  • Core Aim: Swarajya (Self-Rule/Complete Independence). Had no faith in British benevolence. Emphasis on self-reliance, national pride, and mass action.

  • Specific Demands/Aims: Swarajya, Swadeshi (promotion of indigenous goods/institutions), National Education.

  • Methods:

    • Boycott (of British goods, institutions, etc.).

    • Promotion of Swadeshi.

    • Passive Resistance (Concept associated with Aurobindo Ghosh).

    • Use of traditional festivals and symbols to mobilize masses.

    • Emphasis on self-sacrifice.

  • Achievements:

    • Broadened the base of the nationalist movement to include the masses.

    • Instilled national pride and self-confidence.

    • Popularized Swadeshi and Boycott as effective tools.

    • Made Swaraj the clear goal of the movement.

  • Criticisms/Failures (Review):

    • Sometimes used religious undertones which alienated some sections (e.g., Muslims).

    • Led to government repression and splits within the INC (e.g., Surat Split 1907).

III. Councils Acts

• General Context:

  • Post-1857 Revolt, the British realized the need for some Indian association/representation in administration to avoid future uprisings and understand local sentiments.

  • Acts of 1861, 1892, and 1909 are often grouped as "Councils Acts".

  • Understanding the political background leading to each Act is crucial.

• Indian Councils Act of 1861

  • Political Background: Direct consequence of the 1857 Revolt. British need to include Indians ("Time for Councils Entry").

  • Key Provisions:

    • Viceroy's Executive Council: 5th member added (Finance portfolio, James Wilson mentioned as first). Later a 6th (Public Works). Portfolio System introduced by Lord Canning (allocating specific departments to members).

    • Legislative Council (Central): Expanded by adding 6 to 12 "additional members" nominated by the Viceroy for 2 years. Crucially, some of these non-officials could be Indians. First nominated Indians: Raja of Benaras, Maharaja of Patiala, Sir Dinkar Rao. Powers were limited strictly to legislation; no control over budget or executive.

    • Ordinance Power: Viceroy given power to issue ordinances (lasting 6 months) without the Council's concurrence during emergencies.

    • Decentralization: Partially reversed the centralization of the 1833 Act. Restored legislative powers to the Presidencies of Bombay and Madras. (Beginning of legislative devolution).

• Indian Councils Act of 1892

  • Political Background: Formation of the Indian National Congress (1885) and its persistent demands for reform (Moderate phase influence). Need to slightly appease growing nationalist sentiment. Aitchison Committee recommendations on Civil Services also played a role.

  • Key Provisions:

    • Legislative Councils (Central & Provincial): Further expanded the number of "additional members" (Central: 10-16). Increased the proportion of non-officials.

    • Increased Powers:

      • Members allowed to discuss the annual budget (Financial Statement) but could not vote on it or move amendments.

      • Members allowed to ask questions to the Executive on matters of public interest (required 6 days prior notice, supplementary questions not allowed).

    • Introduction of Election Principle (Indirect): For the first time, an element of indirect election was introduced for some non-official seats. Viceroy nominated members based on recommendations from bodies like Provincial Councils, Universities, District Boards, Municipalities, Zamindars, Chambers of Commerce. (Term 'election' was avoided, but the principle was there).

IV. Approach to Studying Constitutional Acts

• Go beyond just listing provisions; understand the historical and political context that led to each Act.

• Connect the Acts to the demands of nationalist groups (Moderates, Extremists).

• Relate changes across different Acts (e.g., centralization vs. decentralization trends).

• Understand the limitations and significance of each reform.