Indian National Movement (1905-16)

- era of extremism, believed independence can be achieved through bold means. Important leaders were - Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal and Aurobindo Ghosh.

a. Causes for rise of extremism -

i. Failure of moderates to win any notable success, except expansion of legislative councils by Indian Councils Act 1892
ii. Famine and plague of 1896-97 affected whole country and suffering of masses
iii. Ill-treatment of Indians on basis of color of skin
iv. Russia-Japanese war 1904-05 in which Japan won, encouraged Indians to fight British
v. Immediate cause was reaction to Lord Curzon's rule

(a) Passed Calcutta Corporation Act 1899 reducing Indian control of local body
(b) Universities Act 1904 reduced autonomy of universities
(c) Sedition Act and the Official Secrets Act (1904)- to curtail Indian press. No work procedure of government can be leaked to public
(d) And finally, Partition of Bengal in 1905

b. Objective of extremists was to attain Swaraj or complete independence and not just self government.
Methods
i. Not cooperating with British govt by boycotting govt court, schools and colleges
ii. Promotion of swadesi and boycott of foreign goods
iii. Introduction and promotion of national education.

c. Leaders of extremists -

i. Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak - real founder of popular anti British movement in India. Set up first Home Rule League in 1916 and declared "Swaraj is my birth right and I will have it"
ii. Lala Lajpat Rai - Lion of Punjab. Founded Indian Home Rule League in USA in 1916. Died while leading a procession against Simon Commission.
iii. Bipin Chandra Pal - started as moderate and turned extremist. Played important role in Swadesi movement.
iv. Aurobindo Ghosh - participated in Swadesi movement, after imprisonment established Auroville.

d. Partition of Bengal - provided a spark for rise of extremism. Curzon's motives

i. Break growing strength of Bengali nationalism, divide Hindus and Muslims, show enormous power of British govt.

On the day of partition 16 Oct 1905, people observed a day of mourning. Anti-partition movement culminated into swadesi movement. Aggressive nationalists forced Naoroji to speak of Swaraj in Calcutta session 1906 and adopted resolutions of Boycott and Swadesi. Eventually led to split of Congress at Surat session 1907.

e. Swadesi movement - involved programs such boycott of govt service, foreign goods, promotion of swadesi goods, promotion of national education - it was both political and economic movement.

• Govt adopted tough measures - volunteers beaten up, Vande Mataram banned, Indian govt employees lost their jobs, Lal-Bal-Pal and Ghosh imprisoned and deported.
• Emphasis was given to Atma Shakti (self-reliance) 
• Establishment of National schools, swadeshi enterprises
• Boycott of foreign goods, public meetings and processions, formations of samitis for mass mobilization.
• Role of masses: every struggle during swadeshi movement involved the masses who played limited role in moderate’s style struggle.
• Students: came out in large numbers to propagate and practice the swadeshi idea.
• Women took active part in processions.
• Labor class and trade unions participated with leaders like Chidambaram pillai.
• Revolutionaries: on the sidelines, many revolutionaries like Sachin Sanyal, Rashbihari Bose and others who led the movement extended it to include the element of force which was an ideal of extremists.

• Moderate leaders like Surendranath Bannerjee, Pherozhshah Mehta etc., played major role in leading the movement who were against extremist ways of protest. 
• The movement was not able to incorporate the ideas of non-cooperation and passive resistance which were the main ideas of extremists.
• Extremists were expelled from the congress for difference of opinion with moderates in 1907 Surat session. This shows that the movement was still an extension of moderate form of struggle rather than led by Extremist ideology.

f. Achievements of extremists

i. First to demand swaraj as matter of birth right
ii. Involved masses in freedom struggle and broadened social base of national movement
iii. First to organize all-India political movement, the Swadesi Movement

g. Formation of Muslim League 1906

i. December 1906, Muslim delegates met at Dhaka for Muslim Educational Conference. Nawab Salimullah of Dhaka proposed setting up of All India Muslim League on lines of INC. 1st achievement was separate electorates for Muslims in Minto-Morley reforms

h. Lucknow Pact 1916 - Congress Session of 1916 saw two major events - Congress reunited and joint action against British bw Congress and Muslim League was called Lucknow Pact.

i. Home Rule Movement 1916-1918 -

i. Two Home Rule Leagues were established, Tilak in Poona in 1916 (covered Maharashtra) and by Annie Besant in 1916 at Madras (covered rest of country).
ii. Aim of movement was to get self-govt for India within British empire, believed freedom was natural right of all nations.
iii. Revival of Swadesi and women joined in large numbers.
iv. Montague-Chelmsford reforms were announced in 1917 for gradual development of self-governing institutions in India. This declaration led to end of Home Rule Movement.

j. Revolutionary Movements -

i. Anusilan Samiti 1902 Calcutta- Pramatha Nath Mishra, Barindra Kumar Ghos, Jatindra Nath Bannerjee
ii. Abhinava Bharat 1904 Maharashtra - Savarkar brothers
iii. Bharatmata Association, Madras - Nilakanta Brahmachari & Vanchi Ayyer

Ghadar Party 1913 USA - Sohan Singh Bhakna and Lala Hardyal