Freedom Movement of India
Drain Theory
1. The policy of economic exploitation of the Indians by the British is called Drain
theory.
2. Dada Bhai Nauroji first mentioned about this theory in his writings. The British
exploited Indian raw materials by taking them away to England.
3. They crippled India on the name of home charges.
4. They dumped their finished goods in India and made huge profits out of them.
Thus economy of India was exploited by the British.
Safety Valve Theory
1. The person instrumental in establishing the Indian National Congress was A.O.
Hume. He thought that the congress would provide a safety Valve.
2. It would be safe outlet to the growing dissatisfaction among the educated Indians.
According to him the Indian Congress is used like a safety valve to control Indian
aggression.
3. He hoped to prevent any possible outbreak by patronising the mild congress.
4. The Indian leaders cooperated with Hume as they did not want to rouse the
official hostility to their early political efforts.
Quit India Movement
1. In August 1942, the Congress started the Quit India movement. There was a
countrywide agitation against the British.
2. The movement was spearheaded by students, workers and the peasants. There
were strikes in factories, colleges and schools.
3. Peasants were asked to withhold tax payments.
4. During this movement, Gandhi gave a slogan “Do or Die”, by which he meant
that either free India or die in the attempt and that we shall not live to see the
Perpetuation of Indian slavery.
5. The British government followed very repressive methods to suppress the Quit
India movement. By the end of 1942, over 60000 persons were arrested, 26000
people were convicted and over 18000 people were detained under defence of
India Act.
Salt Satyagraha
1. In 1930, the British government imposed tax on salt. On this issue, Gandhi
started the Salt Satyagraha on 12th March 1930.
2. He walked from his Sabarmati Ashram near Ahmedabad to Dandi, a sea side
village.
3. He covered 200 miles on foot along with 78 of his followers. So it was called
Dandi march.
4. Gandhi and his followers made salt in violation of the salt laws on 6th April,
1930.
5. Salt Satyagraha was conducted at several places in India. Several prominent
congress leaders who took active part were kept in prison. About 90,000
satyagrahis including Gandhi were imprisoned.
6. This movement is also called Civil Disobedience movement. It spread far and
wide in India.
Round Table Conference
1. The British government summoned the first Round Table Conference in 1930 in
London to discuss the Simon Commission Report.
2. The congress boycotted it and did not attend the conference.
3. In 1931, government started releasing the political prisoners. Gandhi-Irwin pact
was signed in 1931 and British and congress entered into a settlement.
4. The second Round Table Conference was held in 1931. Gandhiji attended the
Conference, after Gandhi- Irwin pact.
5. The conference failed on the issue of Communal Award.
6. The third conference was held in 1932. After discussions the British government
agreed to bring out a new life.
Indian national army
1. Indian National Army otherwise called Azad Hind Fauz was founded by Subhash
Chandra Bose during the Second Word War.
2. Bose differing from Indian National Congress wanted to take the help of
Germany and Japan to drive away the British form India.
3. Originally the Indian National Army was conceived by Mohan Singh, an Indian
officer of British Indian Army.
4. The Indian prisoners of war were handed over to Mohan Singh who tried to
recruit them into Indian National Army. About 40,000 men expressed their
willingness to join the INA.
5. Subash Chandra Bose joined Indian National Army in 1943. He reached
Singapore with the help of German and Japanese submarines. He set up
headquarters of INA at Rangoon and Singapore.
6. He set up a provincial government of free India at Singapore. Bose joined
Japanese army and began its march towards India. The INA plans failed with the
defeat of Japan.
7. It was believed that Subash Chandra Bose died in an air crash on his way to
Tokyo. INA succeeded in holding up the dropping spirits of Nationalists at home.
Factors that contributed to the growth of National consciousness in India
1. English education: the British introduced English education in 1835. The English
educated Indians imbibed the western ideas of democracy and nationalism.
2. Political unity: the British rule bestowed on India the political and administrative
unity.
3. Economic exploitation: Indians were economically exploited as the British
dumped the British goods into the Indian markets. They made India exploited the
Indian resources through high taxation and home charges.
4. Socio-religious movements: the socio-religious movements which arose in the
19th century gave self confidence to the Indians.
5. Modern transport and communication systems: the news papers like Amrit
Bazaar Patrika, Kesari, Maratha etc create political consciousness among the
Indians.
6. Early political organizations: the early political associations like British Indian
Association, Bombay Association and Madras Native association worked for the
creation of political consciousness among the Indians.
7. Other causes: the national movements and unification movements in other
countries also inspired the Indians.
Vandemataram movement in India and its significance in the national movement
1. The Vandemataram movement was launched in response to the partition of
Bengal on 20th July, 1905.
2. To oppose this partition, the people of Bengal launched a movement known as
Vandemataram movement.
3. Swadeshi and boycott were a part of the movement
4. Initially, Curzon the then viceroy of India partitioned the province of Bengal into
two parts.
5. The national leaders declared that day as the day of National Mourning.
6. There was hartal in Kolkotta and people walked barefoot and bathed in holy
Ganga.
7. During this movement, Swadeshi and boycott were the other instruments used
by the extremists as their methods of struggle.
8. Students in schools and colleges took very active part in the Swadeshi and
boycott movement.
9. People organized national schools, national industries etc. the government was
paralyzed.
10. Under such circumstances the British government cancelled the partition in
1911.
11. During the course of movement, Swadeshi industries and educational institutions
were developed.
Non-Cooperation movement in India
1. In 1919, the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre was occurred in India and Turkish
Sultan was humiliated by abolishing the title of Khalifa by the British.
2. Under such circumstances, the congress met at a special session at Kolkotta in
September, 1920 and congress supported Gandhiji’s plan for non cooperation
with the government till Punjab and Khilafat wrong were removed and Swaraj
established. Later, the congress met at Nagpur in December 1920 and decided to
launch the movement.
4. Gandhiji was authorized to organize the movement.
5. The Non-Cooperation Movement included renunciation of all voluntary
association with government and refusal to pay taxes.
6. Thousands of students left government schools and colleges and joined national
schools.
7. Hundreds of lawyers gave up their legal practice.
8. Tilak’s Swaraj Fund was started to finance the Non-Cooperation Movement.
Women showed great enthusiasm and freely offered their jewellery.
9. Khadi became symbol of freedom.
10. No tax campaigns were organised in several parts of the country.
11. By 1922, the movement had become a total success. At that time an incident
broke out at Chauri-Chaura in U.P. in which 22 policemen were burnt alive by
the angry crowd.
12. Gandhiji called off the movement. As this indicated that the people had not
properly understood the concept of Non-Cooperation Movement.
13. Differences occurred in the Congress.
14. Gandhiji launched a programme called reconstruction programme.
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
1. In Punjab the government ordered for the arrest of two popular leaders Dr.
Satyapal and Dr. Saiffudin kitchlu. This resulted in a mob fury at Amritsar.
2. To crush the agitation the British government promulgated Rowlatt act in Punjab.
3. The people had gathered in large numbers on 13th April 1919 at Amritsar in the
Jallianwala Bagh to protest against the British.
4. General O Dyer, the military commander decided to terrorise the people of
Amritsar into completer submission.
5. Rowlatt Act prohibited the meetings and conferences.
6. While the meeting was going on Dyer entered the park, closed the only passage
and opened fire on the innocent people which continued for 10 minutes.
7. Thousands of them were killed and thousands were wounded.
8. After this massacre martial law was proclaimed throughout Punjab and the
people were submitted to most uncivilized atrocities.
9. On this issue, the congress under the leadership of Gandhi started NonCooperation Movement.
Khilafat movement
1. During the WWI, the allies and the Britain conquered Turkey.
2. The sultan of Turkey was ill treated by British. The Sultan of Turkey was
considered as Khalifa, the religious head by the Muslims all over the world.
3. The Muslims in India were also unhappy about the dissolution of Khalifate.
4. They joined the Congress to fight against the British. The Congress gave its
support to the Muslims.
5. Khilafat movement became a part of Non-Cooperation Movement. For the first
time the unity between the Congress and the Muslims was seen in Khilafat
movement.
Simon Commission
1. In 1927, the British appointed Sir John Simon’s Commission to look in to the Act
of 1919.
2. There were seven British members in the Commission. There were no Indian
members in the Commission. Hence the Congress party gave a call to boycott the
Commission.
3. Simon Commission was greeted with black flags and display boards with the
words “Simon go back”.
4. In Punjab, Lala Lajpat Rai, in Maharashtra Bal Gangadhara Tilak and in Madras
Sri Tanguturi Prakasam Panthulu led the Anti Simon Commission.
5. Lala Lajpat Rai was badly hurt in the lathi charge and later he died. The other
two leaders were sent to jail.
Practice Tests
1.
Constituent Assembly was formed in
a) 1946
b) 1947
c) 1948
d) 1949
2.
To attain Pakistan the Muslim League resorted to Direct Action day on
a) 14th August 1946
b) 16th August 1946
b) 18th August 1946
d) 20th August 1946
3.
Mountbatten plan was initiated in
a) May 1947
b) April 1947
c) June 1947
d) March 1947
Gandhiji became a martyr in
a) 1948
b) 1950
c) 1951
d) 1952
India became a Republic in
a) 1949
b) 1950
c) 1951
d) 1953
4.
5.
6.
The French handed over Pondicherry to India in
a) 1954
7.
8.
9.
b) 1955
c) 1956
d) 1957
India occupied Goa from the Portuguese in December
a) 1958
b) 1959
c) 1960
d) 1961
Gandhiji conducted Salt Satyagraha at
a) Sabarmati
b) Poona
c) Allahabad
d) Dandi
Salt Satyagraha was started in
a) 1927
b) 1929
c) 1930
d) 1935
10. The Round Table conference were held
a) New Delhi
b) Paris
c) Kolkata
d) London
11. The Act that abolished the diarchy in provinces was
a) 1909 Act
b) 1919 Act
c) 1935 Act
d) 1947 Act
12. The World War II was started in
a) 1914
b) 1939
c) 1942
d) 1945
13. Quit India movement started in
a) 1940
b) 1942
c) 1945
d) 1947
14. Azad Hind Fauz was formed by
a) Subhash Chandra Bose
c) Sardar Patel
b) Jawaharlal Nehru
d) M K Gandhi
15. The Home rule movement was started by
a) Gokhale
b) Madam Blavtsky
c) Annie Besant
d) Motilal Nehru
16. The Cabinet mission came to India in
a) 1942
b) 1944
c) 1945
d) 1946
17. The work of the integration of native states was done by
a) Patel
b) Gandhi
c) Nehru
d) Rajendra Prasad
18. In 1956, Pondicherry was handed over to India by
a) Portugal
b) France
c) Spain
d) Britain
19. Lokamanya is the title given to
a) Gokhale
b) Tilak
c) Naoroji
d) Motilal Nehru
20. The Grand Old man of India was
a) Gandhi
b) Naoroji
c) Nehru
d) S C Bose
Key
1. a
11. c
2. b
12. b
3. c
13. b
4. a
14. a
5. b
15. c
6. c
16. d
7. d
17. a
8. d
18. a
9. c
19. b
10. d
20. b