IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017
Modern History
Part – 1 (1857 – 1905)
Have you ever wondered how we have defined the different ages in History? As in how do we
call a history, Ancient or medieval or Modern?
Every age is characterized with a significant change, whether it is in the form of a new discovery
or a change in economic state, political structure or philosophy. For example, Neolithic age is
differentiated from Mesolithic age by domestication of plants. i.e. in Neolithic age agriculture
started. Similarly, ancient history and medieval history is differentiated by the political changes
that the world saw. Since these changes came at different times in different parts of the World,
the change of a phase in history is different for different geographical regions.
According to world history, the modern history starts from 15 th C AD with the start of
Renaissance period when new thoughts and ideas enlightened the world. With India, the case is
totally different. In India, the modernization did not come as a gradual process, but it came as a
shock. This is one of the reasons why our society is still unique. We are modern yet traditional.
In India, modern history starts roughly from 18th century, with the advent of Europeans. They
brought new modern ideas of freedom, democracy, fraternity etc. which deeply influenced the
modern Indian thinkers. They also brought new economic trend of commercializing almost
everything from manufacturing to agriculture. Scientific ideas and discoveries also reached
India and that made us realize that with the contemporary system of governance we were
centuries back from the world.
The advent of Europeans in India and how with power struggle British became supreme
contender of power in India is nicely covered in NCERT so we are not covering that part in the
Value Add here. Our coverage will start from Revolt of 1857, the last powerful but failed
attempt to restore the old form of governance.
www.IASbaba.com
Page 1
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017
Revolt of 1857
Revolt of 1857 was like the climax of an era which changed everything in India. To understand
this climax let’s have a short recap of the previous episodes.. :P
Previously in Modern India….
In 1498, Vasco de Gama, a Portuguese voyager landed on Indian soil. This was the European
discovery of India. Well in order to understand, we can put it this way that it was our discovery
of white men too. :P That was the day, when we were swayed by the fairness and opened our
doors to Europeans. This finally lead to the discovery of fairness creams.. but this was much
later.
Soon, under the leadership of Portuguese General, Albuquerque, Portuguese captured Goa and
became the center of Portuguese power in India. Soon Europeans realized that India was
indeed ‘Sone ki Chidiya’ (Golden Bird). They were stunned by seeing the Indian prosperity.
The factors of the emergence of nation states, renaissance and reformation, agricultural and
industrial revolution, new economic doctrine of mercantilism, competition between nation
states for breaking the mercantile monopoly of the merchants of Venice and Geneva over seaborne trade, and a great advance in navigational technologies like compass gave strong impetus
for geographical discoveries leading to the finding of new worlds and new sea routes. As a
consequence of the above factors, a new route to the east via the Cape of Good Hope was
discovered. This led to the European monopoly over the seas and the advent of Europeans into
India in search of trade and commerce in spices, which were essential requirements of their
food habits. Owing to the rivalry of European powers, India became the actual theatre of
conflicts by the middle of the 18th century.
Vasco De Gama: Died on Christmas eve in 1524 in India, of Malaria.
www.IASbaba.com
Page 2
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017
Routes Taken by Vasco De Gama
Soon English, Dutch and French also started trading with India to have their share of profits.
After the Portuguese, the Dutch also wanted to have their share in the trade with India. In
1602, the Dutch East India Company was established. The rising Dutch power was looked as a
threat by the British and a truce was concluded between them in 1619 but it did not last long.
By 1795, the British expelled the Dutch from India totally.
You need to remember that this trade was highly beneficial for India. India’s balance of trade
was positive. And Indian exports of spices and textiles had captured the world market. Indian
manufacturers and artisans gained huge profits.
India became an arena of European politics and to gain supremacy in India, these forces
frequently fought. This led to the famous Carnatic Wars fought between the Dutch and the
English in India. (You must have read about them from NCERT.) There were three wars. The
third war was conclusively won by the English which lead to almost monopoly of British in India.
Meanwhile the central Mughal power started to decay and many feudal lords and Nawabs
under Mughals declared themselves independent or atleast started behaving like one. To gain
power they started taking European help to settle local quarrels. They used to hire European
troops in local battles.
www.IASbaba.com
Page 3
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017
(Note: A European troop doesn’t mean that only European soldiers were fighting. European
troops had majority of Indian recruits who were trained on European style.)
Soon it was realized that Indian Battalions were no match for a handful of trained and
disciplined European soldiers. Every local ruler wanted European soldiers to fight on his side
and was ready to pay whatever price the company demanded. From this the concept of
‘Subsidiary Alliance’ originated.
Many historical records tell that it was introduced by General Dupleix of France but in its final
form it was shaped by Lord Wellesley. Many books tell that it was introduced by Lord Wellesley.
Whatever be the case, for exam we will follow Lord Wellesley.
Subsidiary Alliance:
Wellesley came to India with a determination to launch a forward policy in order to make ‘the
British Empire in India’ into ‘the British Empire of India’. The system that he adopted to achieve
his object is known as the ‘Subsidiary Alliance’.
Lord Wellesley: Known as the Akbar of East India Company
He also called himself ‘The Bengal Tiger’. But now we know that only DADA (aka Saurav
Ganguly) is Bengal Tiger. So I refuse to mention this fact in my Value Add.
www.IASbaba.com
Page 4
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017
The predecessors of Wellesley concluded alliances with Indian princes like the Nawab of Awadh
and the Nizam of Hyderabad. They received subsidies from the Indian rulers for the
maintenance of British troops, which were used for the protection of respective Indian states.
Wellesley enlarged and consolidated the already existing system.
Main Features of Subsidiary Alliance
1. Any Indian ruler who entered into the subsidiary alliance with the British had to maintain a
contingent of British troops in his territory. It was commanded by a British officer. The Indian
state was called ‘the protected state’ and the British hereinafter were referred to as ‘the
paramount power’. It was the duty of the British to safeguard that state from external
aggression and to help its ruler maintain internal peace. The protected state should give some
money or give part of its territory to the British to support the subsidiary force.
2. The protected state should cut off its connection with European powers other than the
English and with the French in particular. The state was also forbidden to have any political
contact even with other Indian powers without the permission of the British.
3. The ruler of the protected state should keep a British Resident at his court and disband his
own army. He should not employ Europeans in his service without the sanction of the
paramount power.
4. The paramount power should not interfere in the internal affairs of the protected state.
(Note: They forgot to mention a colon P i.e. :P after this clause as it was a joke. You all must
have seen the movie Lagan. So there is no need to explain this fact. If you have not, you need to
realize that there are more important things than UPSC. Do watch it first.)
Benefits to the British
Wellesley’s Subsidiary System is regarded as one of the masterstrokes of British imperialism.




It increased the military strength of the Company in India at the expense of the
protected states.
The territories of the Company were free from the ravages of war thereby establishing
the stability of the British power in India.
The position of the British was strengthened against its Indian and non-Indian enemies.
Under the system, expansion of British power became easy.
Thus Wellesley’s diplomacy made the British the paramount power in India.
www.IASbaba.com
Page 5
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017
Negative impact of the Subsidiary System on Indian Princes





The immediate effect of the establishment of subsidiary forces was the introduction of
anarchy because of the unemployment of thousands of soldiers sent away by the Indian
princes.
The freebooting activities of disbanded soldiers were felt much in central India where
the menace of Pindaris affected the people.
Further, the subsidiary system had a demoralizing effect on the princes of the protected
states. Safeguarded against external danger and internal revolt, they neglected their
administrative responsibilities. They preferred to lead easy-going and pleasure seeking
lives. As a result misgovernment followed.
In course of time, the anarchy and misrule in several states had resulted in their
annexation by the British. Thus, the subsidiary system proved to be a preparation for
annexation.
Furthermore, the British collected very heavy subsidies from the protected princes and
this had adversely affected their economy.
www.IASbaba.com
Page 6
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017
Subsidiary Alliance at a Glance!
www.IASbaba.com
Page 7
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017
Doctrine of Lapse:
Under this doctrine the British arrogated to themselves the right to veto the succession of an
adopted heir, and instead, to annex the territory concerned, although the adopted successor
and his heirs were usually allowed to keep their titles and a substantial annual allowance.
States annexed under this doctrine include:








Satara (annexed 1848)
Jaitpur (annexed 1849)
Sambalpur (annexed 1850)
Baghat (annexed 1850)
Udaipur (annexed 1852)
Jhansi (annexed 1853)
Nagpur (annexed 1854)
Karauli (annexed 1855)
You need to remember, that Awadh was not annexed by ‘Doctrine of Lapse’. The Nawab of
Awadh by Ousted by the British by giving a reason of poor administration. Some books have
given that it annexed by ‘DoL’, that is an incorrect fact.
Before 1857, there were two wars that acted as a milestone to establish English as the
supreme power in India:


Battle of Plassey
Battle of Buxar
www.IASbaba.com
Page 8
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017
Battle of Plassey:
British (Robert Clive) Vs Siraj ud Daula( Nawab of Bengal)
Venue: Plassey (Bengal)
Background:
It was a test match with 2 innings. In first inning Siraj ud Daula gave a big lead but in the second
inning British came very strongly and won the match.
In 1956, there was a conflict going on between British and French companies in Bangal. And in
order to protect themselves, both the companies started their fortification.
This fortification annoyed Siraj Ud Daula. Since both of them were his subjects he ordered them
to break the fortification. French obliged but British denied. In order to teach them a lesson,
Siraj ud Daula attacked and gave a crushing defeat to British. During this attack the ‘Black hole’
episode took place.
Note: Read about this ‘Black hole’ tragedy.
The British retreated to the sea. There they waited for Robert Clive to arrive on an island.
Robert Clive made a treacherous plot to defeat Siraj ud Daula. He got into a secret pact with
Mir Jafar (Siraj’s uncle and commander of one of his battalions.). He promised Mir Jafar the
throne of Bengal.
In 1757, the battle of Plassey took place where a very small British army defeated the 40,000
strong Nawab’s Army. It is said that it was hardy a battle as Siraj’s troops under Mir Jafar did
not march forward.
Siraj was chased and later apparently killed by his own people and Mir Jafar was made a puppet
Nawab. British East India company got loads of gift from the Nawab and a farman to carry on
tax free trade.
www.IASbaba.com
Page 9
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017
Painting shows Robert Clive meeting Mir Jafar after the Battle of Plassey
Outcome:
Battle of Plassey established British as a strong power and it provided them a constant source
of income from the richest state of India, Bengal.
www.IASbaba.com
Page 10
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017
Battle of Buxar:
Despite Mir Jafar’s gifts and rewards, British were not satisfied with him and replaced him by
Mir Qasim. Mir Qasim was an able administrator and tried to free himself from the clutches of
the Englishmen. This behavior was disliked by the British and the conflict led to three battles.
Mir Qasim was defeated and he fled to Awadh to take help of Nawab of Awadh, Shuja ud Daula.
Nawab of Bengal and Nawab of Awadh got into an alliance with the Mughal emperor Shah Alam
II, who despite the deteriorating Mughal empire was perceived as the central authority of India.
These combined forces met with British force at Buxar.
Result: As expected, the combined army of the three was no match for the disciplined English
army which comprehensively won.
Outcome: It was a morale booster for British and it established British as the super power.
British got the Diwani of Bengal from the Mughal emperor. i.e. now they got the right of
administration and taxation. This battle practically started the British rule in India.
www.IASbaba.com
Page 11
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017
There were several other prolonged wars like Anglo – Maratha War, Anglo – Mysore war etc.
which are nicely covered in the NCERT’s and previous VAN.
So with this recap, lets come to the climax episode. The revolt of 1857!
www.IASbaba.com
Page 12
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017
REVOLT OF 1857
Causes

Economic
o Destruction of traditional Indian Economy
o Ruin of agriculture by draconian land reforms
o Annexation of princely states = no patronage for artisans = destruction of Indian
handicrafts
o Loss of status for Zamindars = ashamed to work = anger against British

Political
o Aggressive policies of Subsidiary Alliance , Doctrine of Lapse
o Rampant corruption and exploitation especially at lower levels of administration
(police, local courts etc)
www.IASbaba.com
Page 13
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017

Army
o
o
o
o
Restriction on wearing caste specific clothing and items. Eg. turban
Forced to travel overseas, which was forbidden in Hindu tradition
Unequal pay for Indian sepoys + racial discrimination and subordination
Newly introduced Enfield rifles had beef fat coatings (trigger point)

Socio-Religious
o Racial discrimination towards native Indians (Theory of White Man’s Burden)
o Religious propagation by the Christian Missionaries
o Reforms like Abolition of Sati, Widow-Remarriage Act, Women’s Education were
seen as interference in the traditional Indian Society
o Taxation on mosques, temples etc

Outside Influences
o Crimean Wars 1854-56
www.IASbaba.com
Page 14
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017
o Punjab Wars 1845-49
o First Afghan War 1838-42
o The British suffered serious losses in these wars = psychological boost for Indians
Important Leaders
Place
Mangal Pandey
Barrakpore
Soldiers
Meerut Cant.
Bahadur Shah Zafar
Delhi
Zeenat Mahal
Delhi
Bakhtawar khan
Delhi
Nana Sahib
Kanpur
Tatya Tope
Kanpur
Azimullah
Kanpur
Maharaj Kunwar Singh
Arrah (Bihar)
Khan Bahadur Khan
Bareilly
Begum Hazrat Mahal
Lucknow
Maulvi Ahmadullah
Faizabad
Failure of Revolt
o Restricted to northern India. Lack of unity as modern nationalism was yet to born in
India
o Certain classes did not join – Big Zamindars, Rulers etc (These zamindars were the new
zamindars who were appointed by the British. Since they derived their power from
British authority, they were loyal to British.)
o Modern educated Indians viewed the revolt as backward and violent + they hoped
British Rule would bring modernization of Indian Society
o Indian soldiers were poorly equipped
o Revolt was poorly organized + no coordination
www.IASbaba.com
Page 15
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017
o No long term perspective and political goals
Impact of the Revolt
o First war of independence (As per V D Savarkar). Symbolically important
o Changed dynamics of British Rule forever. Transfer of administration to British Crown +
Abolition of the Company Rule
o Era of annexation and expansion ended. Princely states were promised partial
autonomy while remaining under British protection
o British policy of ‘Divide and Rule’ would dominate future events (to weaken HinduMuslim unity showcased in the Revolt of 1857)
Note: For every event the outcome is most important for the examination point of view.
Especially for mains.
The Revolt of 1857 gave a severe jolt to the British administration in India and made its reorganization inevitable. The Government of India’s structure and policies underwent significant
changes in the decades following the Revolt.
Changes in Administration: By the Act of Parliament of 1858, the power to govern India was
transferred from the East India Company to the British Crown. The authority over India, wielded
by the Directors of the Company and the Board of Control, was now to be exercised by a
Secretary of State for India aided by a Council.
Provincial Administration: The British had divided India for administrative convenience into
provinces, three of which- Bengal. Bombay and Madras- were known as Presidencies. The
Presidencies were administered by a Governor and his Executive Council of three, who were
appointed by the Crown. The other provinces were administered by Lieutenant Governor and
Chief Commissioners appointed by the Governor-General.
Local Bodies: Financial difficulties led the Government to further decentralize administration by
promoting local government through municipalities and district boards. Local bodies like
education, health, sanitation and water supply were transferred to local bodies that would
finance them through local taxes.
Changes in the army: The Indian army was carefully re-organised after 1858, most of all to
prevent the recurrence of another revolt. Firstly, the domination of the army by its European
branch was carefully guaranteed. The proportion of Europeans to Indians in the army was
www.IASbaba.com
Page 16
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017
raised. The European troops were kept in key geographical and military positions. The crucial
branches of artillery, tanks and armored corps were put exclusively in European hands. The
Indians were strictly excluded from the higher posts. Till 1814, no Indian could rise higher than
the rank of a subedar. Secondly, the organization of the Indian section of the army was based
on the policy of ‘divide and rule’ so as to prevent its chance of uniting again in an anti-British
uprising. A new section of army like Punjabis, Gurkhas and Pathans were recruited in large
numbers.
Relations with princely state / native states or British attitudes towards the Indian princes
after the Revolt of 1857: After the Revolt of 1857 the British reversed their policy towards the
Indian states. Most of the Indian princes had not only remained loyal to the British but had
actively aided the latter in suppressing the Revolt. Their loyalty was now rewarded with the
announcement that their right to adopt heirs would be respected and the integrity of their
territories guaranteed against future annexation. The experience of the Revolt had made them
decided to use the princely states as firm props of British rule in India.
Change in administrative policies: The British attitudes towards India and consequently, their
policies in India changed for the worse after the Revolt of 1857. While before 1857 they had
tried, however halfheartedly and hesitatingly, to modernize India, they now consciously began
to follow reactionary policies which were reflected in many fields.
(a) Divide and Rule; After the Revolt of 1857 the British increasingly continued to follow their
policy of divide and rule by turning the princes against the people, province against, caste
against caste, group against groups and above all, Hindus against Muslims. Immediately after
the revolt their suppressed Muslims, confiscated their lands and property on a large scale, and
declared Hindus to be their favorite. After 1870, this policy was reversed and an attempt was
made to turn Muslims against the nationalist movement. The Government cleverly used the
attraction government service to create a split between the educated Hindus and Muslims. The
Government promised official favor on a communal basis in return for loyalty and so played the
educated Muslims against the educated Hindus.
(b) Government attitudes towards educated Indians: The official used to favor the educated
Indians before 1857 but their attitudes changed after the Revolt because some of them have
began to use their recently acquired modern knowledge to analyse the imperialistic character
of British rule and to put forward demands for Indian participation in administration. The
officials became hostile to the educated Indians when the latter began to organise a nationalist
movement among the people and founded the Indian National Congress.
www.IASbaba.com
Page 17
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017
(c) Government attitudes towards the zamindars: After the revolt, the British changed their
attitudes towards the zamindars and landlords to use them as a dam against the rise of popular
and nationalist movement. The lands of most of the talukdars of Awadh were restored to them.
The zamindars and landlords were now hailed as the traditional and ‘natural’ leaders of the
Indian people. Their interest and privilege were protected and they, in turn, became the firm
supporters of British rule in India.
www.IASbaba.com
Page 18
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017
The revolt can be summed up with the following mindmap:
www.IASbaba.com
Page 19
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017
PRE-1857 REVOLT UPRISINGS
www.IASbaba.com
Page 20
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017
Civil Rebellion







Led by deposed ‘rajas’ and ‘nawabs’ and impoverished Zamindars, landlords etc.
Major cause = Rapid changed introduced by British Economy, administration and land
revenue system (in less than 30 years land revenue doubled)
No part of the enhanced revenue was spent on the development of agriculture
Zamindars were replaced by new “men of money”
Prevalence of corruption at lower levels of judiciary, administration and police
Ruin of Indian artisan and handicraft industry due to free imports and heavy tariffs on
exports of Indian finished goods
Patronage to priestly class came to an end + British policies seen as an attack on Hindu
religion.
Tribal Uprising
Tribal uprisings were the most violent and bloody amongst all. They were charged by emotions
and superstitious beliefs like foreign bullets cannot kill them. They were usually targeted
against the outsider Landlords and money lenders who were directly perceived as the enemy,
rather than the British.



Loss of land, influx of Christian missionaries in tribal areas
Placed restriction on access to forest produce
Santhal Revolt 1854:
www.IASbaba.com
Page 21
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017


o Lived in areas between Bhagalpur and Rajmahal (known as Daman-i-Koh)
o Main grudge was against the outsiders
o Called the outsiders as ‘dikus’ - Zamindars, police, courts
o British declared Martial Law and crushed them ruthlessly
Kols of Chotanagpur
o From 1820-37
Munda Rebellion
o Munda Tribe, Jharkhand
o 1899-1900
o Birsa Munda was the leader
www.IASbaba.com
Page 22
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017
Peasant Movements
In order to increase their profits, the British government changed the agricultural revenue
system. The policies followed by them can be represented as follows:
www.IASbaba.com
Page 23
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017
The exorbitant rate of revenue made the peasants impoverished. The negative thing was that
the money received as the revenue was siphoned out to England and very less amount was
invested in agriculture to improve the crop and land condition. This triggered a vicious circle of
poverty where peasants were dependent on money lenders, who again charged a very high
rate of interest. This distress of peasants resulted in many revolts.

Indigo Revolt – Bengal 1859-60
o Planters forced peasants to get into shoddy contracts causing great loss to
peasants
o Forced to use the best lands and got paid a price below Market Price.
o Famous slogan ‘je rakhak te bhakak’
o Got support from Bengali middle class and lawyers
o Finally, Ryots won and Indigo plantation was wiped out when government issued
a notification in 1860 that peasants cannot be compelled
www.IASbaba.com
Page 24
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017
o Features of the movement – cooperation, organization and discipline of the
peasants complete unity among Hindu and Muslims, role of Intelligentsia
o Neel Darpan – Deen Bandhu Gupta’s play which portrayed the movement
Fig: Cover page of Neel Darpan
o Reasons for success – awareness of law on part of the peasants
o Shortcoming – aim was limited to personal grievances

Bengal Tenacy Act
o Passed in 1885 as a direct outcome of the peasant movements
o Aim = to protect tenants from worst practices of Zamindari
o Defined rights of Zamindars and the peasants

Effect of American Civil War - 1864
o Cotton exports dried , prices crashed
o Also government increased the prices by 50%
Weakness of Peasant Movements
o Lack of adequate understanding of colonialism
o Their protest still occurred in the old society order – lacking the concept of an alternate
society
o But in 20th century, peasant discontent was merged with the larger National Movement
www.IASbaba.com
Page 25
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017
Post 1857 Revolts:
www.IASbaba.com
Page 26
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017
SOCIO-RELIGIOUS REFORMS
Problems in Indian Society






Indian society in the 19th century was caught in the vicious web of religious superstitions
and religious abundance.
Priests exercised overwhelming control over the minds of the people. Their monopoly
over scriptural knowledge and ritual interpretation gave them a deceptive character
Eg. Women even went to the extent to offering themselves to priests for their carnal
pleasures
Depressing conditions of women
o Birth of girl child looked down upon
o Practice of sati
o Child marriage
o No education for girls
Another was the factor of Caste:
o It created a system of segregation, hierarchy on the basis of birth
o The rules of caste hampered social mobility
o Fostered social division
o Sapped individual initiative
o Humiliation of untouchability
Conclusion – Rejecting such practices as against human dignity, the reform movement
sought to create a social climate for mobilization, referring to golden past, traditional,
yet devoid of such malaise.
Features of Socio-religious reforms:

The persistent theme of the reforms was developing rational scientific temper among
the Indian masses. Whether it was interpretation of Vedas by Brahmo Samaj (Raja Ram
Mohan Roy) or medical reasoning against child marriage given by Akshay Kumar Dutt,
the reforms were aimed at cleansing the Indian society of the mal-practices that had
gradually crept in the society. The influence/impact of socio-religious reforms can be
understood in two spheres:
www.IASbaba.com
Page 27
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017



Religion –
o The reforms sought to remove idolatry, polytheism and priestly monopoly
o Translation of religious knowledge into vernacular languages to set free the
masses from the bondage of priests
o Simplification of ritual practices
Social –
o Caste –
 Ranade, Dayanand, Vivekananda denounced the caste system
 Dayanand said – he deserved to be a Brahmin who acquires the best
knowledge and character and an ignorant person to be classed as a
shudra
 Jyotiba Phulbe (Maharashtra) and Narayan guru were two relentless
critics of the caste system
 Narayan Guru said – ‘one religion, one caste, and one God for mankind’
o Women –
 Child marriage, sati, abandonment of widows was prevalent
 Ishwarchand Vidyasagar gave special emphasis on widow remarriage
 Raja Ram Mohan Roy also championed women’s cause
Conclusion – The reforms were not blind imitation of western cultural norms. The
reforms were aiming at modernization rather than westernization
Impact of Reforms –


The cultural-ideological struggle represented by the socio-religious movements was an
integral part of the evolving national consciousness. It was instrumental in bringing
about the initial intellectual and cultural break which made a new vision of the future
possible.
Second, it was part of the resistance against colonial cultural and ideological hegemony.
Out of this dual struggle evolved modern cultural situation – new men, new homes and
new society
www.IASbaba.com
Page 28
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017
A Quick glance of the Socio – Religious Reforms:
www.IASbaba.com
Page 29
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017
FOUNDATION OF INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS




Foundation of INC was not a sudden event or a historical accident. It was the
culmination of a process of political awakening that had beginnings in 1860s and 1870s
and took a defining step in 1880s. Following were the reasons:
1. The new political thrust between 1875 and 85 was emergence of young
intellectual nationalists. They formed broad based associations like the Indian
Association in 1876 by Surendranath Banerjee and Anand Mohan Bose.
2. Rise of Nationalist Press which was to play a dominant role in connecting and
igniting masses in coming times. Eg. The Hindu, Tribune, Kesari. (find who started
them)
3. Indians had gained experience from a large no of agitations organized in the
preceding decade
 1877-78 – massive agitation for Indianization of civil services
 Opposition of Afghan War (II – 1878-1880) by Lord Lytton
 Agitation against the Vernacular Press Act 1878 (trying to curb the
freedom of press)
 1883 – agitation in favor of Ilbert Bill which allowed Indian judges to try
Europeans
The earlier efforts failed because they were not coordinated on an all India basis. On the
other hand Europeans had always acted in unity.
Thus, it is clear that foundation of Congress was the natural culmination of the political
work in previous years. By 1885, a stage had reached by which certain basic tasks or
objectives had to be laid down and struggled for.
Also, these objectives could only be fulfilled by coming together by coming together of
political workers in a single organization
www.IASbaba.com
Page 30
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017
Indian National Congress: 1885
Demands of the Nationalists:









No reduction of import duties on textiles
No expansion in Afghan and Burma
Right to bear arms
Freedom of press
Reduction of military expenditure
Reduction of taxation on land
Higher expenditure on famine relief
Indianization of Civil Services
Right of Indians to judge Europeans (Ilbert Bill)
Objectives of Congress:
1. First objective was to weld Indians into a nation, to create a new identity ‘Indian’. Only
then a National Movement can be initiated
2. Secondly, to create a common political platform around which political workers in
different parts of the country could gather and work
Note: Initially Congress strictly confined itself to political issues of ‘National importance’.
As Dadabhai Noaroji said “we are met together as a political body to represent our
political aspirations”
3. Internalization of the nuances of political democracy and educating people towards the
same. That’s why from beginning Congress was organized as a Parliament
4. To develop and prolong an anti-colonial ideology
Mistakes of Congress:



Early Nationalist failed to understand the true nature of Colonial State.
They did not organize mass movements
Were accused to be cut-off from the masses
Achievements of Congress:


In congress’s defense, they did carry out an ideological struggle against the British
Did the preparatory work of initiating a struggle
www.IASbaba.com
Page 31
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017



Gave Indian people a common platform to put forward their grievances
Gave a direction to the Indian agitation against the British rule
In G.K’s words – “our achievements are bound to be small and disappointments
frequent. But our work will be given to future generations who will serve India by their
successes.
www.IASbaba.com
Page 32
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017
ECONOMIC CRITIQUE OF COLONIALISM
The economic critique was the most important contribution to the development of National
Movement in India by the Moderates.
 Intellectuals in the first half of 19th century had adopted a positive attitude, thinking
British rule would help modernize India
 Post 1860, social development failed to live upto hopes
 Dadabhai Noaroji, MG Ranade and RC Dutt amongst prominent critiques of the colonial
rule
 Understood the essence of British Imperialism lay in subordination of the Indian
Economy to the British Economy
 Explained the three aspects of British rule – through trade, industry and finance
 Colonialism moved from naked plunder to more sophisticated draining through free
trade and foreign capital investment meant to further the interest of the British at the
expense of Indian resources
 Dadabhai Noaroji made poverty his special subject and emphasized that Indian poverty
was a manifestation of British colonial policies.
 He published – “Poverty and un-British rule in India”
 For Dadabhai, foreign capital was “exploitation” of Indian Resources and a means for
political subjugation of the country. They cited examples of other colonies and the
impact of British policies
 They highlighted the progressive decline of Indian Handicrafts. From being the largest
exporters of handicrafts, India became a net exporter of Manchester cloth in a matter of
decades
 India became a land of raw material and import of manufactured goods ably supported
by liberal import polices and stringent export policies
 They also pointed out how physical infrastructure and especially Railways which were
not laid to suit the Indian Needs. Hence, it led to a “Commercial Revolution” and not
Industrial one in India
 The policy of free trade, on one hand completely decimated Indian handicrafts, it also
put the infant and under-developed Indian industries in a disastrous and unfair
competition with British Manufactures
 They criticized the exorbitant taxes which were regressive and instead pitched forward
the idea of progressive taxation and import duties on products consumed by rich people
www.IASbaba.com
Page 33
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017
Drain of Wealth Theory
Dadabhai Naoroji







The focal point of Nationalist critique put forward by Dadabhai Naoroji.
Large part of India’s capital and wealth was being transferred or “drained” to Britain in
the form of salaries and pensions of British civil and military officials working in India,
interest on loans taken by Indian government, profits of the capitalists in India and
expenses of Indian government in Britain
The ‘drain’ was the basic cause of India’s poverty
RC Dutt made the ‘drain’ a major theme in his Economic History of India. He compared
the drain to rain in Britain using Indian waters
The drain theory incorporated all threads of nationalist critique of colonialism
The drain theory made the exploitative character of British policies visible and could be
easily grasped by the peasants and the masses
Hence, drain theory helped in arousing people and later became the main staple of
Nationalist political agitation
www.IASbaba.com
Page 34
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017
Impact:





The critique helped in undermining the hegemony of foreign rulers over Indian minds, a
feeling that British were the ‘Mai-baap’ of the common people in India
It corroded popular confidence in the “benevolent” character of the British
Tilak in Kesari, Sachidanand Sinha in Indian People and Dadabhai hammered home the
point through repeated articles until the masses fully understood the exploitative
character of the British
The theory refuted the ‘White Man’s Burden’ theory given by British Economists
Conclusion: The nationalist of 20th century were to rely heavily on the main theme of
economic critique of India and stage powerful mass movements.
www.IASbaba.com
Page 35
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017
INDIAN PRESS
Hickey's Bengal Gazette was an English newspaper published from Kolkata (then Calcutta),
India. It was the first major newspaper in India, started in 1780. It was published for two years.
Founded by James Augustus Hicky, a highly eccentric Irishman who had previously spent two
years in Jail for debt.
Newspapers of the time –






Kesari and Maharatta by Tilak
Bengalee by Surendranath Banerjee
Amrita Bazar Patrika by SK Ghosh (If you were wondering what ABP news is, it’s Amrita
Bazar Patrika.)
Voice of India under Dadabhai Noaroji
Sudharak under GK Gokhale
Later – Young India and Harijan by Gandhi
Influence of Press:



During the initial phase of freedom struggle (1870-1920) the press was the chief
instrument for carrying out politicization, education and formation of national ideology
when the national movement had not yet resorted to mass agitation.
The Congress accomplished its work through press only. Its resolutions and proceedings
had to propagate through press only. Interestingly, nearly one third of Congress
members were journalists.
All political leaders (pick names from above) channeled their agitation through
newspaper writings.
www.IASbaba.com
Page 36
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017


Influence of press extended far beyond its literary subscribers. A newspaper in remote
villages would read out by a reader to tens and hundreds of people.
Conclusion – Nearly all political controversies of the day were conducted through the
press, every act of the government subjected to sharp criticism. Fittingly – the motto of
Indian Press was ‘Oppose, Oppose, Oppose’ as recounted by Lord Rippon in his time.
Vernacular Press Act 1878


Indian Press had become highly critical of Lord Lytton’ administration during 1870s.
The Act which applied only to Indian language newspapers, provided for confiscation of
printing press, paper and other material if the government believed it was printing
seditious material.
The conditions imposed were:


No government employee can edit any newspaper without prior permission of the
government.
The editor as well as the publishers and the other associated persons will be arrested if
any newspaper published in native language, reports anything against the British. The
equipment and machineries will also be seized.
Many people called it ‘Gagging Act’ as it tried to strangulate the voices of the press. Large scale
protests started against this act.

It was repealed by Lord Rippon in 1881
www.IASbaba.com
Page 37
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017
SWADESHI MOVEMENT (1903-1908)
Introduction
With the start of Swadeshi Movement at the turn of the century, the Indian National
Movement took a major leap forward. Women, students and a large section of the urban and
rural population of Bengal and other parts of India became actively involved in politics for the
first time.
Reason



It was started to oppose the Partition of Bengal by Lord Curzon (1899-1905)
Real motive of partition of Bengal was political. Bengal was the nerve centre of Indian
Nationalist Movement and the partition was aimed at dividing the population on
communal lines and destabilizes the movement.
According to the British, the partition was being done for administrative convenience as
the province is too big.
Features of the Movement:




Unprecedented participation of the masses
Large no of protest meetings, active role of press.
Nationalist leaders protested through newspapers and journals such as the Bengalee by
Surendranath Banerjee
Big Zamindars who were British loyalists till now joined the movement
www.IASbaba.com
Page 38
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017







1903-1905 - moderate techniques of petitions, speeches, public meetings and press
campaigns were held.
Moderate methods failed as partition was announced in 1905.
Extremist Mode –
o Seen first time in Indian Freedom Struggle
o Boycott Resolution – boycott of foreign goods (Manchester cloth and Liverpool
Salt). The value of British cloth fell by 10 times in Bengal
o In Calcutta strike was declared, people took to streets, singing Bande Mataram.
o Picketing of shops selling foreign goods by students and women
o People tied Rakhi to each other as a mark of unity
BG Tilak took the movement to different parts of the country especially Poona and
Bombay. Lala Lajpat Rai took it to Punjab
Importance on Self-Reliance
o Meant re-asserting national dignity and confidence
o Economic Regeneration of villages and reaching out to masses
o Social reforms and campaign against social evils such as caste system, dowry,
child marriage etc.
o Promotion of Swadeshi Education. Bengal National College was founded with
Aurobindo Ghosh as president. In the same time National Council of Education
was also established
o Setting up indigenous mills in textiles, soap and match factories etc.
Swaraj became the aim (also adopted by Congress in 1906)
Conclusion – The movement was able to draw for the first time a large section of society
into active participation especially women.
Emergence of Extreme Nationalists
The movement brought forward the differences between extreme Nationalists like Lal, Bal, Pal,
Aurobindo Ghosh and the moderates. The extremists wanted to take the movement to the rest
of India while moderates were not willing to do so yet. It would later lead to Surat Split in 1907.




Acquired a dominant role in the movement
New forms of mobilization and techniques of struggle
Unlike moderates, Swaraj was to be achieved by converting the movement into a mass
protest with full scale non-cooperation and passive resistance
Boycott was extended to government schools and colleges, courts, titles and
government services
www.IASbaba.com
Page 39
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017
Why the movement failed?





The revolutionary character of the movement drew harsh measures from the
government such as bans on public meetings, processions and press. Students were
expelled, fined and beaten up
The Congress split weakened the movement. Also the large part of the country was still
averse to the idea of extremist measures as means of protest and hence didn’t
participate actively
The Extremists couldn’t sustain the momentum. Tilak was given a 6 year sentence.
Ashwini Kumar Dutt and Lala Lajpat Rai were deported. Bipin Pal and Aurobindo Ghosh
retired from active politics
Therefore, the entire movement was rendered leaderless and eventually died
Although the movement exhibited all Gandhian techniques of mass movement but it
lacked an effective organization and party structure. It failed to convert these
techniques into actual, practical political practice.
1906 Congress Session – Calcutta


Aim of Congress = Swaraj for India
Swaraj mentioned for the first time. Meaning not defined yet
www.IASbaba.com
Page 40
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017
CONGRESS SPLIT
By 1907 the Moderate Nationalists had exhausted their historic role. The emergence of
Swadeshi and Boycott Movement brought a wave of mass movement that demanded a change
in ideology of the Nationalist Movement.
Reasons for ‘failure’ of Moderates:






Were considered elitist even by Indians
Did not have faith in the common people
Restricted themselves to political issues and did not entertain specific social issues
Their methodology of legal pleading and articulation was beyond the average
uneducated Indian of the time
Did not participate in the Swadeshi and Boycott Movements
Conclusion: Hence they were not able to keep pace with the events. They failed to meet
the demands of the new age movement
Policy of Carrot and Stick
British policy makers felt that the moderate led Congress could be easily finished because it’s
weak but the British became critical of the Nationalist Movement after Swadeshi and Boycott
movement. Their aim was now to isolate the extremists.




Lured moderates by presenting the idea of Morley-Minto Reforms (Lord Minto)
Moderates agreed to cooperate and got disconnected from S and B movement
The Extremists wanted to extend S and B.
This led to Congress split at Surat session in 1907
Impact of the Split



Both sides got it wrong.
Moderates led by Pherozshah Mehta hoped their dream of sharing political and admin
power would come true. They couldn’t see that British negotiated because of the fear of
the Extremists
Extremists did not see that Moderates were their natural defense line and as a result
were brutally suppressed.
www.IASbaba.com
Page 41
IASbaba ILP SET4 Block 2 Modern History 2017


Tilak was jailed for 6 years. Aurobindo Ghosh gave up active politics and took up
religion. BC Pal temporarily retired from politics and Lala Lajpat Rai went to the US for
an extended stay
The spirit was gone from the movement and it entered a dull phase which was to last till
the WWI came around
Best Wishes
IASbaba
Copyright © by IASbaba
All rights are reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or
otherwise, without prior permission of IASbaba.
www.IASbaba.com
Page 42