Modern Indian National Movement: Key Events and Important Questions

Overview

• Discussion of important events of the Indian National Movement (1885-1947).
• Focus on key events and related questions for exams.
• Coverage from the formation of Indian National Congress (INC) to Independence.

Indian National Congress Formation (1885)

• Founded on: December 28, 1885
• Initiated by: A.O. Hume
• First session: Bombay, under the chairmanship of Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee
• Other founding members: Dadabhai Naoroji, Dinshaw Wacha
• Key questions:
  • Who initiated the formation of INC? (A.O. Hume)
  • When was the first session held? (1885)
  • Who was the first president? (Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee)

Partition of Bengal (1905)

• Announced by: Lord Curzon on July 19, 1905
• Implemented on: October 16, 1905
• Reunited on: December 12, 1911 by Lord Hardinge
• Division: West Bengal and East Bengal
• Key questions:
  • Who announced the partition of Bengal? (Lord Curzon)
  • When was it implemented? (October 16, 1905)
  • Who reunited Bengal? (Lord Hardinge)
  • When was Bengal reunited? (1911)

Muslim League Formation (1906)

• Formed on: December 30, 1906
• Place: Dacca (Dhaka), Bangladesh
• Key figures: Nawab Salimullah Khan
• First session: 1908, presided by Aga Khan in Amritsar, Punjab
• Key questions:
  • When was All India Muslim League founded? (1906)
  • Where was the first session held? (Amritsar)
  • Who presided the first session? (Aga Khan)

Split of Congress (1907)

• Session location: Surat
• Division into: Moderates and Extremists
• Moderate leader: Raj Bihari Ghosh
• Key Extremists: Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bipin Chandra Pal (Lal Bal Pal)
• Key questions:
  • Where did the split of Congress take place? (Surat session, 1907)
  • Who were the prominent leaders of Extremists? (Lal-Bal-Pal)
  • Which session saw the division of Moderates and Extremists? (Surat 1907)

Khudiram Bose Hanged (1908)

• Event: Bomb thrown at Muzaffarpur vehicle killing Judge Kingsford
• Date: April 30, 1908
• Hanged on: August 11, 1908
• Age at death: 18
• Key questions:
  • Where was Khudiram Bose hanged? (Muzaffarpur)
  • When did Khudiram Bose throw the bomb? (April 30, 1908)

Formation of Ghadar Party (1913)

• Founded in: San Francisco, California
• Founders: Lala Har Dayal, Sohan Singh Bhakna
• Date: July 15, 1913
• Key questions:
  • Who founded Ghadar Party? (Lala Har Dayal, Sohan Singh Bhakna)
  • Where was it founded? (San Francisco)

Gandhi's Arrival in India (1915)

• Returned on: January 9, 1915
• Age at return: 45 years, 3 months, and 7 days
• Day significance: Celebrated as Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
• Key questions:
  • When did Gandhi return from South Africa? (January 9, 1915)
  • What day is celebrated as Pravasi Bharatiya Divas? (January 9)

Home Rule Movement (1916)

• Leaders: Annie Besant, Bal Gangadhar Tilak
• Objective: Self-Government for India
• Key questions:
  • Who led the Home Rule Movement? (Annie Besant, Bal Gangadhar Tilak)

Champaran Movement (1917)

• Leader: Mahatma Gandhi
• Event: First Satyagraha in India
• Reason: Against Tinkathia System
• Key questions:
  • Where did Gandhi first use Satyagraha in India? (Champaran, Bihar)
  • Reason for Champaran Satyagraha? (Tinkathia System)

Ahmedabad Mill Workers Agitation (1918)

• Leader: Mahatma Gandhi
• Event: Demand for wage increase
• Result: 35% wage increase
• Key questions:
  • When did Gandhi lead the strike of mill workers in Ahmedabad? (1918)
  • Result of the protest? (35% wage increase)

Kheda Movement (1918)

• Leaders: Mahatma Gandhi, Vallabhbhai Patel
• Reason: Against oppressive revenue policies
• Key questions:
  • Who led the Kheda Satyagraha? (Mahatma Gandhi, Vallabhbhai Patel)
  • Reason for the movement? (Against revenue policies)

Rowlatt Act (1919)

• Purpose: Detention without trial
• Passed on: February 6, 1919
• Called by Gandhi: Black Act
• Key questions:
  • Purpose of Rowlatt Act? (Detention without trial)
  • Who termed it as Black Act? (Gandhi)
  • When was it passed? (February 6, 1919)

Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (1919)

• Date: April 13, 1919
• Event: British troops fired on an unarmed crowd
• Reason: Arrest of leaders Dr. Saifuddin Kichlu and Dr. Satyapal
• Key questions:
  • When did Jallianwala Bagh Massacre take place? (April 13, 1919)
  • Who was responsible for the massacre? (General Dyer)

Khilafat Movement (1919-1922)

• Leaders: Shaukat Ali, Mohammad Ali
• Purpose: Maintain authority of Ottoman Sultan as Caliph of Islam
• Key questions:
  • Who led the Khilafat Movement? (Shaukat Ali, Mohammad Ali)
  • Duration of the movement? (1919-1922)

Non-Cooperation Movement (1920)

• Started on: August 1, 1920
• Leader: Mahatma Gandhi
• Ended on: February 1922 after Chauri Chaura incident
• Key questions:
  • When was Non-Cooperation Movement started? (August 1, 1920)
  • Why did it end? (Chauri Chaura incident)
  • First to be arrested during the movement? (C.R. Das)

Chauri Chaura Incident (1922)

• Date: February 4, 1922
• Event: Police station set on fire, leading to 22 police deaths
• Impact: Gandhi called off Non-Cooperation Movement
• Key questions:
  • When did Chauri Chaura Incident take place? (February 4, 1922)
  • Result of the incident? (End of Non-Cooperation Movement)

Swaraj Party Formation (1923)

• Founders: Chittaranjan Das, Motilal Nehru
• Date: January 1, 1923
• Objective: Demand constitution for India
• First session: Allahabad
• Key questions:
  • Who founded Swaraj Party? (Chittaranjan Das, Motilal Nehru)
  • When was it founded? (January 1, 1923)

Simon Commission (1928)

• Arrival in India: February 3, 1928
• Objective: Review Government of India Act 1919
• Chairman: Sir John Simon
• Key questions:
  • When did Simon Commission arrive in India? (February 3, 1928)
  • Why was it boycotted? (No Indian members included)

Dandi March (1930)

• Started by Gandhi from: Sabarmati Ashram
• Date: March 12, 1930
• Event: Gandhi broke salt laws at Dandi on April 6, 1930
• Key questions:
  • Where did Gandhi start the Dandi March? (Sabarmati Ashram)
  • When did Gandhi break the salt laws? (April 6, 1930)

Round Table Conferences

First Round Table Conference (1930-1931)

• Inaugurated on: November 12, 1930
• Place: Royal Gallery, House of Lords, London
• Chair: British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald
• Key questions:
  • When was the first Round Table Conference held? (November 12, 1930)
  • Who chaired it? (Ramsay MacDonald)

Second Round Table Conference (1931)

• Date: September 7 to December 1, 1931
• Indian National Congress representative: Mahatma Gandhi
• Key questions:
  • Who represented INC in the second conference? (Mahatma Gandhi)

Third Round Table Conference (1932)

• Date: November 17 to December 24, 1932
• Key questions:
  • When was the third conference held? (November 17, 1932)
  • Which leaders attended all three conferences? (B.R. Ambedkar, Tej Bahadur Sapru, M.R. Jayakar)

Poona Pact (1932)

• Signed between: Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
• Date: September 24, 1932
• Objective: Reservation for depressed classes in the British Indian Legislature
• Key questions:
  • Who signed the Poona Pact? (Gandhi and Ambedkar)
  • When was it signed? (September 24, 1932)

Government of India Act (1935)

• Passed by British Parliament: 1935
• Came into force: 1937
• Key questions:
  • When was the Government of India Act passed? (1935)

Muslim League Demand for Pakistan (1940)

• Resolution passed at: Lahore session, 1940
• Key questions:
  • When did the Muslim League first propose Pakistan? (1940)
  • What was the resolution known as? (Lahore Resolution or Pakistan Resolution)

Cripps Mission (1942)

• Sent by: British Government
• Purpose: Secure Indian cooperation for British war efforts
• Prime Minister: Winston Churchill
• Key questions:
  • When did Cripps Mission arrive in India? (1942)
  • Who was the British Prime Minister then? (Winston Churchill)

Quit India Movement (1942)

• Proposed by: Jawaharlal Nehru
• Date: August 8, 1942
• Objective: End British rule in India
• Slogan: Quit India by Yusuf Meher Ali
• Key questions:
  • Who proposed the Quit India Movement? (Jawaharlal Nehru)
  • When was the movement started? (August 8, 1942)
  • Slogan for the movement? (Quit India)

Shimla Conference (1945)

• Event between: Viceroy Lord Wavell and Political leaders
• Date: Started June 24, 1945, ended July 14, 1945
• Reason for failure: Muslim League's demand
• Key questions:
  • When was the Shimla Conference held? (1945)
  • Why did it fail? (Muslim League's demand)

Cabinet Mission Plan (1946)

• Purpose: Discuss constitution and transfer of power
• Announced by: British Prime Minister Clement Attlee
• Key questions:
  • Purpose of Cabinet Mission? (Discuss constitution and power transfer)

Indian Independence Act (1947)

• Passed by: British Parliament
• Objective: Divide India and Pakistan into two independent nations
• Key questions:
  • Which act divided India and Pakistan? (Indian Independence Act, 1947)

Additional Key Questions

• Slogan by Bal Gangadhar Tilak: "स्वतंत्रता मेरा जन्मसिद्ध अधिकार है और मैं इसे लेकर रहूँगा।"
• Author of book 'Young India': Lala Lajpat Rai
• Congress division into Moderates and Extremists: Surat session (1907)
• Founder of All India Forward Bloc: Subhas Chandra Bose
• Return of Kaiser-i-Hind title: Mahatma Gandhi, 1920
• Formation of East India Association: Dadabhai Naoroji, 1866 in London
• Role of Raja Ram Mohan Roy: Efforts towards social and educational reform
• Arrest of Dr. Saifuddin Kichlu and Dr. Satyapal: Reason for Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

Summary

• Comprehensive coverage of key events from 1885 to 1947.
• Important questions for exam preparation.
• Focus on significant leaders and their contributions.

Conclusion

• The Indian National Movement was marked by significant events and contributions by key leaders.
• Understanding these events is crucial for exam preparation and historical knowledge.

Feel free to revisit these notes for a thorough understanding and quick revision for your exams!