ICSE X HISTORY The Partition of Bengal

Who was Lord Curzon?

Lord Curzon was the Viceroy of India from 1899-1905.

His tenure of office was marked with controversies.

One of his administrative measures the Partition of Bengal in 1905 resulted in strong resentment

What did the Bengal Presidency comprise of?

Presidency of Bengal was the most thickly populated province in British India.

It comprised Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Chotanagpur and other remote areas.

It extended over an area of 4, 89,500 sq. km with a huge population of over 80 million.

What was Partition of Bengal?

Partition of Bengal was the division of Presidency of Bengal by Viceroy Lord Curzon into two divisions Bengal and Eastern Bengal and Assam.

When was the Partition of Bengal announced and implemented/came into effect?

The Partition of Bengal was announced by Viceroy Lord Curzon on July 20^th 1905 and was implemented on October 16^th 1905.

In which year was the Partition of Bengal revoked?

The Partition of Bengal was revoked in 1911.

Which areas did the East Bengal province comprise?

Eastern Bengal and Assam comprised of the eastern districts of Bengal proper and Assam with a population of 31 million. Dacca was the capital of the new province.

Which areas did the Western Bengal province comprise?

Bengal comprised of the western districts of Bengal proper, Bihar and Orissa with a population of 54 million. Calcutta was made its capital.

How did the partition affect the Hindu-Bengali population?

The Province of Eastern Bengal was dominated by Bengali Muslims.

The Province of Bengal was dominated 31 million non-Bengalis out of a total of 54 million

In both the provinces, the Hindu-Bengali population became a minority.

What reasons were given by the British for the Partition of Bengal?

According to the British, the Partition of Bengal was an administrative necessity because the province of Bengal was too big to be administrated by a single provincial government was necessary and hence the two divisions.

How did the Nationalist interpret Lord Curzon’s motives?     

Or

What were the concealed motives of the British/Lord Curzon behind the Partition of Bengal?

The concealed motives of the British behind Partition of Bengal were:

1.    To stop the rising tide of nationalism in the nerve center Bengal

2.    To curb the Bengali influence by dividing it into two administrative provinces and reducing the Bengalis to a minority in Bengal.

3.    To divide Bengal into two religious based divisions with being East Bengal a Muslim majority and West Bengal a Hindu majority.

Why the Indian nationalists did condemned the British reasoning for Partition of Bengal?

The Indian nationalists clearly saw the design behind the Partition and condemned it on the following grounds:

1.    It was a deliberate attempt to divide the Bengalis on religious and territorial grounds and disrupt and weaken nationalism in Bengal.

2.    The administrative efficiency could have been better secured by separating Hindi-speaking Bihar and the Oriya-speaking Orissa from the Bengali-speaking part of the province.

3.    The announcement of partition was made without any regard for the public opinion and hurt the sentiments of sensitive Bengalis.

What was the Anti-Partition Movement?

Anti-Partition Movement was the movement against the Partition of Bengal announcement by Lord Curzon.

Ø  It led to a mighty upsurge which brought people and political leaders together.

Ø  Eminent leaders like Surendranath Banerjea, B.C.  Pal held protests meetings.

Ø  The Moderates and the Assertives co-operated with one another

Ø  The leaders condemned Partition through newspapers – Sanjibani, Hitabadi, Bengali

Ø  The Anti-Partition Movement was initiated on August 7^th 1905, a demonstration at Town Hall Kolkata was held to send the delegates to spread the movement in the whole province.

In what unique way was Partition day observed in Bengal?

What was people’s reaction on Partition implementation?

The Partition came into effect on October 16, 1905.

1.    The leaders of the protest movement declared it a day of national mourning throughout Bengal.

Ø  It was observed as a day of fasting.

Ø  There was hartal in Kolkata.

Ø  People walked barefooted and bathed in the Ganga in the early morning hours.

2.    The streets of Kolkata were full of the cries of the theme song of the national movement-'Bande Mataram and Rabindranath Tagore patriotic composition 'Amar Sonar Bangla' (My Golden Bengal).

3.    Hindus and Muslims celebrated Raksha Bandhan by tying rakhis [yellow thread] on one another's wrists as the symbol of unbreakable unity of the Bengalis and the two halves of Bengal.

4.    The veteran leader Anand Mohan Bose laid the foundation of a Federation Hall to mark the indestructible unity of Bengal. All gathered there in demonstration took the vow to follow Swadeshi.

What was the impact of Anti-Partition Proclamation?

The Anti-Partition agitation back fired the plans of Lord Curzon. A wave of indignation swept across the whole province and had the following impact:

1.    It led to acceleration of Nationalist Movement by spreading it among the general masses that rose in unity to resist, to suffer and to sacrifice.

2.    It led people to realize that the ideas of Swadeshi and boycott were complementary and one would not succeed without the other.

3.    It led to loss of faith in the British sense of justice and Moderates way of working

4.    It led to strengthening of the National Movement and gave an opportunity to the Assertive Nationalists to lead the National Movement.

Name two prominent leaders of the Anti-Partition Movement.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Lala Lajpat Rai were the two important leaders of the Anti-Partition Movement

Who composed Bande Mataram?

Bande Mataram was composed by Bankimchandra Chatterjee in his novel Anandmath.

Name the song composed by Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore composed the song Amar Sonar Bengal especially for the Anti-Partition Movement.

How did the idea of Swadeshi help Indians to be united against the British?

The Swadeshi Movement drew a large section of society into active participation in the freedom movement. The zamindars who had remained loyal to the British took part in the movement Women and students actively participated and Muslims joined in despite British measures to check them from participating

How did the nationalists mobilize the masses in the Swadeshi and Boycott movements?

The Nationalist leaders clarified its objectives, taught people self-confidence, and self-reliance and prepared the social base for the movement to include the lower middle class students youth and women

They also introduced youth new methods of waging political struggle and also created the required self-confidence courage and patriotic spirit thus creating a wide social base for political struggle.

What was the contribution of Swadeshi movement to the growth of literature?

Nationalist poetry, prose and journalism blossomed.

·        The patriotic songs were written by poets like Rabindranath Tagore, Rajanikanta Sen, Syed Abu Mohammed and Mukunda Das are sung in Bengal to this day.

·        Political journalism produced classic articles on freedom, liberty and self-reliance.

·        The spirited writer Aurobindo Ghose and his works fostered national feelings.

·        Bankimchandra’s novel Anandmath was in demand because of the song Bande Mataram which was the war-cry of the nationalists.

·        Journals and newspapers like Kesari, the Maharatta and Yugantar helped to foster the spirit of nationalism and Patriotism.

Give two reasons for starting the Swadeshi and the Boycott Movement.

The Assertives adopted the policy of Swadeshi and Boycott to attain Swaraj.

·        Swadeshi means of one’s own country.
     During the movement it meant people should use Indian products to strengthen the nation through promotion of Indian industries and provide better employment opportunities to the unemployed craftsmen
      It would be an effective method of developing patriotism.

·        The promotion of Swadeshi advocated the boycott of foreign goods this idea aroused nationalistic sentiments of the people it stressed that the boycott of foreign goods which were mostly British would hurt British economic interests and thus the British would be forced to accept Indian demands.

What virtues did the Swadeshi movement instill among the Indians?

The Swadeshi Movement instilled in the spirit of self-sacrifice, self-reliance, national dignity and honour and self-confidence among people.

What was the positive effect of this movement on the National Movement?

The Swadeshi and Boycott movements gave a new direction to the national movement as it united the people of India. The whole country rose to fight the British and attain freedom.

The Swadeshi largely promoted the Indian industries particularly the cottage industries indigenous industries were set up such as Bengal Chemical Works by Acharya P.C. Ray and Rabindranath Tagore opened a Swadeshi store Jamshedji Tata also established an iron and steel industry

The Swadeshi Movement gave impetus to the cottage industries and provided work to the craftsmen working in handloom and handicrafts industries who had been deprived due to the adverse economic policies of the British.

State two reasons for the partial failure of the Swadeshi Movement

The two reasons for the partial failure of the Swadeshi Movement

1.    Lack of an effective organization and party structure.

2.    Lack of efficient leaders after a large-scale deportation of its prominent leaders like Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai and Ajit Singh and retirement of Bipin Chandra pal and Aurobindo Ghose from politics

What is meant by the terms: Swadeshi and Boycott?

'Swadeshi' means of one's own country. It aimed at the promotion of indigenous industries for strengthening the nation.

Boycott meant abstaining from the purchase of British goods.

What was the four fold Boycott Programme?

The comprehensive four fold programme of boycott was openly and aggressively anti-British.

It included:

1.    Boycott of English cloth, salt, sugar, etc.

2.    Rejection of English speech

3.    Rejection of government posts and seats in Legislative Council

4.    Social boycott of people who purchased foreign goods.

List three evidences to prove that the Swadeshi and Boycott concepts were not new.

The Anti-Partition of Bengal adopted the old concepts of Swadeshi and Boycott and gave them a new shape.

Ø  Americans, the Irish and the Chinese had adopted these concepts

Ø  Nationalists like M.G. Ranade of Maharashtra and Tagore family of  Bengal had preached Swadeshi as a purely economic measure for the development of industry

Ø  Bal Gangadhar Tilak had led a full-fledged boycott campaign in 1896.

How did the Assertive Nationalists interpret Swadeshi and Boycott concepts?

Assertive Nationalists interpreted Swadeshi and Boycott concepts as weapons of political agitation against imperialism and a training in self-sufficiency for the attainment of Swaraj.

List instances of how people followed the concept of boycott.

Ø  The British goods were burnt at public places and shops selling them were picketed.

Ø  The confectioners vowed against using foreign sugar

Ø  Washer men against washing foreign clothes

Ø  Priests against preforming pujas with foreign materials.

Ø  Women of Deccan and Bengal gave up foreign bangles and glass utensils.

Ø  Doctors, lawyers, teachers and workers refused to work for the British.

Ø  Picketing was combined with the traditional method of social banishment

Ø  Tilak led a great bonfire of foreign cloth at Pune.

What attempts were made to encourage Swadeshi?

A vigorous drive was made for the production and sale of Swadeshi goods.

Ø  Tilak opened cooperative stores as the head of the Swadeshi Wastu Pracharini Sabha.

Ø  He exhorted the Bombay mill owners to supply dhotis at moderate rates.

Ø  A Swadeshi Weaving Company was established at Pune.

Ø  Chidambaram Pillai founded the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company in Tuticorin on the east coast of the Madras province.

How did nationalist leaders mobilize the masses in the Swadeshi and Boycott Movements?

Ø  Bal Gangadhar Tilak head of the Swadeshi Wastu Pracharini Sabha popularized it in Mumbai and Pune by opening cooperative stores. He exhorted the Bombay mill owners to supply dhotis at moderate rates. A Swadeshi Weaving Company was established at Pune.

Ø  Lala Lajpat Rai and Ajit Singh popularized  in Punjab and other parts of Northern India

Ø   Syed Haidar Raza in Delhi.

Ø  Chidambaram Pillai founded the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company in Tuticorin on the east coast of the Madras province in Chennai.

Ø  Acharya P.C. Ray set up Bengal Chemical Swadeshi stores.

Ø  Rabindranath Tagore helped setting up Swadeshi stores

The Swadeshi Movement was an undeclared war between the government and the people. Comment

The Swadeshi movement had supporters from

Ø  All sections of the society, from landlords and merchants to laborers and Sanyasis.

Ø  Associations of different classes of people

Ø  The Congress session at Calcutta in 1906 supported the Swadeshi and Boycott campaign

Ø  Students practiced, propagated Swadeshi and organized picketing of shops selling foreign goods.

Ø  Women participated by organizing processions and picketing shops.

Ø  Many textile mills, soap and match factories, national banks and insurance companies were set up to produce indigenous goods.

Ø  Sale outlets of Swadeshi goods were opened. Those not participating faced social boycott.

Ø  Newspapers and magazines carried reports and articles on this topic

Ø  National educational institutions were set up to impart literary, technical and physical education.

The movement had acquired great vigor (great enthusiasm) by 1907 and grew into a national struggle for India’s freedom.

What kind of repressive measures did the British use against students?

Students who participated in the nationalist agitation faced disciplinary action, expulsion from schools and colleges, arrested and lathi charged by police, their schools and colleges were penalized; grants-in-aid and other privileges were discontinued.
Some institutes were disaffiliated and students not permitted to compete for scholarships and were barred from all government services

Name the repressive Acts

The British government implemented the
Prevention of Seditious Meetings Act,
Explosive Substances Act,
Criminal Law Amendment Act and
Newspapers (Incitement to Offences) Act

What kind of repressive measures did the British use against agitators?

The Government banned processions and meetings, curbed the newspapers by rigorous press, laws and imprisoned the leaders of the movement without trial.

Ø  Repressive Acts were implemented

Ø  Students faced disciplinary action

Ø  Government employees were dismissed

Ø  Swadeshi volunteers were beaten mercilessly

Ø  The singing of Bande Mataram was forbidden in the streets of Bengal.

Ø  The leaders of the movement were ill-treated.

How were the Movement leaders affected by the repressive measures?

·       Tilak was tried for seditious writings in the Kesari; convicted and deported to Mandalay to serve six years of imprisonment.

·        Ajit Singh and Lala Lajpat Rai were arrested and deported to Mandalay in Burma

·        Chidambaram Pillai and Harisarvottam Rao were also arrested

What were the reasons for the partial failure of the Swadeshi Movement?

Although Swadeshi Movement neither succeeded in destabilizing the government nor could it bring about immediate union of the two Bengals. The movement was not a total success due to several reasons:

3.    It failed to achieve the much needed Hindu-Muslim unity.

4.    Division of the Congress into the Moderates and the Assertive Nationalists who disagreed strongly on many issues.

5.    Crushing of movement by the repressive policy of the British

6.    Lack of an effective organization and party structure.

7.    Lack of efficient leaders after a large-scale deportation of its prominent leaders like Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai and Ajit Singh and retirement of Bipin Chandra pal and Aurobindo Ghose from politics

What was one positive demand was met by the British after the Anti-partition Movement?

On the positive side, the British instituted the Morley-Minto Reforms to appease the Moderate Congress leaders.

What was the general impact of impact of the Swadeshi and Boycott movement?

Swadeshi and Boycott Movements marked the beginning of a new era in India's freedom struggle.

These movements brought into politics new classes of people without any distinction of caste and creed.

It taught the Press to be effective, students to rebel, Hindus and Muslims to cooperate and people to think about their country.

Swadeshi Movement drew participation of diverse social sections. Comment on the statement.

The Swadeshi Movement drew a large section of society into active participation in freedom movement for the first time.

·        Many zamindars that had been loyal to the British joined the movement.

·        Active participation of women as well as students was a remarkable achievement.

·        Despite the efforts of the British to keep Muslims away from the movement, some Muslim leaders like Abdul Rasul, a barrister, Guznavi, a businessman, and Liaquat Hussain, a popular leader joined the movement.

What were the effects of Swadeshi Movement on Indian Industries/ economy?

The Swadeshi and Boycott Movements laid emphasis on self-reliance ('Atmashakti), which meant assertion of self-confidence. It aimed at the promotion of indigenous industries for strengthening the country.

In the economic field, self-reliance gave a stimulus to cottage industries and also to large scale enterprises.

·        Many textile mills, soap and match factories, handloom weaving concerns were opened.

·        Acharya P.C. Ray set up the Bengal Chemical Swadeshi Stores. 

·        Rabindranath Tagore helped to open a Swadeshi Store. 

This, increased demand for Swadeshi goods and led to the increase in production of indigenous goods and establishment of Tata Iron and Steel Company in the Singhbhum district of Jharkhand began production of iron and steel.

Due to the Swadeshi spirit, the capital for the Iron and Steel Company came from Indians. Many joint-stock banks were founded by the mahajans (money- lenders) and zamindars.

How did the craftsmen benefit from the Swadeshi Movement?

The economic policy of the British had deprived Indian craftsmen working in handloom and handicrafts industries of employment. The Swadeshi Movement gave impetus to the cottage industries and provided work to craftsmen.

What was the contribution of Swadeshi movement to the growth of literature?

Nationalist poetry, prose and journalism blossomed.

·        The patriotic songs were written by poets like Rabindranath Tagore, Rajanikanta Sen, Syed Abu Mohammed and Mukunda Das are sung in Bengal to this day.

·        Political journalism produced classic articles on freedom, liberty and self-reliance.

·        The spirited writer Aurobindo Ghose and his works fostered national feelings.

·        Bankimchandra’s novel Anandmath was in demand because of the song Bande Mataram which was the war-cry of the nationalists.

·        Journals and newspapers like Kesari, the Maharatta and Yugantar helped to foster the spirit of nationalism and Patriotism.

How was the Swadeshi Movement a stimulus to National Education?

Nationalists regarded the existing system of education as inadequate.

Satish Chandra Mukherjee the editor of the Dawn created a scheme of National Education.

25 secondary and 300 primary national schools established in Bengal in 1908 which imparted literary, technical and physical education.

A National Council of Education was set up.

A National College with Aurobindo Ghose as Principal was opened in Kolkata.

What was the reason for emergence of Patriotic Revolutionary groups? What was their basic philosophy?

The repressive measures of British government used in order to check the Swadeshi and the Boycott Movement generated anger and inflamed their patriotic fervor among the youth. This resulted in a number of revolutionary groups began to operating actively in Bengal, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Punjab.

The basic philosophy of these patriotic revolutionary groups was to demoralize the British rulers and force them to quit.

How did the Swadeshi Movement of Bengal prepare the social base for independence movement?

The Swadeshi Movement was a precursor to National Mass Movements.

The Assertive Nationalists clarified its objectives taught people self-reliance and prepared the social base of the movement to include the lower middle class, students, youth and women.

They introduced new methods of waging political struggle.

Thus, these movements with a wide social base paved the way for future mass movements led by Gandhiji.

How was Swadeshi Movement responsible for the Congress split at Surat? How did the British benefit from it?

The Swadeshi Movement had a negative impact on the unity of the Indian Congress.

There was dispute over the method of agitation in Bengal, which brought about a clash at the Congress Session at Surat in December 1907.

The disagreement reached a flash point and the Assertive Nationalists were excluded from the Congress for nearly a decade.

The British Government made use of this crisis by trying to win over the Moderates so as to discourage the activities of the Assertive Nationalists.

When was the Partition of Bengal revoked and why?

The Partition of Bengal was revoked in 1911. The Swadeshi and Boycott Movement with the massive support of the people forced the government to give in.

·        Editor of dawn- Satish Chandra Mukherjee

·        Rabindranath Tagore- Amar Sonar Bengal

·        Bankimchandra’s- Anandmath- war cry- song Bande Mataram

·        Journals and newspapers like Kesari, the Maharatta and Yugantar

Bengal was to be partitioned on the pretext of administrative necessity. However, the ulterior motives of this decision of the British were clear. In this context, write short notes on:

Reasons given by the British for the Partition of Bengal

The main reason given by the British for the Partition of Bengal was an administrative necessity. According to them, the province of Bengal was too big to be administrated by a single provincial government and was hence necessary to break it into two provinces.

The real motives of the British behind the Partition of Bengal

The concealed motives of the British behind Partition of Bengal were:

1.    To stop the rising tide of nationalism in the nerve center Bengal

2.    To curb the Bengali influence by dividing it into two administrative provinces and reducing the Bengalis to a minority in Bengal.

3.    To divide Bengal into two religious based divisions with being East Bengal a Muslim majority and West Bengal a Hindu majority.

The reaction of the masses to the proclamation [Formal Announcement] of Partition of Bengal

The Partition came into effect on October 16, 1905.

1.    The leaders of the protest movement declared it a day of national mourning throughout Bengal.

Ø  It was observed as a day of fasting.

Ø  There was hartal in Kolkata.

Ø  People walked barefooted and bathed in the Ganga in the early morning hours.

2.    The streets of Kolkata were full of the cries of the theme song of the national movement-'Bande Mataram and Rabindranath Tagore patriotic composition 'Amar Sonar Bangla' (My Golden Bengal).

3.    Hindus and Muslims celebrated Raksha Bandhan by tying rakhis [yellow thread] on one another's wrists as the symbol of unbreakable unity of the Bengalis and the two halves of Bengal.

4.    The veteran leader Ananda Mohan Bose laid the foundation of a Federation Hall to mark the indestructible unity of Bengal. All gathered there in demonstration took the vow to follow Swadeshi.

Assertive Nationalists took over the leadership of the Congress during the Partition of Bengal. In this context, answer the following:

Give reasons for the change of leadership in the Congress.

The people lost faith in

·        In the fair play and justice of British due to Partition of Bengal in 1905

·        In the ability of the Moderates to persuade Lord Curzon in annulling the partition

This gave an opportunity to the Extremists to lead the Movement.

The Anti- Partition Movement accelerated the Nationalist Movement by

·        Involving the masses

·        Introducing the anti-British movement like Swadeshi, Boycott and national education

These two factors enabled tremendous support and thus led to the change of leadership from moderates to the Assertive Nationalists.

Name some of the leaders of the Anti-Partition agitation.

Moderates-Surendranath Banerjea, B.C.  Pal, Ananda Mohan Bose,

Assertives-Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, Ajit Singh, Syed Hyder Raza, Chidambaram Pillai.

What measures did the Anti-Partition leaders take to put pressure on the government to withdraw the Partition?

·       Anti-Partition Movement was the movement brought people and leaders from different sections of society together.

·        Protest meetings were held by eminent leaders like Surendranath Banerjea, B.C.  Pal They condemned Partition through newspapers – Sanjibani, Hitabadi, Bengali

·       The leaders of the protest movement declared it a day of national mourning throughout Bengal. It was observed as a day of fasting, there was hartal in Kolkata. People walked barefooted and bathed in the Ganga in the early morning hours.

·       The streets of Kolkata were full of the cries of the theme song of the national movement-'Bande Mataram’ and Rabindranath Tagore patriotic composition 'Amar Sonar Bangla' (My Golden Bengal).

·        Hindus and Muslims celebrated Raksha Bandhan by tying rakhis [yellow thread] on one another's wrists as the symbol of unbreakable unity of the Bengalis and the two halves of Bengal.

·        The Moderates and the Assertives co-operated with one another

·        The people and the leaders started Swadeshi and Boycott movement. The British goods were burnt in public places and shops selling British goods were picketed. Vigorous drive to sell Swadeshi goods was made.

·        Through newspapers and magazines, the leaders spread the message of Swadeshi and Boycott articles on these topics spread the message around

·        All sections of society women, students youth came together to pressurize the government to withdraw the Partition.

The agitation against the partition of Bengal gave birth to the Swadeshi and Boycott Movement which marked one of the turning points in the history of Indian Nationalism. With reference to the above, answer the following questions:

Explain the aims and programs of the Swadeshi and Boycott Movement.

'Swadeshi' means of one's own country. It aimed at the promotion of indigenous industries for strengthening the nation.

A vigorous drive was made for the production and sale of Swadeshi goods.

·        Tilak opened cooperative stores as the head of the Swadeshi Wastu Pracharini Sabha.

·        He exhorted the Bombay mill owners to supply dhotis at moderate rates.

·        A Swadeshi Weaving Company was established at Pune.

·        Chidambaram Pillai founded the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company in Tuticorin on the east coast of the Madras province.

Boycott meant abstaining from the purchase of British goods.

The comprehensive four fold programme was planned. It included:

1.    Boycott of English cloth, salt, sugar, etc.

2.    Rejection of English speech

3.    Rejection of government posts and seats in Legislative Council

4.    Social boycott of people who purchased foreign goods.

The Programme of boycott included:

·        The British goods were burnt at public places and shops selling them were picketed.

·        The confectioners vowed against using foreign sugar

·        Washer men against washing foreign clothes

·        Priests against preforming pujas with foreign materials.

·        Women of Deccan and Bengal gave up foreign bangles and glass utensils.

·        Doctors, lawyers, teachers and workers refused to work for the British.

·        Picketing was combined with the traditional method of social banishment

·        Tilak led a great bonfire of foreign cloth at Pune

What were the effects of the movement on Indian Industries?

The Swadeshi movement gave a stimulus to small and large scale industries

Many textile mills, soap and match factories, national banks and insurance companies were set up to produce indigenous goods.

The demand for Swadeshi goods led to an increase in production of indigenous industries

The Tata Iron and steel Company was set up by Jamshedji Tata at Jamshedpur.

Chidambaram Pillai founded the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company in Tuticorin on the east coast of the Madras province in Chennai.

A Swadeshi Weaving Company was established at Pune.

What did the people do to make this movement a success?

·       The students propagated Swadeshi, took the lead in organizing picketing te shops selling foreign goods

·        The women participated by organizing processions, bonfires picketing of shops and collected money for the movement

·        Several industries were set up to produce indigenous goods

·        Newspapers and articles carried report on this topic

Swadeshi workers were persecuted by the British. In this context, write short notes on:

The attitude of the British towards the movement

The Government banned processions and meetings, curbed the newspapers by rigorous press, laws and imprisoned the leaders of the movement without trial.

Steps taken by them to prevent students from joining the National Movement

a)   Disciplinary action was taken against students who participated in the nationalist agitation.

b)   Students were expelled from schools and colleges, arrested and lathi charged by police.

c)    The student’s schools and colleges were penalized; their grants-in-aid and other privileges were discontinued.

d)   Some of these institutes were disaffiliated and their students were not permitted to compete for scholarships and were barred from all government services.

The Acts passed by the British to suppress the movement.

The government implemented the

a)   Prevention of Seditious Meetings Act

b)   Explosive Substances Act

c)    Criminal Law Amendment Act

d)   Newspapers (Incitement to Offences) Act

The Swadeshi and Boycott Movement was a turning point in the history of Indian Nationalism.

With reference to the above, describe briefly:

a)   Inculcation of national spirit

·        The Swadeshi Movement drew a large section of society into active participation in the freedom movement. The zamindars who had remained loyal to the British took part in the movement Women and students actively participated and Muslims joined in despite British measures to check them from participating

·        Nationalist poetry, prose and journalism blossomed. The popular patriotic songs were written by poets like Rabindranath Tagore, Rajanikanta Sen, Syed Abu Mohammed and Mukunda Das Political journalism produced classic articles on freedom, liberty and self-reliance.The spirited writer Aurobindo Ghose and his works fostered national feelings. Bankimchandra’s novel Anandmath was in demand because of the song Bande Mataram which was the war-cry of the nationalists. Journals and newspapers like Kesari, the Maharatta and Yugantar helped to foster the spirit of nationalism and Patriotism.

b)   Contribution to Nationalist Movement

·        The repressive measures of British government used in order to check the Swadeshi and the Boycott Movement generated anger and inflamed their patriotic fervor among the youth. This resulted in a number of revolutionary groups began to operating actively in Bengal, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Punjab. The basic philosophy of these patriotic revolutionary groups was to demoralize the British rulers and force them to quit.

·        The Swadeshi Movement was a precursor to National Mass Movements. The Assertive Nationalists clarified its objectives taught people self-reliance and prepared the social base of the movement to include the lower middle class, students, youth and women.  They introduced new methods of waging political struggle. Thus, these movements with a wide social base paved the way for future mass movements led by Gandhiji.

c)    Making Indians self-reliant

·        The Swadeshi movement gave a stimulus to cottage industries and also to large scale enterprises. Many textile mills, soap and match factories, handloom weaving concerns were opened. The increased demand for Swadeshi goods and led to the increase in production of indigenous goods and establishment of Tata Iron and Steel Company in the Singhbhum district of Jharkhand began production of iron and steel. Many joint-stock banks were founded by the mahajans (money- lenders) and zamindars. Acharya P.C. Ray set up the Bengal Chemical Swadeshi Stores.  Rabindranath Tagore helped to open a Swadeshi Store. 

The British came down heavily on demonstrators and nationalists to crush the Anti-Partition Movement. In this context, answer the following questions:

a)   What kind of repressive measures did the British use against agitators?

The Government banned processions and meetings, curbed the newspapers by rigorous press, laws and imprisoned the leaders of the movement without trial.

Ø  Students who participated in the nationalist agitation faced disciplinary action, expulsion from schools and colleges, arrested and lathi charged by police, their schools and colleges were penalized; grants-in-aid and other privileges were discontinued. Some of these institutes were disaffiliated and their students were not permitted to compete for scholarships and were barred from all government services

Ø  The government implemented the Prevention of Seditious Meetings Act, Explosive Substances Act, Criminal Law Amendment Act and Newspapers (Incitement to Offences) Act

Ø  Government employees were dismissed

Ø  Swadeshi volunteers were beaten mercilessly

Ø  The singing of Bande Mataram was forbidden in the streets of Bengal.

Ø  The leaders of the movement were ill-treated.

·        Tilak was tried for seditious writings in the Kesari; convicted and deported to Mandalay to serve six years of imprisonment.

·        Ajit Singh and Lala Lajpat Rai were arrested and deported to Mandalay in Burma (Myanmar).

·        Chidambaram Pillai and Harisarvottam Rao were also arrested.

b)   Which types of activities emerged on account of the oppressive measures of the British?

The repressive measures of British government used in order to check the Swadeshi and the Boycott Movement generated anger and inflamed their patriotic fervor among the youth. This resulted in a number of revolutionary groups began to operating actively in Bengal, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Punjab.

The basic philosophy of these patriotic revolutionary groups was to demoralize the British rulers and force them to quit.

c)   What were the reasons for the partial failure of the Swadeshi Movement? How did the idea of Swadeshi help Indians to be united against the British?

Although Swadeshi Movement neither succeeded in destabilizing the government nor could it bring about immediate union of the two Bengals. The movement was not a total success due to several reasons:

It failed to achieve the much needed Hindu-Muslim unity.

1.    Division of the Congress into the Moderates and the Assertive Nationalists who disagreed strongly on many issues.

2.    Crushing of movement by the repressive policy of the British

3.    Lack of an effective organization and party structure.

4.    Lack of efficient leaders after a large-scale deportation of its prominent leaders like Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai and Ajit Singh and retirement of Bipin Chandra pal and Aurobindo Ghose from politics