Lesson 1 of 2 | Modern India / Freedom Struggle (1857–1947)
Revolt of 1857 and the Early National Movement
1 practice test
Revolt of 1857
- Immediate cause: introduction of the Enfield rifle whose cartridges were rumoured to be greased with cow and pig fat.
- Mangal Pandey attacked officers at Barrackpore (March 1857); the revolt began at Meerut on 10 May 1857.
- Rebels marched to Delhi and proclaimed Bahadur Shah Zafar emperor.
| Centre | Leader |
|---|---|
| Delhi | Bahadur Shah Zafar, Bakht Khan |
| Kanpur | Nana Saheb, Tantia Tope |
| Lucknow | Begum Hazrat Mahal |
| Jhansi | Rani Lakshmibai |
| Bihar (Arrah) | Kunwar Singh |
Consequences: the Government of India Act, 1858 ended Company rule; power passed to the Crown; the Governor-General became the Viceroy; Queen Victoria's Proclamation (1858) promised non-interference in religion.
Rise of organised nationalism
- Early associations: British Indian Association (1851), Indian Association (1876) by Surendranath Banerjee.
- Indian National Congress founded in December 1885 at Bombay, with A.O. Hume as a key founder; first president W.C. Bonnerjee.
The Moderates (1885–1905)
- Leaders: Dadabhai Naoroji, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Pherozeshah Mehta.
- Methods: petitions, prayers and protests within constitutional limits.
- Drain of Wealth theory: Dadabhai Naoroji, Poverty and Un-British Rule in India.
Partition of Bengal and Swadeshi (1905)
- Lord Curzon partitioned Bengal (1905); the Swadeshi and Boycott movement followed.
- Surat Split (1907): Congress divided into Moderates and Extremists (Lal-Bal-Pal: Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal).
- Muslim League founded in 1906 at Dhaka. Partition annulled in 1911.
Prelims tips
- Match 1857 centres with leaders.
- Remember the chronology: 1885 INC → 1905 partition → 1906 League → 1907 Surat Split.
Analogy
The early national movement is like a student council approaching the principal. The Moderates wrote polite letters and petitions, trusting the principal's sense of fairness. When the principal (Curzon) split the class in two, a louder group (the Extremists) stopped asking and started boycotting the canteen (Swadeshi) — same goal, very different tactics.