The National Movement 1923-1947

Introduction

◆ People demanded new movement and disappointed with sudden withdrawal of Non-Cooperation Movement

◆ Communalism raised its head and created problems for Hindu-Muslim Unity

Congress was divided into two groups

1. No changer group 

Main leaders = Vallabhbhai patel , C. Rajagopalcharya , Dr. Rajendra prasad

Main demands = To boycott Govt. Council 

2. Pro-Changers 

Main leaders = C.R Dass, Motilal Nehru , Vithalbhai patel

Main demands = To Contest Election and oppose Government

◆ Pro changers formed Congress khilafat swarajya party or swaraj party in 1923 with C. R Dass as president and Motilal nehru as secretary

◆ Swaraj party got 42 seats out of 101 seats, but party lost its glory after death of C.R Das in 1925 .

THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF INDIA

Founder = M.N Roy

year = 1920

◆ Satyabhakta organised all indian communist conferencve at kanpur with presidentship of Singarvelu chettiar from madras.

# At this period many new sabha, parties and movements also started like

◆ All india kisan Sabha in 1936

◆ All india Trade union congress in 31 Oct 1920 as Lala Lajpat Rai as president

◆ The Bihar Socialist Party in 1931 by j.p narayan and Phulan Prasad Varma

◆ Bardoli movement by Vallabhbhai patel in 1928

◆ The Congress socialist party in 1934

◆ The Forward bloc in 1939 by Subash Chandra Bose .

◆The Radical Democratic Party in 1940 by M.N Roy.

The Second Phase of Revolutionary Movement 

◆ Disappointed with the peaceful movement of Gandhi ji , Young Leaders of India Come Forward and believed in use of Violence against the British govt. 

◆ They got inspiration from countries like China , Russia ,Turkey and Egypt.

In North India, 

◆ Hindustan Republican Association formed (HRA) in 1924 at Kanpur.

Main Leaders = Sachindranath Sanyal , Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee and Ram Prasad Bismil.

Main Objective = To unite states of india as federal , Collect Money by dacoits from british and to open branches of HRA.

◆ In 1925, HRA conducted Kakori Conspiracy case and looted cash from train, for which four out 29 accused hanged.

i.e   Ram Prasad Bismil , Asfaqullah khan , Roshan lal and Rajendra Lahiri

◆ In 1925 HSRA ( Hindustan socialist Republican Army ) created.

Main Leaders = Chandra  shekhar azad , Bhagat singh

Main Objective = To estd socialist State in India

◆ To take revenge of death of Lala Lajpat Rai , In 1928 , the Leaders of HSRA murder Saunder ( Assistant superintendent of

 police ) .

◆ On 8 April 1929,  Bhagat singh and Batukeshwer Dutt threw bombs into central legislative assembly and arrested followed with arrests of other HSRA Leaders. In jail they started hungerstrike where Jatin Das died of starvation on 12 september 1929.

◆ On 23 March 1931, Bhagat singh , Rajguru and Sukhdev hanged while Chandra Shekhar Azad died in an encounter.

Thus , These movements weakened in Norh India.

In East India, 

Indian Republican Army formed in 18 April 1930 at Bengal.

Main Leaders = Surya Sen and others

Main Objective = They attacked Police in chittagong and looted arms 

◆ Surya sen also formed Provisional govt. of India and become himself as president , but arrested and hanged in 1933.

Another incidents,

1. Three young men - Benoy bose , Badal Gupta  and Dinesh Gupta killed Inspector General of Prisons.

2. Hema chandra ghosh and Lila Nag  formed Bengal Vounteers.

3. Anil Roy formed Sri Sangha .

4. Bina Das shot dead governor of Bengal in convocation of her degree.

5. Pritilata waddekar raided Railway institute at pahartali.

THE SIMON COMMISSION

◆ Simon Commission came to India in November 1927 under chairmanship of sir John simon to inquire and suggest refoms for Govt of India Act 1919.but no indian were in this commission Thus INC boycott it.

◆ Hartals started on 3 February 1928, and slogon given as “ Simon Go Back “.

◆ Lala Lajpat Rai got wounded in lathi charge for hartal and demonstration against Simon Commission.

THE LAHORE SESSION OF INC

Year = 1929

President = J.L Nehru

Place = Lahore 

Main Objectives

◆ Passed resolution of Poorna Swara.j

◆ Boycott Legislatures and elections.

◆ Launch of Civil-Disobedience Movement.

At midnight , Nehru hoisted Tricolour on bank of river Ravi in Lahore on 31 December 1929.

INC declared 26 January 1930 as Poorna Swaraj Diwas .

First Phase of Civil Disobedience Movement (March 1930-March 1931).

Very Short Q/A 

1. Who was the president of the swaraj party?

Ans . C. R. Das was the president of the Swaraj Party.

2. What was the bardoli satyagraha of 1928 ?

Ans. The Bardoli Satyagraha of 1928 was a nonviolent resistance led by Sardar Patel against the high land revenue imposed by the British in Bardoli, Gujarat.

3. Name the organization to which bhagat singh was associated.

Ans. Bhagat Singh was associated with the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA).

4. What was the aim of the Simon commission ?

Ans . The Simon Commission, formed in 1927, aimed to recommend constitutional reforms for British India but faced criticism for lacking Indian representation, leading to widespread protests.

5. What were the reasons for the failure of the first round table conference?

Ans. The First Round Table Conference (1930-1931) failed due to the absence of major Indian political leaders, as the Indian National Congress boycotted it.

Short Q/A 

1. What were the revolutionary activities of HSRA?

Ans. The Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) engaged in revolutionary activities including the Lahore Conspiracy Case (1929) and the assembly bomb incident (1929).

2. Discuss the revolutionary movement in Bengal.

Ans . Indian Republican Army formed in 18 April 1930 at Bengal by Surya Sen .They attacked Police in chittagong and looted arms 

Surya Sen also formed the Provisional govt. of India and became himself as president , but was arrested and hanged in 1933.

Three young men - Benoy bose , Badal Gupta  and Dinesh Gupta killed Inspector General of Prisons , Hema chandra ghosh and Lila Nag  formed Bengal Volunteers , Anil Roy formed Sri Sangha and Bina Das shot dead the governor of Bengal in convocation of her degree.

3. List the main features of lahore session INC of 1928.

Ans. The 1929 Lahore Session of the Indian National Congress featured the historic declaration of Purna Swaraj (Complete Independence) and the adoption of January 26 as Independence Day. It endorsed civil disobedience and emphasized non-cooperation with the Simon Commission, marking a pivotal moment in India's struggle for freedom.

5. What were the main provisions of August offer ?

Ans . The August Offer of 1940 included promises of expanded Indian representation, post-war constitutional reforms, and eventual Dominion Status. Despite concessions, it fell short of immediate self-rule, leading to Indian dissatisfaction.