Revolutionaries in India's Freedom Struggle

Introduction
Revolutionary Movement in India
Bhagat Singh
Chandrashekhar Azad
Other Prominent Revolutionaries
Key Revolutionary Events
Revolutionary Organizations
Impact and Legacy
UPSC Previous Year Questions

Introduction

The revolutionary movement in India's freedom struggle represented the militant wing of the independence movement. Disillusioned with the moderate methods of the Indian National Congress, these revolutionaries believed in armed resistance against British rule. Their sacrifices and radical actions played a crucial role in awakening national consciousness and keeping the flame of freedom alive during repressive periods.

"They may kill me, but they cannot kill my ideas. They can crush my body, but they will not be able to crush my spirit." - Bhagat Singh

Revolutionary Movement in India

The revolutionary movement in India developed in two phases:

Phase	Period	Characteristics	Key Figures
First Phase	1900-1917	Mainly in Bengal, Maharashtra, Punjab; individual heroic actions	Khudiram Bose, Prafulla Chaki, Savarkar
Second Phase	1920s-1940s	More organized, socialist influence, mass base	Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, Surya Sen

Causes of Revolutionary Movement:

Failure of moderate methods to achieve substantial political reforms
Impact of extremist leaders like Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, and Lala Lajpat Rai
Repressive British policies (Partition of Bengal 1905, Rowlatt Act 1919)
Influence of international revolutionary movements (Russian, Irish)
Economic exploitation leading to famines and poverty

Bhagat Singh (1907-1931)

Early Life

Born on September 28, 1907, in Banga, Punjab (now Pakistan) in a Sikh family. Influenced by his uncle Ajit Singh and grandfather Arjan Singh, both freedom fighters.

1923

Joined National College, Lahore where he came under the influence of revolutionary ideas.

1926

Founded Naujawan Bharat Sabha to mobilize youth against British rule.

1928

Lala Lajpat Rai's death during protest against Simon Commission led Bhagat Singh to avenge his death. Killed police officer Saunders in mistaken identity.

1929

Central Legislative Assembly Bombing (April 8) - threw non-lethal bombs to "make the deaf hear". Arrested along with Batukeshwar Dutt.

1931

Executed on March 23, 1931, in Lahore Central Jail at age 23, along with Rajguru and Sukhdev. Became immortal as "Shaheed Bhagat Singh".

Key Contributions:

Advocated for complete independence (Purna Swaraj) rather than dominion status
Popularized socialist ideas among Indian youth
Wrote extensively in newspapers like "Kirti" and "The People"
Authored "Why I Am an Atheist" in jail
Transformed revolutionary movement from individual actions to mass-based struggle

Ideology:

Bhagat Singh evolved from nationalist to socialist revolutionary. He was influenced by:

Marxist theories of class struggle
Anarchist thinkers like Bakunin
Irish revolutionaries
Italian revolutionary Mazzini

Chandrashekhar Azad (1906-1931)

Aspect	Details
Original Name	Chandrashekhar Tiwari
Birth	July 23, 1906, in Bhavra village (present-day Alirajpur district, Madhya Pradesh)
Education	Sanskrit Pathshala in Varanasi
Title 'Azad'	Earned during Non-Cooperation Movement when he declared his name as "Azad", father's name as "Swatantrata" and residence as "Jail"
Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA)	Reorganized the Hindustan Republican Association as HSRA with Bhagat Singh
Kakori Conspiracy	Key organizer of the 1925 train robbery to fund revolutionary activities
Death	February 27, 1931 - Shot himself in Alfred Park, Allahabad to avoid capture

Key Facts:

Pledged to never be captured alive by British
Master of disguise and excellent marksman
Main source of arms for revolutionaries in North India
Mentored young revolutionaries including Bhagat Singh
Only revolutionary who remained active till death without being arrested

Other Prominent Revolutionaries

1. Surya Sen (Masterda) (1894-1934)

Leader of Chittagong Armoury Raid (1930)
Established Indian Republican Army in Chittagong
Hanged on January 12, 1934 after brutal torture
Famous quote: "Humanism is a special virtue of a revolutionary"

2. Khudiram Bose (1889-1908)

Youngest revolutionary executed at age 18
Attempted to assassinate Magistrate Kingsford (Muzaffarpur, 1908)
Hanged on August 11, 1908

3. Rajguru (1908-1931)

Assisted Bhagat Singh in killing Saunders
Expert marksman from Maharashtra
Executed at age 22 along with Bhagat Singh

4. Batukeshwar Dutt (1910-1965)

Threw bombs in Central Assembly with Bhagat Singh
Later joined mainstream politics after independence

5. Ashfaqulla Khan (1900-1927)

Key member of Kakori Conspiracy
First Muslim revolutionary to be hanged
Close associate of Ram Prasad Bismil

Key Revolutionary Events

Event	Year	Significance
Alipore Bomb Case	1908	Aurobindo Ghosh, Barindra Ghosh arrested; first major conspiracy case
Muzaffarpur Bombing	1908	Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki attempted to kill Kingsford
Delhi-Lahore Conspiracy	1912	Attempt to assassinate Viceroy Hardinge during Delhi Durbar entry
Kakori Train Robbery	1925	Looted government treasury to fund revolutionary activities
Chittagong Armoury Raid	1930	Captured police and auxiliary force armouries in Chittagong
Central Assembly Bombing	1929	Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt threw non-lethal bombs

Revolutionary Organizations

1. Abhinav Bharat Society (1904)

Founded by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and his brother Ganesh
Active in Maharashtra, London and Paris
Believed in armed revolution to overthrow British rule

2. Anushilan Samiti (1902)

Founded by Pramathanath Mitra in Calcutta
Network of revolutionary cells across Bengal
Combined physical training with revolutionary nationalism

3. Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) (1924)

Founded in Kanpur by Ram Prasad Bismil, Sachindra Nath Sanyal
Later reorganized as Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) in 1928
Published manifesto "The Revolutionary"

4. Ghadar Party (1913)

Founded by Indian immigrants in USA and Canada
Led by Lala Hardayal, Sohan Singh Bhakna
Attempted to organize armed revolt during World War I

Impact and Legacy

Immediate Impact:

Forced British to introduce constitutional reforms to appease moderates
Inspired youth across India to join freedom struggle
Kept revolutionary spirit alive during periods of political lull
Internationalized India's freedom struggle

Long-term Influence:

Ideals of secularism and socialism entered national movement
Inspired later militant movements against British rule
Contributed to development of revolutionary literature and nationalist press
Shaped India's self-image as a nation willing to sacrifice for freedom

Historiographical Debate:

Historians are divided on whether revolutionary movement:

Accelerated independence process by radicalizing national movement
Or diverted energy from mass-based non-violent struggle
Most agree it complemented Gandhi's non-violent movement by keeping pressure on British

UPSC Previous Year Questions

Prelims:

Who among the following was associated with the Kakori Conspiracy Case? (2020)
1. Bhagat Singh
2. Chandrashekhar Azad
3. Sukhdev
4. Rajguru
The Hindustan Republican Association was founded in 1924 at: (2019)
1. Allahabad
2. Kanpur
3. Delhi
4. Lahore

Mains:

Discuss the role of revolutionary terrorism in India's freedom struggle. How did it differ from Gandhian methods? (2019)
Examine the evolution of Bhagat Singh's political ideology. What was his vision for independent India? (2017)
The revolutionary movement in India was not just about violence but had a distinct ideological basis. Comment. (2015)

StudyNotesHub