The Chittagong Uprising

Chittagong RAID

Chief architect of the uprising Masterda Surjya Sen, the Chief architect of the uprising was a teacher by profession. His nickname Masterda means ‘teacher brother’. Surjya Sen’s plan was to capture Chittagong’s two main armouries and take down the communications and railway lines.His plan also included assassinating the members of the European Club – military and government officials who were responsible for siding with the British to maintain the Raj.

Keypeople  involved in the Uprising.

Tarakeswar Dastidar, the new president of the Chittagong Branch Jugantar Party, who made an unsuccessful attempt to rescue Masterda from the Chittagong Jail was also hanged alongside his friend. Anant Singh He was one of the major participants in the looting of the Chittagong Armoury. He was in school when he impressed Surjya Sen with his courage, valour, wit, intellect and devotion toward his cause. Nirmal Sen One of Surjya’s closest friends, Nirmal was a passionate revolutionary who had already been sent to jail once prior to the Chittagong attack. Pritilata Waddedar In 1932, Surjya assigned the Bengali revolutionary to lead a team of 12 men for an attack on the Pahartali European Club, which bore the sign ‘Dogs and Indians not allowed’. The team was instructed to carry cyanide in case they were caught. The raid was successful but Pritilata, who was dressed as a man was trapped and committed suicide. Kalpana Datta In 1931 Surjya entrusted her with Pritilata Waddedar to attack the European Club in Chittagong. A week before the attack, she was arrested during the reconnaissance of the area. She went underground after release on bail. On February 17, 1933, the police encircled their hiding place and Surjya Sen was arrested, but Kalpana was able to escape. Surjya Sen He was a Bengali freedom fighter, activist and the chief architect of the anti-British freedom movement in Chittagong. By 1923 he spread the revolutionary organisation in different parts of Chittagong. Aware of the limited equipment and other resources of the freedom fighters, he was convinced of the need for secret Guerrilla warfare against the colonial government. One of his early successful undertakings was a broad day robbery at the treasury office of the Assam-Bengal Railway at Chittagong on December 23, 1923. He was arrested in February 1933 and was hanged on January 12, 1934. Lokenath Bal Sophisticated and suave, he was often mistaken for an Englishman and that is what he used to his advantage on the fateful night of April 18, as he infiltrated the British Cantonment posing as a British officer. Ambika Chakroborty The most senior and experienced of the group, Ambika was responsible for finance and procurement. Ganesh Ghosh This Bengali revolutionary and politician participated in the Chittagong armoury raid in 1930. After the trial, he was deported to the Cellular Jail in Port Blair in 1932. After independence, he became a leader of the Communist Party of India

.

Books written on the uprising

Do and Die: The Chittagong Uprising: 1930-34 by Manini Chatterjee

The Scenario

·        All Six original leaders of the Chittagong Uprising - Surjya Sen, Nirmal Chandra Sen, Lokenath Bal, Ambika Chakrabarti, Ananta Singh and Ganesh Ghos h, were participants in the Congress-led Civil Disobedience movement launched in 1919.

·         They were bitterly disappointed by Gandhi's decision to call off the movement in 1922 in the wake of the Chauri Chaura incident. It was as members of the District Cong ress Committee and other mass fronts of the Congress that they planned and trained for the armed attack on the Chittagong armoury, police headquarters and European club on April 18, 1930, an attack they hoped would yield them a sufficiently large quantit y of arms and ammunition. They hoped it would be the prelude to a general uprising. They built up an 'army' amongst teenage recruits

·        who were given physical training in physical training clubs, and secret training in arms under cover - a parallel activit y which the district administration did not get wise to.

The scene explained by someone from their time

Surya Sen And Chittagong Uprising

While holding the pen in my hand to write on the Chittagong Uprising, my mind invariably goes back to a fraction of a second when I saw the leader in flesh and blood. I can't help narrating it. There was a Provincial Conference at my native place Barisal in 1930. A few top revolutionaries were in a conclave in the corner of a room, separated by a cloth curtain. I was the 'gate-keeper' and asked the name of any new arrival and whispered inside. There appeared a simple looking, frail-bodied person with a broad forehead. I asked his name. 'Surya Sen' was the simple word uttered. I communicated it inside. All rushed out to receive the architect of the Uprising in East India. My hats are off to him in all reverence. Now to the actual raid. Surya Sen and his 64 comrades got busy collecting arms. As a consequence of untiring efforts of six months they could collect only 14 rifles. Training in these arms was imparted to young men, including six leaders. Their inspiring catch-words were: "organisation audacity and death". They also took all precaution against any traitor getting into the group. 10 p.m. of April 18, 1930, was the zero hour. The date coincided with the Easter Rebellion of the Irish struggle for freedom, also from the British rule. The hour to strike actually came. The A.F.I. Armoury was attacked by a Group under the leadership of Nirmal Sen and Loknath Baul, the Police Armoury by Ganesh Gosh and Anant Singh's group, the European Club under Naresh Ray's leadership, the Telephone and Telegraph Offices were destroyed five minutes earlier by a band of young men under Ambika Chakraborty; eight young men in two batches of four each were sent a day earlier to places near Dhoom and Langal Ghat stations to damage the railway track so that Chittagong would be cut off from the rest of the country and no reinforcement could easily reach. The wireless system in the ship at the Port were put out of order. After the execution of the Plan, all the participants assembled at the Police Lines and established the Headquarters of the Victorious Army of Revolution. Surrounded as it was on all sides by hills, the area was very suitable for sustained defensive action. Therefore, they would come down to the town, capture the Imperial Bank, the few shops that stocked arms and ammunition break open the jail and release the prisoners. They also appealed to the youngsters already trained in physical culture and disciplined by drill, to enroll themselves to the Hindustan Republican Army. When the clock struck 9-55 p.m. the Telephone Office was attacked, the operator threatened at the point of pistol, the switch-beard hammered to pieces and the whole building was gutted, all in less than three minutes, 'non-violently' done, not a life was lost on either side. The Telegraph Office was similarly immobilized. Next came the two most important targets, the two Armouries. Ganesh Gosh and Anant Singh led the attack on the Police Lines Armoury guarded by a single sentry, silently pacing up and down on patrol duty. The army uniform of the revolutionaries created a confusion in his mind and before he could realize the seriousness of the situation two bullets found their target and he fell to rise no more. The capture of the Guard Room took only a few seconds. It's 200 Sepoys ran helter-skelter for fear of life. The suddenness of the attack made the task easier. Within minutes the Armoury came under the control of the revolutionaries who collected arms and ammunition to their hearts content. Under order of the President of the Revolutionary Government, Surya Sen, clad in white Khadi, the Union Jack was burnt and the flag of Indian Independence was unfurled to the refrain of the bugle and amidst thundering cries of Bande Mataram and Inquilab Zindabad which rent the sky. With almost a walk-over in the first round, with no casualties on their side, there was a natural feeling of relaxation among the Revolutionaries. They were shocked out of wit by the volley of Lewis Gun firing that came from the direction of Waterworks. hough the revolutionaries knew that there was a small armoury at Double Mooring Jetty no precaution was taken to capture or neutralize it. The District Administration drew upon the source. Once attacked, the revolutionaries also started their counter-firing from their musketry, sixty four of them at a time. A few minutes of firing were sufficient to silence the enemy.                                          On the fourth day, 22nd April 1930, a train load of armed men arrived and surrounded Jalalabad Hill where the revolutionaries had taken shelter. There ensued one of the most unequal battles but it was historic in its heroism. The young boys of the Army of Revolution fought desperately with only Police Musketry in their hands while the well-trained battalion of the British Army was equipped with superior weapons. Loknath Baul led the action. His younger brother, the intrepid, indomitable and impetuous, Hari Gopal (Tegra), was the first victim of British bullet. A dauntless dozen laid down their lives and became immortal. From here onwards it is all a story of getting the group split up from small to smaller units. At one time some of them sought refuge at Chandar Nagar also. As a French territory it was a safe place. But for a variety of reasons they had to leave that place and ultimately we came to the tragic story when Surya Sen himself was caught. He was carrying a reward of Rs. 10,000/- on his head. The irony is that (ultimately) when he had planned to leave the place of his hide-out of the 16th February 1933, suddenly it was surrounded by the police. The Supreme Commander of the Chittagong Saga was under chains. Along with the leader a few friends were also arrested but Kalpana Datta had escaped. She was caught three months later. In the trial that followed Surya Sen and Tarakeshwar Dastidar were awarded capital punishment. Kalpana got a lifer. The timing of his execution and also the disposal of the dead body have been very different from the normal. Actually, a person is hanged early in the morning. Masterda was hanged at mid-night. The body is usually disposed of locally but his body was not buried in the soil of Chittagong but was carried in a destroyer to mid-sea to become food for the crocodiles. Was it not a case of extreme sadism of our 'civilised' rulers? I can also claim to have seen Preetilata Waddedar, the first woman martyr of India, four times. She used to come to the Control Jail of Calcutta to meet a close comrade, under the shadow of gallows. I also used to go to the same place at the same time to meet Ramesh Chatterjee, my class friend, also awaiting kissing the hang-man's rope. A few months later, when Preeti became a martyr and her photo appeared in the Statesman, I was at Behrampur Detention Camp and shouted that I had seen the girl four times. What an experience. I saw the architect of the Chittagong Drama for a fraction of a second and also Preetilata, his heroic disciple. 'They flash upon my inward eye which is the bliss of solitude.'

What happened to Kalpana Dutta after Surya Sen’s death?

After her release in 1939, Kalpana graduated from Calcutta University in 1940 and became a part of the Communist Party of India. In 1946, she contested for the Bengal Legislative Assembly as a communist candidate from Chittagong but lost. Kalpana Dutta died in Calcutta on February 8, 1995
 

In 1943, Kalpana Dutta married Purab Chand Joshi, and had two sons :Suraj and Chand. Chand Joshi was a famous journalist who worked for Hindustan Times. He wrote a book called Bhindranwale: Myth and Reality (1985). Suraj Chand’s wife Manini (nee Chatterjee) wrote a book on the Chittagong Armory Raid: Do and Die, which is the base for Ashutosh Gowariker’s movie Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Se.

 

Recent News

Among the armed revolutionaries was the 14-year-old Subodh Roy who like the others, was also imprisoned in Cellular Jail, Port Blair, and later released in 1940. He died on August 27, 2006. In 1949, a Bengali movie Chattagram Astragar Lunthan was made on the Chittagong armoury raid. It was directed by Nirmal Chowdhury. In 2010, a Hindi movie, Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey was made on the Chittagong armoury raid. It was directed by Ashutosh Gowarikar, staring Abhishek Bachchan and supported by Deepika Padukone. It was a period thriller, based on the book Do and Die: The Chittagong Uprising 1930-34 by Manini Chatterjee.

Governor Generals of British India

Warren Hastings Plan 1772 - 1785 :

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  Brought the Dual Govt, of Bengal to an end by the Regulating Act, 1773.
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  Deprived zamindars of their judicial powers and Civil and Criminal courts were established.
• 
  
  
  Maintenance of records was made compulsory.
• 
  
  
  The First Anglo-Maratha War (1776 - 82), which ended with the Treaty of Salbai (1782),
  and the Second Anglo-Mysore War (1780-84), which ended with the Treaty of Mangalore (1784), were fought during Hasting's period.
  As a great patron of oriental learning, he founded the Asiatic Society of Bengal with William Jones in 1784. He wrote introduction to the first English translation of "The Gita" by Charles Wilkins.

Impeachment proceedings started against him when he returned on the charges of taking bribe. After a trial of 7 years, he was finally acquitted.

Note : Sir John MacPherson was made the acting Governor-General from 1785 to 1786.

Lord Cornwallis India (1786 - 1793) :

• 
  Did the Permanent Settlement of Bengal (also called Zamindary System).
• 
  
  
  First person to codify laws. The code separated the revenue administration from the administration of justice.
• 
  
  
  Police Reforms : Each district was divided into 400 sq. miles and placed under a police superintendent assisted by constables.
• 
  
  
  The civil service was brought into existence.

Sir John Shore History (1793 - 1798)

Lord Wellesley in India (1798 - 1805) :

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  Adopted the policy of Subsidiary Alliance a system to keep the Indian rulers under control and to make the British the paramount power.
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  He defeated the Mysore force under Tipu Sultan in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War in 1799.

Subsidiary Alliance in India :

• 
  
  
  The Subsidiary Alliance System was used by Weilesley to bring Indian Slates within the orbit the British political power. The system played a very important part in the expansion of ll Company's dominionsand many new territories were added to the Company's possessions.
• 
  
  
  There were four stages in it. In the first stage, the Company undertook to lend its, friendly Indian prince to assist him in his wars, in the second stage, the Company's troops tot the field on their own account with the assistance of an Indian ally who made common; them.
  
  
  
  The next stage was reached when the Indian ally was not to supply men but money. The company undertook to raise, train and equip an. army under English officers and rende to the ally a fixed number of troops on receiving a sum of money towards the cost of these troop Tire final stage was the next logical step.
  The Company undertook to defend the territories of an Indian ally and for that purpose stationed a subsidiary force in the territory of the state. 11 Indian ally was asked not to pay money but surrender territory from the revenue of which tl expenses of the subsidiary force were to be met.
• 
  
  
  The Indian states were to conduct negotiations with other states through the Company. The ste was to accept a British Resident at its headquarters. The Alliance enabled the Company maintain a large standing army at the expense of Indian princes. It disarmed the Indian states ai threw British protectorate over them.
• 
  
  
  The states that accepted this policy were the Nizam of Hyderabad, the ruler of Mysore, the Raja Tanjore, the Nawab of Awadh, the Feshwa, the Bhonsle Raja of Berar, the Scindia, the Rajputs Jodhpur, Jaipur, etc.

Land Revenue System in India :

Permanent Settlement (The Zamindari System) :

• 
  
  
  Introduced in Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and districts of Banaras and Northern districts of Madras by Lord Cornwallis in 1793.
• 
  
  
  John Shore planned this.
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  It declared Zamindars as the owners of the land. Hence, they could keep 1/11th of the revenue collected to themselves while the British got a fixed share of 10/11th of the revenue collected. The Zamindars were free, to fix the rent.
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  Assured of their ownership, many Zamindars stayed in towns (absentee landlordism) and exploited their tenants.

Ryotwari System in India :

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  Introduced in Bombay, Madras and Assam. Lord Munro and Charles Reed recommended it.
• 
  
  
  In this,a direct settlement was made between the govt, and the ryot (cultivator).
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  The revenue was fixed for a period not exceeding 30 years, on the basis of the quality of the soil and the nature of the crop. It was based on the scientific rent theory of Ricardo.
• 
  
  
  The position of the cultivator became more secure but the rigid system of revenue collection often forced him into the clutches of the money-lender.

Mahalwari System in India :

• 
  
  
  Modified version of Zamindari settlement introduced in the Ganges valley, NWFR parts of Central India and Punjab. Revenue settlement was to be made by village or estate with landlords. In Western UR a settlement was made with the village communities, which maintained a form of common ownership known as Bhaichara, or with Mahals, which were groups of villages.
• 
  
  
  Revenue was periodically revised.

George Barlow (1805 - 1807)

Lord Minto I Governor General of India (1807 - 1813) :

• 
  
  
  Concluded the treaty of Amritsar with Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1809).
• 
  
  
  Charter Act of 1813 was passed.

Lord Hasting India (1813 - 1823) :  
The Anglo-Nepal War (1814-16) was fought during his reign which ended with the Treaty of Sagauli (1816).

Lord Amherst (1823 - 1828)

Lord William Bentinck History (1828-1835) :

• 
  
  
  Carried out the social reforms like Prohibition of Sari (1829) and elimination of thugs (1830).
• 
  
  
  Made English the medium ofhighereducation inthe country (Afterthe recommendations of Macaulay).
• 
  
  
  Suppressed female infanticide and child sacrifice.
• 
  
  
  Charter Act of 1833 was passed; made him the first Governor General of India. Before him, the designation was Governor General of Bengal.

Sir Charles Mercalfe History (1835 - 1836) : Abolished all restrictions on vernacular press (called Liberator of the Press).

Lord Auckland 1842 (1836 - 1842) : The most important event of his reign was the First Afghan War, which proved to be a disaster for the English.

Lord Ellenborough (1842 - 1844)

Lord Hardinge I (1844 - 1848)

Lord Dalhousie Reforms (1848 - 1856) :

• 
  
  
  Opened the first Indian Railway in 1853 (from Bombay to Thane).
• 
  
  
  Laid out the telegraph lines in 1853 (First was from Calcutta to Agra).
• 
  
  
  Introduced the Doctrine of Lapse and captured Satara (1848), Jaipur and Sambhalpur (1849), Udaipur (1852), Jhansi (1854) and Nagpur (1854) through it.
• 
  
  
  Established the postal system on the modern lines through the length and breadth of the country, which made communication easier.
• 
  
  
  Started the Public Works Department. Many bridges were constructed and the work on Grand Trunk Road was started. The harbors of Karachi, Bombay and Calcutta were also developed.

Lord Dalhousie Doctrine of Lapse : The Doctrine of Lapse was an annexation policy devised by Lord Dalhousie. According to the Doctrine, any princely state or territory under the direct influence (paramountcy) of the British East India Company, as a vassal state under the British Subsidiary System, would automatically be annexed if the ruler was either "manifestly incompetent or died without a direct heir".

The company took over the princely states of Satara (1848), Jaipur and Sambalpur (1849), Nagpur and Jhansi (1854) and Awadh (Oudh) (1856) using the Doctrine. The Doctrine is thought to be one of the major driving forces behind the Revolt of 1857.

• 
  
  
  Made Shimla the summer capital.
• 
  
  
  Started Engineering College at Roorkee.
• 
  
  
  Encouraged science, forestry, commerce, mineralogy and industry.
• 
  
  
  In 1854, "Wood's Dispatch' was passed, which provided for the properly articulated system of education from the primary school to the university.
• 
  
  
  Due to Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's efforts, remarriage of widows was legalized by Widow Remarriage Act, 1856).

A year from History---1937

Births

January to June

• 2 January - Chandrashekhara Kambara, poet, playwright, folklorist and film director.
• 22 February - Sabitri Chatterjee, actress.
• 9 June - Ramchandra Gandhi, philosopher, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi (d.2007).
• 24 June - Anita Desai, novelist.

July to December

• 24 July - Manoj Kumar, actor and director.
• 6 November - Yashwant Sinha, politician and Minister.
• 8 November - Bharath Gopi, actor, director and producer (d.2008).
• 3 December - Binod Bihari Verma, writer (d.2003).
• 28 December - Ratan Naval Tata, businessman, Chairman of the Tata Group.

Deaths

• 23 November - Jagadish Chandra Bose, physicist, biologist, botanist, archaeologist and science fiction writer (b.1858).

Basic Quiz (Indian Freedom Struggle)

1. Indian National Congress formed in 1885 during the Governor –General ship of?

Lord Dufferin

2. First Woman president of Indian National Congress?

Annie Besant (1917)

3. Who was the first Muslim president of Indian National Congress

Badruddin Tyabjeea

4. Indian National Congress held its first session in 1885 at?

Gokul Das Tejpal Sanskrit College, Bombay

5. What does the Saffron colour in our National Flag stand for?

Renunciation (Sacrifice)

6. The first session of Indian National Congress was held under the presidentship of?

W.C.Banerjee

7. When did the First war of Independence start?

1857 May 10

8. When was the Quit India movement started?

1942 August 8 at Bombay

9. Who was the founder of Indian National Congress?

A.O.Hume(Allan Octavian Hume)

10. Who said ”Swaraj is my birth right and I must have it”?

Bal Gangadhar Tilak

11. Jalianwala Bagh Massacre took place in the city of?

Amritsar, April 13, 1919

12. Mahatma Gandhi was referred to as the “Father of the Nation” first by?

Subhash Chandra Bose

13. Who composed the famous patriotic song “Sare Jahamse Acha”?

Mohammed Iqbal

14. When was the Dandi March started?

March 12, 1930

15. Who commented “The Cripps Mission was a post dated cheque drawn on a crashing bank?

Mahatma Gandhi

16. A resolution asking complete independence (“Poorna Swaraj") for India was moved at which session of Indian National Congress?

Lahore session (1929) under the presidency of Jawaharlal Nehru

17. Who was the president of Indian National Congress at the time of Indian Independence?

Acharya Kripalani

18. Who was the president of Indian National Congress at the time of Gandhi-Irwin pact in Mar 5, 1931?

Jawaharlal Nehru

19. Which was the summer capital of India during the British rule?

Simla

20. “Vanar Sena” which participated in freedom struggle of India was led by?

Indira Gandhi

21. Simon commission came to India in?

1928

22. First Round Table Conference held in England in ?

1930. Second in 1931, third in 1932

23. First (Indian) Woman president of Indian National Congress?

Sarojini Naidu(1925)

24. The Indian National Congress split into two groups; extremists and

moderates, at the Surat session in the year ?

1907

Extremists were led by Bal, Pal, Lal while the moderates by G.K.Gokhale.

25. In the year 1919, the British Government passed a new rule under which the Government had the authority and power to arrest people and keep them in prisons without any trial if they are suspected with the charge of terrorism. Which is that rule?

Rowlatt Act

26. Who started the Hindustan Socialist republican Association in 1928?

Chandra Sekhar Asad

27. Who represented Indian National Congress in the second round table conference in 1931?

Mahatma Gandhi

28. The national leader of India who participated in all of the three round table conferences?

B.R.Ambedkar

29. Who is the founder of Forward Block formed in 1939?

Subhash Chandra Bose

30. Subhash Chandra Bose was referred to as the “Nethaji” first by?

Mahatma Gandhi

31. Indian Independence Act passed in the British Parliament in?

1947 July 1

32. Cabinet Mission came to India in the year?

1946

33. India’s National Anthem “Janaganamana” first sung in?

1911 December 27 at Calcutta session of Indian National Congress

34. India’s National Song “Vandematharam” first sung in?

1896 at Calcutta

35. Gandhiji was referred to as the “Mahatma” first by?

Ravindra Nath Tagore

36. Prime minister of Britain when India got Independence?

Clement Attlee (Labor Party)

37. Who was the leader of Bardoli Satyagrah of 1928?

Sardar Vallabhai Patel

38. How many followers of Gandhiji participated in Dandi March?

78

39. Chauri Chaura massacre took place in?

1922 in Utharpradesh

40. Gandhiji became the president of Indian National Congress in?

1924 at the Belgaum session of Indian National Congress

41. First elected president of Indian National Congress?

Subhash Chandra Bose (1939)

42. First foreign president of Indian National Congress?

George Yule

43. How many members participated in the first meeting of Indian National Congress?

72

44. Which was the most decisive war that marked the initiation of British rule in India?

Battle of Plassey

The battle occurred on June 23, 1757 at Palashi of Murshidabad, on the bank of Bhagirathi River

45. Who is known as the Heroine of Quit India Movement ?

Aruna Asaf Ali

46. The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms introduced by the British Government in India to introduce self-governing institutions gradually to India in the year?

1919

47. In which year, Indian National Congress celebrated Independence Day for the fist time?

1930 January 26

48. Who set up the Swaraj Party in 1922?

C.R.Das and Moti Lal Nehru

49. Who presided over congress sessions three times?

Dada Bhai Naoroji

50. At which place did the British Government arrest Gandhiji for sedition for the first time?

Ahmedabad 

THE RASHTRAKUTAS

Overview

• The Rashtrakutas ruled large parts of southern and central India from the 6^th to the 10^th centuries CE
• The Rashtrakutas emerged as a power after overthrowing the Chalukya Kiritivarman II in c. 753 CE
• The Rashtrakutas were based around the Gulbarga region of modern Karnataka
• The capital city of the Rashtrakutas was Manykheta (Karnataka)
  
• The Rashtrakutas were in continuous conflict with the Palas and the Pratiharas for more than two centuries

Extent and lineage

The Kailasanatha Temple at Ellora, built by the Rashtrakuta king Krishna I

• The Rashtrakuta dynasty was established by Dantidurga who overthrew the Chalukyas in 753 CE
• At the height of their power, the Rashtrakutas kingdom included all of Karnataka and Maharashtra and parts of Andhra Pradesh
• The most important kings of the Rashtrakutas were Dhruva Dharavarsha (780-793 CE), Govinda III (793-814 CE) and Amogavarsha (800-878 CE)

Administration, economy and society

• The Rashtrakutas issued coins in silver and gold
• The various currency denominations were Suvarnas (silver) and Drammas (gold) weighing 65 grains, Kalanju (48 grains), Gadyanaka (96 grains), Kasu (15 grains), Manjati (2.5 grains) and Akkam (1.25 grains)

Literature

• Kannada literature attained prominence and importance during the reign of the Rashtrakutas
• Kavirajamarga by king Amogavarsha is the earliest available literary work in Kannada. Amoghavarsha also wrote the Prashnottara Ratnamalika, a religious work in Sanskrit
  
• Adipurana, a life history of the first Jain Tirthankara Rishabadeva in Kannada, was written by Pampa (c. 950 CE). Pampa also wrote the Vikaramarjuna Vijaya, based on the Mahabharata story. Pampa is recognised as one of the most famous Kannada writers
  
• Another Jain writer, Sri Ponna, wrote the history of the 16^th Jain Tirthankara Shantinatha, entitled Shantipurana. His other writings in Kannada included Bhuvanaika-Karamabhyudaya, Jinaksaramale and Gataprataigata
  
• Trikrama (c. 915 CE) wrote the Nalachampu, Damayanthi Katha and Madalaschampu in Kannada
  

Art and Architecture

• The Kailasanatha Temple at Ellora (Maharashtra) was constructed by the Rashtrakuta king Krishna I (c. 8^th century CE). The Kailasanatha Temple was carved out of a single rock, and is known for its vertical excavation i.e. it was carved starting from the top and proceeding downwards. The Kailasantha Temple is considered to be the pinnacle of Rashtrakuta architecture
• The Rashtrakutas also built some of the sculptures at the Elephanta Caves near Mumbai
• Other famous Rashtrakuta architecture include the Kasiviswanatha Temple and Jain Narayana temple at Pattadakal, Karnataka and the Navalinga Temple at Kuknur, Karnataka
• The architectural style used by the Rashtrakutas was primarily Dravidian

Chronology of India's Freedom Struggle

1905
Partition of Bengal announced to come in force from Oct 15 1906.

The decision on the Partition of Bengal was announced on 19 July 1905 by then Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon. The partition took effect on 16 October 1905. Due to the high level of political unrest generated by the partition, the eastern and western parts of Bengal were reunited because of Hindu pressure in 1911.

1906 DEC 31

Muslim League founded at Dacca.

Bengal Presidency, in 1906, was a political party in British India that played a decisive role during 1940s in the Indian independence movement and developed into the driving force behind the creation of Pakistan as a Muslim state on the Indian subcontinent.  After the independence of India and Pakistan, the League continued as a minor party in India, especially in Kerala, where it is often in government within a coalition with others.

1908 July 22

Tilak sentenced to six years jail on charges of sedition.

He was arrested on May 25, 1908, convicted by jury trial on July 22, 1908, and sentenced to six years' imprisonment in the case - popularly known as 'Second Sedition Case'.

1908 August, 11

Khudiram Bose executed.

He joined Jugantar /Yungatar - the party of revolutionary activists.

Khudiram and Prafulla Chaki were sent to Muzaffarpur, Bihar to assassinate Kingsford, the Calcutta Presidency Magistrate, and later, magistrate of Muzaffarpur, Bihar. Khudiram and Prafulla watched the usual movements of Kingsford and prepared a plan to kill him. On the evening of April 30, 1908, the duo waited in front of the gate of the European Club for the carriage of Kingsford to come. When a vehicle came out of the gate, they threw bombs and blew up the carriage. However, the vehicle was not carrying Kingsford and instead two British ladies - Mrs and Miss Kennedy (the wife and daughter of barrister Pringle Kennedy) were killed. Prafulla committed suicide. Khudiram was sentenced to death

1909 May 21

Minto Morley reforms Of Indian Council Act 1909

Indian Councils Act of 1909, commonly known as the Morley-Minto Reforms, began when John Morley, the Liberal Secretary of State for India, and the Conservative Governor-General of India, The Earl of Minto, believed that cracking down on terrorism in Bengal was necessary but not sufficient for restoring stability to the British Raj after Lord Curzon's partitioning of Bengal.

The Act of 1909 was important for the following reasons:

·        It effectively allowed the election of Indians to the various legislative councils in India for the first time. Previously some Indians had been appointed to legislative councils. The majorities of the councils remained British government appointments. Moreover the electorate was limited to specific classes of Indian nationals;

·        The introduction of the electoral principle laid the groundwork for a parliamentary system even though this was contrary to the intent of Morley. As stated by Burke and Quraishi -

·        Muslims had expressed serious concern that a ‘first past the post’ British type of electoral system would leave them permanently subject to Hindu majority rule. The Act of 1909 stipulated, as demanded by the Muslim leadership

·        that Indian Muslims be allotted reserved seats in the Municipal and District Boards, in the Provincial Councils and in the Imperial Legislature;

·        that the number of reserved seats be in excess of their relative population (25 percent of the Indian population); and,

·        that only Muslims should vote for candidates for the Muslim seats (' separate electorates').

1911

The coronation or Delhi Durbar held at which the Partition of Bengal was cancelled.

1912

Delhi becomes the new capital of India.

1912 Dec 23

Bomb thrown on Lord Hardinge on his state entry in India.

1913 Nov 1

Ghadar Party formed at San franscisco.

The Ghadar Party was an organization founded by Indians of the United States and Canada in June, 1913 with the aim to liberate India from British rule. It was also known as the Hindi Association of the Pacific Coast.

The first issue of the Ghadar, their paper was published from University of California in Berkeley in November 1, 1913, in its Har Dayal wrote: "Today there begins in foreign lands, but in our country's tongue, a war against the British Raj... What is our name? Revolution. What is our work? Revolution. Where will be the revolution? In India. The time will soon come when rifles and blood will take the place of pens and ink."

Ghadar Party Founded   :1913 Dissolved :1919 Preceded by :Pacific Coast Hindustan Association Ideology : Revolutionary Socialism Indian Nationalism Official colours :Red, Saffron and Green

 
1914 June 16

B G Tilak Released from Jail.

Tilak was released on June 8, 1914. After his release, Bal Gangadhar Tilak tried to bring the two factions of Congress together. But his efforts did not bear much fruit. In 1916, Tilak decided to build a separate organization called the 'Home Rule League'. Its goal was swaraj. Tilak went from village to village, and explained the aim of his league to the farmers and won their hearts. He traveled constantly in order to organize the people. While fighting for people’s cause Bal Gangadhar Tilak died on August 1, 1920.

1914 Aug 4

Out Break of the First World War.

Outbreak of the First World War World War I broke out by accident. No European government wanted a general war, but most of the European powers preferred to fight rather than back down in the face of diplomatic provocation from their rivals. The spark which provided the excuse to set the armies marching was the assassination of the heir to the Austrian throne in the summer of 1914. Austria immediately accused Serbia of instigating the murderers and issued an ultimatum, whereupon Russia declared her support of Serbia. Once the Russians ordered general mobilization (and they 'had to' because they needed more time to move their forces to the frontiers then their enemies) Austrian, French, and German mobilization orders followed in quick succession, each triggered by the other. Mobilization plans quickly changed into war plans, because to halt part way through the deployment of military forces would simply create chaos; and chaos invited enemy attack - exactly what mobilization was supposed to prevent ! Civilian leadership was displaced by military leadership, and rival armies plunged across European frontiers 'according to plan' Germany and Austria struck at France and Russia and Serbia; the German armies marching through Belgium, Britain immediately came into war on the side of Belgium, bringing in Japan, as her ally, and very soon Turkey followed on the German and Austrian side. Germany's aim was to encircle Paris and defeat France within the first few weeks of the war, in order to concentrate later against Russia on the East. There was a tremendous rush of the Germans upon Paris and an invasion of East Prussia by the Russians. Both attacks were held and turned. Then the power of the defensive developed; there was a rapid elaboration of trench warfare until the opposing armies lay entrenched in long lines across Europe, unable to make any advances without enormous losses. It became apparent that the progress of modern technical science had changed the nature of warfare, a change that the most carefully advanced war plans did not anticipate. No one had expected four years of stalemate and the brutal butchering of industrial war.

1914 Sep 29

Komagatu ship reaches Budge Budge

Place of birth: Kothluk, Ratnagiri Dist., Maharastra, India

Place of death: Bombay, India

Movement: Indian Independence movement

Major organizations: Indian National Congress, Deccan Education Society

Rivalry between Gokhale and Tilak : T Tilak was an advocate of civil agitation and direct revolution to overthrow the British Empire, whereas Gokhale was a moderate reformist. As a result, the Congress Party split into two wings and was largely robbed of its effectiveness for a decade. The two sides would later patch up in 1916 after Gokhale died. Tilak was an advocate of civil agitation and direct revolution to overthrow the British Empire, whereas Gokhale was a As a result, the Congress Party split into two wings and was largely robbed of its effectiveness for a decade. The two sides would later patch up in 1916 after Gokhale died.ilak was an advocate of civil agitation and direct revolution to overthrow the British Empire, whereas Gokhale was a moderate As a result, the Congress Party split into two wings and was largely robbed of its effectiveness for a decade. The two sides would later patch up in 1916 after Gokhale died.al Gangadhar Tilak

Rivalry Tilak

On May 23, 1914, 376 British Subjects (12 Hindus, 24 Muslims and 340 Sikhs) of Indian origin arrived in Vancouver harbor aboard the Komagata Maru, seeking to enter Canada. 352 of the passengers were denied entry and forced to depart on July 23, 1914.

In 1914 the Komagata Maru was an outright challenge to these exclusionist laws. The Komagata Maru was a Japanese steamliner chartered by an affluent businessman, Gurdit Singh, to bring Indian immigrants to Canada.

1915 Jan

Gandhi arrives in Delhi.

In 1915 Gandhi returned from south Africa after having won a partial victory against General Smut’s Regime there & set up an ashram at Ahmadabad on the banks of the Sabarmati to teach Indians the ideals & methods of Satyagraha.

1915 Feb 19

Death of Gopal Krishna Gokhale.

Gokhale continued to be politically active through the last years of his life. This included extensive travelling abroad: in addition to his 1908 trip to England, he also visited South Africa in 1912, where his protégé Gandhi was working to improve conditions for the Indian minority living there. Meanwhile, he continued to be involved in the Servants of India Society, the Congress, and the Legislative Council while constantly advocating the advancement of Indian education. All these stresses took their toll, however, and Gokhale died in Feb 19 1915 at forty-nine years of age.

1916 April 28

Tilak found the Home Rule League with its HQ at Poona.

The Indian political scene was overshadowed those days by two important persons – Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Annie Besant. They had set up Home Rule Leagues, Tilak’s in Maharashtra and Besant’s in other parts of the country. Both the leagues had the same president, Dadabhai Naoroji.

Some of the leaders of the Congress like Surendranath Banerji thought that the growth of the Home Rule Movement would eat into the prospects of the Congress. But the Movement caught on and Annie Besant was invited to preside over the Congress session in Calcutta in 1916.


1917 April

Gandhi Launches the Champaran Campaign in Bihar to focus attention on the grievances of indigo planters.

In Champaran, a district in state of Bihar, tens of thousands of landless serfs, indentured laborers and poor farmers were forced to grow indigo and other cash crops instead of the food crops necessary for their survival. These goods were bought from them at a very low price

Building on the confidence of villagers, he began leading the clean-up of villages, building of schools and hospitals and encouraging the village leadership to undo purdah, untouchability and the suppression of women. He was joined by many young nationalists from all over India, including Dr. Sri Krishna Sinha, Ramarshi Deo Trivedi "Rishi Ji", Brajkishore Prasad, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Dr. Anugrah Narayan Sinha and Jawaharlal Nehru.

(Dr. Rajendra Prasad(Sitting left) &

Dr. Anugrah Narayan Sinha (sitting right)

during 1917 Champaran

Satyagraha movement)

But his main assault came as he was arrested by police on the charge of creating unrest and was ordered to leave the province. Hundreds of thousands of people protested and rallied outside the jail, police stations and courts demanding his release, which the court unwillingly did. Gandhi led organized protests and strike against the landlords, who with the guidance of the British government, signed an agreement granting more compensation and control over farming for the poor farmers of the region, and cancellation of revenue hikes and collection until the famine ended. It was during this agitation, that Gandhi was addressed by the people as Bapu (Father) and Mahatma (Great Soul).

1917 Aug 20

The Secretary of State for India, Montagu, declares that the goal of British Govt in India is the introduction of Responsible Govt.

In late 1917, Montagu went to India to meet up with Lord Chelmsford, the Viceroy of India, to meet with leaders of Indian community such as Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Muhammed Ali Jinnah to discuss the introduction of limited self-government to India and protecting the rights of minority communities such as Muslims and Sikhs.

The changes at the provincial level were significant, as the provincial legislative councils contained a considerable majority of elected members. In a system called "dyarchy," the nation-building departments of government — agriculture, education, public works, and the like — were placed under ministers who were individually responsible to the legislature. The departments that made up the "steel frame" of British rule — finance, revenue, and home affairs — were retained by executive councilors who were nominated by the Governor. They were often, but not always, British and who were responsible to the governor.
1918

Beginning of Trade Union Movement in India.

1918 April

Rowlatt Committee Submits its Report. Rowlatt Bill introduces in Feb 1919.

The Rowlatt Act was a law passed by the British in colonial India in March 1919, indefinitely extending "emergency measures" (of the Defence of India Regulations Act) enacted during the First World War in order to control public unrest and root out conspiracy. Passed on the recommendations of the Rowlatt commission, named for its chairman, British judge Sir Sidney Rowlatt, this act effectively authorized the government to imprison, without trial, any person suspected of terrorism living in the Raj. The Rowlatt Acts gave British imperial authorities power to deal with revolutionary activities.

Mahatma Gandhi, among other Indian leaders, was extremely critical of the Act and argued that not everyone should be punished in response to isolated political crimes. The Act led to indignation from Indian leaders and the public, which caused the government to implement repressive measures. Gandhi and others found that constitutional opposition to the measure was fruitless, so on April 6, a "hartal" was organized where Indians would suspend all business and fast as a sign of their hatred for the legislation. This event is known as the Rowlatt Satyagraha.

1919 April 6

All India Hartal over Rowlatt Bill.

On April 6, a "hartal" was organized where Indians would suspend all business and fast as a sign of their hatred for the legislation. This event is known as the Rowlatt Satyagraha.

However, the success of the hartal in Delhi, on 30 March, was overshadowed by tensions running high, which resulted in rioting in the Punjab and other provinces. Deciding that Indians were not ready to make a stand in consistence with the principle of Ahimsa (non-violence), an integral part of Satyagraha, Gandhi suspended the resistance.

The Rowlatt Act came into effect in March 1919. In the Punjab the protest movement was very strong, and on April 10, two outstanding leaders of the congress Dr. Satya Pal and Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew, were arrested and taken to an unknown place.

A protest was held in Amritsar, which led to the Massacre of 1919.

1919 April 13

Jallianwala Bagh Tragedy.

 

On April 13, 1919, thousands of people gathered in the Jallianwala Bagh (garden) near the Golden Temple in Amritsar, on Baisakhi,

An hour after the meeting began as scheduled at 4:30pm, Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer marched a group of sixty-five Gurkha and twenty-five Baluchi soldiers into the Bagh, fifty of whom were armed with rifles. Dyer had also brought two armored cars armed with machine guns, however the vehicles were stationed outside the main gate as they were unable to enter the Bagh through the narrow entrance.

The Jallianwala Bagh was bounded on all sides by houses and buildings and had few narrow entrances, most of which were kept permanently locked. The main entrance was relatively wider, but was guarded by the troops backed by the armored vehicles. General Dyer ordered troops to open fire without warning or any order to disperse, and to direct fire towards the densest sections of the crowd. He continued the firing, approximately 1,650 rounds in all, until ammunition was almost exhausted.

Apart from the many deaths directly from the firing, a number of deaths were caused by stampedes at the narrow gates as also people who sought shelter from the firing by jumping into the solitary well inside the compound. A plaque in the monument at the site, set up after independence, says that 120 bodies were plucked out of the well.

Dyer was called to appear before the Hunter Commission, a commission of inquiry into the massacre that was ordered to convene by Secretary of State for India Edwin Montagu, in late 1919. Dyer admitted before the commission that he came to know about the meeting at the Jallianwala Bagh at 12:40 hours that day but took no steps to prevent it. He stated that he had gone to the Bagh with the deliberate intention of opening fire if he found a crowd assembled there.

1919 Dec 5

The House of Commons Passed the Montagu Chelmsford Reform or the Govt of India Act, 1919. The new reforms under this act came in peration in 1921.

The Government of India Act 1919 (9 & 10 Geo. V c. 101) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was passed to expand participation of the natives in the government of India. The Act embodied the reforms recommended in the report of the Secretary of State for India, Sir Edwin Montagu, and the Viceroy, Lord Chelmsford. The Act covered ten years, from 1919 to 1929. This retraction of British imperialism was a result of India's enthusiastic participation in World War I.

The Act provided a dual form of government (a "dyarchy") for the major provinces. In each such province, control of some areas of government, the "transferred list", were given to a Government of ministers answerable to the Provincial Council. The 'transferred list' included Agriculture, Health and Education. The Provincial Councils were enlarged.

At the same time, all other areas of government (the 'reserved list') remained under the control of the Viceroy. The 'reserved list' included Defence (the military), Foreign Affairs, and Communications.

The Imperial Legislative Council was enlarged and reformed. It became a bicameral legislature for all India. The lower house was the Legislative Assembly of 144 members, of which 104 were elected and 40 were nominated and tenure of Three years. The upper house was the Council of States consisting of 34 elected and 26 nominated members and tenure of five years. This structure allowed Britain to use the Princely States (who were directly represented in the Council of States) to offset the growing power of the native political parties.

The Indian National Congress was unhappy at these reforms and termed them as 'disappointing.' A special session was held in Mumbai under Hasan Imam and the reforms were condemned. However, leaders such as Surendranath Banerji were inclined to accept the reforms, so they left the Congress and formed the Indian Liberal Federation, which played a minor role in subsequent affairs.

1920

First Meeting of the All India Trade Union Congress.(Narain Malhar Joshi)

1920 Dec

The INC adopts the Non Cooperation Resolution (Started in Aug 31 1920)

The first Non cooperation movement

The first Satyagraha movement urged the use of Khadi and Indian material as alternatives to those shipped from Britain. It also urged people to boycott British educational institutions and law courts; resign from government employment; refuse to pay taxes; and forsake British titles and honours. Although this came too late to influence the framing of the new Government of India Act of 1919, the movement enjoyed widespread popular support, and the resulting unparalleled magnitude of disorder presented a serious challenge to foreign rule. In 1920, the Congress was reorganized and given a new constitution, whose goal was Swaraj (independence). Membership in the party was opened to anyone prepared to pay a token fee, and a hierarchy of committees was established and made responsible for discipline and control over a hitherto amorphous and diffuse movement. The party was transformed from an elite organization to one of mass national appeal and participation.

Gandhi was sentenced in 1922 to six years of prison, but was released after serving two. On his release from prison, he set up the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmadabad, on the banks of river Sabarmati, established the newspaper Young India, and inaugurated a series of reforms aimed at the socially disadvantaged within Hindu society — the rural poor, and the untouchables.

This era saw the emergence of new generation of Indians from within the Congress Party, including C. Rajagopalachari, Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhbhai Patel, Subhash Chandra Bose and others- who would later on come to form the prominent voices of the Indian independence movement, whether keeping with Gandhian Values, or diverging from it.

The Indian political spectrum was further broadened in the mid-1920s by the emergence of both moderate and militant parties, such as the Swaraj Party, Hindu Mahasabha, Communist Party of India and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Regional political organizations also continued to represent the interests of non-Brahmins in Madras, Mahars in Maharashtra, and Sikhs in Punjab. However, people like Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathi, Vanchinathan and Neelakanda Brahmachari played a major role from Tamil Nadu in both freedom struggle and fighting for equality for all castes and communities.

1920-22

The Non cooperation Movement suspended on Feb 11 12, after the violent incidents at Chauri Chaura on Feb 5 1922.

However, Gandhi called off the movement following the Chauri Chaura incident, which saw the death of twenty-two policemen at the hands of an angry mob.

1922 Aug

Moplah rebellion on the Malabar Coast.

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, Mappilas were known for active armed attacks against the British, including the 1921 Moplah rebellion where many Mappilas lost their lives, and many were taken as prisoners mostly to Port Blair. In the same Moplah rebellion, Mappilas murdered, raped, and forcibly converted thousands of Hindus. Mohommed Haji was proclaimed the Caliph of the Moplah Khalifat (Caliphate) and flags of Islamic Caliphate were flown. Ernad and Valluvanad were declared Khalifat kingdoms.
1923 Jan 1

Swarajist Party formed by Motilal Nehru and others.

1924

The Communist Party of India starts its activities first at Kanpur.

1925 Aug

Kakori Train Conspiracy

On August 9, 1925, the Number 8 Down Train travelling from Shahjahanpur  to Lucknow  was approaching the town of Kakori (now in Uttar Pradesh), when one of the revolutionaries pulled the chain to stop the train and overpowered the guard. It is believed that they looted money-bags belonging to the British Government Treasury from the guard's van and escaped to Lucknow while not a single Indian was looted. Following the incident, the police started an intense manhunt and arrested several of the revolutionaries involved. Bismil was arrested on September 26, 1925 and Ashfaqullah was arrested ten months later.
1927 Nov 8

The British PM announces the appointment of the Simon Commission to suggest future constitutional reforms in India. Simon Commission arrives in Bombay on Feb 3 1928 and all India Hartal.Lala Lajpat Rai assaulted by police at Lahore.

The Indian Statutory Commission was a group of seven British Members of Parliament that had been dispatched to India in 1927 to study constitutional reform in that colony. It was commonly referred to as the Simon Commission after its chairman, Sir John Simon. One of its members was Clement Attlee, who subsequently became the British Prime Minister who would oversee the granting of independence to India and Pakistan in 1947.

Almost immediately with its arrival in Bombay on February 3, 1928, the Simon Commission was confronted by throngs of protestors. The entire country observed a hartal (strike), and many people turned out to greet the Commission with black flags. Similar protests occurred in every major Indian city that the seven British MPs visited. However, one protest against the Simon Commission would gain infamy above all the others.

On October 30, 1928, the Simon Commission arrived in Lahore where, as with the rest of the country, its arrival was met with massive amounts of protestors. The Lahore protest was led by Indian nationalist Lala Lajpat Rai, who had moved a resolution against the Commission in the Legislative Assembly of Punjab in February 1928. In order to make way for the Commission, the local police force began beating protestors with their lathis (sticks). The police were particularly brutal towards Lala Lajpat Rai, who later that day declared, "The blows which fell on me today are the last nails in the coffin of British imperialism." On November 17, Lajpat Rai died of his injuries on his head.

1928

Nehru Report Recommends principles for the new constitution of India. All Parties Conference considers the Nehru Report Aug 28

Following the rejection of the recommendations of the Simon Commission by Indians, an all-party conference was held at Bombay in May 1928. This was meant to instill a sense of resistance among people. The conference appointed a drafting committee under Motilal Nehru to draw up a constitution for India. The Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress asked the British government to accord dominion status to India by December 1929, or a countrywide civil disobedience movement would be launched. By 1929, however, in the midst of rising political discontent and increasingly violent regional movements, the call for complete independence from Britain began to find increasing grounds within the Congress leadership. Under the presidency of Jawaharlal Nehru at its historic Lahore session in December 1929, The Indian National Congress adopted a resolution calling for complete independence from the British. It authorised the Working Committee to launch a civil disobedience movement throughout the country. It was decided that 26 January 1930 should be observed all over India as the Purna Swaraj (total independence) Day. Many Indian political parties and Indian revolutionaries of a wide spectrum united to observe the day with honour and pride.

1928 Nov. 17

Death of Lala Lajpat Rai.

On November 17, 1928, he succumbed to the injuries and left for his holy abode by not leaving the freedom struggle in between but passing over the baton the younger generation. The vengeance of his death was taken by Bhagat Singh and his associates.

1929

Sarda Act Passed prohibiting marriage of girls below 14 and boys below 18 of age with effect from 1930.

Child Marriage Restraint Act 1929 popularly known as the Sarda Act after its sponsor Rai Sahib Harbilas Sarda to the British India Legislature in India was passed on 28 September 1929 fixed the age of marriage for girls at 14 years. It was a result of social reform movement in India. The legislation was passed by the British Indian Government.

1929 Mar 9

All Parties Muslim Conference formulates the Forteen points under the leadership Of Jinnah.

The Fourteen Points of Jinnah was proposed by Muhammad Ali Jinnah as a constitutional reform plan to safeguard the political rights of Muslims in a self-governing India. The report was given in a meeting of the council of the All India Muslim League on March 28, 1929.

The Fourteen Points

1. The form of the future constitution should be federal with the residuary powers vested in the provinces.
2. A uniform measure of autonomy shall be granted to all provinces.
3. All legislatures in the country and other elected bodies shall be constituted on the definite principle of adequate and effective representation of minorities in every province without reducing the majority in any province to a minority or even equality.
4. In the Central Legislature, Muslim representation shall not be less than one third.
5. Representation of communal groups shall continue to be by means of separate electorate as at present, provided it shall be open to any community at any time to abandon its separate electorate in favor of a joint electorate.
6. Any territorial distribution that might at any time be necessary shall not in any way affect the Muslim majority in the Punjab, Bengal and the North West Frontier Province.
7. Full religious liberty, i.e. liberty of belief, worship and observance, propaganda, association and education, shall be guaranteed to all communities.
8. No bill or any resolution or any part thereof shall be passed in any legislature or any other elected body if three-fourth of the members of any community in that particular body oppose such a bill resolution or part thereof on the ground that it would be injurious to the interests of that community or in the alternative, such other method is devised as may be found feasible and practicable to deal with such cases.
9. Sindh should be separated from the Bombay Presidency.
10. Reforms should be introduced in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Baluchistan on the same footing as in the other provinces.
11. Provision should be made in the constitution giving Muslims an adequate share, along with the other Indians, in all the services of the state and in local self-governing bodies having due regard to the requirements of efficiency.
12. The constitution should embody adequate safeguards for the protection of Muslim culture and for the protection and promotion of Muslim education, language, religion, personal laws and Muslim charitable institution and for their due share in the grants-in-aid given by the state and by local self-governing bodies.
13. No cabinet, either central or provincial, should be formed without there being a proportion of at least one-third Muslim ministers.
14. No change shall be made in the constitution by the Central Legislature except with the concurrence of the State's contribution of the Indian Federation.

1929 April 8

Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt drops bombs on Central Legislative Assembly.

Hindustan Socialist Republican Association was formed under the leadership of Chandrasekhar Azad. Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt threw a bomb inside the Central Legislative Assembly on 8 April 1929 protesting against the passage of the Public Safety Bill and the Trade Disputes Bill. Following the trial (Central Assembly Bomb Case), Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru were hanged in 1931. Allama Mashriqi founded Khaksar Tehreek in order to direct particularly the Muslims towards the independence movement.

1929 Oct 31

Lord Irwin's Announcement that goal of British policy in India was the grant of Dominion status.

Gandhi–Irwin Pact refers to a political agreement signed by Mahatma Gandhi and the then Viceroy of India, Lord Irwin on 5th March 1931. Before this, the viceroy Lord Irwin announced in October 1929,a vague offer of 'dominion status' for India in an unspecified future and a Round Table Conference to discuss a future constitution. It was signed after meetings between Gandhi and the Viceroy that spanned over a three week time period. Many Indian citizens were originally unsatisfied with the conditions of this truce. The agreement spelled out certain specific action points, to be initiated by the colonial Government of India as well as the Indian National Congress. Important action points of the Pact included:

·        Discontinuation of the civil disobedience movement by the Indian National Congress

·        Participation by the Indian National Congress in the Round Table Conference

·        Withdrawal of all ordinances issued by the British Government imposing curbs on the activities of the Indian National Congress

·        Withdrawal of all prosecutions relating to several types of offenses except those involving violence

·        Release of prisoners arrested for participating in the civil disobedience movement

·        The removal of the tax on salt, which allowed the Indians to produce, trade, and sell salt legally and for their own private use.

1929 Dec 31

the Lahore session of INC adopts the goal of complete independece-poorna Swaraj for India.

The flag of India had been hoisted by Congress President Jawaharlal Nehru on December 31, 1929, on the banks of the Ravi River in Lahore. The Congress asked the people of India to observe January 26 as Independence Day. The flag of India was hoisted publicly across India by Congress volunteers, nationalists and the public.

The Purna Swaraj declaration or Declaration of the Independence of India was promulgated by the Indian National Congress on January 26, 1930, resolving the Congress and Indian nationalists to fight for Purna Swaraj, or complete self-rule independent of the British Empire. (Literally in Sanskrit, purna, "complete," swa, "self," raj, "rule," thus "complete self-rule")

1930 Feb 14

The working committee of the INC meets at Sabarmati and passes the civil Disobedience resolution.

In April 1930 there were violent police-crowd clashes in Calcutta. Approximately 100,000 people were imprisoned in the course of the Civil disobedience movement (1930–31), while in Peshawar unarmed demonstrators were fired upon in the Qissa Khwani bazaar massacre. The latter event catapulted the then newly formed Khudai Khidmatgar movement (founder Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, the Frontier Gandhi) onto the National scene. While Gandhi was in jail, the first Round Table Conference was held in London in November 1930, without representation from the Indian National Congress. The ban upon the Congress was removed because of economic hardships caused by the Satyagraha. Gandhi, along with other members of the Congress Working Committee, was released from prison in January 1931.

1930 March 12

Gandhi Launches the Civil Disobedience movement with his epic Dandi March (March 12 to April 5), First phase of the C D Movement March 12 1930 to March 5 1931.

Gandhi emerged from his long seclusion by undertaking his most famous campaign, a march of about 400 kilometers from his commune in Ahmadabad to Dandi, on the coast of Gujarat between 12 March and 6 April 1930. The march is usually known as the Dandi March or the Salt Satyagraha. At Dandi, in protest against British taxes on salt, he and thousands of followers broke the law by making their own salt from seawater.

1930 Nov 30

First round table conference begins in London to consider the report of Simon.

The Round Table Conference was opened officially by King George V on November 12, 1930 and chaired by the British Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald. The three British political parties were represented by sixteen delegates. There were fifty-seven political leaders from British India and sixteen delegates from the princely states. However, the Indian National Congress, along with Indian business leaders, kept away from the conference. Many of them were in jail for their participation in civil disobedience.

Participants

·        Muslim League: Muhammad Ali, Muhammad Shafi, the Aga Khan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Muhammad Zafrulla Khan, A.K. Fazlul Huq

·        Hindu Mahasabha: B. S. Moonje and M.R. Jayakar

·        Liberals: Tej Bahadur Sapru, C. Y. Chintamani and Srinivasa Sastri

·        Sikh: Sardar Ujjal Singh

·        Depressed Classes: B. R. Ambedkar

·        Princely states: Akbar Hydari (Dewan of Hyderabad), Mirza Ismail (Diwan of Mysore), Kailas Narain Haksar of Gwalior, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala, Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III of Baroda, Maharaja Hari Singh of Jammu and Kashmir, Maharaja Ganga Singh of Bikaner, Nawab Hamidullah Khan of Bhopal, K.S. Ranjitsinhji of Nawanagar, Maharaja Jai Singh Prabhakar of Alwar and the rulers of Indore, Rewa, Dholpur, Koriya, Sangli and Sarila.

The idea of an All-India Federation was moved to the centre of discussion. All the groups attending the conference supported this concept. The responsibility of the Executive to Legislature was discussed, and B. R. Ambedkar demanded a separate electorate for the Untouchables.

1931 March 5

Gandhi Irwin Pact signed, Civil Disobedience Movement Suspended.

Gandhi–Irwin Pact refers to a political agreement signed by Mahatma Gandhi and the then Viceroy of India, Lord Irwin on 5th March 1931. Before this, the viceroy Lord Irwin announced in October 1929, a vague offer of 'dominion status' for India in an unspecified future and a Round Table Conference to discuss a future constitution. It was signed after meetings between Gandhi and the Viceroy that spanned over a three week time period. Many Indian citizens were originally unsatisfied with the conditions of this truce. The agreement spelled out certain specific action points, to be initiated by the colonial Government of India as well as the Indian National Congress. Important action points of the Pact included:

·        Discontinuation of the civil disobedience movement by the Indian National Congress

·        Participation by the Indian National Congress in the Round Table Conference

·        Withdrawal of all ordinances issued by the British Government imposing curbs on the activities of the Indian National Congress

·        Withdrawal of all prosecutions relating to several types of offenses except those involving violence

·        Release of prisoners arrested for participating in the civil disobedience movement

·        The removal of the tax on salt, which allowed the Indians to produce, trade, and sell salt legally and for their own private use.

1931 March 23

Bhagat Sing, Sukh Dev and Rajguru Executed.

On 23 March 1931, Bhagat Singh was hanged in Lahore with his fellow comrades Rajguru and Sukhdev. His supporters, who had been protesting against the hanging, immediately declared him as a Shaheed or martyr. According to the Superintendent of Police at the time, V.N. Smith, the hanging was advanced:

Normally execution took place at 8 am, but it was decided to act at once before the public could become aware of what had happened...At about 7 pm shouts of Inquilab Zindabad were heard from inside the jail. This was correctly, interpreted as a signal that the final curtain was about to drop.

1931 Sep 7

Second Round Table Conference.

The second session opened on September 7 1931. There were three major differences between the first and second Round Table Conferences. By the second:

·        Congress Representation — The Gandhi-Irwin Pact opened the way for Congress participation in this conference. Mahatma Gandhi was invited from India and attended as the sole official Congress representative accompanied by Sarojini Naidu and also Madan Mohan Malaviya, Ghanshyam Das Birla, Muhammad Iqbal, S K Dutta and Sir Syed Ali Imam. Gandhi claimed that the Congress alone represented political India; that the Untouchables were Hindus and should not be treated as a “minority”; and that there should be no separate electorates or special safeguards for Muslims or other minorities. These claims were rejected by the other Indian participants. According to this pact, Gandhi was asked to call off the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) and if he did so the prisoners of the British government would be freed excepting the criminal prisoners, i.e. those who had killed British officials. He returned to India, disappointed with the results and empty-handed.

·        National Government — two weeks earlier the Labour government in London had fallen. Ramsay MacDonald now headed a National Government dominated by the Conservative Party.

·        Financial Crisis – During the conference, Britain went off the Gold Standard further distracting the National Government.

During the Conference, Gandhi could not reach agreement with the Muslims on Muslim representation and safeguards. At the end of the conference Ramsay MacDonald undertook to produce a Communal Award for minority representation, with the provision that any free agreement between the parties could be substituted for his award.

Gandhi took particular exception to the treatment of untouchables as a minority separate from the rest of the Hindu community. He clashed with the Untouchable leader, B. R. Ambedkar, over this issue: the two eventually resolved the situation with the Poona Pact of 1932.

1931 Dec 28

1930 Mar 12 Gandhi Launches the Civil Disobedience movement with his epic Dandi March (March 12 to April 5), First phase of the C D Movement March 12 1930 to March 5 1931.

1932 Jan 4

Gandhiji Arrested and imprisoned without Trial.

In Bombay, at Mani Bhuvan, Gandhi was arrested at three in morning.
1932 Aug 16

British Prime minister Pamsay Macdonald announces his infamous "Communal Awards".

Mr. MacDonald announced the 'Communal Award' on August 16, 1932. According to the Award, the right of separate electorate was not only given to the Muslims of India but also to all the minority communities in the country. The Award also declared untouchables as a minority and thus the Hindu depressed classes were given a number of special seats, to be filled from special depressed class electorates in the area where their voters were concentrated. Under the Communal Award, the principle of weightage was also maintained with some modifications in the Muslim minority provinces. Principle of weightage was also applied for Europeans in Bengal and Assam, Sikhs in the Punjab and North West Frontier Province, and Hindus in Sindh and North West Frontier Province.
1932 Sep 20

Gandhiji in jail begins the epic fast unto death against teh Communal Awards and the fat on sep 26 after the Poona Pact.

1932 Nov 17

The IIIrd RTC begins in London.

The third and last session assembled on November 17 1932. Only forty-six delegates attended since most of the main political figures of India were not present. The Labour Party from Britain and the Indian National Congress refused to attend.

In this conference, Chaudhary Rahmat Ali, a college student, coined the name "Pakistan" (which means "land of pureness") as the name for the Muslim part of partitioned India. He took the "P" from Punjab, the "A" from the Afghan, the "KI" from Kashmir, the "S" from Sindh and the "TAN" from Balochistan.

1933 May 9

Gandhiji released from prison as he begins the fast for self purification .INC suspends C D Movement but Authorizes Satyagraha by individuals.

1934

Gandhiji withdraws from active politics and Devote himself to Constructive programmes.

1935 Aug 4

The GOvt India Act Passed.

1937

Elections held in India under the Act of 1935 (Feb 1937).The INC contest election and forms ministries in 7 provinces.

1938 Feb 19-20

Haripura session of INC Subhas Chandra Bose elected Congress President.

1939 March 10-12

Tripura session of INC.

1939 April

Subhash Chandra Bose resigned as the president of INC.

1939 Sep 3
Second World War.

1939 Oct 27
the INC ministries in Province.

1939 Nov 5
The congress ministries in province resign in protest against the war policy of British Govt.

1939 Dec 22
The Muslim League observes the resignation of the congress minister as the Deliverance Day.

1940 March
Lahore session of the Muslim League passes the Pakistan Resolution.

1940 Aug 10
Vice roy Linlithgow annouces the August Offer.

1940 Aug 18-22
The congress working committe rejects the August Offer.

1941 Jauary 17
Subhas Chandra bose escapes from India Arrives in Berlin (March 28).

1942 March 11
Churchill annonces the Cripps Mission

1942 Aug 7-8
The INC meets in Bombay Adopts Quit India resolution.8

1942 Aug 9
Gandhiji and other Congress leaders arrested.

1942 Aug 11
Quit India Movement begins the great August Uprising.

1942 Sep 1
Subhas Chandra Bose establish the Indian National army (Azad Hind Fauz)

1943 oct 21
Subhash Chandra bose proclaims the formation of Provisional Government of free India.

1943 Dec
Karachi session of the Muslim League adopts the slogan Divide and Quit.

1944 June 25
Wavell calls Simla Conference in a bid to form the Executive Council of Indian Political leaders.

1946 Feb 18
Mutiny of the Indian Naval Ratings in Bombay.

1946 March 15
British P M Attlee announces Cabinet Mission to propose new solution to the Indian Deadlock Cabinet Mission Arrives in New Delhi (March 14) issue proposal (May 16)

1946 July 6
Jawaharlal Nehru takes over as Congress President.

1946 Aug 6
Wavell invites Nehru to form an Interim Government takes office.(Sep 2).

1946 Dec 9
First session of Constituent Assembly starts .Muslim League boycotts it.

1947 Feb 20
British PM Atlee Declared that the British Govt would leave India not later than June 1948.

1947 March 24
Lord Mountbatten the last British Viceroy and Governor General of India sworn in (March 24 1947 to June 21 1948).

1947 June 3
Mountbatten Plan for the partition of India and the announcement (June 4) that the transfer of power will take place on Aug 15.

1947 Aug 15

India wins Freedom.