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Do You Know – 9

DO YOU KNOW – 9

You must have read about Swadeshi Movement. But do you retain the important facts related to it?

 

Here it goes :

Origin of the movement : Opposition to partition of Bengal

Official reason given for partition : Bengal was too big to administer

Real reason  : To weaken Bengal, the centre of Indian nationalism

Decision of partition made public : Dec, 1903

Announcement of partition : July, 1905

Formal launch of Swadeshi Movement : Aug, 1905

Partition came into existence : Oct, 1905

Spread of movement : Within and outside Bengal

Methods adopted between 1903-1905 i.e. under Moderates:

  • Petitions ,
  • public meetings,
  • propaganda

Activities done on the day partition was announced :

  • Mourning,
  • bathing in Ganga,
  • walking barefoot in processions,
  • singing Bande Mataram
  • tying rakhis

Goal of Swaraj adopted by Congress : 1906, under presidentiship of Dadabhai

Type of Swaraj adopted : Self -government like the colonies

Change in nature of movement after 1905 : now Extremists dominated

Reasons for Extremists domination after 1905  :

  • Failure of Moderates to yield results
  • Government’s suppressive measures

Methods adopted by Extremists :

  • Boycott of government institutions ( schools, colleges, courts, etc )
  • Boycott of foreign goods
  • Mass mobilisation through
    • Magic lantern lectures
    • Physical and moral training
    • Social work
    • Ganpati and Shivaji festivals
    • Social reforms such as against caste system, dowry
  • Opening of swadeshi educational institutions, factories

Extent of mass participation :

  • Students participated in large numbers
  • Women participated in large numbers
  • Certain sections of the zamindari participated
  • Muslim participation was negligible

Annulment of partition :

  • Partition annuled in 1911
  • Reason for annulment : to curb revolutionary terrorism
  • Capital of British empire shifted to Delhi to appease Muslims
  • Bihar, Orissa, Assam taken out of Bengal

Important personalities associated with the movement:

  • Surendranth Banerjee, K.K. Mitra : Moderate leaders
  • Lala Lajpat Rai, Ajit Singh : Led the movement in Punjab
  • Syed Haider : Led the movement in Delhi
  • Chidambaram Pillai : Led the movement in Madras
  • Tilak : Led the movement in Poona and Bombay, organised Ganpati and Shivaji festivals
  • Aurobindo Ghosh : principal of Bengal National College
  • Rabindranath Tagore : wrote the song ‘ Amar Sonar Bangla’
  • Abanindranath Tagore : brokedomination of British influence over Indian art and took inspiration from Mughal, Rajput and Ajanta paintings.