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The Indian freedom struggle was profoundly shaped by militant nationalism between 1905 and 1935. During this period militant nationalism evolved from initial ‘secret’ groups that were religious and regional in nature to the ideologically organized socialist organizations. The revolutionaries in Bengal and Punjab (aslso in United Provinces, Delhi and Maharashtra) laid a strong and unrelenting armed struggle against the colonial power of Great Britain.
The evolution of revolution can be divided into two distinctive phases:
The First Phase (1905-1918): Based upon the partition of Bengal (1905) and thus depending on the bhadralok secret society, physical culture clubs. Individual attacks on the oppressive officials and the Ghadarite movement for organizing militant troops during World War I.
The Second Phase (1920-1935): Brought about by the unexpected ending of the Non-Cooperation Movement (1922). This phase disclaimed the idea of romantic individual terrorism in favor of Marxist-socialist ideas, recruitment of mass base and the existence of many organizations across different provinces.
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Revolutionary Organizations (1905-1935)
Both Bengal and Punjab were the focal points from which numerous revolutionary organizations were formed.
Revolutionary Organisation in Bengal
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Anushilan Samiti (Calcutta and Dacca, 1902-1905): Founded by Pramath Nath Mitra, Pulin Varhi Das and Barinda Kumar Ghosh to create a big network of akharas with gymnasiums for physical exercise, swordplay, and ideology.
Jugantar Party (1906): A radical group within Anushilan (Aurobindo Ghosh, Jatin Mukherjee/ Bagh Jatin) instituted to launch aggressive actions.
Bengal Wide Federation / Neo Violence Party (1929): Established to accomplish reconciliation between senior opponents (Subhas Chandra Bose and J.M. Sengupta) and younger radicals led by Niranjan Sen Gupta and Satish Chandra Pakrashi.
Chittagong Republican Army (1930): This organization led by Surya Sen (Masterda) operated in the form of a clandestine military organization which had its own departments for intelligence, sabotage and women's units (headed by Kalpana Dutta and Pritilata Waddedar).
Atmonnati Samiti (Calcutta): The small secret organization formed in 1902 collaborated with Jugantar to execute various acts of decentralized robbery to raise funds to meet its expenses.
Dacca Anushilan Samiti: An influential branch of the organization that worked under the leadership of Pulin Behari Das in East Bengal and carried out all kinds of dacoities (for instance, Barrah and Nediatali).
Bani Samiti and Swadeh Bandhab Samiti: Grassroots cultural organizations that were created by the leaders like Ashwini Kumar Datta in Barisal for the purpose of encouraging local boycotts and conducting underground recruitment.
Major Organizations in Punjab and Northern India
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Ghadar Party (founded in 1913, San Francisco/Punjab): The party was established by Indians living abroad, including Lala Hardayal, Sohan Singh Bhakna and Kartar Singh Sarabha, and its goal was to instigate a rebellion in the British Indian Army.
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Hindustan Republican Association (HRA), later HSRA (1924-1928): The organization was established in the city of Kanpur with the joint contribution of Sachindranath Sanyal, Ram Prasad Bismil and Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee and underwent a transformation in its structure in 1928 in an event held in Firoz Shah Kotla (Delhi) organized by Chandrashekhar Azad and Bhagat Singh.
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Naujawan Bharat Sabha (founded in 1926, Lahore): Bhagat Singh was its founder, who was also aided by the likes of Ram Chandra and Sohan Singh Josh. This was a serious platform that helped the students as well as farmers and workers mobilize by doing these public and legal activities.
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Punjab Riyasti Praja Mandal: Local groups connected with the revolutionaries of the north were able to engage the peasants against the rule of feudal princes.
Timeline of Major and Minor Incidents (1905-1935)
This chronological ledger documents both monumental historical operations and lesser-known local actions across Bengal and Punjab:
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Year
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Incident / Operation
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Region
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Leaders Involved
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Description / Objective
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1906
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Rangpur and Comilla Riots & Early Dacoities
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Bengal
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Local Anushilan Cadres
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Small-scale raids on local properties and tax offices to secure operational funding.
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1908
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Muzaffarpur Conspiracy Case
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Bengal / Bihar
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Khudiram Bose, Prafulla Chaki
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Bomb thrown at a carriage mistakenly carrying British women, targeting unpopular judge Kingsford.
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1908
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Barrah Dacoity
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Bengal (Dacca)
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Dacca Anushilan Samiti (Pulin Behari Das)
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Attack by boat during the day to acquire funds for the publication Jugantar.
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1912
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DelhiLahore Conspiracy Case
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Delhi / Punjab
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Rash Behari Bose, Basant Kumar Biswas
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Bombing of Lord Hardyne while entering the capital.
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1914
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Komagata Maru Incident
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Punjab / Calcutta
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Gurdit Singh and Sikh passengers
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Hiring of a Japanese ship to protest against Canadian immigration policies and conflict with British authorities in Budge Budge.
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1915
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Failed Ghadar Mutiny
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Punjab Cantonments
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Kartar Singh Sarabha, Bhai Parmanand
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Planed to infiltrate the army on February 21, 1915 and instigate an uprising.
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1915
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The Battle of Balasore
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Bengal / Orissa border
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Jatin Mukherjee (Bagh Jatin), Chittapriya Ray Chaudhuri
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Battle on the riverbanks against heavily armed British forces after a German arm shipment (the Maverick plot).
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1925
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Kakori Train Conspiracy
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United Provinces (Linked to Punjab)
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Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Chandrashekhar Azad
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Attack on the government train near Lucknow to obtain money from the treasury.
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1928
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Assassination of J.P. Saunders
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Punjab (Lahore)
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Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Shivaram Rajguru
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Targeted killing of Assistant Superintendent Saunders to avenge the police lathi-charge death of Lala Lajpat Rai.
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1929
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Central Assembly Bomb Case
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Delhi
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Bhagat Singh, Batukeshwar Dutt
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Use of smoke bombs of low intensity in the Central Legislative Assembly to protest against the harsh labor and safety bills followed by voluntarily surrender.
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1930
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Chittagong Armoury Raid
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Bengal
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Surya Sen, Ganesh Ghosh, Pritilata Waddedar
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Simultaneous attacks on police and government armories; cutting down the telegraph communication lines and announcing of a provisional republic.
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1930
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Battle of Jalalabad
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Bengal
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Surya Sen and Chittagong cadres
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battle against British troops on Jalalabad hill following the armory raid.
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1930-31
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Writer's Building Raid (Calcutta)
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Bengal
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Benoy Basu, Badal Gupta, Dinesh Gupta
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Armed attack inside the principal government secretariat of Bengal, killing infamous Inspector General Colonel N.S. Simpson.
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1931-34
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Autonomous District Raids & Magistrate Killings
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Bengal
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Various regional youth cells
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Planned killing of district magistrates such as Peddie, Douglas and Burge and attacks on the European clubs like Pahartali European Club led by Pritilata Waddedar.
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Trials and Legal Oppression
The British government took advantage of emergency legislation, martial law rules and special courts in order to destroy the movement.
Alipore Bomb Conspiracy Case (1908-1909) - Bengal
Description: It was initiated after the raid of the bomb-making factory in Manicktolla, Calcutta.
Conclusion: This case resulted in the exiling of important leaders such as Ghosh and Dutta and in the acquittal of Aurobindo Ghosh through the ingenious defense of the lawyer Das.
Lahore Conspiracy Trials (1915-1916 and 1929-1930) - Punjab
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The First Lahore Trial (1915-1916): It began the trial of the Ghadar members; 24 people received death sentences among them being the young Kartar Singh Sarabha.
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The Second Lahore Trial (1929-1930): This trial was the trial of HSRA members accused of killing Saunders and of bombing the assembly. During the trial many of the prisoners conducted a hunger strike to protest the inhuman conditions of their confinement.
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One of those participants, Jatindas died on 13th September after fasting for 63 days. Later, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru received death sentences on 23rd March 1931.
Chittagong Armoury Raid Trials (1930-1934), Bengal
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Numerous special tribunals were formed to prosecute the people involved in the uprising of 1930, and other guerrilla warfare activities that followed it.
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Imprisonment of many participants for a long time is one consequence with mastermind of the operation naming Surya Sen, being arrested tortured and hanged on January 12, 1934.
Impact and Legacy of the Movement (1905-1935)
By 1935, a combination of severe legislative repression (such as the Bengal Suppression of Terrorist Outrages Act) and internal exhaustion as well as the shift of national politics toward parliamentary participation and mass movements and curtailed active land-based guerrilla warfare. However, the thirty-year legacy left an indelible mark.
The ultimate sacrifices made by such venerable personalities as Khudiram Bose, Kartar Singh Sarabha, Bhagat Singh, Surya Sen and Jatin Das forever defeated the psychological myth of British invincibility.
The transformation of the 1920s allowed the introduction of Marxist and socialist ideas into Indian politics. The never-ending pressure from underground networks made the colonial administration realise that absolute imperial rule is impossible in the long run.