Rise of revolutionary nationalism

🌍 Context – Why Revolutionary Nationalism?

After the decline of the Swadeshi and Boycott Movement (1905–08), three major political experiments followed:

1. Revolutionary Nationalism (1907 onwards)
2. Ghadar Movement (1913–15)
3. Home Rule Movement (1916)

Revolutionary nationalism came first. It grew out of a frustrated, angry generation of youth who felt that:

• Moderates were ineffective with petitions and prayers.
• Extremists mobilised people but lacked an organised plan after the Surat Split (1907).
• The government crushed all peaceful political activity with harsh repression.

👉 With every door closed, the restless youth turned to bombs and pistols — inspired by Irish revolutionaries and Russian Nihilists.

⚡ Characteristics of Revolutionary Nationalism

• It was not a mass movement. Instead, it was the politics of secret societies and small groups.
• Main methods:
  1. Individual heroic actions → assassinations of unpopular officials and informers.
  2. Swadeshi dacoities → robberies carried out to raise funds for revolutionary activities.
• Aims:

• To terrorise rulers,
• To remove fear of authority from people’s minds,
• To arouse national pride and consciousness.

Newspapers like Sandhya, Yugantar (Bengal) and Kal (Maharashtra) openly glorified revolutionary nationalism.

🧭 Extremists’ View on Revolutionaries

• Leaders like Tilak and Bipin Pal did not support violence as a political method.
• But they were sympathetic to revolutionaries, seeing them as misguided youth provoked by British repression.
• In their eyes, the blame lay more on the government than on the revolutionaries.

⚔️ Early Revolutionary Activities in Maharashtra

1. Wasudeo Balwant Phadke (1879)

• A clerk in the commissariat department.
• Raised Ramoshi peasants for an armed revolt in Maharashtra.
• Poorly organised and quickly crushed, but he is remembered as one of the earliest revolutionary figures.

2. Assassination of W.C. Rand (1897)

• During the plague epidemic in Pune (1896–97), British officials, led by W.C. Rand, behaved brutally — raiding homes, humiliating women, forcing people into camps.
• To avenge this, the Chapekar brothers (Damodar, Balkrishna, Vasudeo Hari) assassinated Rand and his escort, Lt. Ayerst, during Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee (1897).
• Later, Vasudeo killed police informants (Dravid brothers).
• All three Chapekars were caught and hanged (1899).

👉 This event electrified Maharashtra and inspired a generation of youth.

3. Abhinav Bharat (Young India Society)

• Founded in 1904 by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (Veer Savarkar) and his brother Ganesh.
• Modeled on Mazzini’s “Young Italy”.
• Earlier, in 1899, Savarkar had set up a secret society called Mitra Mela, which merged into Abhinav Bharat.
• Engaged in assassinations and revolutionary activities until it was formally dissolved in 1952.

4. Assassination of A.M.T. Jackson (1909)

• Anant Laxman Kanhere, a 17-year-old revolutionary, shot dead Jackson, the District Magistrate of Nashik, in December 1909.
• Jackson was seen as repressive, and also as a symbol of British rule.
• The trial exposed Abhinav Bharat’s activities and linked them to the Savarkar brothers.
• V.D. Savarkar was implicated, convicted, and sentenced to life imprisonment in the Andaman Cellular Jail (1910).

✨ Significance of Revolutionary Nationalism (Maharashtra phase)

• It showed that violent resistance was now entering the nationalist imagination, even if on a small scale.
• Revolutionaries became symbols of courage and sacrifice, admired by the youth.
• Their actions inspired similar revolutionary organisations in Bengal (like Anushilan Samiti, Jugantar) and in Punjab later.
• But the movement remained secretive, isolated, and uncoordinated, so it couldn’t replace mass struggle.

🌍 Revolutionary Organisations in Bengal

Anushilan Samiti (Calcutta, 1902)

• Founded by Pramathanath Mitra and Satish Chandra Basu.
• Associated with Aurobindo Ghosh, Bipin Chandra Pal, Brahmabandhab Upadhyay, Jatindranath Banerjee.
• Aim: to train youth for armed struggle against the British.
• Activities: carried out dacoities, assassinations, bomb-making.

👉 The name “Anushilan” came from Bankimchandra’s Anushilan-Tattva (discipline).

Dhaka Anushilan Samiti (1906)

• Founded by Pulin Behari Das.
• Became even more powerful than the Calcutta branch.
• Had strong rural support, especially among youth.
• Published the newspaper Yugantar Patrika (1906), launched by Barindra Kumar Ghosh, Abinash Bhattacharya, and Bhupendranath Dutt (brother of Swami Vivekananda).

⚔️ Major Revolutionary Activities in Bengal

1. Assassination Attempts (1907–08)

• 1907: Failed attempt on Sir Fuller, Lt. Governor of Eastern Bengal & Assam.
• 1907: Attempt to derail a train carrying Sir Andrew Fraser, Lt. Governor of Bengal.
• 1908: Muzaffarpur Bomb Case → Khudiram Bose (18 years old) and Prafulla Chaki threw a bomb at Judge Kingsford’s carriage. Mistakenly, two British women (the Kennedys) were killed.
  • Prafulla Chaki shot himself.
  • Khudiram Bose was tried and hanged, becoming one of India’s youngest martyrs.

2. Alipore Bomb Case (1908–09)

• Police linked multiple assassinations and bomb plots to a wider conspiracy.
• Many revolutionaries of Anushilan Samiti were arrested, including Aurobindo Ghosh and his brother Barindra Ghosh.
• In jail, an approver (Narendra Gosain) was shot dead by fellow accused — showing the determination of the revolutionaries.
• Chittaranjan Das (C.R. Das) defended Aurobindo, who was acquitted.
• Barindra Ghosh and Ullaskar Dutt were sentenced to death (later commuted to life imprisonment).
• After acquittal, Aurobindo retired from politics, moved to Pondicherry, and began his spiritual journey — founding the famous Sri Aurobindo Ashram.

👉 The case is also called Muraripukur Conspiracy or Manicktolla Bomb Case.

3. Delhi Conspiracy Case / Hardinge Bomb Case (1912)

• Leaders: Rash Behari Bose and Sachindra Nath Sanyal.
• 23 December 1912: During the grand procession marking the transfer of the capital from Calcutta to Delhi, a bomb was thrown at Viceroy Lord Hardinge while he rode an elephant.
• Hardinge was injured but survived.
• Trial: Basant Kumar Biswas, Amir Chand, Avadh Behari were executed.
• Rash Behari Bose escaped and later fled to Japan, becoming a key link in revolutionary networks abroad.

4. Bagha Jatin (Jatin Mukherjee)

• Member of Jugantar, nicknamed “Bagha” (tiger) after he killed a tiger bare-handed.
• Planned a nationwide armed insurrection with support from abroad.
• Organised dacoities and raids to fund revolution.
• Key figure in the Zimmermann Plan (German Plot, 1914–15):
  • During WWI, Jugantar hoped for German help to smuggle arms into India.
  • Jatin moved to Balasore (Orissa) to receive German arms.
  • The plan was betrayed; police surrounded Jatin and a handful of comrades in September 1915.
  • In the Battle of Balasore, Jatin fought heroically for 75 minutes with just pistols against rifles.
  • He was fatally wounded and died in hospital.

👉 Bagha Jatin became a legend of revolutionary heroism, seen as the “uncrowned leader” of Bengal revolutionaries.

✨ Significance of the Bengal Revolutionaries

• They kept alive the spirit of resistance when mainstream Congress politics was divided after the Surat Split.
• Created a tradition of sacrifice and bravery that inspired future revolutionaries (Bhagat Singh, Chandra Shekhar Azad, Hindustan Socialist Republican Association).
• Linked India’s struggle with global politics (Irish nationalists, Russian revolutionaries, WWI German support).
• But:
  • Their actions were isolated, secretive, and lacked mass participation.
  • British repression was severe, and most conspiracies were foiled.

🌍 Revolutionary Activities in Madras

Bharatha Matha Sangam

• Founded by Nilakanta Bramhachari, Vaanchinathan, Shankar Krishna Aiyar, and others in Madras Presidency.
• Objective: assassinate oppressive British officials.
• 17 June 1911 → Vaanchinathan assassinated Robert Ashe, the Collector of Tirunelveli.
  • Ashe was notorious for ordering firing on a crowd protesting the arrest of Extremist leader V.O. Chidambaram Pillai.
• This showed that even the south of India, often less politically active at this stage, was touched by revolutionary fervour.

🌍 Revolutionary Activities Abroad

Indian revolutionaries understood that British power was global. To challenge it, they built international networks.

1. London

• Shyamji Krishna Varma → founded in 1905:
  • Indian Home Rule Society: to spread nationalist propaganda in Britain.
  • India House (London hostel for Indian students): became a hub for radical youth.
  • The Indian Sociologist (journal): attacked British rule, inspired Indian students abroad.
• Associates: V.D. Savarkar, Lala Hardayal.
• Madan Lal Dhingra, a frequent visitor to India House, assassinated Sir Curzon Wyllie (1909), shocking the British.
• After this, India House was closed down, and Shyamji Krishna Varma exiled to Paris.

2. Paris

• Madam Bhikaji Cama, S.R. Rana, and M.B. Godrej founded the Paris Indian Society (1905).
• Provided shelter to revolutionaries fleeing from London after 1909 crackdown.
• Funded newspapers like Talvar (from Berlin, by Virendranath Chattopadhyaya).

Madam Bhikaji Cama

• Born into a wealthy Parsi family (Bombay, 1861).
• Inspired by Dadabhai Naoroji, became active in European nationalist circles.
• 1907: at the Second Socialist Congress in Stuttgart (Germany), she unfurled an Indian flag (precursor to our national flag) — first time the flag was hoisted abroad.
• Started the nationalist journal Bande Mataram.
  👉 She is remembered as the “Mother of the Indian Revolution” abroad.

3. Virendranath Chattopadhyaya (“Chatto”)

• Brother of Sarojini Naidu.
• Initially went to London to study law (1902), but became radicalised.
• Close to Savarkar and served as secretary of Swaraj (journal) in 1908.
• Escaped to Paris after 1909, supported by Madam Cama.
• Later shifted to Berlin (1914) → founded Berlin Committee for Indian Independence (1915).

4. Germany – Berlin Committee (Indian Independence Committee, 1914)

• Formed by Virendranath Chattopadhyaya, Abinash Bhattacharya, with German help.
• Leaders:
  • Herr Albert (President),
  • Baron Oppenheim & Dr. Sukhtankar (Vice Presidents),
  • Chatto (Secretary).
• Schemes devised:
  • Afghan Scheme → incite Afghan tribes and Muslims on NW Frontier.
  • Batavia Scheme → link with Bengali revolutionaries in Southeast Asia.
  • Bangkok Scheme → mobilise returned Sikhs from the Ghadar Party.

👉 This shows how Indian revolutionaries tied their struggle with World War I geopolitics, seeking German support to strike at Britain.

✨ Significance of Revolutionary Activities Abroad

• Internationalised the Indian freedom struggle.
• Built solidarity with socialists, anti-colonial, and exile groups in Europe.
• Kept Indian nationalism alive in the interim years (1908–1914) when domestic Congress politics was weak.

However, due to surveillance, espionage, and internal divisions, most plots abroad failed to materialise

🌟 Revolutionary Nationalism and Religion

• Many revolutionaries were deeply religious, though their goal was political independence.
• Tilak & Savarkar → reinterpreted Bhagavad Gita as a call for selfless action (Karma Yoga).
• Bengal revolutionaries drew inspiration from:
  • Bankim Chandra Chatterji’s works (Anandamath, Vande Mataram).
  • Swami Vivekananda’s teachings on strength and self-reliance.
  • Oaths often taken before Goddess Kali or Durga.
• Religion gave emotional strength but also alienated many Muslims, as symbols and language were heavily Hindu in tone.

👉 To revolutionaries, however, religion was a means, not the end — their ultimate goal was emancipation of India through armed struggle.