India Freedom Fighters — List with Contributions

Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948) • Father of the Nation • Led the Indian National Congress (INC) • Method: Non-violent civil disobedience (Satyagraha) • Key movements: Non-Cooperation Movement (1920–22), Civil Disobedience Movement (1930), Dandi March (1930), Quit India Movement (1942) • Assassinated: 30 January 1948

Jawaharlal Nehru (1889–1964) • First Prime Minister of India • Prominent INC leader; imprisoned multiple times • Authored 'The Discovery of India' while in prison • Delivered 'Tryst with Destiny' speech on 14 August 1947

Subhas Chandra Bose (1897–1945) • 'Netaji'; called the 'Greatest Bengali' • Founded the Indian National Army (INA/Azad Hind Fauj) in 1943 • Slogan: 'Give me blood and I will give you freedom' • Allied with Japan and Germany against Britain

Bhagat Singh (1907–1931) • Revolutionary socialist freedom fighter • Killed British officer John Saunders to avenge Lala Lajpat Rai's death • Threw a bomb in the Central Legislative Assembly (1929) — protest, not murder • Hanged at age 23 (23 March 1931) with Sukhdev and Rajguru

Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1856–1920) • 'Lokmanya'; first popular leader of the freedom movement • Said 'Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it' • Started Ganesh Chaturthi and Shivaji Jayanti festivals as political tools • Edited 'Kesari' and 'Mahratta' newspapers

Lal-Bal-Pal (triumvirate): • Lala Lajpat Rai — 'Lion of Punjab'; died from police lathi blows during anti-Simon Commission protest (1928) • Bal Gangadhar Tilak — see above • Bipin Chandra Pal — radical nationalist, advocated passive resistance

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (1875–1950) • 'Iron Man of India' • Led Bardoli Satyagraha (1928) • As India's first Home Minister, integrated 562 princely states into India

Rani Lakshmibai (1835–1858) • Queen of Jhansi; symbol of 1857 revolt against British • Died fighting in the Battle of Gwalior • 'The bravest of all' — Hugh Rose (British commander)

Chandrashekhar Azad (1906–1931) • Revolutionary; vowed never to be captured alive • Organised Hindustan Socialist Republican Association with Bhagat Singh • Died by suicide (shot himself) at Allahabad to avoid arrest

Mangal Pandey (1827–1857) • Soldier in the East India Company; first martyr of 1857 revolt • Attacked British officers on 29 March 1857 at Barrackpore • Hanged 8 April 1857

Gopal Krishna Gokhale (1866–1915) • Moderate nationalist; mentor of Gandhi • Founder of Servants of India Society

Annie Besant (1847–1933) • British-born; advocated Indian self-governance • Founded the Home Rule League (1916)

Begum Hazrat Mahal (c.1820–1879) • Led the 1857 revolt in Lucknow after her husband Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was exiled

Sarojini Naidu (1879–1949) • 'Nightingale of India'; poet and freedom fighter • First woman president of the Indian National Congress

B.R. Ambedkar (1891–1956) • Father of the Indian Constitution • Though primarily a social reformer, advocated for political rights of dalits within the freedom struggle