Who Were the Revolutionaries?

Definition: Revolutionaries (or Extremists / Assertive Nationalists / Militant Nationalists) were Indian independence activists who: • Rejected constitutional and petitioning methods as ineffective • Believed only mass action, armed struggle, and direct confrontation could end British rule • Demanded complete independence (Purna Swaraj) — not just reforms within British rule • Were willing to sacrifice their lives for the country

Two Phases of Revolutionary Nationalism:

1. Early Revolutionary / Extremist Phase (1905–1920s): • Associated with Lal-Bal-Pal (Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal) • Methods: Swadeshi (use Indian goods), Boycott (of British goods), National Education, mass agitation • Triggered by the Partition of Bengal (1905) by Lord Curzon

2. Armed Revolutionary Phase (1920s–1940s): • Associated with Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, Subhas Chandra Bose • Organisations: Hindustan Republican Association (HRA), Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) • Methods: Targeted assassinations of British officials, bombings, revolutionary propaganda • Also associated with the Indian National Army (INA) under Subhas Bose

Key Ideology: • 'Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it' — Bal Gangadhar Tilak • 'Inquilab Zindabad' (Long live the revolution) — associated with Bhagat Singh • 'Purna Swaraj' — complete independence, not dominion status • Willingness for martyrdom — 'Give me blood and I shall give you freedom' — Subhas Chandra Bose

The Lal-Bal-Pal Trio — Early Extremists:

1. Lala Lajpat Rai (1865–1928) — 'Sher-e-Punjab' / 'Punjab Kesari': • Born: Ferozepur, Punjab • Key figure in Punjab's nationalist movement • Led Swadeshi movement in Punjab; deported to Mandalay (Burma) by British in 1907 • Founded the Indian Home Rule League in New York (1917) • Strongly opposed the Simon Commission (1928) — led protest march in Lahore • Fatally injured when British police officer James Scott ordered a lathi charge on protestors • Died on 17 November 1928 from injuries sustained in the lathi charge • His death inspired Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev to assassinate British officer Saunders in revenge

2. Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1856–1920) — 'Lokmanya': • Born: Ratnagiri, Maharashtra • 'Father of Indian Unrest' (as called by British) • Edited newspapers: 'Kesari' (Marathi) and 'Mahratta' (English) to spread nationalist ideas • Started the Ganapati Festival (1893) and Shivaji Festival as platforms for mass nationalist mobilisation • Slogan: 'Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it' • Wrote 'Gita Rahasya' while imprisoned in Mandalay (Burma) • Split from Moderate-dominated INC at Surat (1907); rejoined Congress and formed the Home Rule League (1916) • The first popular leader to demand complete independence

3. Bipin Chandra Pal (1858–1932): • Born: Habiganj, Bengal (now Bangladesh) • Journalist, orator, and nationalist leader • Called the 'Father of Revolutionary Thought in India' • Strongly supported the Swadeshi movement after Partition of Bengal (1905) • Advocated passive resistance and non-cooperation with the British government • Founded the journal 'New India' to spread nationalist ideas

The Armed Revolutionary Phase:

1. Bhagat Singh (1907–1931) — 'Shaheed-e-Azam': • Born: Lyallpur (now Faisalabad, Pakistan), Punjab • Inspired by Lala Lajpat Rai's death to join the armed revolutionary movement • Co-founded the Naujawan Bharat Sabha (Youth Organisation) and Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) • With Rajguru and Sukhdev, shot British officer John Saunders in Lahore (1928) — in retaliation for Lala Lajpat Rai's death • Threw a bomb in the Central Legislative Assembly (1929) — 'to make the deaf hear'; surrendered willingly • Famous quote: 'They may kill me, but they cannot kill my ideas' • Hanged on 23 March 1931 along with Rajguru and Sukhdev at Lahore Central Jail • Martyrdom made him one of India's most celebrated independence heroes

2. Chandrashekhar Azad (1906–1931): • Born: Bhavra, Madhya Pradesh • Arrested at age 15 during Non-Cooperation Movement — a formative experience • Vowed never to be caught alive by the British — took the oath 'Azad' (meaning 'free') in court • Key organiser of the Kakori Train Robbery (1925) and other revolutionary activities under the HRA • Reorganised HRA into HSRA (Hindustan Socialist Republican Association) with Bhagat Singh • Shot himself in Alfred Park (now Chandrashekhar Azad Park), Allahabad on 27 February 1931, fulfilling his oath never to be captured

3. Subhas Chandra Bose (1897–1945?) — 'Netaji': • Born: Cuttack, Odisha • Rose to prominence within the INC — elected INC president twice (1938, 1939) • Resigned from INC in 1939 after conflict with Gandhi over methods; founded the Forward Bloc (1939) • During World War II, escaped from British house arrest and reached Germany and then Japan • Founded the Indian National Army (INA / Azad Hind Fauj) — an army of Indian POWs and expatriates in Southeast Asia — to fight the British with Japanese support • Slogan: 'Give me blood and I shall give you freedom' and 'Dilli Chalo' (March to Delhi) • Disappeared in 1945 — circumstances of death remain disputed (reportedly died in a plane crash in Taiwan)

Key Revolutionary Organisations:

1. Anushilan Samiti (1902) — Bengal: • Early revolutionary organisation promoting physical and intellectual training for armed struggle • Links with Aurobindo Ghosh

2. Jugantar — Bengal: • Revolutionary newspaper and group associated with militant nationalism in Bengal • Involved in the Alipore Bomb Case (1908)

3. Abhinav Bharat Society — Maharashtra: • Founded by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (V.D. Savarkar) in 1904 • Aimed at overthrowing British rule by force

4. Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) — 1924: • Organised the Kakori Train Robbery (1925) — to fund revolutionary activities • Key members: Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqullah Khan, Chandrashekhar Azad

5. Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) — 1928: • Reorganised from HRA by Bhagat Singh and Chandrashekhar Azad • Added socialist ideology to the independence struggle

Key Events Associated with Revolutionaries: • Partition of Bengal (1905) — sparked mass revolutionary response, Swadeshi movement • Kakori Train Robbery (1925) — HRA robbed a British government treasury train • Lahore Conspiracy Case (1929–1930) — Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev tried and hanged • Indian National Army (INA) Trials (1945–46) — galvanised Indian public opinion strongly against the British

Legacy: • Revolutionary leaders inspired generations of Indians with their courage and sacrifice • Bhagat Singh's ideology (combining nationalism with socialism) continues to influence Indian politics • Subhas Bose's INA weakened British resolve to hold India — a factor in eventual independence (1947) • 23 March (Bhagat Singh's martyrdom day) is observed as Shaheed Diwas (Martyrs' Day)