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 Contents
z Guru Nanak Dev Jayanti.......................................................................................................................................... 1
z Shivaji Jayanti 2022................................................................................................................................................. 1
z Veer Bal Diwas......................................................................................................................................................... 3
z Shaheedi Divas - 24th November.............................................................................................................................. 3
z Assam’s Charaideo Moidams.................................................................................................................................. 4
z Mutiny Memorial tells the Story of 1857 Revolt..................................................................................................... 5
z Lord Curzon and Partition of Bengal........................................................................................................................ 7
z Jallianwala Bagh Massacre...................................................................................................................................... 8
z Mangarh Massacre.................................................................................................................................................. 9
z 100 Years of Chauri Chaura Incident..................................................................................................................... 11
z Malabar Rebellion................................................................................................................................................. 12
z Dandi March 1930................................................................................................................................................. 13
z Quit India Movement............................................................................................................................................ 14
z Shaheed Diwas – 30 January................................................................................................................................. 15
z Martyrs’ Day – 23 March....................................................................................................................................... 15
z Raja Ram Mohan Roy............................................................................................................................................ 16
z Pandurang Khankhoje & Swami Vivekananda....................................................................................................... 18
z Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati Jayanti................................................................................................................. 20
z Savitribai and Jyotirao Phule................................................................................................................................. 21
z Women Heroes of India’s Freedom Struggle........................................................................................................ 22
z Rani Lakshmibai..................................................................................................................................................... 24
z Sarojini Naidu........................................................................................................................................................ 25
z Gopal Krishna Gokhale.......................................................................................................................................... 26
z Veer Savarkar........................................................................................................................................................ 27
z J C Bose: A Satyagrahi Scientist............................................................................................................................. 28
z Sri Aurobindo: Prophet of Indian Nationalism...................................................................................................... 29
z Acharya Kripalani................................................................................................................................................... 29
z Maulana Abul Kalam Azad..................................................................................................................................... 30
z Netaji SC Bose – Parakram Diwas 2023................................................................................................................. 31
z V. O. Chidambaram Pillai....................................................................................................................................... 32
z Rabindranath Tagore............................................................................................................................................. 33
z Dr. BR Ambedkar – Mahaparinirvan Diwas........................................................................................................... 34
z Dr. Rajendra Prasad............................................................................................................................................... 35
z Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel....................................................................................................................................... 36
z Jawaharlal Nehru................................................................................................................................................... 37
z Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.......................................................................................................................................... 39

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z Acharya Vinoba Bhave........................................................................................................................................... 40
z Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee.............................................................................................................................. 41
z Janjatiya Gaurav Divas........................................................................................................................................... 42
z Alluri Sitarama Raju............................................................................................................................................... 43
z Hyderabad Liberation Day..................................................................................................................................... 44
z Goa's Liberation Struggle....................................................................................................................................... 44
z Statehood Day of Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram............................................................................................. 46

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w w w. d r i s h ti IA S. c om PT SPRINT (2023) History 1

Guru Nanak Dev Jayanti Shivaji Jayanti 2022

Why in News? Why in News?
Recently, the 553rd birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti is celebrated
Dev was celebrated. each year on 19th February to remember and praise his
courage, warfare tactics and administrative skills.
¾ He carved an enclave from the declining Adilshahi
sultanate of Bijapur that formed the genesis of the
Maratha Kingdom.
¾ In 1870, social reformer Mahatma Jyotirao Phule
initiated the celebration Shiv Jayanti in Pune which
is now known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti.

Who was Guru Nanak Dev?

¾ Birth:
€ In 1459 at Talwandi Rai Bhoe village near Lahore,
which was later renamed as Nankana Sahib.
€ He was the first of the 10 Sikh gurus and the
founder of Sikhism.
¾ Contributions:
€ Initiated inter-faith dialogue way back in the 16th What are the Key Points Related to Chhatrapati
century and had conversations with most of the Shivaji Maharaj?
religious denominations of his times.
¾ Early Life:
€ Wrote compositions which were included in the
€ He displayed his military zeal for the first time in
Adi Granth, compiled by Guru Arjan (1563-1606),
the fifth Sikh guru. 1645 when as a teenager, he successfully got
control of the Torna Fort which was under Bijapur.
z This came to be known as Guru Granth Sahib
€ He also acquired the Kondana Fort. Both these
after the additions made by the 10th Sikh guru
– Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708). forts were under Adil Shah of Bijapur.
€ Advocated the ‘Nirguna’ (devotion to and Important Battles
worship of formless divine) form of bhakti. Fought at the fort of Pratapgad near the town
Battle of
€ Rejected sacrifices, ritual baths, image worship, of Satara, Maharashtra, between the forces
Pratapgad,
austerities. of the Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji
1659
Maharaj and the Adilshahi general Afzal Khan.
€ Set up rules for congregational worship (Sangat)
involving collective recitation. Fought at a mountain pass in the vicinity of
fort Vishalgad, near the city of Kolhapur,
€ Gave the basic mantra of ‘Ek Onkar’ to his Battle of Pavan
Maharashtra, between the Maratha Sardar
followers and insisted on treating all human Khind, 1660
Baji Prabhu Deshpande and Siddi Masud of
beings equally, without discriminating on the Adilshahi.
basis of caste, creed and gender. Fought near the city of Surat, Gujarat,
Sacking of
¾ Death: between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and
Surat, 1664
Inayat Khan, a Mughal captain.
€ In 1539 at Kartarpur, Punjab.

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Battle of Fought between the Mughal Empire and €Through his military tactics, Shivaji acquired a
Purandar, 1665 Maratha Empire. large part of the land in the Deccan and western
Fought on the fort of Sinhagad near the city
India.
of Pune, Maharashtra between Tanaji ¾ Granted Title:
Battle of Malusare, a commander of Maratha ruler € He took on the titles of Chhatrapati, Shakakarta,
Sinhagad, 1670 Shivaji Maharaj and Udaybhan Rathod, Kshatriya Kulavantas and Haindava Dharma
fortkeeper under Jai Singh I who was a Mughal
Dharak.
Army Chief.
€ The Maratha Kingdom founded by Shivaji grew
Battle of Kalyan, Bahadur Khan of the Mughal Empire defeated
1682-83 the Maratha army and took over Kalyan. larger over time and became the dominant
Indian power in the early 18th century.
Battle of Fought between the Mughal Empire and
Sangamner, Maratha Empire. This was the last battle in ¾ Death:
1679 which the Maratha King Shivaji fought. € Shivaji passed away in Raigad in 1680 and was

¾ Conflict with Mughals: cremated at the Raigad Fort.

€ He raided Mughal territory near Ahmednagar and
How was the Administration under Shivaji?
in Junnar, 1657.
€ Aurangzeb responded to the raids by sending
¾ Central Administration:
Nasiri Khan, who defeated the forces of Shivaji at € It was founded by Shivaji for the sound system of

Ahmednagar. administration which was greatly inspired from

the Deccan style of administration.
€ Shivaji defeated a large force of Shaista Khan
€ Most of the administrative reforms were inspired
(Aurangzeb’s maternal uncle) and the Bijapur
army in Pune,1659. from Malik Amber reforms in Ahmednagar.
€ The King was the supreme head of state who was
€ In 1664, the wealthy Mughal trading port of Surat
was sacked by Shivaji. assisted by a group of eight ministers known as
the ‘Ashtapradhan’.
€ In June 1665, the Treaty of Purandar was signed
€ The peshwa, also known as the mukhya pradhan,
between Shivaji and Raja Jai Singh I (representing
originally headed the advisory council of the raja
Aurangzeb).
Shivaji.
z As per this treaty, many forts were relinquished
¾ Revenue Administration:
to the Mughals and it was agreed that Shivaji
€ Shivaji abolished the Jagirdari System and
would meet Aurangzeb at Agra. Shivaji also
agreed to send his son Sambhaji as well. replaced it with Ryotwari System, and changes
in the position of hereditary revenue officials
¾ Arrest of Shivaji:
which was popularly known as Deshmukhs,
€ When Shivaji went to meet the Mughal emperor Deshpande, Patils and Kulkarnis.
at Agra in 1666, the Maratha warrior felt he was € Shivaji strictly supervised the Mirasdars who had
insulted by Aurangzeb and stormed out of the hereditary rights in land.
court.
€ The revenue system was patterned on the Kathi
€ He was arrested and kept prisoner. The clever
system of Malik Amber in which every piece of
escape of Shivaji and his son from imprisonment land was measured by Rod or Kathi.
in disguise out of Agra is legendary today.
€ Chauth and Sardeshmukhi were other sources of
€ After that there was peace between the Marathas income.
and the Mughals until 1670. z Chauth amounted to 1/4th of the standard
€ The jagir of Berar which was granted to Sambhaji which was paid to Marathas as a safeguard
by the Mughals was taken back from him. against Shivaji’s forces raiding Non-Maratha
€ Shivaji in response attacked and recovered many territories.
territories from the Mughals in a short span of z Sardeshmukhi was an additional levy of 10%
four months. demanded from areas outside of the kingdom.

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w w w. d r i s h ti IA S. c om PT SPRINT (2023) History 3
¾ Military Administration: Sikh guru, who raised an army against the Mughals
€ Shivaji organized a disciplined and efficient army. and introduced the concept of warrior saints.
€ The ordinary soldiers were paid in cash, but the ¾ As a boy, Tegh Bahadur was called Tyag Mal because
chief and military commander were paid through of his ascetic nature.
jagir grants (Saranjam or Mokasa). ¾ Guru Tegh Bahadur was the 9th Sikh Guru, often
€ The army consists of Infantry i.e. Mavali foot venerated as the ‘Protector of Humanity’ (Srisht-di-
soldiers, Cavalry i.e. Horse riders and equipment Chadar) by the Sikhs.
holders, Navy. ¾ He is known as a great teacher, Guru Tegh Bahadur
was also an excellent warrior, thinker, and poet, who
Veer Bal Diwas wrote detailed descriptions of the nature of God,
mind, body, and physical attachments among other
things spiritual.
Why in News?
¾ He was only 13 when he distinguished himself in a
On 9th January 2022, the day of the Prakash Purab battle against a Mughal chieftain.
of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the Prime Minister had
¾ His writings are housed in the sacred text, ‘Guru
announced that 26th December would be observed as
Granth Sahib,’ in the form of 116 poetic hymns.
‘Veer Bal Diwas’, to mark the martyrdom of sons of Sri
Guru Gobind Singh - Sahibzadas Baba Zorawar Singh Ji ¾ He was also an avid traveler and played a key role
and Baba Fateh Singh Ji. in setting up preaching centers throughout the
Indian subcontinent.
Who were Sahibzadas Zorawar Singh and ¾ During one such mission, he founded the town of
Fateh Singh? Chak-Nanki in Punjab, which later became a part of
Punjab’s Anandpur Sahib.
¾ Sahibzada Jorawar Singh (9) and Sahibzada Fateh
Singh (7) are among the most revered martyrs in ¾ In the year 1675, Guru Tegh Bahadur was executed
Sikhism. in Delhi under the orders of the Mughal Emperor
¾ A combination of Mughals soldiers besieged Aurangzeb.
Anandpur Sahib on the orders of emperor Aurangzeb
(1704).
Who were the Ten Gurus of Sikh Religion?
¾ The two sons of Guru Gobind Singh were captured. Ten Gurus of Sikh Religion
¾ They were offered safe passage if they became ¾ He was the first guru of Sikh and the
Muslims but both of them refused, and so they were founder of Sikh religion.
sentenced to death and were bricked alive. Guru Nanak
¾ He started the GURU KA LANGAR.
Dev
¾ These two greats preferred death instead of deviating ¾ He was the contemporary of Babur.
(1469-1539)
from the noble principles of Dharma. ¾ Kartarpur corridor was commemorated on
the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.

Shaheedi Divas - 24th November Guru Angad

¾ He invented the new script called Guru-
Mukhi and popularized and expanded the
(1504-1552)
system of Guru ka Langar.
Why in News? ¾ He introduced the ceremony of the Anand
Every Year, 24th November, is commemorated as the Guru Amar Karaj Marriage.
Shaheedi Divas of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth guru Das ¾ He abolished the custom of Sati and Purdah
of the Sikhs, who stood up against forcible conversions (1479-1574) system among the Sikhs.
by the Mughals. ¾ He was a contemporary of Akbar.
¾ He founded Amritsar in 1577 on the land
Who was Guru Teg Bahadur? Guru Ram
granted by Akbar.
Das
¾ Guru Tegh Bahadur was born in Amritsar on 21st April ¾ He started the construction of Golden
(1534-1581)
1621 to Mata Nanki and Guru Hargobind, the sixth Temple/Swarna mandir at Amritsar.

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4 PT SPRINT (2023) History www.d rish t i I A S . c o m

¾ He composed the Adi Granth in 1604. ¾ It enshrines the mortal remains of the members of
¾ He led to the completion of construction of the Ahom royalty, who used to be buried with their
Guru Arjun paraphernalia.
the Golden temple.
Dev
¾ He was acclaimed as Shaheeden-de-Sartaj. € After the 18th century, the Ahom rulers adopted
(1563-1606)
¾ He was executed by Jahangir on charges of the Hindu method of cremation and began
helping prince Khusrau. entombing the cremated bones and ashes in a
¾ He led to the transformation of the Sikh Maidam at Charaideo.
Community into a Military community. He
¾ Out of 386 Maidams or Moidams explored so far, 90
Guru is known as “Soldier Saint”.
royal burials at Charaideo are the best preserved,
Hargobind ¾ He led to the establishment of Akal Takht
(1594-1644) and fortified the Amritsar City. representative of and the most complete examples
¾ He waged wars against Jahangir and Shah of mound burial tradition of the Ahoms.
Jahan.
¾ He was a man of peace thus devoted most
Guru HarRai
of his life in maintaining peace with
(1630-1661)
Aurangzeb and doing missionary work.
¾ He was the youngest guru of all and was
Guru Har
given the title of Guru at a very early age of 5.
Krishan
¾ He was summoned by Aurangzeb against
(1656-1664)
anti-islamic blasphemy.
Guru Teg
Bahadur ¾ He founded Anandpur Sahib.
(1621-1675)
¾ He founded a warrior community known as
Khalsa in 1699. What are the Key Facts About Ahom
Guru
¾ He introduced a new rite ”Pahul”. Kingdom??
Gobind
¾ He joined Bahadur Shah’s as a noble. ¾ About:
Singh
(1666-1708) ¾ He was the last Sikh Guru in human form € Established in 1228 in the Brahmaputra valley of
and he passed the Guruship of Sikhs to the
Guru Granth Sahib.
Assam, the Ahom kingdom retained its sovereignty
for 600 years.
€ The kingdom was founded by Chaolung Sukapha,
Assam’s Charaideo Moidams a 13th century ruler.
€ The Ahoms ruled the land till the province was
Why in News? annexed to British India in 1826 with the signing
The Centre has decided to nominate the Charaideo of the Treaty of Yandaboo.
Maidams in Assam for the UNESCO World Heritage Site ¾ Political Setup:
for the year 2023. € Ahoms created a new state by suppressing the

¾ There is currently no World Heritage Site in the older political system of the bhuiyans (landlords).
category of cultural heritage in Northeast India. € The Ahom state depended upon forced labour.

¾ The nomination of the Charaideo Maidams has Zattained Those forced to work for the state were called
significance at a time when the country is celebrating paiks.
the 400th birth anniversary of Lachit Borphukan. ¾ Society:
€ Ahom society was divided into clans or khels. A
What is Charaideo Maidams? khel often controlled several villages.
¾ The Charaideo Maidams, represents the late € Ahoms worshipped their own tribal gods, yet they

medieval (13 th-19 th century CE) mound burial accepted the Hindu religion and the Assamese
tradition of the Tai Ahom community in Assam. language.

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w w w. d r i s h ti IA S. c om PT SPRINT (2023) History 5
However, the Ahom kings did not completely
z What was the 1857 Revolt?
give up their traditional beliefs after adopting
¾ Indian Revolt of 1857-59 was a widespread but
Hinduism.
unsuccessful rebellion against the rule of British East
¾ Military Strategy:
India Company in India during Governor General
€ The full contingent of the Ahom Army consisted Canning’s regime.
of infantry, navy, artillery, elephantry, cavalry
¾ It was the first expression of organised resistance
and spies.
against the company led by sepoys of the company,
z The main war weapons consisted of bows and
eventually securing the participation of the masses.
arrows, swords, Javelins discus, guns, match-
¾ The rebellion of 1857 is referred to by various names,
locks and cannons.
including the Sepoy Mutiny (according to British
€ The Ahom soldiers were experts in guerilla
historians), the Indian Mutiny, the Great Rebellion
fighting. They also learnt the technique of
(according to Indian historians), the Indian
constructing boat bridges in the Brahmaputra.
Insurrection, and the First War of Independence (as
Who was Lachit Borphukan? per Vinayak Damodar Savarkar).
¾ Born on 24th November, 1622, Borphukan was known
What were the Causes?
for his leadership in the Battle of Saraighat, 1671
in which an attempt by Mughal forces to capture ¾ Immediate Causes:
Assam was thwarted. € Greased Cartridges: The Revolt of 1857 was

€ The battle of Saraighat was fought on the banks triggered by the use of new Enfield rifles whose
of the Brahmaputra in Guwahati in 1671. cartridges were believed to be greased with cow
€ It is considered as one of the greatest naval
and pig fat, leading to the refusal of both Hindu
battles on a river which resulted in the victory and Muslim sepoys to use them.
of Ahoms over the Mughals. € Repression of Grievances: Mangal Pandey’s

¾ He was the inspiration behind strengthening India’s refusal to use the cartridges in Barrackpore and
naval force and revitalising inland water transport subsequent hanging, along with the imprisonment
and creating infrastructure associated with it due of 85 soldiers in Meerut for similar refusal, were
to his great naval strategies. among the incidents that sparked the Revolt of
¾ The Lachit Borphukan gold medal is awarded to the 1857 in India.
best cadet from the National Defence Academy. ¾ Political Causes:
¾ The medal was instituted in 1999 to inspire defence € Doctrine of Lapse: The political causes of the

personnel to emulate Borphukan’s heroism and revolt were the British policy of expansion through
sacrifices. the Doctrine of Lapse and direct annexation.
z The dislodgement of number of Indian rulers

Mutiny Memorial tells the and chiefs and annexations including

annexations of Satara, Nagpur, Jhansi, Jaitpur,
Story of 1857 Revolt Sambalpur, Udaipur and Awadh led to growing
discontent against the Policy of expansion.
Why in News? Further many nobles, officials and soldiers
were left jobless.
Mutiny Memorial (New Delhi) was initially built in
1863 to honour those who fought from the British side ¾ Social and Religious Causes:
during the Revolt of 1857 but 25 years after Independence, € Spread of Western Civilization: The rapidly
they re-dedicated it to the memory of those Indians spreading Western Civilisation in India was
who lost their lives fighting the British. alarming concerns all over the country.
¾ The monument has an indifferent gothic design with z An act in 1850 changed the Hindu law of
arched marble-backed recesses on all sides of the inheritance enabling a Hindu who had
octagonal tower. converted into Christianity to inherit his

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6 PT SPRINT (2023) History www.d rish t i I A S . c o m

ancestral properties, which was seen as an What was the British Response?
attempt to convert Indians to Christianity ¾ The Revolt of 1857 lasted for more than a year. It was
z Even the introduction of the railways and suppressed by the middle of 1858 through severe
telegraph was viewed with suspicion. repression.
€ Challenge to Orthodoxy: The abolition of ¾ On July 8, 1858, fourteen months after the outbreak at
practices like sati and female infanticide, Meerut, peace was finally proclaimed by Lord Canning.
introduction of western education and the
legislation legalizing widow remarriage, were Why did the Revolt Fail?
believed as threats to the established social
¾ Limited Uprising: Although the revolt was fairly
structure.
widespread, a large part of the country remained
¾ Economic Causes: unaffected by it.
€ Heavy Taxes: Peasants and zamindars, both were
€ The Southern provinces and the large princely
infuriated by the heavy taxes on land and the states, Hyderabad, Mysore, Travancore, and
stringent methods of revenue collection.often Kashmir, as well as the smaller ones of Rajputana
leading to loss of ancestral land. did not join the rebellion
€ Grievances of Sepoys: Large numbers of sepoys
¾ No Effective Leadership: The rebels lacked an effective
belonged to the peasantry class and had family leader. Although Nana Saheb, Tantia Tope and Rani
ties in villages, so the grievances of the peasants Lakshmi Bai were brave leaders, they could not offer
also affected them. effective coordinated leadership to the movement.
€ Ruins of Local Industry and Handicrafts: After the
¾ Limited Resources: The rebels lacked resources in
Industrial Revolution in England, there was an terms of men and money. The English, on the other
influx of British manufactured goods into India,
hand, received a steady supply of men, money and
which ruined industries, particularly the textile
arms in India.
industry and handicrafts of India.
¾ No Participation of the Middle Class: The English
¾ Military Causes:
educated middle class, the rich merchants, traders
€ Unequal Remuneration: Indian sepoys formed
and zamindars of Bengal helped the British to
more than 87% of the British troops in India but suppress the revolt.
were considered inferior to British soldiers and
paid less than European counterparts. What were the Impacts of the Revolt?
€ Posting In Far Areas: They were required to serve
¾ Direct Rule of the British Crown: The Government
in areas far away from their homes and across of India Act, 1858, ended company rule in India and
the seas. Crossing the sea was seen by many as brought it under the direct rule of the British Crown.
losing the caste.
€ The India office was created to handle the

Who were the Leaders of Revolt? governance and the administration of the country.
¾ Religious Tolerance: It was promised, and due
Places of British Officials who attention was paid to the customs and traditions of
Indian Leaders
Revolt suppressed the revolt
India. British support to religious reforms took a
Delhi Bahadur Shah II John Nicholson backseat.
Lucknow Begum Hazrat Mahal Henry Lawrence ¾ Administrative Change: The Governor General’s
Kanpur Nana Saheb Sir Colin Campbell office was replaced by that of the Viceroy.
Jhansi & Lakshmi Bai & Tantia € The rights of Indian rulers were recognised.
General Hugh Rose
Gwalior Tope
€ The Doctrine of Lapse was abolished.
Bareilly Khan Bahadur Khan Sir Colin Campbell € The right to adopt sons as legal heirs was accepted.
Allahabad ¾ Military Reorganisation: The ratio of British officers
Maulvi Liyakat Ali Colonel Oncell
and Banaras
to Indian soldiers increased but the armoury
Bihar Kunwar Singh William Taylor remained in the hands of the English.

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w w w. d r i s h ti IA S. c om PT SPRINT (2023) History 7
area in 1903 and took firm measures to protect
Lord Curzon and Partition of the British interests there.
Bengal ¾ Relation with Tibet:
€ Lord Curzon’s Tibet policy was also influenced by

Why in News? fear of Russian dominance in the region.

€ It was Lord Curzon’s efforts that revived the trade
Recently, the West Bengal Government has decided
relations between the two under which Tibet
to erect a statue of Bardhaman’s Maharaja Bijay Chand
agreed to pay a huge indemnity to the British.
Mahatab and his wife Radharani in front of the Lord
Curzon Gate. What were Reforms in Various Fields?
Who Was Lord Curzon? ¾ Calcutta Corporation Act, 1899:
¾ George Nathaniel Curzon (11th January, 1859- 20th €The act reduced the number of elected legislatures
March, 1925) born in Kedleston Hall, England was a and increased the number of nominated officials
British Statesman and Foreign Secretary who during to deprive Indians from self-governance.
his terms in office played a major role in British policy € 28 members of the Corporation resigned in

making. protest and it, therefore, became a government

€ He succeeded Lord Elgin and served as India’s
department with the English and the Anglo-
Viceroy between 1899 and 1905. Indians as the majority in it.
€ He became the youngest Viceroy of India at the
¾ Economic:
age of 39. € In 1899, the British currency was declared legal

€ He was one of the most controversial and

tender in India and a pound was declared
consequential holders of that post. equivalent to rupees fifteen.
¾ Before assuming office as governor general and € The rate of salt-tax was reduced by Curzon, from

viceroy, Curzon had visited India (four times) Ceylon, two-and-a-half rupees per maund (1 maund is
Afghanistan. China, Persia, Turkestan, Japan, and equal to approximately 37 kg) to one-and-a-third
Korea. rupees per maund.
€ People with annual income of more than Rs. 500
What were Curzon’s Foreign Policies? paid the tax. Moreover, income-tax payers also
¾ North-West Frontier Policy: received relaxation.
Curzon, unlike his predecessors, pursued a policy
€ ¾ Famine:
of consolidation, strength and security of the € When Curzon arrived in India, it was in the grip of
British occupied territories in the north-west. a terrible famine which affected the extensive
€ He kept Chitral under British control and territories in south, central and western India.
constructed a road connecting Peshawar and Curzon provided all possible relief to the affected
Chitral thereby arranging for the security of people.
Chitral. € People were provided work on payment basis

¾ Afghan Policy: and the cultivators were exempted from the

€ Lord Curzon’s Afghan policy was conditioned by
payment of revenue.
the political and economic interests, fear of € By 1900, when the famine was over, Curzon

Russian expansion in Central Asia and Persian Gulf appointed a Commission to probe into the causes
area. of the famine and suggest preventive measures
€ From the very start there was an estrangement
which were later brought into consideration.
of relations between Afghans and the British. ¾ Agriculture:
¾ Policy towards Persia: € In 1904, the Co-operative Credit Societies Act was

€ In order to secure British influence in that region passed to induce the people to form societies for
Lord Curzon personally went to the Persian Gulf the purpose of deposits and loans, mainly to save

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8 PT SPRINT (2023) History www.d rish t i I A S . c o m

peasants from the clutches of the money-lenders What are the Consequences of the Partition?
who usually charged an exorbitant rate of interest.
¾ The partition provoked great resentment and hostility
€ In 1900, the Punjab Land Alienation Act was
all over India. All sections of the Congress, the
passed which restricted the transfer of lands of Moderates and the Radicals, opposed it.
the peasants to money-lenders in cases of failure
¾ The struggle that unfolded in the response, came to
of payment of their debts.
be known as the Swadeshi movement, was the
¾ Railways:
strongest in Bengal but with echoes elsewhere too;
€ Curzon decided to improve railway facilities in
in deltaic Andhra for instance, it was known as the
India and also to make the Railway profitable to Vandemataram Movement.
the government.
€ The protest was to boycott British goods,
€ The Railway lines were increased, the Railway
especially textiles, and promote swadeshi goods.
department was abolished and the management
¾ There were marches and demonstrations with the
of the Railways was taken away from the hands
protesters singing Vande Mataram to underline their
of the Public Works Department and handed over
patriotism and challenge the colonialists.
to a Railway Board consisting of three members.
¾ Rabindranath Tagore led the marches at many places,
¾ Education:
and composed many patriotic songs, most famously
€ In 1901, Curzon called an education conference
‘Amar Sonar Bangla’ (My Golden Bengal), which is
at Shimla following which the University
now the national anthem of Bangladesh.
Commission was appointed in 1902.
€ The Indian Universities Act was passed in 1904 What are the Impacts of the Protests?
upon the recommendations of the commission.
¾ Curzon left for Britain in 1905, but the agitation
€ Gurudas Banerjee, Calcutta HC judge and a
continued for many years.
member of the commission, had given his dissent-
¾ King George V at his Coronation Durbar abrogated
note in the report and the Indian public despised
the Act but all in vain. Bengal’s partition in 1911.
€ Lord Hardinge was the Viceroy of India in 1911.
What was Curzon’s Role in the Partition of ¾ The Swadeshi movement, which had grown
Bengal? significantly during the agitation, later reached
¾ The partition of the undivided Bengal Presidency in nationwide proportions.
1905 was one of Curzon’s most criticized moves, ¾ The partition of Bengal and the highhanded
which triggered widespread opposition not only in behaviour of Curzon fired the national movement
Bengal but across India, and gave impetus to the and the Congress.
freedom movement.
¾ Bengal was the most populous province of India,
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
with around 8 crore people.
¾ It comprised the present-day states of West Bengal,
Why in News?
Bihar, parts of Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Assam and
present-day Bangladesh. Recently, the Prime Minister paid tributes to people
¾ In July 1905, Curzon announced the partition of the killed in the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919.
undivided Bengal Presidency. ¾ He asserted that their unparalleled courage and
€ A new province of East Bengal and Assam was sacrifice will keep motivating the coming generations.
announced, with a population of 3.1 crore with a 13th April, 2022 marks the 103 years of the incident.
Muslim-Hindu ratio of 3:2. ¾ Earlier, the Gujarat government marked 100 years of
€ The western Bengal province was overwhelmingly the Pal-Dadhvav killings, calling it a massacre “bigger
Hindu. than the Jallianwala Bagh”.

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w w w. d r i s h ti IA S. c om PT SPRINT (2023) History 9
€ To curb any future protest, the government put
martial law in place and law and order in Punjab
was handed over to Brigadier-General Dyer.
¾ Day of the Incident: On 13th April, Baisakhi day, a
large crowd of people mostly from neighbouring
villages, unaware of the prohibitory orders in
Amritsar gathered in the Jallianwala Bagh.
€ Brigadier-General Dyer arrived on the scene with
his men.
€ The troops surrounded the gathering under orders
from General Dyer and blocked the only exit point
and opened fire on the unarmed crowd killing
more than 1000 unarmed men, women, and
What is the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre?
children.
¾ About: The Jallianwala Bagh massacre or the Amritsar ¾ Aftermath/Significance of the Incident
massacre of 13 th April 1919 accounts for the
€ Jallianwala Bagh became a key point in the history
gruesome execution of hundreds of innocent people of India’s struggle for independence and it is now
by the Gurkha British Indian army on the orders of an important monument in the country.
the then Anglo-Indian Brigadier R.E.H. Dyer.
€ The Jallianwala Bagh tragedy was one of the
€ These people were protesting peacefully against causes that led Mahatma Gandhi to begin
the Rowlatt Act 1919. organising his first large-scale and sustained
nonviolent protest (satyagraha) campaign, the
What was the Rowlatt Act 1919?
Non Cooperation Movement (1920-22).
¾ During World War I (1914-18) the British government
€ The Bengali poet and Nobel laureate Rabindranath
of India enacted a series of repressive emergency
Tagore renounced the knighthood that he had
powers that were intended to combat subversive received in 1915.
activities.
€ The then government of India ordered an
€ In this context, this act was passed on the investigation of the incident (the Hunter
recommendations of the Sedition Committee Commission), which in 1920 censured Dyer for
chaired by Sir Sidney Rowlatt. his actions and ordered him to resign from the
€ It gave the government enormous powers to military.
repress political activities and allowed detention
of political prisoners without trial for two years.
Mangarh Massacre
¾ Background: Mahatma Gandhi wanted non-violent
civil disobedience against such unjust laws, which
Why in News?
would start with a hartal on 6th April 1919.
A horrifying tragedy occurred in Mangarh (Banswada,
€ In Punjab, on 9th April 1919, two nationalist
Rajasthan) killing more than 1,500 Bhil tribals on 17th
leaders, Saifuddin Kitchlew and Dr. Satyapal,
November, 1913.
were arrested by the British officials without any
¾ The Mangrah hillock, situated at the Gujarat-
provocation except that they had addressed
Rajasthan border, is also known as the Adivasi
protest meetings and taken to some unknown
Jallianwala.
destination.
¾ A report by the National Monuments Authority
€ This caused resentment among the Indian
(NMA) called for the Mangarh hilltop in Rajasthan to
protestors who came out in thousands on 10th be designated as a national monument in honor of
April to show their solidarity with their leaders. 1500 Bhil tribal freedom fighters.

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What is National Monuments Authority (NMA)? ¾ Guru was a living legend among the Bhil and
Garasiya tribal communities, a man who united
¾ It was established under the Ministry of Culture in
thousands of tribals with his voice.
accordance with the requirements of the Ancient
Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains ¾ Before Govind Guru became a leader in India’s
AMASR (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010. freedom struggle, he played an important role in
¾ The NMA has been delegated specific tasks for the India’s renaissance movement.
conservation and preservation of monuments ¾ At the age of 25, he impressed Swami Dayanand
and sites, including control of the banned and Saraswati, a central figure of that movement in north
restricted areas surrounding centrally designated India.
monuments. € He along with Swami Dayanand Saraswati initiated

¾ One of the NMA’s roles is to evaluate granting permits a wave of social reforms in the tribal areas.
to applicants for construction-related activities in € In 1903, Govind Guru pledged not to drink alcohol,
restricted and regulated areas. shifting his focus to eradicating social evils,
boycotting foreign goods, ending forced labour,
What led to the Mangarh Massacre? educating girls, and resolving mutual disputes
¾ The Bhils, a tribal community faced great troubles among tribes instead of taking them to the courts.
at the hands of the rulers of the princely states and ¾ This led to the creation of a Sump (Unity) Sabha,
the British. whose first meeting was held on the hilltop in
¾ By the end of the 20th century, the Bhils living in Mangarh.
Rajasthan and Gujarat became bonded labour. € This historical event solidified Mangarh’s

¾ The great famine of 1899-1900 across the Deccan significance in Indian history as it became central
and Bombay Presidency, which killed over six lakh to the tribal movement in this area.
people, only made the situation worst for the Bhils. ¾ Bhagat movement initiated in 1908 by Govind Guru
¾ Mobilised and trained by social activist Guru where tribals gathered around the fire to reaffirm
Govindgiri, also known as Govind Guru, the Bhils their oath was seen by the British as a threat.
placed a charter of 33 demands before the British ¾ The consequence of the Mangarh massacre was
by 1910 primarily relating to forced labour, high tax cruel. Govind Guru was given a death sentence, and
imposed on Bhils and harassment of the guru’s his wife was arrested.
followers by the British and rulers of princely states. € But fearing that the movement of tribal Bhils

¾ The Bhils rejected the British’s attempt to placate would turn violent, the British postponed his
them and refused to leave Mangarh Hill, vowing to execution and sentenced him to 20 years of
declare freedom from British rule. imprisonment on an isolated island.
€ When he was released from jail, all the princely
¾ The British then asked the Bhils to leave Mangarh
Hill before 15 November 1913. states came together to exile him.
€ He lived his last years in Kamboi, Gujarat, where
€ But that didn’t happen and on 17 November 1913,
he died on October 30, 1931.
the British Indian Army fired indiscriminately on
Bhil protesters and it is said that over 1,500 What is Bhil Tribe?
people, including women and children died in ¾ About:
the tragedy. € Bhils are commonly
referred to as Rajasthan’s
Who was Govind Guru? bowmen. They are India’s
¾ Govind Guru was a revolutionary/ leader of the most widely dispersed
tribals of Mangarh that included present-day tribal communities.
Udaipur, Dungarpur and Banswara in Rajasthan, € As per Census 2011, Bhils

Gujarat’s Idar and Malwa in Madhya Pradesh. are India’s largest tribe.

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w w w. d r i s h ti IA S. c om PT SPRINT (2023) History 11
€They are broadly classified into two types: € Khilafat Movement was a pan-Islamic force in
India that arose in 1919 in an effort to salvage the
z Central or Pure Bhils
Ottoman caliph as a symbol of unity among the
z Eastern or Rajput Bhils.
Muslim community in India during the British raj.
€ The central Bhils can be found in the mountain
€ The Congress supported the movement and
regions of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Mahatma Gandhi sought to conjoin it to the
and Rajasthan in India, and also can be found in Non-Cooperation Movement.
Tripura’s northwestern regions.
€ They are considered as Schedule Tribe in Andhra What was the incidence of Chauri Chaura and
Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya the Aftermath reactions?
Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Tripura.
¾ Chauri Chaura Incident:
¾ Historical Perspective:
€ On 4th February, volunteers congregated in the
€ Bhils are members of the pre-Aryan race.
town, and after the meeting, proceeded in a
€ The term ‘Bhil’ is derived from the word villu or procession to the local police station, and to picket
billu, which is known as Bow in the Dravidian the nearby Mundera bazaar.
language. € The police fired into the crowd killing some
€ The name Bhil is also mentioned in the ancient people and injuring many volunteers.
epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana. € In retaliation, the crowd proceeded to set the
police station on fire.
100 Years of Chauri Chaura € Some of the policemen who tried to escape were
caught and battered to death. A lot of police
Incident property, including weapons, was destroyed.
¾ Reaction of the British:
Why in News? € The British Raj prosecuted the accused
Recently, the Prime Minister paid tribute to the aggressively.
heroes of freedom struggle on completion of the hundred € A sessions court quickly sentenced 172 of the 225
years of Chauri Chaura incident. accused to death. However, ultimately, only 19 of
¾ Chauri Chaura is a town in Gorakhpur district of Uttar those convicted were hanged.
Pradesh. ¾ Reaction of Mahatma Gandhi:
¾ On 4th February, 1922, this town witnessed a violent € He condemned the crime of the policemen’s
incident - a large crowd of peasants set fire to a police killing. The volunteer groups in nearby villages
station that killed 22 policemen. Due to this incident, were disbanded, and a Chauri Chaura Support
Mahatma Gandhi called off the Non-Cooperation Fund was set up to demonstrate «genuine
Movement (1920-22). sympathy» and seek atonement.
€ Gandhi decided to stop the Non-Cooperation
What is the Background of the Incident? Movement, which he saw as having been tainted
¾ On 1th August, 1920, Gandhiji had launched the by unforgivable violence.
N o n - C o o p e rat i o n M ove m e nt a ga i n st t h e € He bent the Congress Working Committee to his
government. will, and on 12th February, 1922, the satyagraha
€ It involved using swadeshi and boycott of foreign (movement) was formally suspended.
goods, especially machine made cloth, and legal, z Gandhi on his part, justified himself on
educational and administrative institutions, grounds of his unshakeable faith in non-
“refusing to assist a ruler who misrules”. violence.
¾ In the winter of 1921-22, volunteers of the Congress ¾ Reaction of Other National Leaders:
and the Khilafat Movement were organized into a € Jawaharlal Nehru and other leaders leading the
national volunteer corps. Non-Cooperation movement were shocked that

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Gandhiji had stopped the struggle when the civil What was Mapillah Revolt?
resistance had consolidated their position in the
¾ About:
freedom movement.
€ Fuelled by the fiery speeches by Muslim religious
€ Other leaders like Motilal Nehru and CR Das
leaders and anti-british sentiments, the Mopillahs
recorded their dismay at Gandhi›s decision and
launched a violent rebellion. Numerous acts of
decided to establish the Swaraj Party.
violence were reported and a series of persecutions
were committed both against the British and the
Malabar Rebellion Hindu landlords.
€ While there are some who call it a case of religious

Why in News? fanaticism, there are others who look at it as an

instance of struggle against British authority, and
Recently, the Indian Council for Historical Research
then there are others who perceive the Malabar
(ICHR) has deferred its decision on a recommendation
rebellion to be a peasant revolt against unfair
to remove the 1921 Malabar Rebellion (Moplah riots)
practices of the landlords.
martyrs from the list of India›s freedom fighters.
€ While historians continue to debate on the
¾ The recommendation also included the names
Variamkunnaathu Kunhahamad Haji and Ali matter, the broad consensus on the episode notes
Musliyar. it to have started off as a struggle against political
power, which later took on a communal colour.
What is the Indian Council of Historical Research?
z Most of the landlords were Namboodiri
¾ About: Brahmins while most of the tenants were
€ It is an autonomous organization, established Mapillah Muslims.
under Societies Registration Act,1860 in 1972. z The riots led to the mass killings of over 10,000
€ It is under the Ministry of Education. Hindus, raping of women, forced religious
conversions, destruction or damage of nearly
What is the Background?
300 temples, loot and arson of properties
¾ In the sixteenth century when Portuguese traders worth crores of rupees and burning of houses
arrived on the Malabar coast, they noted the belonging to the Hindus.
Mappilas to be a mercantile community concentrated ¾ Support: In the initial stages, the movement had the
in urban centres and fairly segregated from the local support of Mahatma Gandhi and other Indian
Hindu population. nationalist leaders, but as it turned violent they
¾ However, with the rise in Portuguese commercial distanced themselves from it.
power, the Mappilas found themselves a competitor ¾ Collapse: By the end of 1921, the rebellion was
and increasingly started moving inland in search of
crushed by the British who had raised a special
new economic opportunities.
battalion, the Malabar Special Force for the riot.
¾ The shifting of the Mappilas led to a clash of
¾ Wagon Tragedy: In November 1921, 67 Moplah
religious identities both with the local Hindu
prisoners were killed when they were being
population and the Portuguese.
transported in a closed freight wagon from Tirur to
Who was Moplahs/Mappilas? the Central Prison in Podanur. They died of suffocation.
¾ The name Mappilla (lit. son-in-law, anglicized form This event is called the Wagon Tragedy.
Moplah) is given to Malayali-speaking Muslims who
reside along the entire length of the Malabar Coast What were the Reasons behind the Mapillah
of northern Kerala. Revolt?
¾ By 1921, the Moplahs formed the largest and fastest ¾ Non-Cooperation & Khilafat Movement:
growing community in Malabar. With a population € The trigger of the uprising came from the Non-
of one million, 32% of that of Malabar as a whole, Cooperation Movement launched by the Congress
the Moplahs were concentrated in South Malabar. in 1920 along with the Khilafat agitation.

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w w w. d r i s h ti IA S. c om PT SPRINT (2023) History 13
The anti-British sentiment fuelled by these
€ ¾ Civil disobedience broke out all across India, soon
agitations affected the Muslim Mapillahs. involving millions of Indians, and British authorities
¾ New Tenancy Laws: arrested more than 60,000 people. Gandhiji himself
€ After the death of Tipu Sultan in 1799 in the
was arrested on 5 th May, but the satyagraha
Fourth Anglo-Mysore War, Malabar had come continued without him.
under British authority as part of the Madras ¾ On 21st May, the poet Sarojini Naidu led 2,500
Presidency. marchers on the Dharasana Salt Works, some 150
€ The British had introduced new tenancy laws that
miles north of Bombay. The incident, recorded by
tremendously favoured the landlords known as American journalist Webb Miller, prompted an
Janmis and instituted a far more exploitative international outcry against British policy in India.
system for peasants than before. ¾ In January 1931, Gandhiji was released from prison.
€ The new laws deprived the peasants of all He later met with Lord Irwin, the viceroy of India, and
guaranteed rights to the land, share in the agreed to call off the satyagraha in exchange for an
produce they earlier got and in effect rendered equal negotiating role at a London conference on
them landless. India’s future.
€ In August 1931, Gandhiji traveled to the
conference as the sole representative of the
Dandi March 1930 nationalist Indian National Congress. The
meeting was a disappointment, but British leaders
Why in News? had acknowledged him as a force they could not
Recently, the Prime Minister paid tributes to suppress or ignore.
Mahatma Gandhi and all the eminent persons who
Marched to Dandi (1930) in order to protest injustice What was its Background?
and protect our nation’s self-esteem. ¾ The Lahore Congress of 1929 had authorized the
¾ Earlier in 2021, a commemorative ‘Dandi March’ was Congress Working Committee (CWC) to launch a
launched, which was undertaken by 81 marchers programme of civil disobedience including non-
from Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad to Dandi in payment of taxes.
Navsari, a journey of 386 km. ¾ On 26th January 1930, “Independence Day” was
observed, with the national flag being hoisted in
What was the Dandi March? different venues, and patriotic songs being sung.
¾ The Dandi March, also known as the Salt March and ¾ In February 1930, CWC meeting at Sabarmati
the Dandi Satyagraha was an act of nonviolent civil Ashram, invested Gandhiji with full powers to
disobedience led by Mohandas Karamchand launch the Civil Disobedience Movement at a time
Gandhi. and place of his choice.
¾ The march lasted from 12th March, 1930 to 6th April, ¾ Gandhiji’s ultimatum to Lord Irwin, the Viceroy of
1930 as a direct action campaign of tax resistance India (1926-31), stating the minimum demands had
and nonviolent protest against the British salt been ignored and there was only one way out-civil
monopoly. disobedience.
¾ On 12th March, Gandhiji set out from Sabarmati with
78 followers on a 241-mile march to the coastal town What was the Effect of the Movement?
of Dandi on the Arabian Sea. There, Gandhi and his ¾ Civil Disobedience in different forms continued in
supporters were to defy British policy by making salt different provinces. Special stress was laid on the
from seawater. boycott of foreign goods.
¾ At Dandi, thousands more followed his lead, and in ¾ In eastern India, payment of chowkidari tax was
the coastal cities of Bombay and Karachi, Indian refused. This no-tax campaign became very popular
nationalists led crowds of citizens in making salt. in Bihar.

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¾ In Bengal, J.N. Sengupta defied Government laws by ¾ The slogan ‘Quit India’ was coined by Yusuf
reading openly the books banned by the government. Meherally, a socialist and trade unionist who also
¾ Defiance of forest laws assumed a mass character in served as Mayor of Mumbai.
Maharashtra. € Meherally had also coined the slogan “Simon Go

¾ The movement had taken a fire hold in the provinces Back”.

of U.P., Orissa. Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and
Assam.
What caused the Movement?
¾ Failure of Cripps Mission: The immediate cause for
What is its Significance? the movement was the collapse of Cripps Mission.
¾ Imports from Britain had fallen considerably. For € Under Stafford Cripps, the mission was sent to

example, imports of cloth from Britain had fallen by resolve the Indian question of a new constitution
half. and self-government.
€ It failed because it offered India not complete
¾ The movement was more widespread than the
previous one. Mass participation including women, freedom but the Dominion Status to India, along
peasants, workers, students, urban elements like with the partition.
merchants, shopkeepers provided the Congress a ¾ Indian Involvement in World War II without prior
new all-India status. consultation:
¾ The support that the movement had garnered from € The British assumption of unconditional support

the poor and the illiterate both in the town and from India to the British in World War II was not
countryside was remarkable. taken well by the Indian National Congress.
¾ For Indian women, the movement was the most ¾ Prevalence of anti-British Sentiment:
liberating experience to date and can truly be said € The anti-British sentiments and demand for full-

to have marked their entry into the public space. independence had gained popularity among
¾ Although the Congress withdrew the Civil indian masses.
Disobedience in 1934, the movement received global ¾ Centralisation of Many Small Movements:
attention and marked a critically important stage in € The two decades of mass movement which were

the progress of the anti-imperialist struggle. being conducted on a much more radical tone
under the leadership of the various associated
and affiliated bodies of the Congress, like All India
Quit India Movement Kisan Sabha, Forward Bloc etc. had already
prepared the ground for the movement.
Why in News? ¾ Shortage of Essential Commodities:
On 8 Aug 2022, India completed 80 years of Quit
th € The economy was also in shatters as a result of

India Movement also known as August Kranti. World War II.

What was the Quit India Movement? What were the Demands of the Movement?
¾ On 8th August 1942, Mahatma Gandhi called to end ¾ The demand was to end the British rule in India with
British rule and launched the Quit India Movement immediate effect to get the cooperation of Indians
at the session of the All-India Congress Committee in World War-II against fascism.
in Mumbai. ¾ There was a demand to form a provisional
¾ Gandhiji gave the call “Do or Die” in his speech government after the withdrawal of the Britishers.
delivered at the Gowalia Tank Maidan, now
What were the Phases of Movement?
popularly known as August Kranti Maidan.
¾ Aruna Asaf Ali popularly known as the ‘Grand Old
¾ First Phase:
Lady’ of the Independence Movement is known for € First Phase, urban revolt, marked by strikes, boy
hoisting the Indian flag at the Gowalia Tank Maidan cott and picketing (protesting), which were quickly
in Mumbai during the Quit India Movement. suppressed.

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w w w. d r i s h ti IA S. c om PT SPRINT (2023) History 15
There were strikes and demonstrations all over
€ ¾ Significance:
the country and workers provided the support by € The significance of Shaheed Diwas lies in the fact
not working in the factories. that Mahatma Gandhi who led major movements
€ Gandhiji was soon imprisoned at Aga Khan Palace against British rule through a non-violent
in Pune and almost all leaders were arrested. approach.
¾ Second Phase: z His philosophy was based on the principles of

€ The focus shifted to the countryside, which non-violence, the fight for truth (satyagraha),
witnessed a major peasant rebellion, marked by and political and individual freedom (Swaraj) and
destruction of communication systems, such as inspired millions of people with his principles.
railway tracks and stations, telegraph wires and
Other Martyrs’ Days in India: What are they?
poles, attacks on government buildings or any
other visible symbol of colonial authority.
Days About
¾ Third Phase:
¾ On this day Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru,
€ The last phase witnessed the formation of March 23 and Sukhdev Thapar were hanged to death
national governments or parallel governments by the British in Lahore Jail.
in isolated pockets (Ballia, Tamluk, Satara etc.) ¾ It is celebrated in Assam to remember the
people who were killed by the state police
on May 19, 1961.
Shaheed Diwas – 30 January May 19
€ The day was designated as Bhasha
Shaheed Diwas or Language Martyrs’
Why in News? Day.
On January 30, 2023, India observes Martyrs’ Day ¾ Jammu and Kashmir celebrates July 13 as
or Shaheed Diwas to pay tribute to all the freedom Kashmir Martyr’s Day to remember people
July 13 who were killed, when demonstrating
fighters who sacrificed their lives for the country. The
against the rule of Maharaja Hari Singh of
day is also marked as the death anniversary of the Kashmir.
nation’s ‘Bapu’, Mahatma Gandhi.
¾ Odisha celebrates this day to remember
¾ Martyrs’ Day or Shaheed Diwas or Sarvodaya Day is November
famous freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai on
17
celebrated in India several times a year. his death anniversary.
¾ Jhansi celebrate this day, the birth
What is Shaheed Diwas? anniversary of Rani Lakshmibai, as
¾ In Remembrance Of: November Martyrs’ Day.
19 € The day celebrates the contribution of
€ Mahatma Gandhi, who was born on October 2,
all who passed away in the Revolt of
1869, was one of the most influential leaders of
1857.
India and played a significant role in the
independence of the country. ¾ It is celebrated as Martyrs’ Day by the Sikh
community as it is the death anniversary
€ On this day in 1948 Mahatma Gandhi was of ninth Sikh Guru Tegh Bahadur.
November
assassinated in the Birla House in New Delhi by 24 € He resisted the forced conversions of
Nathuram Godse. non-Muslims and was executed publicly
¾ Way of Celebrating: in 1675 by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
€ India celebrates Martyrs’ Day by paying tribute
to Mahatma Gandhi’s Samadhi at Raj Ghat in
Delhi.
Martyrs’ Day – 23 March
z The President, Vice President, Prime Minister,
Defense Minister, and the three Service Chiefs
Why in News?
(Army, Air Force, and Navy) pay their respects Every year, Martyrs’ Day , also known as Shaheed
to the ‘Father of the Nation’. Diwas or Sarvodaya Day, is observed on 23rd March.

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What is the History behind Shaheed Diwas? € In 1925, Bhagat Singh returned to Lahore and
¾ It was on this day that Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and within the next year he and his colleagues started
Rajguru were executed by the British government in a militant youth organisation called the Naujawan
1931. Bharat Sabha.
¾ They were hanged to death for assassinating John € In April 1926, Bhagat Singh established contact
Saunders, a British police officer in 1928. They had with Sohan Singh Josh and through him the
mistaken him for British police superintendent James ‹Workers and Peasants Party› which brought out
Scott. the monthly magazine Kirti in Punjabi.
€ It was Scott who had ordered lathi charge, which z For the next year Bhagat Singh worked with
eventually led to the death of Lala Lajpat Rai. Josh and joined the editorial board of Kirti.
¾ While Bhagat Singh, who had publicly announced € In 1927, he was first arrested on charges of
avenging Lala Lajpat Rai’s death, went into hiding for association with the Kakori Case, accused for an
many months after this shootout, he resurfaced
article written under the pseudonym Vidrohi
along with an associate Batukeshwar Dutt, and the
(Rebel). He was also accused of being responsible
two, in April 1929, set off two explosive devices inside
for a bomb explosion at Lahore during the
the Central Legislative Assembly in Delhi.
Dussehra fair.
€ Allowed themselves to be arrested, while shouting
the famous slogan: “Inquilab Zindabad“, or “Long € In 1928, Bhagat Singh changed the name of
live the revolution”. Hindustan Republican Association to Hindustan
Socialist Republican Association (HSRA). In 1930,
Who was Bhagat Singh? when Azad was shot, the HSRA collapsed.
¾ Early Life: z Naujawan Bharat Sabha replaced HSRA in
€ Born as Bhaganwala on the 26th September, 1907, Punjab.
Bhagat Singh grew up in a petty-bourgeois family € His time in the prison was spent protesting,
of Sandhu Jats settled in the Jullundur Doab seeking better living conditions for inmates.
district of the Punjab. During this time, he gained the sympathy of the
z He belonged to a generation that was to public, especially when he joined fellow defendant
intervene between two decisive phases of the Jatin Das in a hunger strike.
Indian national movement - the phase of the
z The strike ended with Das’ death from
‹Extremism› of Lal-Bal-Pal and the Gandhian
starvation in September 1929. Two years later,
phase of nonviolent mass action.
Singh was convicted and hanged at the age of
¾ Role in Freedom Struggle:
23.
€ In 1923, Bhagat Singh joined the National College,
Lahore which was founded and managed by Lala
Lajpat Rai and Bhai Parmanand. Raja Ram Mohan Roy
€ In 1924 in Kanpur, he became a member of the
Hindustan Republican Association, started by Why in News?
Sachindranath Sanyal a year earlier. The main
organiser of the Association was Chandra Shekhar Recently, the Ministry of Culture has organized an
Azad and Bhagat Singh became very close to him. inaugural Ceremony to commemorate Raja Ram Mohan
z It was as a member of the HRA that Bhagat
Roy on his 250th Birth Anniversary.
Singh began to take seriously the philosophy ¾ It is a year-long celebration which will continue till
of the Bomb. next 22nd May (2023).
z Armed revolution was understood to be the ¾ The Ministry of Culture has inaugurated an Iconic
only weapon with which to fight British Statue of Raja Ram Mohan Roy at the Raja Ram
imperialism. Mohan Roy Library Foundation.

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w w w. d r i s h ti IA S. c om PT SPRINT (2023) History 17
€ Ram Mohan Roy was given the title of ‘Raja’ by
the titular Mughal Emperor of Delhi, Akbar II
whose grievances the former was to present
before the British king.
€ In his address, entitled ‘Inaugurator of the Modern
Age in India,’ Tagore referred to Ram Mohan as ‘a
luminous star in the firmament of Indian history’.

What are his Contributions?

¾ Religious Reforms:
€ Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s first published work
Tuhfat-ul-Muwahhiddin (a gift to deists) published
in 1803 exposed irrational religious beliefs and
corrupt practices of the Hindus as the belief in
revelations, prophets, miracles etc.
€ In 1814, he founded Atmiya Sabha in Calcutta to
campaign against idolatry, caste rigidities,
meaningless rituals and other social ills.
€ He criticized the ritualism of Christianity and
rejected Christ as the incarnation of God. In
Precepts of Jesus (1820), he tried to separate the
Who Was Raja Ram Mohan Roy? moral and philosophical message of the New
¾ About: Testament, which he praised, from its miracle
stories.
€ Raja Ram Mohan Roy was the father of Modern
¾ Social Reforms:
India’s Renaissance and a tireless social reformer
€ Raja Ram Mohan Roy conceived reformist
who inaugurated the age of enlightenment and
liberal reformist modernisation in India. religious associations as instruments of social and
political transformation.
¾ Life:
€ He founded the Atmiya Sabha in 1815, the
€ Raja Ram Mohan Roy was born on 22nd May 1772 Calcutta Unitarian Association in 1821, and the
in Bengal. His early education included the study Brahmo Sabha in 1828 which later became the
of Persian and Arabic at Patna where he read the Brahmo Samaj.
Quran, the works of Sufi mystic poets and the € He campaigned against the caste system,
Arabic translation of the works of Plato and untouchability, superstitions and use of intoxicants.
Aristotle. € He was well known for his pioneering thought and

€ In Benaras, he studied Sanskrit and read Vedas action on the emancipation of women and
and Upnishads. especially on the abolition of sati and widow
remarriage.
€ From 1803 to 1814, he worked for East India
€ He attacked child marriage, illiteracy of women
Company as the personal diwan first of Woodforde
and the degraded state of widows and demanded
and then of Digby.
the right of inheritance and property for women.
€ In 1814, he resigned from his job and moved to
¾ Educational Reforms:
Calcutta in order to devote his life to religious,
€ Roy did much to disseminate the benefits of
social and political reforms.
modern education to his countrymen. He
€ In November 1830, he sailed for England to be supported David Hare’s efforts to find the Hindu
present there to counteract the possible College in 1817, while Roy’s English school taught
nullification of the Act banning Sati. mechanics and Voltaire’s philosophy.

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In 1825, he established Vedanta college where

€ ¾ Revolutionary Connections:
courses in both Indian learning and Western social € Pandurang Khankhoje came in contact with other
and physical sciences were offered. revolutionaries early on.
¾ Economic and Political Reforms: z Hindu reformer Swami Dayanand and his Arya

€ Civil liberties: Roy was impressed and admired Samaj movement, which called for a spirit of
the British system of constitutional government reform and social change, became the hero to
for the civil liberties it gave to the people. He a young student group led by Khankhoje.
wanted to extend the benefits of that system of € Khankhoje was an ardent admirer of the French

government to Indian people. Revolution and of the American War of

Independence.
€ Press freedom: Through his writings and activities,
€ Before leaving India for training in abroad, he
he supported the movement for free press in
India. visited Bal Gangadhar Tilak, by who he was
inspired.
€ When press censorship was relaxed by Lord
¾ Life Abroad:
Hastings in 1819, Ram Mohan found three
€ Khankhoje decided to go abroad for further training
journals- The Brahmanical Magazine (1821); The
Bengali weekly, Samvad Kaumudi (1821); and the in revolutionary methods and militaristic strategy.
€ After spending time with nationalists from Japan
Persian weekly, Mirat-ul-Akbar.
and China, Khankhoje eventually moved to the
€ Taxation reforms: Roy condemned oppressive
US, where he enrolled in college as a student of
practices of Bengali zamindars and demanded
agriculture.
fixation of minimum rents. He also demanded the
z A year later, he joined the Mount Tamalpais
abolition of taxes on tax-free lands.
Military Academy in California to fulfil his
€ He called for a reduction of export duties on Indian
original purpose of leaving India.
goods abroad and the abolition of the East India
Company’s trading rights.
€ Administrative reforms: He demanded the
Indianisation of superior services and separation
of the executive from judiciary. He demanded
equality between Indians and Europeans.

Pandurang Khankhoje &

Swami Vivekananda
Why in News?
Lok Sabha Speaker travelled to Mexico to unveil
statue of Swami Vivekananda and Maharashtra-born
freedom fighter and agriculturalist Pandurang Khankhoje How was Khankhoje associated with the Indian
(1883-1967). Independence Movement?
¾ The Speaker’s visit is part of India’s efforts to honor
¾ Khankhoje & Ghadar Party:
lesser-known Indian-origin leaders outside India.
€ In the US, Khankhoje met Lala Har Dayal, an

Who was Pandurang Khankhoje? Indian intellectual teaching at Stanford University.

z Har Dayal had begun a propaganda campaign,
¾ Birth: publishing a newspaper that featured patriotic
€ Pandurang Khankhoje was born in Wardha, songs and articles in the vernacular languages
Maharashtra, in the late 19th century. of India.

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w w w. d r i s h ti IA S. c om PT SPRINT (2023) History 19
¾ This was the seed from which the Ghadar Party Who was Swami Vivekananda?
would emerge.
€ Khankhoje was one of the founding members of
the Ghadar Party, established by Indians living
abroad in 1913, mostly belonging to Punjab.
z Its aim was to lead a revolutionary fight against
the British in India.

What is the Connection between Khankhoje

and Mexico?
¾ Connections with Mexicans in the US:
€At the military academy in the US, Khankhoje met
many people from Mexico. ¾ Birth:
z Khankhoje was inspired by “The Mexican €Swami Vivekanand ,original name Narendranath
Revolution of 1910” which led to the overthrow Datta was born on 12th January, 1863.
of the dictatorial regime. € National Youth Day is held every year to observe

€ While he was reaching out to Indians working on the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.
farms in the US with the aim of discussing the € In 1893, upon the request of Maharaja Ajit Singh

idea of Indian independence with them, he met of the Khetri State, he took the name
with Mexican workers as well. ‘Vivekananda.’
€ He reached out to Bhikaji Cama in Paris, and met ¾ Contributions:
with Vladimir Lenin in Russia among other € Introduced the world to the Indian philosophies

leaders, seeking support for India’s Independence. of Vedanta and Yoga.

z He was facing deportation from Europe and z He preached ‘neo-Vedanta’, an interpretation

he could not go to India, so he sought shelter of Hinduism through a Western lens, and
in Mexico. believed in combining spirituality with
¾ Life in Mexico:
material progress.
€ Laid the greatest emphasis on education for the
€ With the help of some friends in Mexico, he was
regeneration of our motherland. Advocated a
appointed a professor at the National School of
man-making character-building education.
Agriculture in Chapingo, near Mexico City.
€ Best known for his speech at the World Parliament
€ He researched corn, wheat, pulses and rubber,
of Religion in Chicago in 1893.
developing frost and drought-resistant varieties,
€ Spelt out the four pathways of attaining moksha
and was part of efforts to bring in the Green
from the worldly pleasure and attachment in his
Revolution in Mexico.
books:
z Later on in the 20th Century, the American
z Raja-yoga
agronomist Dr Norman Borlaug, called the
z Karma-yoga
Father of the Green Revolution in India,
brought the Mexican wheat variety to Punjab. z Jnana-yoga

€ Khankhoje was revered as an agricultural scientist z Bhakti-yoga

in Mexico. € Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose had called

z The renowned Mexican artist Diego Rivera

Vivekananda the “maker of modern India.”
painted murals that featured Khankhoje, ¾ Associated Organisations:
including one titled ‘Our Daily Bread’ that € He was the chief disciple of the 19th-century mystic

prominently depicted him breaking bread with Ramakrishna Paramhansa and established the
people seated around a table. Ramakrishna Mission in 1897.

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20 PT SPRINT (2023) History www.d rish t i I A S . c o m

Ramakrishna Mission is an organization which

z €Dayananda’s views were published in his famous
works in the area of value-based education, work, Satyarth Prakash (The True Exposition).
culture, health, women’s empowerment, ¾ Contribution to the Society:
youth and tribal welfare and relief and
€ He was an Indian philosopher, social leader and
rehabilitation.
founder of the Arya Samaj.
€ In 1899, he established Belur Math, which
¾ Arya Samaj is a reform movement of Vedic dharma
became his permanent abode.
and he was the first to give the call for Swaraj as
¾ Death:
“India for Indian” in 1876.
€ He died at Belur Math in 1902.
€ He was a self-taught man and a great leader of
€ Belur Math, located in West Bengal, is the
India leaving a significant impact on Indian society.
headquarters of Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna During his life, he made a prominent name for
Mission.
himself and was known among a wide array of
Prices and the public.
Maharishi Dayanand € The first Arya Samaj unit was formally set up by

Saraswati Jayanti him at Mumbai (then Bombay) in 1875 and later

the headquarters of the Samaj were established
at Lahore.
Why in News?
€ His vision of India included a classless and
Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati Jayanti is celebrated casteless society, a united India (religiously,
every year to mark the birth anniversary of the Maharishi socially and nationally), and an India free from
Dayanand Saraswati. foreign rule, with Aryan religion being the
z This year, the day will be celebrated on 26th common religion of all.
February.
€ He took inspiration from the Vedas and considered
z As per the traditional Hindu calendar, Dayanand
them to be ‘India’s Rock of Ages’, the infallible
Saraswati was born on the Dashami Tithi of and the true original seed of Hinduism. He gave
Phalguna Krishna Paksha. the slogan “Back to the Vedas”.
€ He subscribed to the Vedic notion of chaturvarna
system in which a person was not born in any
caste but was identified as a brahmin, kshatriya,
vaishya or shudra according to the occupation the
person followed.
¾ Contribution to the Education System:
€ He introduced a complete overhaul of the
education system and is often considered as one
of the visionaries of modern India.
€ The DAV (Dayanand Anglo Vedic) schools came
into existence in 1886 to realize the vision of
Swami Dayanand Saraswati.
€ The first DAV School was established at Lahore
Who was Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati? with Mahatma Hansarj as the headmaster.
¾ Birth:
€ Swami Dayanand Saraswati was born on 12 th
What is Arya Samaj?
February 1824 in Tankara, Gujarat in a Brahmin ¾ It aims to reestablish the Vedas, the earliest Hindu
family scriptures, as revealed truth. He rejected all later
€ He wandered as an ascetic for fifteen years (1845- accretions to the Vedas as degenerate but, in his own
60) in search of truth. interpretation, included much post-Vedic thought.

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w w w. d r i s h ti IA S. c om PT SPRINT (2023) History 21
€ During the 1920s and early 1930s tension grew
around a number of issues. Muslims were
angered by “music-before-mosque”, by the cow
protection movement, and by the efforts of the
Arya Samaj to bring back to the Hindu fold
(shuddhi) those who had recently converted to
Islam.
¾ The Arya Samaj has always had its largest following
in western and northern India.
¾ The Samaj opposes worship of murtis (images),
animal sacrifice, shraddha (rituals on behalf of ¾ Jyotirao Phule:
ancestors), basing caste upon birth rather than upon € He was an Indian social activist, thinker, anti-caste
merit, untouchability, child marriage, pilgrimages, social reformer and writer from Maharashtra.
priestly craft, and temple offerings. z He is also known as Jyotiba Phule.

¾ It upholds the infallibility of the Vedas, the doctrines € Education: In 1841, Phule was enrolled at the
of karma (the accumulated effect of past deeds) and Scottish Missionary High School (Pune), where
samsara (the process of death and rebirth), the he completed education.
sanctity of the cow, the importance of the samskaras € Ideology: His Ideology was based on: Liberty,
(individual sacraments), the efficacy of Vedic Egalitarianism, Socialism.
oblations to the fire, and programs of social reform. z Phule was influenced by Thomas Paine’s book
¾ It has worked to further female education and titled The Rights of Man and believed that the
intercaste marriage, has built missions, orphanages, only solution to combat the social evils was the
and homes for widows, has established a network of enlightenment of women and members of the
schools and colleges, and has undertaken famine lower castes.
relief and medical work. € Major Publications: Tritiya Ratna (1855), Powada:
Chatrapati Shivajiraje Bhosle Yancha (1869),
Savitribai and Jyotirao Phule Gulamgiri (1873), Shetkarayacha Aasud (1881).
€ Title of Mahatma: He was bestowed with the title
of Mahatma on 11th May, 1888 by a Maharashtrian
Why in News? social activist Vithalrao Krishnaji Vandekar.
Recently, Maharashtra Governor was criticised for € Social Reforms: Jyotirao, the revolutionary that
allegedly mocking 19th century social reformers Savitribai he was, observed the lack of opportunities for
and Jyotirao Phule for “getting married at a young age”. education for young girls and women.
¾ Mahatma Jyotirao and Savitribai Phule stand out as z He started to educate his wife at home and
an extraordinary couple in the social and educational trained her to become a teacher.
history of India. z He realised the pathetic conditions of widows
¾ They spearheaded path-breaking work towards and established an ashram for young widows
female education and empowerment, and towards and eventually became an advocate of the idea
ending caste- and gender-based discrimination. of Widow Remarriage.
z He attacked the orthodox Brahmins and other
Who were Savitribai and Jyotirao Phule? upper castes and termed them as «hypocrites».
¾ In 1840, at a time when child marriages were z In 1868, Jyotirao constructed a common
common, Savitri at the age of ten was married to bathing tank outside his house to exhibit his
Jyotirao, who was thirteen years old at the time. embracing attitude towards all human beings
¾ The couple later in life strove to oppose child and wished to dine with everyone, regardless
marriage and also organised widow remarriages. of their caste.

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22 PT SPRINT (2023) History www.d rish t i I A S . c o m

z He started awareness campaigns that € The Samaj advocated for social changes that went
ultimately inspired the likes of Dr. B.R. against prevalent traditions, including economical
Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi, stalwarts weddings, inter-caste marriages, eradication of
who undertook major initiatives against caste child marriages, and widow remarriage.
discrimination later. € Also, Satya shodhak samaj was founded with a
z It is believed by many that it was Phule who purpose to give education to the lower castes,
first used the term ‘Dalit’ for the depiction of scheduled caste, scheduled tribes and made them
oppressed masses often placed outside the aware of the exploiting tradition of society.
‘varna system’.
¾ Savitribai Phule: Women Heroes of India’s
€ In 1852, Savitribai started the Mahila Seva Freedom Struggle
Mandal to raise awareness about women’s rights.
Savitribai called for a women’s gathering where
€
Why in News?
members from all castes were welcome and
everybody was expected to sit on the same Recently, Prime Minister in his Independence Day
Speech paid tribute to women freedom fighters.
mattress.
€ She published Kavya Phule in 1854 and Bavan What is the Role Played by Women in Freedom
Kashi Subodh Ratnakar in 1892. Struggle?
€ In her poem, Go, Get Education, she urges the
¾ Jhalkari Bai:
oppressed communities to get an education and
break free from the chains of oppression.
€ She simultaneously campaigned against child
marriage, while supporting widow remarriage.
€ She initiated the first Satyashodhak marriage—a
marriage without a dowry, Brahmin priests or
Brahminical rituals in 1873.

What is their Legacy?

¾ Together, by 1848, the Phules started a school for
girls, Shudras and Ati-Shudras in Poona. A soldier in Rani Laxmibai’s women’s army, Durga
€
¾ In the 1850s, the Phule couple initiated two Dal, rose to become one of the queen’s most
educational trusts—the Native Female School, Pune trusted advisers.
and The Society for Promoting the Education of € She is known for putting her own life at risk to
Mahars, Mangs and Etceteras—which came to have keep the queen out of harm’s way.
many schools under them. € Till date, the story of her valor is recalled by the
¾ In 1853, they opened a care centre for pregnant people of Bundelkhand, and she is often presented
widows to have safe deliveries and to end the as a representative of Bundeli identity.
practice of infanticide owing to social norms. € Many Dalit communities of the region look up to

€ The Balhatya Pratibandhak Griha (Home for the her as an incarnation of God and also celebrate
Prevention of Infanticide) started in their own Jhalkaribai Jayanti every year in her honour.
house. ¾ Durga Bhabhi:
¾ The Satyashodhak Samaj (The Truth-Seeker’s € Durgawati Devi, who was popularly known as

Society) was established on 24th September, 1873 by Durga Bhabhi, was a revolutionary who joined
Jyotirao-Savitribai and other like-minded people. the armed struggle against colonial rule.

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w w w. d r i s h ti IA S. c om PT SPRINT (2023) History 23

€ She was released in 1947.

A member of the Naujawan Bharat Sabha, she
€
€ Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru described
helped Bhagat Singh escape in disguise from Gaidinliu as the “daughter of the hills”, and gave
Lahore after the 1928 killing of British police her the title of ‘Rani’ for her courage.
officer John P Saunders.
¾ Begum Hazrat Mahal: After her husband, Nawab of
€ During the train journey that followed, Durgawati
Awadh Wajid Ali Shah was exiled after the 1857
and Bhagat Singh posed as a couple and Rajguru revolt, Begum Hazrat Mahal, along with her
as their servant. supporters, took on the British and wrested control
z Later, as revenge for the hanging of Bhagat of Lucknow. She was forced into a retreat after the
Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev, she made an colonial rulers recaptured the area.
unsuccessful attempt to kill the former Punjab
Governor, Lord Hailey.
€ Born in Allahabad in 1907 and married to
Hindustan Socialist Republican Association
(HSRA) member Bhagwati Charan Vohra,
Durgawati, along with other revolutionaries, also
ran a bomb factory in Delhi.
¾ Rani Gaidinliu:
€ Born in 1915 in present-day Manipur, Rani
Gaidinliu was a Naga spiritual and political leader
who fought the British.
€ She joined the Heraka religious movement which
later became a movement to drive out the British.
€ She rebelled against the Empire and refused to
pay taxes, asking people to do the same.
€ The British launched a manhunt, but she evaded
arrest, moving from village to village.
€ Gaidinliu was finally arrested in 1932 when she
was just 16 and later sentenced for life.

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¾ Velu Nachiyar: ¾ Manu as Jhansi Ki Rani:

€ Many years before the revolt of 1857, Velu € At the age of 14, Manu got married to the
Nachiyar waged a war against the British and Maharaja of Jhansi, Gangadhar Rao Newalkar,
emerged victorious. whose first wife had passed away before having
€ Born in Ramanathapuram in 1780, she was a child and who was trying to have an heir to
married to the king of Sivagangai. succeed him at the throne.
z Hence, Manikarnika became Laxmibai, Rani
of Jhansi.
€ Rani Lakshmibai gave birth to a son in who died
after just three months of birth. The couple later
adopted a son, Damodar Rao, from Gangadhar
Rao’s extended family.
¾ Role in Struggle for Independence:
€ Rani Lakshmibai was one of the brave warriors
of India’s struggle for Independence.
€ In 1853, when the Maharaja of Jhansi died, Lord
Dalhousie refused to acknowledge the (adopted)
child and applied the Doctrine of Lapse, and
€ After her husband was killed in battle with the annexed the state.
East India Company, she entered the conflict, and € Rani Lakshmibai fought bravely against the British
won with support of neighbouring kings. so as to save her empire from annexation.
€ She went on to produce the first human bomb as € She died fighting on the battlefield on 17th June
well as establish the first army of trained women 1858.
soldiers in the late 1700s. € When the Indian National Army started its first
€ Her army commander Kuyili is believed to have female unit (in 1943), it was named after the
set herself ablaze and walked into a British valiant queen of Jhansi.
ammunition dump. What was the Doctrine of Lapse?
¾ It was an annexation policy followed widely by Lord
Dalhousie when he was India’s Governor-General
Rani Lakshmibai from 1848 to 1856.
¾ According to this, any princely state that was under
Why in News? the direct or indirect control of the East India
Recently, the Prime Minister of India visited Jhansi Company where the ruler did not have a legal male
on the eve of Rani Lakshmibai’s birth anniversary. heir would be annexed by the company.
€ As per this, any adopted son of the Indian ruler
Who was Rani Lakshmibai? could not be proclaimed as heir to the kingdom.
¾ About: ¾ By applying the doctrine of lapse, Dalhousie annexed
the States of:
€ Rani Lakshmibai is also known as Jhansi Ki Rani.
€ Satara (1848 A.D.),
€ She was the queen of the Maratha-ruled princely
€ Jaitpur, and Sambalpur (1849 A.D.),
state of Jhansi.
€ Baghat (1850 A.D.),
€ She was one of the leading figures of the Indian
€ Udaipur (1852 A.D.),
Revolt of 1857.
€ Jhansi (1853 A.D.), and
€ She’s seen as a symbol of resistance to British
€ Nagpur (1854 A.D.)
rule in India.

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w w w. d r i s h ti IA S. c om PT SPRINT (2023) History 25
Lead Salt Satyagraha: In 1930, Naidu was selected
€
Sarojini Naidu by Gandhi to lead the Salt Satyagraha, a nonviolent
protest against the British monopoly on salt
production in India.
z On May 21, Sarojini Naidu led 2,500 marchers
on the Dharasana Salt Works, some 150 miles
north of Bombay.
€ Quit India Movement: In 1942, Sarojini Naidu was
arrested during the “Quit India” movement and
was jailed for 21 months with Gandhiji.
€ Traveled Abroad to Raise Awareness: Naidu
traveled to different countries, including the
United States and the United Kingdom, to raise
Why in News? awareness about India’s struggle for independence
and to mobilize international support.
13th February marks the birth anniversary of Sarojini
z She also represented India at various
Naidu. She was famously known as Bharatiya Kokila (The
international forums and spoke about the
Nightingale of India).
Indian independence movement and women’s
¾ India celebrates Sarojini Naidu’s birth anniversary as
rights.
National Women’s Day.
¾ Contribution as a Politician:
Who was Sarojini Naidu? € S e c o n d Ro u n d Ta b l e C o nfe re n c e : S h e
accompanied Gandhiji to London for the
¾ About:
inconclusive second session of the Round Table
€ Sarojini Naidu, was an Indian independence Conference for Indian–British cooperation
activist, poet, and politician. (1931).
z She was born on February 13, 1879, in € Governor of Uttar Pradesh: After India gained
Hyderabad, India. independence, Naidu was appointed as the
€ She joined the Indian national movement in the governor of Uttar Pradesh, becoming the first
wake of partition of Bengal in 1905. woman to hold a governor’s office in India.
€ The British government lauded Sarojini Naidu with ¾ Other Contributions:
the ‘Kaisar-i-Hind’ Medal for her service during € A Renowned Poetess: Naidu was a renowned
the plague epidemic in India. poetess and wrote in both English and Urdu.
¾ Contribution to Indian Freedom Movement: z Published in 1912, ‘In the Bazaars of Hyderabad’

€ First Indian Woman President of INC: Naidu was remains one of her most popular poems.
elected as the first Indian woman president of z Her other works include “The Golden Threshold
the Indian National Congress(INC) in 1925(Kanpur (1905)”, “The Bird of Time (1912)”, and “The
Session) and continued to hold this position till Broken Wing (1912)”.
1928. € Worked for Women’s Empowerment: Naidu was
z Annie Besant was the first woman President a strong advocate of women’s rights and worked
of the INC who presided it in 1917. tirelessly to empower women in India.
€ Participated in Non-Cooperation Movement: z She was also a member of the All-India

Naidu took part in the Non-Cooperation Women’s Conference and worked to improve
Movement launched by Gandhi in 1920 and was the status of women in India.
arrested several times for her involvement in ¾ Death:
various freedom activities. € She died on March 2, 1949, in Lucknow, India.

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¾ Relevance of Sarojini Naidu in Present Times: €Between 1899 and 1902, he was a member of the
€ Sarojini Naidu was a multifaceted personality and Bombay Legislative Council followed by work at
remains a role model for women in India and the Imperial Legislative Council from 1902 till his
around the world. Her courage, dedication, and death (1915).
leadership inspired millions of Indians and € At the Imperial legislature, Gokhale played a key
continue to inspire generations to come. role in framing the Morley-Minto reforms of
1909.
¾ Role in INC:
Gopal Krishna Gokhale
€ He was associated with the Moderate Group of
Indian National Congress (joined in 1889).
Why in News?
€ He became president of INC in 1905 in Banaras
The Prime Minister of India paid tribute to Gopal session.
Krishna Gokhale on his Jayanti. z This was the time when bitter differences had
¾ Gopal Krishna Gokhale was a great social reformer arisen between his group of ‘Moderates’ and
and educationist who provided exemplary leadership the ‘Extremists’ led by Lala Lajpat Rai and Bal
to India’s freedom movement. Gangadhar Tilak among others. The two
factions split at the Surat session of 1907.
What do we know about Gopal Krishna
z Despite the ideological difference, in 1907, he
Gokhale? intensely campaigned for the release of Lala
¾ Ideology: Lajpat Rai, who was imprisoned that year by
€ Gokhale worked towards social empowerment, the British at Mandalay in present-day
expansion of education, struggle for freedom in Myanmar.
India for three decades and rejected the use of ¾ Related Societies and Other Works:
reactionary or revolutionary ways. € He established the Servants of India Society in
¾ Role in Colonial Legislatures: 1905 for the expansion of Indian education.
€ He was also associated with the Sarvajanik sabha
journal started by Govind Ranade.
€ In 1908, Gokhale founded the Ranade Institute
of Economics.
€ He started English weekly newspaper, The
Hitavada (The people’s paper).
¾ Mentor to Gandhi:
€ As a liberal nationalist, he is regarded by Mahatma
Gandhi as his political guru.
€ Gandhi wrote a book in Gujarati dedicated to the
leader titled ‘Dharmatma Gokhale’.
What is Morley-Minto Reforms 1909?
¾ The reforms included the admission of Indians to
the Secretary of State’s council, to the viceroy’s
executive council, and to the executive councils
of Bombay and Madras, and the introduction of
an elected element into legislative councils with
provision for separate electorates for Muslims.
€ The reforms were regarded by Indian nationalists
as too cautious, and the provision of separate
electorates for Muslims was resented by Hindu.

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w w w. d r i s h ti IA S. c om PT SPRINT (2023) History 27
¾ The legislative councils at the Centre and the € Savarkar wrote a book titled ‘The History of the
provinces were increased in size. War of Indian Independence’ in which he wrote
about the guerilla warfare tricks used in 1857
€ The Act increased the maximum additional
Sepoy Mutiny.
membership of the Imperial Legislative Council
€ He also wrote the book ‘Hindutva: who is hindu?’.
from 16 to 60.
¾ The legislative councils at the Centre and the provinces
were to have four categories of members as follows:
€ Ex officio members: Governor-General and
members of the executive council.
€ Nominated official members: Government
officials who were nominated by the Governor-
General.
€ Nominated non-official members: Nominated by
the Governor-General but were not government
officials.
€ Elected members: Elected by different categories
of Indians.
¾ The elected members were elected indirectly.
¾ Indians were given membership to the Imperial
Legislative Council for the first time.
¾ Trial and Sentences:
¾ It introduced separate electorates for the Muslims.
€ Arrested in 1909 on charges of plotting an armed
€ Some constituencies were earmarked for revolt against the Morley-Minto reform (Indian
Muslims and only Muslims could vote for their Councils Act 1909).
representatives.
€ Arrested in 1910 for his connections with the
¾ Satyendra P Sinha was appointed the first Indian revolutionary group India House.
member of the Viceroy’s Executive Council.
€ One of the charges on Savarkar was abetment to
murder of Nashik Collector Jackson and the
Veer Savarkar second was waging a conspiracy under Indian
Penal Code 121-A against the King emperor.
€ Following the two trials, Savarkar was convicted
Why in News?
and sentenced to 50-years imprisonment also
Recently, the Prime Minister has paid tributes to known as Kala Pani and transported in 1911 to
freedom fighter Veer Savarkar on his Punya tithi (26th the Cellular Jail in the Andaman and Nicobar
February). Islands.
z Death: He died on 26th February 1966 due to
Who was Veer Savarkar? fasting on his own wish of death.
¾ Related Organisations and Work: Abhinav Bharat Society (Young India Society)
€ Founded a secret society called Abhinav Bharat ¾ It was a secret society founded by Vinayak Damodar
Society. Savarkar and his brother Ganesh Damodar Savarkar
€ Went to the United Kingdom and was involved in 1904.
with organizations such as India House and the ¾ Initially founded at Nasik as Mitra Mela, the society
Free India Society. was associated with several revolutionaries and
€ He was the president of Hindu Mahasabha from political activists with branches in various parts of
1937 to 1943. India and London.

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28 PT SPRINT (2023) History www.d rish t i I A S . c o m

India House
¾ It was founded by Shyamji Kishan Verma in 1905
in London.
¾ It was opened to promote nationalist views among
Indian students in London.
Free India Society
¾ Savarkar went to London in 1906. He soon founded
the Free India Society, based on the thoughts of
the Italian nationalist Giuseppe Mazzini (Savarkar
had written a biography of Mazzini).
Hindu Mahasabha
¾ Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha is one of the oldest
organizations of India as it was formed in 1907.
Eminent leaders extended this Organization in
1915 on ALL India basis.
¾ The Eminent personalities who founded this
Organisation and who presided over the ALL INDIA
Sessions held include Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya,
Lal Lajpat Rai, Veer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, etc.

J C Bose: A Satyagrahi Bose discovered wireless communication and

€
was named the Father of Radio Science by the
Scientist Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering.
€ He was responsible for the expansion of
Why in News? experimental science in India.
Recently, the Ministry of Culture has organized an € Bose is considered the father of Bengali science
international conference on the contributions of J C fiction. A crater on the moon has been named in
Bose: A Satyagrahi Scientist” on his 164th birth anniversary. his honour.
€ He founded Bose Institute, a premier research
Who was Jagdish Chandra Bose? institute of India and also one of its oldest.
¾ About: Established in 1917, the Institute was the first
€ Born on 30th November, 1858 to Bama Sundari interdisciplinary research centre in Asia. He
Bose and Bhagawan Chandra, Bengal. served as the Director of Bose Institute from its
€ He was a Plant Physiologist and physicist who inception until his death.
invented the crescograph, a device for measuring € To facilitate his research, he constructed automatic
the growth of plants. He for the first time recorders capable of registering extremely slight
demonstrated that plants have feelings. movements; these instruments produced some
¾ Education: striking results, such as quivering of injured plants,
€ He earned a BSc from University College London,
which Bose interpreted as a power of feeling in
which was connected with the University of plants.
London in 1883, and a BA (Natural Sciences Tripos) ¾ Books:
from the University of Cambridge in 1884. € His books include Response in the Living and

¾ Scientific Contribution: Non-Living (1902) and The Nervous Mechanism

€ Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose was a biologist, of Plants (1926).
physicist, botanist and an early writer of science ¾ Death:
fiction. € He died on 23rd November 1937 in Giridih, Bihar.

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w w w. d r i s h ti IA S. c om PT SPRINT (2023) History 29
z He was imprisoned in 1908 (Alipore Bomb
Sri Aurobindo: Prophet of case).
Indian Nationalism € Two years later he fled British India and found
refuge in the French colony of Pondichéry
(Puducherry), gave up overt political activities
Why in News? and embraced spiritual pursuits, soon to emerge
Recently, the Indian Prime Minister has participated as one of the most original thinkers, philosophers
in a programme commemorating Sri Aurobindo’s 150th and spiritual masters.
birth anniversary in Puducherry, under the aegis of Azadi z He met Mirra Alfassa in Pondicherry, and their
ka Amrit Mahotsav. spiritual collaboration led to “Integral Yoga”.
¾ The PM has released a commemorative coin and ¾ Aurobindo’s Ideas on Second World War:
postal stamp in honor of Sri Aurobindo. € Several Indians saw the Second World War as an
opportune moment to get rid of colonial
occupation; Aurobindo asked his compatriots to
support the Allies and ensure Hitler’s defeat.
¾ Spirituality:
€ In Pondichéry he founded a community of spiritual
seekers, which took shape as the Sri Aurobindo
Ashram in 1926.
€ He believed that the basic principles of matter,
life, and mind would be succeeded through
terrestrial evolution by the principle of supermind
as an intermediate power between the two
spheres of the infinite and the finite.
¾ Literary Works:
Who was Sri Aurobindo? € An English newspaper called Bande Mataram (in
¾ About: 1905)
€ Aurobindo Ghose was born in Calcutta on 15th € Bases of Yoga
August 1872. He was a yogi, seer, philosopher, € Bhagavad Gita and Its Message
poet, and Indian nationalist who propounded a € The Future Evolution of Man
philosophy of divine life on earth through
€ Rebirth and Karma
spiritual evolution.
€ Savitri: A Legend and a Symbol
€ Aurobindo’s pragmatic strategies to get rid of
€ Hour of God
British rule marked him as “the Prophet of Indian
¾ Death: He died on 5th December 1950 in Pondicherry.
Nationalism”.
¾ Indian Revolutionary Movement:
€ From 1902 to 1910 he partook in the struggle to Acharya Kripalani
free India from the British.
€ The partition of Bengal in 1905 provoked Why in News?
Aurobindo to leave his job in Baroda and plunge Recently, the Prime Minister of India has paid
into the nationalist movement. He edited the tributes to Acharya Kripalani on his Jayanti.
patriotic journal Bande Mataram to propagate
radical methods and revolutionary tactics instead Who was Acharya Kripalani?
of supplication. ¾ About:
€ He was arrested thrice by the British — twice for € He was born on 11th November 1888 in Hyderabad,
sedition and once for conspiring to “wage war”. Sindh.

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30 PT SPRINT (2023) History www.d rish t i I A S . c o m

€ His original name was Jivatram Bhagwandas He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1952, 1957,
€
Kripalani but was popularly known as Acharya 1963 and 1967 as a member of Praja Socialist
Kripalani. He was an independence activist, Indian Party.
politician and an Educationist. € He moved the first-ever No confidence motion in
Lok Sabha in 1963, immediately after the India-
China War (1962).
z In 1963, Sucheta Kripalani, a Congress leader
became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, a
first for any woman in the country while her
husband Acharya remained an opponent to the
Congress.
€ He was a critic of Nehru’s policies and Indira
Gandhi’s rule. He was arrested during Emergency
(1975).
¾ Books:
€ My Times, his autobiography published
posthumously in 2004.
€ Kripalani was the author of several books,
including Gandhi: His Life and Thought (1970).

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad

Why in News?
¾ Educationist: Prime Minister of India paid tributes to India’s first
€ From 1912 to 1927, he taught at various places education minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad on his 134th
before becoming wholly involved in the freedom birth anniversary.
movement. ¾ 11th November is observed as National Education
€ He earned the moniker ‘Acharya’ around 1922 Day every year since 2008 to commemorate his birth
when he was teaching at the Gujarat Vidyapith, anniversary.
founded by the Mahatma a couple of years before.
Who was Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad?
¾ Independence Activist:
€ He was associated with Gandhi by 1917 after
¾ Birth: Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, originally named
Gandhi had taken up the cause of indigo workers Muhiyuddin Ahmad, was born in 1888 in Mecca,
in Gujarat. Saudi-Arabia.
€ Azad was a brilliant debater, as indicated by his
€ He was part of the Non-Cooperation Movement
(1920-22) and the Civil Disobedience movements name - “Abul Kalam” which literally means “Lord
(started in 1930) and Quit India Movement of Dialogues”.
(1942). ¾ Brief Profile:

€ He was the President of Indian National Congress € He donned many hats of being a journalist,

(INC) at the time of independence. He served in freedom fighter, politician, and educationist.
the Interim government of India (1946–1947) and ¾ Contributions (Pre-Independence):
the Constituent Assembly of India. € He was a proponent of Hindu Muslim unity,
¾ Political Career: opposed to Partition.
€ He became one of the founders of the Kisan z In 1912, he started a weekly journal in Urdu
Mazdoor Praja Party (KMPP) after independence called Al-Hilal which played an important role
leaving congress. in forging Hindu-Muslim unity after the bad

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w w w. d r i s h ti IA S. c om PT SPRINT (2023) History 31
blood created between the two communities € He again became the president of Congress in
in the aftermath of Morley-Minto reforms 1940 and remained in the post till 1946.
(1909). ¾ An Educationist:
„ Under the 1909 reforms, the provision of € In the field of education, Maulana Azad had been
separate electorates for Muslims was an uncompromising exponent of universalism, a
resented by Hindu. truly liberal and humanitarian educational system.
z The government regarded Al- Hilal as a € Azad’s ideal was a fusion of the Eastern and
propagator of secessionist views and banned Western concepts of man, to create a fully
it in 1914. integrated personality. Whereas the Eastern
z Maulana Abul Kalam Azad then started another concept dwelt on spiritual excellence and individual
weekly called Al-Balagh with the same mission salvation, the Western concept laid stress on
of propagating Indian nationalism and worldly achievements and social progress.
revolutionary ideas based on Hindu-Muslim € He was one of the founding members of the Jamia
unity. Millia Islamia University, originally established at
„ In 1916, the government banned this paper Aligarh in the United Provinces in 1920.
too and expelled Maulana Abul Kalam Azad ¾ His Works: Basic Concept of Quran, Ghubar-eKhatir,
from Calcutta and exiled him to Bihar from Dars-e-Wafa, India Wins Freedom, etc.
where he was released after the First World
¾ Contributions (Post-Independence):
War 1920.
€ In 1947, he became the first education minister
of free India and remained at this post till his death
in 1958. In his tenure, he did tremendous work
for the upliftment of the country.
z The first IIT, IISc, School of Planning and
Architecture and the University Grants
Commission were established under his tenure
as the education minister.
€ Indian Council for Cultural Relations, for
introduction of Indian culture to other nations.
€ Following three academics were formed:

z Sahitya Academy for development of literature;

z Sangeet Natak Academy for the development

of Indian music and dance;
z Lalit Kala Academy for the development of
painting.
¾ Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was posthumously
awarded India’s highest civilian honour, Bharat Ratna
€ Azad supported the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1992.
(1920-22) started by Gandhiji and entered the
Indian National Congress in 1920.
z In 1923, he was elected as the president of
Netaji SC Bose – Parakram
Indian National Congress. At an age of 35, he Diwas 2023
became the youngest person to serve as the
President of the Indian National Congress.
Why in News?
€ Maulana Azad was arrested in 1930 for violation
of the salt laws as part of Gandhiji’s Salt On the Occasion of Parakram Diwas (23rd January)
Satyagraha. He was put in Meerut jail for a year 2023, 21 unnamed islands of Andaman and Nicobar have
and a half. been named after Param Veer Chakra awardees.

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32 PT SPRINT (2023) History www.d rish t i I A S . c o m

¾ Netaji’s Memorial, a National Memorial dedicated to ¾ Indian National Army:

Netaji will be built on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose € He reached Japanese-controlled Singapore from
Dweep. Germany in July 1943, issued from there his
€ Parakram Diwas is celebrated to commemorate famous call, ‘Delhi Chalo’, and announced the
the 126th birth anniversary of freedom fighter formation of the Azad Hind Government and the
Subhas Chandra Bose. Indian National Army on 21st October 1943.
¾ The islands have been named after Major Somnath
€ The INA was first formed under Mohan Singh and
Sharma, Subedar and Hony Captain (then Lance Naik)
Japanese Major Iwaichi Fujiwara and comprised
Karam Singh, Nayak Jadunath Singh, etc.
Indian prisoners of war of the British-Indian Army
Note: Besides renaming Ross Islands Netaji Subhash captured by Japan in the Malayan (present-day
Chandra Bose Dweep in 2018, Neil Island and Havelock Malaysia) campaign and at Singapore.
Island were also renamed Shaheed Dweep and Swaraj
€ The INA included both the Indian prisoners of war
Dweep respectively.
from Singapore and Indian civilians in South-East
Who was Subhash Chandra Bose? Asia. Its strength grew to 50,000.
¾ Birth: € The INA fought allied forces in 1944 inside the
€ Subhas Chandra Bose was born on 23rd January
borders of India in Imphal and in Burma.
1897, in Cuttack, Orissa Division, Bengal Province, € In November 1945, a British move to put the INA
to Prabhavati Dutt Bose and Janakinath Bose. men on trial immediately sparked massive
¾ About: demonstrations all over the country.
€ In 1919, he had cleared the Indian Civil Services
(ICS) examination. Bose, however, resigned later.
V. O. Chidambaram Pillai
€ He was highly influenced by Vivekananda’s
teachings and considered him as his spiritual
Guru. Why in News?
€ His political mentor was Chittaranjan Das. Recently, the Prime Minister paid tribute to V. O.
¾ Association with Congress: Chidambaram Pillai, the legendary freedom fighter on
€ He stood for unqualified swaraj (independence), his 151th birth anniversary on 5th September 2022.
and opposed the Motilal Nehru Report which ¾ He was popularly known as Kappalottiya Tamilan
spoke for dominion status for India. (The Tamil Helmsman) and Sekkizuththa Semmal
€ He actively participated in the Salt Satyagraha of (scholarly gentry who suffered at the oil press).
1930 and vehemently opposed the suspension of
Civil Disobedience Movement and signing of the Who was Chidambaram Pillai?
Gandhi-Irwin Pact in 1931. ¾ Political Life: VOC entered politics in 1905 following
€ In the 1930s, he was closely associated with left the partition of Bengal.
politics in Congress along with Jawaharlal Nehru
€ Towards the end of 1905, VOC visited Madras and
and M.N. Roy.
was drawn closer to the Swadeshi Movement
€ Bose won the congress presidential elections at
initiated by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Lala Lajpat
Haripura in 1938.
Rai.
€ Again in 1939 at Tripuri, he won the presidential
elections against Gandhi’s candidate Pattabhi € VOC was drawn towards Ramakrishna Mission
Sitarammayya. Due to ideological differences with and came into contact with Subramania Bharati
Gandhi, Bose resigned and left congress. Rajendra and the Mandayam family.
Prasad was appointed in his place. € It was not until the arrival of VOC at Tuticorin
€ He founded a new party, ‘the Forward Bloc’. The (Present day Thoothukudi) that the Swadeshi
purpose was to consolidate the political left and movement in Tirunelveli district began to gather
major support base in his home state Bengal. force and momentum.

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w w w. d r i s h ti IA S. c om PT SPRINT (2023) History 33
¾ Writings: Meyyaram (1914), Meyyarivu (1915),
Anthology (1915), Thirukural with literary notes of
Manakudavar (1917), Tholkappiam with literary
notes of Ilampooranar (1928), Autobiography (1946).
¾ Death: V.O.C died on 18th November 1936 in the
Indian National Congress Office at Tuticorin.

Rabindranath Tagore
Why in News?
The Prime Minister on 9th May, 2022 paid tribute to
Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore on his birth anniversary.
¾ According to the Bengali calendar, the Tagore Jayanti
falls on the 25th day of the Boishakh month.

What do we know about Rabindranath

Tagore?
¾ About:
He was also referred to as ‘Gurudev’, ‘Kabiguru’,
€

¾ Role Played in Freedom Movement: By 1906, VOC and ‘Biswakabi’.

won the support of merchants and industrialists in € He was a good friend of Mahatma Gandhi and is

Tuticorin and Tirunelveli for the idea of establishing said to have given him the title of Mahatma.
a Swadeshi merchant shipping outfit by the name of € He had always stressed that unity in diversity is

the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company (SSNCo). the only possible way for India’s national
integration.
€ He established many institutions like Swadeshi
€ He had spoken at the World Parliament for
Prachar Sabha, Dharmasanga Nesavu Salai,
Religions in the years 1929 and 1937.
National Godown, Madras Agro-Industrial Society
¾ Contributions:
Ltd and Desabimana Sangam.
€ He is said to have composed over 2000 songs and
€ VOC and Siva were aided in their efforts by a his songs and music are called ‘Rabindra Sangeet’
number of Tirunelveli-based lawyers, who formed with its own distinct lyrical and fluid style.
an organisation called the Swadeshi Sangam, or € He is responsible for modernising Bengali prose
‘National Volunteers’. and poetry. His notable works include Gitanjali,
€ The nationalist movement acquired a secondary Ghare-Baire, Gora, Manasi, Balaka, Sonar Tori,
character with the beginning of the Tuticorin Coral He is also remembered for his song ‘Ekla Chalo
Mills strike (1908). Re’.
€ He published his first poems aged 16 under the
€ Even prior to Gandhiji’s Champaran Satyagraha
pen-name ‘Bhanusimha’.
(1917), VOC took up the cause of the working class
€ He not only gave the national anthems for two
in Tamil Nadu, and thus he is a forerunner to
countries, India and Bangladesh, but also inspired
Gandhiji in this respect.
a Ceylonese student of his, to pen and compose
€ VOC, along with other leaders, resolved to take the national anthem of Sri Lanka.
out a mammoth procession on the morning of 9th € Besides all his literary achievements he was also
March 1908 to celebrate the release of Bipin a philosopher and educationist who in 1921
Chandra Pal from jail and to hoist the flag of established the Vishwa-Bharati University, a
Swaraj. university that challenged conventional education.

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34 PT SPRINT (2023) History www.d rish t i I A S . c o m

¾ Awards: (knowing or using several languages) orator, a

In 1913 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in
€ scholar, and thinker of comparative religions.
Literature for his work on Gitanjali. ¾ Birth:
€ He was the first non-European to receive the € He was born in 1891 in Mhow, Central Province
Nobel Prize. (now Madhya Pradesh).
€ In 1915 he was awarded knighthood by the British ¾ Brief Profile:
King George V. In 1919, following the Jallianwalla € He is known as the Father of the Indian Constitution
Bagh massacre, he renounced his Knighthood. and was India’s first Law Minister.
¾ Death: € He was the Chairman of the Drafting Committee
€ He died on 7th August 1941 in Calcutta. for the new Constitution.
¾ Quotes by him: € He was a well-known statesman who fought for

€ “You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and the rights of the Dalits and other socially
staring at the sea.” backward classes.
€ “Don’t limit the child to your own learning, for he ¾ Contributions:
was born in another time.” € He led the Mahad Satyagraha in March 1927

€ “If I can’t make it through one door, I’ll go through against Hindus who were opposing the decision
another door- or I’ll make a door. Something of the Municipal Board.
terrific will come no matter how dark the present.” z In 1926, the Municipal Board of Mahad

€ “Facts are many, but the truth is one”. (Maharashtra) passed an order to throw open
the tank to all communities. Earlier, the
untouchables were not allowed to use water
Dr. BR Ambedkar – from the Mahad tank.
Mahaparinirvan Diwas € He participated in all three Round Table
Conferences.
Why in News? € In 1932, Dr. Ambedkar signed the Poona pact with
Mahatma Gandhi, which abandoned the idea of
Recently, the Prime Minister paid homage to Dr.
separate electorates for the depressed classes
Babasaheb Ambedkar on Mahaparinirvan Diwas and
(Communal Award).
recalled his exemplary service to our nation.
z However, the seats reserved for the depressed

What is Mahaparinirvan Diwas? classes were increased from 71 to 147 in

provincial legislatures and to 18% of the total
¾ Parinirvana, regarded as one of the major principles in the Central Legislature.
as well as goals of Buddhism, is a Sanskrit term which
€ His ideas before the Hilton Young Commission
means release or freedom after death.
served as the foundation of the Reserve Bank of
€ As per the Buddhist text Mahaparinibbana Sutta,
India (RBI).
the death of Lord Buddha at the age of 80 is
¾ Election and Designation:
considered as the original Mahaparinirvan.
€ In 1937, he was elected to the Bombay Legislative
¾ 6th December is observed to commemorate the
Assembly as a legislator (MLA).
unfathomable contribution to society given by Dr.
€ He was appointed to the Executive Council of
Bhimrao Ambedkar and his achievements. Owing to
Ambedkar’s status as a Buddhist leader, his death Viceroy as a Labour member in 1942.
anniversary is referred to as Mahaparinirvan Diwas. € In 1947, Dr. Ambedkar accepted PM Nehru’s
invitation to become Minister of Law in the first
Who was Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar? Cabinet of independent India.
¾ About: ¾ Shift to Buddhism:
€ Babasaheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar was a social € He resigned from the cabinet in 1951, over

reformer, jurist, economist, author, polyglot differences on the Hindu Code Bill.

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w w w. d r i s h ti IA S. c om PT SPRINT (2023) History 35
€ He converted to Buddhism in 1956.
€ He was awarded India’s highest civilian honour
the Bharat Ratna in 1990.
¾ Important Works:
€ Journals:
z Mooknayak (1920)
z Bahishkrit Bharat (1927)
z Samatha (1929)
z Janata (1930)
€ Books:
z Annihilation of Caste
z Buddha or Karl Marx
z The Untouchable: Who are They and Why They
Have Become Untouchables Who was Dr. Rajendra Prasad?
z Buddha and His Dhamma ¾ Birth:
z The Rise and Fall of Hindu Women € Son of Mahadev Sahai, he was born in Zeradei,
€ Organisations: Siwan, Bihar on 3rd December 1884.
z Bahishkrit Hitkarini Sabha (1923) ¾ Education:
z Independent Labor Party (1936) € He joined the famed Calcutta Presidency College
z Scheduled Castes Federation (1942) in 1902.
¾ Death: € In 1915, Prasad appeared in the examination of
€ He died on 6 December 1956.
th master’s in law from the Department of Law,
University of Calcutta, passed the examination
¾ Chaitya Bhoomi is a memorial to B R Ambedkar,
and won a gold medal.
located in Mumbai.
€ In 1916, he commenced his legal career in the
¾ Relevance of Ambedkar in Present Times:
Patna High Court. He completed his Doctorate in
€ Caste-based inequality in India still persists. While
Law from Allahabad University in 1937.
Dalits have acquired a political identity through
¾ Role in Fight for Freedom:
reservation and forming their own political
parties, they lack behind in social dimensions € Association with Gandhiji:
(health and education) and economic dimension. z While Gandhiji was on a fact-finding mission
€ There has been a rise of communal polarization in Chamaparan district of Bihar to address
and communalization of politics. It is necessary grievances of local peasants, he called on Dr.
that Ambedkar’s vision of constitutional morality Rajendra Prasad to come to Champaran with
must supersede religious morality to avoid volunteers.
permanent damage to the Indian Constitution. „ Gandhiji’s influence greatly altered many of
his views, most importantly on caste and
untouchability.
Dr. Rajendra Prasad z The Champaran Satyagraha not only brought
him closer to Mahatma Gandhi, but also
Why in News? changed the entire course of his life.
The President of India paid floral tributes to Dr. z The Rowlatt Act of 1918 and the Jallianwala
Rajendra Prasad, the First President of India, on his birth Bagh massacre of 1919 pushed Rajendra
anniversary at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 3rd December 2022. Prasad closer to Gandhiji.

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36 PT SPRINT (2023) History www.d rish t i I A S . c o m

€Call for Non-cooperation: Two and a half years after independence, on 26th
€

z Dr. Prasad called for non-cooperation in Bihar January 1950, the Constitution of independent
as part of Gandhiji’s non-cooperation India was ratified and he was elected India’s First
movement. President.
¾ Awards & Recognition:
€ National College:
€ In 1962, after 12 years as President, Dr. Prasad
z He gave up his law practice and started a
retired, and was subsequently awarded the
National College near Patna, 1921.
Bharat Ratna, the nation’s highest civilian award.
€ Salt Satyagraha:
€ Dr. Prasad recorded his life and the decades before
z In March 1930, Gandhiji launched the Salt independence in many books, which includes:
Satyagraha. Under the guidance of Dr. Prasad, z Satyagraha at Champaran
a salt Satyagraha was launched in Nakhas Pond,
z India Divided
Bihar.
z His autobiography “Atmakatha”
„ Batch after batch of volunteers courted
z Mahatma Gandhi and Bihar, Some Reminisences
arrest while making salt. He called for more
z Bapu ke Kadmon Mein
volunteers.
¾ Death:
„ Public opinion forced the Government to
€ Dr. Rajendra Prasad spent the last few months of
withdraw the police and allow the volunteers
his life in retirement at the Sadaqat Ashram in
to make salt.
Patna.
„ He then sold the manufactured salt to raise
€ He died on 28th February 1963.
funds. He was sentenced to six months
imprisonment.
¾ Dr. Prasad & Indian National Congress: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
€ He officially joined the Indian National Congress
in 1911, during its annual session held in Calcutta. Why in News?
€ He presided over the Bombay session of the On National Unity Day 2022, the Union Home
Indian National Congress in October 1934. Minister of India remembered Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
€ Following the resignation of Subhash Chandra
on his 147th birth anniversary saying that the latter
realised the dream of a strong and united India with his
Bose as the President of the Congress in April
farsightedness.
1939, He was elected President for the second
time. Why is National Unity Day Celebrated?
€ In 1946, he joined the Interim Government of
¾ National Unity Day is celebrated every year on 31st
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru as the Minister of Food October to commemorate the birth anniversary of
& Agriculture and gave the slogan of “Grow More Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. It is also known as
Food”. Rashtriya Ekta Diwas.
¾ Dr. Prasad & Constituent Assembly: € The reason behind the celebration of this day is
€ In July 1946, when the Constituent Assembly was to make people aware of the ideas of staying
established to frame the Constitution of India, he together and uplifting society.
was elected its President. € It was celebrated for the first time in 2014.

€ Committees of Constituent Assembly under the ¾ Several events are organised on this day like ‘Run For
chairmanship of Dr. Prasad includes: Unity’ - a nationwide marathon to increase awareness
z Ad hoc Committee on the National flag
about the contribution of Sardar Patel to national
integrity, National Unity pledge, etc.
z Committee on the Rules of Procedure
¾ In 2018, the Government of India unveiled the
z Finance and Staff Committee
‘Statue of Unity’ in Gujarat to mark the 143rd birth
z Steering Committee anniversary of Sardar Patel.

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w w w. d r i s h ti IA S. c om PT SPRINT (2023) History 37
What is the Statue of Unity? €During 1930 Salt Satyagraha (prayer and fasting
movement), Sardar Patel served three months
¾ The Statue of Unity is the tallest statue in the world.
imprisonment.
At 182 meters, it is 23 meters taller than China’s
Spring Temple Buddha statue and almost double € In March 1931 Patel presided over the Karachi

the height of the Statue of Liberty (93 meters tall) session (46th session) of the Indian National
in the US. Congress which was called upon to ratify the
Gandhi-lrwin Pact.
¾ In January 2020, it was added to the ‘Eight Wonders’
of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). ¾ Integration of the Princely States:
€ Sardar Patel played a key role in the integration
Who was Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel? of about 565 princely states into the Indian Union.
¾ About: € Few princely states like Travancore, Hyderabad,

€ He was born on 31st October 1875 in Nadiad, Junagadh, Bhopal, and Kashmir were averse to
Gujarat. joining the state of India.
€ Sardar Patel was the first Home Minister and € Sardar Patel worked tirelessly to build a consensus

Deputy Prime Minister of India. with the princely states but did not hesitate in
€ He is recognized as the real unifier of India for his
employing methods of Sama, Dama, Dand and
colossal contribution to integrate and make India Bhed wherever necessary.
a united (Ek Bharat) and an independent nation. € He had used force to annex princely states of

€ He requested the people of India to live together

Junagadh ruled by Nawab and Hyderabad ruled
by uniting in order to create Shresth Bharat by Nizam, both of whom had wished not to merge
(Foremost India). their respective states with the Union of India.
€ Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel stitched the princely
€ This ideology is still reflected in the Atmanirbhar
Bharat initiative which seeks to make India Self- states along with British Indian territory and
Reliant. prevented the balkanization of India.
€ He is known as the “Iron Man of India” for playing
€ He is also remembered as the ‘Patron saint of
an important role in unification and integration
India’s civil servants’ as he established the
of Indian princely states into the Indian federation
modern all-India services system.
and for convincing princely states to align with the
¾ Role in Framing Constitution:
Indian Union.
€ He headed various Committees of the Constituent
¾ Death:
Assembly of India, namely:
€ 15th December 1950 in Bombay.
€ Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights.

€ Committee on Minorities and Tribal and Excluded

Areas. Jawaharlal Nehru
€ Provincial Constitution Committee.

¾ Major Contributions: Why in News?

€ He worked extensively against alcohol India is celebrating Children’s Day on 14th November
consumption, untouchability, caste 2022 to commemorate the 133rd birth anniversary of the
discrimination and for women emancipation in Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
Gujarat and outside. ¾ World Children’s Day is celebrated on 20th November
€ He integrated the farmer’s cause in Kheda each year.
Satyagraha (1918) and Bardoli Satyagraha (1928)
with the national freedom movement. Who was Jawaharlal Nehru?
€ Women of Bardoli bestowed the title ‘Sardar’ on ¾ About:
Vallabhbhai Patel, which means ‘a Chief or a € Birth: 14th November 1889 in Allahabad, Uttar
Leader’. Pradesh.

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38 PT SPRINT (2023) History www.d rish t i I A S . c o m

Father’s Name: Motilal Nehru (a lawyer who held

€ €Nehru introduced the historic ‘Quit India’
the office of Indian National Congress as President movement at the All-India Congress Committee
two times.) session in Bombay in 1942.
€ Mother’s Name: Swarup Rani € Nehru along with other leaders was arrested on

¾ Contribution in Indian Freedom Movement: August 8, 1942 and taken to Ahmednagar Fort.
€ Nehru participated in the Bankipore Congress as € He was released in 1945 and went on to arrange

a delegate in 1912. legal defence for officers and troops accused with
disloyalty in the Indian National Army (INA).
€ In 1916, he joined Annie Besant’s Home Rule
€ He was chosen to serve as the president of Indian
League.
National Congress fourth time in 1946.
z He became Secretary of the Home Rule
€ To recommend a strategy for the transfer of
League, Allahabad in 1919.
power, the Cabinet Mission was dispatched to
€ When the Non-Cooperation Movement began in
India in 1946.
1920, he interacted with Mahatma Gandhi and
z An interim government headed by Jawaharlal
joined the national independence movement.
Nehru as Prime Minister was formed.
€ In 1921, he was detained on suspicion of engaging
€ On August 15, 1947, India attained independence
in anti-government activity.
but also suffered the pain of partition.
€ Nehru was appointed as General Secretary of the
¾ First Prime Minister of India:
All India Congress Committee in September 1923.
€ A princely state must join in the constituent
€ Since 1927, he has twice served as the general
assembly, according to Nehru, who also affirms
secretary of the Congress party.
that there would be no princely states in an
€ Nehru was lathi-charged in Lucknow in 1928
independent India.
while leading a protest against the Simon
€ He assigned Vallabhbai Patel to oversee the
Commission.
effective integration of the states.
€ Nehru was elected as president of the Lahore
€ India became a sovereign democratic republic on
Session of Indian National Congress in 1929.
January 26, 1950, when the new Indian
z Nehru advocated for India’s complete Constitution came into effect.
independence in this session. € In order to divide up states according to languages,
€ In 1929-31, he drafted a resolution called Jawaharlal Nehru created the states
Fundamental Rights and Economic Policy, which reorganization committee in 1953.
outlined the congress’s main goals and the € In addition to promoting democratic socialism,
nation’s future. he promoted India’s industrialization by carrying
z The resolution was ratified by the Congress out the first five-year plans.
party during the Karachi Session in 1931, which € The Non-alignment movement (NAM) is regarded
was presided over by Saradar Vallabhai Patel. as his greatest geopolitical accomplishment.
€ He participated in the Salt Satyagraha in 1930 and
z India decided to not align with any superpower
was put in jail. during the cold war era after World War II.
€ Nehru became a more prominent leader within € His final term as prime minister was troubled by
the Congress and grew close to Mahatma Gandhi. the Sino-Indian War, 1962.
€ In 1936, he presided over the Lucknow session of € He promoted democratic socialism during his 17
the Indian National Congress. years as prime minister, highlighting the necessity
€ Nehru was arrested for attempting to organize an for India to attain both democracy and socialism.
individual satyagraha to oppose India’s forced € His internal policies were founded on the four
participation in the war. tenets of democracy, socialism, unification, and
€ He took part in the civil disobedience movement secularism. He was able to incorporate these
in 1940, for which he received a four-year jail pillars into the construction of new independent
term. India.

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w w w. d r i s h ti IA S. c om PT SPRINT (2023) History 39
¾ Books Written: The Discovery of India, Glimpses of € He planned programmes to produce a number of
World History, An Autobiography, Letters from a successful missiles, which helped earn him the
Father to His Daughter. nickname “Missile Man of India”.
¾ Death: 27th May 1964. ¾ Awards Received:
€ He was awarded the coveted civilian awards -
Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Padma Bhushan (1981) and Padma Vibhushan
(1990) and the highest civilian award Bharat Ratna
(1997).
Why in News?
¾ Literary Works:
Recently, the Prime Minister paid tribute to the
€ “Wings of Fire”, “India 2020 - A Vision for the New
former President APJ Abdul Kalam on his 90th birth
Millennium”, “My journey” and “Ignited Minds -
anniversary.
Unleashing the power within India”, “Indomitable
Spirit ”, “Guiding Souls”, “Envisioning an
Empowered Nation”, “Inspiring Thoughts” etc.
¾ Death:
€ 27th July 2015 at Shillong, Meghalaya.

What has been the Contribution of Dr A. P. J.

Abdul Kalam?
¾ His Contribution:
€ Pioneer in Fiberglass Technology:
z He was a pioneer in fiberglass technology and
led a young team to initiate this effort in ISRO
from design, development leading to the
production of composites rocket motor cases.
€ Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-3):
z He made a significant contribution as Project
Who was Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam? Director to develop India’s first indigenous
¾ About: Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-3) which
€ Born on 15th October 1931 at Rameswaram in successfully injected the Rohini satellite into
Tamil Nadu. Near-Earth Orbit in July 1980 and made India
an exclusive member of Space Club.
€ His birth anniversary is celebrated as the National
Innovation Day and World Students’ Day. z He was responsible for the evolution of ISRO’s
launch vehicle programme, particularly the
€ He graduated in Science from St Joseph’s College,
Trichy in 1954 and specialized in Aeronautical PSLV configuration.
Engineering from Madras Institute of Technology € Indigenous Guided Missiles:
(MIT) in 1957. z After working for two decades in ISRO and
€ He is one of the most distinguished scientists of mastering launch vehicle technologies, he took
India with the unique honour of receiving up the responsibility of developing Indigenous
honorary doctorates from 48 Universities and Guided Missiles at the DRDO.
institutions from India and abroad. z He was the Chief Executive of Integrated
€ He was sworn in as India’s 11 President in 2002
th Guided Missile Development Programme
and completed the full term in 2007. (IGMDP).

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40 PT SPRINT (2023) History www.d rish t i I A S . c o m

z He led to the weaponization of strategic missile

systems and the Pokhran-II nuclear tests in Acharya Vinoba Bhave
collaboration with the Department of Atomic
Energy, which made India a nuclear weapon Why in News?
State.
Recently, the Prime Minister paid rich tributes to
€ Technology Vision 2020:
Acharya Vinoba Bhave on his birth Anniversary.
z In 1998, he put forward a countrywide plan
called Technology Vision 2020, which he What do we need to know about Acharya
described as a road map for transforming India Vinoba Bhave?
from a less-developed to a developed society
in 20 years.
z The plan called for, among other measures,
i n c re a s i n g a g r i c u l t u ra l p ro d u c t i v i t y,
emphasising technology as a vehicle for
economic growth, and widening access to
health care and education.
€ Medical and Healthcare:
z APJ Abdul Kalam in collaboratation with
cardiologist B. Soma Raju designed a cost-
effective coronary stent known as ‘Kalam-Raju-
Stent’ for coronary heart disease which made
healthcare accessible to all.
z The device led to reduction of prices of
imported coronary stents in India by more than
50%.
€ Light Combat Aircraft project:
z He was deeply involved in the country’s Light
Combat Aircraft project.
z He had been associated with avionics. He also
became the first Indian Head of State to fly a
fighter plane. His first aeronautical project led
him to designing India’s first indigenous
hovercraft ‘Nandi”. ¾ Brief Profile:
€ Acharya Vinoba Bhave was a nonviolence activist,
z A hovercraft is a vehicle that can travel over
land, water, mud and ice by lifting itself off the freedom activist, social reformer and spiritual
ground with large blowers that create an air teacher.
cushion beneath the craft. € Being an avid follower of Mahatma Gandhi,

€ Others: Vinoba upheld his doctrines of non-violence and

equality.
z He was passionate about bringing rural
prosperity through PURA (Providing Urban € He dedicated his life to serve the poor and the

Amenities to Rural Areas), in which science downtrodden, and stood up for their rights.
and technology has to play a key role. ¾ Awards & Recognition:
z Based on his diverse experience he propagated € Vinoba was the first recipient of the international
the concept of World Knowledge Platform Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community
through which the core competencies of Leadership in 1958.
organizations and nations can be synergized to € He was also conferred with the Bharat Ratna
innovate and create solutions and products for (India’s highest civilian awards) posthumously in
the challenges of the 21st century. 1983.

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w w w. d r i s h ti IA S. c om PT SPRINT (2023) History 41
¾ Association with Gandhi: €Vinoba asked the landlords of the village to come
Vinoba met Gandhi on 7th June 1916 and took
€ forward and save the Harijans.
residence at the Ashram. € A landlord got up and offered the required land.

€ Gandhi’s teachings led Bhave to a life of austerity It was the beginning of the Bhoodan (Gift of the
dedicated to improving Indian village life. Land) movement.
€ The name Vinoba (a traditional Marathi epithet € The movement continued for thirteen years and

signifying great respect) was conferred upon him Vinoba toured the length and breadth of the
by Mama Phadke, another member of the country, a total distance of 58741 Km.
Ashram. € He was successful in collecting around 4.4 million
¾ Role in Freedom Struggle: acres of land, of which around 1.3 million was
€ He took part in programs of non-cooperation and distributed among poor landless farmers.
especially the call for use of Swadeshi goods € The movement attracted admiration from all over
instead of foreign imports. the world and was commended for being the only
€ He took up the spinning wheel churning out Khadi experiment of his kind to incite voluntary social
and urged others to do so, resulting in mass justice.
production of the fabric. ¾ Religious Work:
€ In 1932, Vinoba was sent to jail for six months to € He set up a number of Ashrams to promote a
Dhulia as he was accused of conspiracy against simple way of life, devoid of luxuries that took
British rule. away one’s focus from the Divine.
€ During the imprisonment, he explained to fellow € He established the Brahma Vidya Mandir in 1959,
prisoners the different subjects of ‘Bhagwad Gita’, a small community for women, aiming at self-
in Marathi. sufficiency on the lines of Mahatma Gandhi’s
€ He was also chosen as the first Individual teachings.
Satyagrahi (an Individual standing up for Truth € He took a strong stand on cow slaughter and
instead of a collective action) by Gandhi himself. declared to go on fast until it was banned in India.
€ He served a five-year prison sentence in the 1940s ¾ Literary Work:
for leading nonviolent resistance to British rule.
€ His important books include: Swarajya Sastra,
€ He was given the honorific title “Acharya”
Geeta Pravachane, Teesri Shakti or The Third
(teacher). Power etc.
¾ Role in Social Work: ¾ Death:
€ He worked tirelessly towards eradicating social
€ Died in 1982, Wardha, Maharashtra.
evils like inequality.
€ Influenced by the examples set by Gandhi, he took
up the cause of people who were referred to as Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee
Harijans by Gandhi.
€ He adopted the term Sarvodaya from Gandhi Why in News?
which simply means “Progress for All”. The Union Home Minister paid tribute to Dr. Shyama
€ T h e S a r v o d aya m o v e m e n t u n d e r h i m Prasad Mukherjee on his birth anniversary.
implemented various programs during the 1950s,
the chief among which is the Bhoodan Movement. Who was Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee?
¾ Bhoodan Movement: ¾ Shyama Prasad Mukherjee was born in a Bengali
€ In 1951, Vinoba Bhave started his peace-trek on Brahmin family on the 6th July, 1901, in Calcutta.
foot through the violence-torn region of Telangana. ¾ He was an Indian politician, barrister, and
€ On 19th 1951, the Harijans of the Pochampalli academician who served as the Minister for Industry
village requested him to provide them with and Supply in Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s
around 80 acres of land to make a living. cabinet.

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42 PT SPRINT (2023) History www.d rish t i I A S . c o m

Why do we Celebrate Janjatiya Gaurav Divas?

¾ The Janjatiya Gaurav Divas is celebrated every year
to recognize the efforts of the tribals in the
preservation of cultural heritage and promotion of
Indian values of national pride, valour, and hospitality.
¾ Tribals held several tribal movements across
different regions of India against the British colonial
rule. These tribal communities include Tamars,
Santhals, Khasis, Bhils, Mizos, and Kols to name a
few.

Who were the Tribal Freedom Fighters?

¾ Birsa Munda:
€ Birsa Munda born on 15th November 1875 was a
member of the Munda Tribe of the Chhota
¾ At the age of 33, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee became Nagpur Plateau.
the youngest vice-chancellor of Calcutta University € He was an Indian freedom fighter, religious
in 1934. leader, and folk hero.
¾ During His term as Vice-Chancellor, Rabindranath € He spearheaded an Indian tribal religious
Tagore delivered the university convocation address Millenarian movement during British rule in the
in Bengali for the first time, and the Indian vernacular late 19th century across the tribal belt of modern-
was introduced as a subject for the highest day Jharkhand and Bihar.
examination. z Birsa was a close observer of the Sardari Larai
¾ He demanded the partition of Bengal in 1946 to movement in the region in the 1880s, which
prevent the inclusion of its Hindu-majority areas in sought to restore tribal rights through
a Muslim-dominated East Pakistan. nonviolent means such as petitioning the
¾ He also opposed a failed bid for a united but British government. These demands, however,
were ignored by the harsh colonial authority.
independent Bengal made in 1947 by Sarat Bose,
€ The tribals were quickly demoted from
the brother of Subhas Chandra Bose, and Huseyn
Shaheed Suhrawardy, a Bengali Muslim politician. landowners to labourers under the zamindari
system, which resulted in Birsa taking up the cause
¾ He founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS), the
of the Adivasis.
predecessor of the modern-day Bharatiya Janata
€ Birsa Munda went on to form Birsait, a new
Party (BJP).
religion.
¾ In 1953, to protest against the special status given
z The religion preached the belief in a single
to Kashmir he tried to enter Kashmir without seeking God and urged people to return to their old
permission and was arrested. He died in mysterious religious convictions. People began to refer to
circumstances during detention. him as a cost-effective religious healer, a
miracle worker, and a preacher.
Janjatiya Gaurav Divas € People from Oraon and Munda became convinced
Birsaites, and many began calling him ‘Dharti
Abba, meaning Father of the Earth.’ He brought
Why in News? a fresh perspective to the religious realm.
Recently, the President of India on the occasion of € Birsa Munda led the rebellion that came to be
the Janjatiya Gaurav Divas (15th November 2022) paid known as Ulgulan (revolt) or the Munda rebellion
tribute to the freedom fighter Bhagwan Birsa Munda against the British government-imposed feudal
on his birth anniversary. state system.

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w w w. d r i s h ti IA S. c om PT SPRINT (2023) History 43
€ He awakened the masses and sowed the seeds of € He became a sanyasi at the age of 18, and gained
revolt in them against the landlords as well as the a mystical aura among the hill and tribal peoples
Britishers. with his austerity, knowledge of astrology and
€ His struggle against the exploitation and medicine, and his ability to tame wild animals.
discrimination against tribals led to the passing
of the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act in 1908 which
restricted the passing of land from the tribal
people to non-tribals.
¾ Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh:
€ He is considered the Pride of Sonakhan in
Chhattisgarh, he looted trader’s grain stock and
distributed them amongst the poor after the 1856
famine.
€ The sacrifice of Veer Narayan Singh made him a
tribal leader and he became the first martyr from
Chhattisgarh in the independence struggle of
1857.
¾ Sidhu and Kanhu Murmu:
€ On 30th June 1855, two years before the Great
Revolt of 1857, two Santhal brothers Sidhu and
Kanhu Murmu organised 10,000 Santhals and
proclaimed a rebellion against the British.
€ The tribals took an oath to drive away from the
British from their homeland. The Murmu brothers’
sisters Phulo and Jhano also played an active part
in the rebellion.

¾ Freedom Movement:
Alluri Sitarama Raju € At a very young age, Raju channelled the
discontent of the hill people in Ganjam,
Why in News? Visakhapatnam, and Godavari into a highly
Prime Minister has unveiled a bronze statue of Alluri effective guerrilla resistance against the British.
Sitharama Raju in Andhra Pradesh to celebrate 125th z Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare
birth anniversary on 4th July 2022. in which small groups of combatants use
¾ As part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, Government is military tactics including ambushes, sabotage,
giving due recognition to the contribution of raids, petty warfare, hit-and-run tactics, and
freedom fighters and making people across the mobility, to fight a larger and less-mobile
country aware of them. traditional military.
€ Colonial rule threatened the tribals’ traditional
Who Was Alluri Sitarama Raju?
podu (shifting) cultivation, as the government
¾ About: sought to secure forest lands.
€ He was an Indian revolutionary involved in the € He became involved in anti-British activities in
Indian independence movement. response to the 1882 Madras Forest Act, which
€ He was born in present-day Andhra Pradesh in effectively restricted the free movement of
1897 or 1898. Adivasis (tribal communities) in their forest

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44 PT SPRINT (2023) History www.d rish t i I A S . c o m

habitats and prevented them from practicing a India), on the grounds that the law-and-order
traditional form of agriculture known as podu situation in Hyderabad threatened the peace of South
(shifting cultivation). India.
€ Rising discontent towards the British led to the € The troops met little resistance by the Razakars

Rampa Rebellion/Manyam Rebellion of 1922, in (the private militia who were resisting the
which he played a major part as a leader. integration), and between the 13 th and 18 th
z The Rampa Rebellion coincided with Mahatma
September, the military took complete control
Gandhi’s Non-Cooperation Movement. He of the state.
persuaded people to wear khadi and give up € The operation led to massive communal violence

drinking. with estimates of deaths ranging from the official

one of 27,000 to 40,000 to scholarly ones of
z But at the same time, he asserted that India
200,000 or more.
could be liberated only by the use of force, not
non-violence. ¾ After the integration, the Nizam was retained as the
head of state in the same manner as the other
€ He was nicknamed “Manyam Veerudu” (Hero of
princes who acceded to India.
the Jungle) by local villagers for his heroic exploits.
¾ He thereupon, disowned the complaints that had
€ In 1924, Raju was taken into police custody, tied
been made to the UN and, despite vehement protests
to a tree, and shot by a public execution,
from Pakistan and strong criticism from other
effectively ending the armed rebellion
countries, the UN Security Council did not deal
further with the question, and Hyderabad was
Hyderabad Liberation Day absorbed into India.

Why in News? Goa's Liberation Struggle

The Telangana Government and Central government
will observe 75 years of Liberation of Hyderabad on 17th Why in News
September 2022 to signify the merger of erstwhile Recently, the liberation of Goa became a
Hyderabad State under Nizam rule with the Indian controversial topic during the political campaign in the
Union. election of Goa.
¾ In 1962, Goa was liberated from Portuguese rule, 15
What is the History about Integration of
years after India attained freedom in 1947. Goa, not
Princely State of Hyderabad into India? becoming independent immediately after
¾ Hyderabad was one of the largest natives/princely independence was because of a variety of complex
states in India. It was ruled by the Nizams who factors.
accepted the paramountcy of the British sovereign. ¾ Goa was liberated on 19th December 1961 (Statehood
¾ The Nizam of Hyderabad like the Nawab of Junagadh Day of Goa) by swift Indian military action that lasted
and the ruler of Kashmir did not accede to India less than two days.
before the date of independence, i.e., 15th August
1947. What is the Timeline of Integration of Goa into
¾ He was encouraged by Pakistan and Muslim natives the Indian Union?
peoples, to stay as an independent power and ¾ Relations between India and Portugal began
improve his armed forces to resist the integration. amicably in 1947 after India’s independence and
¾ During this military improvisation, internal chaos diplomatic relations were established in 1949.
emerged in the state of Hyderabad because of which, ¾ Bilateral relations however went into decline after
on 13th September 1948, the Indian Army was sent 1950 over Portugal’s refusal to surrender its enclaves
into Hyderabad under Operation Polo (military of Goa, Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli
operation to annex Hyderabad into the Union of on India’s west coast.

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w w w. d r i s h ti IA S. c om PT SPRINT (2023) History 45
€ Daman & Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli were ¾ It brought an end to 451 years of Portuguese
integrated into India in 1961. overseas provincial governance in Goa.

What is the History of Goa’s Freedom

Movement?
¾ Goa became a Portuguese colony in 1510, when
Admiral Afonso de Albuquerque defeated the forces
of the sultan of Bjiapur, Yusuf Adil Shah.
¾ By the turn of the twentieth century, Goa had started
to witness an upsurge of nationalist sentiment
opposed to Portugal’s colonial rule, in sync with the
anti-British nationalist movement in the rest of India.
¾ Stalwarts such Tristão de Bragança Cunha, celebrated
as the father of Goan nationalism, founded the Goa
National Congress at the Calcutta session of the
Indian National Congress in 1928.
¾ In 1946, the socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia led
a historic rally in Goa that gave a call for civil liberties
and freedom, and eventual integration with India,
which became a watershed moment in Goa’s
freedom struggle.
¾ At the same time, there was a thinking that civil
liberties could not be won by peaceful methods, and
a more aggressive armed struggle was needed. This
was the view of the Azad Gomantak Dal (AGD).
¾ As India moved towards independence, however, it
became clear that Goa would not be free any time
soon, because of a variety of complex factors like:
€ Trauma of Partition

€ Experience of War with Pakistan

¾ Portugal had changed its constitution in 1951 to claim € India wanted to showcase itself as a peace-
Goa not as a colonial possession, but as an overseas abiding nation.
province.
€ Portugal being member of NATO
€ The move was apparently aimed at making Goa a
¾ These factors kept the Government of India from
part of the newly formed North Atlantic Treaty
opening another front in which the international
Organisation (NATO) military alliance.
community could get involved.
€ It was intended to invoke the collective security
clause of the treaty, in the event of an attack by ¾ Besides, it was Mahatma Gandhi’s opinion that a lot
India. of groundwork was still needed in Goa to raise the
consciousness of the people, and the diverse political
¾ By 1955, the two nations had cut off diplomatic
voices emerging within should be brought under a
relations, triggering a crisis which precipitated the
common umbrella first.
liberation of Goa by Indian military forces, ending
Portuguese rule over Indian enclaves in 1961. ¾ The dichotomies within the groups fighting
¾ In 1961, after the failure of diplomatic efforts with
(Satyagraha vs Military Action) for freedom in Goa,
the Portuguese, the Indian Government launched also led to delay in liberation of Goa.
Operation Vijay and annexed Daman and Diu and € The idea of satyagraha emphasised the power of

Goa with the Indian mainland on 19th December. truth and the need to search for truth.

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46 PT SPRINT (2023) History www.d rish t i I A S . c o m

€ It suggested that if the cause was true, if the ¾ Geographical location: The state was formed out of
struggle was against injustice, then physical force Assam in the year 1987.
was not necessary to fight the oppressor. € In the west, Arunachal Pradesh is bordered by
Bhutan and in the north falls the Tibetan region
Statehood Day of Arunachal of China.
€ In the Southeastern region falls Nagaland and
Pradesh and Mizoram Myanmar and to the southwestern region falls
Assam.
Why in News? ¾ Demography: The capital of Arunachal Pradesh is
Recently, the Prime Minister of India extended his Itanagar.
wishes to the people of Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram € The total literacy rate of the state (as per Census
on their 36th Statehood Day. 2011) is 65.38% with male literacy rate being
¾ The formalization of Mizoram State took place on 72.55% and for females, it is 57.70%.
20th February 1987 after the 53rd Amendment of the
€ The Sex Ratio of the states is 938 female per 1000
Indian Constitution, 1986.
male (National: 943)
¾ Through the 55 th amendment to the Indian
€ The state is home to 26 major tribes, there are
Constitution in 1986, Arunachal Pradesh became the
more than 100 sub-tribes, many of them are still
24th state of the Indian Union on 20th February 1987.
unexplored. About 65% of the population of the
state is tribals.
¾ Occupation: Mostly the population of the state
depends on Agriculture, mainly Jhum cultivation
(slash and burn cultivation).
€ Other cultivation of cash crops is also done like
potatoes.
€ Horticulture crops such as pineapple, apple,
oranges, etc are also done.
¾ Biodiversity:
€ State Animal: Mithun (also known as Gayal)

€ State Bird: Hornbill

€ It is also home to the Dihang Dibang Biosphere

Reserve.
¾ Protected Areas:
€ Namdapha National Park

€ Mouling National Park

€ Sessa Orchid Sanctuary

€ Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary

What do we Know about Arunachal Pradesh? € Pakke Tiger Reserve

¾ Historical Background: During the British Colonial ¾ Tribals of Arunachal: The significant tribal groups
Rule, until 1972, the state was named as the North- include Monpas, Nyishis, Apatanis, Noctes and
East Frontier Agency (NEFA). Sherdukpens.
€ On 20th January, 1972, it became a Union Territory € Monpas: They are believed to be the only nomadic

and was named Arunachal Pradesh. It was granted tribe of northeast, inhabit the West Kameng and
statehood by the State of Arunachal Pradesh Act, Tawang districts, are essentially Buddhists who
1986. follow the Mahayana sect.

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w w w. d r i s h ti IA S. c om PT SPRINT (2023) History 47
€ Apatanis: They practice pre-Aryan beliefs, which € The Literacy rate of the state is 91.58 % (National:
is evident from their worship of trees, rocks and 74.04%).
plants amongst other things. They mainly practise ¾ Biodiversity: According to India State of Forest
bamboo cultivation. Report (ISFR), 2021 Mizoram has the maximum
€ Noctes: Found in the Tirap district, they follow forest cover as a percentage of their own geographical
Theravada Buddhism and Animism. area at (84.53%) from the North eastern region of
€ Sherdukpens: A small tribal group, they are one the country.
of the most progressive tribes that can be found € State Animal: Saza (serow)
in Arunachal Pradesh practising agriculture, € State Bird: Vavu (Hume Bartailed Pheasant).
fishing and rearing of livestock. Although they ¾ Protected Areas:
have adopted Buddhism, most of their practices
€ Dampa Tiger Reserve
still remain pre-Buddhist and more Animistic.
€ Murlen National Park
€ Nyishis: They are the most populous tribe of
€ Phawngpui National Park
Arunachal Pradesh and are mainly involved in
shifting cultivation and produce rice, millet, € Ngengpui Wildlife Sanctuary

cucumber, etc. € Tawi Wildlife Sanctuary

¾ Tribals: It has the highest concentration (percentage)

What do we know about Mizoram? of tribal population among all states of India.
¾ Historical background: The Mizo hills area became € Mizos consist of 5 major and 11 minor tribes
the Lushai Hills district within Assam at the time of known as Awzia. The 5 major tribes include:
independence. Further, in 1954 it was renamed the Lushei, Ralte, Hmar, Paihte and Pawi.
Mizo Hills District of Assam. € The Mizos are a close- knit society with no class
€ Mizoram was granted the status of a Union distinction and discrimination on grounds of sex,
Territory in 1972 after signing an accord with the status or religion.
moderates of the Mizo National Front (MNF). € Mizos are agriculturists, practise “Jhum
€ The Union Territory of Mizoram was conferred the Cultivation” or slash- and- burn system of
status of a full state in 1986 after signing of a cultivation.
memorandum of settlement (Mizoram Peace ¾ Festivals and Dance: The Mizos have two main
Accord) between the Central government and the festivals- Mim Kut and Ch apchar Kut.
MNF.
€ Mim Kut: It is a Maize festival that is celebrated
¾ Geographical Location: during the months of August and September, after
€ International Border: Myanmar and Bangladesh the harvest of maize.
€ State Border: Tripura (northwest), Assam (north) € Chapchar Kut: It is a Spring Festival, most popular
and Manipur (northeast). and celebrated after completion of the task of
¾ Demography: Mizoram population in 2022 is jungle clearing for “jhum” operations.
estimated to be 1.27 Million and is the second least € The most colourful and distinctive dance of the
populous state in India after Sikkim. Mizo is called Cheraw. Long bamboo staves are
€ The Sex Ratio is 975 female per 1000 male used for this dance, therefore many people call it
(National: 943). ‘Bamboo Dance’.

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