Revolutionary Activities and the INA

While Congress led mass movements, revolutionary nationalists chose armed action. NDA tests names, organisations, key events (Kakori, Saunders murder, INA), and Subhas Bose's role.

Early Revolutionaries (1900-1920s)

• Bengal — Anushilan Samiti (1902): Founded by Pramatha Mitra, Aurobindo Ghosh, Barindra Ghosh, Sister Nivedita. Split into Dhaka and Calcutta branches.
• Jugantar (1906): Bengali revolutionary group. Aurobindo, Barindra Ghosh, Bhupendranath Datta (Vivekananda's brother).
• Alipore Bomb Case (1908): Aurobindo Ghosh arrested for Muzaffarpur bombing (Khudiram Bose, Prafulla Chaki — 18 years old, hanged). Aurobindo acquitted.
• Maharashtra — Chapekar brothers (1897): Assassinated W.C. Rand (plague commissioner) and Lt Ayerst at Pune. Inspired by Tilak.
• V.D. Savarkar: Abhinav Bharat Society. Wrote First War of Indian Independence (banned). Imprisoned in Cellular Jail.
• Madan Lal Dhingra (1909): Assassinated Curzon Wyllie in London. Hanged.

Ghadar Party

• Founded: 1913, San Francisco. Headquarters: Yugantar Ashram.
• Founders: Sohan Singh Bhakna (founder-president), Lala Hardayal (ideologue), Kartar Singh Sarabha, Pandit Kanshi Ram.
• Mostly Punjabi: Diaspora in USA, Canada, then East Africa.
• WW1 plan: Massive armed revolt in India coinciding with British war engagement. Funds and arms organised.
• Plot uncovered: Komagata Maru incident (1914 — Sikh passengers refused entry to Canada, returned to Calcutta, fired upon). Lahore Conspiracy Case 1915 — Kartar Singh Sarabha hanged at 19.

Bhagat Singh and the HSRA

• Hindustan Republican Association (HRA, 1924): Founded by Sachindranath Sanyal, Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee. Aim: armed revolution to establish Indian republic.
• Kakori Conspiracy (9 Aug 1925): Train robbery near Kakori (UP) to fund HRA. Trial — Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Roshan Singh, Rajendra Lahiri hanged 1927.
• HRA → HSRA (1928): Hindustan Socialist Republican Association. Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, Sukhdev, Rajguru, B.K. Dutt, Yashpal.
• Saunders shooting (17 Dec 1928, Lahore): Bhagat Singh and Rajguru killed J.P. Saunders (mistaken for Scott — the police officer responsible for the lathi-charge that killed Lala Lajpat Rai).
• Central Assembly bombing (8 April 1929): Bhagat Singh and B.K. Dutt threw harmless bombs in the Central Legislative Assembly, Delhi — to be heard. "It takes a loud voice to make the deaf hear." Surrendered intentionally.
• Lahore Conspiracy Case: Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru hanged 23 March 1931 (now Shaheedi Diwas).
• Chandrashekhar Azad: "Azad" (free) — never to be captured. Died in shootout at Alfred Park, Allahabad (27 Feb 1931).

Indian National Army (INA)

• Original INA (1942): Captain Mohan Singh organised Indian POWs in Singapore. Discontinued late 1942 after disputes with Japanese.
• Reorganised INA (1943-45): Under Subhas Chandra Bose.
• Subhas Chandra Bose timeline:
  • Pro-revolutionary INC member. Twice INC president (1938 Haripura, 1939 Tripuri).
  • Resigned after disputes with Gandhi. Founded Forward Bloc (1939).
  • Escaped house arrest in Calcutta (Jan 1941). Reached Berlin via Afghanistan, USSR.
  • Met Hitler 1942. Started 'Free India Centre' and Indian Legion in Germany.
  • 1943: Submarine journey to Japan. Took over leadership of INA.
  • 21 October 1943: Provisional Government of Free India ("Azad Hind") established at Singapore. Bose was Head of State, PM, Defence Minister, Commander-in-Chief. Recognised by 9 Axis powers including Japan, Italy, Croatia, Manchukuo.
  • March 1944: INA + Japanese army advanced into India through Imphal-Kohima.
  • Battle of Imphal-Kohima (Mar-Jul 1944): INA + Japanese defeated by British-Indian forces. INA retreated to Burma.
  • August 1945: Bose died (officially) in plane crash at Taihoku, Taiwan. Death long disputed.
• INA Slogans: "Dilli Chalo" (Onward to Delhi), "Jai Hind" (still India's national salute), "Tum mujhe khoon do, main tumhe azadi doonga" (Give me blood, I will give you freedom).
• Rani of Jhansi Regiment: All-women combat regiment of INA, led by Captain Lakshmi Sahgal.

NDA PYQ Examples

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Bhagat Singh throw bombs in the Central Assembly?

Not to kill but to be heard. He and B.K. Dutt threw two harmless bombs in the Central Legislative Assembly, Delhi (8 April 1929) and surrendered shouting 'Inquilab Zindabad' — to protest the Public Safety Bill and Trade Disputes Bill. "It takes a loud voice to make the deaf hear" — his quote.

Who founded the INA?

Captain Mohan Singh first organised it from Indian POWs in Singapore (1942). When that effort stalled, Subhas Chandra Bose reorganised and revitalised it from 1943 onwards. INA fought alongside Japanese forces against the British in Burma.

How did Subhas Chandra Bose escape India in 1941?

Bose was under house arrest in Elgin Road, Calcutta. On 16-17 January 1941, he escaped disguised as a Pathan to Peshawar, then through Afghanistan to USSR, and onwards to Berlin where he met Hitler. Helped by Bhagat Ram Talwar.

What happened to Subhas Chandra Bose?

Officially died in a plane crash at Taihoku (Taipei), Taiwan, on 18 August 1945. His death has long been disputed; multiple commissions (Shah Nawaz, Khosla, Mukherjee) probed it. Most recent (Mukherjee) doubted the plane crash version, but Indian government accepts the official account.

What was the impact of INA trials on India?

Red Fort trials (Nov 1945-Feb 1946) of three INA officers (a Hindu, a Sikh, a Muslim) galvanised Indian nationalism across communities. Mass protests, naval mutiny, hartals. British realised they had lost moral authority over their own army. Hastened decision to leave India.

Related Topics

NDA HistoryGandhian Era NDA HistoryMass Movements NDA History1857 Revolt NDA HistoryPost-Independence NDAHistory — Full Syllabus