6. REVOLUTIONARY / MILITANT NATIONALISM

6. REVOLUTIONARY / MILITANT NATIONALISM

Parallel to constitutional and mass movements, a stream of armed revolutionary activity persisted from the early 1900s to the 1930s.

6.1 Early Revolutionary Groups (Bengal & Maharashtra, early 1900s)

• Anushilan Samiti — founded in Calcutta (1902) by Pramathanath Mitra; secret society promoting physical and moral training for revolutionary action; had branches like the Dhaka Anushilan Samiti and the Jugantar group (which published the Jugantar newspaper, associated with Barindra Kumar Ghosh, brother of Aurobindo).
• Abhinav Bharat Society — founded by V.D. Savarkar in Nashik/Maharashtra (originally "Mitra Mela"), inspired by Mazzini's "Young Italy"; linked to the murder of Nashik Collector A.M.T. Jackson (1909).

6.2 Alipore Bomb Case (1908)

• Revolutionaries Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki attempted to assassinate British judge Douglas Kingsford at Muzaffarpur (April 1908) by bombing his carriage; instead killed two British women (Mrs & Miss Kennedy) by mistake.
• Prafulla Chaki shot himself to avoid capture; Khudiram Bose was hanged (11 August 1908) at age 18/19 — became a martyr-icon of revolutionary nationalism.
• Led to the Alipore Bomb Case (Muraripukur conspiracy case) — Aurobindo Ghosh and Barindra Kumar Ghosh among those arrested; Aurobindo was defended by Chittaranjan (C.R.) Das and acquitted; after this, Aurobindo withdrew from active politics towards spiritual pursuits (Pondicherry ashram).

6.3 Ghadar Party (1913)

• Founded in 1913 in San Francisco, USA, by Indian immigrants (mainly Punjabi Sikhs) — key founders Lala Hardayal, Sohan Singh Bhakna (first president), Kartar Singh Sarabha.
• Aimed to overthrow British rule through armed rebellion; published the newspaper "Ghadar" (meaning "Mutiny/Revolt").
• Planned a coordinated uprising in India during WWI ("Ghadar conspiracy"), timed to coincide with the arrival of the ship Komagata Maru and Indian soldiers; largely failed due to British intelligence infiltration; many members arrested/executed (Lahore Conspiracy Case, 1915).
• Komagata Maru incident (1914): A Japanese ship carrying ~376 Indian (mostly Sikh) passengers was denied entry into Canada due to racist immigration laws; forced to return to India; on arrival at Budge Budge, Calcutta, clashed with police, resulting in deaths — fuelled anti-British sentiment.

6.4 Later Revolutionary Movement (1920s–30s)

• Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) founded 1924 by Ramprasad Bismil, Sachindranath Sanyal, Chandrashekhar Azad, and others — aimed at organised, armed revolution.
• Kakori Conspiracy/Kakori Train Robbery (9 August 1925): HRA revolutionaries looted a government treasury-carrying train near Kakori, Uttar Pradesh, to fund revolutionary activities. Key participants: Ramprasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Rajendra Nath Lahiri, Thakur Roshan Singh (all four hanged in 1927), and Chandrashekhar Azad (escaped capture).
• Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) — HRA reorganised in 1928 with a socialist orientation, led by Chandrashekhar Azad and Bhagat Singh; other key members: Sukhdev, Rajguru, Batukeshwar Dutt, Shivaram Rajguru, Jatin Das.
• Assassination of J.P. Saunders (Lahore, 17 December 1928): Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Chandrashekhar Azad avenged the death of Lala Lajpat Rai (who died from injuries sustained in a lathi charge while leading protests against the Simon Commission, October 1928) by killing British police officer J.P. Saunders (mistaken for/in place of Superintendent Scott who had ordered the lathi charge).
• Central Legislative Assembly Bomb Case (8 April 1929): Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt threw a non-lethal bomb and leaflets in the Central Legislative Assembly, Delhi, shouting "Inquilab Zindabad" — protest against the Public Safety Bill and Trade Disputes Bill; both courted arrest deliberately, did not attempt escape.
• Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were hanged on 23 March 1931 at Lahore Jail (Lahore Conspiracy Case) — observed in India as "Shaheed Diwas."
• Jatin Das died on 13 September 1929 after a 63-day hunger strike in Lahore Jail protesting treatment of political prisoners — a major moment highlighting revolutionary sacrifice.
• Chandrashekhar Azad — vowed never to be captured alive; shot himself at Alfred Park, Allahabad (27 February 1931) when surrounded by police (park later renamed Chandrashekhar Azad Park).
• Chittagong Armoury Raid (18 April 1930): Led by Surya Sen (Masterda) in Bengal; revolutionaries raided police and auxiliary armouries in Chittagong; involved young revolutionaries including women like Pritilata Waddedar and Kalpana Dutt; Surya Sen captured and hanged in 1934; Pritilata Waddedar died by self-poisoning to avoid capture during a raid on the Pahartali European Club (1932).
• Bina Das — attempted to assassinate Bengal Governor Stanley Jackson (1932) at a convocation ceremony.

Key Facts / Quick Revision Points — Revolutionary Nationalism

• Alipore Bomb Case (1908) — Khudiram Bose, Prafulla Chaki; target Kingsford.
• Ghadar Party — 1913, San Francisco; Lala Hardayal, Sohan Singh Bhakna.
• Kakori Conspiracy — 9 Aug 1925; Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Lahiri, Roshan Singh hanged.
• HSRA (1928) — Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, Sukhdev.
• Saunders killed — Dec 1928 (revenge for Lajpat Rai's death).
• Central Assembly Bomb — 8 April 1929, Bhagat Singh & B.K. Dutt.
• Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev hanged — 23 March 1931 ("Shaheed Diwas").
• Chandrashekhar Azad — died 27 Feb 1931, Alfred Park, Allahabad.
• Chittagong Armoury Raid — 1930, Surya Sen; Pritilata Waddedar, Kalpana Dutt.