Chapter 9
Period of Extremist Politics
1. The period of Extremist Politics:
- The period from 1905 to 1920 is known as the period of Extremist Politics in the India’s struggle for period.
- The Main Characteristics: The extremist thoughts along with agitational methods and raising of the political consciousness among the Indians were the main characteristics of this period.
2. Background of Extremist Politics:
a: Rise of Extremist Thoughts among Younger Generation of India:
- The year 1905 is identified in the history of freedom struggle of India as the starting year of the extremist politics.
- The background for the period after 1905 was laid before that.
- The extremist from of politics grew among the younger generation of India.
- The young generation nurturing extremist thoughts on belonged to the second half of the nineteenth century.
- The young generation of India of nineteenth century had experienced (i) British repression, (ii) the economic exploitation by the British administration and (iii) racial discrimination at the hands of the British. (For example the episode of insult to Gandhiji on a train in South Africa)
b: Influence of the Extremist Movement on the young generation of India:
- The young generation of India intensely observed the extremist movements and happenings which had taken place at international level.
- The victory of Japan an Asian country in 1905 over Russia a leading Western power had arrested the attention of the young generation of India.
- The victory of Japan became a source of inspiration and instilled self-confidence in the young generation of India.
c: Dissatisfaction with the Achievements of the Moderates:
- The young generation of India did not appreciate and liked the moderates attitude and policies towards the British administration.
- The young generation contended that the policies of the moderates were not having the desired effect on the British administration.
- The leaders of extremist thoughts strong advocated the need of adopting the agitational form of movement against the repression and exploitation of the British administration.
d: Factor of Lord Curzon:
- In 1905 divided Bengal with a hidden motive of weakening the national movement headed by the moderates.
- The act of Curzon strengthened the extremist ideology among the young generation which took over the leadership of national movement.
3. Explanation of Extremism:
a. The main objective of Extremist ideology was to achieve Swaraj.
- They placed the demand of Swaraj more aggressively.
- Lokmanya Tilak, the extremist leader spoke in categorical terms thus, “Swaraj is my birth right and I shall have it.”
b: Methods adopted by the Extremists:
- The methods adopted by extremists were more aggressive.
- They tried to raise the political awareness of the people in order to pressurize the British administration.
- They adopted the method of agitation in opposing the British government.
Hence, the aggressive attitude, agitational methods of protest and raising the political consciousness of the Indians were the main methods of working of the people.
c: Reaction of the British government to the Extremist Methods:
- The British government did not like the activities of the extremists of the national movement.
- The British government increased repression.
d. Extremist Leaders:
- The main Extremist leaders were following:
- In Bengal: Bipinchandra Pal and Aurbindo Ghosh.
- In Punjab: Lala Lajpat Rai.
- In Bombay Presidency: Lokmanya Tilak.
- In Madras Province: V. O. Chidambaram Pilley, Subramania Iyer and Subramania Siva.
- The Congress Leaders: Lokmanya Tilak was more influential in extremist group of Congress.
4. Progress of Extremist Politics
Activities of the Extremist and British Reaction:
a. Earlier Means adopted by Extremists for protest:
- The extremists used newspapers, national festivals and national education as means to protest against the British rule to achieve Swaraj.
- The extremists used various means to raise the political awareness among the Indians.
b. Newspapers as means of protest and political education:
- Lokmanaya Tilak started Kesari and Maratha.
- Bipinchanddra Pal started New Indian National Congress Aurobindo Ghosh started Bande Mataram.
- They used their newspapers to raise the political awareness.
c. Festivals as means of protest and political education. (Oct. 01)
- Lokmanya Tilak organised Ganesh Festival and Shiva Jayanti.
- The festival chosen by Tilak aimed at inspiring the national consciousness among the masses by bringing them together.
- The aim of festivals was to bring people together regardless of their various differences among them.
- In order to protest against the division of Bengal, the people adopted the custom of Rakhi and bathing for bringing national unity against the partition of Bengal.
- The national festivals played an important role in spreading the political thought among the masses.
d. Use of art forms to raise the political consciousness:
- The Mela and art forms of Indian origin was organised during Ganesh festival to spread the political thoughts.
- The various art forms during the festivals were used to spread awareness about the contemporary activities.
e. Education as the means of political awareness and protest:
- The seeds of nationalism were sowed through the means of education which the extremist tried to organise on national level.
- The sense of pride in one’s nation was developed through the medium of education.
- The syllabi were framed which were based on the fusion of western values and Indian culture.
f. Success of the means adopted by Extremist in spreading national awareness:
- In the beginning the political movement was confined to a section of educated middle class.
- The extremists spread the awareness of the political movement to the masses through the means of newspapers, national education and national festivals and art forms.
- They also succeeded in spreading the movement to the working class.
5. The Reason for Wang-Bhang or Anti-Bengal Partition Movement: (March 96)
- The reason of Anti-Bengal Partition movement was to protest against partition of Bengal undertaken by Lord Curzon with the political motive of weakening the national movement.
a. Causes of the Bengal partition: (March 98)
- The Bengal Presidency constituted of present Bangladesh, and three Indian states of West Bengal, Orissa and Bihar.
- It was difficult for the administration to govern such a large province. Hence there was an administrative need to divide the province into smaller administrative units.
- Lord Curzon divided it into two provinces namely West Bengal and East Bengal.
- Lord Curzon formed the two new provinces with a political motive of paralyzing the National movement which had its strong base in Bengal.
- The division defined by Lord Curzon was done on communal lines. It was not done as per the administrative requirement and practicability.
- The division was thus mainly aimed at weakening the national movement in Bengal on the bases of the policy of divide and rule by communal division between Hindu and Muslims.
b. Policy of Divide and Rule failed in case of Bengal partition:
- Curzon had divided the Bengal Province on the communal lines between Hindu and Muslims.
- Curzon hope to divide the province on communal lines and thus weaken the national movement which was very strong in Bengal.
- However, totally opposite to what Curzon expected took place.
- As a result of partition the National movement became more strong in Bengal.
- The people in Bengal started demonstrating and held procession against the partition of Bengal.
- The movement soon received a strong support from whole of India.
- The movement against the partition of Bengal which started in 1905 came to known as Wang-Bang Movement or the anti-Bengal Partition movement.
c. Programmes of the Extremists:
- The new programme of Congress dominated by extremist activities was framed during the period when the anti-Bengal partition movement started.
- At the Congress session in 1906, Dadabhai Nawrojee announced the Four Point Programme of the Congress which was as follows: (March 98)
i. Swarajya
ii. Swadeshi
iii. National Education
iv. Boycott
- The four point programme of 1906 was used to spread the anti-Bengal Partition movement throughout India.
- The extremist used the Swadeshi and boycott as more effective weapons against the British oppression and policies.
d. Swadeshi and Boycott in practice and their relevance for the national movement:
- The programme of Swadeshi and Boycott were used successfully even before 1906.
- The extremist Congress leaders used Swadeshi and boycott more successfully as a protest against the policies of the British government.
- The Swadeshi and boycott had relevance for the whole country and it became the cause of making anti-Bengal Partition movement a national movement.
- Under the Swadeshi movement, the bonfire of foreign of goods were made all over the country.
- The imports of the British declined substantially due to Swadeshi movement.
- The Indian industry got encouragement during the Swadeshi movement and Indian industry grew during that period.
- Under the National Education Programme, the education of the Indians was given encouragement and it became an important part of the national movement.
- Many schools were opened all over the country under the National Education Programme of the extremist leaders.
- The anti-Bengal Partition movement popularized the National movement for freedom.
6. Surat Split of Congress 1907: (Oct. 97; March 98, 00, 01) (imp.)
- The extremist ideology became more popular and appreciated by the whole country and it started dominating the Congress programmes.
- The increase in the popularity of the extremist ideology became the cause of differences between the moderates and extremists with in the Congress.
- The moderates was strongly against the boycott programme of the extremists whereas the extremist found it more effective method of protest.
- A split took place in the National Congress at Surat in 1907 which is known as Surat Split of 1907.
- The Surat Split of 1907 took place due to differences between the moderates and extremists on the issue of boycott as a programme of Congress and the issue of the Presidentship of Congress.
b. Effects of Surat Split of 1907:
- As a result of Surat Split, the Congress was divided between the extremists and moderates.
- It weakened the National Movement which was being headed by the National Congress at that time.
- The Surat Split went in favour of the British government which was trying to weaken Congress.
- The British government had earlier failed to divide Muslims and Hindus on communal lines as per their Divide and Rule policy but Surat Split achieved it for them.
- Even the Bengal partition was mainly a part of their Divide and Rule policy in order to weaken the National Movement. The Surat Split achieved it for them.
7. Foundation of the Muslim League: (Oct. 99)
- The Muslim League was founded in 1906.
- The foundation of Muslim League was a caused by the Divide and Rule policy of British by which the British tried to weaken the National Movement.
- The anti-Bengal Partition Movement was exploited by the British government to convince the Muslim community that the Indian National Congress could not lead the Muslims in India.
- Therefore, Muslim League was founded in 1906 with the support of the British government.
8 Divide and Rule Policy of British:
a. British Reactionary Activities:
- The National Movement increased with force with the passage of time.
- With the rise of National Movement, the British government also increased its oppression on the Indians.
- The British government tried to finish the Congress after the Surat Split by arresting the leaders.
- The British government arrested Lala Lajpat Rai after the Surat Split and exiled without trial.
- Lokmanya Tilak was sentenced to six years rigorous imprisonment and put behind bars in Mandalay Jail in Myanmar.
- Chidambaram Pilley was sentenced to six years imprisonment.
- Bipinchandra Pal was sentenced to six months imprisonment.
- Aurobindo Ghosh was tried for rebellion.
b. British Reforms – A strategy to weaken the National Movement:
- The British had adopted the divide and rule policy and oppression to suppress the National Movement.
- The British government also adopted the policy of political reforms in India with an aim to make the National Movement meaningless by introducing the reforms which the movement was demanding.
- Indian Council Act of 1909 was passed to appease the Indian Muslims and moderates of Congress party under the divide and rule policy.
- The British government tried to win over the moderates by reforms which they demanded and thereby tried to make the extremists’ demand irrelevant.
c. Indian Council Act 1909 – Aims and Relevance: (Oct. 99)
- The Indian Council Act of 1909 is also called Morley-Minto Reforms.
- The 1909 Act was called Morley Minto Reform because Morley and Minto initiated it.
- Morley was the Secretary of State. Minto was the Viceroy of India.
- The 1909 Act increased the number of members in the Central and Provincial Legislature. It was a long standing demand of the moderates.
- The powers of the members of Legislature were also increased. It was also a longstanding demand of the moderates.
- The moderates were not happy with the rights granted in the Act of 1909 but they accepted it. The British government was able to appease the moderates and that ensured that moderates and extremist would not join.
- By winning moderates with the concessions in 1909 Act, the British government was able to weaken the National movement for some time.
- By the communal award given under the clause of separate electorate to the Muslims, the British government was able to win over the Muslims.
- By the political reforms introduced in the Act of 1909, the British government was able to win over moderates and Muslim League. It helped the British government to weaken the National Movement for some time.
d. The Important Example of Divide and Rule in the Act of 1909:
- It was through the Act of 1909, that the feature of election was introduced for the first time in India by the British government.
- The Muslims were allowed the separate electorate. It was a major example of divide and rule by which the British government tried to divide Muslims and Hindus on communal lines.
- The clause of the separate electorate to the Muslims is also known as communal award.
- The communal award was considered as the first laying stone of Pakistan.
- By the communal award the British government succeeded in weaning away the Muslims from the Congress.
- By the communal award, the British government was able to win over the support of the Muslims League.
9. Slackness in the activities of the Congress – A period of Lull between 1908 and 1914 – A period of rise of Revolutionary Movement in India:
- The period of 1908 to 1914 is known in the history of struggle for Independence of India as a period of lull in the activities of the Congress.
- This period is also identified with the rise of the Revolutionary movement for the struggle of freedom.
- During the period, there were strong differences between the Congress and Muslim League on national issue.
- During the period there was division between moderates and extremists with in the Congress on the national issues and ideology of Congress.
- During this period, the Muslim League was known to have worked in cooperation with the British government.
- During this period, the moderates who were not fully satisfied with the Act of 1909, had accepted the concession given to the country by the Act.
- During the period, the extremist of Congress had remained out of activity because most of their leaders were either in jails or abroad.
- It was the period the revolutionary activities had emerged in India and they were on rise.
- During this period, Aurobindo Ghosh had separated himself from the National Movement and adopted spiritualism.
- The Extremist leaders like Bipinchandra Pal and Lala Lajpat Rai had remained in foreign countries.
- This period is known for vacuum in the activities of the extremists.
10. Lokmanya Tilak and the year 1915: 1916–The year of Lucknow Pact:
- In 1914, Lokmanya Tilak returned to India from Mandalay after completing his imprisonment.
- In 1915, Gopal Krishan Gokhale and Firozshah Mehta had died. With that, a big vacuum was created in the Congress especially in the moderate group.
- A view developed in 1915, that in order to reactivate the National Movement, the Extremists and Moderates should join.
- In the Congress Session of 1915, the Congress passed the resolution of unity between Extremists and Moderates was passed.
- In the Lucknow Session of the Congress in 1916, the Congress accepted Lokmanya Tilak as its leader.
- In the Lucknow Session, the Congress accepted the resolution of Swarajya as the only aim of National Struggle.
b. Lucknow Pact 1916: Unity between Muslim League and Congress:
- The Lucknow Pact was signed between Congress and Muslim League.
- Under the Lucknow Pact, Tilak was able to get the support of Muslim League for the aim of Swaraj.
- The Lucknow Session of 1916 is known for two successes of Tilak – the unity within Congress and the unity of purpose with the Muslim League.
11. Home Rule Movement:
- Lokmanya Tilak had started the Home Rule Movement in Maharashtra.
- He had borrowed the idea from Dr. Annie Besant who had started Home Rule Movement in Chennai (Madras).
- It was a part of the attempt of Tilak to strengthen the resolution of Swaraj through agitation.
b. Objectives of Home Rule Movement:
- The objective of Home Rule Movement to perpetuate the agitation for Swaraj throughout a year.
- The leaders toured the whole country to create awareness about the Swaraj.
- The leaders under Home Rule movement tried to organise the people by touring the whole country.
- Lala Lajpat Rai spread the message of Hume Rule movement in the United States.
c. Annie Besant and the Home Rule Movement:
- Annie Besant was an Irish lady.
- She had liking for the Indian culture and the Indian people.
- She was the first to propagate the idea of Home Rule movement when she found that the National Movement had slackened.
- She started the Home Rule Movement in Chennai.
- Lokmanya Tilak followed her example when he established Home Rule Movement in Maharashtra.
- The objectives of perpetuating the National agitation and organise the people were laid by Annie Besant.
d. Home Rule Movement and the attitude of the British government:
- When the Home Rule Movement was started in India, Britain was fully engrossed in the World War I.
- The Home Rule Agitation put the British government in trouble during the course of the crucial war.
- The British government adopted oppressive methods against the Home Rule Movement.
- Tilak was tried for sedition for the second time. However, the court acquitted him.
- Annie Besant was also tried and found guilty. She was sentenced to imprisonment.
- Tilak intensified the agitation against the British government by extensively using the tool of Swadeshi and boycott.
- It was during the course of such agitation that Tilak spoke about the idea of Civil Disobedience Movement.
- The Home Rule Movement became very popular and its membership increased.
12. 1917: August Declaration and the Mont-ford Act:
- The August Declaration was made on August 20, 1917.
- It was announced by the Secretary of State for India Mr. Montagu.
a. The contents of the August Declaration:
- As per the declaration the future objective of political reforms in India were announced.
- The British Parliament assured that they would establish “self governing institutions in India”.
- On the basis of the declaration a draft of constitutional reforms was framed by Mr. Montagu and the Viceroy of India, Lord Chelmsford.
- It led to passing of the Government of India Act of 1919 which is also known as Mont-ford Act 1919.
- It was formed on the grounds that the British government had conceded to give Swarajya to India as demanded by the extremists in 1915 resolution.
- It envisaged that the constitutional reforms would be introduced in stages and finally the Swarajya to India be imparted.
- It expected that British Parliament would decide the time to introduce the installments of the reforms and the time of introducing the reforms.
b. The Contents of Mont-ford or Montague-Chelmsford Act 1919:
- The Montagu-Chelmsford Act or Government of India Act 1919 was based on the contents of the August 1917 declaration of Mr. Montagu.
- The Act was passed by the British Parliament in 1919.
- The Act legislated that a part of Provincial administration would be entrusted to the elected Indian representatives.
c. Reaction of Lokmanya Tilak and others to The 1919 Act:
- Lokmanya Tilak showed his total dissatisfaction with the constitutional reforms brought by the Act.
- He complaint that the British rule had introduced limited reforms.
- He complaint that even the powers delegated through reforms were meaningless as the British rule had established many control on the exercise of the powers by the Indians.
- The extremists under the leadership of Lokmanya Tilak showed complete dissatisfaction with the 1919 Act and resolved to continue their agitation for Swarajya.
- The moderates however showed satisfaction with constitutional reforms introduced by the 1919 Act.
13. Rowlatt Act – A double game of reforms followed with Repressive rule:
- Along with the 1919 Act, the British government also passed the Rowlatt Act.
- As per the Rowlatt Act, any Indian could be arrested on mere suspicion and imprisoned without trial.
- It Rowlatt Act was a worst type of repressive rule introduced by the government along with the constitutional reforms of 1919 Act.
- The Public meetings were banned.
- It later became the cause of Jalianwalla Baugh tragedy.
b. The Result of repressive Rowlatt Act – The Jalianwalla Baugh tragedy: Opposition of Indians to the Act. (March 00)
- The Indians were highly annoyed by the Rowlatt Act which curtailed their civil liberty.
- A meeting was held in Punjab on April 13, 1919 at Jalianwalla Baugh.
- The British administration sprayed bullets on the gathering of Jalianwalla Baugh and killed hundreds of innocent peoples.
- The Indians were angry with the British government.
- The British government established the Commission of Inquiry to look into the matter. The government tried to pacify the Indians.
c. The Appeal of the King of Britain:
- The British government tried to pacify the Indians and desired that they should participate in the constitutional reforms.
- The King of Britain appealed to Indians to participate in the working of the 1919 Act.
- The political prisoners were released to create the atmosphere for the political activity to implement the reforms of the 1919 Act.
d. Responsive Cooperation – A response of Lokmanya Tilak: (Oct. 98, March 2001)
- The British government tried to make an easy atmosphere.
- Lokmanya Tilak declared the policy of Responsive Cooperation.
- Under the new policy of Tilak, it was decided that the Indians would continue cooperate with government as long as the government was responsive to the Indian demands.
14. Contribution and Importance of the Extremist Movement:
a. Raised the discontentment among the Indians in the political sphere:
- Before the extremist period, lead by Tilak, the leaders like Dadabhai Nawrojee and Justice Ranade had created a sense of discontentment against the economic policies of the British government by giving the theory of economic drain.
- The Extremist transformed the discontentment of the Indians to the sphere of politics. It was their major contribution to the history of Indian National Movement.
- They further increased the discontentment of the Indians against the British government by spreading political awareness among the Indians.
- Lokmanya Tilak came to be called ‘the father of the Indian discontentment’.
b. Raised the Sense of Nationalism:
- The extremists through their programmes of National education and National festivals and the journalistic activities raised the sense of nationalism among the Indians.
- The extremists made the Indians realise that they were being subjugated by a foreign power. They raised their sense of self respect.
- They made the Indians aware of their glorious past. It helped the Indians to develop the sense of identity and confidence.
c. Role of Lokmanya Tilak:
- Tilak brought the different forces together for the common national interests. He brought moderates near to extremists. He also brought Muslim League nearer to the activities of the Congress.
- It was the extremist under the leadership of Lokmanya Tilak, who laid the foundation of the mass movement. Gandhiji later lead the mass movement and achieved Independence for India.
- It was the political philosophy of Tilak which sowed the seed of Civil Disobedience and Non-cooperation. Gandhiji executed it on a wider scale.
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Facts and Figures to Remember
1. Period of Extremist Politics: A period between 1905 and 1920 of Congress political activities.
2. Background of Extremist Politics: Factor of Younger generation of India. influence of extremist movement of the world, dissatisfaction with the achievements of the Moderates. Factor of Lord Curzon.
3. Explanation of Extremism: Swaraj – the main demand; methods of Extremists, reaction of British towards the Extremists, Main leaders of Extremist Congress – Lal, Bal and Pal.
4. Progress of Extremist Politics: a: Methods: newspapers, national festivals, national education.
b. Newspapers: Kesari, Maratha, Bande Mataram
c. Festivals: Ganesh Featival, Shiva Jayanti, Rakhi, Ritual Bathing,
b. Use of Art forms.
e. Use of national Education
5. Wang Bhang or Anti-Bengal Partition Movement:
Causes of Bengal partition, Programmes of Extremists against the partition of Bengal, use of Swadeshi and Boycott for anti-partition movement.
5A. Four Point Programme of 1906 Dadabhai Nawrojee announced the programme of Swarajya, Swadeshi, National Education and Boycott.
6. Surat Split of Congress 1907: Congress got divided on the issues of programmes between Extremist and Moderates.
7. Foundation of the Muslim League: Established in 1906.
8. Divide and Rule Policy of British: British Reactionary Activities, British Reforms with an aim to weaken the National Movement, Indian Council Act 1909 (Communal Award)
9. Slackness in the activities of Congress: A period of Lull between 1908 and 1914
10. Lokmanya Tilak and Lucknow Pact: Congress Session of 1915, Lucknow Session of 1916 and Lucknow Pact.
11. Home Rule Movement: Role of Lokmanya Tilak and Dr. Annie Besant. Objectives of Home Rule Movement, Response of British Government towards the Home Rule Movement.
12. August Declaration 1917 and The Mont-Ford Act:
Claimed to give self governing institutions to India; Led to passing of Government of India Act 1919. Congress rejected the Act.
13. Rowlatt Act: Started Repressive rule; led to Jalianwalla Baugh tragedy, Tilak adopted the policy of Responsive cooperation.
14. Contribution of the Extremist Movement:
Raised the discontentment among the Indians in the political sphere; Raised the sense of Nationalism; contribution of Tilak
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