The Indian National Movement — 1857 to 1917

Overview

'ICSE examiners treat this period as the FOUNDATION of the national movement. You must understand how the FIRST WAR OF INDEPENDENCE (1857) seeded the GROWTH of organised nationalism, leading to the formation of the INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS (1885) and the EARLY PHASE of the struggle. The period ends with the LUCKNOW PACT (1916) — a brief moment of HINDU-MUSLIM UNITY. KEY DATES are ESSENTIAL for ICSE. Make a TIMELINE.'

The First War of Independence, 1857

Category	Causes
POLITICAL	Doctrine of LAPSE (by Lord Dalhousie) — annexed Satara, Jhansi, Nagpur, Awadh. 'Nana Saheb's pension was STOPPED. The Mughal Emperor was HUMILIATED.'
ECONOMIC	Heavy TAXATION. Destruction of traditional INDUSTRIES. Drain of WEALTH to Britain.
SOCIAL	Racial DISCRIMINATION. Missionary activity — fear of FORCED conversion. Laws like the WIDOW REMARRIAGE ACT (1856) were seen as INTERFERENCE
MILITARY	Indian soldiers DISCRIMINATED against — lower pay, no overseas allowances. General Service ENLISTMENT ACT (1856) — soldiers could be sent OVERSEAS (loss of CASTE)
IMMEDIATE	The ENFIELD RIFLE — cartridges greased with COW and PIG fat. Biting the cartridge would POLLUTE both Hindus AND Muslims

Leaders of 1857

Leader	Location	Role
Bahadur Shah Zafar	Delhi	NOMINAL leader — the LAST Mughal Emperor
Nana Saheb	Kanpur	Adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao II — LED the revolt
Tantia Tope	Kanpur/Gwalior	BRILLIANT guerrilla leader — Nana Saheb's general
Rani Lakshmibai	Jhansi	LED her army in person — DIED fighting
Begum Hazrat Mahal	Lucknow	Led the revolt in AWADH
Kunwar Singh	Bihar	ELDERLY zamindar — led the revolt in BIHAR

Why the Revolt Failed

LACK of unified leadership — no COORDINATION
LIMITED geographical spread — mostly NORTH India
No CLEAR vision for post-British India
Many rulers STAYED loyal — Scindia, Holkar, Nizam
The British were BETTER equipped and organised
The REVOLT was SUPPRESSED by 1859

Consequences of 1857

Consequence	Detail
End of Company Rule	GOVERNMENT OF INDIA ACT, 1858 — British Crown took OVER
Queen's Proclamation	1858 — promised NO interference in religion
Policy Change	END of Doctrine of Lapse. Annexation STOPPED
Military Reorganisation	Ratio of British to Indian soldiers INCREASED
Racial Divide	INCREASED distrust between British and Indians

Growth of Nationalism (1870–1885)

Factors Leading to Nationalism

Western Education — created a CLASS of educated Indians aware of RIGHTS
Press — newspapers like The Hindu, Amrita Bazar Patrika spread NATIONALIST ideas
Economic Critique — Drain Theory (Dadabhai Naoroji's Poverty and Un-British Rule in India)
ILLBERT BILL controversy (1883) — showed RACIAL discrimination in law
Predecessor Organisations — Poona Sarvajanik Sabha (1870), Indian Association (1876), Madras Mahajana Sabha (1884)

Formation of the Indian National Congress (1885)

Key Facts

Aspect	Detail
Founded	28 DECEMBER 1885
Founder	Allan Octavian HUME — a retired British civil servant
First Session	BOMBAY (now Mumbai) — at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College
First President	W.C. BONNERJEE
Initial Aim	To create a PLATFORM for dialogue between Indians and the British government
ICSE Focus	'The INC began as a LOYALIST body — demanding REFORMS, not independence. This would CHANGE dramatically.'

Moderates vs Extremists

Aspect	Moderates (1885–1905)	Extremists (1905–1918)
Leaders	Dadabhai Naoroji, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Pherozeshah Mehta, Surendranath Banerjee	Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bipin Chandra Pal (LAL-BAL-PAL)
Methods	CONSTITUTIONAL agitation — petitions, RESOLUTIONS, DEPUTATIONS	SWADESHI, Boycott, National Education — MASS mobilisation
Goal	SELF-GOVERNMENT within the British Empire ('Dominion Status')	PURNA SWARAJ (Complete Independence — FIRST articulated by Tilak)
Attitude to British	FAITH in British justice and fair play	NO trust — 'Swaraj is my birthright' (Tilak)
Social Base	UPPER class, educated professionals	MIDDLE class, students, PEASANTS

Partition of Bengal (1905) and Swadeshi Movement

Lord Curzon's Decision

Aspect	Detail
Date	16 OCTOBER 1905
Official Reason	ADMINISTRATIVE efficiency — Bengal was too LARGE
Real Reason	DIVIDE AND RULE — split Hindus (West Bengal) and Muslims (East Bengal)
Method	Partitioned into BENGAL (Western) and EASTERN BENGAL & ASSAM

The Swadeshi Movement

'ICSE examiners treat this as the FIRST MASS POLITICAL MOVEMENT in India.'

Method	Description
Boycott of British goods	REFUSED to buy British cloth, salt, sugar
Promotion of SWADESHI	Indian-made goods were ENCOURAGED
National Education	Established INDEPENDENT schools and colleges
Public Meetings	HUGE gatherings — in Calcutta, Dacca
Cultural Revival	Rabindranath Tagore's song 'Amar Sonar Bangla' united the people

Consequences

Movement spread BEYOND Bengal — ALL over India
The INC SUPPORTED the movement (1906 Calcutta session)
Led to the SURAT SPLIT (1907)
British REVERSED the partition in 1911 — Bengal REUNITED

Surat Split (1907)

Aspect	Detail
Session	INC session at SURAT
Issue	Election of the President — Moderates wanted Rash Behari Ghosh; Extremists wanted Lala Lajpat Rai or Tilak
Result	The Moderates CONTROLLED the session. The Extremists were EXCLUDED. The party SPLIT
Consequence	The INC became a MODERATE body for 9 years — Tilak was EXILED to Mandalay (Burma) for 6 years

Muslim League (1906)

Aspect	Detail
Founded	30 DECEMBER 1906 — Dacca
Founders	Nawab Salimullah of Dacca, Aga Khan, Mohsin-ul-Mulk
Reason	To PROTECT Muslim interests — the League FEARED Hindu domination
Initial Position	LOYAL to the British — demanded SEPARATE ELECTROATES for Muslims
ICSE Focus	'The League's creation is a DIRECT result of the Partition of Bengal. The British ENCOURAGED the League to DIVIDE the national movement.'

Minto-Morley Reforms (1909)

Also called INDIAN COUNCILS ACT, 1909
Introduced SEPARATE ELECTROATES for Muslims
Increased the size of LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS
ICSE focus: 'Separate electorates WEAKENED national unity — the British deliberately CREATED a Hindu-Muslim divide'

Lucknow Pact (1916)

Aspect	Detail
Context	Tilak RETURNED from exile. The INC and League were BOTH demanding self-government
The Pact	Congress and Muslim League AGREED on a SCHEME of constitutional reforms
Key Terms	(a) SEPARATE electorates for Muslims ACCEPTED by Congress. (b) 1/3 representation for Muslims in the Central Legislature
Significance	TEMPORARY Hindu-Muslim unity — the FIRST joint demand for self-government
Home Rule Movement	Tilak and Annie Besant launched HOME RULE LEAGUES (1915–16) — demanding SELF-RULE

Key Dates Timeline

Year	Event
1857	First War of Independence
1858	Government of India Act — Crown takes over
1885	INC founded
1905	Partition of Bengal. Swadeshi Movement begins
1906	Muslim League founded
1907	Surat Split
1909	Minto-Morley Reforms
1911	Partition of Bengal REVERSED
1915	Home Rule League (Tilak)
1916	Lucknow Pact. Home Rule League (Besant)

Common Mistakes in ICSE Answers

Mistake	Correction
Calling 1857 a 'Sepoy Mutiny'	It was a WAR OF INDEPENDENCE — broader than just soldiers
Confusing SURAT with LAHORE	Surat (1907) = SPLIT. Lahore (1929) = PURNA SWARAJ
Ignoring the LUCKNOW PACT	It PROVED Hindu-Muslim unity was possible
Forgetting HOME RULE MOVEMENT	It bridged the gap between Moderate and Mass phases

ICSE Exam Focus — Marks Blueprint

Question Type	Marks	Frequency
Causes of 1857 — political, economic, social, military	6-8	Always
Partition of Bengal and Swadeshi	6-8	Always
Moderates vs Extremists — COMPARE	6-8	Very High
Formation of INC and Muslim League	4-6	Very High
Lucknow Pact — terms and significance	4-6	High

Self-Test

1857: Explain the IMMEDIATE cause of the 1857 revolt. Why did the Enfield Rifle trigger such WIDESPREAD anger?
Partition: Why did Lord Curzon PARTITION Bengal in 1905? How did Indians RESPOND?
INC: When and where was the INC FOUNDED? Who was the FIRST president? What was the initial AIM?
Moderates vs Extremists: Compare the METHODS and GOALS of the Moderates and Extremists.
Lucknow Pact: What was the LUCKNOW PACT (1916)? Why is it SIGNIFICANT in the national movement?
Muslim League: When was the Muslim League founded? What was its INITIAL demand?
Surat Split: What caused the SURAT SPLIT of 1907? What were its CONSEQUENCES?

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