India's Struggle For Independence | General Knowledge for Young Learners - Class 1 PDF Download

Revolt of 1857

• The British expansionist policies, economic exploitation and administrative innovations over the years had adversely affected the positions of all—rulers of Indian states, sepoys, zamindars, peasants, traders, artisans, pundits, maulvis, etc. 
• The simmering discontent burst in the form of a violent storm in 1857 which shook the British empire in India to its very foundations.

Swadeshi Movement

This movement started against the British’s move for the partition of Bengal. In 1903, the British announced their decision to part Bengal.
They wanted to get two provinces out of Bengal:

• Bengal comprising Western Bengal as well as the provinces of Bihar and Orissa
• Eastern Bengal and Assam

Home Rule League Movement

• India’s response to the First World War was seen in the Home Rule Movement. It was an effective way to show discontent in British rule. 
• There were two Indian Home Rule Leagues that were organised on the lines of the Irish Home Rule Leagues.  Annie Besant and Bal Gangadhar Tilak were the pioneers of this new trend.

Satyagraha

During 1917 and 1918, Gandhi was involved in three struggles—in Champaran, Ahmedabad and Kheda—before he launched the Rowlatt Satyagraha.

Non-Cooperation Movement

• In India’s struggle for Independence, the Non-Cooperation movement is one of the important movements. On August 31, 1920,  the Khilafat Committee started a campaign of non-cooperation and the movement was formally launched. 
• The aim was to boycott major social programmes, events, offices and schools to resonate with India’s struggle for independence.

Civil Disobedience Movement – Salt Satyagraha

• After the Nehru Report was approved in December 1928 during Calcutta session of the Congress, younger elements led by Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhash Bose and Satyamurthy expressed their dissatisfaction with dominion status as the goal of Congress. 
• They demanded that Congress adopt purna swaraj or complete independence as its goal. Following that, Gandhi’s 11 demands put forward to Lord Irwin to attend round table conference turned futile.
• The Congress Working Committee invested Gandhi with full powers to launch the Civil Disobedience Movement at a time and place of his choice. By February-end, Gandhi had decided to make salt the central formula for the movement.

Quit India Movement

• The Cripps Mission arrived in India in March 1942. After Cripps returned, Gandhi put forward a resolution calling for British withdrawal and a non-violent non-cooperation movement against any Japanese invasion. 
• The Congress Working Committee meeting at Wardha on July 14, 1942, accepted the idea of a struggle for India’s independence.