Indian Freedom Struggle (1857–1947)
Complete Exam-Oriented Notes | By Home Academy
The Indian Freedom Struggle was a long, multi-dimensional movement against British colonial rule, culminating in India’s independence on 15 August 1947.
It involved peasants, workers, women, students, revolutionaries, tribal groups, and political leaders, making it one of the largest mass movements in world history.
Causes of Indian Freedom struggle
Political Causes
• Doctrine of Lapse (Lord Dalhousie)
• Annexation of Indian states
• Loss of sovereignty of Indian rulers
Economic Causes
• Drain of wealth theory
• Destruction of Indian handicrafts
• Heavy land revenue systems (Permanent Settlement, Ryotwari, Mahalwari)
Social & Religious Causes
• Interference in social customs
• Missionary activities
• Fear of loss of religion and culture
Administrative Causes
• Racial discrimination
• Exclusion of Indians from higher services
Revolt of 1857 – First War of Independence
Causes
• Immediate cause: Greased cartridges issue
• Military, political, economic and religious causes
Revolt of 1857 – Leaders from Different Locations
| Region / State | Place | Leader(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi | Delhi | Bahadur Shah Zafar |
| Uttar Pradesh | Meerut | Sepoys (Beginning of revolt) |
| Uttar Pradesh | Kanpur (Cawnpore) | Nana Saheb |
| Uttar Pradesh | Lucknow (Awadh) | Begum Hazrat Mahal |
| Uttar Pradesh | Faizabad / Azamgarh | Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah |
| Uttar Pradesh | Bareilly | Khan Bahadur Khan |
| Uttar Pradesh | Allahabad | Maulvi Liaquat Ali |
| Bihar | Arrah | Kunwar Singh |
| Bihar | Jagdispur | Amar Singh |
| Bihar | Patna | Pir Ali Khan |
| Madhya Pradesh | Jhansi | Rani Lakshmibai |
| Madhya Pradesh | Gwalior | Rani Lakshmibai, Tantia Tope |
| Madhya Pradesh | Mandla | Rani Avantibai Lodhi |
| Rajasthan | Kota | Maharao Ram Singh |
Importance
• First united challenge to British rule
• Marked the end of Company rule
• Beginning of Crown rule (1858)
Rise of Indian Nationalism (1885–1905)
Formation of Indian National Congress (1885)
• Founded by A.O. Hume
• First President: W.C. Bonnerjee
Moderate Phase (1885–1905)
• Leaders: Dadabhai Naoroji, Gokhale, Pherozeshah Mehta
• Methods: petitions, resolutions, constitutional means
• Contribution: political awareness
👉 Dadabhai Naoroji’s Drain of Wealth Theory –
Extremist Phase (1905–1919)
Leaders
• Bal Gangadhar Tilak
• Lala Lajpat Rai
• Bipin Chandra Pal
Slogan
• “Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it”
Partition of Bengal (1905)
• By Lord Curzon
• Led to Swadeshi and Boycott Movement
👉 Impact: Mass participation & assertive nationalism
Home Rule Movement (1916)
• Started by Annie Besant and Bal Gangadhar Tilak
• Demand: Self-government within British Empire
👉 Important bridge between Extremists & Gandhian era
Gandhian Era (1917–1947)
Early Movements
• Champaran Satyagraha (1917) – Indigo farmers
• Kheda Satyagraha (1918) – Peasant relief
• Ahmedabad Mill Strike (1918) – Workers
Non-Cooperation Movement (1920–22)
• Launched after Jallianwala Bagh massacre (1919)
• Boycott of British institutions
• Withdrawn after Chauri Chaura incident
Civil Disobedience Movement (1930–34)
• Started with Dandi March (Salt Satyagraha)
• Gandhi broke salt law at Dandi
• Participation of women and masses
Quit India Movement (1942)
• Launched during World War II
• Slogan: “Do or Die”
• Mass uprising, parallel governments formed
👉 Final mass struggle against British rule
Revolutionary Movements
Important Revolutionaries
• Bhagat Singh
• Chandrashekhar Azad
• Ram Prasad Bismil
• Surya Sen
Activities
| Event | Place | Date | Key Revolutionaries |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kakori Conspiracy | Near Lucknow | 9 August 1925 | Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Chandrashekhar Azad |
| Assembly Bomb Case | Central Legislative Assembly, Delhi | 8 April 1929 | Bhagat Singh, Batukeshwar Dutt |
| Chittagong Armoury Raid | Chittagong (now Bangladesh) | 18 April 1930 | Surya Sen (Masterda) |
Role of Subhash Chandra Bose & INA
• Founded Indian National Army (INA)
• Slogan: “Give me blood and I will give you freedom”
• INA trials boosted nationalist sentiments
Role of Women in the Indian Freedom Struggle
Indian women played a decisive role in the freedom movement, participating not only as supporters but also as leaders, revolutionaries, organizers, and symbols of resistance. Their contribution challenged both British rule and social constraints.
Rani Lakshmibai (Jhansi)
Rani Lakshmibai was one of the earliest and strongest symbols of armed resistance against British rule.
She played a leading role in the Revolt of 1857, opposing the British policy of Doctrine of Lapse which annexed Jhansi.
She led her troops courageously on the battlefield and fought like a warrior, becoming a symbol of bravery, sacrifice, and patriotism.
Her famous slogan, “Main apni Jhansi nahi doongi”, inspired generations of freedom fighters.
Sarojini Naidu
Sarojini Naidu was a prominent leader of the Indian National Congress and a powerful voice of nationalism.
She actively participated in the Non-Cooperation Movement and the Civil Disobedience Movement.
She was the first Indian woman President of the Indian National Congress and later became the first woman Governor of Uttar Pradesh.
Known as the “Nightingale of India”, she used her poetry and speeches to awaken national consciousness and mobilize women.
Kasturba Gandhi
Kasturba Gandhi played a crucial role in spreading Gandhian ideals among Indian women.
She actively participated in movements like Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience, and Quit India Movement.
She worked for the upliftment of women, removal of untouchability, and promotion of khadi and swadeshi.
Despite repeated arrests and poor health, she remained committed to the freedom struggle until her death in 1944.
Aruna Asaf Ali
Aruna Asaf Ali emerged as a symbol of revolutionary courage during the freedom movement.
She is best remembered for hoisting the Indian National Flag at Gowalia Tank, Bombay, during the Quit India Movement (1942).
She continued underground activities when most leaders were arrested, inspiring mass resistance against British rule.
She was later honored with the title “Grand Old Lady of Indian Independence.
Tribal & Peasant Movements in India
Tribal and peasant movements arose as a reaction against British economic exploitation, land alienation, high revenue demands, and oppressive intermediaries like zamindars and moneylenders. These movements reflected the growing resistance of rural India against colonial injustice.
Santhal Rebellion (1855–56)
The Santhal Rebellion was one of the largest tribal uprisings against British rule.
It was led by Sidhu and Kanhu Murmu in the Rajmahal Hills (present-day Jharkhand).
The rebellion was directed against British officials, zamindars, and moneylenders, who exploited the Santhal tribals through heavy taxation and debt traps.
Although the rebellion was brutally suppressed, it forced the British to create a separate Santhal Pargana to reduce administrative exploitation.
Munda Rebellion (Ulgulan) – Birsa Munda (1899–1900)
The Munda Rebellion, also known as Ulgulan (The Great Tumult), was led by Birsa Munda, a tribal leader and religious reformer.
It aimed to restore the traditional khuntkatti land system and end the exploitation by dikku (outsiders such as landlords and missionaries).
Birsa mobilized the tribal population with the vision of Munda Raj and resistance against British authority.
Though the movement was suppressed and Birsa died in jail in 1900, it led to the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act (1908), which protected tribal land rights.
Indigo Revolt (1859–60)
The Indigo Revolt was a peasant uprising in Bengal and Bihar against European indigo planters.
Peasants were forced to grow indigo instead of food crops under the tinkathia system, which caused heavy losses.
The revolt took the form of refusal to cultivate indigo, social boycott of planters, and legal resistance.
It received support from Indian intelligentsia and the press, and led to the appointment of the Indigo Commission (1860), which exposed planter exploitation.
Tebhaga Movement (1946–47)
The Tebhaga Movement was a peasant movement in Bengal, led by the Kisan Sabha.
Sharecroppers (bargadars) demanded two-thirds (tebhaga) of the produce instead of the traditional half taken by landlords.
The movement intensified during the last phase of British rule and involved mass participation of poor peasants.
Although suppressed, it laid the foundation for land reforms and later influenced tenancy laws in post-independent India.
Tribal and peasant movements like the Santhal Rebellion, Munda Ulgulan, Indigo Revolt, and Tebhaga Movement exposed the exploitative nature of colonial rule and strengthened the mass base of the national movement. These struggles played a vital role in shaping agrarian reforms and tribal rights in India.
Constitutional Developments
• Government of India Act 1909
• Government of India Act 1919
• Government of India Act 1935
Federal structure foundation
Partition & Independence (1947)
• Cabinet Mission Plan (1946)
• Mountbatten Plan
• Indian Independence Act, 1947
• India & Pakistan became independent nations
Important Dates for Exams
• 1857 – Revolt
• 1885 – INC founded
• 1905 – Partition of Bengal
• 1919 – Jallianwala Bagh
• 1930 – Dandi March
• 1942 – Quit India
• 1947 – Independence
One-Line Revision (Exam Gold)
• 1857 – First resistance
• INC – political platform
• Gandhi – mass movements
• Bose – armed struggle
• Quit India – final blow
• 1947 – freedom achieved