Paper IPaper I · History
Personalities of the Freedom Struggle
The makers of the freedom movement, the early nationalists and Moderates, the Extremists, the Gandhians, the revolutionaries, the women, the social reformers and the makers of the Republic, with their key contributions, famous slogans, newspapers and books, in reference tables with authored CAPF practice
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At a glance
PaperPaper ISubjectHistorySyllabusHistory of India: broad understanding of the social, economic and political aspects of Indian history from ancient to modern timesImportanceHigh
Freedom StrugglePersonalitiesSlogansNewspapersRevolutionariesModern India
The "who-did-what" of the freedom struggle is one of the densest single-correct and matching zones in the paper: a leader to a movement, a person to a slogan, an editor to a newspaper, an author to a book, a revolutionary to an act. It pulls together the threads of the modern-history notes (the Moderates and Extremists, the Gandhian movements, the revolutionaries, the reformers) into one person-centred reference, and it feeds the Paper II essay. The treatment follows Spectrum's modern-India material and NCERT, and connects to rise of nationalism moderates and extremists, gandhian era and mass movements and socio religious reform movements. Where a figure's "first" or honorific is contested or year-sensitive, the note flags it; otherwise the facts here are static.
- Allan Octavian Hume: a retired British civil servant who founded the Indian National Congress in 1885.
- Dadabhai Naoroji: the "Grand Old Man of India", thrice Congress President, the first Indian elected to the British House of Commons, author of the "drain of wealth" theory (in Poverty and Un-British Rule in India).
- Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee: the first President of the Congress (1885, Bombay session).
- Surendranath Banerjea: a leading Moderate, founder of the Indian Association, called the "Indian Burke".
- Gopal Krishna Gokhale: a moderate leader and Gandhi's "political guru", founder of the Servants of India Society.
- Mahadev Govind Ranade and Pherozeshah Mehta: leading Moderates.
- Bal Gangadhar Tilak: "Lokmanya"; the slogan "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it"; started the Ganapati and Shivaji festivals; the newspapers Kesari (Marathi) and Mahratta (English); the Home Rule League (1916).
- Lala Lajpat Rai: the "Lion of Punjab"; injured in the lathi-charge against the Simon Commission protest (1928) and died of his injuries.
- Bipin Chandra Pal: the Extremist orator from Bengal.
- Aurobindo Ghosh: an Extremist who later turned to spirituality.
- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi: the "Father of the Nation"; led Champaran (1917), Kheda and Ahmedabad (1918), Non-Cooperation (1920 to 1922), the Salt Satyagraha / Dandi March (1930) and Quit India (1942); his autobiography is The Story of My Experiments with Truth; his papers were Young India and Harijan; the slogan "Do or Die" (Quit India). His mentor in South Africa shaped his method of satyagraha. The details are in gandhian era and mass movements.
- Jawaharlal Nehru: the first Prime Minister; the "Tryst with Destiny" speech; books The Discovery of India, Glimpses of World History and an autobiography; led the demand for Purna Swaraj (1929, Lahore).
- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel: the "Iron Man of India"; led the Bardoli Satyagraha (1928, hence "Sardar"); integrated the princely States as the first Home Minister. See post independence consolidation.
- Maulana Abul Kalam Azad: a Congress President and the first Education Minister; editor of Al-Hilal.
- Rajendra Prasad: the first President of India and President of the Constituent Assembly.
- C. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji): the last Governor-General of India.
| Revolutionary |
Associated with |
| Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru |
Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA); the Assembly bomb (1929) and the Saunders killing; hanged in 1931 |
| Chandrashekhar Azad |
HSRA; died at Alfred Park, Allahabad (1931) |
| Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan |
The Kakori conspiracy / train robbery (1925) |
| Khudiram Bose, Prafulla Chaki |
The Muzaffarpur (Kennedy) bomb (1908) |
| Surya Sen (Masterda) |
The Chittagong Armoury Raid (1930) |
| Rash Behari Bose, Sachindra Nath Sanyal |
Early revolutionary networks; Ghadar links |
| Udham Singh |
Shot Michael O'Dwyer in London (1940) in revenge for Jallianwala Bagh |
| Vinayak Damodar Savarkar |
The First War of Indian Independence (on 1857); Abhinav Bharat |
| The Ghadar Party (Lala Hardayal, Sohan Singh Bhakna) |
Founded in the USA (1913) |
- Sarojini Naidu: the "Nightingale of India"; the first Indian woman President of the Congress (1925); led the Dharasana salt-raid after Gandhi's arrest.
- Annie Besant: the first woman President of the Congress (1917); founder of the Home Rule League (1916) and the New India and Commonweal papers.
- Kasturba Gandhi, Kamala Nehru and Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit: leaders of the satyagraha campaigns (Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit later led the UN General Assembly as its first woman President).
- Aruna Asaf Ali: the "Grand Old Lady of the Independence Movement"; hoisted the flag during Quit India (1942).
- Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi, Begum Hazrat Mahal and Rani Gaidinliu (Naga, the "Rani of the Nagas") in earlier and regional resistance.
- Captain Lakshmi Sahgal led the Rani of Jhansi Regiment of the Indian National Army.
- Subhas Chandra Bose ("Netaji"): twice Congress President (resigned after the 1939 Tripuri split with the Forward Bloc); escaped to lead the Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj) and the Provisional Government of Free India (Azad Hind); the slogans "Give me blood and I will give you freedom" and "Jai Hind"; "Delhi Chalo".
| Slogan |
Person |
| "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it" |
Bal Gangadhar Tilak |
| "Do or Die" (Karenge ya Marenge) |
Mahatma Gandhi (Quit India, 1942) |
| "Give me blood and I will give you freedom" / "Jai Hind" |
Subhas Chandra Bose |
| "Inquilab Zindabad" (popularised) |
Bhagat Singh (coined by Hasrat Mohani) |
| "Sarfaroshi ki Tamanna" (the lines) |
Ram Prasad Bismil / Bismil Azimabadi |
| "Vande Mataram" |
Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay (in Anandamath) |
| "Jai Jawan Jai Kisan" |
Lal Bahadur Shastri (later) |
| Newspaper / journal |
Founder / editor |
| Kesari (Marathi), Mahratta (English) |
Bal Gangadhar Tilak |
| Young India, Harijan |
Mahatma Gandhi |
| Al-Hilal |
Abul Kalam Azad |
| The Hindu, Amrita Bazar Patrika, Bengalee |
(Various nationalist editors) |
| New India, Commonweal |
Annie Besant |
| Bande Mataram |
Aurobindo Ghosh / Bipin Chandra Pal |
The personalities of the struggle frame India's own ideas about resistance, the State and rights, the values that the Constitution and the security architecture now serve. Gandhi's non-violent satyagraha and the revolutionaries' armed struggle are the two poles of a long debate about means and ends in confronting an unjust State, directly relevant to how a constitutional democracy distinguishes legitimate protest from violence. The repression of the movement (the Rowlatt Act, the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919, the lathi-charge on Lajpat Rai, preventive detention) is the origin of the human-rights safeguards now in the Constitution, including the limits on preventive detention and the protections in Article 22. The integration role of Patel and the institution-building of Ambedkar and Nehru carry straight into the nation-building note. See gandhian era and mass movements, fundamental rights and post independence consolidation.
Formats: person-to-movement matching; slogan-to-author; newspaper-to-editor; book-to-author; revolutionary-to-event (Kakori, Chittagong, the Assembly bomb); the "first" titles (first Congress President, first woman Congress President); honorifics (Lokmanya, Netaji, Iron Man, Nightingale).
Authored practice (not verbatim PYQs):
Q1The slogan "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it" is associated with:
- AMahatma Gandhi
- BBal Gangadhar Tilak
- CSubhas Chandra Bose
- DLala Lajpat Rai
Answer:
- B. It is Tilak's slogan.
Q2The Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj) is most associated with:
- ABhagat Singh
- BChandrashekhar Azad
- CSubhas Chandra Bose
- DRash Behari Bose
Answer:
- C. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose led the INA (with Rash Behari Bose in its early formation).
Q3The Kakori train robbery (1925) was carried out by revolutionaries including:
- ABhagat Singh and Sukhdev
- BRam Prasad Bismil and Ashfaqulla Khan
- CKhudiram Bose
- DSurya Sen
Answer:
- B. Bismil and Ashfaqulla Khan led the Kakori action.
Q4The "drain of wealth" theory was propounded by:
- ASurendranath Banerjea
- BDadabhai Naoroji
- CR.C. Dutt
- DGopal Krishna Gokhale
Answer:
- B. Dadabhai Naoroji propounded the drain theory (R.C. Dutt also wrote on it).
Q5The first woman President of the Indian National Congress was:
- ASarojini Naidu
- BAnnie Besant
- CAruna Asaf Ali
- DVijaya Lakshmi Pandit
Answer:
- B. Annie Besant (1917); Sarojini Naidu was the first Indian woman President (1925).
Q6The newspaper Al-Hilal was edited by:
- AMahatma Gandhi
- BBal Gangadhar Tilak
- CAbul Kalam Azad
- DBipin Chandra Pal
Answer:
- C. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad edited Al-Hilal.
- Annie Besant was the first woman President of the Congress (1917); Sarojini Naidu was the first Indian woman President (1925). Both "firsts" exist; read the qualifier.
- W.C. Bonnerjee was the first Congress President; A.O. Hume founded the Congress. Founder and first President are different.
- Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru (HSRA, the Assembly bomb and Saunders) versus Bismil and Ashfaqulla (Kakori) versus Surya Sen (Chittagong). Do not mix the revolutionaries with their events.
- "Inquilab Zindabad" was popularised by Bhagat Singh but coined by Hasrat Mohani.
- "Vande Mataram" is Bankim Chandra's (in Anandamath); "Jana Gana Mana" is Tagore's.
- Subhas Chandra Bose led the INA in its mass phase; Rash Behari Bose was associated with its earlier formation.
- Extremist trio: "Lal-Bal-Pal" (Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal).
- Honorifics: "Lokmanya Tilak, Netaji Bose, Iron Man Patel, Nightingale Naidu, Grand Old Man Naoroji."
- Revolutionary events: "Kakori (Bismil), Chittagong (Surya Sen), Assembly bomb (Bhagat Singh)."
- First Congress: "Hume founded, Bonnerjee presided (1885)."
- A.O. Hume founded the Congress (1885); W.C. Bonnerjee was its first President.
- Dadabhai Naoroji (Grand Old Man, drain theory); Gokhale (Gandhi's political guru, Servants of India Society).
- Extremists "Lal-Bal-Pal": Lajpat Rai, Tilak ("Swaraj is my birthright"), Bipin Chandra Pal.
- Gandhi (Father of the Nation, "Do or Die", Young India and Harijan); Nehru (first PM, Discovery of India); Patel (Iron Man, Bardoli, integration).
- Revolutionaries: Bhagat Singh and HSRA (Assembly bomb, hanged 1931); Bismil and Ashfaqulla (Kakori 1925); Surya Sen (Chittagong 1930).
- Women: Annie Besant (first woman Congress President 1917), Sarojini Naidu (first Indian woman President 1925, Nightingale), Aruna Asaf Ali (Quit India flag).
- Subhas Chandra Bose (Netaji, INA / Azad Hind Fauj, "Give me blood", "Jai Hind").
- A.O. Hume founded the Congress in 1885; W.C. Bonnerjee was its first President.
- Dadabhai Naoroji, the "Grand Old Man", propounded the drain-of-wealth theory.
- Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Gandhi's political guru, founded the Servants of India Society.
- The Extremist trio "Lal-Bal-Pal" was Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Bipin Chandra Pal.
- Tilak's slogan was "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it"; his papers were Kesari and Mahratta.
- Gandhi (Father of the Nation) led Champaran, Non-Cooperation, the Salt March and Quit India ("Do or Die").
- Patel, the "Iron Man", led Bardoli (1928) and integrated the princely States as first Home Minister.
- Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru of the HSRA were hanged in 1931; Bismil and Ashfaqulla led Kakori (1925).
- Surya Sen led the Chittagong Armoury Raid (1930); Udham Singh shot O'Dwyer (1940).
- Annie Besant was the first woman Congress President (1917); Sarojini Naidu the first Indian woman President (1925).
- Subhas Chandra Bose (Netaji) led the Indian National Army and gave the slogan "Jai Hind".
- "Vande Mataram" is Bankim Chandra's; "Jana Gana Mana" is Tagore's; "Inquilab Zindabad" was popularised by Bhagat Singh.
- Moderates: the early Congress leaders who used petitions and constitutional means (Naoroji, Gokhale, Banerjea).
- Extremists: the assertive nationalists demanding swaraj (Tilak, Lajpat Rai, Bipin Chandra Pal, Aurobindo).
- Satyagraha: Gandhi's method of non-violent civil resistance.
- HSRA: the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association, the revolutionaries' organisation.
- Ghadar Party: the revolutionary party founded by Indians in the USA (1913).
- INA (Azad Hind Fauj): the Indian National Army led in its mass phase by Subhas Chandra Bose.
- Drain of wealth: Naoroji's theory of the economic exploitation of India by Britain.
- Lal-Bal-Pal: the Extremist trio of Lajpat Rai, Tilak and Bipin Chandra Pal.