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Freedom Struggle Timeline

Chronological timeline of the Indian freedom struggle from 1857 to 1947 with key events and dates, for CAPF Paper I revision

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At a glance
SubjectHistory
RevisionHistoryFreedom StruggleModern IndiaPaper 1

Cover the right column and recall the year. Dates here are durable. For the narrative behind each phase see rise of nationalism moderates and extremists, gandhian era and mass movements and towards independence acts and partition.

Revolt and early nationalism (1857 to 1905)

Year Event
1857 Revolt of 1857 (Sepoy Mutiny / First War of Independence)
1858 Government of India Act; Crown takes over from the Company; Queen's Proclamation
1875 Arya Samaj founded by Dayananda Saraswati
1885 Indian National Congress founded; first session at Bombay under W C Bonnerjee
1905 Partition of Bengal by Curzon; Swadeshi and Boycott begin

See revolt of 1857 and socio religious reform movements.

Moderates, extremists and revolutionaries (1906 to 1918)

Year Event
1906 Muslim League founded at Dacca; Congress adopts Swaraj as goal (Calcutta)
1907 Surat Split between Moderates and Extremists
1909 Morley-Minto Reforms; separate electorates for Muslims
1911 Annulment of Bengal partition; capital shifts to Delhi
1915 Gandhi returns to India from South Africa
1916 Lucknow Pact (Congress-League unity); Home Rule Leagues (Tilak and Annie Besant)
1917 Champaran Satyagraha (Gandhi's first in India)

Gandhian mass movements (1919 to 1934)

Year Event
1919 Rowlatt Act; Jallianwala Bagh massacre (13 April); Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms
1920 Non-Cooperation Movement launched; Khilafat alliance
1922 Chauri Chaura incident; Gandhi suspends Non-Cooperation
1927 Simon Commission appointed (no Indian member)
1928 Simon Commission arrives; "Simon Go Back"; Nehru Report
1929 Lahore session; Purna Swaraj resolution; Independence pledge
1930 Dandi Salt March (12 March); Civil Disobedience Movement; First Round Table Conference
1931 Gandhi-Irwin Pact; Second Round Table Conference
1932 Communal Award; Poona Pact (Gandhi and Ambedkar)
1934 Civil Disobedience formally withdrawn

See gandhian era and mass movements and personalities of the freedom struggle.

Towards independence (1935 to 1947)

Year Event
1935 Government of India Act 1935; provincial autonomy
1937 Provincial elections; Congress ministries formed
1939 Congress ministries resign on the outbreak of the Second World War
1940 Lahore Resolution (Pakistan demand); August Offer
1942 Cripps Mission (failed); Quit India Movement (8 August)
1943 to 1945 Subhas Chandra Bose and the Indian National Army campaign
1945 Shimla Conference; INA trials at the Red Fort
1946 Cabinet Mission; Royal Indian Navy mutiny; Direct Action Day; Interim Government
1947 Mountbatten Plan (3 June); Indian Independence Act; independence and partition (15 August)

See towards independence acts and partition and governors general and viceroys.

Quick-recall: who launched what

Movement Year Note
Swadeshi 1905 Against Bengal partition
Non-Cooperation 1920 to 1922 Gandhi; with Khilafat
Civil Disobedience 1930 to 1934 Salt Satyagraha its symbol
Quit India 1942 "Do or Die"; Bombay session

Cross-references

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