Rise of Extremism and Swadeshi Movement Exercise Solutions | KalviGavani

Official reason: Lord Curzon claimed Bengal was too large (78 million people) for efficient administration.

Real reason: Bengal was the centre of the nationalist movement. By dividing it along religious lines (creating a Hindu-majority West Bengal and a Muslim-majority East Bengal), the British aimed to: 1. Divide Bengali Hindus from Muslims and weaken nationalist unity 2. Create a Muslim-majority province that would be grateful to the British 3. Break the growing political power of the Bengali intelligentsia

The Extremists rejected Moderate petitions and adopted more assertive methods: 1. Boycott — refusal to buy British goods, use British institutions, and serve in British offices 2. Swadeshi — promotion of Indian-made goods and industries 3. National education — establishing schools and colleges outside the British system 4. Passive resistance — non-cooperation with unjust laws 5. Mass mobilisation — reaching out to students, women, and the middle class through public meetings and processions

The 1907 INC session at Surat witnessed a violent clash between Moderates and Extremists. The Moderates wanted Rash Behari Ghosh as president, while the Extremists supported Tilak. The session collapsed amid disorder, and the Moderates expelled the Extremists from the Congress. This Surat Split (1907) weakened the INC and was a setback for the nationalist movement. The Extremists were readmitted only in 1916 at the Lucknow Pact.

1. Economic: Growth of indigenous industries — Swadeshi textile mills, soap factories, and banks were established. 2. Educational: National schools and colleges were set up outside the British system. 3. Cultural: The movement inspired art, literature, and music — Rabindranath Tagore's Amar Sonar Bangla, paintings of Abanindranath Tagore. 4. Political: Mass participation increased — students, women, and the middle class joined the movement for the first time. 5. Foreign impact: Boycott of British goods hurt British commercial interests and drew international attention.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1856–1920), known as "Lokmanya" (respected by the people), was the leading Extremist leader:

• Published Kesari (Marathi) and Maratha (English) newspapers to spread nationalist ideas
• Organised Ganapati festivals (1893) and Shivaji festivals (1895) to mobilise public opinion
• Declared "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it"
• Advocated boycott, Swadeshi, and national education
• Was imprisoned by the British (1897–1898) for his writings
• Was deported to Mandalay (1908–1914) for supporting revolutionary activities
• Founded the Home Rule League in 1916

Causes: 1. Partition of Bengal (1905): The immediate trigger — Curzon's partition united Bengalis in opposition. 2. Failure of Moderate methods: Decades of petitions had produced only token reforms like the 1892 Councils Act. 3. British repression: Curbs on press, arrest of leaders, and repressive laws fuelled anger. 4. Cultural revival: Rediscovery of India's heritage gave confidence to assert demands. 5. Influence of Tilak, Pal, Lajpat Rai: The Extremist leaders provided assertive leadership.

Course of the Movement: 1. Boycott resolution (7 August 1905): At a meeting in Calcutta, the boycott of British goods was formally adopted. 2. Partition implemented (16 October 1905): The day was observed as a day of mourning — rakhi was tied as a symbol of unity. 3. Spread of Swadeshi: People boycotted British cloth, sugar, and salt; promoted Indian textiles, soap, and match factories. 4. National education: Bengal National College (under Aurobindo Ghosh) and other institutions were set up. 5. Mass participation: Students left government schools, women picketed shops, and the middle class organised meetings. 6. Cultural expression: Songs, poems, and paintings celebrated Swadeshi — Tagore's Amar Sonar Bangla became an anthem. 7. British repression: Police lathi-charges, arrests of leaders, press curbs, and the repression of student protests weakened the movement. 8. Surat Split (1907): Division of INC into Moderates and Extremists fragmented leadership. 9. Decline: By 1908, the movement was waning — Tilak was deported to Mandalay, and repression increased.

The Extremist faction emerged in the early 1900s due to several factors:

1. Failure of Moderate methods: After 20 years of petitions (1885–1905), the Moderates had achieved very little — only the modest Indian Councils Act of 1892. The partition of Bengal (1905) showed that constitutional methods could not stop British arrogance.

2. Repressive British policies: The Vernacular Press Act, the Arms Act, the reduction of age for ICS exams, and the partition of Bengal convinced nationalists that the British would not respond to prayers and petitions.

3. Cultural revival: The rediscovery of India's past glory — through works by scholars like Rajendra Lal Mitra and the celebration of festivals by Tilak — gave Indians confidence that they could govern themselves.

4. Economic exploitation: The Drain of Wealth theory (Naoroji), famines, and the ruin of artisans showed that British rule was impoverishing India — fuel for more radical demands.

5. Influence of international events: Nationalist movements in Ireland, Egypt, and Turkey, and the victory of Japan over Russia (1905), shattered the myth of European invincibility.

6. Leadership of Tilak, Pal, and Lajpat Rai: The Bal-Pal-Lal trio provided assertive leadership that rejected mendicancy and demanded Swaraj.

7. Growth of self-confidence: Western education had produced a class of Indians who could think independently and were no longer in awe of British power.

Background: By 1907, tensions between Moderates and Extremists had escalated. The Extremists wanted to extend the Swadeshi-Boycott movement and adopt Tilak's assertive methods. The Moderates, led by Pherozeshah Mehta and Gokhale, wanted to limit the movement and maintain constitutional methods.

The Surat Session (1907):

• The INC was to hold its 1907 session at Surat.
• The Moderates wanted Rash Behari Ghosh as president; the Extremists wanted Tilak or Lajpat Rai.
• When the session opened, the Extremists demanded that the four resolutions (on Swadeshi, boycott, national education, and self-government) be adopted.
• The Moderates refused. Pandemonium broke out — the session collapsed with slogans, disorder, and physical confrontation.
• The Moderates expelled the Extremists from the INC.

Consequences: 1. Weakened the INC: The split divided the nationalist forces and reduced the Congress to a Moderate rump. 2. Demoralised the Swadeshi Movement: Without Extremist leadership, the movement lost momentum. 3. British advantage: The British exploited the division — they repressed Extremists (Tilak was deported to Mandalay in 1908) while offering concessions to Moderates (Morley-Minto Reforms, 1909). 4. Temporary setback: The Extremists were not readmitted to the INC until 1916 (Lucknow Pact). 5. Long-term lesson: The split showed that disunity weakened the national movement — a lesson that later leaders, especially Gandhi, would heed.

Significance:

1. First mass movement: The Swadeshi Movement was the first time that students, women, the middle class, and workers participated in large numbers — expanding the base of nationalism beyond the educated elite.

2. Economic impact: Swadeshi enterprises — textile mills, soap factories, match factories, banks, and insurance companies — demonstrated that Indians could be economically self-reliant. This was the first major experiment with indigenous industrialisation.

3. National education: Bengal National College, the National Council of Education, and other institutions showed that India could build an education system independent of British control.

4. Cultural nationalism: The movement inspired Tagore's Amar Sonar Bangla, Abanindranath Tagore's paintings, and a renaissance in literature, music, and art — connecting political nationalism to cultural pride.

5. Women's participation: For the first time, women joined picketing, boycotts, and public meetings — marking the beginning of women's political activism.

6. Precedent for future movements: The methods of boycott and Swadeshi were later adopted and expanded by Gandhi in the Non-Cooperation and Civil Disobedience movements.

7. Exposure of British repression: The brutal suppression of the movement (lathi-charges, arrests, press curbs) exposed the hollowness of British claims to justice and fair play.

8. Limitations: The movement was largely confined to Bengal and urban centres, lacked a cohesive all-India organisation, and was weakened by the Surat Split and British repression. But its legacy of mass mobilisation and economic self-reliance endured.