Not everyone believed freedom would come through petitions and prayers. A whole stream of young Indians chose a different path — armed action against British rule. This is the story of revolutionary nationalism, the secret societies, the daring patriots, and finally Subhas Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army (INA). For NDA aspirants, this chapter is a steady source of objective questions.
Why Revolutionary Nationalism Matters for NDA
India’s freedom struggle is usually told as the story of the Congress, Gandhi, and mass movements. But running alongside it was a parallel, armed struggle led by young revolutionaries who believed the British would only leave through force, fear, and sacrifice.
For NDA, this topic is a goldmine of one-mark factual questions: who founded which society, who threw a bomb where, who was hanged when, and the role of Subhas Chandra Bose. Examiners love testing names, places, and dates from this period.
Revolutionary nationalism is also called revolutionary terrorism in older textbooks — here “terrorism” simply means using individual heroic violence to inspire the nation, not modern terrorism.
As a future officer, understanding this armed dimension of the freedom struggle — the discipline, the sacrifice, and the military spirit of the INA — carries real meaning beyond the exam hall.
What Was Revolutionary Nationalism?
Revolutionary nationalism was a method of fighting British rule through secret organisation and armed action rather than open mass agitation. Its followers were mostly educated young men who were impatient with the slow, polite politics of the early Congress.
Core beliefs
- British rule could be ended by striking fear into officials through assassinations and bombings.
- Heroic acts of individual sacrifice would awaken and inspire the masses.
- Secret societies, smuggled weapons, and swadeshi (indigenous) bomb-making were the tools of struggle.
How it differed from the moderates
The Moderates (Dadabhai Naoroji, Gokhale) used petitions, prayers, and constitutional methods. The revolutionaries rejected this as begging. They drew inspiration from Irish, Russian, and Italian revolutionary movements.
Revolutionary activity came in two major phases: the first around the Swadeshi Movement (1905–1917), and the second in the 1920s–30s after the withdrawal of Non-Cooperation.
Roots in the Swadeshi Movement
The Partition of Bengal in 1905 by Lord Curzon shook the country and triggered the Swadeshi and Boycott Movement. When this movement was crushed, many frustrated youth turned to the revolutionary path.
Why Bengal first?
- Bengal was the worst hit by the partition and had a large, educated, politically aware youth.
- Newspapers like Yugantar and Sandhya openly preached revolutionary ideas.
- Leaders like Aurobindo Ghosh and his brother Barindra Kumar Ghosh gave the movement intellectual fire.
The first phase of revolutionary nationalism was concentrated in Bengal, Maharashtra, and Punjab, with important activity abroad as well.
The young revolutionaries set up gymnasiums (akharas) and secret reading circles where physical training mixed with nationalist teaching — turning anger into organised action. These youth read about the French Revolution, the Italian unification under Mazzini and Garibaldi, and the Russian struggle against the Tsar, and they dreamed of repeating such heroics in India. Religious imagery from Bankim Chandra’s novel Anandamath and its song Vande Mataram gave them an emotional and almost spiritual drive to sacrifice everything for the motherland.
Key Revolutionary Societies and Leaders
NDA frequently asks which leader founded which society. Lock these in memory.
Bengal
- Anushilan Samiti — an early revolutionary society; Pulin Behari Das founded its Dhaka branch.
- Yugantar — linked to Barindra Kumar Ghosh and Bhupendranath Dutta.
Maharashtra
- Chapekar brothers (Damodar & Balkrishna) assassinated the plague commissioner Rand at Pune in 1897.
- Vinayak Damodar Savarkar founded the Abhinav Bharat society.
Punjab and abroad
- Lala Hardayal led the Ghadar Party (founded 1913 in the USA), which aimed at an armed uprising.
- Shyamji Krishna Varma ran India House in London; Madame Bhikaji Cama unfurled an early version of the Indian flag abroad.
Pair each name with its place: Savarkar → Abhinav Bharat (Maharashtra), Hardayal → Ghadar (USA), Anushilan/Yugantar → Bengal. Pairing beats rote listing.
Famous Incidents You Must Know
Certain dramatic incidents appear again and again in exams.
Muzaffarpur bombing (1908)
Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki tried to kill a British judge, Kingsford, but killed two English ladies by mistake. Khudiram was hanged at just 18 years of age, becoming a legend.
Alipore Conspiracy Case (1908)
Many Bengal revolutionaries, including Aurobindo Ghosh, were arrested. Aurobindo was defended by C. R. Das and later left politics for spiritual life.
Delhi Conspiracy / Hardinge bomb case (1912)
Rash Behari Bose and others threw a bomb at Viceroy Lord Hardinge during a procession in Delhi.
Do not confuse Rash Behari Bose (Delhi bomb, later helped form INA in Asia) with Subhas Chandra Bose (who led the INA). Different people, both important.
The Second Phase: HSRA and Bhagat Singh
After Gandhi suddenly withdrew the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1922 (following the Chauri Chaura violence), many disappointed youth revived the revolutionary path in the 1920s.
Key organisations
- Hindustan Republican Association (HRA), founded in 1924 by Ram Prasad Bismil, Sachindranath Sanyal, and others.
- Later renamed the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) in 1928, adding a socialist goal.
Kakori and Bhagat Singh
- Kakori train robbery (1925) — revolutionaries looted a government treasury train; Ram Prasad Bismil and Ashfaqulla Khan were hanged.
- Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru were hanged on 23 March 1931 for the killing of police officer Saunders.
- Bhagat Singh and B. K. Dutt threw a bomb in the Central Legislative Assembly (1929) — not to kill, but “to make the deaf hear.”
Bhagat Singh brought a new socialist and ideological depth to revolutionary nationalism — he wanted not just to remove the British but to end exploitation of man by man.
The brave death of Chandra Shekhar Azad, who shot himself at Allahabad’s Alfred Park (1931) rather than be captured, sealed the legend of this generation.
Subhas Chandra Bose: From Congress to Armed Struggle
Subhas Chandra Bose, fondly called Netaji, is the bridge between Congress politics and full-scale armed struggle through the INA.
Early career
- He resigned from the prestigious Indian Civil Service (ICS) to join the freedom struggle — a huge sacrifice.
- He rose in the Congress and was elected Congress President at Haripura (1938) and again at Tripuri (1939).
- At Tripuri he defeated Gandhi’s candidate Pattabhi Sitaramayya, but differences with Gandhi forced him to resign.
Forward Bloc
In 1939, Bose formed the Forward Bloc within the Congress to unite radical, left-leaning forces. He believed Britain’s difficulty in World War II was India’s opportunity.
Bose’s famous slogan: “Give me blood and I will give you freedom.” He also coined “Jai Hind” and called Gandhi the “Father of the Nation.”
The Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj)
The Indian National Army (INA), or Azad Hind Fauj, was an armed force formed to free India by fighting the British from outside, during World War II.
How it began
- The idea took shape in South-East Asia among Indian prisoners of war captured by Japan.
- Captain Mohan Singh formed the first INA in 1942, with help from Rash Behari Bose.
- When the first INA ran into problems, it was reorganised under Subhas Chandra Bose in 1943.
Azad Hind Government
On 21 October 1943, Bose proclaimed the Provisional Government of Free India (Arzi Hukumat-e-Azad Hind) in Singapore, with himself as head of state. It was recognised by several Axis powers.
Women’s regiment
Bose formed the Rani Jhansi Regiment, an all-women fighting unit led by Captain Lakshmi Sahgal — a remarkable step for its time.
The INA, with Japanese support, advanced through Burma and reached the India–Burma border at Imphal and Kohima (1944), even planting the tricolour on Indian soil, before being pushed back.
The INA Trials and Their Impact
After Japan surrendered in 1945, the British captured INA soldiers and put their officers on trial at the Red Fort, Delhi (1945).
The famous three
The most prominent accused were Prem Kumar Sahgal, Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon, and Shah Nawaz Khan — one Hindu, one Sikh, one Muslim — which made the trials a powerful symbol of national unity.
National reaction
- The Congress set up a defence committee with lawyers including Bhulabhai Desai and Jawaharlal Nehru.
- The trials sparked huge public protests, strikes, and naval mutiny sympathy across India.
- The unrest convinced the British that even the army’s loyalty could no longer be taken for granted.
Many historians argue that the INA trials and the 1946 Royal Indian Navy (RIN) Mutiny hastened British departure as much as mass movements did. NDA loves this cause-and-effect point.
What became of Netaji himself remains debated — he is officially reported to have died in a plane crash at Taipei (Taiwan) in August 1945, though the mystery still fascinates the nation. Beyond the trials, the spirit of the INA seeped into the regular armed forces. In February 1946, sailors of the Royal Indian Navy at Bombay rose in revolt, raising the slogans of Azad Hind and demanding the release of INA prisoners. This mutiny, though short-lived, deeply alarmed the British, because it showed that the loyalty of the very forces holding India down was now in question.
Worked Example: Solving a Matching Question
NDA often asks you to match leaders with organisations. Here is how to think through one.
Match the leader with the organisation and pick the correct option.
Notice the trick: if you firmly know even one pair (say Hardayal–Ghadar), you can eliminate wrong options and reach the answer faster.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
These confusions cost easy marks every year.
- Rash Behari Bose vs Subhas Chandra Bose — Rash Behari started the early INA in Asia and handed it to Subhas; do not swap them.
- HRA vs HSRA — the “S” (Socialist) was added in 1928. HRA (1924) came first.
- Abhinav Bharat vs Anushilan Samiti — Abhinav Bharat is Savarkar (Maharashtra); Anushilan Samiti is Bengal.
- Provisional Government date — the Azad Hind Government was proclaimed on 21 October 1943 in Singapore, not in India.
Students often write that the INA “captured” Delhi. It did not. The INA reached Imphal and Kohima on the eastern frontier but was forced back. Its real victory was political and emotional.
Previous-Year Question and Quick Recap
Q. The Provisional Government of Free India (Azad Hind) was established by Subhas Chandra Bose in 1943 at which place?
Answer: Singapore. On 21 October 1943, Bose proclaimed the Arzi Hukumat-e-Azad Hind in Singapore and became its head of state. It was recognised by several Axis nations and even “administered” the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, renamed Shaheed and Swaraj Dweep.
- Revolutionary nationalism = secret societies + armed action; first phase 1905–1917, second phase 1920s–30s.
- Bengal: Anushilan Samiti, Yugantar, Khudiram Bose; Maharashtra: Savarkar’s Abhinav Bharat, Chapekar brothers.
- Ghadar Party (1913, USA) led by Lala Hardayal; abroad work by Cama and Shyamji Krishna Varma.
- HRA (1924) → HSRA (1928); Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru hanged 23 March 1931; Kakori 1925.
- Bose: resigned ICS, Congress President 1938 & 1939, founded Forward Bloc (1939).
- INA: first by Mohan Singh (1942), reorganised by Bose (1943); Rani Jhansi Regiment; reached Imphal/Kohima 1944.
- INA trials at Red Fort (1945) — Sahgal, Dhillon, Shah Nawaz Khan — boosted the final push for freedom.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between revolutionary nationalists and the moderates?
Moderates like Gokhale and Naoroji used petitions, prayers, and constitutional methods. Revolutionary nationalists rejected this and used secret societies, assassinations, and armed action to drive out the British and inspire the masses.
Who founded the Indian National Army (INA)?
The first INA was formed by Captain Mohan Singh in 1942 with help from Rash Behari Bose. It was later reorganised and led to fame by Subhas Chandra Bose in 1943, who also formed the Azad Hind Government.
Why are the INA trials of 1945 important?
INA officers were tried at the Red Fort, Delhi. The trials of Sahgal, Dhillon, and Shah Nawaz Khan became a symbol of Hindu-Sikh-Muslim unity and sparked nationwide protests, convincing the British that even army loyalty was slipping. This hastened independence.
What was the Ghadar Party and who led it?
The Ghadar Party was founded in 1913 in the USA, largely by Indian immigrants, with Lala Hardayal as a key leader. It aimed at organising an armed uprising in India to overthrow British rule.
What were Subhas Chandra Bose's famous slogans?
Netaji's slogans include 'Give me blood and I will give you freedom' and 'Jai Hind.' He also famously addressed Mahatma Gandhi as the 'Father of the Nation' in a radio broadcast.
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