Revolutionary Activities in Bengal
Modern History › Revolutionary Activities and the First World War · Topic 15.2
Bengal was the centre of revolutionary activity: the Anushilan Samiti and Yugantar groups, the Muzaffarpur bomb of 1908 by Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki, the Alipore conspiracy case, the Delhi bomb on Hardinge in 1912 and the Jugantar party's German Plot under Bagha Jatin, which failed at Balasore in 1915.
7 min read · UPSC Prelims · History · Revolutionary Activities and the First World War
At a Glance
- Groups Anushilan Samiti (1902), Yugantar (weekly, 1906), Dacca Anushilan
- Key events Muzaffarpur 1908; Alipore case; Barrah dacoity; Hardinge bomb 1912
- Wartime German Plot; Bagha Jatin died at Balasore, September 1915
- Limits Hindu emphasis, no mass base, narrow upper-caste base
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Modern History: Revolutionary Activities and the First World War
Where Does It Fit?
This is the second topic of the category on revolutionary activities and the First World War. The previous topic gave the causes and programme. This topic surveys Bengal, the most active centre. The next topic covers Maharashtra and Punjab. Previous topic: Why the Surge of Revolutionary Activities, 1907-1917.
How Did Revolutionary Groups Begin in Bengal?
By the 1870s Calcutta’s student community was honeycombed with secret societies, but these were not very active. The first revolutionary groups were organised in 1902 in Midnapore, under Jnanendranath Basu, and in Calcutta, where the Anushilan Samiti was founded by Promotha Mitter and included Jatindranath Banerjee, Barindra Kumar Ghosh and others. Their activities were limited to physical and moral training and remained insignificant till 1907-08.
In April 1906 an inner circle within the Anushilan (Barindra Kumar Ghosh, Bhupendranath Dutta) started the weekly Yugantar and conducted a few abortive actions. By 1905-06 several newspapers had started advocating revolutionary violence. After severe police brutalities on participants of the Barisal Conference in April 1906, the Yugantar wrote that the remedy lay with the people, that the thirty crore people of India must raise their sixty crore hands, and that force must be stopped by force. Rashbehari Bose and Sachin Sanyal organised a secret society in far-flung areas of Punjab, Delhi and the United Provinces, and others, like Hemachandra Kanungo, went abroad for military and political training. Newspapers advocating revolution included Sandhya and Yugantar in Bengal and Kal in Maharashtra.
What Were the Main Events of 1907-1912?
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1907 | Abortive attempt by the Yugantar group on the life of Sir Fuller, the unpopular first Lieutenant Governor of Eastern Bengal and Assam (who had resigned on 20 August 1906) |
| December 1907 | Attempts to derail the train carrying Lieutenant-Governor Sir Andrew Fraser |
| 1908 | Prafulla Chaki and Khudiram Bose threw a bomb at a carriage supposed to carry the sadistic judge Kingsford at Muzaffarpur; he was not in it, and two British women were killed; Chaki shot himself, and Khudiram Bose was tried and hanged |
| 1908 | Barrah dacoity by Dacca Anushilan under Pulin Das to raise funds |
| February 1909 | The public prosecutor shot dead in Calcutta |
| February 1910 | A deputy superintendent of police shot dead while leaving the Calcutta High Court |
| December 1912 | Bomb attack on Viceroy Hardinge during his entry procession into Delhi through Chandni Chowk; Hardinge injured, not killed; credited to Rashbehari Bose and Sachin Sanyal |
Muzaffarpur is also the incident for which Tilak was tried, as told in Government Repression and Strategy.
What Was the Alipore Conspiracy Case?
The whole Anushilan group was arrested, including the Ghosh brothers, Aurobindo and Barindra, who were tried in the Alipore conspiracy case, also called the Manicktolla bomb conspiracy or the Muraripukur conspiracy, after Barindra’s house on Muraripukur Road. They were charged with conspiracy or waging war against the King, equivalent to high treason and punishable by death. Chittaranjan Das defended Aurobindo, who was acquitted of all charges, the judge condemning the flimsy evidence. Barindra Ghosh, head of the secret society, and Ullaskar Dutt, the bomb-maker, were given the death penalty, later commuted to life imprisonment. During the trial Narendra Gosain, who had turned approver and Crown witness, was shot dead in jail by two co-accused, Satyendranath Bose and Kanailal Dutta.
After the Hardinge bomb, investigations led to the Delhi Conspiracy trial, at the end of which Basant Kumar Biswas, Amir Chand and Avadh Behari were convicted and executed. Rashbehari Bose, said to be behind the plan, evaded arrest, it is said by escaping in disguise.
What Was the German Plot?
The western Anushilan Samiti found a good leader in Jatindranath Mukherjee, or Bagha Jatin, and emerged as the Jugantar (or Yugantar). Jatin revitalised links between the central organisation in Calcutta and other places in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
During the First World War the Jugantar party arranged to import German arms and ammunition through sympathisers and revolutionaries abroad. Jatin asked Rashbehari Bose to take charge of Upper India, aiming at an all-India insurrection in what has come to be called the German Plot or the Zimmerman Plan. The party raised funds through taxicab and boat dacoities. It was planned to organise a guerrilla force to start an uprising, with the seizure of Fort William and a mutiny of the armed forces. The plot was leaked by a traitor. The police learnt that Bagha Jatin was at Balasore waiting for the delivery of German arms, found him and his associates, and a gunfight followed in which the revolutionaries were killed or arrested. Jatin Mukherjee was shot and died a hero’s death at Balasore on the Orissa coast in September 1915, his call being that they would die to awaken the nation. The wartime links abroad are in Revolutionary Activities Abroad.
What Was the Legacy and Limit?
In the end, revolutionary activity emerged as the most substantial legacy of swadeshi Bengal, with an impact on educated youth for a generation or more. But an overemphasis on the Hindu religion kept Muslims aloof, and it encouraged quixotic heroism. No involvement of the masses was envisaged, which, with the narrow upper-caste social base of the movement in Bengal, severely limited the scope of revolutionary activity. In the end it failed to withstand the weight of state repression.
As an analytical point, the Bengal case shows the pattern of the whole phase: bold individual acts with great public effect, followed by arrests that broke the organisation. The swadeshi origin of the movement is told in Swadeshi and Boycott Movement Under Extremist Leadership.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Names and events Khudiram Bose, the Alipore case and Bagha Jatin are standard Prelims items
- Wartime plot The German Plot connects revolutionaries with the First World War
- Assessment The limits of the Bengal movement are a Mains point
What Came Next?
The next topic covers the revolutionary activities in Maharashtra and Punjab. Next topic: Revolutionary Activities in Maharashtra and Punjab.
Key People and Terms
- Anushilan Samiti The Calcutta revolutionary group founded by Promotha Mitter
- Yugantar The weekly and the revolutionary group of Barindra Ghosh
- Alipore conspiracy case The trial of the Ghosh brothers and others after the Muzaffarpur bomb
- Barrah dacoity The 1908 fundraising dacoity by the Dacca Anushilan
- German Plot The wartime plan to import German arms for an all-India insurrection
- Bagha Jatin Jatindranath Mukherjee, the Jugantar leader
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Anushilan Samiti 1902, Calcutta; Yugantar weekly April 1906.
- 1908: Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki at Muzaffarpur (Kingsford).
- Alipore case: Aurobindo acquitted (defended by C.R. Das); Barindra and Ullaskar Dutt sentenced.
- December 1912: bomb on Hardinge in Delhi.
- Bagha Jatin died at Balasore, September 1915.
Do Not Confuse With
- Anushilan and Yugantar Yugantar began as an inner circle of the Anushilan
- Muzaffarpur bomb and Alipore case The bomb of 1908 led to the Alipore trial
- Hardinge bomb and Muzaffarpur bomb 1912 Delhi versus 1908 Muzaffarpur
Memory Hook
Anushilan trained, Yugantar spoke, Khudiram threw, Jatin died at Balasore.
Mains Angle
Questions ask about the revolutionary movement in Bengal. These points add depth.
- Swadeshi legacy Revolutionary activity was the most lasting legacy of swadeshi Bengal
- Wartime plot The Jugantar tried to import German arms
- Limited base Upper caste and Hindu in outlook; no mass role
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Describe the revolutionary movement in Bengal between 1902 and 1915 and assess its limits.”
How to Answer
- Groups Anushilan and Yugantar.
- Events Muzaffarpur, Alipore, Delhi bomb.
- War Bagha Jatin and the German Plot.
- Conclude Limits of base and method.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Anushilan Samiti?
The Anushilan Samiti was a revolutionary group founded in Calcutta in 1902 by Promotha Mitter, with Jatindranath Banerjee and Barindra Kumar Ghosh among its members. At first it gave only physical and moral training, and became active after 1906.
What happened at Muzaffarpur in 1908?
Prafulla Chaki and Khudiram Bose threw a bomb at a carriage thought to carry the harsh judge Kingsford at Muzaffarpur. He was not in it, and two British women were killed. Chaki shot himself and Khudiram Bose was tried and hanged.
What was the Alipore conspiracy case?
The Alipore conspiracy case was the trial of Aurobindo and Barindra Ghosh and others of the Anushilan group, charged with waging war against the King. Aurobindo was acquitted, defended by C.R. Das, while Barindra Ghosh and Ullaskar Dutt got death sentences, commuted to life.
Who attacked Viceroy Hardinge in 1912?
A bomb was thrown at Viceroy Hardinge during his procession into the new capital Delhi through Chandni Chowk in December 1912. The chapter credits Rashbehari Bose and Sachin Sanyal, and the Delhi Conspiracy trial led to the hanging of Basant Kumar Biswas and others.
What was the German Plot?
The German Plot was a First World War plan by the Jugantar party under Bagha Jatin to import German arms for an all-India insurrection and seize Fort William. It leaked through a traitor and failed, and Jatin died fighting at Balasore in September 1915.
Why did the Bengal revolutionary movement have limited success?
An overemphasis on Hindu religion kept Muslims aloof, it encouraged quixotic heroism, the masses were not involved, and the base was narrow and upper caste, so it could not withstand the weight of state repression.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 The Anushilan Samiti was founded in Calcutta in 1902.
Promotha Mitter founded it.
2 Aurobindo Ghosh was convicted in the Alipore conspiracy case.
He was acquitted; Barindra Ghosh and Ullaskar Dutt were given death sentences.
3 Khudiram Bose was hanged after the Muzaffarpur bomb of 1908.
Prafulla Chaki shot himself.
4 Bagha Jatin died at Balasore in 1915.
He was a leader of the Jugantar.
5 The bomb attack on Hardinge took place in Calcutta in 1908.
It took place in Delhi in December 1912.
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