Why the Surge of Revolutionary Activities, 1907-1917
Modern History › Revolutionary Activities and the First World War · Topic 15.1
Revolutionary activity of 1907-17 grew out of militant nationalism after the open Swadeshi Movement declined. Young nationalists, disillusioned by the Extremists' failure to find new forms of struggle and facing repression, concluded that the British must be expelled by force. They followed Russian nihilists and the Irish, using assassinations, swadeshi dacoities and wartime conspiracies.
5 min read · UPSC Prelims · History · Revolutionary Activities and the First World War
At a Glance
- What it is The first phase of revolutionary nationalism, 1907-17
- Origin By-product of militant nationalism; fallout of the Swadeshi Movement
- Method Individual heroic action: assassinations, swadeshi dacoities, wartime conspiracies
- Aim Strike terror in the rulers and expel the British by force
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Modern History: Revolutionary Activities and the First World War
Where Does It Fit?
This is the first topic of the category on revolutionary activities and the First World War. The previous category told the era of militant nationalism and the government’s response. This topic gives the causes and programme of the revolutionaries. The next topics survey their activities by region. Previous topic: Morley-Minto Reforms, 1909, and the Formation of the Muslim League.
Where Did Revolutionary Activity Come From?
The activities of revolutionary heroism started as a by-product of the growth of militant nationalism. The first phase acquired a more activist form as a fallout of the Swadeshi and Boycott Movement and continued till 1917. The second phase started as a fallout of the Khilafat Committee Congress approval Special session at Calcutta, September 1920 Nagpur session…">Non-Cooperation Movement.
After the decline of the open movement, the younger nationalists who had taken part in it found it impossible to leave off and disappear into the background. They looked for avenues to express their patriotic energies, but were disillusioned by the failure of the leadership, even the Extremists, to find new forms of struggle to bring the new militant trends into practice. The Extremist leaders called on the youth to make sacrifices but failed to create an effective organisation or find new forms of political work to tap these revolutionary energies. The youth, finding all avenues of peaceful political protest closed under government repression, concluded that if the nationalist goal of independence was to be met, the British must be expelled physically by force. The decline of the open movement is explained in Evaluation of the Swadeshi Movement and the repression in Government Repression and Strategy.
| Reason | Detail |
|---|---|
| Not ready to retreat | Young participants of the movement would not fade away |
| Leadership failure | Even the Extremists found no new forms of struggle or effective organisation |
| Repression | Peaceful avenues of protest were closed |
| Belief | Independence could be won only by driving the British out by force |
What Was the Revolutionary Programme?
The revolutionaries considered, but did not find it practical at that stage, the options of creating a violent mass revolution throughout the country or of subverting the loyalties of the army. Instead they chose to follow the Russian nihilists or the Irish nationalists. This method involved individual heroic actions: organising assassinations of unpopular officials and of traitors and informers among the revolutionaries themselves; conducting swadeshi dacoities to raise funds; and, during the First World War, organising military conspiracies with the expectation of help from the enemies of Britain.
The idea was to strike terror in the hearts of the rulers, arouse the people and remove the fear of authority from their minds. The revolutionaries intended to inspire the people, especially idealistic youth, by appealing to their patriotism, and these youth would finally drive the British out.
| Element of the programme | Detail |
|---|---|
| Models | Russian nihilists and Irish nationalists |
| Assassinations | Of unpopular officials, and of traitors and informers |
| Swadeshi dacoities | To raise funds |
| Wartime conspiracies | Military plots with expected help from Britain’s enemies |
| Aim | Strike terror, arouse the people, remove fear of authority |
Why Did the Extremists Fail to Counter It?
The Extremist leaders failed to counter the revolutionaries ideologically, because they did not highlight the difference between a revolution based on the activity of the masses and one based on individual violent action. This allowed individual violent activity to take root. The Extremist position is described in Moderates and Extremists: A Comparison.
As an analytical point, the revolutionary path was a response to a gap: the open movement had raised expectations that no organisation could meet. Because the revolutionaries relied on a small group of daring individuals, not on mass action, their method could not outlast the arrest of its leaders, a limit seen in the regional surveys, in Revolutionary Activities in Bengal, Revolutionary Activities in Maharashtra and Punjab and Revolutionary Activities Abroad, and in the assessment in Decline of the First Phase of Revolutionary Activity.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Causes and aims The reasons and the programme of the revolutionaries are asked in Mains
- Link to Swadeshi It shows the continuity from militant nationalism
- Base for the survey It frames the regional topics that follow
What Came Next?
The next topic surveys the revolutionary activities in Bengal. Next topic: Revolutionary Activities in Bengal.
Key People and Terms
- Revolutionary One who sought to expel the British by force
- Individual heroic action Acts by individuals such as assassinations, instead of mass action
- Swadeshi dacoity A robbery to raise funds for revolutionary work
- Nihilists Russian revolutionaries who used terror, a model for the Indians
- Military conspiracy A plan involving armed forces, with help from Britain’s enemies
- First phase The period 1907-17; the second phase followed Non-Cooperation
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- First phase 1907-1917; second phase after Non-Cooperation.
- Models: Russian nihilists, Irish nationalists.
- Methods: assassinations, swadeshi dacoities, wartime conspiracies.
- Aim: strike terror and expel the British by force.
- Extremists failed to separate mass from individual violence.
Do Not Confuse With
- Revolutionaries and Extremists Extremists used boycott and passive resistance; revolutionaries used violence
- First and second phase First: 1907-17; second: after the Non-Cooperation Movement
- Mass revolution and individual action The revolutionaries chose individual action
Memory Hook
Open movement fell, youth despaired, bombs replaced boycott.
Mains Angle
Questions ask for causes and methods of revolutionary terrorism. These points add depth.
- Failure of leadership No new forms of struggle
- Closed avenues Repression ended peaceful protest
- Limited method Individual action instead of mass revolution
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Examine the causes and methods of the revolutionary activities of 1907-1917.”
How to Answer
- Causes Swadeshi aftermath, leadership failure, repression.
- Methods Assassinations, dacoities, wartime plots.
- Models Russia and Ireland.
- Conclude Their limits.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did revolutionary activities grow in India after 1907?
After the open Swadeshi Movement declined, young nationalists were disillusioned by the failure of even the Extremists to find new forms of struggle, and government repression closed peaceful avenues, so they concluded that the British must be driven out by force.
What was the revolutionary programme?
The revolutionaries chose individual heroic action: assassination of unpopular officials, traitors and informers, swadeshi dacoities to raise funds, and during the First World War, military conspiracies expecting help from Britain's enemies. The aim was to strike terror in the rulers and arouse the people.
Whom did the Indian revolutionaries follow as models?
They followed the Russian nihilists and the Irish nationalists. They had considered a violent countrywide mass revolution or subverting the army's loyalty but found neither practical at that stage, and so chose individual violent action and assassinations instead.
Why did the Extremist leaders fail to check the revolutionaries?
The Extremists urged the youth to sacrifice but failed to build an organisation or new forms of political work, and did not explain the difference between mass revolution and individual violence, so the latter took root.
What were the two phases of revolutionary activity?
The first phase, a by-product of militant nationalism and a fallout of the Swadeshi and Boycott Movement, lasted from 1907 to 1917. The second phase began as a fallout of the Non-Cooperation Movement and is told in later categories.
What was the aim of revolutionary terrorism?
The aim was to strike terror in the hearts of the rulers, arouse the people and remove the fear of authority from their minds, and to inspire idealistic youth, who would finally expel the British from India by force.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 The first phase of revolutionary activities lasted from 1907 to 1917.
The second phase followed Non-Cooperation.
2 The Indian revolutionaries chose to organise a violent countrywide mass revolution.
They found it impractical and chose individual heroic action.
3 Swadeshi dacoities were used to raise funds for revolutionary activities.
Assassinations were also used.
4 The revolutionaries followed the Russian nihilists and Irish nationalists as models.
They aimed to strike terror in the rulers.
5 The Extremist leaders successfully countered the ideology of the revolutionaries.
They failed to explain the difference between mass and individual violence.
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