Modern Indian History

Mahatma Gandhi gave the 'Do or Die' slogan during the Quit India Movement speech on August 8, 1942 in Mumbai. This slogan embodied the spirit of immediate independence. Nehru and Subhash Bose were prominent leaders but this slogan is specifically attributed to Gandhi. Tilak gave the slogan 'Swaraj is my birthright' and had passed away by 1920.

Raja Rammohan Roy led the campaign against sati, culminating in its abolition in 1829. He argued from both humanitarian grounds and Hindu scriptures that sati had no religious sanction. While he worked on multiple social issues, his agitation against sati was the most impactful and led to concrete legislative change.

The 1916 Lucknow Session marked the historic Congress-League cooperation through the Lucknow Pact, where both parties agreed to support each other's political demands. Congress accepted separate electorates for Muslims and the League supported Congress's demand for self-government. This unity was short-lived but significant for the freedom movement.

Jawaharlal Nehru delivered his famous 'Tryst with Destiny' speech on the midnight of August 14-15, 1947, marking India's independence. This speech is one of the most iconic addresses in world history.

Dadabhai Naoroji is known as the 'Grand Old Man of India' for his pioneering role in India's freedom struggle. He was the first Asian to be elected to the British Parliament and authored 'Poverty and Un-British Rule in India'.

Lord Curzon's agricultural reforms, including the Punjab Land Alienation Act of 1900, were most significant for Punjab's rural population. This Act protected farmers from losing their land to moneylenders, addressing a major crisis. Educational, Police, and Industrial reforms were important but didn't impact Punjab's people as directly as agricultural measures.

The United Nations General Assembly declared October 2nd, Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary, as the International Day of Non-Violence in 2007. This day honors Gandhi's philosophy of ahimsa (non-violence) and his lasting influence on civil rights movements worldwide.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy founded the Brahmo Samaj in 1828 in Calcutta. He was a social reformer who worked to abolish Sati and championed women's rights, education, and rationalism. Swami Dayananda Saraswati founded Arya Samaj, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was a reformer focused on widow remarriage, and Swami Vivekananda founded Ramakrishna Mission.

The Rebellion of 1857 in India began as a mutiny of sepoys of the East India Company's army. 

The name of Tilak became a household name during Home Rule Movement and this let him earn the epithet Lokmanya. Home Rule Movement has been taken from Ireland.The two Home Rule League were set up in April 1916 by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and in September 1916 by Annie Besant.The main objective of Home Rule League were:- Self Government in the British Empire. Work for National education, social and political reforms. Abolition of untouchability.

 “Do or Die” (Kro ya Maro) “Gandhiji” gave this Mantra to the nation on the eve of Quit India Movement.

The capital of India was shifted from Calcutta to Delhi in 1911 during the Delhi Durbar, announced by King George V. The actual shift was completed in 1912, but the decision was made in 1911.

Gandhiji published 'Indian Opinion' during his stay in South Africa (1903-1914). Young India was published later in India. Indian Opinion was used to communicate his ideas and mobilize support for the Indian community's rights in South Africa.

The States Reorganization Commission (1953) recommended reorganizing Indian states along linguistic lines, and these recommendations were comprehensively implemented with the States Reorganization Act of 1956, which came into effect on November 1, 1956. This created 14 states and 6 union territories.