Modern Indian History

Ishwarchand Vidyasagar was a 19th century Bengali social reformer who championed widow remarriage in India. He successfully campaigned for the Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act of 1856, which legalized the remarriage of widows in Hindu society. Dayanand Saraswati and Deependernath Tagore were also social reformers but not specifically associated with this cause.

Dadabhai Naoroji was known as the 'Grand Old Man of India' for his pioneering role in the Indian independence movement. He was one of the founders of the Indian National Congress and the first Indian to become a member of the British Parliament. His work on the 'Drain Theory' exposed the economic exploitation of India by British rulers.

Mahatma Gandhi gave the 'Do or Die' slogan during the Quit India Movement on August 8, 1942, in his speech at the Bombay session of the All-India Congress Committee. This call to action urged Indians to either free India or die in the attempt, emphasizing complete and immediate independence from British rule. Subhash Chandra Bose gave the 'Give me blood, and I will give you freedom' slogan.

Vijay Ghat in Delhi is the memorial (samadhi) of Lal Bahadur Shastri, India's second Prime Minister who served from 1964-1966. He died in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in 1966. The memorial is located on the banks of Yamuna River and is one of several samadhis of Indian leaders in Delhi.

The All India Kisan Sabha was formed in 1936 in Lucknow as a peasant movement organization.

Jatindranath Bandopadhyay (not to be confused with Bagha Jatin) was a revolutionary who later became a swami in the Ramakrishna Mission order, renouncing violence for spiritual life. Several revolutionaries from the Bengal and Maharashtra schools eventually joined spiritual orders after their active revolutionary periods ended, including some who became Ramakrishna Mission monks.

Sri Aurobindo Ghosh was the first major proponent of the Doctrine of Passive Resistance in the Indian context, which he developed during the Swadeshi Movement (1905-08) as a strategy to resist British rule through non-cooperation while continuing to function within the system. While Gandhi later made non-cooperation and civil disobedience famous, Aurobindo articulated the philosophical basis of passive resistance earlier. Tilak advocated for more direct and militant resistance.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak first declared 'Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it' in 1916, not 1907 as commonly misremembered. While he had been advocating for swaraj (self-rule) since the 1905 Partition of Bengal agitation and during the Surat Congress split of 1907, the specific and famous formulation 'Swaraj is my birthright' was articulated in his 1916 speeches. This slogan became a rallying cry for the complete independence movement.

The 'Deepavali Declaration' was made by Lord Irwin (Viceroy) in 1929, announcing that the British government's policy was to grant India Dominion Status (the eventual goal of self-government) at an unspecified future date. This declaration came just before Deepavali and was seen as an attempt to pacify Indian public opinion. However, the lack of specific timeline disappointed leaders like Gandhi and led to the decision to launch the Civil Disobedience Movement with the Salt March in 1930.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy established the Brahmo Samaj in 1828 to reform Hindu practices and promote monotheism. The movement rejected idol worship, caste distinctions, and sati, while emphasizing rational interpretation of scriptures. This marked the beginning of the Bengal Renaissance.

Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad, a prominent nationalist leader and scholar, acknowledged the significant role of Deoband scholars in the freedom movement. The Darul Uloom Deoband religious seminary actively participated in the nationalist struggle, with many scholars supporting the cause.

The slogan 'liberty, equality, fraternity' originated from the French Revolution (1789-1799) and became its defining principles. Indian nationalists were deeply influenced by these ideals, which emphasized democratic rights, social equality, and national sovereignty. These concepts inspired Indian freedom fighters in their struggle against British colonialism.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy's reformist legacy was continued by the Derozians - radical young Bengali intellectuals inspired by Henry Louis Vivian Derozio, a teacher at Hindu College. They promoted rationalism, challenged superstitions, and advocated social reform in the 1820s-30s. 'Mohunities' and 'Radical Humanists' are not correct historical terms for this group.

Amrita Bazar Patrika was founded in 1868 by Sisir Kumar Ghosh and his brother Motilal Ghosh. It started as a Bengali newspaper, became English in 1878, and played a major role in the nationalist movement. The newspaper was known for its fearless criticism of British policies. Harish Chandra Mukherjee was associated with the Hindu Patriot, another important paper.