Indian National Movement and the Freedom Struggle
Key facts
- The 1857 uprising began at Meerut on 10 May 1857, drew symbolic authority from Bahadur Shah Zafar in Delhi, and led to the transfer of Company power t...
- The 1905 Partition of Bengal gave Swadeshi, boycott, national education and public mobilisation a sharper anti-colonial form.
- Gandhi turned nationalist politics into mass politics through satyagraha, Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience and the Salt March that reached Dandi on...
- Constitutional reforms from the Indian Councils Act 1892 to the Government of India Act 1935 widened representation without giving real responsible se...
- Subhas Chandra Bose and the INA kept wartime pressure alive; the Azad Hind Government was declared at Singapore on 21 October 1943 and INA trials late...
Key Points at a Glance
- 1
The 1857 uprising began at Meerut on 10 May 1857, drew symbolic authority from Bahadur Shah Zafar in Delhi, and led to the transfer of Company power to the British Crown under the 1858 Act.
- 2
Early nationalism grew through regional associations, the Indian National Congress, constitutional demands and economic criticism of colonial rule.
- 3
The 1905 Partition of Bengal gave Swadeshi, boycott, national education and public mobilisation a sharper anti-colonial form.
- 4
Gandhi turned nationalist politics into mass politics through satyagraha, Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience and the Salt March that reached Dandi on 6 April 1930.
- 5
Constitutional reforms from the Indian Councils Act 1892 to the Government of India Act 1935 widened representation without giving real responsible self-government at the national level.
- 6
Subhas Chandra Bose and the INA kept wartime pressure alive; the Azad Hind Government was declared at Singapore on 21 October 1943 and INA trials later stirred public opinion.
- 7
Quit India began after the AICC resolution of 8 August 1942, while independence in August 1947 came with Partition, violence, displacement and urgent princely-state integration.
- 8
Rajasthan’s role includes Auwa and Kota in 1857, Bijolia and Begun peasant movements, Bhil mobilisation, Praja Mandal struggles and the formation of Greater Rajasthan on 30 March 1949.
- 9
Post-independence nation-building centred on the Constitution, state integration, linguistic reorganisation, democratic institutions, planning and science-and-technology capacity.
Continue studying
1857 revolt and the Crown takeover
The Revolt of 1857 matters in CET because it links political grievance, military anger and popular resistance. NCERT explains that rulers, peasants, landlords, tribals and sepoys were affected in different ways by Company policies. Awadh had been taken over in 1856 on the charge of misgovernment, sepoys were unhappy about pay and service conditions, and the cartridge rumour sharpened fear that the Company was interfering with religion.
The major outbreak began at Meerut on 10 May 1857. The sepoys rode to Delhi, forced their way into the palace, and proclaimed Bahadur Shah Zafar as their leader. That single symbolic step mattered because many local chiefs and soldiers could now imagine resistance under Mughal authority. Important centres included Delhi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Jhansi and Bihar; NCERT identifies Nana Saheb, Begum Hazrat Mahal, Rani Lakshmibai, Tantia Tope, Bakht Khan and Kunwar Singh among the prominent figures.
The British suppression was gradual, not instant. Delhi was recaptured, Lucknow was taken in March 1858, Rani Lakshmibai was killed in June 1858, and Tantia Tope continued guerrilla resistance before being captured and killed in April 1859. By the end of 1859 the British had regained control, but they could not rule in the old way.
The administrative result was decisive: a new Act in 1858 transferred the powers of the East India Company to the British Crown. A Secretary of State for India, assisted by an India Council, became responsible for Indian affairs, and the Governor-General received the title of Viceroy. For Rajasthan, remember the contrast: many princely rulers supported the British, yet Auwa under Thakur Kushal Singh and the Kota rising kept Rajputana inside the story of resistance.
Open the complete note
This public page shows the first available section. The study pack opens the complete topic with all revision material.
8 more sections in the complete note
Open study pack