Freedom Struggle and National Movement
Freedom Struggle and National Movement questions test the sequence, leaders, methods and slogans of the Indian struggle, plus Kerala’s role. The exam favours dates, session cities and movement outcomes.
Core sequence
- 1857 Revolt: sepoys at Meerut; leaders include Rani Lakshmibai, Nana Saheb and Kunwar Singh; it ended Company rule and led to Crown rule in 1858.
- Indian National Congress founded in 1885 in Bombay; moderates favoured petitions, while extremists such as Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai and Bipin Chandra Pal favoured swadeshi and boycott.
- Partition of Bengal (1905) sparked the Swadeshi Movement; the Congress split at Surat in 1907.
- Gandhian mass movements: Champaran (1917), Kheda and Ahmedabad (1918), Non-Cooperation (1920–22), Civil Disobedience (1930–34) and Quit India (1942).
- Lahore Session (1929) adopted Purna Swaraj; the tricolour was hoisted on the Ravi.
Kerala link
- Malabar Rebellion (1921), Vaikom Satyagraha (1924–25), Guruvayur Satyagraha (1931–32) and Punnapra-Vayalar (1946) are key.
Worked example
Question: “The Dandi March was launched in which year?” Gandhi began it on 12 March 1930 from Sabarmati to Dandi to protest the salt tax, launching Civil Disobedience. Answer: 1930.
Traps
- Ordering Non-Cooperation before Champaran.
- Confusing Purna Swaraj (1929) with the Quit India Resolution (1942).
- Mixing Vaikom with Guruvayur.
- Forgetting that the Congress split at Surat, not Calcutta.