The Swadeshi movement was a self-sufficiency movement that was a part of the Indian independence movement and helped to shape Indian nationalism. The Swadeshi movement began in 1905 as a unified reaction to Bengal's partition and lasted until 1908. It was, in fact, the most successful of the pre-Gandhian movements. After the British Government's decision to partition Bengal was made public in December 1903, there was widespread dissatisfaction among Indians. In response, the Swadeshi movement was formally launched on August 7, 1905, from Town Hall Calcutta, with the goal of reducing reliance on foreign goods in favor of domestic production. In this article, we will discuss the Swadeshi and Boycott Movement (1905-1908), which will be useful for UPSC exam preparation.

Swadeshi Movement

Swadeshi Movement - Background

• The movement arose from the anti-partition movement, which was formed in response to Lord Curzon's decision to divide the province of Bengal.
• Moderates launched the Anti-Partition Campaign to put pressure on the government to prevent the unjust partition of Bengal from taking place.
• Petitions were sent to the government, public meetings were held, and ideas were disseminated through newspapers such as Hitabadi, Sanjibani, and Bengalee.
• The partition sparked protests in Bengal, where the pledge to boycott foreign goods was first made.

Swadeshi Movement - Partition of Bengal

• The partition of Bengal was the most significant event during Lord Curzon's reign. It was done primarily for administrative convenience. From 1899 to 1905, Lord Curzon served as Viceroy of India.
• On October 16, 1905, the partition of Bengal province took effect during his viceroyalty.
• Some people recognised Lord Curzon's true motivation and launched the anti-partition movement.
• They made the anti-partition movement not to be divided, and because this was the spirit of nationalism among Indians, they dubbed it the Swadeshi movement.
• The Swadeshi movement was a popular strategy for ending British rule and improving the country's economic conditions.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Partition of Bengal (1905)

Swadeshi Movement - Nature of the Movement

• The Bengal leaders believed that demonstrations, public meetings, and resolutions would have little impact on the rulers.
• More positive action was required to reveal the intensity of popular feelings and display them at their best. Swadeshi and boycott were the solutions.
• Swadeshi, or the use of Indian goods, and the boycott of British goods were declared and pledged at mass meetings held throughout Bengal.
• Public burnings of foreign cloth were organized in many places, and shops selling foreign cloth were picketed.
• During its peak, Swadeshism infused the entire fabric of our social and domestic lives. Marriage presents containing foreign goods, the likes of which could be manufactured in the United States, were returned.
• The emphasis on self-reliance, or Atma Sakti, was an important aspect of the Swadeshi Movement.
• National Education was another self-sufficient, constructive activity undertaken at the time.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Nature of the Movement

Extent of Mass Participation

• Bengali students played an important role in the Swadeshi agitation. They practiced and propagated Swadeshi and led picketing campaigns against shops selling foreign clothing.
• The government made every effort to silence the students. Orders were issued to penalize schools and colleges whose students participated actively in the Swadeshi agitation.
• Students who were found guilty of participating in nationalist agitation faced disciplinary action. Many of them were fined, expelled from schools and colleges, arrested, and occasionally beaten with lathis by police.
• The active participation of women in the Swadeshi agitation was a notable feature of the movement.
• Women from the urban middle classes, who are traditionally home-centered, joined processions and picketing. They were to take an active role in the nationalist movement from then on.
• Many prominent Muslims, including Abdul Rasul, a well-known barrister, Liaquat Hussain, a well-known agitator, and Guznavi, a businessman, joined the Swadeshi Movement. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad joined a revolutionary terrorist organisation.
• Many other middle- and upper-class Muslims, led by the Nawab of Dhaka (who was given a loan of Rs 14 lakh by the Government of India), remained neutral or even supported Partition on the grounds that East Bengal would have a Muslim majority.
• The officials encouraged the Nawab of Dhaka and others to adopt a communal attitude.
• Lord Curzon stated in a speech in Dhaka that one of the reasons for partition was "to invest the Mohammedans in Eastern Bengal with a unity which they have not enjoyed since the days of the old Mussalman Viceroys and Kings."

Anti Partition Campaign under Moderates (1903-1905)

• During this time, men like Surendranath Banerjea, K.K. Mitra, and Prithwishchandra Ray provided leadership.
• Petitioning the government, holding public meetings, writing memoranda, and spreading propaganda through pamphlets and newspapers such as Hitabadi, Sanjibani, and Bengalee were all used.
• Their goal was to put enough pressure on the government through an educated public in India and England to prevent the unjust partition of Bengal from taking place.
• The formal proclamation of the Swadeshi Movement was made on August 7, 1905, with the passage of the Boycott Resolution in a massive meeting held in the Calcutta Townhall.
• Soon after, the movement spread to other parts of the country, with Tilak leading in Poona and Bombay, Lala Lajpat Rai and Ajit Singh in Punjab, Syed Haider Raza in Delhi, and Chidambaram Pillai in Madras.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Anti Partition Campaign Under Moderates (1903-05)

Anti Partition Campaign under Extremists (1905-08)

• After 1905, the Extremists gained control of the Swadeshi Movement in Bengal.
• The moderate-led movement had produced no results.
• The divisive tactics of both Bengal governments had irritated nationalists.
• The government had resorted to suppressive measures, which included atrocities on students-
  • many of whom were given corporal punishment;
  • ban on public singing of Vande Mataram;
  • restriction on public meetings;
  • prosecution and long imprisonment of swadeshi workers;
  • clashes between the police and the people in many towns;
  • arrests and deportation of leaders; and
  • suppression of freedom of the press.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Anti Partition Campaign Under Extremists (1905-08)

Government Acts For Repressing Swadeshi Movement

• Repressive measures were taken by the government to suppress the Swadeshi and the Boycott Movement.
• The Government Banned Holding of rallies, taking out processions, censored newspapers and imprisoned the leaders of the national movement.
• The Government passed various acts to curb the growth of movement:
  • Seditious Meeting Act (1907)
  • Criminal Law Amendment Act (1908)
  • Indian Newspapers (Incitement to Offenses) Act (1908)
  • Explosive Substances Act (1908)
  • Indian Press Act (1910)

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Government Acts For Repressing Swadeshi Movement

Swadeshi Movement - Significance

• The Swadeshi movement was quite different from previous movements led by national leaders. This movement pursued a programme of direct political action in opposition to the policy of 'prayer and petition.'
• During its early stages, the Swadeshi movement attempted to have Bengal's partition annulled.
• However, its efforts eventually expanded to include the goal of achieving complete freedom from foreign domination itself.
• The 'boycott' aspect of the Swadeshi movement aimed at economically pressuring Manchester mill-owners so that they could put pressure on the British government to annul Partition.
• However, as time passed, the 'boycott' did not remain limited to British goods alone. It was used on a larger scale to encompass everything foreign, particularly British.
• The Swadeshi movement's cultural significance was also significant. During the Swadeshi period, Bengali literature flourished.
• Rabindranath Tagore and Rajanikanto Sen's patriotic compositions and creations magically touched the patriotic sense of the masses.

Swadeshi Movement - Impact

• It resulted in a significant decrease in foreign imports from 1905 to 1908.
• The movement resulted in the rise of extreme nationalism among young people, who turned to violence in order to put an end to British dominance.
• It compelled the British regime to make some concessions to Indians in the form of Morley-Minto reforms in 1909. Gopal Krishna Gokhale was instrumental in developing these reforms.
• Swadeshi Institutions have been established. The Bengal National College, as well as a number of national schools and colleges across the country, were founded in the spirit of Rabindranath Tagore's Shantiniketan.
• The National Council of Education was established in August 1906 to organize the national education system. A Bengal Institute of Technology was established to provide technical education.
• It resulted in the establishment of swadeshi textile mills, soap and match factories, tanneries, banks, insurance companies, and shops, amongst other things.
• It also helped to revitalize the Indian cottage industry. The revival of Indian industries coincided with a resurgence in the use of indigenous goods.
• Foreign goods such as clothing, sugar, salt, and other luxury items were not only boycotted, but also burned.
• The Swadeshi movement also resulted in a social boycott of both buyers and sellers of foreign goods.

Swadeshi Movement - Issues

• The Swadeshi movement was poorly directed and failed to unite Hindus and Muslims as a result of the work of Nawab Salimullah of Dhaka and the establishment of the Muslim League.
• Separate electorates became an issue in order to gain political mileage for Muslims. As a result, the Swadeshi movement lacked a large mass base.
• The peasants' grievances, such as the lack of uniformity in the land revenue system, tenant rights, and the prevention of land grabbing, were not addressed by the Swadeshi movement, and thus the peasants did not become a part of the Swadeshi movement.
• However, the partition of Bengal from 1903 to 1908 served as a catalyst for the Swadeshi Movement.

Swadeshi Movement - Reasons for Failure

• The British government repressed the revolutionaries. This severe repression caused the movement to withdraw from the public sphere.
• There was no formal party structure, and as a result, an important part of the movement that could have been led by its office bearers was missing.
• The movement's prominent leaders were arrested, leaving the movement without a leader.
• Aurobindo Ghosh and Bipin Chandra Pal, two towering leaders, were also retired.
• The Surat split in 1907 shattered the leadership's unity.
• The movement was unable to keep the masses enthralled.
• It was only confined to the upper middle class and could never truly reach the masses because it had no effect on the peasantry.
• Non-cooperation and passive resistance could not be put into practise.
• The movement was unable to maintain the high pitch that it had achieved.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Reasons For Failure of Swadeshi Movement

Conclusion

The social composition of the Swadeshi movement defied easy categorization on the basis of class. While sympathy from zamindars or landlords was widely discussed, the mid-level tenure holder was more active. The movement was led by the Bengali middle class, but unlike its British counterpart, this middle class had no ties to capitalist industry or agriculture. The only thing that distinguished the early nationalist leadership was their exposure to Western education and, as a result, their attraction to nationalist ideology.

Initially, the partition plan was opposed using traditional 'moderate' methods such as press campaigns, numerous meetings and petitions, and large conferences. The obvious and total failure of such techniques prompted a search for new forms, including a boycott of British goods, rakhi bandhan, and arandhan.