Explore the annulment of Bengal's partition and the decline of the Swadeshi Movement, examining their impact on India's society, politics, and nationalist movements.

Annulment of Bengal Partition: The British Decision and its Impact on Indian Politics

• The decision to annul the partition of Bengal in 1911 was mainly to curb revolutionary terrorism.
• This decision shocked the Muslim political elite.
• The capital was shifted to Delhi as a gesture to the Muslims, given its association with Muslim glory, but this did not please them.
• Bihar and Orissa were separated from Bengal, and Assam was made a separate province.

Evaluation of the Swadeshi Movement: Its Decline and Long-Term Significance

• The Movement Fizzles Out
• By 1908, the open phase of the Swadeshi and Boycott movement had almost ended due to:
  • Severe government repression.
  • The failure to create an effective organization or party structure.
  • The leaderless nature of the movement, with many leaders arrested or retired from politics.
  • Internal conflicts among leaders, exacerbated by the Surat split (1907).
  • Inability to harness the energy of the movement or to find new forms to express popular resentment.
  • Limited reach to the masses, especially the peasantry.
  • Non-cooperation and passive resistance remained abstract ideas without practical application.
  • The difficulty of sustaining a mass-based movement at a high pitch for an extended period.
• Movement as a Turning Point
• Despite its decline, the movement was a significant turning point:
  • It was a "leap forward" involving previously untouched sections like students, women, workers, and parts of urban and rural populations.
  • It gave rise to major trends in the national movement, including political extremism, revolutionary activities, and incipient socialism.
  • It influenced art, literature, science, and industry beyond the political sphere.
  • People learned to take bold political positions and participate in new forms of political work.
  • The Swadeshi campaign challenged colonial ideas and institutions.
  • Future struggles drew heavily from the experiences gained during this period.

Moderate Methods Give Way to Extremist Modes: The Shift in Indian Nationalist Strategies

• The arrival of the Swadeshi and Boycott Movement demonstrated that the Moderates' approach had become obsolete:
  • Moderates failed to gain support from the younger generation.
  • Their political ideas did not resonate with the masses, and their campaigns were ineffective compared to the scale of the Swadeshi and Boycott Movement.
  • The Moderates' failure to engage with the masses and their limited all-India campaigns highlighted their inadequacy as leaders.
• Moderates
  • Social base: Zamindars and upper middle classes in towns.
  • Ideological inspiration: Western liberal thought and European history.
  • Believed in England’s providential mission in India.
  • Supported political connections with Britain for India's interests.
  • Professed loyalty to the British Crown.
  • Limited movement to middle-class intelligentsia; believed masses were not ready for political work.
  • Demanded constitutional reforms and Indian participation in services.
  • Used only constitutional methods.
  • Patriots without playing a comprador class role.
• Extremists
  • Social base: Educated middle and lower middle classes in towns.
  • Ideological inspiration: Indian history, cultural heritage, and Hindu traditional symbols.
  • Rejected ‘providential mission theory’ as an illusion.
  • Believed political connections with Britain perpetuated British exploitation of India.
  • Felt the British Crown was unworthy of Indian loyalty.
  • Had faith in the masses’ capacity to participate and make sacrifices.
  • Demanded swaraj as a solution to Indian problems.
  • Used extra-constitutional methods like boycott and passive resistance.
  • Patriots who made sacrifices for the country.
• The Extremist ideology lacked consistency, with leaders having varied perceptions of goals. Despite their progressive approach to mass participation, their revivalist and obscurantist tendencies created a problematic relationship between politics and religion, affecting future political dynamics.