🇮🇳 The freedom movement 1857 – 1947

From the revolt of 1857 to Independence: the events, the people and the places, phase by phase.

Where it happened: larger dots are major events. Click a dot to open the map in that year.

🔥 Revolt and its aftermath 1855–1884 · 15

1855 Santhal Hul (rebellion) · Santhal Pargana → Suppressed in 1856; the Santhal Parganas district was created.
1856 Awadh annexed · Lucknow → Wajid Ali Shah was deposed on the charge of misgovernance.
1856 Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act · Kolkata → Remarriage of Hindu widows was legalised.
1857 Revolt of 1857 begins at Meerut · Meerut → The revolt was suppressed by 1858 and Company rule was ended.
1857 Mangal Pandey's attack at Barrackpore · Barrackpore → Mangal Pandey was hanged; his regiment was disbanded.
1857 Rebels proclaim Bahadur Shah Zafar emperor · Delhi → Delhi became the centre of the revolt until retaken in September 1857.
1858 Government of India Act — Crown rule begins → The Crown took over India, governed by a Viceroy and a Secretary of State.
1858 Rani Lakshmibai falls at Gwalior · Gwalior
1859 Indigo revolt in Bengal · Nadia → The Indigo Commission of 1860 ended forced indigo cultivation.
1869 Birth of Mahatma Gandhi · Porbandar
1875 Arya Samaj and Aligarh (MAO) College founded · Aligarh
1876 Indian Association founded · Kolkata
1877 Delhi Durbar: Victoria proclaimed Empress of India · Delhi
1878 Vernacular Press Act → Indian-language newspapers were curbed; repealed in 1881.
1883 Ilbert Bill controversy · Kolkata → European opposition forced the bill to be diluted, stirring Indian nationalism.

📣 Early nationalism and Swadeshi 1885–1914 · 11

1885 Indian National Congress founded · Mumbai → It became the principal organisation of the freedom movement.
1899 Birsa Munda's Ulgulan · Ranchi → Birsa died in custody in 1900; the Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act followed in 1908.
1905 Partition of Bengal · Kolkata → It triggered the Swadeshi movement and was annulled in 1911.
1905 Swadeshi movement launched · Kolkata → Boycott of British goods and promotion of Indian industry.
1906 All-India Muslim League founded · Dhaka
1907 Surat split of the Congress · Surat → The Congress divided into Moderates and Extremists.
1908 Khudiram Bose executed · Muzaffarpur
1909 Morley-Minto Reforms → Separate electorates for Muslims were introduced.
1911 Capital moved from Calcutta to Delhi · Delhi
1911 Delhi Durbar annuls the Partition of Bengal · Delhi → Bengal was reunited and the capital moved to Delhi.
1913 Ghadar Party founded

🧂 Gandhian mass movements 1915–1938 · 28

1915 Gandhi returns to India · Mumbai
1916 Lucknow Pact · Lucknow → The Congress and the Muslim League agreed on joint constitutional demands.
1916 Home Rule Leagues launched · Pune
1917 Champaran Satyagraha · Champaran
1918 Kheda Satyagraha · Kheda → Revenue collection was suspended for the poorest farmers.
1918 Ahmedabad mill strike · Ahmedabad → Gandhi's fast won the workers a 35 per cent wage increase.
1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre · Amritsar → Nationwide outrage followed and Tagore renounced his knighthood.
1919 Rowlatt Act → Gandhi called a nationwide Rowlatt Satyagraha.
1919 Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms → Dyarchy was introduced in the provinces.
1920 Non-Cooperation Movement
1920 Khilafat Movement → Joined with Non-Cooperation in a united Hindu-Muslim struggle.
1922 Chauri Chaura incident · Chauri Chaura
1923 Swaraj Party founded · Allahabad → Nationalists contested legislative elections to wreck them from within.
1925 Kakori train action · Kakori → Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Rajendra Lahiri and Roshan Singh were hanged.
1928 Simon Commission boycotted · Lahore → Lala Lajpat Rai died after a police lathi-charge.
1928 Nehru Report → Proposed dominion status; rejected by the Muslim League.
1928 Bardoli Satyagraha · Bardoli → The revenue hike was rolled back and Vallabhbhai Patel was hailed as 'Sardar'.
1929 Purna Swaraj resolution at Lahore · Lahore
1929 Central Legislative Assembly bombing · Delhi → Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt courted arrest.
1930 Salt March to Dandi · Dandi → Gandhi broke the salt law, launching the Civil Disobedience Movement.
1930 Chittagong armoury raid · Chittagong
1931 Gandhi-Irwin Pact · Delhi
1931 Execution of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru · Lahore
1931 Karachi Congress resolution on Fundamental Rights · Karachi
1932 Poona Pact · Pune
1932 Communal Award → Gandhi's fast against separate electorates for Depressed Classes led to the Poona Pact.
1935 Government of India Act 1935
1937 Provincial elections under the 1935 Act → The Congress formed ministries in most provinces.

🇮🇳 Towards freedom and Partition 1939–1947 · 16

1939 Congress ministries resign → Protest at India being declared at war without consultation.
1940 Lahore Resolution · Lahore
1942 Quit India Movement · Mumbai → Congress leaders were jailed, but the movement showed British rule was untenable.
1942 Cripps Mission · Delhi → Its offer of post-war dominion status was rejected.
1943 Bengal famine · Bengal
1944 Battles of Imphal and Kohima · Kohima → Allied victory; the Japanese and INA were forced to retreat.
1945 INA trials at the Red Fort · Delhi → Public outrage led to the sentences being remitted.
1945 Simla Conference · Shimla → Failed over the League's claim to nominate all Muslim members.
1946 Royal Indian Navy mutiny · Mumbai
1946 Direct Action Day riots · Kolkata
1946 Cabinet Mission · Delhi → Proposed a three-tier federation that ultimately failed.
1946 Constituent Assembly first meets · New Delhi
1947 Independence and Partition · New Delhi → India and Pakistan became independent dominions amid mass migration and violence.
1947 Pakistan comes into being · Karachi
1947 First Kashmir war · Srinagar
1947 Mountbatten Plan · New Delhi → British India was to be partitioned into India and Pakistan.