Vol. 5, Issue 12, Part F (2019)

The Indian National Congress was initially focused on moderate reform under the British raj in India. However, some early 20^th century activists began to boycott British imports and promote Indian goods, garnering the support of a wide swath of social classes. In the 1920s and '30s party leader Mahatma Gandhi supported nonviolent acts of civil disobedience. Although tensions between the Congress Party and the raj escalated during World War II, by 1947 these tactics had secured independence for India.

Modern Indian historians have focused most of its attention on writing history of British India and discourses on the princely states or ‘Indian India’ was left to the margins. The Princely states which consisted of at least half of population and region in the pre-independent times did not experience the strength of national movement. There were two contradictory responses from the states. On the one hand the rulers were believed to be in cahoots with the colonial government and on the other people of some of the princely states went against their own rulers and supported the Indian national movement. This paper highlights various national movements.