Indian Freedom Struggle 1905 to 1947: Swadeshi, Home Rule, Non-Cooperation, Quit India, Cabinet Mission and Partition for SSC
Rahul Kumar
SSC Exam Expert & Content Editor
Updated 21 Oct 2026
In this note
- 1.Swadeshi Era (1905 to 1914)
- 2.First World War Period (1914 to 1919)
- 3.Gandhian Movements (1920 to 1934)
- 4.Road to Independence (1935 to 1947)
- 5.Important Leaders and Their Roles
- 6.Tricks to Remember
- 7.Quick Tips
- 8.Quick Revision Points
- 9.Practice Questions With Answers
- 10.How to Practise This Chapter
- 11.Frequently Asked Questions
PDF Notes: Indian Freedom Struggle 1905 to 1947: Swadeshi, Home Rule, Non-Cooperation, Quit India, Cabinet Mission and Partition for SSC
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The period from 1905 to 1947 saw the Indian national movement grow from the Swadeshi movement into the mass struggles led by Gandhi and the final negotiations for independence. SSC asks dates, events and leaders from this period every year. This guide on Indian freedom struggle from 1905 to 1947 for SSC presents all the key events in chronological order, with tables, tricks and practice questions. See also the Gandhian Era and Revolt of 1857 notes.
Swadeshi Era (1905 to 1914)
| Event | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Partition of Bengal | 16 October 1905 | Announced by Lord Curzon; the Swadeshi and boycott movement began; Rabindranath Tagore sang Amar Sonar Bangla; Rakhi Bandhan was observed |
| Muslim League formed | 1906 (Dhaka) | By Nawab Salimullah Khan, Aga Khan and others |
| Surat Split | 1907 | The Congress split into Moderates and Extremists (Lal-Bal-Pal) |
| Morley–Minto Reforms (Indian Councils Act) | 1909 | Separate electorates for Muslims |
| Annulment of the Partition of Bengal | 1911 (Delhi Durbar) | King George V announced it and shifted the capital from Calcutta to Delhi |
| Ghadar Party | 1913 | Founded by Lala Har Dayal in San Francisco |
| Komagata Maru incident | 1914 | Ship with Sikh passengers refused entry in Canada |
First World War Period (1914 to 1919)
| Event | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Home Rule Leagues | 1916 | Tilak (April, Pune) and Annie Besant (September, Madras) |
| Lucknow Pact | 1916 | Congress and Muslim League united; Tilak and Jinnah |
| Montagu Declaration (August Declaration) | 1917 | Promised responsible government in stages |
| Champaran Satyagraha | 1917 | Gandhi’s first Satyagraha in India, against the indigo planters (Tinkathia system) |
| Ahmedabad Mill Strike and Kheda Satyagraha | 1918 | Gandhi supported mill workers and peasants |
| Rowlatt Act | 1919 | Allowed detention without trial; Gandhi launched the Rowlatt Satyagraha |
| Jallianwala Bagh massacre | 13 April 1919 | General Dyer fired at a peaceful gathering in Amritsar; Tagore returned his knighthood; Hunter Commission |
| Government of India Act (Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms) | 1919 | Introduced dyarchy in the provinces |
Gandhian Movements (1920 to 1934)
| Movement or Event | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Khilafat Movement | 1919–1924 | Led by Ali Brothers (Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali) with Gandhi |
| Non-Cooperation Movement | 1920–1922 | Started after the Calcutta session (1920); withdrawn after the Chauri Chaura incident on 5 February 1922 |
| Swaraj Party | 1923 | Formed by C. R. Das and Motilal Nehru |
| Simon Commission | 1927–1928 | All-white commission; boycotted with the slogan “Simon Go Back”; Lala Lajpat Rai was injured in the lathi charge and died in November 1928 |
| Nehru Report | 1928 | First attempt by Indians to draft a constitution |
| Lahore Session | December 1929 | Under Jawaharlal Nehru; declared Purna Swaraj; 26 January 1930 as Independence Day |
| Dandi March (Salt Satyagraha) | 12 March to 6 April 1930 | Gandhi marched from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi with 78 followers; Civil Disobedience Movement began |
| Round Table Conferences | 1930, 1931, 1932 | Gandhi attended the second (1931) as the sole Congress representative |
| Gandhi–Irwin Pact | 5 March 1931 | Civil disobedience suspended; Congress to attend the second conference |
| Communal Award | 1932 | By Ramsay MacDonald; separate electorates for depressed classes |
| Poona Pact | 24 September 1932 | Gandhi and Ambedkar; reserved seats instead of separate electorates |
Road to Independence (1935 to 1947)
| Event | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Government of India Act | 1935 | Provincial autonomy; a federation was proposed; basis of the Constitution |
| Provincial elections | 1937 | Congress formed ministries in 7 of the 11 provinces |
| Congress resignation | 1939 | After India was dragged into World War II |
| Lahore Resolution (Pakistan Resolution) | March 1940 | Muslim League demanded separate states |
| August Offer | 1940 | Dominion status in the future |
| Individual Satyagraha | 1940–41 | Vinoba Bhave was the first satyagrahi |
| Cripps Mission | March 1942 | Offered dominion status after the war; rejected by the Congress |
| Quit India Movement | 8 August 1942 | Do or Die; Gandhi was arrested; Jayaprakash Narayan, Aruna Asaf Ali and Usha Mehta (secret radio) were active |
| Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj) | 1943–45 | Subhas Chandra Bose revived it in Singapore in 1943 with Rash Behari Bose; “Delhi Chalo”; the INA trials at Red Fort in 1945 |
| C. Rajagopalachari (CR) Formula | 1944 | Proposal to settle with the League |
| Wavell Plan and Simla Conference | 1945 | Failed over the Muslim League’s claim |
| Royal Indian Navy Mutiny | February 1946 | Naval ratings revolted in Bombay |
| Cabinet Mission | 1946 | Three members: Pethick-Lawrence, Stafford Cripps and A. V. Alexander; proposed a three-tier federation; the Constituent Assembly was formed |
| Direct Action Day | 16 August 1946 | Called by the Muslim League; riots in Calcutta |
| Interim Government | 2 September 1946 | Headed by Jawaharlal Nehru |
| Attlee’s Declaration | 20 February 1947 | Announced withdrawal by June 1948 and Mountbatten as the last Viceroy |
| Mountbatten Plan (3 June Plan) | 3 June 1947 | Partition of India into India and Pakistan |
| Indian Independence Act | 18 July 1947 | Passed by the British Parliament |
| Independence | 14–15 August 1947 | Pakistan on 14 August; India on 15 August; Radcliffe Line fixed the borders |
Important Leaders and Their Roles
| Leader | Role |
|---|---|
| Bal Gangadhar Tilak | “Swaraj is my birthright”; Home Rule League; Kesari and Mahratta |
| Lala Lajpat Rai | Punjab Kesari; died after the Simon Commission lathi charge |
| Bipin Chandra Pal | Part of Lal-Bal-Pal; Swadeshi leader |
| Gopal Krishna Gokhale | Moderate leader and the political guru of Gandhi; Servants of India Society |
| Subhas Chandra Bose | Netaji; Forward Bloc (1939); INA |
| Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru | Revolutionaries hanged on 23 March 1931 in Lahore |
| Chandra Shekhar Azad | HSRA leader; died at Alfred Park, Allahabad, in 1931 |
| B. R. Ambedkar | Leader of the depressed classes; Poona Pact |
| Muhammad Ali Jinnah | Leader of the Muslim League; two-nation demand |
Tricks to Remember
- 1905 Partition, 1906 League, 1907 Surat split, 1909 Morley–Minto, 1911 capital shift.
- 1916 Lucknow Pact and Home Rule; 1917 Champaran; 1919 Rowlatt and Jallianwala Bagh.
- 1920 NCM, 1922 Chauri Chaura, 1927 Simon, 1929 Purna Swaraj, 1930 Dandi, 1931 Gandhi–Irwin, 1932 Poona Pact.
- 1942: Cripps (March) and Quit India (August); 1946: Cabinet Mission; 1947: Mountbatten Plan (3 June) and independence (15 August).
Quick Tips
- Learn the events in chronological order.
- Remember the leaders linked to each event.
- Learn the dates 12 March 1930, 8 August 1942 and 3 June 1947.
- Distinguish the Cripps Mission (1942) from the Cabinet Mission (1946).
Quick Revision Points
- Partition of Bengal: 1905; Surat Split: 1907.
- Lucknow Pact and Home Rule League: 1916.
- Non-Cooperation: 1920–22; Dandi March: 1930.
- Quit India: 8 August 1942.
- Mountbatten Plan: 3 June 1947; independence: 15 August 1947.
Practice Questions With Answers
- Who announced the Partition of Bengal in 1905?
Answer: Lord Curzon - In which year did the Surat Split take place?
Answer: 1907 - Which pact was signed in 1916 between the Congress and the League?
Answer: Lucknow Pact - Which incident led to the withdrawal of the Non-Cooperation Movement?
Answer: Chauri Chaura (1922) - Where was the Purna Swaraj resolution passed?
Answer: Lahore session (1929) - Who led the Dandi March?
Answer: Mahatma Gandhi - Who gave the slogan Do or Die?
Answer: Mahatma Gandhi (1942) - Who headed the Interim Government in 1946?
Answer: Jawaharlal Nehru - Which pact was between Gandhi and Ambedkar?
Answer: Poona Pact (1932) - Who was the last Viceroy of India?
Answer: Lord Mountbatten
How to Practise This Chapter
Practise 10 questions every day and write the steps on paper. Then attempt timed sets from our practice papers and the previous year papers page. See all topics on the Indian History notes page, read the previous topic Social and Religious Reform Movements.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Bengal partitioned?
On 16 October 1905 by Lord Curzon.
What happened at Surat in 1907?
The Congress split into Moderates and Extremists.
What was the Lucknow Pact?
A 1916 agreement between the Congress and the Muslim League.
What was the Rowlatt Act?
A 1919 law that allowed detention without trial.
What was the Jallianwala Bagh massacre?
The killing of peaceful people by General Dyer on 13 April 1919 in Amritsar.
When did the Non-Cooperation Movement end?
In February 1922 after the Chauri Chaura incident.
What was the Dandi March?
The salt march by Gandhi from Sabarmati to Dandi in March–April 1930.
What was the Poona Pact?
A 1932 agreement between Gandhi and Ambedkar for reserved seats for the depressed classes.
When did the Quit India Movement start?
On 8 August 1942.
What was the Cabinet Mission?
A 1946 British mission that proposed a plan for the transfer of power.
Who drew the border between India and Pakistan?
Cyril Radcliffe.
Is this topic asked in SSC?
Yes. Freedom struggle events and dates are a core topic in SSC history.
About the Author
Rahul Kumar
SSC Exam Expert & Content Editor
Rahul is a senior SSC exam strategist with 8+ years of experience helping aspirants crack CGL, CHSL and MTS exams. He writes in-depth notification breakdowns, exam pattern guides and preparation strategies.