12th Standard History — Period of Radicalism in Anti-imperialist Struggles Online Test

About Period of Radicalism in Anti-imperialist Struggles

Medium ~55 min study

Period of Radicalism in Anti-imperialist Struggles is the fifth unit of the Tamil Nadu State Board Class 12 History book. It shows how the Left wing and the revolutionaries gave the national movement a new radical edge from the late 1920s, and how the British answered with conspiracy cases and draconian laws.

The unit moves from the communist trials at Kanpur and Meerut to the sacrifice of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, the Chittagong Armoury Raid of Surya Sen and Kalpana Dutt, and the Fundamental Rights resolution of the Karachi Session. It ends with the Great Depression and the industrial development of India and Tamil Nadu.

This page brings together every printed one mark question of the book exercise with answers checked against the lesson, plus additional questions on dates, persons, trials and industries, each with a short explanation.

What you'll learn

• Explain how the British used the Kanpur and Meerut Conspiracy Cases to curb communist activity.
• Describe the radical nationalism and the sacrifice of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev.
• Narrate the Chittagong Armoury Raid and the role of Surya Sen and Kalpana Dutt.
• State the importance of the Karachi Session resolution on Fundamental Rights.
• Assess the impact of the Great Depression on Indian peasants, workers and industry.
• Trace the growth of cotton, jute, steel and other industries in colonial India and Tamil Nadu.

Before you start

• The Non-cooperation Movement and the Chauri Chaura incident from the previous unit.
• The Russian Revolution of 1917 and the idea of socialism.
• The economic exploitation of India under British rule.

Period of Radicalism in Anti-imperialist Struggles explained

What this unit covers

Communists and conspiracy cases

The CPI was formed at Tashkent in October 1920 and formally founded on Indian soil in 1925 with Bombay as headquarters. The Kanpur Conspiracy Case of 1924 and the Meerut Conspiracy Case of 1929 charged communists and trade unionists under Section 121-A of the IPC. The trials only spread communist ideas further.

Bhagat Singh and Kalpana Dutt

Bhagat Singh of the H.S.R.A. threw bombs in the Central Legislative Assembly on 8 April 1929 and was hanged with Rajguru and Sukhdev on 23 March 1931. Kalpana Dutt joined Surya Sen's Indian Republican Army in the Chittagong Armoury Raid of 18 April 1930.

Karachi Session, 1931

Presided over by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, it adopted the resolution on Fundamental Rights and Duties and the economic programme for free India.

Great Depression and industry

The Wall Street crash of 1929 hit Indian peasants and workers, but cheap land and labour helped some Indian industries. Cotton, jute, coal, steel (TISCO, 1907), paper, cement, sugar and shipping grew, as did the mills of Coimbatore.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Saying the CPI was founded in India in 1920. It was formed at Tashkent in 1920 and formally founded in India in 1925.
• Calling M.N. Roy an arrested accused in the Kanpur case. He was charged in absentia as he was in Germany.
• Linking Kalpana Dutt with the H.S.R.A. She belonged to Surya Sen's Indian Republican Army.
• Thinking the Assembly bombs killed people. They were a demonstrative protest and killed nobody.
• Believing labourers gained from the Depression. It brought wage cuts, lockouts and unemployment.

Test yourself on these with the practice test, then check the worked reasoning in the solved MCQs.

Frequently asked questions

Why was the Meerut Conspiracy Case important?

It was the most famous of the communist conspiracy cases. Thirty-two leaders, including three British communists, were tried under Section 121-A. The accused used the court as a platform for propaganda, newspapers spread their statements, and figures such as Romain Rolland and Albert Einstein supported the convicted.

What happened in the Kanpur Conspiracy Case?

In 1924 the British charged communists and trade unionists with trying to separate India from Britain by violent revolution. Muzaffar Ahmad, Shaukat Usmani, Nalini Gupta and S.A. Dange were jailed for four years. The trial raised awareness of communist activities and a Communist Defence Committee was formed.

Why did Bhagat Singh throw bombs in the Central Legislative Assembly?

On 8 April 1929 Bhagat Singh threw bombs as a demonstrative protest against the draconian laws of the British, choosing the day the anti-labour Trade Disputes Bill was introduced. The bombs killed nobody. He was later sentenced to death in the Lahore Conspiracy Case.

Who was Kalpana Dutt?

Kalpana Dutt (1913-1995), later Kalpana Joshi, took part in Surya Sen's Chittagong Armoury Raid. Tried with Surya Sen for waging war against the King Emperor, she was transported for life. Her book Chittagong Armoury Raiders' Reminiscences records the revolutionaries' spirit.

What did the Karachi Session of 1931 resolve?

Presided over by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the session adopted the resolution on Fundamental Rights and Duties and an economic programme, holding that political and economic freedom were inseparable. Many of these rights later entered Parts III and IV of the Constitution of India.

How did the Great Depression affect India?

Prices of export crops such as jute and raw cotton fell steeply and exports dropped from Rs. 311 crores to Rs. 132 crores. Workers faced wage cuts and lay-offs, peasants formed Kisan Sabhas, but cheap land and labour helped some Indian industries grow.

Why is J.N. Tata called the father of Indian modern industry?

Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata was the first successful Indian entrepreneur. His trading company of 1868 grew into the Tata Group, and his sons realised his dreams: TISCO in 1907 and the Tata Hydroelectric Company in 1910. The Tatas also founded the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.