India's Freedom Struggle

"ए मेरे वतन के लोगों, जरा अंखमें भरलो पानी,
जो शहीद हुऐ है उनकी, जरा याद करो कुर्बानी"

In 1818, with the defeat of Marathas and annexation of its territories, British supremacy in India was complete. The British East India Company colonized and ruled India till 1858. First major struggle for freedom in 1857 resulted in British government taking over colony administration from the company.
Struggle for freedom, from the British continued for next 90 years till 1947. During this period millions of freedom fighters and Indians were severely punished and killed.

 Five major mass movements for freedom during this period shock the British Empire and finally forced the British Govt. to grant Independence.

1)      First war of Independence, 1857: It was a major, but ultimately unsuccessful, uprising in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company. The rebellion began on 10 May and posed a considerable threat to British power. It was contained with the rebels' defeat in Gwalior on 20 June 1858. It is believed that about eight Lakh Indians were killed.

2)      Champaran satyagrah: The Champaran Satyagraha of 19^th April 1917 was the first Satyagraha movement led by Mahatma Gandhi in India and is considered a historically important revolt in the Indian Independence Movement. It was a farmer's uprising that took place in Champaran district of Bihar, India, during the British colonial period.

3)      Jallianwala Baug Massacre: The Jallianwala Bagh massacre, took place on 13 April 1919, when Acting Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer ordered troops to fire into a crowd of unarmed Indian civilians in Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar, Punjab, killing at least 400 people including men and women. Over 1,000 people were injured.

4)      Dandi March: Also known as the Salt Satyagraha, was an act of nonviolent civil disobedience led by Mahatma  Gandhi. The 24-day march lasted from 12 March 1930 to 6 April 1930 as a direct action campaign of tax resistance and nonviolent protest against the British salt monopoly. Over 60,000 Indians were jailed as a result of the Salt Satyagraha.

5)  Quit India: On 8 August 1942, Mahatma Gandhi made a call to Do or Die in his Quit India speech delivered in Bombay at the Gowalia Tank Maidan. The British swiftly responded with mass detentions.  Almost the entire leadership of the Indian National Congress was imprisoned without trial within hours of Gandhi's speech. Over 100,000 arrests were made, mass fines were levied and demonstrators were subjected to public flogging. The Quit India campaign was effectively crushed.

These five miniature sheets exhibit, of major freedom mass movements is a tribute to those brave known and unknown freedom fighters who lost their lives in the freedom struggle.