Swadeshi Movement (1905 to 1911)

The Swadeshi Movement was an important movement that emerged as a protest against the partition of bengal. The swadeshi movement started with the partition of bengal by the viceroy Lord Curzon in 1905 and continued up to 1911. The national movement reached the common people with this movement. Its chief architects were Aurobindo Ghosh, Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandrapal and Lala Lajpat Rai. This movement involved the boycott of the british products. The western clothes were thrown in burn fires and it was an act of honour to wear the local indian clothes. It was not any british goods that people boycotted, All the schools, Colleges, Courts and Government offices run by the British were boycotted. A resolution to boycott british goods were adopted on August 7, 1905 at a meeting of INC at Calcutta. Charka came to typify the popular concern for country's economic self - sufficiency. 

The leaders of the movement demanded freedom from foreign rule. Many Organisations emerged during this period to promote the Swadeshi Movement. The Don Society, Swadesh Bandhavi Samiti, Anushilan, Suhrid, Sadhana etc were important in this. Swadeshi Bandhav Samiti of Barisal founded by Ashwini kumar dutt was the largest volunteer body to support Swadeshi Movement. The first real labour union 'The Printers Union' was formed on October 1905. Tilak began the Swadesh Vastra Pracharine Sabha to propagate Swadeshi Movement. Savarkar founded 'Mitra Mela'. In exchange for boycotting foreign made goods, many indigenous manufacturing plants were started in India. Also, educated indians started many educational institutions. Bengal Technical Institute, Bengal National College etc were the educational institutions started during that time. The main drawback of the Swadeshi Movement was that it was not able to garner the support of the mass muslims.