The role of Maharashtra in the history of revolutionary movement in India

a. Introduction:

Maharashtra was the forerunner of revolutionary movement in India. In Bengal secret society did not exist before 1902.

But in Maharashtra Bal Gangadhar Tilak’s Shivaji and Ganapati festivals gave rise to the organization of secret societies much before 1902.

b. Chapekar Brothers and their Revolutionary Attempt :

In Maharashtra secret societies were formed in Poona (present Pune), Bombay (present Mumbai),-Nasik and other places.

In the processions brought out during the festivals the volunteers used to distribute pamphlets and leaflets through which anti-British ideas were propagated.

It is worthy of mention here that as early as 1895, Balkrishna Chapekar and Damodar Chapekar, together famous as ‘Chapekar Brothers’, founded a secret society named ‘Hindu Dharmer Antaraye Binashi Samity’ in the city of Poona.

The society was established with the sole objective of putting an end to the British rule in India through terrorist outrages.

And it was this secret society of Poona which for the first time hit the British with terrorist murder.

In 1897 Damodar Chapekar became the first martyr of India when he was executed on a charge of committing murder of two unpopular British officers-Rand and Ayrst.

c. Revolutionary Feat of Savarkar Brothers:

After the Chapekar Brothers the flame of revolutionary terrorism was kept burning in Maharashtra by the famous Savarkar Brothers-Ganesh Savarkar and Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.

It was the Abhinava Bharat founded by them at Nasik that did much to disseminate revolutionary ideas among the Marathi youths. Within a very short time branches of the Abhinava Bharat were set up all over Maharashtra.

The Abhinava Bharat was founded in 1907. It must, however, be pointed out that the Mitra Mela (1904) under the presidentship of Damodar Vinayak Savarkar was an organization which preceded the Abhinava Bharat.

But the latter organisation was however, more successful in propagating the revolutionary ideas.

The Savarkar Brothers were the two heroes of Marathi revolutionary movement. At the invitation of Shyamji Krishnavarma Damodar Vinayak went to England to join him there.

In absence of Damodar Vinayak it was Ganesh Savarkar who buried himself in organising the revolutionaries of Maharashtra. Of course Damodar Vinayak actively helped his brother Ganesh in this effort; by sending money and arms from abroad.

Vigorous anti-British Propaganda of Ganesh Savarkar became a cause of concern for the British government. He was brought to trial on a charge of sedition and was given life transportation. This created a stir particularly among the revolutionaries of Nasik that resulted in the assassination of Jackson.

Incidentally, Jackson was the magistrate who verdicted for the transportation of Ganesh Savarkar. The assassination of Jackson led the Nasik police of unearth a major conspiracy of the revolutionaries after a search conducted by them.

The Nasik Conspiracy case that was lodged against the revolutionaries ended up with life sentence for three and imprisonment for twenty-seven.

Police vigilance gradually toned down the activities of the revolutionaries, of Maharashtra after the Nasik conspiracy case.

No further attempt to reorganize the revolutionaries is noticeable in the subsequent period in Maharashtra although revolutionary activities then went on in full swing in Punjab and Bengal.