The 'Swadeshi' and 'Boycott' were adopted as methods of struggle for the first time during the

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UPSC Prelims is a competitive examination conducted in India. This question is from the 2016 UPSC Prelims History paper.

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Question

The 'Swadeshi' and 'Boycott' were adopted as methods of struggle for the first time during the

Accepted Answer

Correct Answer: A — agitation against the Partition of BengalSolution:The methods of Swadeshi (promoting indigenous goods and boycotting British products) and Boycott (refusing to use British goods and services) were formally adopted as methods of political struggle for the first time during the agitation against the Partition of Bengal (1905-1911). When Lord Curzon partitioned Bengal on 16 October 1905 (ostensibly for administrative efficiency but actually to divide the Hindu-Muslim population and weaken the nationalist movement), the Indian nationalist response was to launch the Swadeshi Movement — boycotting British cloth, goods, and institutions. Bonfires of foreign cloth were lit, 'Vande Mataram' became the rallying cry, and indigenous industries were promoted. This was the most intense popular mobilisation India had seen since 1857.Why other options are incorrect:Option B (Home Rule Movement, 1916): The Home Rule Movement (led by Tilak and Annie Besant, 1916) demanded self-governance within the British Empire — it used different methods like public meetings, pamphlets, and leagues — not a new introduction of Swadeshi/Boycott.Option C (Non-Cooperation Movement, 1920-22): The Non-Cooperation Movement under Gandhi also used boycott of British goods and institutions — but it was not the first time. Swadeshi and Boycott had already been used in 1905.Option D (Simon Commission visit, 1927-28): The Simon Commission boycott ('Simon Go Back') was a specific boycott of the commission — not the origin of the broader Swadeshi/Boycott methodology.Key Concept: The Swadeshi Movement (1905-1911) was a watershed in India's freedom struggle — it was the first mass movement that moved beyond elite petitioning to popular agitation. Key contributions: Introduced Swadeshi and Boycott as political weapons; gave birth to the Extremist faction in Congress (Tilak, Lajpat Rai, Bipin Chandra Pal); promoted nationalist literature, art, and education; established national schools and swadeshi factories; introduced the concept of passive resistance. Bengal was reunited in 1911 (George V's Delhi Durbar coronation announcement) — a partial victory for the nationalist movement. The movement influenced Gandhi's later use of these methods on a national scale in 1920-22 and 1930-34.

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