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The Home Rule League Movement was a significant event in the Indian freedom struggle that emerged as a response to the First World War.

It was a national alliance that worked towards the objective of demanding self-government or home rule for India within the British commonwealth. The movement was launched by two prominent leaders, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Annie Besant, with the aim of beginning a new trend of aggressive politics.

Factors Leading to The Home Rule League Movement

Several factors led to the formation of the Home Rule Movement.

Firstly, a section of nationalists believed that popular pressure was required to attain concessions from the government.

Secondly, the Moderates were disillusioned with the Morley-Minto reforms.

Thirdly, the burden of wartime miseries caused by high taxation and a rise in prices had led people to participate in any aggressive movement of protest.

Fourthly, the war exposed the myth of white superiority, being fought among the major imperialist powers of the day and backed by naked propaganda against each other.

Leaders of The Home Rule League Movement

The Home Rule Movement was led by prominent leaders, including Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Annie Besant, G.S. Khaparde, Sir S. Subramania Iyer, Joseph Baptista, and Muhammad Ali Jinnah, among others.

They felt that it was necessary to have a national alliance that would work throughout the year, unlike the Congress, which had annual sessions.

Two Home Rule Leagues

In the end, two Home Rule Leagues were launched – one by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and the other by Annie Besant.

Both leagues had the same aim of demanding self-government or home rule for India within the British commonwealth.

These leagues worked independently , but their efforts complemented each other, and they soon merged to form a united front.

Tilak’s Leadership in The Home Rule League Movement

Bal Gangadhar Tilak assumed leadership of the Home Rule League after his release in June 1914.

He made conciliatory gestures to the government, reassuring it of his loyalty, and to the Moderates, indicating that he wanted a reform of the administration and not an overthrow of the government.

He also admitted that acts of violence had only served to retard the pace of political progress in India.

He urged all Indians to assist the British government in its hour of crisis.

Annie Besant’s Contribution in The Home Rule League Movement

Annie Besant was an Irish theosophist based in India since 1896.

She decided to enlarge the sphere of her activities to include the building of a movement for home rule on the lines of the Irish Home Rule Leagues.

She gave a powerful impetus to the Home Rule Movement, with her oratorical skills , organizational ability , and the extensive use of the press.

Her leadership role was especially significant in Madras, where she founded the Madras Home Rule League.

Both Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Annie Besant recognized the need for a national alliance that would work year-round to demand self-government for India within the British commonwealth.

When their efforts to gain support from the Moderate-dominated Congress failed, they decided to revive political activity on their own.

Tilak’s League:

Tilak launched his Indian Home Rule League in April 1916 with the aim of beginning a new trend of aggressive politics.

The league was restricted to Maharashtra (excluding Bombay city), Karnataka, Central Provinces, and Berar, with Poona as its headquarters.

It had six branches and its demands included swarajya, formation of linguistic states, and education in the vernacular.

Besant’s League:

Annie Besant set up her All-India Home Rule League in September 1916 in Madras (now Chennai) with the aim of demanding self-government for India after the war on the lines of white colonies.

The league covered the rest of India, including Bombay city, and had 200 branches.

It was loosely organized compared to Tilak’s league and had George Arundale as the organizing secretary, with B.W. Wadia and C.P. Ramaswamy Aiyar as key workers.

Cooperation between the Leagues:

Although Tilak and Besant set up separate leagues to avoid friction, they coordinated their efforts by confining their work to their specific areas.

They cooperated where they could and worked together towards their common goal of demanding self-government for India.

While Tilak’s league focused on Maharashtra, Karnataka, Central Provinces, and Berar, Besant’s league covered the rest of India, including Bombay city.

Here are some of the key points of the Home Rule League Programme.

Wider Appeal and Mobilization:

The Home Rule League campaign had a much wider appeal than the earlier mobilizations.

It attracted regions like Gujarat and Sindh, which were considered politically backward.

The aim was to promote the idea of home rule or self-government.

Promotion of Political Education:

The Home Rule League Programme aimed to promote political education and discussion through various means.

This included organizing public meetings, setting up libraries and reading rooms containing books on national politics, holding conferences, and organizing classes for students on politics.

The campaign also carried out propaganda through newspapers, pamphlets, posters, illustrated post-cards, plays, religious songs, etc.

Social Work and Local Government Activities:

In addition to promoting political education, the Home Rule League Programme also involved collecting funds, organizing social work, and participating in local government activities.

Added Advantage of Russian Revolution:

The Russian Revolution of 1917 proved to be an added advantage for the Home Rule campaign.

It helped in creating a favorable atmosphere for the Home Rule movement.

Leaders and Members of the Home Rule League:

The Home Rule agitation was joined by many prominent leaders like Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, Bhulabhai Desai, Chittaranjan Das, K.M. Munshi, B. Chakravarti, Saifuddin Kitchlew, Madan Mohan Malaviya, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Tej Bahadur Sapru, and Lala Lajpat Rai.

Some of these leaders became heads of local branches of Annie Besant’s League, with Muhammad Ali Jinnah leading the Bombay division.

However, Anglo-Indians, most of the Muslims, and non-brahmins from the South did not join the Home Rule movement as they feared that it would mean rule of the Hindu majority, and that too mainly by the high caste.

Government Attitude towards Home Rule League

The government responded with severe repression towards the Home Rule League and its leaders.

The government prohibited students in Madras from attending political meetings.

A case was instituted against Tilak, which was later rescinded by the high court.

Tilak was barred from entering Punjab and Delhi.

In June 1917, Annie Besant and her associates, B.P. Wadia and George Arundale, were arrested, leading to nationwide protests.

Sir S. Subramania Aiyar renounced his knighthood in a dramatic gesture, while Tilak advocated for passive resistance.

The repression only served to harden the attitude of the agitators and strengthen their resolve to resist the government.

Montagu, the Secretary of State for India, commented that “Shiva… cut his wife into fifty-two pieces only to discover that he had fifty-two wives. This is what happens to the Government of India when it interns Mrs Besant.”

Annie Besant was released in September 1917.

Timeline of Home Rule League Movement:

1915: Annie Besant launched a campaign to demand self-government for India after the war on the lines of white colonies.

1915: At the annual session of the Congress, the efforts of Tilak and Besant met with some success. It was decided that the Extremists be admitted to the Congress.

1916: Tilak set up his Indian Home Rule League in April. It had six branches and was restricted to Maharashtra, Karnataka, Central Provinces, and Berar.

1916: Besant set up her All-India Home Rule League in September in Madras (now Chennai) and covered the rest of India (including Bombay city). It had 200 branches, was loosely organised as compared to Tilak’s league and had George Arundale as the organising secretary.

1917: The Home Rule League campaign aimed to promote political education and discussion through public meetings, organising libraries and reading rooms, holding conferences, organising classes for students on politics, carrying out propaganda through newspapers, pamphlets, posters, illustrated post-cards, plays, religious songs, etc., collecting funds, organising social work, and participating in local government activities.

1917: The Home Rule agitation was later joined by Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, Bhulabhai Desai, Chittaranjan Das, K.M. Munshi, B. Chakravarti, Saifuddin Kitchlew, Madan Mohan Malaviya, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Tej Bahadur Sapru, and Lala Lajpat Rai.

1917: The government came down with severe repression, especially in Madras where the students were prohibited from attending political meetings. A case was instituted against Tilak which was, however, rescinded by the high court. Tilak was barred from entering Punjab and Delhi. In June 1917, Annie Besant and her associates, B.P. Wadia and George Arundale, were arrested.

1917: This invited nationwide protest. In a dramatic gesture, Sir S. Subramania Aiyar renounced his knighthood, while Tilak advocated a programme of passive resistance.

1917: The repression only served to harden the attitude of the agitators and strengthen their resolve to resist the government.

1917: Annie Besant was released in September 1917.

1919: The Montagu-Chelmsford reforms were introduced, providing for limited self-government in India.

1920: The Home Rule League was dissolved and many of its leaders joined the Indian National Congress.

The Home Rule League had both positive and negative aspects.

Positive aspects:

The Home Rule League was successful in popularizing the idea of self-government among the masses.

The League’s campaign was able to attract people from politically backward regions of Gujarat and Sindh to participate in the movement.

The League used various methods such as public meetings, libraries, reading rooms, conferences, classes for students, propaganda through newspapers, pamphlets, posters, plays, religious songs, etc. to promote political education and discussion.

The participation of prominent leaders such as Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and Lala Lajpat Rai gave the movement national importance.

The League’s campaign coincided with the Russian Revolution of 1917, which provided an added advantage to the Home Rule movement.

Negative aspects:

The movement did not have the support of some communities such as Anglo-Indians, most of the Muslims, and non-brahmins from the South, who believed that Home Rule would mean rule of the Hindu majority, and that too mainly by the high caste.

The government’s attitude towards the Home Rule League was hostile, and it resorted to severe repression to quell the movement.

The repression only served to harden the attitude of the agitators and strengthen their resolve to resist the government.

The Home Rule League was not successful in achieving its goal of self-government, as India continued to be ruled by the British until 1947.

Who founded the Home Rule League and in which year?

The Home Rule League was founded by Annie Besant in September 1916.

When was the All India Home Rule League formed?

The All India Home Rule League was formed in April 1916.

What were the objectives of the Home Rule League?

The objectives of the Home Rule League were to promote political education and discussion, organize libraries and reading rooms containing books on national politics, hold conferences, organize classes for students on politics, carry out propaganda through newspapers, pamphlets, posters, illustrated post-cards, plays, religious songs, etc., collect funds, organize social work, and participate in local government activities.

Which event provided an added advantage to the Home Rule campaign?

The Russian Revolution of 1917 provided an added advantage to the Home Rule campaign.

Who were some of the leaders who joined the Home Rule agitation later on?

Some of the leaders who joined the Home Rule agitation later on were Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, Bhulabhai Desai, Chittaranjan Das, K.M. Munshi, B. Chakravarti, Saifuddin Kitchlew, Madan Mohan Malaviya, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Tej Bahadur Sapru, and Lala Lajpat Rai.

Which leader headed the Bombay division of the Home Rule League?

Muhammad Ali Jinnah led the Bombay division of the Home Rule League.

What was the government’s attitude towards the Home Rule League?

The government’s attitude towards the Home Rule League was one of severe repression, with prohibitions on students attending political meetings, cases instituted against Tilak, and arrests of prominent leaders like Annie Besant and her associates.

When were Annie Besant and her associates arrested and what was the reaction to their arrest?

Annie Besant and her associates were arrested in June 1917, which invited nationwide protest.

Who renounced his knighthood in protest against the arrest of Annie Besant and her associates?

Sir S. Subramania Aiyar renounced his knighthood in protest against the arrest of Annie Besant and her associates.

When was Annie Besant released from prison?

Annie Besant was released from prison in September 1917.

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Montagu’s Statement of August 1917:

Background:

Edwin Samuel Montagu, Secretary of State for India, made a statement on August 20, 1917, in the British House of Commons.

Known as the August Declaration of 1917.

Objectives:

The government policy was to increase Indian participation in every branch of administration.

Gradual development of self-governing institutions with a view to the progressive realization of responsible government in India.

Nationalist demand for self-government or home rule could not be termed as seditious anymore.

The rulers were to be answerable to the elected representatives, not just to the imperial government in London.

The concept of “dyarchy” was to be evolved for executive responsibility to be shared with the elected assemblies.

Indian Objections:

Two-fold objections from Indian leaders:
- No specific time frame was given.
- The government alone was to decide the nature and timing of advance towards a responsible government.
- Indians were resentful that the British would decide what was good or bad for them.