History · Spectrum Books A Brief History of Modern India
Chapter 54 : Famous Trials of the Nationalist Period
Table of contents5 sections
- 1.Famous Trials of the Nationalist Period
- 2.Chronological Overview of Major Trials
- 3.Key Terms
- 4.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 5.Quick-Recall Box
Chapter preview
Famous Trials of the Nationalist Period
Chronological Overview of Major Trials
The following table details the prominent political trials of Indian nationalists, including the charges framed against them and the final verdicts delivered by the colonial administration.
Key Terms
| Concept | Definition/Context |
|---|---|
| The Bengalee | A publication containing remarks by Surendranath Banerjea that led to his 1883 trial for contempt of court. |
| Kesari | A publication containing provocative and seditious articles that led to the trials of Bal Gangadhar Tilak in 1897, 1908, and 1916. |
| Young India | A publication featuring four inflammatory articles against the British, leading to the 1922 trial of Gandhi and its publisher, Shankarlal Banker. |
📌 Exam Tidbits
- Multiple Trials: Bal Gangadhar Tilak faced three separate trial years (1897, 1908, 1916) for writings in Kesari, with the 1908 trial resulting in a 6-year exile to Mandalay. Bhagat Singh faced two separate trials in rapid succession in 1929 (June for the Assembly bomb; July for the murder of Saunders).
- International Involvement: V.D. Savarkar's case was notable because the International Court of Arbitration at the Hague also held him guilty.
- Co-accused: Gandhi was tried in 1922 alongside Shankarlal Banker, who was specifically targeted as the publisher of Young India.
- Red Fort Venues: The Red Fort (Delhi) served as the trial venue for both the first and last entries in this period: Bahadur Shah Zafar (1858) and the INA trials (1945).
- Source Specificity: The 1908–09 trial involving Aurobindo Ghosh and 37 others is explicitly recorded in the source as the "Alipore Bombay Case Trial".
- INA Trial Outcomes: While the INA accused (Khan, Sehgal, Dhillon) had their life transportations remitted, their military punishments—cashiering and forfeiture of pay/allowances—were confirmed.
Quick-Recall Box
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