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Home Rule Movement, History, Impact, Objectives, Failures, Decline

The Home Rule Movement was started by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Annie Besant on 28 April 1916 in Belagavi in two phases. Check out history, impact, objectives, leaders, need, failures and decline.
authorImageParul Rishi11 Apr, 2024
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Home Rule Movement

Home Rule Movement was a big deal in India's fight for freedom. It happened because the Indian National Congress wasn't fully meeting the needs of the people. The movement aimed to get self-rule for India, so Indians could run things without outside control. Annie Besant and Bal Gangadhar Tilak started it in 1916, and it caught on fast across the country.

Different regions in India set up their own Home Rule Leagues. This movement was a major player in India's journey to independence. Their push for self-rule set the stage for India eventually gaining freedom. The Home Rule League began in April and September 1916 by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Annie Besant. It got its name from a similar movement in Ireland. They wanted independence from the British Indian government, looking to create a self-governing system like what Ireland was aiming for.

Home Rule Movement

The Home Rule Movement began in India in 1916, led by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Annie Besant. It happened in two phases, first in April and then in September. The goal was to gain self-government for India, like Australia and Canada had under the British Empire. This movement spread across India from 1916 to 1918 and played a significant role in India's independence struggle. It taught people about nationalism and patriotism. Tilak led one league in Belgaum in April 1916, while Besant led another in Madras in September 1916. The Home Rule Movement was a crucial step toward India gaining independence. It showed a strong political approach emerging in the country.

What is the Home Rule Movement?

The Home Rule Movement in India, much like the Ghadar movement, was a peaceful reaction to World War 1. Its main goal was to gain self-governance for India, similar to countries like Australia and Canada. Annie Besant introduced this idea in 1915 through newspapers, meetings, and public events. When extremists joined the Indian National Congress in 1916, Besant initiated the movement and was later joined by Tilak. The Home Rule Movement sparked a sense of patriotism across the nation.

Home Rule Movement History

In 1909, Indians hoped for more from the Government of India Act, but they didn’t get what they expected. The Congress Party split in 1907, and its strong leader, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, was put in prison from 1908 to 1914. This slowed down the national movement. However, things picked up again when Tilak was released, and Annie Besant arrived. Annie Besant, an Irish socialist, was a writer and speaker who supported both Indian and Irish independence. She came to India in 1893. There was disagreement among Indian leaders on whether to support Britain during a conflict. Tilak, after being exiled from Mandalay, realized the need to revive India's fight for independence. He saw the growing importance of the Congress Party in Indian politics and wanted to rejoin it. With Besant’s influence, extremists were allowed back into the Congress Party during the December 1915 session. Besant understood the significance of Congress’s acceptance and the active involvement of radicals in the national struggle. However, Besant and Tilak couldn’t convince Congress to support their idea of creating home rule leagues. Instead, Besant persuaded Congress to back the formation of regional groups and educational campaigns. If these terms weren’t met by September 1916, she had the right to start her own home rule league. So, in September 1916, she established her Home Rule League. On the other hand, Tilak had started his league in April 1916 and didn’t have the same restrictions.

Home Rule Movement Need

In the early 1900s, the fight for India's freedom hit a roadblock due to specific reasons, leading to the birth of the Home Rule movement:
  1. Congress Party Division (1907): Disagreements within the National Congress Party gave rise to Extremists and Moderates, causing a lot of confusion and unrest.
  2. Discontent with Government of India Act (1909): Many Indians were unhappy with the Government of India Act of 1909, feeling it didn't address their aspirations.
  3. Lokmanya Tilak’s Arrest: Lokmanya Tilak, a key freedom fighter, was imprisoned for six years for criticising British actions in his newspaper Kesari after the split in the INC.
After his release in 1914, Tilak noticed the ongoing disunity within Congress due to the previous split. Seeing the urgency for a unified movement, Tilak took charge to spark a national movement against British rule, founding the Home Rule movement. Initially, he attempted to reconcile differences within the Indian National Congress between Extremists and Moderates. However, after the Surat Split, the face of Congress changed. Despite the need for unity, the call for self-governance pushed Tilak to establish Home Rule leagues in regions like Karnataka, Maharashtra, and central provinces in April 1916. Annie Besant later initiated her Home Rule movement in the same year.

Home Rule Movement Objectives

The aims and objectives of the Home Rule Movement are majorly as follows-

Educating People

The Home Rule Movement aimed to teach people in India about politics.

Self-Government

They wanted India to govern itself instead of being ruled by others.

Peaceful Protest

They planned to peacefully protest for self-rule.

Empowerment

To inspire Indians to stand up against British control and oppression.

Support for Congress

They aimed to support the principles of the Indian National Congress and revive Indian politics.

Fair Representation

They demanded that more Indians should have a say in the government decisions made by the British.

Home Rule League Foundation

Tilak and Annie Besant led separate movements called Home Rule Leagues in India. Tilak began the Indian Home Rule League in Belgaum in April 1916. It was based in Delhi and had 6 branches in different places. Annie Besant started the Madras Home Rule League in September 1916. Her league spread widely across the country, boasting 200 branches. Both leaders aimed for the same goal: to gain self-government, or home rule, in India. Tilak focused on areas like the Central Provinces, Berar, Karnataka, and Maharashtra (except Bombay). Meanwhile, Annie Besant worked in other regions. Although they collaborated closely, these movements remained separate to prevent conflicts between them. They didn't merge despite their shared objective.

Home Rule Movement Significance

The main aim of the home rule movement was to have a government that was run by the people themselves. It taught Indians about governing themselves, bringing them together and speeding up India's fight for independence. They focused only on peaceful ways to protest, spreading this message through media and gatherings. This movement created a surge of political activity in India. It helped more radical leaders gain control of Congress again. Moderates, Extremists, and the Muslim League joined forces, which was a big advantage. The home rule movement quickly gained momentum, leading the British government to take actions like passing the 1910 Indian Press Act, starting a newspaper in 1908, and detaining Annie Besant from June to September 1917. However, this movement pushed Lord Montagu to make the August Declaration. It promised Indians a say in how the country was governed and the chance to create their own self-governing body. This changed the perception of the home rule movement, no longer seeing it as radical.

Home Rule Movement Members

The Home Rule Movement in India had important people who worked hard for India to rule itself. Some key members were:
  • Annie Besant - She was from Britain and joined the Indian nationalist movement. She was very important in the Home Rule Movement.
  • Bal Gangadhar Tilak - He was a leader who helped start the Home Rule League and was a strong nationalist.
  • Muhammad Ali Jinnah - He was a lawyer and later founded Pakistan. He also played a big role in wanting India to rule itself.
  • Srinivasa Iyengar - He played an important role in getting people together for the movement in South India.
  • Joseph Baptista - He was a significant member of the Home Rule Movement in Bombay.

Home Rule Movement Result

In 1917, the government in Madras took strong actions against the home rule league to stop its growing popularity. Leaders like Besant, Arundale, and Wadia were arrested. This sparked a big protest, even drawing in moderate politicians. Then, the ‘Government of India Act 1919’ brought in reforms. This helped create self-governing bodies, leading to the establishment of Provincial and Central governments in India. This change made the idea of home rule no longer seen as something wrong. Because of increasing public anger, the British government eventually released Mrs. Annie Besant, who had been held since June 1917. This led to her being elected President of the Congress at the Calcutta Session in 1917, marking the peak of the Home Rule movement. There were two main impacts of this movement:
  • It brought together different groups within the Congress. Mrs. Besant united moderates and some extremists, bringing these two sides closer and repairing the events of 1907 in Surat.
  • It changed how Congress worked. It pushed Congress to use more active methods like 'demand' and 'agitation' instead of their previous ways of ‘petition’ and ‘prayer.’

Home Rule Movement Failures and Decline

The Home Rule Movement faced several challenges that led to its decline:
  • When Lokmanya Tilak went to England for a legal case, and Annie Besant couldn't provide strong leadership, the movement lost direction.
  • Not everyone supported the Home Rule Movement; some groups like Muslims, Anglo-Indians, and Non-Brahmins had serious objections to it.
  • The idea of Satyagraha, non-violence, and Gandhian philosophy connected more with Indians, leading to a shift away from the Home Rule Movement.
  • The movement didn't reach all sections of Indian society.
In 1920, the Indian National Congress joined the Home Rule League with Mahatma Gandhi as President, aiming for more Indian representation in politics. Though it significantly contributed to India's freedom struggle, it eventually faded. However, it did bring positive changes like the Lucknow Pact between the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League, fostering unity between Hindus and Muslims.
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Home Rule Movement FAQs

Q1. What is meant by the Home Rule Movement?

Ans. The home rule movement sought to grant India under the British Empire home rule or a dominion status akin to that enjoyed by nations like Canada and Australia.

Q2. Who launched the Home Rule Movement in 1916?

Ans. Home Rule League was one of two short-lived organisations in India with the same name that were founded by Indian nationalist Bal Gangadhar Tilak and British social reformer and Indian independence activist Annie Besant in April and September 1916, respectively.

Q3. What was the Home Rule Movement who led it?

Ans. Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Annie Besant founded the Home Rule Leagues in April and September 1916, during World War I.

Q4. Why was the Home Rule movement started?

Ans. The goal was to give Indians the self-assurance they needed to protest government repression. The goal was to pressure the British administration to give Indians more political representation. Another goal was to renew political action in India while upholding Congress Party ideals.

Q5. Where did the home rule movement started?

Ans. Home rule movement was started on 28 April 1916, Belagavi.
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