Indian National Movement is important topic in Modern History. National movement is very important topic in competitive exams like UPSC,SSC,APPSC,TSPSC,SSC and other exams. Generally in History part many questions are coming from National Movement topic. Aspirants needs more attention on National Movement topic. National movement starts from 1857 revolt and ends with 1947 (Independence). Gandhi era is more important in national movement more questions asked from Gandhian era. Indian National Congress sessions also important for competitive exams. Aspirants needs to remember years of major events from 1857 to 1947.Here in this article we provide the detail list of timeline events in national movement from 1857 revolt to till India gets independence.
Important Events of National Movement from 1857 to 1947:
| Sl. No | Year | Significance |
| 1 | 1857 | Sepoy Mutiny – The Revolt of 1857 |
| 2 | 1858 | Government of India Act 1858
Darbar was held at Allahabad Queen’s Proclamation – assumed the govt. of India Lord Canning appointed as 1st Viceroy |
| 3 | 1860 | Enactment of Indian Penal Code |
| 4 | 1861 | Indian Councils Act
High Courts Act Civil Service Act Enactment of the Code of Criminal Procedure Delhi Department of Police is founded |
| 5 | 1862 | Lord Elgin I as Governor-General
Establishment of Calcutta High Courts Supreme & Sadar Courts merged into high courts |
| 6 | 1863 | 1st to join Indian Civil Service – Satyendranath Tagore |
| 7 | 1864 | John Lawrence as Governor-General
Shimla was declared as the summer capital Bhutan War Indian Forest service was set up |
| 8 | 1865 | Opening of telegraphic communication with Europe
Indian Forest Acts – British claims over forests in India |
| 9 | 1868 | Opening of railway from Ambala to Delhi
Bank of Bombay established Tata Group is founded by Jamsetji Tata |
| 10 | 1869 | Lord Mayo became Viceroy
Birth of Gandhiji |
| 11 | 1870 | Infanticide is banned in India
1st submarine telegraph cable from UK to Bombay |
| 12 | 1872 | Murder of Lord Mayo by Sher Ali Afridi in A&N Islands
Lord Northbrook appointed viceroy |
| 13 | 1875 | Establishment of the Indian League
Birth of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (31 Oct 1975) Visit of Edward, Prince of Wales |
| 14 | 1876 | Lord Lytton I became viceroy
Royal Titles Act Occupation of Quetta Outbreak of famine in the Deccan |
| 15 | 1877 | 2nd Delhi Durbar
Queen Victoria proclaimed empress of India |
| 16 | 1878 – 80 | 2nd Afghan War |
| 17 | 1878 | Vernacular Press Act |
| 18 | 1880 | Lord Ripon as viceroy |
| 19 | 1881 | Rendition of Mysore
1st Factory Act 1st General Census |
| 20 | 1882 | Repeal of Vernacular Press Act
Hunter Education Commission |
| 21 | 1883 | Beginning of local self-government in India
Ilbert Bill (allow Indian judges to try Europeans) proposed by Lord Ripon |
| 23 | 1884 | Ilbert Bill Passed by Lord Ripon |
| 24 | 1885 | Establishment of INC . 1st meeting of the Indian National Congress was held in Bombay from 28 to 31 December 1885
3rd Burmese War Bengal Local Self-Government Act |
| 25 | 1888 | Lord Lansdowne became viceroy
1st ever temple for the untouchables in Aruvippuram, Kerala |
| 26 | 1891 | 2nd Factory Act
Age of Consent Act Anglo-Manipur War |
| 27 | 1892 | Indian Councils Act |
| 28 | 1893 | Durand Line – Boundary between British India and Afghanistan |
| 29 | 1894 | Lord Elgin Il as Viceroy
Punjab National Bank was founded by Lala Lajpat Rai |
| 30 | 1896 | Plague epidemic in Bombay
No-tax campaign in Maharashtra by Bal Gangadhar Tilak Famine started in Bundelkhand |
| 31 | 1897 | Famine Commission
Battle of Saragarhi (British India vs Afghan Tribesman) Formation of Indian Education Service Ramakrishan Mission was founded by Swami Vivekananda |
| 32 | 1900 | Land Alienation Act (Regulate the transfer of Land Ownership)
India’s first participation in the summer Olympics |
| 33 | 1901 | Death of Queen Victoria and accession of King Edward VIl
North West Frontier Province created |
| 34 | 1902 | United Provinces of Agra and Oudh is established |
| 35 | 1903 – 04 | Tibetan expedition – Younghusband mission |
| 36 | 1904 | Ancient Monuments Preservation Act
Indian Universities Act Co-operative Society Act |
| 37 | 1905 | Partition of Bengal announced (Viceroy – Lord Curzon;
Lord Minto II became Viceroy Morely – Secretary of State for India Swadeshi and boycott movement Indian Railway Board founded |
| 38 | 1906 | Officially adaptation of Indian Standard Time
Foundation of the Muslim League INC President Dadabhai Naoroji declared ‘Swaraj’ |
| 39 | 1907 | Surat Split of INC
Newspapers Act Ani Besent – president of Thiosafical society |
| 40 | 1908 | Execution of Khudiram Bose
Tinnevely/Tirunelveli riot Trial of Alipore bomb case Muzaffarpur Conspiracy – Khudiran & P. Chaki |
| 41 | 1909 | Nasik conspiracy
Indian Councils Act (Morley-Minto Reforms) 1st Indian to Viceroy’s Executive Council – S.P Sinha |
| 42 | 1910 | Indian Press Act |
| 43 | 1911 | Cancellation of Partition of Bengal
1st official air mail flight – Allahabad to Naini Delhi Durbar Transfer of capital to Delhi announced Jana Gana Mana was first sung in Calcutta session |
| 44 | 1912 | State of Bihar and Orissa formed out of Bengal
Bomb at Hardinge – Delhi conspiracy case Introduced registration of motor vehicles |
| 45 | 1913 | Ghadar Party founded in Astoria, Oregon
Nobel Prize for Rabindranath Tagore Raja Harishchandra – 1st full-length Indian film |
| 46 | 1914 | Komagata Maru incident (Transport 376 passengers to Canada in Japan ship)
1st World War, Declaration of War McMahon Line was drawn during Simla Convention. |
| 47 | 1915 | Gandhiji returns to India from South Africa
Ghadar Mutiny Defence of India Act |
| 48 | 1916 | Lord Chelmsford as Viceroy
Sadler University Commission Home Rule League – Tilak – Belgaum (April) Home Rule League – Annie Besant – Madras Lucknow Pact – Agreement between Congress & Muslim League (December) Foundation of the Women’s University at Poona |
| 49 | 1917 | INC demands self-government for India
Champaran Satyagraha (Indigo Cultivation) August Declaration, in the British House of Commons |
| 50 | 1918 | Indian National Liberal Federation
Publication of Montague Chelmsford Report Ahemdabad Mill Strike Kheda(Gujarat) Satyagraha – 1st Non-Cooperation Movement End of first world war Madras Labour Union was formed |
| 51 | 1919 | Rowlatt Act or Black Act- Gave power to police to arrest any person without reason (February)
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in Amritsar, Punjab (April) Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms Hunter Commission The Khilafat Movement Government of India Act, 1919 |
| 52 | 1920 | House of Commons adopts Hunter report
Death of Bal Gangadhar Tilak Non-cooperation Movement – Nagpur session |
| 53 | 1921 | Moplah or Malabar rebellion
Visit of Edward, Prince of Wales Lord Reading became viceroy Rabindranath founded Visva-Bharati |
| 54 | 1922 | Chauri Chaura incident (February)
Withdrawal of Non-cooperation Movement Gandhiji is arrested in Bombay for sedition Peshawar Conspiracy |
| 55 | 1920-22 | Non-Cooperation Movement |
| 56 | 1923 | Swarajya Party founded by CR Das and Motilal Nehru
Certification of Salt Tax Decision to Indianise regiments of Indian army |
| 57 | 1924 | Kohat riots (North West Frontier Province)
Gateway of India in Bombay Vaikom Satyagraha in Kereral |
| 58 | 1925 | 1st electric train in Bombay
Death of C R Das Kakori Train Robbery by R Lahiri (August) Formation of the Inter-University Board Lord Lytton II became viceroy Dyarchy suspended in Bengal |
| 59 | 1926 | Lord Irwin as Viceroy
Devaluation of the rupee |
| 60 | 1927 | Appointment of Simon Commission |
| 61 | 1928 | Simon Commission reached in Bombay – Hartal
Hockey Gold Medal – Amsterdam Olympics Nehru Report – Lucknow conference of all parties Simon Commission in Lahore Lala Lajpat Rai died in a protest Assassination of Saunders by Bhagat Singh Board of Control for Cricket in India is formed |
| 62 | 1929 | Meerut Conspiracy Case – (1929-33)
Deepavali Declaration – Irwin Lahore Session and ‘Poorna Swaraj‘ Resolution Indian flag hoisted by Nehru – Ravi river Bhagat Singh & Batukeshwar Dutt bombed Central Legislative Assembly |
| 63 | 1930 | INC declares day for Poorna Swaraj
Dandi / Salt March started (March) Civil Disobedience Movement started at Dandi Chittagong armory raid by Surya Sen (April) Qissa Khwani Peshawar massacre Vedaranyam Salt satyagraha in South India (C.Rajagopalachari) Report of Simon Commission Rebellion in Burma 1st Round Table Conference (November,1930 to January,1931) Battle of Writers’ Building |
| 64 | 1931 | Irwin – Gandhi Pact (March)
Bhagat Singh, Rajguru & Sukhdev were hanged 2nd Round Table Conference (September,1931 to December,1931) Lord Wellington as Viceroy Chakra was adopted on centre of the flag by INC |
| 65 | 1932 | Riots between Hindus and Muslims in Bombay
Communal Award – Ramsay MacDonald Gandhiji begins a hunger strike in Poona prison Poona Pact – B. R. Ambedkar and Gandhi Foundation of Indian Military Academy 3rd Round Table Conference |
| 66 | 1933 | Pakistan Declaration published
Joint Committee on Indian Constitution |
| 67 | 1934 | Civil Disobedience Movement called off
Communist Party of India is declared unlawful Factories Act Royal Indian Navy created |
| 68 | 1935 | Reserve Bank of India is founded
Government of India Act |
| 69 | 1936 | Lord Linlithgow became Viceroy
Temple Entry Proclamation by Maharaja of Travancore |
| 70 | 1937 | Provincial autonomy begins
Formation of Congress Ministries in 6 provinces Burma and Aden are separated from India Federal court started |
| 71 | 1939 | Subash Chandra Bose resigns as president of Congress
All India Forward Bloc Formed IInd World War (1939-45) Viceroy announced – Dominion Status after war Resignation by Provincial Congress Ministries Day of Deliverance by Muslim League |
| 72 | 1940 | August Offer by Lord Linlithgow |
| 73 | 1942 | Japanese army enters Rangoon
Cripps Mission Quit India resolution – Bombay session of AICC Formation of Azad Hind Fauj Indian leaders & Gandhi was arrested Indian National Army formed – Mohan Singh |
| 74 | 1943 | Bengal famine
Pakistan day observed Wavell became governor general Netaji became supreme of INA Netaji formed Govt. of Free India in Singapore Japanese attack the Port of Kolkata Netaji sets up Indian govt. at Port Blair. Netaji hoisted Tricolor flag at Port Blair. |
| 75 | 1944 | Battle of Imphal – British vs. Japan & INA
Rajagopalachari Formula INA hoisted Tri colour flag at Moirang (Manipur). |
| 76 | 1945 | Desai liaquat pact
Wavell Plan Announced in Shimla Conference Japan surrendered End of World War II INA trials began at the Red Fort General elections in India Congress largest party 59 seats of the 102 |
| 77 | 1946 | Royal Air Force Mutiny
Royal Indian Navy Mutiny Cabinet Mission in India Direct Action Day by Muslim League Communal riots in Dhaka Formation of the Interim Govt. Muslim League joined the Interim Govt. 1st session of the Constituent Assembly |
| 78 | 1947 | Atlee announced freedom of India
Mountbatten became governor-general Communal riots in the Panjab Mountbatten Plan – Partition of India Royal assent on Independence of India Act |
| 79 | 1947 | India Independence Act |
| 80 | 14 August 1947 | Partition of India and Pakistan |
| 81 | 15 August 1947 | India Gained Freedom from Colonial Rule |
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