Q. With reference to the Indian Home Rule Society (1905) and India House, consider the following statements:
1.The Indian Home Rule Society was founded in London by Shyamji Krishna Varma as part of an informal nationalist movement.
2.The assassination of William Hutt Curzon Wyllie by Madan Lal Dhingra led to the decline of India House’s influence and increased police crackdown.
3.During World War I, India House and its network played a significant role in mobilizing support for the British war effort in India.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Answer: A
Notes:
Explanation:
- The Indian Home Rule Society (IHRS) was founded in 1905 in London by Shyamji Krishna Varma. It aimed to promote Indian self-rule and support Indian students in Britain who sympathized with the cause of nationalism.
- It was informal in nature but ideologically significant in the broader context of the Indian independence movement.
- Madan Lal Dhingra, a member of India House, assassinated Curzon Wyllie in 1909 in London.
- This event caused a severe backlash from British authorities, resulting in increased surveillance and repression. India House’s influence began to decline after this, and several leaders like Shyamji Krishna Varma and Bhikaji Cama fled to other parts of Europe.
- India House and its associated network were involved in anti-British revolutionary activities during World War I. They supported nationalist conspiracies, including efforts to incite rebellion within India against British rule — not to support the British war effort. Their activities laid the groundwork for revolutionary plots like the Hindu–German Conspiracy.
Source: Spectrum’s A Brief History of Modern India
