List of Indian independence activists

This is a list of individuals who notably campaigned against or are considered to have campaigned against colonial rule on the Indian sub-continent.

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

The Indian independence movement consisted of efforts by individuals and organizations from a wide spectrum of society to obtain political independence from the British, French and Portuguese rule through the use of a many of methods.

Post-independence, the term "freedom fighter" was officially recognized by the Indian government for those who took part in the movement; people in this category (which can also include dependent family members)[1] receive pensions and other benefits such as special railway counters.[2]

List of Indian freedom fighters
NameBirthDeathActivity
Maveeran Alagumuthu Kone 17101757Maveeran Alagumuthu Kone (1710–1757) is a First Freedom Fighter from Kattalankulam in Thoothukudi District, was an early Chieftain and freedom fighter against the British presence in Tamil Nadu. Born into a Konar caste family, he became a military leader in the town of Ettayapuram, and was defeated in battle there against the British and Maruthanayagam's forces. He was executed in 1757

In his memory, the government of Tamil Nadu conducts a Pooja ceremony every year on 11 July. A documentary film based on his life was released in 2012.

Maruthu Pandiyar 17481801The brothers Periya and Chinna Marudhu were Tamil Nadu chieftains said to have invented the valari.[3] They were the first to issue a proclamation against the British.[4]
Dheeran Chinnamalai 17561805An indigenous governor, he took part in guerrilla warfare against the British East India Company.
Jayi Rajaguru17391806A prominent figure of the Indian independence movement in the state of Odisha.
Pazhassi Raja 17531805He used guerrilla warfare to fight the British in the Cotiote War (Kottayathu war, 1793–1805) to preserve the independence of his kingdom. He was killed at Mavila Thodu at the present Kerala-Karnataka border.[5]
Veerapandiya Kattabomman 17601799He refused to accept the sovereignty of the British East India Company and waged a war against the British.[3]
Babu Kunwar Singh17771858A Rajput military commander in the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
Kittur Chennamma17781829An Indian freedom fighter and rani of the Kittur, a former princely state in Karnataka. She led an armed force against the British East India Company in 1824 in defiance of the doctrine of lapse in an attempt to maintain Indian control over the region, but was defeated in the third war and died in prison.
Titumir 1782 1831 A freedom fighter who led a campaign against British rule during the 19th century, he eventually built a bamboo fort in Narikelberia village which became the subject of Bengali folk legend. Titumir died of wounds following the storming of the fort by British soldiers.
Sangolli Rayanna17981831The army chief of Kittur, who fought the British East India Company until his death.
Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy18051847He led an uprising in Andhra Pradesh in 1846 and was executed by the British.[6]
Ahmadullah Shah17871857He led in various battles including the Battle of Chinhat, the Siege of Lucknow, the Capture of Lucknow, and the Chapati Movement.
Mangal Pandey18271857He rebelled against his British Indian army commanders and was executed.
Dhan Singh Gurjar18201857He was the police chief of Meerut, who participated in the 1857 rebellion and led initial actions against the British East India Company in Meerut.
Muhammad Qasim Nanautavi 1832 1880 The founder of Darul Uloom Deoband, he participated in the 1857 rebellion in Shamli.[7]
Mahmud Hasan Deobandi18511920He and his students launched the Silk Letter Movement and laid the foundation of Jamia Millia Islamia on 29 October 1920.[8]
V. O. Chidambaram Pillai18721936A hardline politician of the Indian National Congress (INC), he launched the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company in defiance of the British trade monopoly.[9]
Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar 1908 1963 A leader of the socialist All India Forward Bloc, he was arrested and jailed by the British.
Seth Harchandrai Vishandas 1862 1928 A Sindhi politician and influential mayor of Karachi, he fought for Muslim-Hindu unity and the independence movement, particularly in opposing the Simon Commission of 1912. He died while travelling (against doctor's advice) to vote for its boycott.
B. R. Ambedkar 1891 1956 Politician who campaigned and negotiated for independence, and was pivotal in formation of the Indian Constitution.
Subramania Bharati18821921A writer and activist who created many patriotic and nationalistic songs during the independence movement.
Alluri Sitarama Raju18971924He led the Rampa Rebellion of 1922.
Inayatullah Khan Mashriqi18881963He founded the Khaksar Movement in British India.
Aruna Asaf Ali19091996An educator and activist who is widely remembered for hoisting the INC flag during the Quit India Movement, 1942.
Shambhu Dutt Sharma19182016A former British Indian Army officer, he joined the Quit India Movement in 1942.
Tanguturi Prakasam Pantulu 18721957An Indian politician, he became known as "Andhra Kesari" (lion of Andhra) for leading protests against the Simon Commission in Madras.
Swami Shraddhanand 1856 1926 An activist, he started a protest in front of a posse of Gurkha soldiers at the Clock Tower in Chandni Chowk.[10]
Khudiram Bose18891908One of the youngest revolutionary martyrs, he was executed following an attempted assassination bombing which accidentally killed two innocents instead of the then oppressive Viceroy of Bengal .
Chandra Shekhar Azad19061931When the HRA leadership were arrested following the Kakori train robbery, he reorganized the group and operated it until his death.
Komaram Bheem19011940A tribal leader, he fought for the liberation of Hyderabad.
Chittaranjan Das18691925He founded the Swaraj Party and became the leader of the Non-cooperation Movement in Bengal.
Veer Savarkar 1883 1966 He was an Independence activist, politician and a Hindu Nationalist. He published books advocating complete Indian independence by revolutionary means. One of the books he published called The Indian War of Independence about the Indian rebellion of 1857. In 1910, Savarkar was arrested and ordered to be extradited to India for his connections with the revolutionary freedom group India House. He was later sentenced to a total 50 years imprisonment at the Cellular Jail
Ram Prasad Bismil18971927The founder of the HRA, he led the Kakori conspiracy in an attempt to raise funds for revolutionary operations.
Udham Singh18991940A revolutionary assassin, he was executed for the Caxton Hall shooting.
Hemu Kalani19231943A student revolutionary who was executed for attempted rail sabotage.
Ashfaqulla Khan19001927A founding member of the HRA, he was executed for taking part in the Kakori conspiracy.
Sachindra Bakshi19041984A member of the HRA, he took part in the Kakori conspiracy.
Manmath Nath Gupta19082000A member of the HRA, he took part in the Kakori conspiracy.
Vasudev Balwant Phadke18451883A Ramoshi revolutionary, he organized an insurgent group against British rule
Matangini Hazra18701942An activist with the Quit India Movement, she was fatally shot by British Indian police.
Anant Laxman Kanhere18911910A revolutionary assassin, he was executed for the murder of oppressive British officer A. M. T. Jackson.
Vanchinathan18861911A revolutionary assassin, he committed suicide after killing an oppressive and tyrannical tax collector Robert Ashe.
Krishnaji Gopal Karve18871910A revolutionary, he was executed as an accomplice to the murder of A. M. T. Jackson.
Bagha Jatin18791915A founding member of Anushilan Samiti, convicted in the Howrah-Sibpur conspiracy case and a participant in the Indo-German Conspiracy.
Batukeshwar Dutt19101965A revolutionary fighting against the inhumane and tyrannic British rule, he threw a bomb in the Central Assembly in 1929.
Sukhdev Thapar19071931A revolutionary fighting against the inhumane and tyrannic British rule, he was hanged following conviction in the 1929 Central Assembly Bomb Case.
Shivaram Rajguru19081931Associate of Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev Thapar in the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association. Involved in the assassination of cruel and reppressive British police officer J. P. Saunders.
Roshan Singh18921927A revolutionary who was among those executed for the Kakori conspiracy, though he had not taken part in it.
Prabhavati Devi19061973A Gandhian leader, she was the wife of activist Jayaprakash Narayan.
Pritilata Waddedar19111932A Bengali revolutionary, she led the attack on the European Club in Pahartali and committed suicide to avoid capture.
Jatindra Nath Das19041929An activist and revolutionary, he died during a hunger strike while awaiting trial for the Lahore conspiracy case.
Durgawati Devi19071999A revolutionary, she helped operate a bomb factory.
Bhagwati Charan Vohra19041930A revolutionary ideologue and bomb-maker, he wrote the article "The Philosophy of Bomb".
Madan Lal Dhingra18831909An activist and revolutionary fighting aganist the inhumane and tyranic British rule, he assassinated British official Curzon Wyllie.
Alluri Sitarama Raju18971924A revolutionary, he led the Rampa Rebellion of 1922.
Kushal Konwar19051943An organizer of the Quit India movement, he was judged the mastermind of a troop train derailment and hanged.
Surya Sen18941934President of INC Chittagong Branch, he led the Chittagong armoury raid.
Ananta Singh19031979A revolutionary, he participated in the Chittagong armoury raid.
Ganesh Ghosh19001994A revolutionary, he participated in the Chittagong armoury raid.
Sri Aurobindo18721950A nationalist, he was arrested for leading the Alipore bomb conspiracy.
Rash Behari Bose18861945A revolutionary, he helped form the Indian National Army in Imperial Japan.
Ubaidullah Sindhi18721944An activist, he sought independence through foreign alliance in the Silk Letter Movement.
Uzair Gul Peshawari1989An activist, he was imprisoned for the Silk Letter Movement.[11]
Lokenath Bal19081964A revolutionary, he participated in the Chittagong armoury raid.
Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee18951969A revolutionary, he was imprisoned for the Kakori conspiracy.
Baikuntha Shukla19071934A revolutionary, he was executed for murdering a government witness.
Ambika Chakrabarty18921962A revolutionary, he took part in the Chittagong armoury raid.
Badal Gupta19121930A revolutionary, he died in an attack on police at Writers' Building.
Dinesh Gupta19111931A revolutionary, he was executed following an attack on police at Writers' Building.
Benoy Basu19081930A revolutionary, he died following an attack on police at Writers' Building.
Rajendra Lahiri19011927A revolutionary, he participated in the Kakori conspiracy.
Barindra Kumar Ghosh18801959A revolutionary organizer, he was convicted in the Alipore bomb case.
Prafulla Chaki18881908A revolutionary, he killed two innocents in a mistargetted assassination bombing.
Ullaskar Dutta18851965A revolutionary bomb-maker, he was convicted in the Alipore bomb case.
Bhupendra Kumar Datta18921979A revolutionary, editor of the publications of Anushilan Samiti.
Ramesh Chandra Jha19251994An activist, he was a member of the Quit India movement.
Hemchandra Kanungo18711951A nationalist, convicted in the Alipore bomb case.
Surendranath Tagore18721940A nationalist, he served as treasurer of the Anushilan Samiti.
Basawon Singh19091989An activist, he was convicted in the Lahore Conspiracy Case trial.
Bhavabhushan Mitra18811970Ghadar Mutiny
Bina Das19111986A revolutionary, she attempted to assassinate Bengal Governor Stanley Jackson.
Kalpana Datta19131995Involved in the Indian Independence Movement; also part of the Chittagong armoury raid planning.
Kartar Singh Sarabha18961915A revolutionary, he helped with the Ghadar Party paper and the attempted Ghadar Mutiny.
Shyamji Krishna Varma18571930A nationalist, he founded the Indian Home Rule Society, India House and The Indian Sociologist in London.
Subhas Chandra Bose18971945A nationalist, he founded the Indian Legion in Nazi Germany and revamped the Indian National Army in Imperial Japan.
Binod Bihari Chowdhury19112013A revolutionary, he took part in the Chittagong armoury raid.
Bhupendranath Datta18801961A revolutionary, he was editor of newspaper Jugantar Patrika.
Amarendranath Chatterjee18801957A revolutionary, he raised funds and took part in the Indo-German Conspiracy.
Atulkrishna Ghosh18901966A revolutionary, he took part in the [Indo-German Conspiracy.
Subodh Roy19162006A revolutionary, he took part in the Chittagong armoury raid and later the Tebhaga movement.
Maulvi Liaquat Ali18121892A leader of the Sepoy Mutiny, he captured Khusro Bagh in Allahabad and declared the independence of India.
Asaf Ali18881953A nationalist, he campaigned for independence.
Rani of Jhansi18281858One of the Pivotal Leaders of the First war of Independence of 1857.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi18691948Father of the Nation, he was the preeminent leader of nonviolent civil disobedience and led the final struggle of India to independence.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel18751950The Iron man of India, he fought for independence and Unified India into one sovereign Nation .
Jawahar Lal Nehru18891964An activist, he campaigned for independence and became India's first prime minister.
S. Satyamurti18871943A politician, he campaigned for independence.[12]
Shaukat Ali18731938An activist and revolutionary, he campaigned for independence and supplied weapons to revolutionaries.[13]
Sushila Chain Trehan19232011An activist, she was a leading member of Arya Samaj and also fought for women's rights.
Bal Gangadhar Tilak18561920[The Father of Indian Unrest] A staunch nationalist, he campaigned for complete Swaraj (self-rule).
Bipin Chandra Pal18581932A staunch nationalist, he was a founding member of the swadeshi movement and campaigned for complete Swaraj Swadeshi movement.
Lala Lajpat Rai18651928A staunch nationalist, he was a founding member of the swadeshi movemment and campaigned for complete Swaraj Swadeshi movement.
Alekh Patra19231999A nationalist, he was jailed for burning a police station.
Accamma Cherian19091982An activist, she was named acting president of the Travancore State Congress while the leadership were jailed.
Rosamma Punnoose19132013An activist, she campaigned for independence.
Annie Mascarene19021963An activist and politician, she was arrested several times while campaigning for independence.
Sadiq Ali 19102001In 1930, he was imprisoned for violating the Salt Law and during 1942, he stayed with Gandhiji at the Sevagram Ashram and focused on Khadi Village Industries. In 1943 he was sentenced to two years under a personal satyagraha. He was a member of the Constituent Assembly from 1950-52. Elected to Rajya Sabha from 1958 to 1977. Served as Governor of Maharashtra from 1977 to 1980 and as Governor of Tamil Nadu in 1980 to 1982. He was the President of Delhi Rajghat Samadhi Samiti from 1992 to 1996.
Titusji19051980An activist, he was among the 78 marchers selected by Mahatma Gandhi to take part in the 1930 Salt March.
George Joseph (Kerala)18871938An activist, he led the non-cooperation movement in Madurai.
T. V. Thomas19101977One of the first generation trade union leaders in Kerala and was actively involved in the Indian independence movement.
Madhusudan Das18481934A leader from the Christian community in Odisha, popularly known as "Utkal Gourab". He was the first graduate and advocate of Odisha.
Kali Charan Banerjee18471907A Bengali Christian politician, he regularly addressed the Indian National Congress annual sessions in moulding the policy of national movement.
Sukhdev Thapar19071931A revolutionary, he was a senior member of HSRA and participated in several actions before his execution.
Shivaram Rajguru19081931A revolutionary, he was an HSRA member and assassinated a tyranic british police officer.
Bankim Chandra Chatterjee18381894A nationalist, he wrote Vande Mataram which inspired many activists and became the national song of India.
Kazi Nazrul Islam18991976A nationalist, he called for revolution in his poetic works and publications.
Sarojini Naidu18791949An activist, she called for independence in her writing and was a major figure of the civil disobedience movement.
Tara Rani SrivastavaunknownunknownAn activist, she was part of the Quit India movement.
Chowdary Satyanarayana19081981He was an Indian freedom fighter, anti-colonial nationalist, politician, legislature in Andhra Pradesh Assembly (1955–62, 1967–72) and a human rights activist.

||Bhagat Singh ||1907||1931||A socialist revolutionary who worked with several revolutionary organisations and became prominent in the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA). |- [14][15]

See also
  • Category:Indian revolutionaries

References
  1. PTI (18 August 2016). "Pension of freedom fighters hiked by Rs 5,000". The Hindu Business Line. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  2. Lisa Mitchell (2009). Language, Emotion, and Politics in South India: The Making of a Mother Tongue. Indiana University Press. p. 193. ISBN 978-0-253-35301-6.
  3. Kumar, Madhan (2017). Thamizh Is Not Just A Language: The Valour. Educreation Publishing.
  4. "The Story of Maruthu Brothers! The Leaders Of South Indian Rebellion Against The British East India Company Who Were The First To Issue Declaration Of Independence!". Post Card News: Breaking News, Exclusive Stories, History, Spirituality, Political Analysis, Economics, Nationalism, Culture, Opinion, India and World News, Indian Armed Force. 16 December 2019. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  5. S, Nileena M. (24 October 2011). "Remembering a warrior regent". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  6. Ramachandran, D. P. (2008). Empire's First Soldiers. Lancer Publishers. p. 121. ISBN 9780979617478.
  7. Najmul Hasan Thanwi. Maidan-e-Shamli-o-Thana Bhawan awr Sarfaroshan-e-Islam (in Urdu). Thana Bhawan: Idara Talifat-e-Ashrafia. p. 17.
  8. Asir Adrawi. Hazrat Shaykh al-Hind: Hayat awr Karname [Shaykh al-Hind: Life and works] (in Urdu) (April 2012 ed.). Deoband: Shaykh al-Hind Academy, Darul Uloom Deoband.
  9. Duraichi, Paul (5 September 2019). "Parturition of V.O.Chidambaram Pillai Steam Navigation Company in Indian Freedom Struggle Movement". Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  10. G.S.Chhabra (2005). Advance Study in the History of Modern India (Volume-3: 1920-1947). Lotus Press. ISBN 978-81-89093-08-2.
  11. Muhammad Miyan Deobandi. "Mawlana Uzair Gul". Asiran-e-Malta [Prisoners of Malta] (in Urdu) (January 2002 ed.). Deoband: Naimia Book Depot. pp. 367–376.
  12. "S, SATYAMURTI; Indian Political Leader, 56, Long Active in Civil Disobedience". The New York Times. 28 March 1943. (subscription required)
  13. Brief History of Shaukat Ali,,
  14. "Amjhera observes 159th death anniversary of King Bakhtawar Singh | Indore News - Times of India". The Times of India.
  15. "बलिदान दिवस विशेष "स्वतंत्रता सेनानी राजा बख्तावर सिंह"".
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