Consider the following statements about Home rule movement.

1. It was founded by Annie Besant.
2. It had a demand for greater political representation of Indians.

Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?

a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2

Ans-[C]

Explanation– The Indian Home Rule Leagues were organised on the lines of the Irish Home Rule Leagues and they represented the emergence of a new trend of aggressive politics. It was launched by Annie Besant and Tilak. Tilask’s league was launched before Annie Besant’s league.

Factors leading to the Movement some of the factors were as follows:

(i) A section of nationalists felt that popular pressure was required to attain concessions from the Government.

(ii) The Moderates were disillusioned with the Morley- Minto reforms.

(iii) People were feeling the burden of wartime miseries caused by high taxation and a rise in prices, and were ready to participate in any aggressive movement of protest.

(iv) The War, being fought among the major imperialist powers of the day and backed by naked propaganda against each other, exposed the myth of white superiority.

(v) Tilak was ready to assume leadership after his release in June 1914, and had made conciliatory gestures to reassure the Government of his loyalty and to the Moderates that he wanted, like the Irish Home Rulers, a reform of the administration and not an overthrow of the Government. He also said that the acts of violence had only served to retard the pace of political progress in India. He urged all Indians to assist the British Government in its hour of crisis.

(vi) Annie Besant, the Irish theosophist based in India since 1896, had decided to enlarge the sphere of her activities to include the building of a movement for Home Rule on the lines of the Irish Home Rule Leagues.

Objectives of the Home Rule League movement :

1.To establish self- government To build up an agitation for home rule by promoting political education and discussion.

2.To build the confidence of the Indians against the suppression of the British government and to create an alternative movement to break the existing state of stagnation and the inertia.

3.To revive the political activity on their own while maintaining the principles of congress.

4.To demand for greater political representation from the British government.