Christmas Day Plot facts for kids

The first Christmas Day plot was a secret plan by Indian revolutionaries in 1909. During the Christmas holidays, the Governor of Bengal held a big party in Calcutta. Many important British officials were there. Indian soldiers, inspired by Jatindranath Mukherjee, planned to blow up the party hall. They hoped to destroy the colonial government and take control. However, one of their comrades told the authorities about the plan, and it was stopped before it could happen.

The second Christmas Day plot was a bigger plan during World War I. It aimed to start a rebellion in Bengal, British India, with help from Germany. This plan was set for Christmas Day, 1915. The main leader was Jatindranath Mukherjee and his group, Jugantar group. They planned to work with the Ghadar Party in Burma and Siam. The goal was to capture Fort William and the capital city of Calcutta. This would then be a starting point for a revolution across all of India. British spies found out about the plot through German and Indian double agents. This stopped the plan from happening.

Why the Plots Started

During the 1800s, more and more Indians felt a strong sense of being "Indian." They wanted to be free from British rule. This feeling grew into a strong nationalist movement. In 1885, the Indian National Congress was formed. It asked for more political freedom and self-rule.

Revolutionary Groups in Bengal

The nationalist movement became very strong and sometimes violent in Bengal. By 1902, several secret groups were active in Calcutta. One important group was the Anushilan Samiti. It was founded by Pramatha Mitra. Later, Aurobindo Ghosh and his brother Barin Ghosh helped it spread.

In 1905, Bengal was divided by the British. This made many people angry and fueled the nationalist feelings. Anushilan Samiti gained many young, educated supporters. Aurobindo and Bipin Chandra Pal started a radical newspaper called Jugantar. Important leaders like Rash Behari Bose and Jatindranath Mukherjee joined these groups.

Early Actions and Challenges

Anushilan Samiti connected with Indian nationalists living abroad. In 1907, one member learned how to make bombs in Paris. Revolutionaries also tried to derail a train carrying a British official. They also robbed places to get money for their cause.

In 1908, two young members accidentally killed two English women while trying to assassinate a British judge. This led to many arrests in the famous Alipore Conspiracy trial. Some leaders were executed or jailed. Aurobindo Ghosh stopped active politics after being in prison.

Jatin Mukherjee Takes Charge

Jatindranath Mukherjee avoided arrest in the Alipore case. He then took over the leadership of the secret society, which became known as the Jugantar Party. He worked to reconnect the group's branches across Bengal and other parts of India. He also created safe hiding places for members.

Jatin Mukherjee tried to get soldiers from the 10th Jat Regiment in Calcutta to join their cause. His group also carried out more robberies to get money. However, in 1910, a police officer investigating the group was killed. This led to more arrests in the Howrah-Sibpur Conspiracy Case.

Plans Before the War

While in prison, some nationalists started thinking bigger. They believed a war between Britain and Germany was coming. They planned to start a guerrilla war in India with German help. This was a new idea, moving beyond just scaring the British. They wanted to build a strong network across India.

After being released in 1911, Jatin Mukherjee stopped open violent acts. He started a railway business, which let him travel and find good spots for future revolutionary plans. Meanwhile, other Indian nationalists were also active abroad.

Connecting with Revolutionaries Abroad

Lala Har Dayal was a key figure in London and later in the United States. He was connected to the India House in London, a center for Indian revolutionaries. Har Dayal later helped start the Ghadar Party in the United States. This group aimed to unite Indian immigrants and workers for independence.

In 1912, Jatin Mukherjee met the Crown Prince of Germany in Calcutta. He got a promise that Germany would provide arms and ammunition. That same year, Rash Behari Bose tried to assassinate the Viceroy, Lord Hardinge, in Delhi. These events showed how the different revolutionary groups were starting to connect across India.

World War I and German Support

When Britain entered World War I, Germany saw a chance to weaken the British Empire. Germany had already been in touch with Indian nationalists. They decided to actively support the Indian independence movement.

Germany set up the Intelligence Bureau for the East. They also helped form the Berlin Committee, made up of Indian nationalists like V. N. Chatterjee. Har Dayal also agreed to support this committee. Germany offered money, weapons, and military advisors. The plan was to secretly ship arms to India to start a large-scale rebellion, similar to the 1857 uprising.

Arms and the Ghadar Party

When the war began, Jatin Mukherjee was chosen as the supreme commander of the Jugantar group. The German consulate in Calcutta contacted Jatin. Jugantar started robbing arms stores to get weapons. In August, they stole many pistols and ammunition from a large arms store in Calcutta.

Jatin also sent a member to the United States to contact the Ghadar Party. He learned about a huge shipment of arms being bought by the Germans. This included thousands of rifles, pistols, and millions of cartridges. Kartar Singh Sarabha, a Ghadar leader, came to India to help coordinate the revolt. Ghadar members, mostly from Punjab, returned to India to encourage Indian soldiers to rebel.

The revolt was planned for late February 1915. It would start with Indian army units in Punjab, then spread to Bengal. Rash Behari Bose coordinated the plan in North India. Jatin Mukherjee would lead the mutiny in Bengal.

The Failed Mutiny

However, Rash Behari's plan failed. In February 1915, a spy named Kirpal Singh told the police about the plot. Rash Behari tried to change the date, but it was too late. The mutiny in Punjab was crushed. Smaller revolts across North India were also stopped. A revolt in Singapore lasted a few days but was also put down. Many Ghadar leaders were arrested. Rash Behari Bose escaped to Japan. Jatin Mukherjee and his group went into hiding.

The Christmas Day Plot of 1915

After the failed February mutiny, Jatin Mukherjee moved to a safer place near Balasore, on the Orissa coast. This area was chosen because German arms were supposed to land there. A business called "Universal Emporium" was set up to help send information to Jatin.

Meanwhile, the Germans tried to ship arms on a schooner called Annie Larsen. They tried to make it look like the arms were for the Mexican Civil War. The Annie Larsen was supposed to meet another ship, the Maverick, but they missed each other. The Annie Larsen's cargo was later seized by US customs after British intelligence found out. The Maverick sailed to the Dutch East Indies but carried only revolutionary papers, not weapons.

The Plan for Bengal

German agents in Thailand and Burma connected with Jatin Mukherjee. Jatin sent his chief lieutenant, Narendranath Bhattacharya, to Batavia (now Jakarta). Narendranath met with German agents and learned about the Maverick's expected arrival. He was supposed to guide the ship to the Bay of Bengal coast.

The date for the rebellion was set for Christmas Day, 1915. Jatin believed he could get the 14th Rajput Regiment in Calcutta to join. He planned to cut off the railway line to Madras at Balasore, taking control of Bengal. Calcutta would then be used as a base for a larger Indian revolution.

Plans for Burma and Andaman

To help the Bengal group, a mutiny was also planned for Burma. Arms would be smuggled from neutral Thailand. Ghadar Party members tried to join the Burma Military Police. German agents were sent to Thailand to train the Indians.

At the same time, a German attack was planned for the penal colony in the Andaman Islands. A German force would free political prisoners there. These prisoners would then form an Indian army to threaten the Indian coast. However, the German agent who proposed this plan was a double agent. He leaked details to British intelligence, and the plan was abandoned.

The Plot is Discovered

The Christmas Day plot was found out from several sources. British officials learned about the Maverick's cargo and Jugantar's plans from a German agent. The Maverick was seized, and British Indian police were alerted. Another German double agent also gave information about arms shipments.

Maps of the Bengal coast were found, showing where the German arms were supposed to land. The British authorities quickly sealed off all sea routes on the eastern coast. Harry & Sons, a business used by the revolutionaries, was raided. Police found clues that led them to Kaptipada village, where Jatin Mukherjee was hiding.

Jatin Mukherjee's Last Stand

Jatin was told to leave his hiding place, but he delayed. This gave the police time to arrive. A large force of police and army units surrounded the area. Jatin and his companions walked through forests and hills for two days. They reached Balasore Railway Station.

The police offered a reward for the capture of the "bandits." Local villagers also joined the hunt. After some small fights, the revolutionaries took cover on a hillock in Balasore on September 9, 1915. Jatin's companions asked him to leave for safety, but he refused to abandon them.

Government forces surrounded them. A gunfight lasted for 75 minutes. The five revolutionaries, armed with pistols, fought against many police and army soldiers with modern rifles. One revolutionary, Chittapriya Ray Chaudhuri, died. Jatin and another companion were seriously wounded. The others were captured when their ammunition ran out. Bagha Jatin died in Balasore hospital on September 10, 1915.

Burma Plan Fails

Meanwhile, the police in Thailand also discovered the plans for the Burmese rebellion. An Indian secret agent revealed details to the British. Thailand, though neutral, was close to Britain. In July, British officials asked Thailand to arrest the Ghadarites. Most Ghadar leaders were arrested in August. Only a small group of six Ghadarites managed to raid into Burma, but they were captured and later hanged.