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List of Indian independence activists facts for kids

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The Indian independence movement was a huge effort by many brave people and groups across India. Their main goal was to gain freedom from British, French, and Portuguese rule. They used many different ways to achieve this, from peaceful protests to daring acts of rebellion.

After India became independent, the government officially recognized those who took part in this movement as "freedom fighters." These heroes, and sometimes their families, receive special benefits for their sacrifices.

Meet Some Indian Freedom Fighters

Here are some of the amazing people who played a big part in India's journey to freedom:

Leaders and Thinkers

  • Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi: Often called the "Father of the Nation," Mahatma Gandhi was the most famous leader of India's independence movement. He believed strongly in nonviolent civil disobedience. This meant protesting unfair rules without using violence. He led many peaceful movements that helped India gain its freedom.
  • Jawahar Lal Nehru: A key leader in the independence movement, he worked closely with Mahatma Gandhi. After India became free, he became the country's first Prime Minister.
  • Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel: Known as the "Iron Man of India," he was a strong leader who fought for independence. After India gained freedom, he played a crucial role in uniting many small states into one big nation.
  • Bal Gangadhar Tilak: He was a strong nationalist who pushed for complete Swaraj (self-rule) for India. He was known as "The Father of Indian Unrest" by the British because of his powerful campaigns.
  • Dadabhai Naoroji: Called the "Grand Old Man of India," he was a political leader, writer, and the first Asian to be a Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom. He helped found the Indian National Congress and believed that British rule was not good for India.
  • Bipin Chandra Pal: He was a strong nationalist and a founding member of the Swadeshi movement. This movement encouraged Indians to use only Indian-made goods. He is sometimes called the "Father of Revolutionary Thoughts in India."
  • Chittaranjan Das: He helped start the Swaraj Party and was a major leader in the Non-cooperation Movement in Bengal.
  • Sarojini Naidu: A talented writer and activist, she used her words to inspire people to fight for independence. She was a very important figure in the civil disobedience movement.
  • Subhas Chandra Bose: A nationalist leader, he believed in fighting for freedom using military means. He formed the Indian Legion and later rebuilt the Indian National Army to fight against British rule.
  • Vinayak Damodar Savarkar: He was an independence activist and writer who believed in revolutionary ways to achieve freedom. He wrote a book about the Indian Rebellion of 1857. He faced imprisonment for his connections to revolutionary groups.
  • Shyamji Krishna Varma: A nationalist, he founded the Indian Home Rule Society and India House in London, which were important centers for Indian revolutionaries abroad.
  • Sri Aurobindo: A nationalist and philosopher, he was involved in revolutionary activities early in his life.
  • Hakim Ajmal Khan: A respected physician, he helped found the Jamia Millia Islamia University. He was also the only Muslim to lead a session of the Hindu Mahasabha.
  • Maulana Mazharul Haque: An educator, lawyer, and freedom fighter, he was a key figure in the Indian National Movement.
  • Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari: He was a political leader who served as president of both the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League during the independence movement. He also helped found Jamia Millia Islamia University.
  • Dadabhai Naoroji: Known as the Grand Old Man of India, he was a political leader, merchant, and writer. He was one of the founding members of the Indian National Congress and served as its president three times. He believed that British rule was harmful to India.
  • Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed: He actively joined the Indian National Congress and participated in the Quit India Movement in 1942, for which he was imprisoned. He later became the 5th president of India.
  • Jagjivan Ram: Known as Babuji, he was an independence activist from Bihar. He worked to achieve equality for untouchables and developed the rural labor movement.
  • K. Kamaraj: A freedom fighter who later became the chief minister of Tamil Nadu. His nine-year rule is remembered as a golden period for the state.
  • Rafi Ahmed Kidwai: A politician and socialist, he was an important Indian independence activist from Uttar Pradesh.
  • S. Satyamurti: A politician who actively campaigned for India's independence.
  • Saifuddin Kitchlew: An independence activist, lawyer, and politician, he was a member of the Indian National Congress and later its General Secretary.
  • Tanguturi Prakasam Pantulu: Known as "Andhra Kesari" (lion of Andhra), he led protests against the Simon Commission in Madras.
  • Zakir Husain: An economist and politician, he served as the third president of India. He was awarded India's highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna, in 1963.

Brave Revolutionaries

  • Chandra Shekhar Azad: One of the greatest minds of the Indian Independence Movement, he mentored many freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh. He was involved in daring actions like the Kakori train robbery and fought bravely against the British police, vowing never to be caught alive.
  • Bhagat Singh: A socialist revolutionary who worked with several groups. He became well-known in the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) and was involved in armed struggles against British rule.
  • Ashfaqulla Khan: A founding member of the HRA, he faced severe consequences for taking part in the Kakori conspiracy, a daring plan to raise funds for revolutionary actions.
  • Ram Prasad Bismil: He founded the HRA and led the Kakori conspiracy to gather money for their revolutionary operations.
  • Shivaram Rajguru: A revolutionary and member of the HSRA, he was involved in actions against British police officers.
  • Sukhdev Thapar: A senior member of the HSRA, he participated in several important actions before facing severe consequences.
  • Batukeshwar Dutt: An Indian revolutionary who participated in the armed struggle. He famously threw a bomb in the Central Assembly in 1929 to protest British rule.
  • Bhagwati Charan Vohra: A revolutionary thinker and bomb-maker, he wrote an important article called "The Philosophy of Bomb."
  • Khudiram Bose: One of the youngest revolutionary heroes, he faced severe consequences following an attempted assassination.
  • Udham Singh: A revolutionary who faced severe consequences for his actions against British officials.
  • Mangal Pandey: He bravely rebelled against his British Indian army commanders and faced severe consequences. His actions were a spark for the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
  • Rani of Jhansi: A pivotal leader in the First War of Independence of 1857, she bravely fought against the British.
  • Kittur Chennamma: A queen from Karnataka, she led an armed force against the British East India Company in 1824 to protect her kingdom's independence.
  • Velu Nachiyar: She was a queen of Sivaganga and the first Indian queen to wage war against the East India Company in India. She is known as Veeramangai ("brave woman") by Tamils.
  • Veerapandiya Kattabomman: He refused to accept British authority and waged war against the British East India Company.
  • Puli Thevar: He led a revolt against Company rule in 1757, making him one of the earliest Indians to fight against the British.
  • Dheeran Chinnamalai: An indigenous governor who used guerrilla warfare against the British East India Company.
  • Komaram Bheem: A tribal leader who fought for the liberation of Hyderabad.
  • Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy: He led an uprising in Andhra Pradesh in 1846 and faced severe consequences from the British.
  • Titumir: A freedom fighter who led a campaign against British rule in the 19th century, building a bamboo fort that became famous in Bengali folk stories.
  • Variyan Kunnathu Kunjahammed Haji: He took control of a large area from British rule and set up his own government in Malabar.
  • Umaji Naik Khomane: He was one of the earliest freedom fighters in India, challenging British rule from 1826 to 1832.
  • Alluri Sitarama Raju: He led the Rampa Rebellion of 1922, a tribal uprising against British forest laws.
  • Chandra Shekhar Azad: He was a mentor to many freedom fighters and was involved in several daring incidents, including the Kakori train robbery. He vowed never to be caught alive by the British.
  • Surya Sen: He was the president of the Indian National Congress in Chittagong and famously led the Chittagong armoury raid.
  • Pritilata Waddedar: A Bengali revolutionary who led an attack on the European Club and died to avoid capture.
  • Ananta Singh: A revolutionary who participated in the Chittagong armoury raid.
  • Ganesh Ghosh: A revolutionary who also participated in the Chittagong armoury raid.
  • Lokenath Bal: A revolutionary who took part in the Chittagong armoury raid.
  • Subodh Roy: A revolutionary who participated in the Chittagong armoury raid.
  • Kalpana Datta: She was involved in the Indian Independence Movement and helped plan the Chittagong armoury raid.
  • Badal Gupta: A revolutionary who died during an attack on police at Writers' Building.
  • Benoy Basu: A revolutionary who died after an attack on police at Writers' Building.
  • Dinesh Gupta: A revolutionary who faced severe consequences following an attack on police at Writers' Building.
  • Bagha Jatin: A founding member of Anushilan Samiti, he was involved in the Indo-German Conspiracy.
  • Amarendranath Chatterjee: A revolutionary who raised funds and participated in the Indo-German Conspiracy.
  • Atulkrishna Ghosh: A revolutionary who took part in the Indo-German Conspiracy.
  • Bhupendranath Datta: A revolutionary who was the editor of the newspaper Jugantar Patrika.
  • Bhupendra Kumar Datta: A revolutionary and editor of publications for the Anushilan Samiti.
  • Hemchandra Kanungo: A nationalist who was involved in the Alipore bomb case.
  • Ullaskar Dutta: A revolutionary bomb-maker who was involved in the Alipore bomb case.
  • Barindra Kumar Ghosh: A revolutionary organizer who was involved in the Alipore bomb case.
  • Anant Laxman Kanhere: A revolutionary who faced severe consequences for his actions against a British officer.
  • Krishnaji Gopal Karve: A revolutionary who faced severe consequences as an accomplice to the murder of A. M. T. Jackson.
  • Vanchinathan: A revolutionary who died by his own hand after taking action against a British administrator.
  • Vasudev Balwant Phadke: A Ramoshi revolutionary who organized a group to fight against British rule.
  • Baikuntha Shukla: A revolutionary who faced severe consequences for his actions.
  • Bina Das: A revolutionary who attempted to take action against the Bengal Governor Stanley Jackson.
  • Durgawati Devi: A revolutionary who helped operate a bomb factory.
  • Kartar Singh Sarabha: A revolutionary who helped with the Ghadar Party newspaper and the attempted Ghadar Mutiny.
  • Hemu Kalani: A student revolutionary who faced severe consequences for attempting to damage railway lines.
  • Kushal Konwar: An organizer of the Quit India movement, he faced severe consequences after being accused of a troop train derailment.
  • Anant Maral Shastri: He went underground during the Civil Disobedience Movement to publish and distribute the Congress Bulletin, spreading the message of freedom. He was arrested during the Quit India Movement.
  • Aruna Asaf Ali: An educator and activist, she is remembered for bravely hoisting the INC flag during the Quit India Movement in 1942.
  • Matangini Hazra: An activist with the Quit India Movement, she died fighting for freedom when she was shot by British Indian police.
  • Tara Rani Srivastava: An activist who was part of the Quit India movement.
  • Ramesh Chandra Jha: A poet and veteran freedom fighter who actively participated in the Quit India movement of 1942.
  • Shambhu Dutt Sharma: A former British Indian Army officer who joined the Quit India Movement in 1942.
  • Sushila Chain Trehan: An activist and a leading member of Arya Samaj, she also fought for women's rights.
  • Sushila Didi: A revolutionary who participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement under the name 'Indumati' and was arrested.
  • Titusji: An activist who was among the 78 marchers chosen by Mahatma Gandhi to take part in the 1930 Salt March.
  • Abbas Tyabji: An Indian freedom fighter from Gujarat and a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi.
  • Abdul Bari (professor): Mahatma Gandhi said he "lived like a fakir in the service of his countrymen." He was a brave and selfless soldier of freedom.
  • Abadi Bano Begum: A prominent voice in the Indian independence movement, she was also known as Bi Amman.
  • Abdul Qaiyum Ansari: He fought for India's independence and against the idea of two separate nations. He dedicated his life to helping underprivileged people.
  • Alimuddin Ahmad: An underground Bengali revolutionary who provided shelter and weapons to rebels.
  • Ahmadullah Shah: Famous as Maulavi of Faizabad, he was a leader of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and known as the "Lighthouse of Rebellion" in the Awadh region.
  • Ambika Chakrabarty: A revolutionary who took part in the Chittagong armory raid.
  • Anugrah Narayan Sinha: A prominent revolutionary from Bihar, known as Bihar Vibhuti. He was a follower of Gandhian principles and participated in the Champaran Satyagraha in 1917.
  • Basawon Singh: An activist who was involved in the Lahore Conspiracy Case trial.
  • Bhavabhushan Mitra: Involved in the Ghadar Mutiny.
  • Bhikaiji Cama: Born in Bombay, she was an important figure who worked with Dadabhai Naoroji. She unfurled what she called the "Flag of Indian Independence" at a Socialist Congress in Germany in 1907. She also published revolutionary literature that was smuggled into India.
  • Chowdary Satyanarayana: An Indian freedom fighter, anti-colonial nationalist, and human rights activist.
  • Dhan Singh Gurjar: The police chief of Meerut who participated in the 1857 rebellion and led actions against the British East India Company.
  • Ganesh Damodar Savarkar: Founder of the Abhinav Bharat Society, he led an armed movement against the British and faced severe consequences.
  • George Joseph (Kerala): An activist who led the non-cooperation movement in Madurai.
  • Hafizur Rahman Wasif Dehlavi: An activist, author, and jurist.
  • Habib ur Rahman (Indian National Army officer): An officer in the Indian National Army (INA) who served as Subhas Chandra Bose's chief of staff.
  • Seth Harchandrai Vishandas: An influential mayor of Karachi who fought for Muslim-Hindu unity and the independence movement, especially against the Simon Commission.
  • Hare Krishna Konar: A revolutionary and founder of Communist Consolidation in Andaman Cellular Jail, an organization dedicated to removing British rule from India.
  • Hridyaram Mahashye: An activist and revolutionary who participated in the Indian independence movement in Uttar Pradesh.
  • Jayi Rajaguru: A prominent figure of the Indian independence movement in Odisha.
  • Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee: A revolutionary who was imprisoned for the Kakori conspiracy.
  • Kali Charan Banerjee: A Bengali Christian politician who helped shape the national movement's policies.
  • Kamal Nath Tewari: A freedom fighter who later became a Member of Parliament.
  • Kanneganti Hanumanthu: A freedom fighter and farmer leader who led the Palnadu Rebellion. He encouraged people not to pay the Pullari tax and faced severe consequences from a British firing squad.
  • Lala Lajpat Rai: A strong nationalist and a founding member of the swadeshi movement, he campaigned for complete Swaraj (self-rule).
  • Maulvi Liaquat Ali: A leader of the Sepoy Mutiny, he captured Khusro Bagh in Allahabad and declared India's independence.
  • Madhusudan Das: A leader from the Christian community in Odisha, known as "Utkal Gourab."
  • Maghfoor Ahmad Ajazi: He joined the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1921 and founded the All India Jamhur Muslim League to oppose the idea of a separate Pakistan.
  • Mahmud Hasan Deobandi: He and his students launched the Silk Letter Movement and helped found Jamia Millia Islamia.
  • Manmath Nath Gupta: A member of the HRA who took part in the Kakori conspiracy.
  • Maveeran Alagumuthu Kone: The first freedom fighter from Kattalankulam, he led a revolt against the British East India Company in Tamil Nadu and faced severe consequences in 1759.
  • Mazhar Nanautawi: He was among the founding figures of Mazahir Uloom and participated in the Battle of Shamli.
  • Mohammad Farooq Chishti: A leading independence activist from Uttar Pradesh who actively participated in the Quit India Movement and opposed the two-nation theory.
  • Muhammad Qasim Nanautavi: The founder of Darul Uloom Deoband, he participated in the Battle of Shamli.
  • Mithuben Petit: A female activist who famously participated in Mahatma Gandhi's Dandi March, playing a pivotal role in the civil disobedience against the salt tax.
  • Mufti Abdul Razzaq: He participated in the freedom struggle, fighting against the British near Bhopal.
  • Prafulla Chaki: A revolutionary who was involved in an attempted assassination.
  • Radhanath Rath: He played a vital role in the freedom struggle by creating public opinion against the British government through his writings.
  • Raja Nahar Singh: A brave Jat Ruler who drove the British away from several areas during the 1857 rebellion.
  • Rajendra Lahiri: A revolutionary who participated in the Kakori conspiracy.
  • Rambriksh Benipuri: A writer, editor, and liberation fighter.
  • Ram Lakhan Singh Yadav: A veteran freedom fighter who participated in India's freedom struggle.
  • Rezaul Karim: A lawyer who championed the Indian Independence movement and advocated for composite nationalism.
  • Rosamma Punnoose: An activist who campaigned for independence.
  • Roshan Singh: A revolutionary who faced severe consequences for the Kakori conspiracy, even though he had not directly participated in it.
  • Sachindra Bakshi: A member of the HRA who took part in the Kakori conspiracy.
  • Sangolli Rayanna: The army chief of Kittur who bravely fought the British East India Company until his death.
  • Shah Nawaz Khan: Profoundly influenced by Subhas Chandra Bose, he led the Indian National Army into North-Eastern India.
  • Shaukat Ali: An activist and revolutionary who campaigned for independence and helped supply revolutionaries.
  • Subramania Bharati: A writer and activist who created many patriotic and nationalistic songs that inspired the independence movement.
  • Surendranath Tagore: A nationalist who served as treasurer of the Anushilan Samiti.
  • Ubaidullah Sindhi: An activist who sought independence through foreign alliances in the Silk Letter Movement.
  • Ulloor Gopi: A freedom fighter from Kerala who was arrested multiple times by the British, especially during the Quit India Movement.
  • Uzair Gul Peshawari: An activist who was imprisoned for the Silk Letter Movement.
  • Pir Syed Sibghatullah Shah II: Known as Pir Pagaro the sixth, he was a spiritual leader of the Hurs and a brave leader called Soreh Badshah, who fought against the British government and played a great role in the independence of the subcontinent. He faced severe consequences in 1943.

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