The Indian War of Independence (book)
Encyclopedia
The Indian War of Independence is an India
n nationalist history
of the 1857 revolt by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar
that was first published in 1909
. The book, initially written in Marathi
, was penned by Savarkar in response to celebrations in Britain
of the 50th anniversary of the 1857 Indian uprising with records from India Office
archives and the whole project received support from Indian nationalists in Britain including the likes of Madame Cama, V.V.S. Iyer and M.P.T. Acharya, as well as Indian students who had dared not show their support or sympathy for India House
openly. Published during Savarkar's stay in London
at the India House, the book was influenced by histories of the French Revolution
and the American Revolution
, as much as it sought to bring the Indian movement
to public attention in Britain as well as to inspire nationalist
revolution in India.
The book, which describes the 1857 revolt as a unified and national uprising of India as a nation against British authority, was seen at the time as highly inflammatory, and the Marathi edition was banned in British India even before its publication. Publication of the English translation faltered after British printers and publishing houses were warned by the Home Office
of its highly seditious content, while the British foreign office brought pressure on the French Government to prevent its publication from Paris
. It was ultimately printed in Holland in 1909, with the British government not tracing it until too late. The copies were printed with false dust wrappers purporting to be copies of The Pickwick Papers
and other literary classics, and large quantities were shipped to India where it quickly became a bible of political extremists. It was excluded from the catalogue of the British Library
to prevent Indian students from accessing it. In India, the book remained banned till the end of The Raj forty years later.
The Indian War of Independence is considered to be an influential work in Indian history and nationalist writing, and also one of Savarkar's most influential works in developing and framing ideas of masculine
Hinduism
. While some erstwhile and modern histories draw similar conclusions as the Savarkar, others, including R.C. Majumdar, disagreed with Savarkar's conclusions in his book on the national and unified character of the mutiny.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n nationalist history
Historical revisionism
In historiography, historical revisionism is the reinterpretation of orthodox views on evidence, motivations, and decision-making processes surrounding a historical event...
of the 1857 revolt by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar
Vināyak Dāmodar Sāvarkar was an Indian freedom fighter, revolutionary and politician. He was the proponent of liberty as the ultimate ideal. Savarkar was a poet, writer and playwright...
that was first published in 1909
1909 in literature
The year 1909 in literature involved some significant new books.-New books:*L. Frank Baum - The Road to Oz** - Aunt Jane's Nieces at Work *André Billy - La Derive*René Boylesve - La Jeune Fille bien élevée...
. The book, initially written in Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
, was penned by Savarkar in response to celebrations in Britain
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
of the 50th anniversary of the 1857 Indian uprising with records from India Office
India Office
The India Office was a British government department created in 1858 to oversee the colonial administration of India, i.e. the modern-day nations of Bangladesh, Burma, India, and Pakistan, as well as territories in South-east and Central Asia, the Middle East, and parts of the east coast of Africa...
archives and the whole project received support from Indian nationalists in Britain including the likes of Madame Cama, V.V.S. Iyer and M.P.T. Acharya, as well as Indian students who had dared not show their support or sympathy for India House
India House
India House was an informal Indian nationalist organisation based in London between 1905 and 1910. With the patronage of Shyamji Krishna Varma, its home in a student residence in Highgate, North London was launched to promote nationalist views among Indian students in Britain...
openly. Published during Savarkar's stay in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
at the India House, the book was influenced by histories of the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
and the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, as much as it sought to bring the Indian movement
Indian independence movement
The term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide area of political organisations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending first British East India Company rule, and then British imperial authority, in parts of South Asia...
to public attention in Britain as well as to inspire nationalist
Indian nationalism
Indian nationalism refers to the many underlying forces that molded the Indian independence movement, and strongly continue to influence the politics of India, as well as being the heart of many contrasting ideologies that have caused ethnic and religious conflict in Indian society...
revolution in India.
The book, which describes the 1857 revolt as a unified and national uprising of India as a nation against British authority, was seen at the time as highly inflammatory, and the Marathi edition was banned in British India even before its publication. Publication of the English translation faltered after British printers and publishing houses were warned by the Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
of its highly seditious content, while the British foreign office brought pressure on the French Government to prevent its publication from Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. It was ultimately printed in Holland in 1909, with the British government not tracing it until too late. The copies were printed with false dust wrappers purporting to be copies of The Pickwick Papers
The Pickwick Papers
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club is the first novel by Charles Dickens. After the publication, the widow of the illustrator Robert Seymour claimed that the idea for the novel was originally her husband's; however, in his preface to the 1867 edition, Dickens strenuously denied any...
and other literary classics, and large quantities were shipped to India where it quickly became a bible of political extremists. It was excluded from the catalogue of the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
to prevent Indian students from accessing it. In India, the book remained banned till the end of The Raj forty years later.
The Indian War of Independence is considered to be an influential work in Indian history and nationalist writing, and also one of Savarkar's most influential works in developing and framing ideas of masculine
Masculine
Masculine or masculinity, normally refer to qualities positively associated with men.Masculine may also refer to:*Masculine , a grammatical gender*Masculine cadence, a final chord occurring on a strong beat in music...
Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
. While some erstwhile and modern histories draw similar conclusions as the Savarkar, others, including R.C. Majumdar, disagreed with Savarkar's conclusions in his book on the national and unified character of the mutiny.