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The Revolt of 1857

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The Revolt of 1857
The revolt of 1857 is regarded by many as the First War of Indian Independence. It was after this that the Nationalistic Movement in the country gathered momentum. Emergence of press, development of rapid means of transport and communication, and the impact of the contemporary European movement accelerated the growth of this national sentimence. The practice of racial discrimination by the British in all spheres of life also contributed to the unity among different sections of the society to rise against a common enemy.
The Phases of Indian Independence
The Indian Nationalist Movement of Indian Independence can be classified into three phases:
1. The Moderate Phase (1885 – 1905)
2. The Extremist Phase (1905 – 1919)
3. The Gandhian Phase (1919 – 1947)
The Moderate Phase
The Moderates were the most active participants of the freedom struggle during this phase and so the name Moderate Phase. It is also sometimes referred to as the Early Nationalist Phase. Dada Bhai Naoroji, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Dinshaw Wacha and Surendranath Bannerjee were some of the famous Moderate leaders.
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Moderates Created a Wide Awakening
The Moderates were successful in exposing the exploiting character and the evil results of the British policies. This aided them in creating a wide national awakening among the people of the country. They popularized ideas of democracy, civil liberties, secularism, nationalism and trained civilians in the art of political work.
Failure of Moderates and Rise of Extremists
Even though they were successful in bringing in a nationalistic awakening, they failed to realize the importance of a mass struggle. They also could not realize the true nature of the British and their policies. So the moderates were not able to pose any major threat to the British rule in India. A more action oriented movement which could take extreme measures became the need of the hour. Subsequently there emerged a group of freedom fighters with a whole new set of

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