Revolutionaries
Revolutionaries — Bhagat Singh · Chandrashekhar Azad · Sukhdev · Rajguru · Surya Sen (Chittagong) · Khudiram Bose · Madan Lal Dhingra · Ras Behari Bose
7 min read · Updated 2026-05-25
What is Revolutionary nationalism?
Revolutionary nationalism was the armed wing of the freedom struggle, running from the Chapekar brothers' killing of Rand in 1897 to the naval mutiny of 1946. Its landmarks are the Anushilan Samiti of 1902, Khudiram Bose at Muzaffarpur in 1908, the Ghadar Party of 1913, the HRA of 1924 and the HSRA of 1928, whose Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were hanged on 23 March 1931.
The story
It is 8 April 1929, Central Legislative Assembly, Delhi. Bhagat Singh (21) + Batukeshwar Dutt (28) rise from the visitors' gallery as the Public Safety Bill + Trade Disputes Bill are being debated. They throw 2 low-intensity bombs + HSRA leaflets + shout "Inquilab Zindabad!" — then wait to be arrested. Their target was not killing but "making the deaf hear", in Bhagat Singh's words.
Two years later, on 23 March 1931, Bhagat Singh + Rajguru + Sukhdev are hanged at Lahore Central Jail. Bhagat Singh is 23 years old. He is the second-most famous revolutionary martyr in modern Indian history — after the 18-year-old Khudiram Bose hanged in 1908.
For UPSC, revolutionary nationalism is a parallel strand to Gandhian satyagraha — equally tested, less covered in standard textbooks.
Why this matters for UPSC
For UPSC:
- Prelims: HRA 1924 (Sachindranath Sanyal) → HSRA 1928 (Bhagat Singh expansion); Anushilan + Jugantar; Kakori Conspiracy 1925; Lahore Conspiracy 1928-29; Chittagong Armoury Raid 1930 (Surya Sen); Madanlal Dhingra; Khudiram Bose; Ghadar Party 1913; INA + Bose (separate file [[subhas-bose-ina]]).
- Mains GS-I: Revolutionary stream alongside Gandhian satyagraha; intellectual foundations (Marxism, anarchism); martyrdom narrative.
- Interview: Bhagat Singh as cultural icon today; "Inquilab Zindabad" continuing political resonance.