Bharat er Mukti Sangrame Charampanthi Parba by Amalesh Tripathi [Hardcover]

Renowned historian Amalesh Tripathi provides a comprehensive analysis of how a generation of Indian leaders (1890–1910) sought to redefine nationalism through Hindu philosophy and indigenous traditions. His book explores the ideological and practical transformations that shaped the thought processes of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, Aurobindo Ghosh, and Lala Lajpat Rai.

Tripathi meticulously traces the intellectual lineage of this nationalist fervor to three towering figures—Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Swami Vivekananda, and Dayananda Saraswati—whose ideas fueled a radical vision of self-rule. While the moderate nationalists remained confined within the framework of colonial self-governance, the extremists, driven by economic exploitation, communal divisions, and administrative arrogance, turned to more militant strategies. The book vividly depicts how themes of Aryan masculinity, Krishna’s call for dharma-yuddha, Shivaji’s legacy, and Bankim’s Vande Mataram mantra ignited a fire of revolutionary zeal.

Tripathi examines how Curzon’s partition of Bengal acted as a catalyst, escalating nationalist sentiment from passive resistance to armed struggle. He also analyzes the British counter-response—fostering Muslim separatism, constitutional reforms to pacify moderates, and harsh repression of extremists. Drawing from literature, economics, sociology, and religion, Tripathi presents a nuanced argument supported by statistical insights and historical parallels with Russian Slavophilism, German Romanticism, and the Celtic revival.

Though the extremist movement appeared unsuccessful in the short term, Tripathi argues that its ideological legacy profoundly shaped both Gandhian and revolutionary politics. The Swadeshi movement inspired Gandhi’s non-cooperation, revolutionary terrorism influenced later insurgencies, and opposition to colonial exploitation contributed to the socialist discourse in India. With in-depth discussions on the philosophical commonalities and divergences between Bankim, Vivekananda, Tagore, and the extremists, this scholarly work offers an essential perspective on the evolution of Indian nationalism.