Notes:
In March 1918, under the leadership of Gandhi, there was a strike in the cotton mills in Ahmedabad. It was at this juncture that Gandhi began the ‘first’ of his seventeen ‘fasts unto death’ on 15 March, 1918

Notes:
Sister Nivedita : Born as Margaret Elizabeth Noble, she was more popularly known as sister Nivedita. She was a Scots-Irish social worker, author, teacher and a disciple of Swami Vivekananda. She was described as a real lioness by Vivekananda, ‘Lokmata’ (the mother of the people) by Rabindra Nath Tagore and Agnishikha (the flame of fire) by Aurobindo Ghosh. In England she was known as ‘The Champion for India’. Many of her letters written between 1900-1905 to her friend Miss Macleod reveal her hatred for British rule. One such letter writes “The British empire is rotten to the core – corrupt in every direction, and tyrannical and mean.

Notes:
The resolution of Swadeshi was adopted in 1906 Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress. This session was headed by Dada Bhai Naoroji. Prior to this, in Banaras 1905 session, a resolution of boycott of British goods was put forward. However, it was 1906 session at Calcutta in which four resolutions on self-government, boycott movement, Swadeshi and national education were passed by the Congress. Dadabhai Naoroji said in his presidential speech: “we do not ask for favours we want only justice. Instead of going into any further divisions or details of our rights as British citizens the whole matter can be comprised in one word – self-government or Swaraj like that of the United Kingdom or colonies.”

Notes:
Nawab Abdul Latif Khan: (1828-1893)a prominent personality of mid 19th century Bengal, the pioneer of Muslim modernization and the architect of the Muslim Renaissance, was one of those great men who appeared as saviours of their frustrated, humiliated, demoralized and disorganised fellow countrymen under colonial rule. His chief contribution was in the field of education. He was among the first to understand that young Bengali Muslims should receive modern education. He understood that the Muslims of Bengal had fallen behind in everything because of their prejudices against modern education. He devoted his whole life to removing this self-destructive prejudice from their minds.

Notes:
Jyotiba Phule was an activist, thinker, social reformer, writer, philosopher, theologist, scholar, editor and revolutionary from Maharashtra founded the Satya Shodhak Samaj in 1873 in Maharshtra.

Notes:
Madam HP Blavatsky ,a Russian woman & Col. H.S Olcott ,an American ,founded the Theosophical Society in Newyork in 1875 . They advocated the revival & strengthening of ancient religions of Hinduism.

Notes:
V.D. Savarkar : He was the proponent of liberty as the ultimate ideal. Savarkar was a poet, writer and playwright. He was associated with the India House and founded student societies including Abhinav Bharat Society and the Free India Society. Savarkar published ‘The Indian War of Independence’ about the Indian rebellion of 1857 that was banned by British authorities.

Notes:
Babu Veer Kunwar Singh, one of the leaders of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 belonged to a royal Kshatriya house of Jagdispur, currently a part of Bhojpur district, Bihar.

Notes:
To maximize profits, the Dutch East India Company established the world’s first stock market in Amsterdam on March 20, 1602, in which investors could speculate on commodity futures and buy stock in the trading company. It was the Dutch East India Company to start a joint stock company to trade with India

Notes:
The first two statements should be reversed to understand what happened exactly.Since there was a dual administration in place, it clearly defined the respective position of the Nawab and the East India Company. This left no chance of near future conflicts between the two.Further, the direct assumption of responsibility of administration of English Company might have to come in conflict with the rising power of the Marathas. Third statement is correct.The system separated power from responsibility. The English got the right of collecting the revenue but they had no responsibility for the internal administration. The condition of Bengal worsened on account of the double government. The famine of 1770 and the epidemic that followed accounted for one third of population of Bengal. The English Company did nothing for the relief of the people and remained a silent spectator to the appalling distress of the people. The dual system which deserved all possible condemnation was finally abolished by Warren Hastings in 1772.