Ghadar Party

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Impact of World War I

In 1905 Japan had defeated Russia in Russo Japanese war.
In 1908 the Young Turks and in 1911 the Chinese nationalists, using Western methods and ideas, had overthrown their governments.
Along with the First World War these events provide the background to Indian nationalism during 1916 and 1920.
The Congress was reunited during the war after 1907 Surat Split.
Home Rule Movement in India under the leadership of Dr Annie Besant in South India and Tilak in Western India.
The strength of Indian nationalism was increased by the agreement signed between Hindus and Muslims, known as the Lucknow Pact, in 1916.
The international events too had its impact on India, such as the revolution in Russia.

The Act allowed suspects to be tried by special tribunals each consisting of three Commissioners appointed by the Local Government.
The act empowered the tribunal to inflict sentences of death, transportation for life, and imprisonment of up to ten years for the violation of rules or orders framed under the act.
The trail was to be in camera and the decisions were not subject to appeal. The act was later applied during the First Lahore Conspiracy trial.

Lala Hardayal, who settled in San Francisco, founded Pacific Coast Hindustan Association in 1913, with Sohan Singh Bhakna as its president.
This organization was popularly called Ghadar Party. (‘Ghadar’ means ‘Rebellion’ in Urdu.)
The members of this party were largely immigrant Sikhs of US and Canada.
The party published a journal called Ghadar from San Francisco on November 1, 1913.

A ship named Komagatamaru, filled with Indian immigrants was turned back from Canada.
As the ship returned to India several of its passengers were killed or arrested in a clash with the British police.
This incident left a deep mark on the Indian nationalist movement.

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