Freedom Fighters of India - List, Names and Images


India, the largest democratic nation in the world got independence from foreign rule in 1947. It was a momentous year in the history of India when it gained freedom from the British rule that lasted for about 100 years. In 1857, the powers of British East India Company was transferred to the British Crown but the Company which was started as early as in 1600 to build colonisation and trade which gradually imposed its rule in many parts of the country, both economically and politically. Prior to that many parts of India were under the control of the Portuguese, French and the Dutch. As the Indian subcontinent had no political unity or unifying force since ancient times, many have come and controlled parts of the country. Prominent and long lasting among them were the Mughals, who ruled most parts of the present country from the 16th century through 18th century.

The freedom of India is result of long and consistent struggle in many parts of the country in different forms. It was neither easy for the country to fight and expel foreign rulers from the country nor easy to unify different princely states, tribes, people fo different languages and cultures in to the idea of one nation. Many people have played significant roles in raising the national movement. Struggles lasted for decades, which finally resulted in independence of the country.

The Role of the Freedom Fighters in India



The freedom fighters of India played an extensive role in getting independence for the country. The 'Revolt of 1857' was the first war of independence of India. The revolt started as a mutiny by the sepoys of the East India Company. The Muslim and the Hindu sepoys together began this revolt. Rani Lakshmibai, Mangal Pandey, Bahadur Shah Zafar, Nana Sahib and Tatya Tope were some of the active leaders and freedom fighters who fought in the revolt. Mangal Pandey is considered as the hero in the modern India because he had played a pivotal role in beginning the revolt against the British. Rani Lakshmibai is considered as the symbol of resistance to the British rule and was one of the leading figures of the rebels in 1857.

In 1876, another movement started against the British rule. It was the foundation of the Indian National Congress (INC). Surendranath Banerjee laid the foundation of the party. Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Dadabhai Naoroji, Chittaranjan Das and Jawaharlal Nehru were active leaders of the INC. It was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi who gave a push to the party and raised the struggle for freedom in a non-violent way. His Non-Cooperation Movement was a great success and a stepping stone for Indian freedom struggle.

While on one side Gandhi was following the ideologies of non-violence and peace, on the other there was a group of youth who wanted to attain independence by hook or by crook. These revolutionaries were quite influential in the nation and inspired many. Chandra Shekhar Azad, Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan and Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee were some of the revolutionaries who executed the Kakori conspiracy. Bhagat Singh, Batukeshwar Dutt, Sukhdev Thapar and Shivaram Rajguru threw bomb in the assembly house. After the incident, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru were hanged to death and are considered as martyrs today. These young men got ignited after the death of Lala Lajpat Rai who died after protesting against the Simon Commission.

Subhash Chandra Bose was also a dynamic leader in the freedom struggle of the country. He founded the Indian National Army (INA) which fought against British rulers from within the country and in exile, with the help of Japan and Axis forces during the World War II. He formed the Forward Bloc, a political extension of Indian National Congress when Mahatma Gandhi did not recognize him as Congress President despite he defeated Alladi Krishna Iyer, Gandhiji's nominee in 1939 Congress election held at Tripuri session.

There were many other freedom fighters who had fought for the nation and sacrificed their lives.


Role after Independence



With the contribution of these freedom fighters and their freedom struggles and movements, India attained independence on 15 August 1947. The hardships they faced and the sacrifices they made (which even include many lives) led to the freedom of the country. Mahatma Gandhi, who is considered to have played a very important role in the struggle, is known as the 'Father of the Nation'. Dr. Rajendra Prasad became the first President of the Republic of India. Jawaharlal Nehru became the first Prime Minister of independent India and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel became the first Deputy Prime Minister. B. R. Ambedkar became the principle architect of the Constitution of India.

India at Present

It has been almost seven decades since India gained independence and the country has progressed at a faster pace. The nation has been growing economically and socially and is heading towards development. If these freedom fighters had not contributed in the freedom struggle, the current situation of the country would have been different. India, the democratic republic, might not have headed for success. We are independent and free today only because of the efforts and sacrifices made by our country's freedom fighters.

Indian Freedom Fighters List - Names and Images

Abdul Gafar Khan Ashfaqulla Khan Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Abdul Gafar KhanAshfaqulla KhanBal Gangadhar Tilak
Begum Hazrat Mahal Bipin Chandra Pal Chandra Shekhar Azad
Begum Hazrat MahalBipin Chandra PalChandra Shekhar Azad
Chittaranjan Das Dadabhai Naoroji Jawaharlal Nehru
Chittaranjan DasDadabhai NaorojiJawaharlal Nehru
Khudiram Bose Lakshmi Sahgal Lala Hardayal
Khudiram BoseLakshmi SahgalLala Hardayal
Lala Lajpat Rai Mahadev Govind Ranade Mahatma Gandhi
Lala Lajpat RaiMahadev Govind RanadeMahatma Gandhi
Mangal Pandey Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Motilal Nehru
Mangal PandeyMaulana Abul Kalam AzadMotilal Nehru
Ram Manohar Lohia Ram Prasad Bismil Ram Singh Kuka
Ram Manohar LohiaRam Prasad BismilRam Singh Kuka
Rani Lakshmi Bai Rash Behari Bose Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel
Rani Lakshmi BaiRash Behari BoseSardar Vallabh Bhai Patel
Shaheed Bhagat Singh Shivaram Rajguru Subhash Chandra Bose
Shaheed Bhagat SinghShivaram RajguruSubhash Chandra Bose
Sukhdev
Sukhdev






Last Updated on: June 08, 2023