Which among the following was the most immediate factor for the spread of Swadeshi and boycott of foreign goods during the first decade of the last century ?

The Swadeshi and Boycott movement (1905–1911) was the most significant phase of the Indian National Movement in the pre-Gandhian era, triggered specifically as a reaction to Lord Curzon's partition of Bengal [2]. While Curzon had introduced other reactionary measures like the Indian Universities Act of 1904 and the Calcutta Corporation Act of 1899 to curb nationalist influence, the partition was the 'immediate factor' and 'catalyst' that transformed the protest into a mass movement [t3][t8]. Formally announced in July 1905 and implemented in October 1905, the partition was perceived by nationalists as a 'divide and rule' tactic to weaken Bengal, the nerve center of Indian nationalism [c1][t3]. This led to the formal proclamation of the Boycott resolution at the Calcutta Town Hall on August 7, 1905, marking the start of the Swadeshi movement [c1][t4].

Sources

1. [1] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 12: Era of Militant Nationalism (1905-1909) > The Swadeshi and Boycott Movement > p. 280
2. [2] History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 2: Rise of Extremism and Swadeshi Movement > Introduction > p. 16