Question map
The Ghadr (Ghadar) was a
Explanation
The Ghadar Party was an Indian revolutionary organization formed in 1913 in San Francisco, United States, by migrant Indians[2]. It was a revolutionary association of Indians with headquarters at San Francisco[4]. The organization was launched formally in San Francisco in 1913 and was later smashed, with its members brutally exterminated and hanged between[6] 1914-1916. The Ghadar movement played a significant role in India's freedom struggle by mobilizing Indian immigrants, particularly in North America, against British colonial rule. The party published a revolutionary newspaper called "Ghadar" (meaning "mutiny" or "rebellion") to spread their message among Indians worldwide. Therefore, option A correctly identifies the Ghadar as a revolutionary association headquartered in San Francisco, not Singapore, Berlin, or Tashkent as suggested by the other options.
SourcesPROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Full viewThis is a classic 'Sitter' from standard static history books (Spectrum/NCERT), not current affairs. It tests the basic geography of the Indian freedom struggle abroad. If you missed this, your static revision of the 'Revolutionary Phase' is weak.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: Was the Ghadar (Ghadr) movement a revolutionary association of Indians headquartered in San Francisco?
- Statement 2: Was the Ghadar (Ghadr) movement a nationalist organization operating from Singapore?
- Statement 3: Was the Ghadar (Ghadr) movement a militant organization headquartered in Berlin?
- Statement 4: Was the Ghadar (Ghadr) movement a communist movement for India's freedom headquartered in Tashkent?
- Directly answers the quiz-style question affirming the Ghadar was a revolutionary association of Indians.
- Specifically states the headquarters were at San Francisco.
- Explicitly identifies the Ghadar Party as an Indian revolutionary organization.
- States it was formed in 1913 in San Francisco by migrant Indians, tying origin and headquarters to San Francisco.
- Describes the Ghadar Party as born in San Francisco and notes the original headquarters are in San Francisco.
- Provides historical context linking local San Francisco community and a preserved Ghadar headquarters building.
States Lala Hardayal settled in San Francisco and founded the Pacific Coast Hindustan Association (popularly called Ghadar) and that the party published the journal Ghadar beginning publication from San Francisco.
A student could combine this with basic geography (San Francisco on the US west coast) and the fact that a movement publishing its journal from a city suggests an organizational base there, to judge plausibility of a San Francisco headquarters.
Explicitly says the Ghadr Party was organised around a weekly newspaper with its headquarters at San (fragment continues to San Francisco in related snippet).
Use the pattern that revolutionary diasporic movements often center where their press is located to infer that a newspaper-centred group likely had its headquarters where the paper was produced.
Notes branches along the US coast and Far East and that activists reached there by 1911, culminating in establishment of the Ghadr in 1913 (context implies US/West Coast base).
A student could map the mentioned coastal branches and infer a Pacific-coast hub (San Francisco) consistent with a headquarters there.
Says the United States of America and Canada had established the Ghadar Party in 1913 and describes its international membership and revolutionary aims.
Combine this rule/example (Ghadar formed in North America in 1913) with city-level evidence to assess whether San Francisco is a plausible headquarter location for a North American-based revolutionary association.
- Explicitly identifies the Ghadar movement as headquartered in San Francisco, not Singapore.
- States the correct classification as a revolutionary association of Indians based in San Francisco.
- States the Ghadar Party was formed in 1913 in San Francisco, United States.
- Positions the organization as an Indian revolutionary organization formed in North America, not Singapore.
- Directly states the organisation was launched formally in San Francisco in 1913.
- Confirms the group's origin and center of activity as San Francisco, contradicting an origin in Singapore.
Lists Singapore among countries where the Ghadar Party had active members, implying Ghadar activity existed there.
A student could check basic maps or diaspora routes to judge whether 'having active members in Singapore' could be conflated with 'operating from Singapore' or simply being present there.
Says the Ghadr Party had its headquarters and was organised around a newspaper with headquarters at San (San Francisco implied elsewhere), indicating a primary base outside Singapore.
Combine this with the knowledge that an organisation's HQ usually denotes its operating base to assess whether Singapore was the movement's main operating centre.
Specifies Ghadar (Ghadar) was published from San Francisco, showing central organisational and publishing activity centred in North America rather than Singapore.
A student could use this to argue that primary operations were likely from San Francisco and not Singapore, unless evidence shows a separate Singapore HQ.
Describes the Pacific Coast Hindustan Association/Ghadar Party being founded in San Francisco with immigrant Sikh members, reinforcing a North American origin.
Use basic historical/geographical context (San Francisco as a diaspora hub) to infer that the movement's core organisation operated from there rather than from Singapore.
States the Ghadr was organised in North America by named leaders, again indicating organisational roots in North America rather than Singapore.
A student could contrast the named North American organising centres with the merely listed presence in Singapore to judge whether 'operating from Singapore' is supported.
- Explicitly identifies the Ghadar (Ghadar) as a revolutionary association with its headquarters in San Francisco, contradicting a Berlin headquarters claim.
- States the correct headquarters and organization type rather than labeling it a Berlin-based militant group.
- States the Ghadar Party was launched formally in San Francisco in 1913, supporting that its origins and base were in North America, not Berlin.
- Describes the organization and its suppression, reinforcing that its center was San Francisco rather than a Berlin headquarters.
Specifically names the Ghadr Party's headquarters as 'San...' (implying San Francisco), suggesting its base was in North America rather than Berlin.
A student could check a world map or recall major immigrant hubs to confirm San Francisco as a North American headquarters and contrast that with Berlin.
States Lala Hardayal settled in San Francisco and founded the organization popularly called the Ghadar Party, tying Ghadar's origin and HQ to San Francisco.
Use the explicit San Francisco location to judge whether Berlin could plausibly be Ghadar's headquarters (compare cities).
Says the United States and Canada had established the Ghadar Party in 1913 and lists its global branches, indicating its core base was in North America, not Europe.
A student could infer that an organization founded/established in the US/Canada is unlikely to have had its main headquarters in Berlin without further specific evidence.
Describes the Ghadr programme as militant (assassinations, arms procurement, revolts), supporting that the movement was militant in nature.
Combine this definition of militant tactics with the location clues to separately evaluate the two parts of the statement (militant vs. Berlin HQ).
Mentions a separate 'Berlin Committee for Indian Independence' and lists Ghadar organisation activity in North America, implying distinct entities and locations for Ghadar and the Berlin group.
A student could use the distinction to suspect that Berlin hosted a separate committee, not the Ghadar Party's headquarters, and then verify by checking which group was based where.
- Directly states the correct identification and headquarters of the Ghadar Party, contradicting the claim of a Tashkent headquarters.
- Identifies Ghadar as a revolutionary association formed in San Francisco (not a communist movement based in Tashkent).
- Explicitly states the Ghadar was a revolutionary association with its headquarters at San Francisco.
- This directly refutes the part of the statement claiming the movement was headquartered in Tashkent or primarily a communist movement.
- States the organization was launched formally in San Francisco in 1913, supporting the San Francisco headquarters fact.
- Notes the movement's revolutionary character and its suppression, rather than describing it as a communist movement headquartered in Tashkent.
States Lala Hardayal founded the Pacific Coast Hindustan Association (popularly called Ghadar Party) and that the party and its journal began publication from San Francisco in 1913.
A student could combine this with a world map and timelines to note that the Ghadar Party’s base was in North America (San Francisco), not Tashkent, suggesting a different headquarters location.
Explicitly describes the Ghadr Party as a revolutionary group organised around a weekly newspaper with its headquarters at San... (implying San Francisco).
Use this to contrast claimed Tashkent headquarters by checking geographic and archival records of the Ghadar Party’s known base in the United States.
Says the Ghadar Party was established in the United States and Canada in 1913 and pledged revolutionary war against the British—emphasising its diasporic, militant-nationalist character.
Combine with knowledge of communist organisational centres (e.g., Tashkent later hosting communist activity) to separate Ghadar’s diasporic militant nationalism from later communist hubs.
Evaluates the Ghadr movement as preaching militant nationalism with a completely secular approach and criticises its organisational weaknesses—no mention of communist ideology.
A student could extend this by comparing ideological descriptions (militant nationalism vs. explicit communist ideology) to judge whether Ghadar was a communist movement.
States the Communist Party of India was formed in Tashkent in 1920 by M.N. Roy and others, linking Tashkent specifically to early Indian communist organisation.
A student can use this to infer that Tashkent is associated with the formation of Indian communist organisation (1920), not with the Ghadar Party (1913), helping separate the two claims by timeline and location.
- [THE VERDICT]: Sitter. Direct hit from Rajiv Ahir (Spectrum) Ch. 13 'The Ghadr' or Bipan Chandra (Old NCERT).
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: Revolutionary Activities Abroad (1905-1917). Specifically, the shift of the center of gravity from London (India House) to the US/Canada Pacific Coast.
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Map these HQs: India House (London - Shyamji Krishna Varma), Paris Indian Society (Paris - Madam Cama), Berlin Committee (Berlin - Virendranath Chattopadhyay), Swadesh Sevak Home (Vancouver - G.D. Kumar), United India House (Seattle), Provisional Govt (Kabul - Raja Mahendra Pratap).
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: Do not just memorize names. Create a mental map of the world. Associate 'Communists' with Tashkent (1920s), 'Ghadarites' with San Francisco (1913), and 'Home Rule' with London (1905). Chronology + Geography eliminates confusion.
Several references identify the Ghadar movement as founded and headquartered in North America, especially San Francisco, which directly bears on claims about its operating base.
High-yield for UPSC: clarifies where diaspora revolutionary organisations were based (not in India), distinguishes centre of operations from areas of activity. Helps answer questions on transnational anti-colonial networks and correct location-based assertions. Prepare by mapping key organisations to their founding cities and main publications.
- History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 3: Impact of World War I on Indian Freedom Movement > Morley > p. 35
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 1: Sources for the History of Modern India > Newspapers and Journals > p. 9
References show Ghadar had members and activity across many countries (including Singapore) even though its base was in North America.
Important for answering questions about the global reach of Indian revolutionary movements and differentiating 'presence' from 'base of operations'. Useful for essay and short-answer questions on diaspora contributions to the freedom struggle. Study by cataloguing countries of activity and key agents involved.
- Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 14: Nationalist Movement 1905—1918 > The Home Rule Leagues > p. 258
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 13: First Phase of Revolutionary Activities (1907-1917) > p. 293
Sources describe the party's revolutionary objectives (arms, uprisings) and link to events like Komagata Maru and WWI, explaining why the movement mobilised abroad.
Helps tackle questions on how global events (WWI, migration incidents) influenced revolutionary strategies. Connects to topics on revolutionary nationalism, Indian mutinies overseas, and the role of publications. Prepare by linking causes (Komagata Maru, WWI) to actions (plans for revolt, publication).
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 13: First Phase of Revolutionary Activities (1907-1917) > p. 289
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 14: First World War and Nationalist Response > First World War and Nationalist Response > p. 294
References identify the Ghadar organisation as originating and publishing from North America (San Francisco/USA & Canada), not Berlin.
High-yield for UPSC history: distinguishing the geographic bases of anti-colonial expatriate movements (where they organised, published, recruited). This helps answer questions on diaspora politics, Komagata Maru links and transnational networks—study primary leaders, publications and base-cities for comparison questions.
- History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 3: Impact of World War I on Indian Freedom Movement > Morley > p. 35
- Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 14: Nationalist Movement 1905—1918 > The Home Rule Leagues > p. 258
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 13: First Phase of Revolutionary Activities (1907-1917) > The Ghadr > p. 288
Evidence describes the Ghadar programme as militant: promoting militant nationalism, planning assassinations, procuring arms and organising revolt.
Useful for essays and mains answers on revolutionary nationalism — explains means (assassinations, arms, propaganda) and limitations of such movements. Connects to World War I-era revolutionary activities and aids comparison with constitutional/ non-violent strands. Revise leadership, tactics and assessment of impact.
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 13: First Phase of Revolutionary Activities (1907-1917) > p. 289
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 13: First Phase of Revolutionary Activities (1907-1917) > p. 290
References mention a distinct 'Berlin Committee' in Europe and the Ghadar Party operating in North America, indicating they were separate entities.
Prevents conflation of different expatriate revolutionary bodies in answers and prelim fact-recall. Important for source-based questions and chronology of transnational anti-colonial activity—compare objectives, locations and influence. Memorise key groups and their bases for quick elimination in MCQs and structured answers.
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 13: First Phase of Revolutionary Activities (1907-1917) > p. 293
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 14: First World War and Nationalist Response > First World War and Nationalist Response > p. 294
References identify the Ghadar Party as founded in San Francisco (1913), run by immigrant Sikhs and publishing the Ghadar journal, indicating its diasporic and revolutionary-nationalist character rather than a Tashkent/communist base.
UPSC often asks about revolutionary and diasporic movements in the freedom struggle; mastering Ghadar's origin, leadership, membership and activities helps distinguish it from later leftist organisations. Link this to questions on transnational anti-colonial networks and sources (newspapers, immigrant communities) — learn by comparing origin-location, leadership profile and stated aims across movements.
- History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 3: Impact of World War I on Indian Freedom Movement > Morley > p. 35
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 13: First Phase of Revolutionary Activities (1907-1917) > The Ghadr > p. 288
- Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 14: Nationalist Movement 1905—1918 > The Home Rule Leagues > p. 258
The 'Zimmerman Plan'. The Ghadarites collaborated with the Berlin Committee to smuggle arms into India (the Hindu-German Conspiracy). The shadow fact is the 'Berlin Committee for Indian Independence' (founded 1915), which is the correct answer for Option C.
Chronology Hack: Option D mentions 'Communist movement... Tashkent'. The Ghadar movement (1913) predates the Russian Revolution (1917) and the formation of the CPI in Tashkent (1920). Therefore, Ghadar cannot be a communist movement based in Tashkent. Eliminate D immediately.
Mains GS2 (Indian Diaspora): The Ghadar movement is a prime historical example of the 'Political Diaspora'. Unlike the modern economic diaspora, early 20th-century migrants were politically active 'ambassadors' of the freedom struggle, leveraging foreign soil to challenge sovereignty at home.