Freedom fighters of India were brave individuals who played a crucial role in securing the country’s independence from British colonial rule. India has a rich history of freedom fighters who played significant roles in the struggle for independence. These individuals fought tirelessly, sacrificing their lives and liberties for the cause of freedom. Freedom fighters of India have struggled and sacrificed their lives to free India from British rule. A big group of revolutionaries and activists from various racial and ethnic backgrounds came together to abolish the control of foreign imperialists and their Colonialism in India.

Freedom Fighters of India and their Contributions UPSC is one of the most important topics for the UPSC IAS exam. It covers a significant part of the Modern History subject in the General Studies Paper-1 syllabus and UPSC Prelims Syllabus General Studies Paper-1. UPSC aspirants can also get help from Testbook’s UPSC Free Coaching to boost their UPSC Exam preparation! You can also study other major topics related to UPSC IAS Exams with Testbook!

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The freedom fighters of India is a topic relevant to the UPSC CSE context under General Studies Paper I. It is a basic topic for aspirants to understand the dynamic aspect of the freedom fighters of India. The freedom fighters of India is an important topic for UPSC Civil Services because it highlights India's Freedom Struggle, which are frequently discussed in the exam. Join UPSC Coaching today to boost your preparation. 

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India's Freedom Struggle (1857-1947) was shaped by influential leaders who are called freedom fighters of India like Mahatma Gandhi, who pioneered nonviolent resistance; Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister; Subhas Chandra Bose, leader of the Indian National Army; Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who unified India's princely states; Sarojini Naidu, a key women's rights advocate; and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, architect of the Constitution.

List of Famous Freedom Fighters of India and their Contributions

The list of famous freedom fighters of India and their contributions showcases the heroes who fought bravely against British rule. Each of them played a unique role in India’s independence through protests, reforms, and sacrifices. Their efforts laid the foundation for a free and democratic India. Some of the famous personalities of India and their Contributions are listed below:

• Mahatma Gandhi: Led the nonviolent resistance movement against British rule.
• Jawaharlal Nehru: First Prime Minister of India, played a key role in the Indian independence movement.
• Vallabhbhai Patel: Iron Man of India, played a key role in uniting India after independence.
• Bhagat Singh: Revolutionary who fought against British rule through violent means.
• Chandra Shekhar Azad: Revolutionary who fought against British rule through violent means.
• Subhas Chandra Bose: Revolutionary leader who founded the Indian National Army.
• Nana Saheb: Peshwa of Bithoor, who led the Indian Rebellion of 1857 in North India
• Tantia Tope: General of the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
• C. R. Das: Indian nationalist leader who founded the Swaraj Party.
• Lala Lajpat Rai: Indian nationalist leader who was known as the "Lion of Punjab".
• Bal Gangadhar Tilak: Indian nationalist leader who was known as the "Father of Indian Unrest".
• Aurobindo Ghosh: Indian nationalist leader and philosopher who advocated for Indian independence through spiritual means.
• Ashfaqulla Khan: Indian revolutionary who was hanged by the British for assassinating a British official.
• Sarojini Naidu: Indian poet and nationalist leader.
• Aruna Asaf Ali: Indian nationalist leader and freedom fighter of India.
• Kasturba Gandhi: Wife of Mahatma Gandhi and supporter of his non-violent resistance movement.
• Vijayalakshmi Pandit: Indian diplomat and politician, sister of Jawaharlal Nehru
• Sucheta Kriplani: First female Chief Minister of India.
• Annie Besant: British theosophist and Irish nationalist who campaigned for Indian independence.

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Top 25 Indian Freedom Fighters and their Contribution

Here is a list of 25 freedom fighters of India who played pivotal roles in the Independence struggle by making numerous contributions.

1. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (1875 – 1950)

He served as the secretary of the Gujarat Sabha, an organization that later evolved into the Gujarati branch of the Indian National Congress. At the direction of Mahatma Gandhi, he launched the Kheda Satyagraha in Gujarat in 1918. It was against the British government, which imposed excessive agricultural taxation during the famine. He advocated in 1928 for the Bardoli people, who had increased tax rates amid the financial crisis. Finally, he could reverse the higher tax rates and return the people's confiscated lands. Known as the Iron Man of India, Patel served as the first Deputy Prime Minister and first Minister of Home Affairs of India. He earned the title "Sardar" for his work in Bardoli Satyagraha on behalf of his nation. He retired from his career and chose to contribute to the nation's liberation even though he was a well-known lawyer.

2. Mahatma Gandhi (1869 – 1948)

Mahatma Gandhi is known as the “Father of the Nation .” He was the leader of the Indian independence movement. He carried out a nationwide campaign after his return to India in 1915, where he learned about the issues Indians were facing. Therefore, he organised and led three significant movements: the Ahmedabad mill strike in 1918, the Kheda Satyagraha in 1918, and the Champaran Satyagraha in 1917. He founded the Satyagraha Sabha in 1919 in opposition to the Rowlatt Act, which he called the "Black Act." He began the Non-Cooperation movement in 1920 to win Purna Swaraj and self-rule. In 1930, he organised the Salt Satyagraha, popularly known as the Dandi March, to protest against the salt law. He started the Quit India Movement in 1942 at the All India Congress Committee meeting in Mumbai after the defeat of the Cripps Mission. 

Read about the Rise of Gandhi in the Indian Freedom Struggle here.

3. Motilal Nehru (1861 – 1931)

He actively participated in the Annie Besant-founded Home Rule League movement in 1916. In 1919 and 1928, he was chosen to lead the Congress party as president. He stopped practising law and joined Mahatma Gandhi's Non-Cooperation Campaign in 1919. In 1919, he founded The Independent, a newspaper headquartered in Allahabad. He co-founded the Swaraj Party in 1923 with Chitta Ranjan Das, which called for complete political freedom and self-rule in India. He took part in the Salt Satyagraha in 1930 and was arrested and imprisoned for a few months.

4. Jawaharlal Nehru (1889 – 1964)

Jawaharlal Nehru was a close associate of Gandhi and the first Prime Minister of independent India. He played a crucial role in shaping India's political landscape and was instrumental in drafting the Indian Constitution. Nehru's leadership and vision guided the country in its early years of independence. He established India's economic policy in 1938 by forming the National Planning Commission. Gandhi named him his political heir in 1942. On August 15, 1947, he became India's first prime minister.

Check the NCERT notes on Pitt’s India Act of 1784 here.

5. Lala Lajpat Rai (1865 – 1928 )

The Punjab Kesari, Lala Lajpat Rai, joined the Indian National Congress in 1881. He was one of the founding members of the 1894-founded Punjab National Bank. In 1885, he founded the Dayanand Anglo-Vedic school in Lahore. The Indian Home Rule League of America was established by him in New York in 1917. He established the Servants of People Society in Lahore in 1921 to recruit and educate native missionaries to serve their country. He participated in the rallies against the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, the Rowlatt Act, and the partition of Bengal.

6. Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1856 – 1920)

Bal Gangadhar Tilak, also known as Lokmanya Tilak, was an Indian nationalist, social reformer, and freedom fighter who played a significant role in the Indian independence movement against British rule. Tilak was a prominent famous personality of India who advocated for self-rule and the complete independence of India. He believed in the power of education and worked towards the upliftment of the masses. Tilak emphasized the importance of Swaraj, or self-rule, and popularized the slogan, "Swaraj is my birthright, and I shall have it." His political philosophy focused on uniting the Indian people and creating a sense of nationalism to challenge British colonial rule.

Also, read the article on Determinism and Freedom here.

7. Bipin Chandra Pal (1858 – 1932)

He became a member of the Indian National Congress in 1886 and later attended several of its meetings. He advocated for eliminating the Arms Act since it was discriminatory in 1887. He promoted public education, emphasising the value of women's education. He supported the Swadeshi movement alongside Bal Gangadhar Tilak. In 1905, he opposed the division of Bengal and took part in the Swadeshi and Non-Cooperation movements, among others. Later, he became a member of the Brahmo Samaj and supported widow remarriage. Also, he was against the country's then-dominant caste system.

8. Chittaranjan Das (1870 – 1925)

For his contribution to the freedom struggle, Chittaranjan Das was famously known as Deshbandhu, which means ‘friend of the nation.’ He founded the political party called Swaraj Party in 1923 along with Motilal Nehru. During the Non-Cooperation Movement, he was the leading figure in the Bengal movement. He helped Bipin Chandra Pal and Aurobindo Ghosh publish their English weekly called ‘Bande Mataram.’ through which they propagated the ideals of Swaraj. He denounced the Montague Chelmsford Reforms of 1919, under which a dual government (Dyarchy) was introduced. He participated in the Non-Cooperation movement initiated by Mahatma Gandhi and boycotted the usage of British clothes in Bengal.

Study the NCERT Notes on Subsidiary Alliance here.

9. Feroz Shah Mehta (1845 – 1915)

Feroz Shah Mehta was an Indian political leader. He co-founded the Bombay Presidency Association in 1885, which aimed to address the grievances of the Indian community and advocate for their rights. Mehta was elected as a member of the Bombay Legislative Council in 1885 and later became a member of the Imperial Legislative Council in 1902. As a representative of the Indian community, he raised important issues concerning civil liberties, social reforms, and the economic well-being of the Indian people. He participated in the founding of the Swadeshi Bank, the precursor to the Central Bank of India. He was selected as president of the Reception Committee in 1889 and 1904 when the Congress sessions were held in Bombay. He's referred to as the "Lion of Bombay."

10. Bhagat Singh (1907 – 1931)

Bhagat Singh was a revolutionary freedom fighter of India. He is known for his bravery and patriotism. He played a key role in the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA). Bhagat Singh is best remembered for throwing bombs in the Central Legislative Assembly to protest British laws and later embracing martyrdom at the age of 23. Bhagat Singh's bravery inspired numerous young Indians to join India's Freedom Struggle.

• Bhagat Singh believed in a political philosophy called revolutionary socialism.
• In 1926, he founded the Naujawan Bharat Sabha, which aimed to revolt against the British by gathering the peasants and the workers (especially the young ones). He served as the secretary of the Sabha.
• He joined the Hindustan Republican Association and became an active member. Later on, he became the famous leader of India of that association.
• After the death of his leader, Lala Lajpat Rai, due to severe lathi charges in the protest against the Simon Commission, Bhagat Singh and other revolutionaries decided to kill the police officer responsible for it. But because of the mistaken identity, he shot another police officer named John Poyantz Saunders.
• To oppose the Defence of India Act of 1915, on April 8, 1929, along with Batukeshwar Dutt, he threw two bombs inside the Central Legislative Assembly. He threw leaflets while chanting the slogan ‘Inquilab Zindabad,’ which means long live the resolution.
• Later, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru were arrested and hanged to death for their revolutionary activities.

Read the NCERT Notes on Revolutionary movements in India here.

11. Madan Mohan Malaviya (1861 – 1946)

He opposed the system of a separate Muslim electorate, which was introduced under the Lucknow Pact of 1916. Together with the Maharaja of Darbhanga (Rameshwar Singh), Annie Besant, and Sunder Lal, he founded Banaras Hindu University in 1916. He served as the President of the Indian National Congress on four occasions – 1909, 1918, 1930, and 1932. He served as a member of the Imperial Legislative Council from 1909 to 1920. He participated in the Dandi March and Civil Disobedience Movement. He supported free and compulsory education and the nationalization of railways in the country. He opposed the system of indentured labor in the British Empire. Madan Mohan Malaviya founded the Ganga Mahasabha to oppose the construction of dams over the river Ganga.

12. Jyotiba Phule (1827 – 1890)

In August 1848, he established the first girls’ school in India at Tatyasaheb Bhide’s residence. Later, he established two more schools for girls and lower castes (Mahars and Mangs). He pioneered women’s education in India, as he believed that only education would eradicate the inequalities in society. He fought for the upliftment of widows, and in 1860, he founded an orphanage for the widows. He opposed child marriage, the Sati system, and caste discrimination, which were then prevalent in the country. In 1873, he established the Satyashodhak Samaj (Society of truth-seekers) to improve the social rights and political access of the underprivileged sections of society.

Also, read the article on Right to Freedom here!

13. Chandra Shekhar Azad (1906 – 1931)

He participated in Gandhi’s Non-Cooperation movement and was arrested for it. After suspending the movement, he renounced non-violence and joined the Hindustan Republican Association. After the founder's death (Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil) and prominent leaders of the Hindustan Republican Association, Chandra Shekhar Azad reorganized the association under a new name called the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association. He was involved in the Kakori rail dacoity of 1925 and the assassination of John Poyantz Saunders in 1928 while avenging the death of Lala Lajpat Rai.

14. Dadabhai Naoroji (1825 – 1917)

Dadabhai Naoroji, often called the "Grand Old Man of India," was a prominent Indian nationalist, social reformer, and early leader in the Indian independence movement. He played a crucial role in raising awareness about the economic exploitation of India by the British and was one of the earliest advocates for complete independence from British rule. One of Naoroji's major contributions was his pioneering work on the drain of wealth from India. He extensively researched and wrote about the economic impact of British colonial policies on India's economy. In 1867, he published a seminal work called "Poverty and Un-British Rule in India," where he highlighted the impoverishment of India due to the transfer of wealth to Britain. He was one of the founding members of the Indian National Congress in 1885 and served as its president in 1886.

15. Subhas Chandra Bose (1897 – 1945)

Subhas Chandra Bose, known as Netaji, was a prominent Indian nationalist leader and one of the key figures in the Indian independence movement against British rule. Bose is particularly remembered for his efforts in establishing the Azad Hind Fauj (Indian National Army or INA), which aimed to liberate India from British control. He started a newspaper called Swaraj. During World War II, Bose sought assistance from Axis powers, including Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, to free India from British rule. Under Bose's leadership, the INA engaged in armed conflict with British forces in Burma (now Myanmar) and played a significant role in the Battle of Imphal and Kohima. Bose aimed to reach India's eastern border and launch a full-scale attack against British rule. To unify the radical side of the Congress party, he founded the All India Forward Bloc within the Indian National Congress in 1939. In 1943, he established the Provincial Government of Free India in Singapore.

Also Read, Nicknames Of Freedom Fighters!

16. Mangal Pandey (1827-1857)

Mangal Pandey was an Indian soldier in the British East India Company's army and is remembered as one of the early leaders of the Indian rebellion against British rule, often referred to as the Indian Mutiny or the First War of Independence. Mangal Pandey's actions played a significant role in sparking the rebellion of 1857. He is famously known for his defiance against the British officers, which led to a larger uprising by Indian soldiers in Barrackpore, present-day Kolkata, on March 29, 1857.

17. Aruna Asaf Ali (1909-1996)

She is known for her significant contributions to the freedom struggle and her role as a symbol of courage and resilience. Aruna Asaf Ali actively participated in the Indian independence movement and was associated with various revolutionary organizations. She was pivotal during the Quit India Movement of 1942, which called for India's immediate independence from British rule. Aruna and other leaders mobilized people and organized protests and demonstrations against the British administration. 

18. Annie Besant (1847-1933)

Annie Besant was a prominent British social reformer and women's rights activist. She significantly contributed to various causes during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1889, Besant encountered Theosophy, a spiritual and philosophical movement, and became deeply involved. She eventually became one of the prominent leaders of the Theosophical Society and moved to India in 1893, where she spent the rest of her life. One of Besant's notable contributions was her involvement in the Home Rule movement in India. She founded the Home Rule League in 1916, which aimed to demand self-government for India within the British Empire.

19. Kasturba Gandhi (1869-1944)

She was the wife of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. She actively participated in various social and political activities alongside Gandhi, contributing significantly to the Indian freedom struggle. Kasturba Gandhi was a committed advocate for women's rights and social reform. She championed causes such as women's education, health, and economic empowerment. Kasturba actively promoted the concept of swadeshi (self-reliance) and encouraged Indian women to participate in the national movement and contribute to the country's development.

20. Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit (1900-1990)

She was the sister of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, and played a significant role in shaping India's foreign policy and diplomatic relations. Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit actively participated in the Indian freedom struggle alongside her brother and other prominent leaders. After India gained independence in 1947, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit embarked on a successful diplomatic career. She served as India's ambassador to several countries, including the United States (1949-1951), the United Kingdom (1954-1961), and the Soviet Union (1961-1962). Pandit was the first woman to hold the position of ambassador from India.

21. Tantia Tope (1814-1859)

Tantia Tope, also known as Tatya Tope, was a prominent leader and military strategist in the Indian rebellion of 1857, often referred to as the Indian Mutiny or the First War of Independence against British colonial rule. Tope was a close associate and trusted lieutenant of Nana Sahib, another prominent rebellion leader. He participated in various battles and engagements across northern India, including the sieges of Delhi and Lucknow. Tope's military prowess and tactical acumen made him a formidable opponent for the British.

22. C. Rajagopalachari (1878-1972)

Rajagopalachari had a strong political career and held several important positions. He served as the Premier of the Madras Presidency (now Tamil Nadu) from 1937 to 1940. Later, he became the Governor of West Bengal (1947-1948) and the Governor-General of India (1948-1950), a post equivalent to the President of India then. One of Rajagopalachari's significant contributions was his involvement in the discussions and negotiations that led to the formulation of the Indian Constitution. He played a pivotal role in shaping the constitutional framework of India as a member of the Constituent Assembly and chairman of the drafting committee of the Constitution.

23. Chandra Shekhar Azad (1906-1931)

He played a significant role in organizing and leading armed resistance against British colonial rule during the early 20th century. Azad was a prominent member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA), a revolutionary organization that aimed to overthrow British rule through armed struggle. One of the most notable incidents associated with Chandra Shekhar Azad was the Kakori Train Robbery in 1925. Along with his comrades, Azad carried out the robbery to acquire funds for revolutionary activities. The incident grabbed significant attention and made him a hero among the masses.

24. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (1883-1936)

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, better known as Veer Savarkar, was an Indian politician, activist, and writer. Savarkar developed the Hindu nationalist political ideology of Hindutva while confined at Ratnagiri in 1922. He was a leading figure in the Hindu Mahasabha. Savarkar began his political activities as a high school student. He and his brother founded a secret society called the Abhinav Bharat Society. When he went to the United Kingdom to study law, he became involved with organizations such as India House and the Free India Society. He also wrote and published works promoting complete Indian independence through revolutionary methods. One of the books he published, titled The Indian War of Independence, focused on the 1857 revolt, which was banned by British colonial authorities.

25. Ashfaqulla Khan (1900-1927)

Ashfaqulla Khan was an Indian freedom fighter who played a significant role in the Indian independence movement. Ashfaqulla Khan actively participated in various revolutionary activities against British rule in India. He was involved in several acts of resistance, including the Kakori Train Robbery, which took place on August 9, 1925.

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