When Vinayak Damodar (Veer) Savarkar arrived in London in 1906, he stepped into a diverse Indian student community. Some of them were already politically conscious but not yet revolutionary. Another major part of the Indian students, which were actually the majority, prided themselves on being more English in their make-up and mind than Englishmen themselves. Regarding the latter so far; it appeared that the dream of Lord Macaulay seemed to have been realized to a large extent. He had expected the emergence of “a class Indian in blood and colour, but English in tastes, in opinions, in morals, and in intellect.’”
Many educated Indians of the period displayed a marked tendency toward Anglomania—an excessive admiration for British culture and social habits. Indian students in London often adopted Western lifestyles with enthusiasm, frequenting social gatherings, drinking, dancing, and dressing in European fashions. In their conversations, they were frequently self-deprecating about Indian traditions while expressing admiration for British society. Upon returning to India, such individuals—often motivated by career ambitions within the colonial system—tended to reinforce these attitudes, circulating embellished accounts of British superiority in culture, intellect, and governance.
However, Savarkar’s presence would change that landscape entirely, transforming circles of discussion and debate into networks of radical action that reverberated far beyond Britain.
Indian Students in London, 1880s–1905
By the late nineteenth century, London had become a magnet for aspiring Indian lawyers, doctors, and civil servants. Many came from elite or rising middle-class families, hoping to secure education and professional opportunities in the imperial capital. Yet they also found themselves drawn into political questions of empire and national identity.
- Moderate Politics and the Petition Tradition: Students often engaged with the ideas of the early Indian National Congress, which emphasized petitions, lobbying, and appeals to British liberal opinion. Figures like Dadabhai Naoroji—famously elected as the first Indian MP in the British Parliament—became icons of this strategy. His exposure of the “Drain of Wealth” shaped generations of students who believed in reform through constitutional channels.
- Early Organizations: Several associations gave voice to Indian concerns in London, including the East India Association (founded by Naoroji in 1866) and the Indian Patriotic Union (1886). By the turn of the century, these forums provided a space for debate but rarely advocated direct confrontation with the colonial state.
- The Turn of the Century and Shyamji Krishnavarma: In 1905, the political climate shifted. The Partition of Bengal ignited mass protests in India, and radical ideas gained ground abroad. Shyamji Krishnavarma, a barrister and political activist, established India House in Highgate as a hostel for Indian students. Alongside, he launched The Indian Sociologist, a journal that began to question British legitimacy more sharply. Still, the dominant tone remained intellectual and ideological rather than militant.
In short, before 1906, Indian students in London were organized and politically engaged, but their activism was mostly confined to the politics of persuasion.
Savarkar’s Arrival & Radicalization of India House
Savarkar’s arrival as a law student on a scholarship fundamentally altered this situation. A fiery nationalist already seasoned by activism in Pune, he brought with him not only energy but also a radical vision of armed resistance.
- A Revolutionary Philosophy: Rejecting constitutional reform, Savarkar insisted that freedom could not be begged from the British Crown—it had to be seized. He glorified armed uprisings and martyrdom, drawing inspiration from Giuseppe Mazzini and the European revolutionary tradition.
- Historical Reinterpretation: His seminal work, The Indian War of Independence of 1857, written in London and smuggled into India, recast the “Sepoy Mutiny” as a nationwide struggle for freedom. This re-framing electrified students and gave them a heroic past to emulate.
- Transforming India House: Under Savarkar’s leadership, India House ceased to be a hostel and became a revolutionary academy. Study circles were no longer about debating reform but about reading revolutionary texts, learning to make bombs, and preparing for armed struggle.
Impact on Students and the Wider Struggle
Savarkar’s influence radicalized a generation of Indian students in London.
- Madan Lal Dhingra: Perhaps the most striking case, Dhingra fell under Savarkar’s mentorship. In 1909, he assassinated Sir Curzon Wyllie, a senior British official, an act that shocked the establishment and announced to the world that militant Indian nationalism had reached Britain’s own capital.
- Networks and Training: Savarkar encouraged Indian students to practice shooting, learn bomb-making, and study the history of revolutions. His network extended to Paris, where exiles like Madam Cama operated, and further into India, where smuggled arms and pamphlets began to circulate.
- Crisis for Moderates: For leaders like Naoroji and Gokhale, Savarkar’s militancy was deeply troubling. His activities put moderate lobbying in London under suspicion and attracted harsh surveillance from Scotland Yard. But for younger students, his vision was electrifying—a call to sacrifice and direct action.
Legacy for the Freedom Struggle
Although India House was eventually infiltrated and shut down after Wyllie’s assassination and Savarkar’s arrest in 1910, the impact had already been made:
- Savarkar’s writings and networks seeded revolutionary groups in India, from Bengal to Punjab and Maharashtra.
- His emphasis on sacrifice and militancy shaped organizations like the Abhinav Bharat Society and later inspired generations of freedom fighters.
- Most importantly, Savarkar transformed the Indian student presence in London from a community of petitioners into one of conspirators and revolutionaries.
Final Thoughts
The story of Indian students in London before and after Savarkar illustrates a larger truth about the freedom struggle: the shift from moderate constitutionalism to militant nationalism. Before 1906, Indian students sought to persuade Britain of the justice of India’s cause. After Savarkar’s arrival, many were convinced that justice would never be given—that it had to be taken.
London, the very heart of the British empire, thus became not only a site of colonial education but also a crucible of revolutionary thought. And at the center of this transformation stood Savarkar, whose ideas and actions gave Indian student politics in Britain a radical new trajectory that echoed back into India’s long fight for independence.
💭 What do you think? Do you think the Indian freedom struggle would have taken the same course without the radicalization of Indian students in London? Savarkar reframed 1857 as a national war of independence rather than a mutiny. How important do you think historical reinterpretation is in shaping political action? Do you think Savarkar’s militant ideology overshadowed or complemented the moderate voices in London?
👉 Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Sources:
Bakshi, S. R. 1974. India House and Revolutionary Nationalism. New Delhi: Anmol Publications.
Fischer-Tiné, Harald. 2014. Shyamji Krishnavarma: Sanskrit, Sociology and Anti-Imperialism. New Delhi: Routledge India.
Fischer-Tiné, Harald. 2007. Indian Nationalism and the World: From London to the Left Bank, 1905–1939. New Delhi: Manohar Publishers.
Fischer-Tiné, Harald. 2008. “Indian Student Radicalism in Britain, 1905–1910.” The International History Review 30 (3): 495–517.
Majumdar, R. C. 1963. History of the Freedom Movement in India, Vol. II. Calcutta: Firma K. L. Mukhopadhyay.
Nanda, B. R. 1959. Gokhale: The Indian Moderates and the British Raj. Delhi: Oxford University Press.
Leave a Reply