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Who wrote 'The Indian Struggle, 1920-1942'?
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Answer: Option C — Subhas Chandra Bose
Detailed Solution
"The Indian Struggle" is a political history of the Indian independence movement written by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The first part, covering 1920-1934, was published in London in 1935 while he was in Europe. The second part, covering 1935-1942, was written later, and the complete work is published as "The Indian Struggle, 1920-1942".
About the book:
- It analyses the freedom movement from the Non-Cooperation Movement (1920) onwards.
- Bose praised Gandhi's ability to mobilise the masses but criticised what he saw as Gandhi's compromises, such as the suspension of Non-Cooperation after Chauri Chaura (1922) and the Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931).
- He argued for a more radical and uncompromising struggle for complete independence.
- The British government banned the book in India because of its criticism of British rule.
Bose's other writings:
- "An Indian Pilgrim": his unfinished autobiography, written in 1937 in Austria, covering his life up to 1921.
- His speeches and letters have been published in several volumes.
About Subhas Chandra Bose (1897-1945):
He was born on 23 January 1897 in Cuttack, Odisha. His birthday is celebrated as "Parakram Divas".
He passed the Indian Civil Service examination in 1920 but resigned in 1921 to join the freedom struggle.
He was President of the Indian National Congress at Haripura (1938) and was re-elected at Tripuri (1939), defeating Gandhi's candidate Pattabhi Sitaramayya, but resigned soon after.
He founded the Forward Bloc in 1939.
He escaped from house arrest in 1941, travelled to Germany and then Japan, and led the Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj).
He proclaimed the Provisional Government of Free India (Azad Hind) in Singapore on 21 October 1943.
He gave the slogans "Jai Hind" and "Delhi Chalo", and said "Give me blood, and I will give you freedom!"
He is believed to have died in a plane crash in Taipei (Taiwan) in August 1945, though this has been debated.
Other histories of the freedom movement:
- Jawaharlal Nehru: "The Discovery of India".
- Bipan Chandra: "India's Struggle for Independence".
Why not the other options?
- ✗Jawaharlal Nehru wrote "The Discovery of India".
- ✗Bipan Chandra wrote "India's Struggle for Independence".
- ✗Rajendra Prasad wrote "Atmakatha" and "India Divided".
Quick tip
Remember: "The Indian Struggle" (first part 1935, banned in India) and "An Indian Pilgrim" = Subhas Chandra Bose (Forward Bloc 1939; Azad Hind government 21 October 1943); "India's Struggle for Independence" = Bipan Chandra.
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Books & Authors — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Books & Authors, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers famous books and their authors, including ancient Indian texts, works of the freedom struggle, classic and modern literature, autobiographies of famous people, and recently published books by well-known personalities. Questions usually name a book and ask for its author, or the other way round. Ancient and historical books, such as Arthashastra (Kautilya), Indica (Megasthenes) and Gitanjali (Rabindranath Tagore), are tested most often. Autobiographies are another favourite, so learn titles such as 'My Experiments with Truth' (Mahatma Gandhi) and 'Wings of Fire' (A. P. J. Abdul Kalam). Practise the books and authors questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.