14-12-2024
10:06 AM
Prelims: History of India & Indian National Movement.
Mains: Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues.
The Chittagong Armoury Raid was executed by a group of Indian revolutionaries associated with the Indian Republican Army under the leadership of Masterda Surya Sen on 18 April 1930. The raid targeted the armoury of the police and auxiliary forces located in Chittagong, now located in Bangladesh.
Their goal was to seize a large cache of weapons and ammunition from the British authorities as a means to further the cause of Indian independence. While the raid was ultimately unsuccessful in its primary objective of inciting a widespread uprising against British rule, it did succeed in galvanizing the Indian masses and inspiring other acts of resistance across the country.
During the 1920s, various revolutionary groups reorganized underground activities, while others worked within Congress, gaining mass access and providing a base for the organization in towns and villages. Many cooperated with C.R. Das in his Swarajist efforts.
The Chittagong Armoury Raid commenced on 18 April 1930, marking a significant act of heroism and resolute action.
The participants in the Chittagong Armoury Raid were members of the Indian Republican Army, who supported armed resistance as a means to attain India’s independence from British colonial rule. They were inspired by the 1916 Easter Rising in Ireland and worked under the leadership of Masterda Surya Sen. Their ideology was primarily shaped by the Communists in the Soviet Union.
Surya Sen was a prominent Indian revolutionary who is remembered for his leadership in the Chittagong Armoury Raid of 1930. He was a school teacher by profession and was popularly known as Masterda Surya Sen. However, his commitment to India's independence led him to join the revolutionary movement.
Following the raid on 18 April 1930, the revolutionaries who participated in the attack on the Chittagong armoury, which was guarded by both police and auxiliary forces, fled to the Jalalabad Hills near Chittagong.
While the Chittagong Armoury Raid failed to incite a widespread rebellion, it did manage to capture the imagination of the Indian people and inspire other acts of resistance against the British government. However, ithighlighted the strength and determination of the Indian independence movement.
Question1. Who among the following organized the famous Chittagong Armoury raid? (UPSC CSE 2001)
(a) Laxmi Sehgal
(b) Surya Sen
(c) Batukeshwar Datta
(d) J.M. Sengupta
Ans: ( b )
Q1. Who planned the Chittagong Armoury Raid?
Ans. The Chittagong Armoury Raid was primarily planned by Surya Sen, who was a key leader of the Indian Republican Army.
Q2. What happened in the Chittagong Armoury Raid?
Ans. During the raid, the police armoury was successfully captured by a group of revolutionaries led by Ganesh Ghosh while the Auxiliary Forces armoury was captured by the 10-member group led by Lokenath Bal.
Q3. Who was the woman involved in the Chittagong Armoury Raid?
Ans. The prominent woman involved in the Chittagong Armoury Raid was Pritilata Waddedar.
Q4. What was the aim of the Chittagong Armoury Raid?
Ans. The Chittagong Armoury Raid aimed to seize weapons from police and auxiliary forces, intending to spark a larger armed revolt against British colonial rule in India.
Q5. Who are the martyrs of the Chittagong Armoury Raid?
Ans. Masterda Surya Sen, Ganesh Ghosh, Lokenath Bal, Ambika Chakraborty, Anand Prasad Gupta, Pritilata Waddedar, and Kalpana Dutta.
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