138-559: India House was a student residence that existed between 1905 and 1910 at Cromwell Avenue in Highgate , North London . With the patronage of lawyer Shyamji Krishna Varma , it was opened to promote nationalist views among Indian students in Britain. This institute used to grant scholarships to Indian youths for higher studies in England. The building rapidly became a hub for political activism , one of
276-558: A conservative , he was converted to socialism by Karl Marx 's Communist Manifesto and launched Britain's first socialist political party, the Democratic Federation, later known as the Social Democratic Federation , in 1881. Although this body attracted radicals such as William Morris and George Lansbury , Hyndman was generally disliked as an authoritarian who could not unite his party. Nonetheless, Hyndman
414-853: A " leper 's home" by the Indian students in the city. In addition, although student political activism could not be curtailed too heavily for fear of accusations of repression, the British Government successfully implemented laws to curtail the publication and distribution of nationalist or seditious material from Britain. Among these was Bipin Pal 's Swaraj , which was forced to close, an event which ultimately drove Pal to penury and mental collapse in London. India House ceased to be an influence in Britain. Political activities at India House were chiefly aimed at young Indians, especially students, in Britain. Political discontent
552-429: A 'Marxist' language of revolution' was, in the main, a twentieth-century invention, which Lenin in no small part helped to create. And Marx himself, moreover, allayed Hyndman's fears about the necessity of revolution in England, stating that he considered 'an English revolution not necessary , but according to historic precedents— possible ' ". Hyndman was an antisemite , voicing antisemitic opinions with regard to
690-781: A British readership. The committee was successful in calling the British public's attention to issues of civil liberties in India, but it largely failed to bring about political change, prompting socialists such as Henry Hyndman to advocate a more radical approach. In 1893 an "Indian committee" was established in the British Parliament as a pressure group to influence policy directly, but it grew increasingly distant from an emerging movement which advocated absolute Indian self-governance . Nationalist leaders in India (such as Bipin Chandra Pal , who led
828-638: A Grade II listed former church, the Gatehouse Inn , dating from 1670, which houses the theatre Upstairs at the Gatehouse and Berthold Lubetkin 's 1930s Highpoint buildings. Pond Square , behind the High Street , is a registered village green , and is the centre of communal activities which take place in the elegant buildings of the Highgate Literary and Scientific Institution and Highgate Society facing
966-601: A London park by another Indian student. The Yard's inefficiency was blamed for these events. Unknown to Scotland Yard, by the beginning of 1909 the Indian Department of Criminal Intelligence (DCI) had made covert efforts of its own to infiltrate India House, with more success. An agent named "C" had been residing in India House for nearly a year; after convincing the residents that he was a genuine patriot, he began reporting back to India. Possible reasons why DCI did not inform
1104-694: A Russian revolutionary in Paris by the name of Nicholas Safranski. Others opine that it was acquired through Russian revolutionaries in Paris by Bapat. Bapat was declared absconder (a fugitive) in the Alipore bomb case of 1909, which followed the attempt to bomb a district magistrate's carriage in Bengal by Khudiram Bose . By 1908, the popularity of the India House group had overtaken the London Indian Society (LIS), established in 1865 by Dadabhai Naoroji and until then
1242-598: A branch of the IHRS, was launched in 1905 under the patronage of Bhikaji Cama, Sardar Singh Rana and B.H. Godrej. A number of India House members who later rose to prominence – including V.N. Chatterjee, Har Dayal and Acharya and others, first encountered the IHRS through this Paris Indian Society. Cama herself was at this time deeply involved with the Indian revolutionary cause, and she nurtured close links with both French and exiled Russian socialists. Lenin 's views are thought to have influenced Cama's works at this time, and Lenin
1380-420: A broad foundation for Indian nationalism based on pan-Asiatic values. The movement gained new momentum after Barkatullah, on the advice of Krishna Varma and George Freeman, moved from New York to Tokyo in 1909. Taking up the post of Professor of Urdu at Tokyo University , Barkatullah was responsible for East Asian distribution of The Indian Sociologist and other nationalist literature from London. His work at
1518-399: A career in politics. Unable to find a party that he could fully support, he decided to stand as an independent for the constituency of Marylebone in the 1880 general election . Denounced as a Tory by William Ewart Gladstone , Hyndman gained very limited support from the electorate and withdrew from the contest, facing certain defeat. Soon after the election, Hyndman read a novel based on
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#17328452214431656-459: A central figure in the organisation. He devoted his efforts to writing nationalist material, organising public meetings and demonstrations, and establishing branches of Abhinav Bharat in the country. He kept in touch with B.G. Tilak in India, to whom he passed on manuals on bomb-making. Impressed and influenced by the Italian wars of Independence , Savarkar believed in an armed revolution in India and
1794-629: A gallery dedicated to earlier activists of Indian independence movement is housed within the memorial. Krishna Verma was disbarred from the Inner Temple in 1909. This decision was revisited in 2015, and a unanimous decision taken to posthumously re-instate him. Savarkar's stay at India House is today commemorated with a blue plaque by English Heritage . Members of India House have been commemorated at various times independent India. Bhikaji Cama, Krishna Varma, Savarkar, among others have had commemorative postage stamps released by India Post. V. N. Chatterjee
1932-429: A genuine Indian propaganda in this country by all practicable means". It recruited young Indian activists, raised funds, and possibly collected arms and maintained contact with revolutionary movements in India. When Savarkar came, he changed it as Indian Home Rule Society. The group professed support for causes in sympathy with its own, such as Turkish, Egyptian and Irish republican nationalism. The Paris Indian Society ,
2070-403: A journalist. As a first-class cricketer , he represented Cambridge University , Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and Sussex in thirteen matches as a right-handed batsman between 1864 and 1865. In 1866, Hyndman reported on the Italian war with Austria for The Pall Mall Gazette . Hyndman was horrified by the reality of war and became violently ill after visiting the front line. Hyndman met
2208-466: A lack of clarity and communication from the Department of Criminal Intelligence operating in India under Charles Cleveland , and Scotland Yard 's Special Branch. Lack of direction and information from Indian political intelligence, compounded by Lord Morley's reluctance to engage in postal censorship, led to Special Branch underestimating the threat. In spite of these problems, and although Special Branch
2346-533: A large number of nationalist students moving to the city, the Paris Indian Society gradually took India House's place as the centre of Indian nationalism on the continent. Although India House had stated its goals in The Indian Sociologist , the threat arising from the organisation was initially not considered serious by either Indian intelligence or British Special Branch . This was compounded by
2484-573: A last resort. His support was initially intellectual, and he was not actively involved in planning revolutionary violence. Freedom of the press and the liberal approach of the British establishment meant Krishna Varma could air views that would have been rapidly suppressed in India. The views expressed in TIS drew criticisms from ex-Indian civil servants in the British press and Parliament. Highlighting Krishna Varma's citation of British writers and lack of reference to Indian tradition or values, they argued that he
2622-631: A member of India House, Madan Lal Dhingra , assassinated Sir W.H. Curzon Wyllie , political aide-de-camp to the Secretary of State for India. The investigations by Scotland Yard and the Indian Political Intelligence Office that followed the assassination sent the organisation into decline. A crackdown on India House activities by the Metropolitan Police prompted a number of its members to leave Britain for France, Germany and
2760-659: A network of informants and spies. During World War I, this organisation, working with the French Political Police, called the Sûreté , was key in tracing the Indo-German conspiracy and attempted to assassinate ex-members of India House who were at the time planning a nationalist mutiny in British India. Somerset Maugham , who was among Wallinger's recruits, later based some of his characters and stories on his experiences during
2898-537: A penny monthly (with Spencer's dictum as its motto), as a challenge to the British Committee's Indian . The title of the publication was intended to convey Krishna Varma's conviction that the ideological basis of Indian independence from Britain was to the discipline of sociology. TIS was critical of the moderate loyalist approach and its appeal to British liberalism, exemplified by the work of Indian leader G.K. Gokhale ; instead, TIS advocated Indian self-rule. It
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#17328452214433036-446: A place of pilgrimage for figures such as Carlyle and Emerson . He died here on 25 July 1834 and is buried in the crypt of nearby St Michael's Church . The writer J. B. Priestley subsequently lived in the same house; a commemorative plaque marks the property. Henry Hyndman Henry Mayers Hyndman ( / ˈ h aɪ n d m ə n / ; 7 March 1842 – 22 November 1921) was an English writer, politician and socialist . Originally
3174-593: A political revolutionary journal published by Taraknath Das , closely mirroring The Indian Sociologist , moved from Vancouver and Seattle to New York in 1908. Das collaborated extensively with the Gaelic American with help from George Freeman before Free Hindustan was proscribed in 1910 under British diplomatic pressure. After 1910, the American east coast activities began to decline and gradually shifted to San Francisco. The arrival of Har Dayal around this time bridged
3312-600: A quarter of the total membership, were from Bengal and Punjab , while a significant but smaller group came from Bombay and Maharashtra . The Free India Society had a semi-religious oath of initiation, and served as a cover for the Abhinav Bharat Society's meetings. The members were predominantly Hindus. Most were students in their mid-twenties, and usually belonged to the Indian social elite, from families of millionaires, mill owners, lawyers and doctors. Nearly seventy people, including several women, regularly attended
3450-529: A range in Tottenham Court Road in central London, and rehearsed assassinations they planned to carry out. The deliveries of weapons to India included, among others, a number of Browning pistols smuggled by Chaturbhuj Amin, Chanjeri Rao, and V. V. S. Aiyar when they returned to India. Revolutionary literature was shipped under false covers and from different addresses to prevent detection by Indian postal authorities. Savarkar's The Indian War of Independence
3588-571: A resolution passed demanding Savarkar's release and his extradition to France. After World War I, ex-members of India House and erstwhile members of the Berlin Committee and the Indian revolutionary movement increasingly turned to the young Soviet Union, becoming closely associated with communism. The Berlin India Committee moved to Stockholm after the war. Led by V. N. Chatterjee, the committee wrote to Leon Trotsky to secure Bolshevik aid for
3726-499: A revolution. It emphasised actions of self-sacrifice by its members for the Indian cause. These were revolutionary activities which the masses could emulate, but which did not require a mass movement. The outbuilding of India House was converted to a "war workshop" where chemistry students attempted to produce explosives and manufacture bombs, while the printing press turned out "seditious" literature, including bomb-making manuals and pamphlets promoting violence toward Europeans in India. In
3864-466: Is 136 m (446 ft) above sea level at its highest point. The area is divided among three London boroughs : Haringey in the north and east, Camden in the south and west, and Islington in the south and east. The postal district is N6 . The name of the village is commonly / ˈ h aɪ ɡ eɪ t / . The London Underground in announcements at Highgate tube station uses the alternative pronunciation of / ˈ h aɪ ɡ ɪ t / , where
4002-421: Is a landmark on London's northern skyline. Inside, the chancel and choir stalls were done by G. E. Street in 1880. The pulpit dates from 1848. The present bench pews date from 1879, replacing box pews . The present organ is by Hill and Davidson, and was installed in 1885, replacing an earlier instrument of 1842. It was overhauled in 1985. There is a monument to Samuel Taylor Coleridge and his family in
4140-601: Is believed to have visited India House during one of his stays in London. In 1907, Cama, along with V.N. Chatterjee and S.R. Rana, attended the Socialist Congress of the Second International in Stuttgart . There, supported by Henry Hyndman, she demanded recognition of self-rule for India and in a famous gesture unfurled one of the first Flags of India . In 1904, Krishna Varma founded The Indian Sociologist (TIS),
4278-577: Is by William Hill and Sons, and installed in 1945 as a memorial to the local victims of the Second World War. On Friday 26 August 1988, Michael Williams, a 43-year-old father from Highgate who worked for the Home Office in Pimlico , disappeared while travelling back home after an employee social. His body was found at Highgate Wood the next day. The case remains unsolved despite being featured heavily in
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4416-585: Is commemorated at the Nehru Memorial Museum in New Delhi, where his name and photo is exhibited in a room for Indian revolutionaries. Dimitrov Museum in Leipzig housed a section on Chatterjee before it closed in 1989. Highgate Highgate is a suburban area of London at the northeastern corner of Hampstead Heath , 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (7 kilometres) north-northwest of Charing Cross . Highgate
4554-570: Is considered one of Savarkar's most influential works in developing and framing ideas of masculine Hinduism. Amongst Savarkar's work during his stay at India House was a history of the Maratha Confederacy which he described as an exemplary Hindu empire ( Hindu Padpadshahi ). Further, the Spencerian theories of evolutionism and functionalism that Savarkar examined at India House strongly influenced his social and political philosophy, and helped lay
4692-452: Is named in his honour. In 2010, a memorial named Kranti Teerth ( Lit : Warrior's rest) was unveiled in his home town of Mandavi in Gujarat by (then) chief minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi . Spread over 52 acres, the memorial complex houses a replica of India House building at Highgate along with statues of Krishna Varma and his wife. Urns containing Krishna Verma's ashes, those of his wife, and
4830-480: Is not simply justified, but imperative". A graduate of Balliol College, Oxford , he returned to India in the 1880s and served as divan (administrator) of a number of princely states , including Ratlam and Junagadh . He preferred this position to working under what he considered the alien rule of Britain. However, a supposed conspiracy of local British officials at Junagadh, compounded by differences between Crown authority and British Political Residents regarding
4968-757: Is now part of the Hampstead and Highgate (UK Parliament constituency) . Highgate is known for its pubs which line the old high street and surrounding streets. Some notable favourites are the Angel, the Flask , the Duke's Head and the Wrestlers. The 2011 census showed that the Highgate ward of Haringey was 82% white (60% British, 19% Other, 3% Irish). 40.9% of the ward were Christian, 7% Jewish and 3.8% Muslim. The Highgate ward of Camden meanwhile
5106-654: Is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has three active conservation organisations: the Highgate Society, the Highgate Neighbourhood Forum and the Highgate Conservation Area Advisory Committee, to protect and enhance its character and amenities. Until late Victorian times, it was a distinct village outside London, sitting astride the main road to the north. The area retains many green expanses, including
5244-550: Is practically a hot-bed of reaction from the social point of view. The young men regard all who are not technically "gentlemen" as "cads," just as the Athenians counted all who were not Greeks as barbarians . I was a thorough-going Radical and Republican in those days—theoretically ... with a great admiration for John Stuart Mill , and later, I remember, I regarded John Morley as the coming man. After his graduation in 1865, Hyndman studied law for two years before deciding to become
5382-414: Is predictable, insofar as it was characteristic of mid-Victorian liberalism. Lenin's view was anachronistic. Similarly anachronistic was Lenin's complaint that Hyndman 'very poorly understood in 1880 ... the difference between bourgeois democratic and a socialist'. For the difference was, often, not clear-cut; many socialists, including Marx, accepted the representative state. The 'association between Marx and
5520-513: The Bhagavad Gita ), and Savarkar's own studies in Indian history, including The Indian War of Independence . Savarkar translated Giuseppe Mazzini 's autobiography into Marathi and extolled the virtues of secret societies. India House was soon transformed into the headquarters of the Indian revolutionary movement in Britain. Its newest members were young men and women in London who came from all over India. A large number, each comprising about
5658-694: The Daily Mail , Manchester Guardian and Dispatch . By 1909, India House was under surveillance from Scotland Yard and Indian intelligence, and its activities were considerably curtailed. Savarkar's elder brother Ganesh was arrested in India in June of that year, and was tried and exiled to the penal colony in the Andamans for publication of seditionist literature. Savarkar's speeches grew increasingly strident and called for revolution, widespread violence, and murder of all Englishmen in India. The culmination of these events
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5796-585: The Vedanta Society (established by the Swami) in New York was at the time under Swami Abhedananda , who was considered "seditionist" by the British. In New York, Indian students and ex-residents of London India House took advantage of liberal press laws to circulate The Indian Sociologist and other nationalist literature. New York increasingly became an important centre for the global Indian movement; Free Hindustan ,
5934-473: The British East India Company 's rule in the Indian subcontinent during the 18th century brought about socio-economic changes which led to the rise of an Indian middle class and steadily eroded pre-colonial socio-religious institutions and barriers. The emerging economic and financial power of Indian business-owners and merchants and the professional class brought them increasingly into conflict with
6072-784: The Brussels Conference of the League against Imperialism . However support from Soviet Russia for Chatterjee's program waned as M. N. Roy , a Bengali revolutionary in Moscow previously of the Anushilan Samiti was considered more close to ideology of Marxism than Chatterjee's aims of nationalist revolution. Roy steadily developed the Indian Communist Party with Stalin's encouragement and support. Chatterjee and Pillai later moved to Soviet Russia where they are believed to have been shot in
6210-561: The Conservatives to run parliamentary candidates in Hampstead and Kensington , the objective being to split the Liberal vote and therefore enable the Conservative candidate to win. This ploy failed and the two SDF's candidates won only a total of 59 votes. The story leaked out and the political reputation of both men suffered because they had accepted "Tory gold". During the 1880s, Hyndman
6348-781: The French Socialist Party . M.P.T. Acharya was introduced to the socialist circle in Paris in 1910. With the help of the socialists in Paris, notably Jean Longuet , the Paris Indian Society brought pressure on the French Government when Savarkar was rearrested at Marseille after escaping from a ship that was deporting him to India. Acharya utillused press freedom in France and the socialist platform to press for Savarkar's re-extradition to France and built French public opinion in support of such moves. Under public pressure at home,
6486-635: The Ghadar Conspiracy , the Singapore Mutiny , and the Christmas Day Plot were the most notable. The threat posed by the conspiracy was key in the passage of the Defence of India Act 1915 , and suppression of the movement necessitated an international counter-intelligence operation on the part of the British empire lasting nearly ten years. Among the more famous recruits of this intelligence operation
6624-557: The Great Purge . A branch of the nationalist and revolutionary philosophy that arose from India House, especially from the works of V.D. Savarkar, was consolidated in India in the 1920s as an explicit ideology of Hindu nationalism . Exemplified by the Hindu Mahasabha , it was distinct from Gandhian devotionalism , and acquired the support of a mass movement that has been described by some as chauvinist. The Indian War of Independence
6762-707: The High Street was part of Hornsey parish and also later the Municipal Borough of Hornsey , and the seat of that borough's governing body for many years. Highgate Hill , the steep street linking Archway (traditionally called part of Upper Holloway) and Highgate village, was the route of the Highgate Hill Cable Tramway , the first cable car to be built in Europe. It operated between 1884 and 1909. Like much of London, Highgate suffered damage during World War II by German air raids . The local tube station
6900-561: The Indian Civil Service . The Indian Sociologist attracted considerable attention in London newspapers. Others, however, disagreed with these views and described India House's appeal as limited. S.D. Bhaba, president of the Indian Christian Union, once described Krishna Varma as a man "whose bark was worse than his bite". Under Savarkar, the organisation became the focus of the Indian revolutionary movement abroad and one of
7038-512: The Second Boer War and blaming "Jewish bankers" and " imperialist Judaism" as the cause of the conflict. Hyndman charged " Beit , Barnato and their fellow-Jews" as aiming to create "an Anglo-Hebraic Empire in Africa stretching from Egypt to Cape Colony ". Hyndman believed Jews were central to "a sinister 'gold international' opposed to the 'red international' of socialism". Hyndman supported
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#17328452214437176-636: The "General Rules" that Marx composed and passed as "a concession Marx made to Mazzini's followers within the organisation". Friedrich Engels , Marx's collaborator, "censured Hyndman's Mazzinian moralism" and also accused Hyndman of "jingo aspiration". Seamus Flaherty argues that "Hyndman's views on the beneficence of the 'great democracies of the English speaking peoples'" were inspired not by Benjamin Disraeli as historians such as Mark Bevir have argued, but rather by Dilke and Mill, whom Hyndman combined their ideas "on
7314-702: The Banshees ' bassist Steven Severin was born and brought up there. In 1817 the poet, aesthetic philosopher and critic Samuel Taylor Coleridge came to live at 3, The Grove, Highgate , the home of Dr James Gillman , in order to rehabilitate from his opium addiction. After Dr Gillman built a special wing for the poet, Coleridge lived there for the rest of his life, becoming known as the sage of Highgate. While here some of his most famous poems, though written years earlier, were first published including " Kubla Khan ". His literary autobiography, Biographia Literaria , appeared in 1817. While living there he became friends with his neighbour Joseph Hardman . His home became
7452-473: The British Indian Army. During the conspiracy, the revolutionaries collaborated extensively with the Irish Republican Brotherhood , Sinn Féin , Japanese patriotic societies, Ottoman Turkey and, most prominently, the German Foreign Office. The conspiracy has since been called the Hindu–German Conspiracy . Among other efforts, the alliance attempted to rally Afghanistan against British India. A number of failed mutinies erupted in India in 1914 and 1915, of which
7590-417: The British Raj. A rising political consciousness among the native Indian social elite (including lawyers, doctors, university graduates, government officials and similar groups) spawned an Indian identity and fed a growing nationalist sentiment in India in the last decades of the nineteenth century. The creation in 1885 of the Indian National Congress in India by the political reformer A.O. Hume intensified
7728-455: The Congress. Subsequently, Krishna Varma used his considerable financial resources to offer scholarships to Indian students in memory of leaders of the 1857 uprising , on the condition that the recipients would not accept any paid post or honorary office from the British Raj upon their return home. These scholarships were complemented by three endowments of 2000 Rupees courtesy S.R. Rana , in memory of Rana Pratap Singh . Open to "Indians only",
7866-411: The Free India Society, rapidly developed into a radical meeting ground quite different from the IHRS. Unlike the latter, it became wholly self-reliant with regard to finances and organisation, and it developed independent nationalist ideologies that moved away from European philosophies. Under Savarkar's influence, it drew inspiration from past Indian revolutionary movements, religious scriptures (including
8004-495: The French Government conceded and made a request to Britain, which was ultimately settled in Britain's favour at the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague . The Paris Indian Society became one of the most powerful Indian organisations outside India at the time, and grew to initiate contacts with not only French Socialists, but also those in continental Europe. It sent delegates to the International Socialist Congress in August 1910, where Krishna Varma and Iyer succeeded in having
8142-429: The IHRS garnered significant support from Indians – especially students – living in Britain. Funds received by Indian students as scholarships and bursaries from universities also found their way to the organisation. Following the model of Victorian public institutions, the IHRS adopted a constitution. The aim of the IHRS, clearly articulated in this constitution, was to "secure Home Rule for India, and to carry on
8280-490: The Indian Congress leader, Bal Gangadhar Tilak . He was associated with the nationalist movement in India, having founded the Abhinav Bharat Society (Young India Society) in 1906 while studying at Fergusson College in Pune (these links put him in contact with the still largely unknown Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi .) In London, Savarkar's fiery nationalist views had at first alienated the residents of India House, most significantly V.V.S. Aiyar . Over time, however, he became
8418-417: The Indian cause. British CID, concerned about the threat that Barkatullah's work posed to the empire, exerted diplomatic pressure to have Islamic Fraternity closed down in 1912. Barkatullah was denied tenure and was forced to leave Japan in 1914. Following the liquidation of India House in 1909 and 1910, its members gradually dispersed to different countries in Europe, including France and Germany, as well as
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#17328452214438556-400: The Indian seditionist movement in Britain. The police brought strong pressure on India House and began gathering intelligence on Indian students in London. These, along with threats to their careers, robbed India House of its student support base. It slowly began to disassemble as a centre of radical Indian Nationalism. As Thirumal Acharya described bitterly, the residence was treated akin to
8694-479: The Japanese centre lacked a strong leadership. He further feared interference from Japan, which was on friendly terms with Britain. Nonetheless, the presence of revolutionaries from Bengal and close correspondence between the London and Tokyo houses allowed the latter to gain prominence in The Indian Sociologist . The India House in Tokyo was a residence for sixteen Indian students in 1908; it accepted students from other Asian countries including Ceylon , aiming to build
8832-543: The SDF and took part in the negotiations to establish the Labour Representation Committee (LRC) in 1900. However, the SDF left the LRC when it became clear that it was deviating from the objectives he had set out. In 1911, he set up the British Socialist Party (BSP) when the SDF fused with a number of branches of the Independent Labour Party . Hyndman's thought was influenced by John Stuart Mill and his protégé John Morley as well as Charles Dilke , Henry Fawcett and Giuseppe Mazzini , Karl Marx "erstwhile adversary" at
8970-427: The SDF included William Morris and Karl Marx's daughter Eleanor Marx . However, Friedrich Engels , Marx's long-term collaborator, refused to support Hyndman's venture. Hyndman wrote the first popularisation of the ideas of Karl Marx in the English language with England for All in 1881. The book was extremely successful, a fact that stoked Marx's antipathy, given the fact that he had failed to credit Marx by name in
9108-419: The Square. Highgate is best known for the Victorian Highgate Cemetery , in which the Communist philosopher Karl Marx and the novelist George Eliot are buried, along with many other notable people. Adjoining is Holly Village, the first gated community , built in 1865, which is a Grade II* listed site. The village is at the top of Highgate Hill, which provides views across central London. Highgate
9246-532: The Sunday evening meetings at which Savarkar gave lectures on topics ranging from the philosophy of revolution to bomb-making and assassination techniques. Only a small proportion of these recruits to the society were known to have previously engaged in political activity or the Swadeshi movement in India. Abhinav Bharat Society had two goals: to create through propaganda in Europe and North America an Indian public opinion in favour of nationalist revolution, and to raise funds, knowledge and supplies to carry out such
9384-533: The United States in the Gaelic American . In addition, with the efforts of the growing Indian student population, other organisations mirroring India House emerged. The first of these was the Pan-Aryan Association, modelled after the Indian Home Rule Society, opened in 1906 through the joint Indo-Irish efforts of Mohammed Barkatullah , S.L. Joshi and George Freeman . Barkatullah himself had been closely associated with Krishna Varma during his earlier stay in London, and his subsequent career in Japan put Barkatullah at
9522-401: The United States. Many members of the house were involved in revolutionary conspiracies in India. The network created by India House played a key part in the Hindu–German Conspiracy for nationalist revolution in India during World War I. In the coming decades, India House alumni went on to play a leading role in the founding of Indian communism and Hindu nationalism . The consolidation of
9660-416: The United States. The network founded at India House was to be key in the efforts by the Indian revolutionary movement against the British Raj through World War I. During the war, the Berlin Committee in Germany, the Ghadar Party in North America, and the Indian revolutionary underground attempted to transport men and arms from United States and East Asia into India, intended for a revolution and mutiny in
9798-436: The Yard include a wish not to interfere with London investigations, a desire to maintain control over "C", and a fear of being accused of "deviousness" by the Yard. However, the DCI agent's first reports in early 1909 were of little value. Only in the months immediately preceding the Curzon Wyllie assassination did they prove useful. In June, the agent described the shooting practice at Tottenham Court range and rifle practice in
9936-650: The accused at the Hindu–German Conspiracy Trial . Many involved in the conspiracy subsequently moved to Soviet Russia. When the Communist Party of India was founded in Tashkent in October 1920, a number of its founding members, including M. P. T. Acharya, Virendranath Chatterjee, Champakaraman Pillai and Abdul Rab, had been associated with India House or the Paris Indian Society. Individuals like Acharya attended
10074-434: The adoption of nationalist and political philosophies from the west. Gandhi dismissively labelled this revolutionary violence as anarchist and its practitioners as "The Modernists". Some of his subsequent writings, including Hind Swaraj , were opposed to the activities of Savarkar and Dhingra, and disputed the argument that violence was innocent if perpetrated under a nationalist identity or while under Colonial victimhood. It
10212-441: The agitation against the Bengal partition) and Indian students in Britain criticised the committee for what they perceived as its overcautious approach. Against this background, coincident with the political upheaval caused by the 1905 partition of Bengal, a nationalist lawyer named Shyamji Krishna Varma founded India House in London. India House is a large Victorian Mansion at 65 Cromwell Avenue, Highgate , North London. It
10350-524: The antisemitic Viennese riots of 1885, arguing that they represented a blow against Jewish finance capital. Hyndman repeatedly denounced what he saw as the overwhelming power of "capitalist Jews on the London Press", believing that the "Semitic lords of the press" had created war in South Africa. Hyndman remained committed to conspiracies concerning Jews, remarking that "unless you said that they [Jews] were
10488-598: The attention of King Edward VII . Greatly concerned, the King asked John Morley , the Secretary of State for India , to stop the publication of such messages. Morley refused to take any action contrary to his liberal political principles, but Chirol's tirade against TIS and Krishna Varma forced the Government to investigate. Detectives visited India House and interviewed the printers of its publication. Krishna Varma saw these actions as
10626-462: The back of India House. This was followed by reports of Savarkar and V.V.S. Aiyar (who was considered his lieutenant) advising M.P.T. Acharya on acts of martyrdom. Following the arrest and subsequent transportation of Savarkar's elder brother Ganesh in India on 9 June 1909, C reported increasing ferocity and calls for vengeance in Savarkar's speeches. In the following weeks, Savarkar was barred from joining
10764-404: The bar due to his political activity. These were the events leading up to the assassination of Sir Curzon Wyllie. Although it was believed that Savarkar may have personally instructed or trained Dhingra, Metropolitan police were unable to bring a prosecution against the former since he had an alibi for the night. In the aftermath of Curzon Wyllie's assassination, Metropolitan Police Special Branch
10902-406: The city after moving to London. By 1908, he had recruited to the organisation a number of Indian businessmen residing in Paris. During one visit, Savarkar met Gandhi again when the latter visited India House in 1906 and 1909, and his hardline views may have influenced Gandhi's opinion on nationalist violence. India House, which now housed the Abhinav Bharat Society and its relatively peaceful front
11040-535: The colonial authorities and on the Indian revolutionary movement was profound at the time. The British empire had never been targeted in its own metropolis. Dhingra's last statement is said to have earned the admiration of Winston Churchill , who described it as the finest ever made in the name of Patriotism. India House and its activities had some influence on the subsequent nonviolent philosophy adopted by Gandhi. He had met some members of India House, including Savarkar, in London as well as in India, and disagreed with
11178-557: The decision was made to place an ex-Indian policeman in charge of surveillance of India House. The arrival of B.C. Pal and G.S. Khaparde in London in 1908 further stirred the matter, since both were known to have been radical nationalist politicians in India. By September 1908, an agent had been installed within India House who was able to invite detectives to the Sunday night meetings of the Free India Society (attendance for Europeans
11316-445: The eastern part of Hampstead Heath , three ancient woods, Waterlow Park and the eastern-facing slopes, known as Highgate bowl. At its centre is Highgate village, largely a collection of Georgian shops, pubs, restaurants and residential streets, interspersed with diverse landmarks such as St Michael's Church and steeple, St. Joseph's Church and its green copper dome, Highgate School (1565), Jacksons Lane arts centre, housed in
11454-454: The final syllable matches the last syllable in "frigate". Historically, Highgate adjoined the Bishop of London 's hunting estate. Highgate gets its name from these hunting grounds, as there was a high, deer-proof hedge surrounding the estate: 'the gate in the hedge'. The bishop kept a toll-house where one of the main northward roads out of London entered his land. A number of pubs sprang up along
11592-567: The form of a slate slab in the middle of the church. The church was damaged in the Second World War by enemy air raids and the present stained glass window at the east end was installed in 1954, replacing a window broken in the Blitz. It is one of the last works by Evie Hone and depicts the Last Supper . Further down Highgate Hill is the town's Roman Catholic parish church, St Joseph's . It
11730-642: The foundations of early Hindu nationalism. It charted the latter's approach to state, society and colonialism, and Spencer's doctrines led Savarkar to stress a "rationalist" and "scientific" approach to national evolution, as well as military aggression for national survival. A number of his ideas featured prominently in Savarkar's works well into his political writings and works with the Hindu Mahasabha . Krishna Varma's ashes along with those of his wife Bhanuben were repatriated to India in 2003 from Switzerland. Kachchh University , established by Gujarat government ,
11868-572: The gap between the intellectual agitators and the predominantly Punjabi labour workers and migrants, laying the foundations of the Ghadar movement . An India House was opened in Tokyo in 1907. The city – like London and New York – had by the end of the 19th century a steadily growing Indian student population, with whom Krishna Varma kept in close contact. However, Krishna Varma was initially concerned about spreading his resources too thin, especially since
12006-610: The heart of Indian political activities there. The American branch also invited Bhikaji Cama – who at the time was close to the works of Krishna Varma – to give a series of lectures in the United States. An India House, though not officially allied to the London organisation, was founded in Manhattan in New York in January 1908 with funds from a wealthy lawyer of Irish descent named Myron Phelps. Phelps admired Swami Vivekananda , and
12144-415: The house was an arsenal of small arms that were intermittently dispatched to India through different avenues. Savarkar was at the heart of these, spending a great deal of time in the explosives workshop and emerging on some evenings, according to a fellow revolutionary, "with telltale yellow stains of picric acid on his hands". The residents of India House and members of Abhinav Bharat practiced shooting at
12282-470: The introduction. The work was followed in 1883 by Socialism Made Plain which expounded the policies of what by then had been renamed as the SDF. They included a demand for universal suffrage and the nationalisation of the means of production and distribution. The SDF also published Justice , edited by the journalist Henry Hyde Champion . Many members of the SDF questioned Hyndman's leadership qualities. He
12420-439: The largest association of Indians in London. Subsequently, India House took over the control of LIS when, at the annual general meeting that year, members of India House packed the gathering and ousted the old guard of the society. The activities of India House did not go unnoticed. In addition to questions raised in official Indian and British circles, Savarkar's unrestrained views had been published in English newspapers including
12558-645: The leaders of the Italian nationalist movement and was generally sympathetic to their cause. In 1869, Hyndman toured the world, visiting the United States, Australia and several European countries. He continued to write for The Pall Mall Gazette , where he praised the British Empire and criticised those advocating for Irish Home Rule . Hyndman was also very opposed to politics of the United States . Hyndman married Matilda Ware (c. 1846–1913) in 1876 and then Rosalind Travers (c. 1875–1923) in 1914. Hyndman decided on
12696-428: The life of Ferdinand Lassalle . He became fascinated with Lassalle and decided to research this romantic hero who had been killed in a duel in 1864. Discovering that Lassalle had been a socialist, sometimes a friend and sometimes an adversary of Karl Marx , Hyndman read The Communist Manifesto . Although he had doubts about some of Marx's ideas, Hyndman was greatly impressed by his analysis of capitalism. Hyndman
12834-460: The most capable and brilliant people of the earth, you had the whole of their international agencies against you". Such antisemitism disillusioned erstwhile supporters. Eleanor Marx wrote privately to Wilhelm Liebknecht that "Mr Hyndman whenever he could do with impunity has endeavoured to set English workmen against foreigners". Hyndman had previously attacked Eleanor Marx in antisemitic terms, noting that she had "inherited in her nose and mouth
12972-467: The most important links between revolutionary violence in India and Britain. Although the organisation welcomed both moderates and those with extremist views, the former outnumbered the latter. Significantly, a number of the residents, especially those who agreed with Savarkar's views, did not have any history of participation in nationalist movements in India, suggesting they were indoctrinated during their stay at India House. More significantly, India House
13110-623: The most prominent for overseas revolutionary Indian nationalism . "India House" came to informally refer to the nationalist organisations that used the building at various times. Patrons of India House published an anti-colonialist newspaper, The Indian Sociologist , which the British Raj banned as " seditious ". A number of prominent Indian revolutionaries and nationalists were associated with India House, including Vinayak Damodar Savarkar , Bhikaji Cama , V.N. Chatterjee , Lala Har Dayal , V.V.S. Aiyar , M.P.T. Acharya and P.M. Bapat . In 1909,
13248-471: The name given to old boys of the school. These include T.S. Eliot , who taught the poet laureate John Betjeman there, Gerard Manley Hopkins the poet, the composers John Taverner and John Rutter , John Venn the inventor of Venn diagrams , actor Geoffrey Palmer , Anthony Crosland MP and Labour reformer, and the cabinet minister Charles Clarke . A blue plaque on a house at the top of North Hill notes that Charles Dickens stayed there in 1832, when he
13386-563: The national press and on the BBC 's TV programme Crimewatch . Highgate Cemetery is the burial place of Communist philosopher Karl Marx , Michael Faraday , Douglas Adams , George Eliot , Jacob Bronowski , Sir Ralph Richardson , Dawn Foster , Christina Rossetti , Sir Sidney Nolan , Alexander Litvinenko , Malcolm McLaren , Radclyffe Hall , Joseph Wolf and singer-songwriter George Michael . Many notable alumni have passed through Highgate School , either Masters or indeed Old Cholmeleians,
13524-410: The plan failed when the ambush stormed an empty decoy van while Savarkar was transported along a different route. In the following year, police and political sources brought pressure on the residents of India House to leave England. While some of its leaders like Krishna Varma had already fled to Europe, others like Chattopadhyaya moved to Germany. Many others moved to Paris. With the influence and work of
13662-449: The police and help corroborate the reports sent by Kirtikar. Although it pursued Indian students and shadowed them closely, Scotland Yard was severely criticised for its inability to penetrate the organisation. The Viceroy's secretary, William Lee-Warner, was assaulted twice in London: he was slapped in the face in his office by a young Bengali student named Kunjalal Bhattacharji and assaulted in
13800-810: The process by providing an important platform from which demands could be made for political liberalisation, increased autonomy, and social reform. The leaders of the Congress advocated dialogue and debate with the Raj administration to achieve their political goals. Distinct from these moderate voices (or loyalists) who did not preach or support violence was the nationalist movement, which grew particularly strong, radical and violent in Bengal and in Punjab . Notable, if smaller, movements also appeared in Maharashtra , Madras and other areas across
13938-433: The route, one of which, the Gatehouse, commemorates the toll-house. Hampstead Lane and Highgate Hill contain the red brick Victorian buildings of Highgate School and its adjacent Chapel of St Michael. The school has played a paramount role in the life of the village and has existed on its site since its founding was permitted by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I in 1565. The area north of Hampstead Lane and east of
14076-619: The second congress of the Communist International . Chatterjee and Acharya later worked with the League against Imperialism . Moving to Weimar Germany after the war, Chatterjee's program of revolutionary nationalism developed into the Indian Independence Party in 1922 which won Chicherin 's approval and Comintern funding. Chatto later joined the German Communist party. In 1927, Chatto accompanied Jawaharlal Nehru to
14214-583: The south in order to form an enlarged Holborn and St Pancras constituency from the 2010 general election . Since 1983 the northern half of Highgate village was part of the Hornsey and Wood Green constituency. Until 2023 the southern half of Highgate was in the Holborn & St Pancras Parliamentary constituency whose MP is Keir Starmer of the Labour Party , the party's current leader. The whole of Highgate Village
14352-497: The south. The controversial 1905 partition of Bengal escalated the growing unrest, stimulating radical nationalist sentiments and becoming a driving force for Indian revolutionaries. From its inception, the Congress had also sought to shape public opinion in Britain in favour of Indian political autonomy. The Congress's British Committee , established in 1889, published a periodical called India which featured moderate, loyalist opinion and provided information about India tailored to
14490-467: The start of a crackdown on his work and, fearing arrest, moved to Paris in 1907; he never returned to Britain. After Krishna Varma's departure, the organisation found a new leader in Vinayak Damodar Savarkar , a law student who had first arrived in London in 1906 on scholarship from Krishna Varma. Savarkar was an admirer of the Italian nationalist philosopher Giuseppe Mazzini and a protégé of
14628-507: The states, led to Varma's dismissal. He returned to England, where he found freedom of expression more favourable. Varma's views were staunchly anti-colonial , extending even to support for the Boers during the Second Boer War in 1899. Krishna Varma co-founded the IHRS in February 1905, with Bhikaji Cama, S.R. Rana , Lala Lajpat Rai and others, as a rival organisation to the British Committee of
14766-418: The strong influence that India House had on this group. This was while India House was under the stewardship of Shyamji Krishna Varma. Indian students who discussed the community at the time described the growing influence of India House – especially in the context of the 1905 partition of Bengal – and attributed to this influence the decrease in the number of Indian applicants for Government posts and
14904-593: The time also included the publication of Islamic Fraternity , which was financed by the Ottoman Empire . Barkatullah transformed it into an anti-British mouthpiece, invited contributions from Krishna Varma, and advocated Hindu–Muslim unity in India. He published other nationalist pamphlets which found their way to the Pacific coast and East Asian settlements. Further, Barkatullah established links with prominent Japanese politicians including Okawa Shumei , whom he won over to
15042-529: The time of the First International . According to Hyndman, "Mazzini's greatness ... was obscured for younger socialists by his 'opposition to Marx in the early days of the 'International,' and his vigorous condemnation a little later of the Paris Commune ", insisting that "'Mazzini's conception of the conduct of human life' had been 'a high and noble one'", praising the "No duties without rights" mention in
15180-605: The unique character of 'the Angloe-Saxon race' with Mazzini's cosmopolitan patriotism, thus constructing a nationalism fully compatible with 'a good internationalism'. In his two volume autobiography, Hyndman spoke at length about Mazzini, even comparing him to Marx. For Vladimir Lenin , "that Hyndman should do so was preposterous; more astonishing still was that Hyndman should admire Mazzini". However, Flaherty writes that "when situated within its proper context, Hyndman's 'intellectual republicanism', so far from being unintelligible,
15318-486: The war. From the time it was founded, India House cultivated a close relationship with socialist movements in Europe. Prominent Socialists of the time like Henry Hyndman were closely linked to the house. Cama cultivated a close relationship with French Socilaists and Russian communists. The IHRS delegation to Stuttgart in 1907 is known to have met with Hyndman, Karl Liebknecht , Jean Jaurès , Rosa Luxemburg and Ramsay MacDonald . Chatterjee moved to Paris in 1909 and joined
15456-450: Was John Morley , the Secretary of State for India himself. Savarkar possessed a copy of a written political statement by Dhingra which was confiscated at the latter's arrest. Its existence was denied by police, but through Irish sympathiser David Garnett Savarkar had this published in the Daily News on the day Dhingra was sentenced to death. A number of sources suggested the assassination
15594-479: Was Lewis Vulliamy , and in 1831 his original drawings for the church were exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts . From the late 17th century until 1830 Ashhurst House, the home of former Lord Mayor of London Sir William Ashhurst , stood on the site of the church. The remains of the house's cellar now form part of the church's crypt. The church's spire, built of Bath stone , with a cross of Portland stone ,
15732-733: Was W. Somerset Maugham , tasked to assassinate V. N. Chatterjee , who worked with the Berlin committee. At this time, the foundation was laid for British counter-intelligence operations against the Indian revolutionary movement. In January 1910, John Arnold Wallinger , the Superintendent of Police at Bombay, was reassigned to the India Office in London, where he established the Indian Political Intelligence Office . Wallinger used his considerable skills to establish contacts with police officials in London, Paris and throughout continental Europe, creating
15870-678: Was 20 years old. Peter Sellers lived as a boy in a cottage in Muswell Hill Road, where his mother had moved in order to send him to the Catholic St Aloysius Boys' School in Hornsey Lane. In Victorian times St Mary Magdalene House of Charity in Highgate was a refuge for former prostitutes—"fallen women"—where Christina Rossetti was a volunteer from 1859 to 1870. It may have inspired her best-known poem, Goblin Market . Siouxsie and
16008-577: Was 80% white (61% British, 15% Other, 4% Irish), and 3% Black African. 37.5% of the ward were Christian, 5.1% Muslim. and 4.2% Jewish. Highgate's main Church of England parish church, St Michael's , is situated close to the summit of the hill, and is the highest church in Greater London. It was built as one of the Commissioners' churches in 1831 and consecrated and opened on 8 November 1832. The architect
16146-659: Was a prominent member of the Irish National Land League and the Land League of Great Britain. He took part in the unemployed demonstrations of 1887 and was put on trial for his share in the West End Riots of 1886, but he was acquitted. Hyndman was chairman at the International Socialist Congress held in London in 1896. He was pro- Boer during the second Boer War . Hyndman continued to lead
16284-488: Was a source of arms and seditious literature that was rapidly distributed in India. In addition to The Indian Sociologist , pamphlets like Bande Mataram and Oh Martyrs! by Savarkar extolled revolutionary violence. Direct influences and incitement from India House were noted in several incidents of political violence, including assassinations, in India at the time. One of the two charges against Savarkar during his trial in Bombay
16422-541: Was against this strategy of revolutionary violence – and in recognition of its consequences – that the formative background of Gandhian nonviolence was framed. Following the example laid by the original India House, India Houses were opened in the United States and in Japan. Krishna Varma had built close contacts with the Irish Republican movement . As a result, articles from The Indian Sociologist were reprinted in
16560-467: Was also greatly influenced by the book Progress and Poverty and the ideology of Henry George known today as Georgism . Hyndman decided to form Britain's first socialist political party. The Social Democratic Federation (SDF) had its first meeting on 7 June 1881. Many socialists were concerned that in the past Hyndman had been opposed to socialist ideas, but Hyndman persuaded many that he had genuinely changed his views and those who eventually joined
16698-485: Was at the time growing steadily among this group, especially those in touch with the professional class in India and those studying in depth the philosophies of European liberalism. Their discontent was noted among British academic and political circles quite early on, with some voicing fear that these students would take refuge in extremist politics. A committee set up in 1907 under Sir William Lee-Warner to investigate political unrest among Indian students in Britain noted
16836-504: Was by invitation only). The agent passed on some additional information, but was not able to infiltrate Savarkar's inner circle. Savarkar himself did not come under special scrutiny as a dangerous suspect until November 1909, when the agent delivered information about discussions of assassinations at Indian House. The agent may have been a young Maharashtrian by the name of Kirtikar, who had arrived at India House as an acquaintance of V.V.S. Aiyar, ostensibly to study dentistry in London. Kirtikar
16974-776: Was critical of the British Committee, whose members – being mostly from the Indian Civil Service – were in Krishna Varma's view complicit in exploitation of India. TIS quoted extensively from the works of British writers, which Krishna Varma interpreted to explain his views that the Raj was colonial exploitation, and that the Indians had a right to oppose it, by violence if necessary. It advocated confrontation and demands rather than petition and accommodation. However, Krishna Varma's views and justifications of political violence in nationalist struggle were still cautious, considering violence as
17112-412: Was designed by Albert Vickers, and built in 1888, replacing an earlier, smaller church of 1861. Although St Joseph's Church was opened in 1889 by the Bishop of Liverpool , it was not until 1932, when its debts were cleared, that it was officially consecrated. The church has a distinctive copper dome with a green patina, and the interior of the dome was painted by Nathaniel Westlake in 1891. The organ
17250-429: Was disconnected from the Indian situation and Indian feelings, and was intellectually dependent on Britain. Valentine Chirol , foreign editor of The Times , who had close associations with the Raj, accused Krishna Varma of preaching "disloyal sentiments" to Indian students, and demanded he be prosecuted. Chirol later described India House as "the most dangerous organisation outside India". Krishna Varma and TIS also drew
17388-508: Was discovered after Aiyar made enquiries at the London Hospital where he was supposed to be training, and was one night forced by Savarkar to confess at gun-point. After this incident, Kirtikar's reports were probably screened by Savarkar before they were passed on to Scotland Yard. M.P.T. Acharya was at this time instructed by Aiyar and Savarkar to set himself up as an informer to Scotland Yard; they believed this would provide information to
17526-577: Was extremely authoritarian and tried to restrict internal debate about party policy. At an SDF meeting on 27 December 1884, the executive voted by a majority of two (10–8) that it had no confidence in Hyndman. When he refused to resign, some members, including William Morris and Eleanor Marx, left the party, forming the Socialist League . In the 1885 general election , Hyndman and Henry Hyde Champion, without consulting their colleagues, accepted £340 from
17664-610: Was for abetting the murder of the District Magistrate of Nasik , A.M.T. Jackson , by Anant Kanhere in December 1909. The arms used were directly traced through an Italian courier to India House. Ex-India House residents M.P.T. Acharya and V.V.S. Aiyar were noted in the Rowlatt report to have aided and influenced political assassinations, including the murder of Robert D'Escourt Ashe at the hands of Vanchi Iyer . The Paris-Safranski link
17802-498: Was in fact Savarkar's idea, and that he planned further action in Britain as well as India. In March 1910, Savarkar was arrested upon his return to London from Paris and later deported to India. While he was held at Brixton Prison during the deportation hearing, an attempt was made in May 1910 by the remnant of India House to storm his prison van and free him. This plot was coordinated with help from Irish republicans led by Maud Gonne . However,
17940-687: Was inaugurated on 1 July 1905 by Henry Hyndman in a ceremony attended by, among others, Dadabhai Naoroji , Charlotte Despard and Bhikaji Cama When opened as a student-hostel in 1905, it provided accommodation for up to thirty students. In addition to being a student-hostel, the mansion also served as the headquarters for several organisations, the first of which was the Indian Home Rule Society (IHRS). Krishna Varma admired Swami Dayananda Saraswati 's cultural nationalism and believed in Herbert Spencer 's dictum that "Resistance to aggression
18078-716: Was prepared to seek assistance from Germany toward this end. He proposed the indoctrination of Indian soldiery in the British army, just as the Young Italy movement had indoctrinated Italians serving in the Austrian forces. In London, Savarkar founded the Free India Society (FIS), and in December 1906 he opened a branch of Abhinav Bharat . This organisation drew a number of radical Indian students, including P.M. Bapat , V.V.S. Aiyar, Madanlal Dhingra, and V.N. Chatterjee . Savarkar had lived in Paris for some time, and frequently visited
18216-567: Was published (in 1909) and was considered inflammatory enough to be removed from the catalogue of the British Library to prevent Indian students from accessing it. Sometime in 1908, India House acquired a manual for making bombs. Some suggest Savarkar acquired this in the French capital from a bomb manual given to Hemchandra Das – a Bengali revolutionary of the Anushilan Samiti – by
18354-503: Was reorganised in July 1909 following a meeting between India Office and the Commissioner of Police Sir Edward Henry . This led to the opening of an Indian Special Branch with a staff of 38 officers by the end of July. It received considerable resources during the investigation of Curzon Wyllie's assassination, and satisfied the demands of Indian Criminal Intelligence with regard to monitoring
18492-540: Was strongly suggested by French police to be involved in the 1907 attempt in Bengal to derail the train carrying the Lieutenant-Governor Sir Andrew Fraser . The activities of nationalists abroad is believed to have shaken the loyalty of a number of native regiments of the British Indian Army . The assassination of Curzon Wyllie was highly publicised. The symbolic impact of Dhingra's actions on
18630-706: Was the assassination of Sir William H. Curzon Wyllie , the political aide-de-camp to the Secretary of State for India , by Madanlal Dhingra on the evening of 1 July 1909, at a meeting of Indian students in the Imperial Institute in London. Dhingra was arrested and later tried and executed. In the aftermath of the assassination, India House was rapidly shut down. Investigations into the killing were expanded to look for broader conspiracies originating from India House; although Scotland Yard stated that none existed, Indian intelligence sources suggested otherwise. These sources further suggested that Dhingra's intended target
18768-547: Was the first author to popularise Marx's works in English. The son of a wealthy businessman, Hyndman was born on 7 March 1842 in London. After being educated at home, he entered Trinity College, Cambridge . Hyndman later recalled: I had the ordinary education of a well-to-do boy and young man. I read mathematics hard until I went to Cambridge, where I ought, of course, to have read them harder, and then I gave them up altogether and devoted myself to amusement and general literature. ... Trinity or, for that matter, any other college,
18906-546: Was used as a bomb shelter. Highgate New Town is a post-war estate adjacent to the cemetery, designed by Camden Council with similarities to the Alexandra Road estate . Between 1983 and 2010 Highgate was part of the Hampstead and Highgate constituency. The Boundary Commission report of 2003 recommended removing the Camden part of Highgate from the remainder of that constituency and joining it with Kentish Town and Holborn to
19044-525: Was wholly inexperienced in dealing with political crime, the first observations of India House by Scotland Yard began as early as 1905. Detectives attended Sunday meetings at India House in May 1907, where they gained access to seditious literature. The appearance of one agent, disguised as an Irish-American by the name of O'Brien, convinced Krishna Varma of the need to decamp to Paris. In June 1908, concrete plans for cooperation between Indian and British police were arranged between India Office and Scotland Yard;
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