What was the Swadeshi Movement?

The Swadeshi Movement began in 1905 as a protest against Lord Curzon’s partition of Bengal. “Swadeshi” means “of one’s own country”.

People boycotted British goods, especially cloth, and promoted Indian-made products. Bonfires of foreign cloth were held, and Indian industries, banks and shops were set up. National schools and colleges were started as alternatives to British-run institutions. Rabindranath Tagore wrote “Amar Shonar Bangla” during this period, and Rakhi Bandhan was celebrated as a symbol of unity.

The movement spread beyond Bengal, giving the freedom struggle a mass base for the first time. The idea of swadeshi later became central to Gandhi’s campaigns.