Swaraj Party - Revision history

Dwps: expand citations for accuracy

2026-02-10T14:14:01Z

expand citations for accuracy

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:44, 10 February 2026
Line 1:		Line 1:
	{{More citations needed\|date=December 2009}}		{{More citations needed\|date=December 2009}}
			{{Use dmy dates\|date=August 2024}}
			{{Use Indian English\|date=August 2024}}
			{{distinguish\|Swaraj india}}
	{{Infobox Indian Political Party		{{Infobox Indian Political Party
	\| party_name = Swaraj Party ~~(স্বরাজ দল)~~		\| party_name = Swaraj Party
	\| ~~party_logo~~ =		\| colorcode = {{party color\|Swaraj Party}}
	\| ~~colorcode~~ = ~~#010987~~		\| party_logo =
	\| ~~founder~~ = [[Chittaranjan Das]], [[Motilal Nehru]]		\| leader = [[Chittaranjan Das]]
	~~\| leader =~~ [[~~Motilal Nehru~~]]		\| secretary = [[Motilal Nehru]], [[Birendranath Sasmal]], [[Vithalbhai Patel]]<ref>{{Cite book \|last1=Mukherjee \|first1=Subrata \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YqdxEQAAQBAJ&dq=Birendranath+Sasmal+swaraj+party&pg=PT41 \|title=Gandhi's Critics \|last2=Ramaswamy \|first2=Sushila \|date=2025-08-29 \|publisher=Taylor & Francis \|isbn=978-1-040-36381-2 \|language=en}}</ref>
	\| ~~secretary~~ = [[Motilal Nehru]]		\| founder = Chittaranjan Das, Motilal Nehru
	\| loksabha_leader =		\| loksabha_leader =
	\| rajyasabha_leader =		\| rajyasabha_leader =
	\| foundation = {{start date and age\|1 January 1923}}		\| foundation = {{start date and age\|1 January 1923}}
	\| dissolution = {{end date and age\|1935}}		\| dissolution = {{end date and age\|1935}}
	\| ~~merged~~ = [[Indian National Congress]]		\| split = [[Indian National Congress]]
	\| ~~split~~ = [[Indian National Congress]]		\| merged = Indian National Congress
	\| ~~eci =~~		\| ideology =
	~~\| alliance~~ =		\| position =
	\| position =		\| colours = {{Colorsample\|{{party color\|Swaraj Party}}}} Sandal
	~~\| loksabha_seats =~~
	~~\| rajyasabha_seats =~~
	~~\| youth =~~
	~~\| ideology~~ =
	\|colours = {{Colorsample\|~~#330066~~}}
	~~\| headquarters =~~
	~~\| publication =~~
	~~\| symbol =~~
	~~\| website =~~
	}}		}}
			The '''Swaraj Party''', established as the '''Congress-Khilafat Swaraj Party''', was a political party formed in India on 1 January 1923 after the [[Gaya, India\|Gaya]] annual conference in December 1922.
	The '''Swaraj Party''', established as the ''Congress-Khilafat Swaraj Party'', was a political party formed in India on 1 January 1923 after the [[Gaya, India\|Gaya]] annual conference in December 1922 ~~of the National Congress, that sought greater self-government and [[political freedom]] for the Indian people from the [[British Raj]]~~.

	It was inspired by the concept of [[Swaraj]]. In [[Hindi]] and many other [[languages of India]], ''swaraj'' means "independence" or "self-rule." The two most important leaders were [[Chittaranjan Das]], its president, and [[Motilal Nehru]], its secretary.

	Das and Nehru thought of contesting elections to enter the legislative council with a view to obstructing a foreign government. Many candidates of the Swaraj Party were elected to the central legislative assembly and provincial legislative council in the 1923 elections. In these legislatures, they strongly opposed the unjust government policies.<ref>{{cite book \|last=Chandra \|first=Bipan \|title=India's Struggle for Independence \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0q7xH06NrFkC&pg=PT286 \|date=2000 \|publisher=Penguin Books Limited \|pages=249–251 \|isbn=978-81-8475-183-3}}</ref>

	As a result of the Bengal Partition, the Swaraj Party won the most seats during elections to the [[Bengal Legislative Council]] in 1923. The party disintegrated after the death of C. R. Das.<ref>{{cite book \|last=Misra \|first=Chitta Ranjan \|year=2012 \|chapter=Bengal Pact, 1923 \|chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Bengal_Pact,_1923 \|editor1-last=Islam \|editor1-first=Sirajul \|editor1-link=Sirajul Islam \|editor2-last=Jamal \|editor2-first=Ahmed A. \|title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh \|edition=Second \|publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]]}}</ref>

	==Chauri Chaura==		==Chauri Chaura==
	The Swaraj Party was formed on 1 January 1923 by Indian politicians and members of the [[Indian National Congress]] who had opposed [[Mahatma]]'s suspension of all [[civil resistance]] on 12 February 1922 in response to the [[Chauri Chaura incident\|Chauri Chaura tragedy]], where policemen were killed by a mob of protestors. Gandhi felt responsible for the killings, reproached himself for not emphasizing ~~non-violence~~ more firmly, and feared that the entire [[Non-Cooperation Movement]] could degenerate into an orgy of violence between the British-controlled army and police and mobs of freedom-fighters, alienating and hurting millions of common Indians. He went on a fast-unto-death to convince all Indians to stop civil resistance. The Congress and other nationalist groups disavowed all activities of disobedience.		The Swaraj Party was formed on 1 January 1923 by Indian politicians and members of the [[Indian National Congress]] who had opposed [[Mahatma Gandhi]]'s suspension of all [[civil resistance]] on 12 February 1922 in response to the [[Chauri Chaura incident\|Chauri Chaura tragedy]], where policemen were killed by a mob of protestors. Gandhi felt responsible for the killings, reproached himself for not emphasizing nonviolence more firmly, and feared that the entire [[Non-Cooperation Movement]] could degenerate<ref name="So">{{Citation \|title=Conclusion \|work=Obsession \|date=2008 \|pages=235–244 \|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.7208/chicago/9780226137797.003.0010 \|access-date=2024-03-04 \|publisher=University of Chicago Press\|doi=10.7208/chicago/9780226137797.003.0010 \|isbn=978-0-226-13784-1 \|url-access=subscription }}</ref> into an orgy of violence between the British-controlled army and police and mobs of freedom-fighters, alienating and hurting millions of common Indians. He went on a fast-unto-death to convince all Indians to stop civil resistance. The Congress and other nationalist groups disavowed all activities of disobedience.

	However, many Indians felt that the Non-Cooperation Movement should not have been suspended over an isolated incident of violence, and that its astonishing success was actually close to breaking the back of British rule in India. These people became disillusioned with Gandhi's political judgments and instincts.		However, many Indians felt that the Non-Cooperation Movement should not have been suspended over an isolated incident of violence, and that its astonishing success was actually close to breaking the back of British rule in India. These people became disillusioned with Gandhi's political judgments and instincts.
Line 43:		Line 30:
	Gandhi and most of the Congress party rejected the provincial and central legislative councils created by the British to offer some participation for Indians. They argued that the councils were rigged with un-elected allies of the British, and too un-democratic and simply "rubber stamps" of the [[Governor-General of India\|Viceroy]].		Gandhi and most of the Congress party rejected the provincial and central legislative councils created by the British to offer some participation for Indians. They argued that the councils were rigged with un-elected allies of the British, and too un-democratic and simply "rubber stamps" of the [[Governor-General of India\|Viceroy]].

	In December 1922, [[Chittaranjan Das]], [[Narasimha Chintaman Kelkar]] and [[Motilal Nehru]] formed the Congress-Khilafat Swarajaya Party with Das as the president and Nehru as one of the secretaries. Other prominent leaders included [[Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy]] and [[Subhas Chandra Bose]] of [[Bengal]], [[Vithalbhai Patel]] and other Congress leaders who were becoming dissatisfied with the Congress. The other group was the 'No-Changers', who had accepted Gandhi's decision to withdraw the movement.		In December 1922, [[Chittaranjan Das]], [[Narasimha Chintaman Kelkar]] and [[Motilal Nehru]] formed the Congress-Khilafat Swarajaya Party with Das as the president and Nehru as one of the secretaries. Other prominent leaders included [[Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy]], [[Birendranath Sasmal]] and [[Subhas Chandra Bose]] of [[Bengal]], [[Vithalbhai Patel]] and other Congress leaders who were becoming dissatisfied with the Congress.<ref>{{Cite book \|last1=Mukherjee \|first1=Subrata \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YqdxEQAAQBAJ&dq=Birendranath+Sasmal+swaraj+party&pg=PT41 \|title=Gandhi's Critics \|last2=Ramaswamy \|first2=Sushila \|date=2025-08-29 \|publisher=Taylor & Francis \|isbn=978-1-040-36381-2 \|language=en}}</ref> The other group was the 'No-Changers', who had accepted Gandhi's decision to withdraw the movement.

	Now both the Swarajists and the No-Changers were engaged in a fierce political struggle, but both were determined to avoid the disastrous experience of the 1907 split at Surat. On the advice of Gandhi, the two groups decided to remain in the Congress but to work in their separate ways. There was no basic difference between the two.		Now both the Swarajists and the No-Changers were engaged in a fierce political struggle, but both were determined to avoid the disastrous experience of the 1907 split at Surat. On the advice of Gandhi, the two groups decided to remain in the Congress but to work in their separate ways. There was no basic difference between the two.

	In the [[1923 Indian general election]], Swarajist members(45/145) were elected to the councils. Vithalbhai Patel became the president of the [[Central Legislative Assembly]].		In the [[1923 Indian general election]], Swarajist members (45/145) were elected to the councils.{{Clarification needed\|date=May 2025}} Vithalbhai Patel became the president of the [[Central Legislative Assembly]].

	At a meeting on 30 December 1923, the general council of the party demanded the establishment of fully responsible government for India. They demanded that the government start by releasing political prisoners, suspending all repressive laws and orders, and convening a round table conference to negotiate the principles of a constitution for India.<ref>{{Cite book \|last=Bakshi \|first=Shiri Ram \|year=1995 \|orig-year=First published 1989 \|title=Swaraj Party and Gandhi \|location=New Delhi \|publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Distributors \|pages=3–5 \|isbn=978-81-7156-144-5}}</ref>		At a meeting on 30 December 1923, the general council of the party demanded the establishment of fully responsible government for India. They demanded that the government start by releasing political prisoners, suspending all repressive laws and orders, and convening a round table conference to negotiate the principles of a constitution for India.<ref>{{Cite book \|last=Bakshi \|first=Shiri Ram \|year=1995 \|orig-year=First published 1989 \|title=Swaraj Party and Gandhi \|location=New Delhi \|publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Distributors \|pages=3–5 \|isbn=978-81-7156-144-5}}</ref>
Line 131:		Line 118:

	==References==		==References==
	~~<references />~~		{{reflist}}

	{{Indian independence movement}}		{{Indian independence movement}}

UpdateBot: robot: Update article (please report if you notice any mistake or error in this edit)

2022-05-18T17:28:03Z

robot: Update article (please report if you notice any mistake or error in this edit)

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:58, 18 May 2022
Line 5:		Line 5:
	\| colorcode = #010987		\| colorcode = #010987
	\| founder = [[Chittaranjan Das]], [[Motilal Nehru]]		\| founder = [[Chittaranjan Das]], [[Motilal Nehru]]
	\| leader = [[~~Chittaranjan Das~~]]		\| leader = [[Motilal Nehru]]
	\| secretary = [[Motilal Nehru]]		\| secretary = [[Motilal Nehru]]
	\| loksabha_leader =		\| loksabha_leader =
Line 136:		Line 136:

	[[Category:Indian independence movement]]		[[Category:Indian independence movement]]
			[[Category:Indian National Congress breakaway groups]]
	[[Category:Defunct political parties in India]]		[[Category:Defunct political parties in India]]
	[[Category:1923 establishments in India]]		[[Category:1923 establishments in India]]

->Billjones94 at 10:25, 8 January 2022

2022-01-08T10:25:19Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:55, 8 January 2022
Line 1:		Line 1:
	{{More citations needed\|date=December 2009}}		{{More citations needed\|date=December 2009}}

	{{Infobox Indian Political Party		{{Infobox Indian Political Party
	\| party_name = Swaraj Party (স্বরাজ দল)		\| party_name = Swaraj Party (স্বরাজ দল)
	\| party_logo =		\| party_logo =
	\| colorcode = #010987		\| colorcode = #010987
	\| founder = [[Chittaranjan Das]], [[Motilal Nehru~~], [Dr.Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari~~]]		\| founder = [[Chittaranjan Das]], [[Motilal Nehru]]
	\| leader = [[Chittaranjan Das]]		\| leader = [[Chittaranjan Das]]
	\| secretary = [[Motilal Nehru]]		\| secretary = [[Motilal Nehru]]
	\| loksabha_leader =		\| loksabha_leader =
	\| rajyasabha_leader =		\| rajyasabha_leader =
	\| foundation = 1 January 1923		\| foundation = {{start date and age\|1 January 1923}}
	\| dissolution = 1935		\| dissolution = {{end date and age\|1935}}
	\| merged = [[Indian National Congress]]		\| merged = [[Indian National Congress]]
	\| split = [[Indian National Congress]]		\| split = [[Indian National Congress]]
Line 28:		Line 27:
	}}		}}

	The '''Swaraj Party''' ~~was~~ established as the Congress-Khilafat Swaraj Party~~. It~~ was a political party formed in India in 1 January 1923 after the [[Gaya, India\|Gaya]] annual conference in December 1922 of the National Congress, that sought greater self-government and [[political freedom]] for the Indian people from the [[British Raj]].		The '''Swaraj Party''', established as the ''Congress-Khilafat Swaraj Party'', was a political party formed in India on 1 January 1923 after the [[Gaya, India\|Gaya]] annual conference in December 1922 of the National Congress, that sought greater self-government and [[political freedom]] for the Indian people from the [[British Raj]].

	It was inspired by the concept of [[Swaraj]]. In [[Hindi]] and many other [[languages of India]], ''swaraj'' means "independence" or "self-rule~~.The main Architects of Swaraj Party were Pandit Motilal Nehru, C.R.Das and Dr.Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari~~. " The two most important leaders were [[Chittaranjan Das]], ~~who was~~ its president and [[Motilal Nehru]], ~~who was~~ its secretary.		It was inspired by the concept of [[Swaraj]]. In [[Hindi]] and many other [[languages of India]], ''swaraj'' means "independence" or "self-rule." The two most important leaders were [[Chittaranjan Das]], its president, and [[Motilal Nehru]], its secretary.

	Das and Nehru thought of contesting elections to enter the legislative council with a view to obstructing a foreign government. Many candidates of the Swaraj Party ~~got~~ elected to the central legislative assembly and provincial legislative council in the 1923 elections. In these legislatures, they strongly opposed the unjust government policies.<ref>{{cite book \|last=Chandra \|first=Bipan \|title=India's Struggle for Independence \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0q7xH06NrFkC&pg=PT286 \|date=2000 \|publisher=Penguin Books Limited \|pages=249–251 \|isbn=978-81-8475-183-3}}</ref>		Das and Nehru thought of contesting elections to enter the legislative council with a view to obstructing a foreign government. Many candidates of the Swaraj Party were elected to the central legislative assembly and provincial legislative council in the 1923 elections. In these legislatures, they strongly opposed the unjust government policies.<ref>{{cite book \|last=Chandra \|first=Bipan \|title=India's Struggle for Independence \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0q7xH06NrFkC&pg=PT286 \|date=2000 \|publisher=Penguin Books Limited \|pages=249–251 \|isbn=978-81-8475-183-3}}</ref>

	As a result of the Bengal Partition, the Swaraj Party won the most seats during elections to the [[Bengal Legislative Council]] in 1923. The party disintegrated after the death of C. R. Das.<ref>{{cite book \|last=Misra \|first=Chitta Ranjan \|year=2012 \|chapter=Bengal Pact, 1923 \|chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Bengal_Pact,_1923 \|editor1-last=Islam \|editor1-first=Sirajul \|editor1-link=Sirajul Islam \|editor2-last=Jamal \|editor2-first=Ahmed A. \|title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh \|edition=Second \|publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]]}}</ref>		As a result of the Bengal Partition, the Swaraj Party won the most seats during elections to the [[Bengal Legislative Council]] in 1923. The party disintegrated after the death of C. R. Das.<ref>{{cite book \|last=Misra \|first=Chitta Ranjan \|year=2012 \|chapter=Bengal Pact, 1923 \|chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Bengal_Pact,_1923 \|editor1-last=Islam \|editor1-first=Sirajul \|editor1-link=Sirajul Islam \|editor2-last=Jamal \|editor2-first=Ahmed A. \|title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh \|edition=Second \|publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]]}}</ref>

	==Chauri Chaura==		==Chauri Chaura==
	The Swaraj Party was formed on 1 January 1923 by Indian politicians and members of the [[Indian National Congress]] who had opposed [[Mahatma]]'s suspension of all civil resistance on 12 February 1922 in response to the [[Chauri Chaura incident\|Chauri Chaura tragedy]], where policemen were killed by ~~angry~~ protestors. Gandhi felt responsible for the killings, reproached himself for not emphasizing non-violence more firmly, and feared that the entire [[Non-Cooperation Movement]] could degenerate into an orgy of violence between the British-controlled army and police and mobs of freedom-fighters, alienating and hurting millions of common Indians. He went on a fast-unto-death to convince all Indians to stop civil resistance. The Congress and other nationalist groups disavowed all activities of disobedience.		The Swaraj Party was formed on 1 January 1923 by Indian politicians and members of the [[Indian National Congress]] who had opposed [[Mahatma]]'s suspension of all [[civil resistance]] on 12 February 1922 in response to the [[Chauri Chaura incident\|Chauri Chaura tragedy]], where policemen were killed by a mob of protestors. Gandhi felt responsible for the killings, reproached himself for not emphasizing non-violence more firmly, and feared that the entire [[Non-Cooperation Movement]] could degenerate into an orgy of violence between the British-controlled army and police and mobs of freedom-fighters, alienating and hurting millions of common Indians. He went on a fast-unto-death to convince all Indians to stop civil resistance. The Congress and other nationalist groups disavowed all activities of disobedience.

	~~But~~ many Indians felt that the Non-Cooperation Movement should not have been suspended over an isolated incident of violence, and that its astonishing success was actually close to breaking the back of British rule in India. These people became disillusioned with Gandhi's political judgments and instincts.		However, many Indians felt that the Non-Cooperation Movement should not have been suspended over an isolated incident of violence, and that its astonishing success was actually close to breaking the back of British rule in India. These people became disillusioned with Gandhi's political judgments and instincts.

	==Council entry==		==Council entry==
	Gandhi and most of the Congress party rejected the provincial and central legislative councils created by the British to offer some participation for Indians. They argued that the councils were rigged with un-elected allies of the British, and too un-democratic and simply "rubber stamps" of ~~'''~~		Gandhi and most of the Congress party rejected the provincial and central legislative councils created by the British to offer some participation for Indians. They argued that the councils were rigged with un-elected allies of the British, and too un-democratic and simply "rubber stamps" of the [[Governor-General of India\|Viceroy]].
	#
	~~# '''~~[[Governor-General of India\|Viceroy]].~~'''~~

	In December 1922, [[Chittaranjan Das]], [[Narasimha Chintaman Kelkar]] and [[Motilal Nehru]] formed the Congress-Khilafat Swarajaya Party with Das as the president and Nehru as one of the secretaries. Other prominent leaders included [[Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy]] and [[Subhas Chandra Bose]] of [[Bengal]], [[Vithalbhai Patel]] and other Congress leaders who were becoming dissatisfied with the Congress. The other group was the 'No-Changers', who had accepted Gandhi's decision to withdraw the movement.		In December 1922, [[Chittaranjan Das]], [[Narasimha Chintaman Kelkar]] and [[Motilal Nehru]] formed the Congress-Khilafat Swarajaya Party with Das as the president and Nehru as one of the secretaries. Other prominent leaders included [[Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy]] and [[Subhas Chandra Bose]] of [[Bengal]], [[Vithalbhai Patel]] and other Congress leaders who were becoming dissatisfied with the Congress. The other group was the 'No-Changers', who had accepted Gandhi's decision to withdraw the movement.
Line 56:		Line 53:
	However, the legislatures had very limited powers, and apart from some heated parliamentary debates, and procedural stand-offs with the British authorities, the core mission of obstructing British rule failed.		However, the legislatures had very limited powers, and apart from some heated parliamentary debates, and procedural stand-offs with the British authorities, the core mission of obstructing British rule failed.

	With the death of Chittaranjan Das in 1925, and with Motilal Nehru's return to the Congress the following year, the Swaraj ~~party~~ was greatly weakened.		With the death of Chittaranjan Das in 1925, and with Motilal Nehru's return to the Congress the following year, the Swaraj Party was greatly weakened.

	==Pro-Changers and No-Changers, and the Simon Commission==		==Pro-Changers and No-Changers, and the Simon Commission==
Line 75:		Line 72:
	! width="200px" align="left"\|Presidents of the Madras Province Swarajya Party		! width="200px" align="left"\|Presidents of the Madras Province Swarajya Party
	! Term start		! Term start
	! Term ~~End~~		! Term end
	\|-		\|-
	\| [[S. Srinivasa Iyengar]]		\| [[S. Srinivasa Iyengar]]

103.211.53.138 at 09:12, 10 August 2021

2021-08-10T09:12:45Z

New page

{{More citations needed|date=December 2009}}

{{Infobox Indian Political Party
| party_name = Swaraj Party (স্বরাজ দল)
| party_logo =
| colorcode = #010987
| founder = [[Chittaranjan Das]], [[Motilal Nehru], [Dr.Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari]]
| leader = [[Chittaranjan Das]]
| secretary = [[Motilal Nehru]]
| loksabha_leader =
| rajyasabha_leader =
| foundation = 1 January 1923
| dissolution = 1935
| merged = [[Indian National Congress]]
| split = [[Indian National Congress]]
| eci =
| alliance =
| position =
| loksabha_seats =
| rajyasabha_seats =
| youth =
| ideology =
|colours = {{Colorsample|#330066}}
| headquarters =
| publication =
| symbol =
| website =
}}

The '''Swaraj Party''' was established as the Congress-Khilafat Swaraj Party. It was a political party formed in India in 1 January 1923 after the [[Gaya, India|Gaya]] annual conference in December 1922 of the National Congress, that sought greater self-government and [[political freedom]] for the Indian people from the [[British Raj]].

It was inspired by the concept of [[Swaraj]]. In [[Hindi]] and many other [[languages of India]], ''swaraj'' means "independence" or "self-rule.The main Architects of Swaraj Party were Pandit Motilal Nehru, C.R.Das and Dr.Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari. " The two most important leaders were [[Chittaranjan Das]], who was its president and [[Motilal Nehru]], who was its secretary.

Das and Nehru thought of contesting elections to enter the legislative council with a view to obstructing a foreign government. Many candidates of the Swaraj Party got elected to the central legislative assembly and provincial legislative council in the 1923 elections. In these legislatures, they strongly opposed the unjust government policies.<ref>{{cite book |last=Chandra |first=Bipan |title=India's Struggle for Independence |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0q7xH06NrFkC&pg=PT286 |date=2000 |publisher=Penguin Books Limited |pages=249–251 |isbn=978-81-8475-183-3}}</ref>

As a result of the Bengal Partition, the Swaraj Party won the most seats during elections to the [[Bengal Legislative Council]] in 1923. The party disintegrated after the death of C. R. Das.<ref>{{cite book |last=Misra |first=Chitta Ranjan |year=2012 |chapter=Bengal Pact, 1923 |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Bengal_Pact,_1923 |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]]}}</ref>

==Chauri Chaura==
The Swaraj Party was formed on 1 January 1923 by Indian politicians and members of the [[Indian National Congress]] who had opposed [[Mahatma]]'s suspension of all civil resistance on 12 February 1922 in response to the [[Chauri Chaura incident|Chauri Chaura tragedy]], where policemen were killed by angry protestors. Gandhi felt responsible for the killings, reproached himself for not emphasizing non-violence more firmly, and feared that the entire [[Non-Cooperation Movement]] could degenerate into an orgy of violence between the British-controlled army and police and mobs of freedom-fighters, alienating and hurting millions of common Indians. He went on a fast-unto-death to convince all Indians to stop civil resistance. The Congress and other nationalist groups disavowed all activities of disobedience.

But many Indians felt that the Non-Cooperation Movement should not have been suspended over an isolated incident of violence, and that its astonishing success was actually close to breaking the back of British rule in India. These people became disillusioned with Gandhi's political judgments and instincts.

==Council entry==
Gandhi and most of the Congress party rejected the provincial and central legislative councils created by the British to offer some participation for Indians. They argued that the councils were rigged with un-elected allies of the British, and too un-democratic and simply "rubber stamps" of '''
#
# '''[[Governor-General of India|Viceroy]].'''

In December 1922, [[Chittaranjan Das]], [[Narasimha Chintaman Kelkar]] and [[Motilal Nehru]] formed the Congress-Khilafat Swarajaya Party with Das as the president and Nehru as one of the secretaries. Other prominent leaders included [[Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy]] and [[Subhas Chandra Bose]] of [[Bengal]], [[Vithalbhai Patel]] and other Congress leaders who were becoming dissatisfied with the Congress. The other group was the 'No-Changers', who had accepted Gandhi's decision to withdraw the movement.

Now both the Swarajists and the No-Changers were engaged in a fierce political struggle, but both were determined to avoid the disastrous experience of the 1907 split at Surat. On the advice of Gandhi, the two groups decided to remain in the Congress but to work in their separate ways. There was no basic difference between the two.

In the [[1923 Indian general election]], Swarajist members(45/145) were elected to the councils. Vithalbhai Patel became the president of the [[Central Legislative Assembly]].

At a meeting on 30 December 1923, the general council of the party demanded the establishment of fully responsible government for India. They demanded that the government start by releasing political prisoners, suspending all repressive laws and orders, and convening a round table conference to negotiate the principles of a constitution for India.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bakshi |first=Shiri Ram |year=1995 |orig-year=First published 1989 |title=Swaraj Party and Gandhi |location=New Delhi |publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Distributors |pages=3–5 |isbn=978-81-7156-144-5}}</ref>

However, the legislatures had very limited powers, and apart from some heated parliamentary debates, and procedural stand-offs with the British authorities, the core mission of obstructing British rule failed.

With the death of Chittaranjan Das in 1925, and with Motilal Nehru's return to the Congress the following year, the Swaraj party was greatly weakened.

==Pro-Changers and No-Changers, and the Simon Commission==
After his release from prison in 1924, Gandhi sought to bring back the Swarajists to the Congress and re-unite the party. Gandhi's supporters were in a vast majority in the Congress, and the Congress still remained India's largest political party, but Gandhi felt it necessary to heal the divide with the Swarajists, so as to heal the nation's wounds over the 1922 suspension.

The Swarajists sought more representation in the Congress offices, and an end to the mandatory requirement for Congressmen to spin [[khadi]] cloth and do social service as a prerequisite for office. This was opposed by Gandhi's supporters, men like [[Vallabhbhai Patel]], [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] and [[Rajendra Prasad]], who became known as the ''No Changers'' as opposed to the Swarajist ''Changers''. Gandhi relaxed the rules on spinning and named some Swarajists to important positions in the Congress Party. He also encouraged the Congress to support those Swarajists elected to the councils, so as not to embarrass them and leave them rudderless before the British authorities.

When the [[Simon Commission]] arrived in India in 1928, millions of Indians were infuriated with the idea of an all-British committee writing proposals for Indian constitutional reforms without any Indian member or consultations with the Indian people. The Congress created a committee to write Indian proposals for constitutional reforms, headed by now Congress President Motilal Nehru. The death of [[Lala Lajpat Rai]], beaten by police in [[Punjab region|Punjab]] further infuriated India. People rallied around the Nehru Report and old political divisions and wounds were forgotten, and [[Vithalbhai Patel]] and all Swarajist councillors resigned in protest.

Between 1929 and 1937, the Indian National Congress would declare the independence of India and launch the [[Salt Satyagraha]]. In this tumultuous period, the Swaraj Party was defunct as its members quietly dissolved into the Congress fold.

==Madras Province Swarajya Party==
The Madras Province Swarajya Party was established in 1923. [[S. Satyamurti]] and [[S. Srinivasa Iyengar]] led the party. The party contested in all provincial elections between 1923 and 1934 with the exception of the 1930 election which it did not participate officially due to the [[Civil Disobedience Movement]], though some of the members of the party contested for office as independents. The party emerged as the single largest party in the 1926 and 1934 Assembly elections but refused to form the provincial government under the existing dyarchy system. In 1934, the Madras Province Swarajya Party merged with the All India Swarajya Party which subsequently merged with the [[Indian National Congress]] when it contested the 1935 elections to the [[Imperial Legislative Council]] under the [[Government of India Act 1935]].

From 1935 onward, the Swarajya Party ceased to exist and was succeeded by the Indian National Congress in the elections to the Imperial Legislative Council as well as the [[Madras Legislative Council]].

{| class="wikitable" align="center"
! width="200px" align="left"|Presidents of the Madras Province Swarajya Party
! Term start
! Term End
|-
| [[S. Srinivasa Iyengar]]
| 1923
| 1930
|-
| [[Sathyamurthy]]
| 1930
| 1935
|}

===Performance of the Madras Provincial Swarajya Party===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Elections
! Seats in Madras Assembly
! Assembly Seats won
! Total number of Council seats
! Members nominated to the council
! Result
! Party President
|-
| 1923
| align="right" | 98
| align="right" | 20
| align="right" | 29
| align="right" |
| align="right" |
|
|-
| 1926
| align="right" |98
| align="right" |41
| align="right" |34
| align="right" |
| align="right" |
| [[S. Srinivasa Iyengar]]
|-
| 1930
| colspan="4" align="center"| '''Did not participate in the elections due to [[Civil Disobedience Movement]]'''
| align="right" |
|
|-
| 1934
| align="right" | 98
| align="right" |
| align="right" | 29
| align="right" |
| align="right" |
|
|}

==See also==
* [[Free Press of India]]
* [[Indian Nationalism]]
* [[K.M. Munshi]]
* [[Abdul Hameed Khan]]

==References==
<references />

{{Indian independence movement}}

[[Category:Indian independence movement]]
[[Category:Defunct political parties in India]]
[[Category:1923 establishments in India]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 1923]]
[[Category:Political parties disestablished in 1935]]
[[Category:1935 disestablishments in India]]