Swadeshi Movement


Swadeshi literally means of one's own country. It implied that people should use goods produced within the country. This would help promote Indian industries and strengthen the nation. It would also generate patriotism. The promotion of swadeshi was accompanied by the advocacy of boycott. The two were complementary. It was realised that by organizing the boycott of foreign goods were mainly British sale of these goods would suffer. This would hurt Britain's economic interests and the British govt would be forced to concede to Indian demands. Swadeshi and Boycott led to the strengthening of political activity all over India. British cloth, sugar and other goods were boycotted. Shops selling foreign goods were picketed. In many places public burnings of cloth were organized. The extremists were keen to extend boycott to other things. They advocated the relentless boycott of officialized education, justice and executive administration backed by the positive development of swadeshi industries, national schools and arbitration courts. This method of agitation against foreign rule came to be known as the passive resistance.