India House

India House was a prominent political and intellectual centre established in London in the early twentieth century by Indian nationalists living abroad. Founded in 1905 by Shyamji Krishna Varma, it served as a meeting place, hostel, and hub for revolutionary activities dedicated to the cause of India’s independence from British colonial rule. India House became the nucleus of Indian nationalist and radical thought in Britain, inspiring a generation of young revolutionaries and shaping the transnational dimensions of India’s freedom movement.

Background and Establishment

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, London had become a magnet for Indian students pursuing higher education, as well as for political reformers seeking to engage with British intellectual and political circles. At the same time, increasing discontent with British rule in India led many young Indians to seek more assertive means of achieving independence.
In this context, Shyamji Krishna Varma (1857–1930), a barrister educated at Balliol College, Oxford, and a scholar of Sanskrit, conceived the idea of creating an organisation that would nurture Indian self-respect, promote nationalist education, and provide a base for anti-colonial propaganda.
In July 1905, he established India House at 65 Cromwell Avenue, Highgate, North London, with the declared aim of supporting Indian students and promoting political discussion on Indian self-governance. Shyamji financed it through his personal resources and donations from sympathetic Indian patriots.

Objectives and Ideology

The principal objectives of India House were both educational and political:

• To provide affordable accommodation for Indian students studying in Britain.
• To foster intellectual self-reliance and national pride among young Indians.
• To serve as a centre for political debate, publications, and nationalist education.
• To counter British imperial propaganda by spreading awareness of India’s plight.

While initially presented as a cultural and residential institution, India House quickly evolved into a centre for revolutionary nationalism, promoting complete independence (Purna Swaraj) rather than constitutional reforms. Its ideology drew inspiration from Swami Dayananda Saraswati’s Arya Samaj, Giuseppe Mazzini’s republicanism, and Herbert Spencer’s liberal philosophy.
Shyamji Krishna Varma emphasised the principle of Swaraj—self-rule—and encouraged Indians to cultivate courage, self-reliance, and resistance to colonial domination.

Activities and Publications

India House functioned as both a residence and a political training ground for young Indian nationalists. It organised lectures, debates, and meetings where students discussed political theory, revolutionary movements, and the future of India.
The intellectual activities of India House were supported by the Indian Home Rule Society (IHRS), founded by Shyamji Krishna Varma in 1905, which acted as the formal organisation attached to the house. Its objectives were to secure Home Rule for India and to promote cooperation among Indian nationalists residing in Britain.
Publications:

• The most influential publication associated with India House was the Indian Sociologist, a monthly journal launched by Shyamji Krishna Varma in 1905.
• The periodical propagated nationalist and anti-colonial ideas, criticised British policies, and championed Indian self-rule.
• Its motto, “Resistance to tyranny is obedience to God”, reflected its militant tone.
• The journal was circulated widely in Europe, India, and among the Indian diaspora, though it was banned several times by the British authorities for sedition.

Key Members and Associates

India House attracted a group of talented and passionate Indian students who would later become central figures in India’s revolutionary movement. Prominent among them were:

• Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (1883–1966): One of the most distinguished residents, Savarkar became the ideological leader of the group. He organised revolutionary study circles, inspired young Indians to take up arms, and translated Mazzini’s writings into Marathi. He also authored The Indian War of Independence (1857), interpreting the 1857 Revolt as a national war against British rule.
• Lala Hardayal: A scholar and later founder of the Ghadar Movement in the United States, he was associated with the intellectual debates at India House.
• V. V. S. Aiyar: A Tamil revolutionary who later became a leading figure in the Indian freedom struggle.
• Madam Bhikaji Cama: A close supporter of India House activities and an influential figure in the Indian nationalist movement in Europe.
• Taraknath Das, M. P. T. Acharya, and Sardar Singh Rana: Other notable revolutionaries who were in touch with India House.

India House also attracted sympathetic Europeans, such as Henry Hyndman, leader of the Social Democratic Federation, and Irish nationalists who drew parallels between their own struggle and India’s cause.

Revolutionary Activities and Radicalisation

By 1907, under Savarkar’s influence, India House had transformed from a students’ hostel into a hotbed of revolutionary nationalism. It became a centre for training in the use of arms, dissemination of revolutionary literature, and planning of anti-colonial actions.
Activities included:

• Study of revolutionary movements such as those in Ireland, Russia, and Italy.
• Procurement and training with firearms.
• Circulation of banned literature, including works by Mazzini, Rousseau, and Indian revolutionaries.
• Formation of secret societies to prepare for armed struggle in India.

Savarkar encouraged Indian students to dedicate themselves to the cause of liberation, famously declaring that “Freedom can only be won by the sword.”

The Curzon Wyllie Incident and Decline of India House

The revolutionary fervour at India House reached a turning point on 1 July 1909, when Madan Lal Dhingra, a member of the organisation, assassinated Sir William Hutt Curzon Wyllie, a senior British official, at a public event in London. Dhingra’s act was intended as a protest against British rule and a symbol of Indian resistance.
The assassination sent shockwaves through Britain and India. It provoked severe repression of Indian nationalists in England and brought India House under intense surveillance by British intelligence.
As a result:

• The Indian Sociologist was banned.
• Shyamji Krishna Varma, facing prosecution, fled to Paris and later to Geneva, where he continued his political work until his death.
• Savarkar was arrested in 1910 for sedition and conspiracy, extradited to India, and sentenced to transportation to the Cellular Jail in the Andaman Islands.
• India House was closed down and its members dispersed across Europe, the United States, and India.

By 1910, India House had ceased to function as a physical entity, but its ideological legacy persisted.

Influence and Legacy

Though short-lived, India House played a vital role in shaping the early revolutionary phase of the Indian independence movement. Its impact can be assessed in several ways:
1. Birthplace of Revolutionary Nationalism: It transformed Indian political discourse in Britain from moderate petitions for reform to demands for complete independence through militant means.
2. Inspiration for Global Movements: Many former residents and associates of India House went on to influence revolutionary movements across the world—such as the Ghadar Movement in North America and the Berlin Committee during World War I.
3. Intellectual and Ideological Contribution: India House nurtured early Indian political thinkers who challenged colonial narratives, emphasised self-reliance, and propagated the idea of Swaraj decades before it became mainstream in Indian politics.
4. Contribution to Pan-Indian Consciousness: The organisation brought together Indians from diverse linguistic, religious, and regional backgrounds, united by the common goal of national liberation.

Historical Assessment

Historians view India House as a significant milestone in the transnational history of Indian nationalism. It was among the first efforts to internationalise the Indian freedom struggle and build solidarity with global anti-imperialist movements.
Although the British government branded it a centre of sedition, later generations of Indians hailed it as the cradle of revolutionary nationalism abroad. Shyamji Krishna Varma, Savarkar, and their associates are now remembered as pioneers who broadened the ideological spectrum of India’s independence movement beyond constitutional politics.