Revisiting the Indo-German ‘Conspiracy’article also stated that the English were faced with conspiracies and secret societies everywhere and these were spreading and aided from

179 Nijjar: Revisiting the Conspiracy

Revisiting the Indo-German ‘Conspiracy’

Sharanjeet Nijjar

Guru Gobind Singh Khalsa College, Sarhali, Tarn Taran, Punjab _______________________________________________________________

The First World War broke out in Europe in August 1914. It provided a new hope for the

Ghadarites to take advantage of the opportunity and organise an armed revolt against

British rule in India and achieve liberation. The Ghadarites wanted to drive the British

out of India through an armed insurrection. With the hope of achieving a successful

revolution, they formulated an alliance with anti-British countries such as Germany and

Turkey. During the course of the War, the Ghadar leadership in the USA held regular

meetings with German agents. In 1915, they organised an Indo-German ‘Conspiracy’

(also known as Hindu German ‘Conspiracy’), effectively a German plot with the aim of

overthrowing British rule in India. With the assistance of the Germans, an Indo-German

Mission was also sent to Kabul to get favour of the Amir of Afghanistan to fight tyranny

of British rule in India.

_______________________________________________________________

Introduction

The Ghadar Movement was formed by Indian immigrants on the West Coast of

America with the aim to propagate their programme and get freedom from the

British rule through an armed revolution. It brought out a weekly newspaper called

Ghadar in November 1913, first in Urdu and then in Punjabi and many other Indian

languages. Henceforth, it came to be known as the Ghadar Party. The party heavily

emphasized people’s unity and cautioned against the divide and rule policies of the

British Government. The Ghadar was an important mouthpiece of the movement.

By using this as weapon against the British, the Ghadarites published several forms

of literature, such as poems and opinion pieces in this paper and made people more

aware of the economic exploitation carried out by the British Government. The

outbreak of the First World War provided hope for the Ghadarites in the United

States to organise an armed revolt for overthrow of the British from India. For this

purpose, whatever assistance they could get from anti-British powers, especially

Germany, became essential. As a response, Germany also declared its support to the

Ghadarites in their anti-British struggle. The present paper provides a focus on Indo-

German designs against the British Empire during the World War I.

Germany, the First World War and the Ghadar Party

The First World War started between Germany and England on August 4, 1914.

It delighted the Indian revolutionaries living abroad in North America. For them,

it was at the same time a signal and a hope. They had been anticipating such an

event for a long time and eagerly looked forward to the day when the British

would be involved in the War with Germany. For them England’s difficulty was

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India’s opportunity.1 However, with the beginning of the War, the Ghadarites

tried to get support from anti-British countries. In the USA and Germany, they

renewed their efforts to enlist the sympathy and support of the Germans.2 Even

from the beginning, Indian revolutionaries had toyed with the idea of securing

foreign help in the hour of Britain’s difficulty. But the most important question

was with whom was Britain most likely to be in difficult and from whom help

might be secured and what prior preparations should be made for that purpose?

In November 1909, for the first time, Germany was referred to by them as the

chief enemy of Britain. In 1913-14, the Ghadar literature was replete with

references to the approaching Anglo-German War and possible German help in

their revolutionary struggle.3 Germany was also interested in supporting the

Indian revolutionaries. It showed in Kaiser Wilhelm’s (Emperor of Germany)

speech on July 14, 1914, two weeks before the War began. He said:

“Our Consuls in Turkey and India, agents etc. must enflame

the entire Mohammedan world to wild revolt against this

hated, mendacious, conscienceless nation of shop keepers (the

English), for if we have to bleed ourselves to death, then

England should at least loose India”.4

The year 1914 saw a new turn in the history of the relation between Germany

and the Indian revolutionaries. In October 1914, F. Von Bernhardi (General in

German Army) published his book entitled Germany and the Next War. In this

book, he mentioned the possibility of revolution breaking out in India and Egypt

if British military forces were tied up for a long time with a European War.5 This

book was translated into English and widely acclaimed by Indian revolutionaries

as a secure sign of German willingness to help.6 On 6th March 1914, the Berliner

Tageblatt published an article on “England’s Indian Trouble” in which he took

a gloomy view of the Indian situation and predicted that the day of reckoning

for England would come “far sooner than official negligence dreams of”. The

article also stated that the English were faced with conspiracies and secret

societies everywhere and these were spreading and aided from outside.7

Number of references with German connection were also found in the

Ghadar paper even before the War. The Ghadar constantly incites its readers to

rebel against the British because the Germans would help all Indian

revolutionaries in their struggle to free India from British colonialism. In the

issue of July 21, 1914, an article entitled The Ghadar in Switzerland -

Connection with Germany was published. The writer argued that Germany will

assuredly help any movement for the independence of India, because the

prosperity of England is an eyesore of India. Therefore, it is essential that

friendly relations should be established with journalists and political leaders. In

future, Germany will be the best refuge for those Indian patriots who have to

live away from their country.8 The same issue of the Ghadar contained a most

significant reference to Germany and the Mutiny:

“All intelligent people know Germany is an enemy of the

Great Britain. We also are the mortal enemy of the British

Government and an enemy of my enemy is my friend. As the


day of revolution approaches, Germany will most assuredly

help us. It is imperative to be friends with the German

correspondences and political leaders and that they should be

given information as to the progress of our movement. In the

future, those patriots who are exiled would do to choose

Germany as the country to live in”.9

On September 1, 1914, the Ghadar advised Indians to go back to India as it

indicated that Turkey would ally with Germany against the British. It praised

Germany as “the leader of Persia, Turkey, India and all the weak and subject

nations”. A Mohammedan patriot wrote an article relating to the war between

England and Turkey and indicates that it would be a good time to strike a blow

for the freedom of India from British rule.10 In the issue of September 8, 1914,

a Punjabi poem was published:

“Mulk wich mucha deo ghadr Jaldi

Hun lok bhi rang wata chale”

Ughar gia frangi da paj sara

German fateh England te pa chale”

Lea mar France da mulk sara

Rare Rus wi dand bhana chale”11

Even before his departure from the USA, Lala Hardayal is said to have

remarked, “If I am turned out of this country (U.S.A.), I can make preparations

for the mutiny in any other country. Our organization and our arrangements are

so complete that the Ghadar will not be stopped by my leaving the country. I

shall have to go Germany to make arrangements for the approaching Ghadar”.12

Maulvi Barakatullah wrote a paper entitled “Christian combination against

Islam” in which he made the following remarks:

“There is really one man who holds the peace of the world as

well as the War in the hallow of his hand and that man is

Kaiser Wilhelm, Emperor of Germany. Russia, England,

France and Italy moved heavens and earth to create rebellion

and disturbances within the Ottoman dominions, to egg the

Balkan States on to a War against Turkey, to encourage the

Cretans to join the Greeks and to force the passage into the

Dardanelles, and finally are trying to call a conference of

European powers - all this to compel Turkey to give up

Tripoli. But the Emperor of Germany set all their tricks at

naught and maintained the peace of the world and integrity of

the Ottoman Empire. In case there be a conference of the

European powers or a European War, it is the duty of the

Muslims to be united, to stand by the Khalifa, with their life

and property, and to side with Germany. Germany’s word

alone is reliable; while the others blow the trumpet of

independence, integrity, civilization and progress, but they at

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the same time go marching along through bloodshed,

desecration of holy places, rapine and plunder”.13

In early 1915, A. Raman Pillai, an Indian student in Germany, wrote a pamphlet

entitled “Germany: The Hope of India” in which he brought out the stock

changes against British rule in India and explains the real feelings of Indians

towards their rulers. He asserted “The Indians who are fighting against Germany

are the enemies of India, they are merely a handful of beggars who serve the

English for the piece of bread thrown to them. It is life-long wish of every Indian

to free his country from the claws of the greedy English”.14

However, the deepening European crisis brought the Ghadarites and German

officials closer. The Ghadarites in the United States and their counterparts

(Berlin India Committee) in Germany were trying to act or conspire together

and two basic circumstances developed to help them. First, the growing

animosity between Germany and Britain. Secondly, they anticipated isolation

and neutrality of the United States in the event of a war between the two other

powers.15 In early years of the War, Germany realized that India was a crucial

piece of the British Empire and Germans were too happy to provide India with

the means to fight England. No doubt, the Ghadar party welcomed German

financing due to a shortage of funds. The cooperation was based on give and

take as referred to by Sohan Singh Josh: you give us arms and ammunition and

train our people for revolution in India and we shall in return, create conditions

of destabilization and revolution through armed struggle and to pay the way after

the German victory.16 At the time of the Komagata Maru incident, there was no

evidence that Indian revolutionaries received assistance from Germany.17

However, after outbreak of the War, leaders of the Ghadar Party started

informing the Indians about the incident of Komagata Maru. Both the War and

the Komagata Maru incidents encouraged Ghadar to increase their mobilization

activities. Meetings were arranged throughout the United States and leaders

appealed to the people to return to their motherland to drive the Feringee out of

India and end their suffering. It was natural that they should try to obtain help

from Germany.18

During the course of the War, on the one hand, Ghadarites were appealing

the Indians to go back to their country for revolution and on the other, they were

trying to get support of the Germans against the British.19 The Indian

revolutionaries living in Europe met in Berlin under the leadership of H.L.

Gupta, a Bengali terrorist leader. They approached the Kaiser Wilhelm’s

Government for help to drive the British out of India. The Germans wanted to

win the War in Europe. They thought that the British were getting troops from

all of their vast empire to fight in France. Most of these colonial troops came

from India, especially the Punjab, in their hundreds and thousands. If the Indians

could stir up a rebellion, the British army would be occupied up in India itself

to restore order. Thus, the British and the French could be defeated in Europe.

Moreover, the British would prefer defeat in Europe than to lose India.20

However, the Germans had two goals in mind in supporting the Ghadar

conspiracy. First, they wanted armed rebellion in India to occur so that the


British would be forced to send back the loyal Indian army from the Western

front to India. Secondly, they sought to instill an anti-British spirit among the

Indian soldiers on the Western front by playing upon the nationalist feelings of

the Hindu sepoys and the religious pro-Turkish feelings of the Muslim soldiers,

so that they wouldn’t fight with the same intensity against German troops, but

surrender after creating a sham of military operations.21 Captain Franz Von

Papen, German Officer in Washington D.C. summed up the German

Government’s motives for helping the Ghadar Party in its conspiracy in the

following way:

“We did not go so far as to suppose that there was any hope

of India achieving her Independence through our assistance,

but if there was any chance of fomenting local disorders, we

felt it might limit the number of Indian troops who could be

sent to France and other theatres of the War”.22

The Berlin India Committee

The German Government gave employment to Virendra Nath Chattopadhaya,

Champakaran Pillai and other Indians who were in Germany or Switzerland at

that time. Chandra Kant Chakravarty and Hemendra Kishore Rakhsit were

employed in the German Embassy at Washington D. C.23 In September 1914,

Champakaraman Pillai approached the German Consul in Zurich and provided

him with a summary of the objectives of the Indian revolutionary movement and

tried to publish anti-British literature in Germany. The latter suggestion was

apparently well received.24 In October 1914, he arrived in Berlin to be attached

to the German Foreign Office. He founded the “Indian National Party” in Berlin,

attached to the German General Staff, with its headquarters at 28

Wielandstrasse, Charlottenburg. The four leading members of this organisation,

at time of its formation, were Champakaraman Pillia, Virendranath

Chattopadhyaya, Dr. Prabhakar and Dr. Abdul Hafiz.25 The work of the ‘Indian

National Party’ was to produce and distribute anti-British literature which

preached revolutionary sentiments among Indian prisoners in Germany and

possibly also to act as spies among Indian troops operating in France.26 Later the

‘Indian National Party’ was renamed as the ‘Berlin India Committee’.27

However, it was absolutely an autonomous body in regular receipt of a specified

monthly amount and occasional grants from the German Foreign Office. Its

purpose was to take care of Indians living under the Central Powers to establish

contacts with Indian revolutionaries elsewhere and to advise the German

Government on Indian affairs.28 The first President of the Committee was Dr.

Mansur Ahmad, a Muslim Urdu scholar from Aligarh. The other members of

the Committee included Lala Hardayal, Tarak Nath Das, Maulvi Barkatullah,29

C.K. Chakravarty30, H.L. Gupta, Chattopadhyay and B.N. Dutta. The Ghadar

Party members in the United States kept in close contact with the Berlin India

Committee through the German Embassy in that country. It was decided that the

Ghadar party would carry on revolutionary work in accordance with the

direction of the Berlin India Committee. Moreover, the aim of the Committee

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was to secure arms and ammunition, send money and men who were trained in

the manufacture and use of explosive and modern weapons to India for

revolution. Other work of the Committee consisted of printing and distributing

anti British literature and preaching sedition to Indian prisoners in Germany.31

Indians in Germany were not alone in their attempt in utilizing the War and

securing German assistance against Britain. The Iranian and Egyptian

nationalists too had formed their own Independence Committee in Berlin. Ever

since their early contacts before the War, they had been working quietly and in

a friendly way with the Indian nationalists in Europe. They were eager to unite

their forces against their common enemy.32

The Ghadar leaders in America organized a meeting at Orwood Island,

California on 4 June 1915. In this meeting, Ram Chandra claimed that German

help for revolution in India had been received. It was also decided that Indians

who wished to fight for their country would be sent to Germany where they

would propagate anti-British sentiments among the Indian soldiers. A sum of

$500 was collected for the Ghadar campaign.33 Ram Chandra was the sole leader

of the Ghadar Movement in the U.S.A when the German financial help took on

a concrete shape. He had a close connection with the German Consul in San

Francisco and was entrusted with the task of sending men and arms to India. He

received money from the German Consulate to carry on with the publication of

the Ghadar and for other revolutionary activities.34 He received $26,000 from

the Germans and professed to have spent it all. But it is stated that he had saved

at least $10,000 for his own private purse. He asked the German Consul-General

to increase the subsidy from $1,200 to $2,000 and give him a lump sum of

$35,000.35 Ram Chandra and William Von Brincken from the German

Consulate in San Francisco met and planned several revolutionary activities

together. One night, at the end of 1914, Von Brincken went to the Ghadar press

and drove away with bundles of Ghadar paper. Ram Chandra also composed

Ghadar in various Indian languages under the title “Don’t fight with Germans

because they are friends”. Von Brincken had made plans to send these copies of

Ghadar to the European War Front where German planes would drop them

among Indian troops fighting on the Western War Front.36

The first attempt at supplying German arms to India was made by a chartered

ship, the Henry S, which sailed from Manila. But the British Government

managed to capture it. After this unsuccessful attempt, H.L. Gupta was sent to

Japan to purchase arms with German money but he returned without achieving

his goal.37 The Maverick and Annie Larsen incident was another well-known

attempt by the Ghadar Party to get arms into India with the assistance of the

Germans. Both steamships were purchased with Germans money for the purpose

of transferring arms to India. This plan to get arms and ammunition to India was

started in the United States, a neutral country at the time of the European War.38

The Siam-Burma Scheme

Another important part of the Indo-German Conspiracy to incite revolution in

India was the Siam-Burma Scheme. Under German leadership and finance, a


group of Ghadar Party members at the Chicago branch and in Siam began

planning an invasion of India from Burma. The Ghadar conspirators in Chicago

hoped to convert the Indians residing in Siam to the cause of freedom, train them

in military warfare and send them to India for the intended revolution.39 Siam

was considered particularly important by the Ghadarites for seducing the British

forces there. The large number of Punjabis were working in various capacities

in the Siam region. Very shortly after the first issue of Ghadar was published, it

began to be sent to Siam to exhort Indians there to participate in the freedom

struggle. In Siam, Jiwan Singh, Inder Singh, Dharam Singh and Karam Singh

played an important role in distribution of Ghadar.40 The Ghadar Party made

plans for the training of 10,000 Indians who lived in Siam with help of German

military experts. Indians would receive training in the Chandrai Jungle in Siam.

H.L. Gupta, with the help of German Consulate at Chicago, persuaded the three

German-Americans, George Boehm, Albert Wehde and Sterneck to train

revolutionary Indians in Siam. Jacobson’s house in Chicago served as the

meeting place to plan the Siam-Burma Scheme. German agents, according to

this plan would supply arms from the United States and Mexico, some for Burma

and the others for Siam.41 Successive parties of the Ghadarites started arriving

in Bangkok from the Far East with the intention of travelling overland to India.

Some of these parties made their way into Northern Siam and others left by sea

with the intention of disembarking at Bandon and proceeding to Burma by land.

On April 10, 1915, a party of 17 Sikhs arrived in Bangkok from America and

left the following day by train for a station in the north of Siam with the object

of travelling overland to Burma.42 By the end of April 1915, it was estimated

that about 100 Indians had passed through Bangkok and it was also noted that

there was a tendency among the Sikhs previously resident in Siam to return to

India. In the middle of July 1915, Jodh Singh, who sailed from San Francisco to

Manila as one of Boehm’s party arrived in Bangkok.43 At Bangkok, he met Bhai

Balwant Singh and Takar Singh of Kala Sangian, Kapurthala. Jodh Singh was

one of the most important leaders in the Burma-Siam Plan. He was sent by Ram

Chandra and asked him to coordinate activities of Ghadar cadre with German

Consuls and military officers for training of Indian recruits for an attempt to

liberate India through Siam and Burma.44 Other prominent Indians involved in

this scheme were Sohan Lal Pathak, Harnam Singh, Santokh Singh, H.L. Gupta,

Bhai Bhagwant Singh, Amar Singh and Bhagwan Singh.45 But the Siam-Burma

Scheme was never carried out as one workable plan. Eventually, it failed without

achieving any target. At the beginning of August 1915, Jodh Singh, Shiv Dayal

Kapur, Balwant Singh were arrested for infringing the neutrality of Siam and

after a time they were deported to Singapore. After the breakdown of the Scheme

in the latter half of 1915, there was no further attempt by Ghadarites

revolutionaries to organize an expedition in India.46

Turkey’s entry into the War against Britain created a strong anti-British

feelings in Muslim States. The Ghadar Party and Germans decided to utilize

these feelings in their favour.47 At the beginning of 1915, Maulvi Barkatullah,

Kersamp and Tarak Nath Das went to Istanbul where they were received by

Enver Pasha and were assured by the Turkish Government of help in the task of

JSPS 26:1&2 186

formulating a plan of enlisting Indian War prisoners into a revolutionary

Army.48 Some members of the ‘Young Turk Party’ started anti-British secret

propaganda among the Mohammedan trading community in Rangoon and

among Muslim soldiers for a mutiny against the British. Regiments such as the

130th Baluchis which arrived at Rangoon in November 1914, the Military Police

of Burma and the Malay State Guides and 5th Infantry at Singapore consisted

largely of Punjabi Muslims. The Ghadarites took advantage of the pro-Turkish

and Pan-Islam appeal to this class of soldiers. In collaboration with Turkish

leaders, special articles were published in the Hindustan Ghadar in San

Francisco.49 The Muslim population of Turkey was exhorted through the

following words:

“Rise, give up loyalty and preach revolution. Influence of

Turkey to join Germany and spread conflagration throughout

Muslim world and recover the lost territories. Go to Amir of

Afghanistan and induce His Majesty to invade the Punjab and

to recover throne of Delhi and thus to clear out the English

ruffians and brigands. This is the proper time to save. Turkey

and China from the grasp of the robbers-England, France and

Russia. If you lose this opportunity, Turkey and China will be

partitioned and Asia will be made home of slaves. Rise,

Turkey rise. Join Germany in her Jihad. Germany is your

friend, take her advice” Anarchists are supplying the Muslims

of India and millhands with bombs to kill off the English”.50

The Indo-German Mission to Kabul

In March 1915, the German Foreign Office arranged for the dispatch of a

Mission to the Suez Canal region for the purpose of distributing seditious leaflets

among Indian soldiers there. Tarak Nath Das and M. P. Tirumal Achraya were

the members of the Mission.51 A large number of cuttings from Germany and

Austrian papers, dealing with the situation in India were sent to India. Those

papers highlighted the issues of the Lahore Conspiracy Case, the dacoities in the

South West Punjab and the Singapore Uprising. One paper published a picture

of three Englishmen being stoned by Indians in the street of Calcutta. Another

article began with the following words: “How many people who had hoped or

believed that India was to have been a decisive factor in England’s discomfiture

have been disillusioned? It was taken for granted that India would take the

opportunity to rise and expel the century old robbers and oppressors.52 A

revolutionary Committee was also formed in Iran with headquarters in Berlin.

Attempts were also made to combine the Muslim States against the British.

Maulvi Obeidullah carried on negotiations for this purpose with various other

Arab States.53

The Ghadar leaders in the USA were also interested in going to Turkey to

reach the Indian frontier from the West. They thought that apart from their

influence in the Court of Kabul, it would be relatively easy to get into contact

with their comrades in India and to send them arms from there. In February


1915, Mahendra Pratap personally visited German Foreign Office and suggested

that he, Maulvi Barakatullah and a few Indian prisoners of War should be

included in Mission. Rudolf Nadolny, representative of the Foreign Office in the

German General Staff, welcomed the proposal and it was accepted by the

German Foreign Office. Mahendra Pratap was the formal head of the Mission

and Dr. W. O. Von Hentig of the German Foreign Office was in-charge of its

affairs.54 The Indo-German Mission left for Kabul on April 9, 1915. It arrived at

Herat on August 24, 1915 and when they were received in durbar by the

Governor, they showed him the proclamation of jehad issued with the authority

of the Sultan of Turkey and promised that if Afghanistan would take part in the

Holy War, Germany would lend officers and would arrange for cession of

Afghanistan of India as far as Bombay and Turkistan as far as Samarkand.55 The

main object of the Mission was to get favour of the Amir Habibullah of

Afghanistan to take the German side and make Kabul a base for military training

of Indians and their armed infiltration into India.56 Moreover, the Mission on

their journey, visited the Turkish Sultan at Istanbul who gave him a letter for the

Amir of Afghanistan. Maulvi Barkatullah procured a fatwa from Shiekh-ul-

Islam asking the Muslims of India to join with the Hindus against the British.

The Mission reached Kabul on 2 October 1915.57 The members of the Mission

had been placed under a strong guard and they were not allowed to associate

freely with the populace. According to James Campbell Ker, the Mission was

not received with any warmth by the Amir of Afghanistan. The Amir told the

Germans that he would not give them any assistance and directed them to leave

the country by early 1916.58 Though the official attitude of the Afghan

Government was not favourable, the Mission did receive some sympathy from

local newspapers. In 1916, due to the illness of Mahmud Tarzi, the editor of the

Siraj-ul-Akhbar, Mohammad Barakartullah undertook the responsibility to

publish the article. In the issue of April 1916, the speech of Taraknath Das was

indeed published. In his speech, he praised the work of the German officers

employed in training the Ottoman Army and the intrepidity and bravery of the

Turks. He points out that it was Germany and Austria who declared War and not

the allies, that their reason for doing so was to purify the earth of the brutal

atrocities practiced on mankind by their enemies and to save the unfortunate

habitants of India, Egypt, Persia, Morocco and Africa from the English, French

and Russians who had forcibly seized their countries and reduced them to

slavery.59

‘A Provisional Government of India’ was formed in Kabul on December 1,

1915. Mahendra Pratap was its President. Mohammad Barkatullah and Maulvi

Obeidullah were appointed as the Prime Minister and Home Minister

respectively.60 This ‘Provisional Government’ sent several letters to the royal

princes of India as also one each to the King of Nepal and the Czar of Russia for

collaborative onslaught on the British. Maulvi Obedullah Sindhi wrote series of

letters to different influential persons of the Muslim world, describing the

constitution of the Pan Islamic Army (Army of God) with headquarter at

Medina. These letters were written on Yellow silk and sown up inside the lining

of the coat of a special messenger who was to convey them in person to Mahmud

JSPS 26:1&2 188

Hasan for sending to proper places.61 Those Indians who had been under

detention were released and some of them took up various secretarial jobs under

this Provisional Government. In February 1916, Mahendra Pratap and Maulvi

Obeidullah sent secret invitation to Abul Kalam Azad to join them at Kabul.62

In March 1916, two Indians named Shamsher Singh and Mirza Mohammad Ali

accompanied by two servants named Aya Singh and Abdul Haq were dispatched

from Kabul with letters to the Governor of Russian Turkistan and to the Czar

of Russia. They also carried a letter, signed by Mohammad Barakatullah to the

officer in-charge on the Russian Front, asking him to help the party in their

journey.63 The Provisional Government also proposed to form an alliance with

the Turkish Government. In order to achieve this objective Obeidullah addressed

a letter to his friend, Maulana Mahmud Hasan. Another letter was written by

Mohammad Mian Ansari to Sheikh Abdur Rahim of Hyderabad. These letters

described the progress of Pan Islamic movement in Kabul and India, the arrival

of the Government Turkish Mission and the formation of the Provisional

Government.64 In August 1916, the Silk letters fell into the hands of the Punjab

Government. Maulana Mahmud Hasan and four of his companions were

arrested at the end of 1916. Thus, the Silk Letter Conspiracy did not produce

any positive result for the revolutionaries either.65 W.O. Von Hentig left

Afghanistan in late 1916, having realized that Amir Habibullah was too much

under the influence of British to agree to a military campaign against India.

Mahendra Pratap continued working in Afghanistan, but was finally expelled

under pressure from the British.66

Split in the Ghadar Party

The German financial assistance created serious problems in the internal

administration of the Ghadar Party. In January 1917, there was a tussle among

the leaders of Ghadar Party over the funds received by Ram Chandra from the

German Government. The leaders of the Ghadar Party were dissatisfied with

Ram Chandra. This dissatisfaction was frequently mentioned in official reports.

The most prominent among the dissatisfied was Bhai Bhagwan Singh who

‘desired’ to become the chief of the Ghadar Party. After his return from Panama,

he demanded an inspection of Ram Chandra’s account and suspended him for

six weeks on the ground that he had used funds subscribed by Indians in Panama

for immoral purposes. In a meeting of the leading members, Bhai Bhagwan

Singh proposed that Ram Chandra should hand over the funds and leave San

Francisco. Ram Chandra made a counter proposal that secret work should be

managed by a committee consisted of Ram Chandra, Bishan Singh Hindi and

Harish Chandra. In the meeting, it was decided that Ram Chandra should not

hold the position until his accounts were examined and approved.67

On January 6, 1917, a meeting of prominent Ghadar leaders was held. Harish

Chandra Gupta presented his report on the accounts. He reported that money

received by Ram Chandra had not been spent on the objects for which it had

been given and false reports were sent to Germany. As a result of this report,

Ram Chandra resigned from editorship of the Ghadar 68 Subsequently, Ram


Chandra held a meeting with H.C. Gupta at Ashram Council on 13 January 1917

and developed an understanding with him. After hearing Ram Chandra’s

explanation, H.C. Gupta concluded that his first opinion about Ram Chandra’s

account was hasty. He said Ram Chandra may have been ‘careless but not been

dishonest’. The Council passed a resolution declining to accept Ram Chandra’s

resignation. Next day, Ram Chandra went to Yugantar Ashram to get possession

of the Ashram’s papers but Bhai Bhagwan Singh drove him out from the press.69

As a result, the Ghadar Party had clearly split into two factions. One faction was

mobilized under the leadership of Bhai Bhagwan Singh and they took possession

of the Ghadar Press at 436 Hill Street, San Francisco and started publishing

issues of Ghadar separately. The first issue of Ghadar under Bhai Bhagwan

Singh’s editorship came out on March 14, 1917. But he was not so successful in

getting money for Ghadar funds from the Germans.70 When he was forming a

new party, Bhai Bhagwan Singh telegraphed Lajpat Rai to come and take charge

of the whole revolutionary movement, but the latter declined saying that he had

no past connection with Bhai Bhagwan Singh and did not wish to have one now,

as their methods of working differed. Ram Chandra installed his new printing

press at 1017, Valencia Street, San Francisco and started publishing Ghadar. He

published the first issue of Ghadar on February 7, 1917.71 In this issue, he

printed the names of patrons and staff of his group.72

Patrons

Mahendra Pratap Editor- Ram Chandra

Lala Hardayal Sub Editor-Gobind Bihari Lal

Mohammad Barkatullah Printer- Sunder Singh Ghali.

According to Official Reports, the division in the Ghadar Party occurred because

of disagreement over holding ranks within the Party. In a meeting at Sacramento

on 27 February 1917, there was much criticism of Ram Chandra’s autocratic

methods and for dismissing four men from the Ghadar Press. In another meeting

held under the presidency of Umrao Singh, speeches were delivered against Ram

Chandra accusing him for misappropriating party funds.73 Ram Chandra

defended himself in a speech which he delivered in a meeting of Ghadar leaders

at Sacramento. He remarked:

“Listen brothers, I wish to speak to you about things

that have been in my mind for a long time. In the first

place remember we are being looked upon with

jealous eyes. The Ghadar is not edited with money

but with brains. Our enemies are trying to stop it. But

today I am very sorry to say that our brethren are

going to stop it. It is said that I have taken money that

belongs to the fund. This is absolutely untrue. If there

were hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars,

they would all be for the Ghadar alone. I and my

wife sometimes eat only once a day. I do not wish to

JSPS 26:1&2 190

say anything more about myself. People are only

jealous nothing more. You have no right to question

the accounts. Barkatullah, Bhagwan Singh, Lala

Hardayal and Ajit Singh are on their way to America.

They will do everything and will be in a position to

know whether I have done wrong or right.”

The Hindu-German Trials

After his speech, Ram Chandra’s supporters (about 100 in number) left the meeting.

But others (about 50 in number) remained behind still accusing Ram Chandra.74 On

April 5, 1917, the United States of America joined the War supporting the British

side. This highly significant event altered the whole context in which the Ghadar

Party had been functioning in the USA. The British Government mounted pressure

on the US Government to take urgent action against the Indians for their anti-British

activities on her territories. Thus, within two days of America’s entry into the War,

the U.S. Attorney John W. Preston arrested most of the prominent Indian

Nationalists including Ram Chandra, Bishan Singh, Gopal Singh, Nidhan Singh,

C.K. Chakravarty and Taraknath Das. German agents in the USA like Frank Bopp,

Von Schack, and Wilhelm Von Brinchen etc. were also arrested. Both Germans and

the Ghadar activists were charged with sending men and arms to India in an attempt

to usurp British Raj. They were also charged under Section 37 of the Federal Penal

Code for violating the neutrality of the United States.75 The Conspiracy Case, also

popularly known as Chicago Trials or the Hindu German Conspiracy Case, was

instituted in San Francisco by the United States Government against the Germans

and Indians. These trials began on 22 November and ended on 3 April 1918.76 The

trials are considered a “wild goose chase” amongst historians and certainly

weakened Ghadar activism in San Francisco. They were one of longest and most

costly trials America had seen.77 Among the trial of 105 persons, 36 were Indians,

the rest being German Consular, officials and American businessman and

professionals.78 The German agents - Frank Bopp, Von Schack, Wilhelm Von

Brinchen were also convicted in a supplementary trial. Franze Bopp and Von Schack

got two years imprisonment and a $10,000 fine.79 Jacobson, George Boem and

Albert Wehde were sentenced to three years of imprisonment and a $13,000 fine for

each. Among the Indians, Bhai Bhagwan Singh and Santokh Singh were given

eighteen months and twenty months imprisonment respectively. H.L. Gupta was

sentenced to 18 months imprisonment and given a $200 fine.80 The trials ended with

a dramatic event. On the last day, Bhai Ram Singh Dhuleta, belonging to the group

of Bhai Bhagwan Singh, shot Ram Chandra dead in the court premises.

Immediately, one of the marshals shot at Bhai Ram Singh as well. The Ghadar

leaders were greatly upset with the attitude of Ram Chandra.81 For many years, this

episode of Ram Chandra’s murder continued to cause friction between different

groups of the Ghadar Party in the West Coast of America as well as in India. The

critical question was why was Ram Chandra murdered in the court premises?

According to A.B Ganguly, there were some allegations against Ram Chandra that


he had been working as a spy of the British Government. Therefore, true Ghadarites

could not but think of murdering him.82

The Hindu-German Trials effectively nipped the growing seeds of anti-British

sentiments in the United States in the bud. The Indo-German Conspiracy disclosed

that there was no scope for reviving revolutionary activities once again in the USA.

The trials demoralized the Indian community as they realized they ‘mistakenly

trusted’ the movement’s leaders. It became increasingly difficult to ascertain who

was trustworthy within the community. After the trials, the Ghadar was, in essence,

disbanded as most of the leaders were in Jail. After the trials, the Ghadar transformed

into a quiet and subdued underground operation. The Berlin India Committee, after

1917, devoted its energy mainly to the propaganda of war, giving up all hopes of a

rebellion in India. The First World War ended with the complete defeat of the Axis

Powers and Germany ceased to be the theatre of the revolutionary activities of the

Indians.83

Conclusion

Thus, the Ghadar Party in the United States, the Berlin India Committee in Germany

and various German officials in the United States and Germany came together to

create a revolutionary uprising in India. This alliance was built on a common

understanding: the Ghadarites wanted to drive the British out of India through an

armed insurrection with German help and the German Government sought to limit

the use of British troops on European fronts during the Great War by creating trouble

in India by supporting the Ghadarites. If successful the uprising may have forced the

British to send back their loyal Indian troops from the Western Front in Europe to

India. Different schemes were organised by the Ghadarites and the Germans to

supply arms and ammunition to India for the revolution. The Indo-German Mission

was sent to Kabul with the purpose to get favour of Afghanistan against British rule.

But after the entry of the USA into the War, this ‘conspiracy’ could not materialize.

The Ghadar party leaders and German officials in the United States were put on trial

on the grounds that they had violated the United States’ neutrality laws during the

War. After the trials, Indian revolutionary activities declined considerably in the

USA.

Notes

1 R.C. Majumdar, History of Freedom Movement in India, Vol. II,

(Calcutta: KLM, 1971), p. 402. See also, Bipin Chandra, India’s

Struggle for Independence 1857-1947, (New Delhi: Penguin Books,

1988), p. 146.

2 Indian Revolutionary Committee Berlin Activities in the First World

War 1914-1918, Rare Documents, Accession No. 11276, DBYL,

Jalandhar, p. 3.

JSPS 26:1&2 192

3 A. C. Bose, Indian Revolutionaries Abroad 1905-1922: In the

Background of International Developments, (Patna: Bharati Bhawan,

1971), pp. 82-83.


War 1914-1918, p. 3.

5 George MacMunn, Turmoil & Tragedy in India: 1914 and After,

(Delhi: S.S. Publishers, 1989), p. 116.

6 A. C. Bose, Indian Revolutionaries Abroad 1905-1922, p. 83.

7 James Campbell Ker, Political Trouble in India 1907-1917, (Calcutta:

Asiatic Society, 1960), p. 239. See also, Indian Revolutionary

Committee Berlin Activities in the First World War 1914-18, p. 2;

George MacMunn, Turmoil & Tragedy in India: 1914 and After, p.

116.

8 Weekly Report of Director of Criminal Intelligence (hereafter DCI’s),

15 September 1914: Home Department, Political-B, Proceedings,

GOI, December 1914, File Nos. 216-217 (NAI, New Delhi).

9 David Machado, “The Ghadar Party and the Hindu German

Conspiracy”, Manuscript, Accession No. 113313, DBYH, Jalandhar,

March 22, 1973, p. 4. (emphasis added)


Conspiracy”, Manuscript, p. 6.

11 Translation:

(i) Go Back to your country for mutiny: the people have been

transformed;

(ii) The Firanghee has been exposed; Germany is going to defeat

England;

(iii) Germans have taken the whole of France; and Russia too has been

dismantled: Home Department, Political B, Proceedings, GOI,

October 1915, File No. 91 (NAI, New Delhi).


Conspiracy”, Manuscript, p. 6.

13 James Campbell Ker, Political Trouble in India 1907-1917, p. 238.


14 DCI’s Weekly Report, 16 March 1915: Home Department, Political-

B, Proceedings, GOI, April 1915, File Nos. 412-415 (NAI, New

Delhi).


Conspiracy”, p. 6.

16 Sohan Singh Josh, Hindustan Gadar Party: A Short History, Vol. II,

(New Delhi: People’s Publishing House, 1977), p. 13.

17 DCI’s Weekly Report, 17 August 1915: Home Department, Political-

B, Proceedings, GOI, August 1915, File Nos. 552-556 (NAI, New

Delhi).



Delhi).

19 Raj Kumar, Empire, The Punjab and The First World War,

Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, (Amritsar: Guru Nanak Dev University,

2016), pp. 138-45.

20 “The Indo-German Plan to Liberate India”, Heritage Bulletin, July 23,

1996, No. 3, DBYL, Jalandhar, p. 25.







Delhi).

24 Champakaraman Pillai was an Indian born political activist and

revolutionary. He was born into a Tamil family of Trivandrum, Kerela.

His father Chinnaswami Pillai was a head constable in the Headquarter

office, Trabancore. He sent him to learn engineering at Zurich. In June

1912, a body called the “International Pro-India Committee” was

formed in Zurich. Champakaraman Pillai was its president. In October

1914, he joined Berlin India Committee and merged the Pro-India

Committee into it: James Campbell Ker, Political Trouble in India

1907-1917, pp. 240-41.

JSPS 26:1&2 194



Delhi). See also, James Campbell Ker, Political Trouble in India 1907-

1917, pp. 241-42.



Delhi).

27 N.N. Bhattacharya, “Indian Revolutionaries Abroad 1891-1919”, The

Panjab Past and Present, Patiala, Vol. VIII, October 1974, pp. 351-

365.

28 A. C. Bose, Indian Revolutionaries Abroad 1905-1922, pp. 91-92.


War 1914-1918, Rare Documents, DBYL, Jalandhar, p. 6.

30 C.K. Chakravarti was born in 1882 and belonged to Bakarganj district

of Bengal. He absconded after his connection with the Alipur Bomb

Case in 1908 came to surface and lived in America. In January 1909,

he left Bombay. In February, he was in Paris with members of Indian

revolutionary party. After a short stay here, and an equally short visit

to the “India House” group in London, he went on to New York where

he arrived on March 18, 1909. He paid a short visit to Germany in 1916.

He was appointed by the German Government as an agent in the USA.

He was regularly in touch with Berlin India Committee and presented

his report to the German Government:, DCI’s Weekly Report, 25

November 1916; Home Department, Political-B, Proceedings, GOI,

November 1916, File No. 452-453. See also, DCI’s Weekly Report: 31

March 1917; Home Department, Political-B, Proceedings, GOI, March

1917, File Nos. 625-628 (NAI, New Delhi).


War 1914-1918, p. 6.




Delhi).

34 Ram Chandra popularly known as Ram Chandra Peshawari, was born

in 1887 in Peshawar district. In 1907, he joined as a clerk in the

Railway office at Lahore. He took prominent part in the agitation

carried out by Sardar Ajit Singh in 1907. In October 1908, he became


editor of a weekly paper called Akash, started by Amir Chand. In March

1913, he arrived at Seattle (U.S.A). In May 1913, he accompanied Lala

Hardayal on lecturing tour in the Pacific Coast. In January 1914, he

went to San Francisco to join the staff of Ghadar. After the departure

of Lala Hardayal from America in March 1914, he became editor of

the Ghadar: DCI’s Weekly Report, 27 April 1918: Home Department,

Political-B, Proceedings, GOI, May 1918, File Nos. 23-26 (NAI, New

Delhi). See also, David Machado, “The Ghadar Party and the Hindu

German Conspiracy”, pp. 7, 29.

35 DCI’s Weekly Report, 25 November 1916: Home Department,

Political-B, Proceedings, GOI, November 1916, File Nos. 452-453

(NAI, New Delhi).


Conspiracy”, pp. 9, 29.

37 Khushwant Singh and Satindra Singh, Ghadar 1915: India’s First

Armed Revolution, (New Delhi: R & K Publishing House, 1966), p. 48.

38 Meverick was an oil tanker which was purchased from Craize

Steamship Co. for $27,000. It sailed from San Pedro (Los Angles) on

23 April 1915 for Socorro Island. The Annie Larsen was loaded with

arms and ammunition and sailed from San Diego on March 15, 1915.

The plan was that both ships would meet at Socorro Island where

Maverick would take over the arms and ammunition and proceed to

India for its delivery to Indian revolutionaries. The Schooner Annie

Larsen arrived at its destination on March 18, 1915 but Maverick could

not arrive. Therefore, the Annie Larsen returned without delivering

consignment. The Maverick actually reached at the meeting place on

April 30, 1915, almost a month and half after Annie Larsen left.

Therefore, the whole scheme failed: Foreign and Political Department,

Secret-War, Proceedings, GOI, June 1917, File Nos. 1-46 (NAI, New

Delhi). See also, Indian Revolutionary Committee Berlin Activities in

the First World War 1914-1918, p. 8.



Delhi).

40 G.S. Deol, The Role of Ghadar Party in the National Movement,

(Delhi: Sterling Publishers, 1969), p. 156.

41 David Machado, The Ghadar Party and the Hindu German Conspiracy,

Manuscript, p. 23.

JSPS 26:1&2 196

42 DCI’s Weekly Report, 11 May 1915: Home Department, Political-B,

Proceedings, GOI, May 1915, File Nos. 855-858 (NAI, New Delhi).


44 Heritage Bulletin, July 23, 1996, No. 3, DBYL, Jalandhar, p. 36.

45 G.S. Deol, The Role of Ghadar Party in the National Movement, p. 157.

46 DCI’s Weekly Report, 2 March 1918: Home Department, Political-B,

Proceedings, GOI, March 1918, File Nos. 399-402 (NAI, New Delhi).

See also, F. C. Isemonger and J. Slattery, An Account of The Ghadar

Conspiracy (1913-15), (Meerut: Archana Publications, 1998, First

Published 1919), p. 154.

47 Turkey joined hands with the Germans in the First World War on

October 31, 1914: Raj Kumar, Empire, The Punjab and The First

World War, p. 166; R.C. Majumdar, History of Freedom Movement in

India, Vol. II, p. 412.

48 N.N. Bhattacharya, “Indian Revolutionaries Abroad 1891-1919”, p.

362.

49 H.K. Puri, Ghadar Movement: Ideology, Organisation & Strategy, p.

93.

50 DCI’s Weekly Report, 15 September 1914: Home Department,

Political-B, Proceedings, GOI, September 1915, File Nos. 216-217

(NAI, New Delhi).

51 Taraknath Das was a member of the first revolutionary society in

Calcutta in 1903. He took a leading part in the formation of the Decca

Anusilan Samiti in 1905. He left India in 1906 and after a short stay in

Japan, he went to America, where he entered the University of

California at Berkeley. In 1908, he started a revolutionary paper Free

Hindustan from Berkeley: DCI’s Weekly Report, 29 December 1914:

Home Department, Political-B, Proceedings, GOI, January 1915, File

Nos. 278-282 (NAI, New Delhi). See also, James Campbell Ker,

Political Trouble in India 1907-1917, p. 247.


Political-B, Proceedings, GOI, September1915, File Nos. 582-585

(NAI, New Delhi).

53 N. N. Bhattacharya, “Indian Revolutionaries Abroad 1891-1919”, p.

363.




Political-B, Proceedings, GOI, September1915, File Nos. 582-

585(NAI, New Delhi).

56 H.K. Puri, Ghadar Movement: Ideology, Organisation & Strategy, p.

98.

57 J.S. Grewal, H.K. Puri, and Indu Banga (Eds.), The Ghadar Movement,

Background, Ideology, Action and Legacies, (Patiala: Punjabi

University, 2013), p. 167.

58 James Campbell Ker, Political Trouble in India 1907-1917, p. 277. See

also, DCI’s Weekly Report, 21 September 1915: Home Department,

Political-B, Proceedings, GOI, September1915, File Nos. 582-585

(NAI, New Delhi).


60 Mahendra Pratap, popularly known as Kunwar Mahendra Pratap was

born in 1886. He got his early education under British headmasters and

Muslim teachers all from Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College

Aligarh. In December 1914, he left India for Europe to liberate India

from the clutches of the colonial rule with outside support. He had

become a big menace there for talking about foreign rule in India. He

also tried his best to utilize the situation during the World War I to free

India. He was one of the important members of the Indo-German

Mission in Kabul. On December 1, 1915, he set up the first Provisional

Government of India: James Campbell Ker, Political Trouble in India

1907-1917, pp. 244, 277, 278. See also, Indian Revolutionary

Committee Berlin Activities in the First World War 1914-1918, p. 8.

61 Maulvi Obeidullah was a converted Sikh who had been trained as

Maulvi at Deoband School in the Saharanpur district, the United

Provinces. He spent twelve years in Sind where he became an

influential person and founded several Mohammedan Schools. He was

able to put influence with his militant and anti-British ideas some of

the staff, students and Maulana Mahmud Hasan, head Maulvi of the

School. Maulvi Obeidullah wished to spread over India a Pan-Islamic

and anti-British movement through the agency of Maulvis trained in

the Deoband School. When the First World War broke out, he began to

travel the country; he made his way to Sind, where he visited his friends

and fellow Pan-Islamists and eventually proceeded via Quetta and

Kandahar to Kabul arriving at the beginning of October 1915: Raj

JSPS 26:1&2 198

Kumar, Empire, The Punjab and The First World War, p. 183; James

Campbell Ker, Political Trouble in India 1907-1917, p. 283; Michael

O’ Dwyer, India As I Knew It (1885-1925), (Delhi: Mittal Publications,

1988 First Published 1925), pp. 180-181; N.N. Bhattacharya, “Indian

Revolutionaries Abroad 1891-1919”, p. 362.


63 DCI’s Weekly Report, 22 July 1916: Home Department, Political-B,

Proceedings, GOI, July 1916, File Nos. 441-445 (NAI, New Delhi).

64 Michael O’ Dwyer, India As I Knew It (1885-1925), p. 179. See also,

Sedition Committee Report 1918, (Calcutta: Government Printing

Press, 1918), p. 178.

65 Sedition Committee Report 1918, p. 179.


War 1914-1918, p. 10.


B, Proceedings, GOI, March 1917, File Nos. 625-628 (NAI, New

Delhi).


B, Proceedings, GOI, March 1917, File Nos. 625-628 (NAI, New

Delhi).

69 DCI’s Weekly Report, 28 April 1917: Home Department, Political-B,

Proceedings, GOI, April 1917, File Nos. 700-703 (NAI, New Delhi).








74 DCI’s Weekly Report, 4 November 1916: Home Department,

Political-B, Proceedings, GOI, November 1916, File Nos. 452-453

(NAI, New Delhi).


75 David Machado, The Ghadar Party and the Hindu German Conspiracy,

Manuscript, p. 33.

76 Home Department, Political-B, Proceedings, GOI, December 1917,

File Nos. 225-226. See also, Home Department, Political-B,


77 S. Siddiqui, “Wasted Heroism: Ghadar Propaganda and the Human

Cost of Rebellion”, p. 87.

78 J. S. Grewal, H.K. Puri and Indu Banga (Eds.), The Ghadar Movement,

Background, Ideology, Action and Legacies, p. 170.


Proceedings, GOI, May 1918, File Nos. 581-584 (NAI, New Delhi). 80 Jacobson was an agent of German Consul at Chicago. He and H. L.

Gupta were mainly responsible for organizing the expedition to Siam

and various attempts at running. Albert Wehde and George Boehm

were sent to the East by Jacobson to supervise the work of the plot:

DCI’s Weekly Report, 17 November 1917: Home Department,

Political-B, Proceedings, GOI, November 1917, File Nos. 471-474; F.

C. Isemonger and J. Slattery, An Account of the Ghadar Conspiracy

(1913-15), p. 158.


Proceedings, GOI, May 1918, File Nos. 23-26.

82 Anil Baran Ganguly, Ghadar Revolution in America, (Delhi:

Metropolitan, 1980), pp. 98-99.

83 N. N. Bhattacharya, “Indian Revolutionaries Abroad 1891-1919”, p.

364.