Royal Indian Navy Revolt (1946) – A Forgotten Flashpoint

UPSC 2026 | Modern History | GS-I | Essay | Ethics

February 18, 1946, marks the beginning of one of the most dramatic yet under-discussed episodes in India’s freedom struggle — the Royal Indian Navy (RIN) Revolt.

Was it merely a mutiny, or a nationalist revolt with mass support?

Let’s analyse it from an exam perspective.

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📅 1. Timeline Snapshot

Date	Event
Feb 18, 1946	Hunger strike at HMIS Talwar (Bombay)
Feb 19–20	Spread to ships & shore establishments
Feb 21	Armed clashes begin
Feb 22	City-wide uprising & hartal
Feb 23	Ratings surrender

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🚢 2. Immediate Causes

🔹 Grievances of Naval Ratings:

❌ Poor food quality
❌ Low wages
❌ Racial discrimination
❌ Harsh treatment by British officers

👉 Triggered at HMIS Talwar (Bombay)

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🔥 3. Escalation of the Revolt

What began as a hunger strike quickly transformed into:

✔ Refusal to work
✔ Formation of Naval Central Strike Committee
✔ Hoisting of multiple flags:

• Indian National Congress

• Muslim League

• Communist Party

✔ Processions with Subhas Chandra Bose’s portrait

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🌍 4. Scale of Participation

At its peak:

✅ 78 naval ships
✅ 20 shore establishments
✅ Nearly 20,000 ratings
✅ Spread across:

• Bombay

• Karachi

• Madras

• Cochin

• Vishakhapatnam

• Kolkata

• Andamans

• Delhi (shore unit)

👉 UPSC Prelims favourite: Numbers & spread

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🏛️ 5. Mutiny vs Revolt Debate

🔻 Colonial View:

“Breakdown of discipline” → Mutiny

🔺 Nationalist Interpretation:

“Anti-colonial uprising” → Revolt

Why?

✔ Political slogans
✔ Demand for INA prisoners’ release
✔ Nationalist symbolism
✔ Civilian solidarity

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🤝 6. Moment of Hindu–Muslim Unity

A crucial but often overlooked dimension.

🔹 During Bombay Uprising:

✔ Joint protests
✔ Shared barricades
✔ Mixed processions
✔ Flags of:

• Congress

• Muslim League

• Communists

✔ Worker–student mobilisation

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🏭 7. Role of Workers & Civilians

Especially in:

📍 Bombay Mill District
📍 Bhendi Bazar
📍 Kamatipura
📍 Madanpura

Actions included:

• Hartals

• Barricades

• Street battles

• Transport disruption

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⚔️ 8. British Response

✔ Army battalions deployed
✔ Armoured vehicles
✔ Machine-gun firing
✔ Heavy repression

👉 Estimated:

❌ ~200 civilians killed
❌ Hundreds injured

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🎯 9. Historical Significance

✅ (a) Shock to British Authority

• Demonstrated discontent within armed forces

• Loyalty concerns

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✅ (b) Impact on Decolonisation

Many historians argue:

👉 Revolt hastened British exit
👉 Reinforced fear of military unrest

Linked with:

• INA trials (1945–46)

• Post-war radicalisation

• Labour strikes

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✅ (c) Alternative Possibility

Showed:

✔ Cross-communal unity
✔ Worker–soldier solidarity
✔ Radical nationalist energy

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❗ 10. Why Did It Fade from Memory?

Overshadowed by:

• Communal polarisation

• Direct Action Day (Aug 1946)

• Partition violence

• Transfer of power narrative

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📚 11. UPSC Prelims Pointers

✔ Year → 1946
✔ Started at → HMIS Talwar, Bombay
✔ Participants → Naval ratings
✔ Spread → Nationwide naval establishments
✔ Leadership → Naval Central Strike Committee
✔ Linked issue → INA prisoners

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✍️ 12. UPSC Mains Question Angles

GS-I (Modern History):

“Assess the significance of the Royal Indian Navy Revolt in India’s freedom struggle.”

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Essay Themes:

• Forgotten movements of independence

• Role of armed forces in the freedom struggle

• Fraternity vs communalism

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GS-IV (Ethics):

• Duty vs conscience

• Ethical dilemmas in military obedience

• Collective protest & legitimacy

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🧠 Key Analytical Takeaway

The RIN Revolt represents:

✅ Military unrest
✅ Popular uprising
✅ Anti-colonial radicalisation
✅ Rare Hindu–Muslim solidarity
✅ Crisis of imperial control