From ‘Vande Mataram' to ‘Saare Jahaan Se Achha', how songs inspired India's freedom movement

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'Vande Mataram', also known as India's national song, was penned by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in the 1880s. 'Saare Jahan se Accha', also known as 'Tarana-e-Hind', was composed by Allama Muhammad Iqbal. Let's take a closer look at these anthems that inspired India's freedom struggle
The Indian national flag is a symbol of the country's freedom from 200 years of British oppression. Representational image
India is set to celebrate its 79th Independence Day this year.
Much has been written about the heroes, both men and women, of the Independence movement.
But did you know that music also played a key part in the struggle to win India's freedom?
It was with good reason that 'Vande Mataram' was sung before Jawaharlal Nehru's famed 'Tryst with Destiny' speech in August 1947.
Let's take a closer look at how music and poetry inspired the freedom movement.
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'Vande Mataram'
Every Indian knows the song 'Vande Mataram' – also known as India's national song. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee penned this song using Sanskrit and Bengali words sometime in the 1880s. It was first published in his 1882 novel Anandamath, which was set during the events of Sannyasi rebellion.
At the time, the British were trying to instil 'God Save our Queen' as the national anthem of British India – which naturally didn't go down well.
It gained prominence after Rabindranath Tagore recited it at the Indian National Congress' convention in Calcutta in 1896. A stirring ode to the motherland, it goes thus.
'Vande Mataram! Sujalam, suphalam, malayaja shitalam, Shasyashyamalam, Mataram! Vande Mataram!'
Bankim Chandra Chatterjee first published this song in his 1882 novel Anandamath, which was set during the events of Sannyasi rebellion.
Aurobindo Ghose, a revolutionary leader, translated the novel into English sometime between 1909 and 1910. His version of the poem reads thus, 'Mother, I bow to thee! Rich with thy hurrying streams, Bright with thy orchard gleams, Cool with the winds of delight, Dark fields waving, Mother of might, Mother free!'
The song became a rallying cry for many and a protest anthem against the British – who outlawed it.
The song was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India in 1950. It was Rajendra Prasad, India's first president, who gave it the status of India's national song in 1950.
Prasad at the time said it had played a major role in India's freedom struggle and should be honoured on equal footing alongside 'Jana Gana Mana'.
'Saare Jahan se Achha'
'Saare Jahan se Accha' is a legendary song that stirred hearts across the land since its inception.
Known also as 'Tarana-e-Hind' or Anthem of the People of Hindustan', this Urdu verse was composed by Allama Muhammad Iqbal.
Iqbal, a poet, philosopher and politician, was born in in 1877 in Sialkot in undivided India.
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The song was originally published in 1904 in the weekly journal titled 'Ittehad'.
Iqbal at the time was a lecturer in Lahore's Government Law College.
Iqbal, when invited to give a speech by student Lala Har Dayal, instead sang this song.
It was also published in the Urdu book 'Bang-i-Dara' in 1924.
Allama Muhammad Iqbal, a poet, philosopher and politician, was born in in 1877 in Sialkot in undivided India.
The song quickly caught on as a favourite of the Indian freedom movement.
It was said to be particularly loved by Gandhiji, who sang it over 100 times when he was in Pune's Yerawada Jail in Pune during 1930s.
Though Iqbal's legacy in India is controversial, the song itself remains immensely popular with people of all ages.
'Vishwa Tiranga Pyara'
'Vishwa Tiranga Pyara', also known as Jhanda Geet, was written by Shyamlal Gupta 'Parshad'.
Gupta was born on September 9, 1896 in Kanpur's Narwal.
Gupta was a nationalist, social worker and freedom fighter.
He penned this song in March 1924 as an ode to the National Flag and the resolute determination of those fighting for independence .
'Vijayi ishwa tiranga pyara, jhanda ooncha rahe hamara' ('Victorious be our beloved tricolor in the world, may our flag always fly high).
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It was publicly sung for the first time at an event organised by Nehru on April 12, 1924 – the fifth anniversary of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
Shyamlal Gupta 'Parshad was a nationalist, social worker and freedom fighter.
The Congress during a 1938 session adopted the song as its own. It was thus sung at every Congress event as part of its flag salutation ceremony.
Gupta passed away in 1977 after receiving the Padma Shri – India's fourth highest honour.
'Sarfaroshi ki Tamanna'
'Sarfaroshi ki Tamanna' became a literal war cry for revolutionaries during the freedom movement.
The song was written by Bismil Azimabadi, an Urdu poet from Bihar.
Bismil was born Syed Shah Mohammad Hasan in 1901.
It goes thus, 'Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai, Dekhna hai zor kitna baazu-e-qaatil mein hai' (The desire for revolution is in our hearts, Let us see what strength there is in the arms of our executioner).
It was composed in 1920 – a year after the Jalliawala Bagh massacre – and recited at the Congress' Calcutta session.
It was published in the journal 'Saba' in Delhi in 1921.
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'Sarfaroshi ki Tamanna' was written by Bismil Azimabadi, an Urdu poet from Bihar.
However, it was Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil who popularised this song among the masses.
Ironically, Pandit Bismil was himself a writer and bard.
Pandit Bismil penned verses in both Urdu and Hindu under psuedonyms Ram, Agyat and Bismil.
He also founded the Hindustan Republican Association (later the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association) to which Bhagat Singh and Chandrashekhar Azad belonged.
Pandit Bismil recited this poem before he was hanged – which is why perhaps why the confusion about its authorship persists to this day.
'Kadham Kadham Badhaye Ja'
'Kadham Kadham Badhaye Ja' is associated with Subhas Chandra Bose and the Indian National Army (INA).
It was penned by poet and lyricist Vanshidhar Shukla.
Shukla, born in 1904 in Uttar Pradesh, was a Hindi and Avadhi poet and freedom fighter.
It goes thus, 'Kadam kadam badaye ja. Khushi ke geeth gaaye ja Yeh zindagi he quam ke Tu quam pe lootaye ja' (March, March on forward, Singing songs of happiness as you go, This life belongs to our motherlan, Lay it down for the motherland).
Bose, who favoured a more dynamic approach towards India's freedom over Gandhiji's non-violent means, formed the INA to overthrow the British in India.
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'Kadham Kadham Badhaye Ja' is associated with Subhas Chandra Bose and the Indian National Army (INA). Wikimedia Commons
Bose tasked Captain Ram Singh, who had been taken as a prisoner of war by the Japanese and had been trained in various instruments, to compose a marching song for the INA.
Shukla is believed to have penned this song sometime around 1942. It was Singh who set these lyrics to music and made it the marching song of the INA. This song was banned as seditious by the British during World War II – which was lifted after Indian independence.
It remains massively popular today and is continued to be played at Indian Army events.