Some Aspects of the Royal Indian Navy Mutiny: A Historical Review

Sonia Akter

Lecturer, Department of Business Administration

Daffodil International University

DOI: https://doi.org/10.59815/bhs.vol2807

Abstract: The 1946 Royal Indian Navy Mutiny was an important, but relatively less acknowledged chapter in India’s fight for freedom. What started as a demonstration about bad food, low wages and discrimination quickly turned into a coordinated, politically wakeful revolt that involved almost 20,000 soldiers in the navy and affected 78 ships at major coastal bases. This is historical-qualitative research analyzing the background, causes, context, leadership, suppression and political implications of the mutiny. Based on documents such as official correspondence, military records and government reports, it demonstrates that the rebellion was about more than simply working conditions. It was a strong declaration of grass-roots anti-colonial resistance. Though leaders of the stature of Gandhi, Nehru and Jinnah were hesitant to endorse it, the Communist Party of India supported it wholeheartedly, organizing students and workers. Although ruthlessly crushed by the British, the mutiny exposed the weaknesses of the colonial state and showed that Indian soldiers were becoming politically conscious and also how multi-ethnic and multi-religious solidarity was also a possibility. In retelling this event, the research emphasizes the heroic action of these largely overlooked figures and argues for their inclusion in the broader history of India’s struggle for freedom

Key Words: Navy Mutiny, Indian Independence, Military Resistance, Colonial Rule, Racial Discrimination.