The ‘Swadeshi’ and ‘Boycott’ were adopted as methods of struggle for the first time during the

The correct answer is agitation against the Partition of Bengal.

The methods of Swadeshi (use of Indian-made goods) and Boycott (rejection of British goods and institutions) were first formally adopted as organized weapons of political struggle during the anti-Partition of Bengal agitation (1905–1911). Here is a step-by-step breakdown of how and why this happened:

Step 1: Understanding the Context — The Partition of Bengal (1905)
On July 19, 1905, Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India, announced the partition of the Bengal Presidency, which officially took effect on October 16, 1905. Bengal was divided into two parts:
— West Bengal (with Bihar and Orissa), predominantly Hindu.
— East Bengal and Assam, predominantly Muslim.
The British government's official justification was administrative convenience, but the Indian National Congress and Bengali leaders clearly recognized it as a deliberate "divide and rule" policy aimed at weakening Bengali nationalism and splitting Hindu-Muslim unity.

Step 2: The Nationalist Response — Birth of Swadeshi and Boycott as Weapons
Indian leaders were outraged. To resist this imperial act, they needed new, powerful tools of protest beyond petitions and memorials. On August 7, 1905, a massive meeting was held at the Calcutta Town Hall, which formally passed the Boycott Resolution. This date is historically remembered as the birth of the Boycott movement in India. Two key methods were launched simultaneously:

1. Swadeshi (��्वदेशी):
Derived from Sanskrit meaning "of one's own country," Swadeshi called upon Indians to use only Indian-made goods — especially Indian textiles (khadi), salt, and other products — in place of British imports. This was not merely an economic stance but a deeply patriotic and cultural act of self-reliance and pride.

2. Boycott (बहिष्कार):
This meant the active rejection and refusal to purchase or use British manufactured goods. Bonfires of foreign cloth were lit in public places. Indian merchants pledged not to stock British goods. Students boycotted government schools and colleges.

Step 3: Leaders Who Championed These Methods
Prominent leaders drove this movement forward:
— Bal Gangadhar Tilak gave it a radical, mass-mobilizing character.
— Bipin Chandra Pal in Bengal became one of its most passionate voices.
— Lala Lajpat Rai extended it to Punjab.
— Aurobindo Ghosh provided its ideological and revolutionary underpinning.
Together, these leaders — later known as the "Lal-Bal-Pal" trio — made Swadeshi and Boycott a nationwide call to action.

Step 4: Why the Other Options Are Incorrect

Home Rule Movement (1916): Launched by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Annie Besant, this movement demanded self-governance (Home Rule) within the British Empire. It focused on political mobilization and propaganda, not on Swadeshi or Boycott as primary tools. These methods were borrowed from the earlier 1905 agitation, not introduced here.

Non-Cooperation Movement (1920–1922): Led by Mahatma Gandhi, this movement did heavily feature Swadeshi and Boycott — Indians boycotted foreign cloth, government schools, courts, and councils. However, these methods were revived and expanded here. They were not introduced for the first time in this movement; Gandhi explicitly drew inspiration from the 1905 Swadeshi movement.

Visit of the Simon Commission (1928): The Simon Commission boycott was specifically a protest against the all-white commission formed to review Indian constitutional reforms. While Indians boycotted the commission with black-flag demonstrations and the slogan "Simon Go Back," this was a narrow, targeted political boycott — not the first or broad use of Swadeshi and Boycott as general methods of national struggle.

Step 5: Historical Significance
The anti-Partition agitation of 1905 was a watershed moment in Indian nationalist history. It marked:
— The first mass movement in India that went beyond elite politics.
— The introduction of economic nationalism as a tool of political resistance.
��� The inspiration for all future mass movements, including Gandhi's campaigns. Gandhi himself acknowledged that the 1905 Swadeshi movement was the direct precursor and model for his later Non-Cooperation and Civil Disobedience movements.
— The emergence of Extremist / Assertive Nationalism as a distinct political force within the Indian National Congress.

Conclusion:
The methods of Swadeshi and Boycott were formally adopted and deployed as organized methods of political struggle for the first time during the agitation against the Partition of Bengal in 1905. All later uses of these methods — including in the Non-Cooperation Movement — were conscious revivals and expansions of what was pioneered during this historic agitation.