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Subhas Chandra Bose and the INA ISC Class 12 History

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HistoryISC Class 12 · Towards Independence and Partition: The Last Phase

Subhas Chandra Bose and the Indian National Army: Organisation, Operations, Defeat and Significance (ISC Class 12 History)

Updated 17 October 2026 · Fact-checked

Subhas Chandra Bose took over the Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj) in South-East Asia in 1943, set up the Provisional Government of Free India at Singapore on 21 October 1943, and led it with the Japanese into Manipur in 1944. The campaign failed, but the INA trials of 1945 stirred India and weakened British confidence in the loyalty of Indian soldiers.

Follow the timeline from the first INA to Bose's government, the failed Imphal campaign and the 1945 trials that shook British confidence.

Illustration drawn for QuestionBuddy.

Understand Subhas Chandra Bose and the Indian National Army

What the syllabus asks. The syllabus names "Bose's organisation of the INA, a brief account of its operations, eventual defeat and significance". It is a four-part answer: organisation, operations, defeat, significance. Keep the account of operations brief.

1. Origins. The first INA was formed in 1942 by Captain Mohan Singh from Indian prisoners of war taken by the Japanese after the fall of Singapore, with the support of Rash Behari Bose and the Indian Independence League (Bangkok Conference, June 1942). It ran into differences with the Japanese. Subhas Chandra Bose escaped from house arrest in Calcutta in January 1941, reached Germany, and travelled by submarine to South-East Asia, arriving in Singapore in July 1943.

2. Bose's organisation of the INA.

  • He took command of the Azad Hind Fauj and enlisted Indian soldiers and civilians in South-East Asia.
  • On 21 October 1943 he set up the Provisional Government of Free India (Azad Hind) at Singapore. It declared war on Britain and the USA and was recognised by the Axis powers.
  • Brigades were named after Gandhi, Nehru and Azad. The Rani of Jhansi Regiment, a women's regiment, was led by Captain Lakshmi Swaminathan.
  • Slogans: "Delhi Chalo", "Jai Hind" and "Give me blood and I will give you freedom".
  • The Japanese handed over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to his government, and Bose renamed them Shaheed and Swaraj.

3. Operations. INA units fought in the Arakan and joined the Japanese offensive on Imphal and Kohima in 1944. The INA flag was hoisted at Moirang in Manipur in April 1944. The offensive failed: the monsoon, shortage of food, arms and medicine, lack of air cover and the Allied counter-attack forced a retreat.

4. Defeat. After the Allied reconquest of Burma in 1945 and Japan's surrender in August 1945, the INA surrendered. Bose is believed to have died in an air crash at Taipei on 18 August 1945.

5. Significance.
1. It brought Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs together under one flag and included women soldiers.
2. The INA trials at the Red Fort (November 1945) of Shah Nawaz Khan, Prem Sahgal and Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon, defended by Bhulabhai Desai, Nehru and others, caused protests across India; the sentences were remitted.
3. It shook the loyalty of the Indian armed forces, a factor behind the Royal Indian Navy mutiny of February 1946.
4. It convinced the British that they could no longer rely on the Indian army to hold India.

A balanced note. The INA depended on Japan, a militarist power, and its military record was limited; its main effect was political, in how Indians felt about it and how the British judged the army.

Subhas Chandra Bose and the Indian National Army: key facts

INA timeline
  • 1942 first INA under Mohan Singh
  • July 1943 Bose reaches Singapore
  • 21 Oct 1943 Provisional Government
  • 1944 Imphal and Kohima
  • Aug 1945 surrender
  • Nov 1945 Red Fort trials
Learn six dates.
Features of Bose's INA
  • Brigades named after Gandhi, Nehru, Azad
  • Rani of Jhansi Regiment under Lakshmi Swaminathan
  • Delhi Chalo and Jai Hind
  • Andaman and Nicobar renamed Shaheed and Swaraj
Symbols of unity.
Red Fort trial accused
  • Shah Nawaz Khan
  • Prem Sahgal
  • Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon
A Muslim, a Hindu and a Sikh officer.

How to answer Subhas Chandra Bose and the Indian National Army questions

Most questions are "Give an account of the INA" or "Assess its significance". Separate organisation, operations and defeat, then significance.

  1. 1Start with how Bose came to lead the INA (arrival in Singapore, July 1943).
  2. 2State what he created: the Provisional Government, regiments, slogans.
  3. 3Give operations briefly: Arakan, Imphal and Kohima, 1944, with the reasons for failure.
  4. 4State the end of the INA with Japan's surrender.
  5. 5Give significance with the trials and their effect on the armed forces.

Subhas Chandra Bose and the Indian National Army in real life

The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Unity through a common symbol

Suppose a local team recruits players from different neighbourhoods and names each squad after a common hero rather than after a locality.

What does the naming achieve?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Squads no longer carry local identities.
  2. Players share one cause and loyalty.
  3. Supporters from every area can claim the team.

Answer: A shared symbol builds unity across groups; the INA's brigades named after Gandhi, Nehru and Azad, and its mixed membership, did the same.

Memory hook: One flag, many neighbourhoods.

Supply and weather decide campaigns

Imagine a trekking group that sets out across a mountain before the rains, with food for a week, and is caught by heavy rain on day four.

Why does the trek fail even if the group is brave?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Rain slows movement and spoils food.
  2. No spare supplies can reach them.
  3. Courage cannot replace food, shelter and support.

Answer: Weather and supplies decide outcomes; the INA's advance on Imphal and Kohima failed for lack of food, arms, medicine and air cover, and because of the monsoon.

Memory hook: Rain and rations beat resolve.

Tricks to remember Subhas Chandra Bose and the Indian National Army

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

  • R-S-S-T for the INA's story

    Rash Behari and Mohan Singh started it, Singapore (1943) Bose took over, Spirit of unity, Trials of 1945.

    Use it when: The sequence of the INA's history.

  • SPD for Red Fort

    Shah Nawaz, Prem Sahgal, Dhillon.

    Use it when: The accused at the first trials.

Subhas Chandra Bose and the Indian National Army: solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: Provisional Government · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level

When and where did Subhas Chandra Bose set up the Provisional Government of Free India? Name two powers that recognised it. [2]

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. 21 October 1943, Singapore (1 mark).
  2. Recognised by the Axis powers, e.g. Japan and Germany (1 mark).

Answer: Bose set up the Provisional Government of Free India (Azad Hind) at Singapore on 21 October 1943. It was recognised by the Axis powers, including Japan and Germany.

Example 2: Organisation of the INA · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level

Describe any three features of Bose's organisation of the Indian National Army. [3]

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Command and recruitment in South-East Asia (1 mark).
  2. Brigades named after Gandhi, Nehru, Azad; women's regiment (1 mark).
  3. Slogans and the Provisional Government (1 mark).

Answer: Bose took command of the INA and enlisted Indian soldiers and civilians in South-East Asia. Its brigades were named after Gandhi, Nehru and Azad, and a women's unit, the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, was led by Captain Lakshmi Swaminathan. He gave the slogans "Delhi Chalo" and "Jai Hind", and set up the Provisional Government of Free India in October 1943.

Example 3: Operations and defeat · 6 marks · Long answerHarder board level

Give a brief account of the operations of the INA and the reasons for its defeat. [6]

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Arakan and the Imphal-Kohima offensive of 1944 (2 marks).
  2. Flag at Moirang, April 1944 (1 mark).
  3. Reasons: monsoon, food, arms, medicine, air cover, Allied counter-attack (2 marks).
  4. Surrender in 1945 after Burma and Japan fell (1 mark).

Answer: INA units fought in the Arakan and joined the Japanese offensive on Imphal and Kohima in 1944, and the INA flag was hoisted at Moirang in Manipur in April 1944. The offensive failed. The monsoon, shortage of food, arms and medicine, lack of air cover and the Allied counter-attack forced a retreat. After the Allied reconquest of Burma in 1945 and the surrender of Japan in August 1945, the INA surrendered.

Example 4: Why the trials stirred India · 6 marks · Long answerHarder board level

The Red Fort trials came after the INA had already been defeated. Why, then, did they arouse so much public feeling, and how did they affect British policy? [6] (Analysis)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Accused from three communities, charged with waging war (2 marks).
  2. Defence by leading lawyers and nationwide protests (2 marks).
  3. Sentences remitted; effect on army loyalty and policy (2 marks).

Answer: The three officers tried, Shah Nawaz Khan, Prem Sahgal and Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon, were a Muslim, a Hindu and a Sikh, so the trials appeared to be an attack on all communities, and many Indians saw the accused as patriots. Leaders such as Nehru and Bhulabhai Desai took up their defence, and there were protests across India. The sentences were remitted. The trials also showed the British that Indian soldiers might sympathise with the INA, and with the Royal Indian Navy mutiny of 1946 they helped convince the government that the army could no longer be relied on to keep India under British rule.

Example 5: Source-based: an appeal to soldiers · 6 marks · Source-basedHOTS / competency

Read the extract (written for this page) and answer.

A leader, speaking at a rally of Indian soldiers and civilians in a Southeast Asian port in 1943, declared that the time for talk was over. He told them they had given him a task, and that freedom would only be paid for with sacrifice. Soldiers from every community stood together under a single flag, and a unit of women in uniform marched past.

(i) Name the leader and the slogan associated with this appeal. [1]
(ii) Identify the women's unit and its commander. [1]
(iii) What does the extract show about the INA's character? [2]
(iv) Give two ways in which the INA affected British thinking after 1945. [2]

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. (i) Subhas Chandra Bose; "Give me blood and I will give you freedom" (1 mark).
  2. (ii) Rani of Jhansi Regiment; Captain Lakshmi Swaminathan (1 mark).
  3. (iii) Unity across communities, inclusion of women, sacrifice (2 marks).
  4. (iv) Army loyalty doubted; trials and public anger; naval mutiny (2 marks).

Answer: (i) Subhas Chandra Bose; "Give me blood and I will give you freedom". (ii) The Rani of Jhansi Regiment, commanded by Captain Lakshmi Swaminathan. (iii) It was a unity of people of all communities under one flag, with women taking part and a spirit of sacrifice. (iv) The trials aroused public anger and showed the British that Indian soldiers might sympathise with the INA, which raised doubts about the loyalty of the Indian army; this fed into the naval mutiny of 1946 and the decision to transfer power.

Where students lose marks in Subhas Chandra Bose and the Indian National Army

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

  • Mistake: Crediting Bose with forming the first INA

    Ignoring Mohan Singh and Rash Behari Bose.

    Wrong working

    Bose founded the INA in 1942 in Singapore.

    Right working

    The first INA was formed in 1942 by Mohan Singh; Bose took command in 1943.

    Do this: Mohan Singh began it; Bose reorganised it.

    Usually costs: 1-2 marks.

  • Mistake: Mixing the INA with the Quit India Movement

    Both belong to the war years.

    Wrong working

    The INA was set up after Gandhi's arrest in 1942 to run the Quit India Movement.

    Right working

    The INA was an army in South-East Asia raised from POWs; Quit India was a mass movement inside India.

    Do this: INA = Asia outside; Quit India = India inside.

    Usually costs: 2 marks.

  • Mistake: Giving the INA's operations too much space

    The syllabus asks only for a brief account.

    Wrong working

    A long list of battles.

    Right working

    Two lines on Arakan, Imphal and Kohima, then the reasons for failure.

    Do this: Brief operations, strong significance.

    Usually costs: 1-2 marks (lost time).

  • Mistake: Leaving out the trials

    Significance seems complete without it.

    Wrong working

    The INA failed and ended.

    Right working

    Add the Red Fort trials, public protest and effect on the armed forces.

    Do this: Defeat, then trials.

    Usually costs: 2 marks.

Exam tips

  • The syllabus restricts operations to a brief account; spend most of your words on organisation and significance.
  • Name the three trial officers (Shah Nawaz Khan, Prem Sahgal, Dhillon) and say they came from three communities.
  • Link the INA trials to the Royal Indian Navy mutiny of February 1946 in a significance answer.

Practice questions on Subhas Chandra Bose and the Indian National Army

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

  1. Q1 · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level

    Who founded the first INA in 1942 and from whom was it formed? [2]

    Hint

    Captain Mohan Singh and prisoners of war.

    Answer

    Captain Mohan Singh formed it from Indian prisoners of war captured by the Japanese after the fall of Singapore.

  2. Q2 · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level

    How did Subhas Chandra Bose reach South-East Asia? [3]

    Hint

    Escape from Calcutta, Germany, submarine.

    Answer

    Bose escaped from house arrest in Calcutta in January 1941 and reached Germany. From there he travelled by submarine to South-East Asia and arrived in Singapore in July 1943.

  3. Q3 · 4 marks · Short answerHarder board level

    Name the islands handed over to Bose's government and what he renamed them. Why was this important to him? [4]

    Hint

    Andaman and Nicobar; Shaheed and Swaraj.

    Answer

    The Japanese handed over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which Bose renamed Shaheed and Swaraj. The islands were the first piece of Indian territory under his Provisional Government, and the new names recalled martyrs and self-rule, which gave the government a symbolic claim to sovereignty.

  4. Q4 · 5 marks · Short answerHarder board level

    Discuss two weaknesses of the INA as a military force and why the 1944 campaign failed. [5]

    Hint

    Dependence on Japan, supplies and air cover.

    Answer

    The INA depended on Japan for arms, food and transport and had no air cover of its own. Its soldiers were few and often poorly equipped. In the 1944 campaign at Imphal and Kohima the monsoon, shortage of food, arms and medicine and the Allied counter-attack forced a retreat, so its military role was limited.

  5. Q5 · 6 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

    "The INA won by its trial what it lost in battle." Examine this view. [6] (Evaluation)

    Hint

    Compare the military result with the political effect.

    Answer

    There is much in the claim. Militarily the INA failed: its 1944 campaign was driven back and it surrendered in 1945. But the trials at the Red Fort turned the accused into popular heroes, united Indians across communities, and brought protests across the country; the sentences were remitted. The trials also showed British officers that the loyalty of Indian soldiers was uncertain, which helped bring about the change in British policy, with the naval mutiny of 1946. The claim should be qualified, however: other factors, such as British exhaustion and the Labour government, also drove the decision to leave.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

  1. 1.Who formed the first INA?Show answer

    Captain Mohan Singh, in 1942.

  2. 2.When did Bose reach Singapore?Show answer

    July 1943.

  3. 3.When was the Provisional Government of Free India set up?Show answer

    21 October 1943, at Singapore.

  4. 4.Who commanded the Rani of Jhansi Regiment?Show answer

    Captain Lakshmi Swaminathan.

  5. 5.Which two places did the INA join the Japanese to attack in 1944?Show answer

    Imphal and Kohima.

  6. 6.What new names did Bose give to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands?Show answer

    Shaheed and Swaraj.

Subhas Chandra Bose and the Indian National Army: frequently asked questions

What was Bose's contribution to the INA?

He reorganised it as the Azad Hind Fauj, set up the Provisional Government of Free India, gave it slogans and unity of purpose, and led it in 1944.

Why did the INA fail?

The monsoon, shortage of food, arms and medicine, lack of air cover and the Allied counter-attack defeated the Imphal-Kohima offensive; Japan then surrendered.

What was the significance of the INA?

It showed unity across communities, included women, and, through the Red Fort trials, shook British confidence in the loyalty of the Indian army.

When did Bose die?

He is believed to have died in an air crash at Taipei on 18 August 1945.