My parentage—early influences—school and college life—evils of child-marriage—the Brahmo-Samaj movement; Keshub Chunder Sen—the temperance movement; Peary Churn Sircar—re-marriage of Hindu widows; Pundit Iswar Chinder Vidyasagar
The voyage; obstacles and prejudices—successful in the Civil Service Examination, 1869 — disqualified; the Commissioners’ mistake —public resentment in India—lawsuit and my re-instatement—my father’s death, 1870—Sripad Babaji Thakur, Romesh Chunder Dutt, and Rehari Lal Gupta—my English tutors
London to Brindisi—taken for German spies at Versailles—Calcutta again: socially ostracized by orthodox Brahmins—work as Assistant Magistrate at Sylhet—racial prejudices—the circumstances of my dismissal from the Service
Need for a political Association to represent educated middle classes—inaugurated, July 1876—Mazzini’s influence—the Civil Service agitation, 1877—my tour in North India—Sirdar Dayal Singh Majeetia and the Tribune—tour in Western India, 1878–79; meeting with Mr. Ranade—the first Indian Deputation to England; Mr. Lalmohan Ghose—the Maharani Swarnamoyee, ‘Lady Bountiful of Cossimbazar’—success of the Deputation
Lord Salisbury Secretary of State—the Vernacular Press Act—the silence of Lord Lytton—Dr. K. M. Banerjee—a letter to Gladstone—strong convictions a bar to promotion—Lord Ripon and local self-government—a broader vision and a higher platform
The leaderette in the Bengalee—prosecuted for contempt of court—public excitement—the trial—condemnation and imprisonment—demonstrations of sympathy; attitude of the Statesman—'Good cometh out of evil'—a national Fund—my life in prison—my release
The First Indian National Conference—a second tour through Upper India; an appeal for unity—Lord Dufferin Viceroy—Sir Henry Harrison—drunkenness and the outstill system—public meetings
First sittings at Bombay—the genesis of Provincial Conferences—the first Calcutta Congress, 1886—Congress in Madras, 1887—the late Maharaja of Vizianagrami—the Allahabad Congress, 1888—Mr. Bradlaugh's visit to India
Each member pays his own expenses—first meeting at Clerkenwell—interview with Gladstone; the elective principle—members of the Deputation—the debate at the Oxford Union—return to India; the Ripon College controversy
Expansion of the Legislative Councils, 1892—my election to the Bengal Legislative Council—Sir Charles Elliott—the Bengal Municipal Act—Sir Edward Baker—the House of Commons and simultaneous examinations
The Madras Congress—'should students discuss politics?'—President of the Poona Congress, 1895—preparation for the Presidential speech—reflections on oratory—Sir Romesh Chunder Mitter—development of the Congress movement
Evidence before the Welby Commission—British public addressed on Indian questions—my return to India: elected to the Bengal Council—the Congress of 1897: case of the Natu brothers—famine, plague, and deportations—Lord Curzon assumes office—the Madras Congress: Mr. Ananda Mohan Bose
Simultolla's attractions—tragic death of Dr. Suresh Chunder Sircar: 'grievous hurt' by British soldiers—Lord Curzon's policy—Local Self-government in danger—Congress at Lucknow: making India known in England—my Congress tour in the Punjab—inter-racial concord; Kali Prosanna Roy—officialdom and the movement—exclusion of Indians from higher appointments—W. C. Bonnerjea
Rise of the Bengalee: a devoted manager: journalism in India—I am again President of the Congress; successful Ahmedabad meeting—the Coronation Durbar—Viceregal profession and practice—Commission on Universities: abolition of law classes in colleges
Ripon College made over to trustees: from proprietor I become President of Council: public appeal for funds—farewell to teaching: what I taught my membership of the Senate: an inexplicable election rule—English literature without English history—Mr. Justice Ashutosh Mukherjea as Vice-Chancellor—I cease to be a member of the Bengal Legislative Council
A former Partition—the Civil Service case for further division—the energy of Lord Curzon: his visit to East Bengal—contempt of public opinion: the secret despatch—astonishment and indignation of Bengalee-speaking public; we make our plans
Non-Co-operation: a comparison—my ideals in public life—campaign in the country: roughing it for the cause—Kabyavisarad: journalist, composer and patriot—beginning of repression: Government circulars—Bande-Mataram forbidden—a pan-Indian cry: its meaning and origin
A stimulus to journalism—industrial activity: Government's neglected opportunity—the Banga Luxmi Cotton Mill—banking and insurance—public inauguration: the ball set a-rolling
The Partition takes effect—proposal for a Federation Hall: analogy of Alsace-Lorraine—the stone-laying: swan-song of Ananda Mohan Bose—Sir Gurudas Banerjee—our proclamation—Sir Bampfylde Fuller's administration—strictures by the High Court
Programme of the Conference—Bande-Mataram a point at issue—police attack the procession: 'instructions to arrest Mr. Banerjea alone'—wounded magisterial dignity—the Conference suppressed by the police: our indignation
The Swadeshi vow an inspiration—my visit to the Chakravartis of Rahamatpore: the police are foiled—Liyakat Hossain—Mr. A. Rasool, President of the Barisal Conference—Indian public opinion stirred—anarchy in Bengal: the provocation—a sinister interview—an unpopular Lieutenant-Governor—rowdyism at the Surat Congress.
The Congress united—entry of Mrs. Besant: her internment—the Home Rule League—passive resistance discussed at Bombay Congress:
conditions not favourable for success—a Calcutta meeting forbidden for astonishing reasons—interview with Lord Ronaldshay: the true reasons the prohibition withdrawn—my speech at the Town Hall
The Mozufferpore murders—deportations under Regulation III: Mr. Morley's attitude—how orders from Home have been exceeded—the Morley-Minto Reforms—the new Councils—my disqualification removed, but I decline to stand before the Partition is modified
I am invited to the Imperial Press Conference—Ripon College in safe keeping the first function—irrelevance of Lord Cromer: my reply and its effect Warwick Castle; Stratford-on-Avon; Oxford—when and why I smoked—I speak at Manchester—a visit to Windsor—work after the Conference—I speak on the Partition: repression condemned—breakfast and speeches at Sir William Wedderburn's—the assassination of Sir William Curzon—Wyllie—meeting at the New Reform Club—conference at Mr. Stead's house: my 'last word' to the British public—return to Calcutta, August, 1909
Grant of responsible government, 1917—Mr. Montagu in India—the Montagu-Chelmsford Report—cleavage between Moderates and Extremists—speech in the Imperial Council on the Reforms—interview with the Viceroy—what the Moderate party stands for—the Franchise Committee—unveiling of the Dadabhai Naoroji portrait
Importance of the occasion—the Joint Committee—the Indian witnesses—necessity for responsibility in the Central Government—Diarchy—reflex action of Punjab Government—other activities in London
Return to India, September, 1919—Non-Co-operation—the Rotary Club—appointed Minister of Local Self-government—my colleagues—relations with Lord Ronaldshay
Indianization of departments—Mr. Surendranath Mullick—relations with the Medical Department—Medical schools—a familiar method of attacking Ministers—the 1922 floods in Bengal
