The secret revolutionary society "Abhinav Bharat" was founded in 1904 by which nationalist leader?

Introduction / Context:
Alongside open mass movements, the Indian freedom struggle also included underground revolutionary organisations that believed in secret planning, armed resistance and political assassinations. One such organisation was Abhinav Bharat, founded in the early twentieth century. Identifying who established this society helps in understanding the diversity of methods and ideologies within the nationalist movement.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- The organisation in question is Abhinav Bharat. - It was founded in 1904 as a secret society of revolutionaries. - The options are Damodar Chapekar, V. D. Savarkar, Praffula Chaki and Khudiram Bose. - We assume standard accounts of early revolutionary movements in Maharashtra and Bengal.

Concept / Approach:
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, often referred to as V. D. Savarkar, was a prominent revolutionary leader from Maharashtra. While studying in India and later in London, he organised nationalist students and set up Abhinav Bharat as a secret society to promote armed struggle against British rule. The Chapekar brothers, Praffula Chaki and Khudiram Bose were also revolutionaries, but they are associated with specific assassination attempts and organisations rather than with founding Abhinav Bharat.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that V. D. Savarkar was active in both India and London in organising revolutionary networks in the early 1900s. Step 2: Recognise that he and his associates created Abhinav Bharat as a secret society for coordinated revolutionary action. Step 3: Damodar Chapekar was involved earlier in the assassination of British officials in Pune but did not found this specific society. Step 4: Praffula Chaki and Khudiram Bose were associated with the attempted assassination in Muzaffarpur in 1908 and were linked more with the Anushilan Samiti in Bengal. Step 5: Because the question explicitly mentions Abhinav Bharat and the date 1904, it points clearly to Savarkar. Step 6: Therefore, V. D. Savarkar is the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Biographical sketches of Savarkar consistently mention that he founded a secret society originally called Mitra Mela, which later expanded and was renamed Abhinav Bharat. This organisation spread arms, literature and revolutionary ideas among young nationalists. The other figures listed in the options are discussed in connection with specific incidents of revolutionary violence, not with the founding of this society. This confirms that the correct founder is V. D. Savarkar.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Damodar Chapekar: Known for the assassination of the Plague Commissioner in Pune, but not the founder of Abhinav Bharat.
Praffula Chaki: A Bengali revolutionary who, along with Khudiram Bose, attempted an attack on a British judge; associated more with the Anushilan network.
Khudiram Bose: Another young revolutionary martyr from Bengal; again, not linked with establishing Abhinav Bharat.

Common Pitfalls:
Because all options are names of revolutionaries, candidates may confuse which person founded which organisation. Another mistake is to associate any group with whichever revolutionary they remember most clearly from textbooks. A helpful memory aid is to link Abhinav Bharat with Savarkar and his activities in Maharashtra and London, while thinking of Chaki and Khudiram in relation to the Muzaffarpur case.

Final Answer:
Abhinav Bharat was founded in 1904 as a secret revolutionary society by V. D. Savarkar.