The Swadeshi movement was a direct response to the partition of Bengal in 1905 by Lord Curzon. This administrative decision, aimed at weakening the nationalist sentiment in Bengal, sparked widespread protests and boycotts of British goods and institutions. While other events like Tilak's imprisonment or the arrest of leaders did occur and contributed to nationalist fervor, the partition of Bengal served as the catalyst that ignited the mass agitation known as the Swadeshi movement.