Nationalism in India

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NATIONALISM    IN    INDIA

 

Dates                                               Events

1918 -1919                : - Peasants movement in U.P

1919                          : - Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre

1919                           : - Hartal against Rowlatt Act

1921                           : - Non Cooperation & Khilafat movement

1922                           : - Withdrawal of non-cooperation movement

1929                           : - Lahore Congress session

1930                           : - Civil Disobedience movement by breaking

salt law at  Dandi

1930  - 1932                : -  Round table conferences

1931                           : - Gandhi Irwin pact 

1931                            :- End of Civil Disobedience movement

1932                            :- Civil Disobedience movement relaunched

1940                            : - Demand for Pakistan

1942                            :- Cripps Mission

1942                              : - Quit India movement

1945                            : - End of World war-2

1946                            : - Cabinet mission

1947                            : - Independence

 

Brief Concepts of the Lesson

 The First World War, Khilafat and Non Cooperation

In the years after 1919, the national movement spread to new areas, incorporating new social groups, and developing new modes of struggle.  The movement created a new economic and political situation. It led to a huge increase in defenses expenditure which was financed by war loans and increasing taxes: customs duties were raised and income tax introduced.  Through the years the prices increased – doubling between 1913 and 1918 – leading to extreme hardship for the common people.  In the years 1918-1919 and 1920-1921 crops failure resulted in acute shortage of food.  The idea of Satyagraha of Mahatma Gandhi emphasized the power of truth and the need to search for truth. Mahatma Gandhi believed that this dharma of non-violence could unite all Indians.

The Rowlett Act (1919)

     In 1919 a nationwide Satyagraha against the proposed Rowlett Act was launched headed by Gandhiji. He wanted non-violent civil disobedience against unjust laws, which would start with a hartal on 6 April.

Non-cooperation movement (1920 – 1922)

     At the congress session at Nagpur in December 1920, a compromise was worked out and the Non-Cooperation programme was adopted. The Non-Cooperation-Khilafat Movement began in January 1921 with the participation of middle-class in the cities. Thousands of students left government-controlled schools and colleges, headmasters and teachers resigned, and lawyers gave up their legal practices.  Foreign goods were boycotted, liquor shops picketed, and foreign cloth burnt in huge bonfires. The import of foreign cloth halved between 1921 and 1922, its value dropping from Rs 102 crore to Rs 57 crore. The movement in the cities gradually slowed down for a variety of reasons such as -- Khadi cloth was often more expensive than mass produced mill cloth and poor people could not afford to buy it. From the cities, the Non-Cooperation Movement spread to the countryside.

Towards Civil Disobedience (1930)

In February 1922, Mahatma Gandhi decided to withdraw the Non Co-operation Movement. Within the Congress C R Das and Motilal Nehru found the Swaraj Party for return to council politics.  Due to the world wide Economic depression the life of the people was badly affected in India. At this juncture the Simon Commission arrived in India in 1928, and  it was greeted with the slogan ‘Go back Simon’. All parties, including the Congress and the Muslim League, participated.

The Salt March and the Civil Disobedience Movement (1930)

Mahatma Gandhi found in salt a powerful symbol that could unite the nation. On 31 January 1930, he sent a letter to Viceroy Irwin stating eleven demands. Since the demands were denied Mahatma Gandhi started his famous salt march from Sabarmati Ashram on 6^th April he reached Dandi, and ceremonially violated the law, manufacturing salt by boiling seawater. This marked the beginning of the Civil Disobedience Movement. The colonial government arrested the Congress leaders one by one. Satyagrahis were attacked, women and children were beaten, and about 100,000 people were arrested.  In this situation, Mahatma Gandhi once again decided to call off the movement and entered into a pact with Irwin on 5 March 1931. By this Gandhi Irwin Pact, Gandhiji consented to participate in a round table conference in London. Due to the failure of the round table conference Mahatma Gandhi relaunched the Civil Disobedience Movement. For over a year, the movement continued, but by 1934 it lost its momentum.

Who participated in the movement?

The rich peasant communities, the poor peasantry, the  industrial workers in Nagpur region and a large scale participation of women took active part in the movement. Besides, many Muslim leaders and intellectuals expressed their concern about the status of Muslims as a minority within India.

The Sense of Collective Belonging

Nationalism spreads when people begin to believe that they are all part of the same nation, when they discover some unity that binds them together. This sense of collective belonging came partly through the experience of united struggles. The identity of the nation is most often symbolised in a figure or image. Ideas of nationalism also developed through a movement to revive Indian folklore. As the national movement developed, nationalist leaders became more and more aware of such icons and symbols in unifying people and inspiring in them a feeling of nationalism. Another means of creating a feeling of nationalism was through reinterpretation of history.

Important Terms

1)         Forced recruitment – A process by which a colonial state forced people to join the Army.

2)         Boycott – The refusal to deal and associate with people, or participate in activities, or buy and use things, usually a form of protest.

3)         Picket – A form of demonstration or protest by which people block the entrance  to a shop, factory or office.

4)         Begar – Labour that villagers were forced to contribute without any payment.

 ACTIVITY BASED QUESTIONS: -

1) Find out the biography of Mahatma Gandhi.

1) Full name                                  : -         Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

2) Date of birth                                           : -        2^nd October 1869

3) Birth place                                            : -         Porbandar in Gujarat

4) Famous Movements started:      :-                      a) Started Satyagraha

            b) Non – Cooperation movement in

     1920

                                                                                    c) Salt March in 1930

d) Civil Disobedience movement in

    1930

5)   Also known as                                     : -        Bapuji, the father of our nation.

6)   Weapons used                                     : -        Peace, Truth & Non- Violence.

7)   Died on                                               : -         30^th January 1948.

3)   Write on Rowlatt Act.

1.  Proposed in                   : - 1919

2.  Imposed by                               : - Imperial Legislative Council

3. Aim                               : - To allow detention of political prisoners without trial.

4. Reaction of Gandhi       : -  Gandhi started Non Violent Civil Disobedience

     movement on 6^th April 1919

5. Reaction of people        : - Rallies were organized. Workers went on strike. People

    disrupted communication.

6)   Write a note on the aim & importance of National movements.

1)Non Cooperation movement	To redress the wrong done to Punjab & Turkey. To attain Swaraj
2)Chauri Chaura movement	Non-Cooperation movement called off.
3) Civil Disobedience movement	Attain Poorna Swaraj. Oppose Salt law.
4) Karachi session	Resolution of fundamental rights and economic policies
5) Government of India Act	Formation of a federation provincial autonomy.
6) Champaran movement	Movement against Indigo Planters.

                   

 Questions and Answers

1)   What do you mean by ‘Swaraj’?

Swaraj is defined as the system of government. It is prevailed in the self-governing British colonies.

2)   What do you mean by diarchy?

It means dual government when the government is run by the set of authority.

3)   In which year, Abdul Ghaffar Khan was arrested? How did Indians react to it?

Abdul Ghaffar Khan was arrested in April 1930.Angry crowds demonstrated in the streets of Peshawar, facing armored cars and police firing. Many were killed.

4)   What were the steps taken by the nationalist leaders as the National movement developed?

The steps taken by the leaders are: -

They became more and more aware of icons and symbols in unifying people and inspiring in them a feeling of nationalism.

5)   What were the changes that took place when civil disobedience movement started?

1)       An atmosphere of suspicion and distrust was created in communities.

2)     Large number of Muslims could not respond to the call for a united struggle.

6)   Explain the term ‘Forced Recruitment’.

Forced Recruitment is a process by which the colonial state forced people to join the army.

7)   Who had started the Champaran movement in Bihar and why?

M.K Gandhi started the Champaran movement in Bihar in 1917 against the Indigo planters.

8)   Which was the greatest achievement of Gandhiji in social field?

He started a campaign against inhuman institution and untouchability.

9)   What is meant by Gadar? Where was the Gadar party established?

The word Gadar means a mutiny. It was revolutionary movement organized outside India.

10)    When was the Indian National Congress founded? Who is its first president?

The Indian National Congress was founded in the year 1855.Its first president is W.C Bannerjee.

11)   How did Mahatma Gandhi organize Satyagraha in various places in India?

  After arriving India Mahatma Gandhi organized Satyagraha in various places.

They are: -

a   In 1916 he travelled in Champaran, Bihar to inspire the peasants to struggle  against oppressive plantation system.

b.   In 1917 he organized Satyagraha to support peasants of Kheda in Gujarat.

c.   In 1918 he went to Ahmedabad to organize this movement amongst cotton mill workers.

d.   In 1919 he launched Satyagraha against Rowlatt Act.

12)    What is Rowlatt Act?

A: In 1919 the Legislative council passed the Rowlatt Act. The act empowered the government to imprison a person without a trial. It gave enormous power to the government to repress political activities.  

13)   How was Civil disobedience movement different from Non Cooperation movement?

A.              Civil Disobedience Movement:

1.         In this movement people were now asked not only to refuse cooperation with the British, but also to break colonial laws.

2.       Thousands of people broke salt laws, manufactured salt and demonstrated in front of government salt factories.

3.       Foreign cloth was boycotted & liquor shops were picketed.

4.       Peasants refused to pay revenue and chaukidari taxes, village officials resigned.

5.         In many places forest people violated forest laws-going into Reserved Forests to collect wood and graze cattle.

6.  Large scale participation of women

Non-cooperation Movement-

1.         Surrender of titles

2.         Boycott of civil services, courts, army, police, and legislative councils.

3.         Foreign goods were boycotted, liquor shops picketed and foreign cloth burnt in huge bonfires.

4.         Boycott of council election.

5.         It turned into a violent movement.      

14)   What were the limits of Civil Disobedience movement?

A.      Limits of the civil disobedience movement are: -

1.    Not all social groups were moved by the abstract concept of Swaraj

2.   Dr B R Ambedkar also clashed with Mahatma Gandhi at second Round table  

conference

3.   Muslim political organization in India were also lukewarm in their response to this movement

4.   When this movement started there was an atmosphere of suspicion and distrust between communities

15)   Describe the portrayed Bharath Mata and also its different image forms?

A.      1.         Bharat Mata was portrayed as an ascetic figure

  2.        She is calm, divine and spiritual.   

 3.         The image of Bharat Mata acquired many different forms, as it is circulated in popular prints. Devotion to this mother figure came to be seen as evidence of one’s nationalism

16)   In what way did the Indian peasants revolt and against what reasons?

A.   1.  The peasant revolted against talukdars and landlords who demanded high

     rents and other cases.

2. The peasant movement demanded reduction of revenue and abolition of

    begar.

3. As the movement spread, the houses of talukdars and merchants were     attacked.

4.  Bazaars were looted, and grain boards were taken over.

5. The name of Gandhiji was being invoked to sanction all action and aspiration.

17) How was the feeling of nationalism created by reinterpretation of history?

A.       1.  Indians began to feel that to instill a sense of pride in the nation, Indian history had to be

taught differently

2. They wrote about the glorious development in ancient times when art, science and

technology had flourished.

     3. This glorious time was followed by a history of decline when India was colonized.

    4. These nationalists’ history urged in the past, the readers to take pride in Indian

achievements.

18) Discuss how the First World War helped in the growth of Nationalism in India?

A:  The First World War helped in the growth of Nationalism in India in the following ways: -

1. During the First World War, Indian merchants and industrialists profitedhugely and became powerful.

2. They wanted protection against import of foreign goods.

3. To organize business interests, they formed the Indian Industrial  & Commercial Congress in 1920 FICCI in 1927.

4.  Prominent industrialists attacked colonial control over the Indian economy.

5. They supported Civil Disobedience movement.

6.  They gave financial assistance and refused to buy and sell foreign goods.

3) What were the demands put forth by M K Gandhi to Viceroy Irwin?

1.    On the 31^st of January 1930, Gandhi sent a letter to Viceroy Irwin stating 11 demands. They were of general interest.

2.  The idea was to make demands wide ranging. So all classes within the Indian society could identify it and unity could be developed.

3.   The most stirring was the salt task.

4.   Salt was consumed by everybody in the same way.

5. The tax on the salt and the government monopoly over its production, M K Gandhi declared the most oppressive face in the British rule.

4) Examine the factors responsible for the growth of National consciousness in the later half of the 19^th century.

           Factors responsible for the growth of nationalism: -

1.         Economic exploitation of people continued unabated.

2.       Administrative and economic unification of the country.

3.       Western thoughts and education.

4.       Development of press.

5.       Growth of Literature.

6.       Cultural Heritage development.

5) Explain the importance of Karachi session of the congress in 1931 A.D.

            This session is important for the following decisions: -

1.  It approved the Gandhi-Irwin pact between M K Gandhi and Viceroy Irwin.

2.  It passed a resolution of fundamental rights and economic policy.

3. It mentioned the Fundamental Rights that would be granted to all people irrespective of caste and religion.

4. The resolution on economic policy favored nationalization of certain industries.

5. The resolution also favored schemes for the welfare of workers.

6) What did the idea of Satyagraha emphasized?

1.         The idea of Satyagraha emphasized the power of truth and the need to search for truth.

2.       It suggested that if the cause is true, if the struggle is against injustice, then physical force is not necessary to fight the oppression.

3.       Without being aggressive, a Satyagrahi could win the battle through non-violence.

4.       This could be done by appealing to the conscience of the oppressor.

Extra Questions---

1. State the important features of the Civil Disobedience Movement.

2. Why did Gandhiji call off the Civil Disobedience Movement?

3. State the significance of Gandhi Irwin Pact.

4. Mention the importance of Poona Pact.

5. Why did political leaders differ sharply over the question of separate electorates?

SKILL BASED QUESTIONS: -

1.  Find & locate the places using the information below: -

 Map questions:

1) The Congress session of 1929 was held at -----------------------

Ans:     Lahore

  

2) Khilafat Committee was formed at ----------------

Ans:     Bombay

  

3) The Place where non – cooperation movement turned violent

 Ans: Chauri - Chaura 

4) Place where Ghandhiji Started Satyagraha movement against Indigo plantation system

Ans: Champaran

       5) Salt March was ended in

Ans: Dandi

Jallianwalla Bagh Bardoli Kheda Karachi Lucknow

NCERT TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS

Q.1. Explain

A) Why growth of nationalism in the colonies is linked to the anti-colonial movement?

Ans. In India, as in other colonial countries like Vietnam, the growth of nationalism is totally linked with anti-colonial movement. In their fight against colonialism, people began to discover their unity. They found out they had a common oppressor and had common complaints, so it created a bond among different groups. They realised they were fighting for the same causes — against poverty, discrimination, high taxes, begar, crop failures, forced recruitment to the army during the First World War etc. These shared hardships created a feeling of unity, and aroused nationalism against the common colonial ruler. Though the aims of each group were not similar, now they had a common demand “Swaraj”.

B) How did the First World War help in the growth of National Movement in India?

Ans. (i) It created new economic and political problems. The war had led to huge expenditure which was financed by heavy loans and increase in taxes. Customs duties were raised and income tax was introduced.

(ii) The prices had doubled between 1913-18 and the common people underwent great hardships.

(iii) Crops had failed between 1918-19 and 1920-21 leading to famine and disease. There were epidemics killing between 12-13 million people (Census, 1921).

(iv) People’s hope that the end of war would bring an end to their goals were belied, and this led to their support to the national movement.

(v) The Muslims were antagonised by the British ill-treatment of the Khalifa, after the First World War.

(vi) Indian villagers were also incensed by the British Government’s forced recruitment of men in the army.

(vii) The Congress and other parties were angry with the British for not consulting them before making India a party on their side against Germany.

(viii) Taking advantage of the First World War, many revolutionary parties cropped up and they incited the people to join the anti-colonial movement in India (i.e. the National Movement).

C) Why Indians were outraged by the Rowlatt Act.

During Indian struggle for Independence British government passed a law named after Sidney Rowlatt who was a government official, whose work was to find out who were behind Indian independence support and stop the changes responsible for the Independence were mainly.

Three officers in this commission and all were Britishers. Indian freedom fighters called it “Black Law”. This Act gave the government enormous powers to repress political activities and allowed detention of political prisoners without trial for two years.

The opposition against this law started with a hartal by Gandhi. Rallies were organised in many cities, workers stopped working, went on strike. Shops and workshops were closed. By this way the reaction of the people came out against this Act.

D) Why did Gandhiji call off the Non-Cooperation Movement?

Ans. The Chauri Chaura incident near Gorakhpur made him to do so. A peaceful procession turned violent and burnt a police chowki at Chauri Chaura and 22 policemen were burnt alive. Gandhiji, an apostle of non-violence, was shocked .

Within the Congress some leaders were by now tired of mass struggle and wanted to participate in elections to the provincial councils that had been set up by the Government of India Act of 1919.
Thus Mahatma Gandhi decided to call-of the movement.

 

Q.2. What is meant by the idea of Satyagraha?

Ans. Gandhiji said ‘Satyagraha’ was not passive resistance but it called for intensive activity. Physical force was not used against the oppressor, nor vengeance was sought. Only through the power of truth and non-violence, an appeal was made to the conscience of the oppressor. Persuasion, not force, would make the oppressor realise the truth. This ‘dharma’ of non-violence and truth united people against the oppressor and made them realise the truth.

Q.3. Write a newspaper report on

(a) The Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

Ans. April 13, 1919 will be a date never forgotten by Indians — those who were present and those who will come later. Generations will talk about the infamous, brutal massacre at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar. Hundreds of villagers had come to Amritsar to celebrate Baisakhi and attend a fair. They were totally unaware of the martial law, which General Dyer had imposed on the city because of the ‘hartal’ observed on April 6 against the Rowlatt Act. On 10 April the police had fired upon a peaceful procession, which had provoked widespread attacks on banks, post offices and railway stations.

General Dyer entered the area where a peaceful meeting was going on in Jallianwalla Bagh. He blocked all the exit points and ordered his troops to fire upon the unarmed people. His object was to create terror and awe in the minds of the satyagrahis and produce a “moral effect”. Hundreds of innocent people were killed, some were drowned as they jumped into a well to escape bullets.

The mass murder was not enough; the government used brutal repression to crush people who rose in anger after this massacre. The satyagrahis were forced to rub their noses in the dirt, crawl on the streets and “Salaam” all “Sahibs”. People were mercilessly flogged and in some villages bombs were also used (Gujranwala in Punjab). It was the most shameful act in the history of British rule in India.

(b) The Simon Commission.

Ans. In 1927, the British Government appointed a seven-member commission under the chairmanship of Sir John Simon. It was to report about the extent to which the Act of 1919 had worked out  successfully. It was to examine the functioning of the constitutional system in India. This Commission was boycotted by the Indians as it had not a single Indian member.

It was welcomed with black flags and slogans of “Simon go back” when it landed in India. At Lahore, a procession taken out under the leadership of Lala Lajpat Rai was lathi-charged and he was fatally wounded in 1928.

The Simon Commission led to Jawaharlal Nehru demanding “Poorna Swaraj” at the Lahore Session of the Congress. The Nehru Report was also a reaction to this Commission and it gave Gandhiji an opportunity to start his Civil Disobedience Movement in India.

Q.4. Compare the image of Bharat Mata with the image of Germania. Do you find any

similarities? Why do you think these images of Bharat Mata will not appeal to all castes

and communities?

Ans. Germania is portrayed as a heroic figure. Look at the sword in one hand, flag in the other. She

stands for partriotism and heroism. This portrait resembled the Bharat Mata. The figure

extends purity and authority.

Q.5. List all the different Social Groups which joined the Non-Cooperation Movement of 1921. Then choose any three and write about their hopes and struggles to show why they joined the movement.

Ans. (i) The middle class joined the movement because the boycott of foreign goods would make the sale of their textiles and handlooms go up.

(ii) The peasants took part in the movement because they hoped they would be saved from the oppressive landlords, high taxes taken by the colonial government.

(iii) Plantation workers took part in the agitation hoping they would get the right to move freely in and outside the plantations and get land in their own villages.

Q.6. Discuss the Salt March to make clear why it was an effective symbol of resistance against

colonialism.

Ans. Mahatma Gandhi found in salt a powerful symbol that could unite the nation. On 31 January, 1930, he sent a letter to the Viceroy Lord Irwin, making eleven demands. Some of these demands were of general interest, some were specific demands of different classes from industrialists to peasants. The idea was to make the demands all-embracing and wide-ranging, so that all classes within Indian society could identify with them and work together in a united campaign. He made the “Salt tax” his target and called it the most repressive Act of the British government. This tax hit both the poor and the rich as salt was used in every household. The British had the monopoly in producing salt and they misused their power.

Gandhi started his famous “Salt March” on March 12, 1930 from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi, a small coastal village in Gujarat. He started with 78 followers and thousands joined him on his 240-miles route.

It took him 24 days of 10 miles walking per day. On April 16, 1930 he broke the Salt Law by boiling sea water and extracting salt. Newspapers carried day-to-day reports of his march and the speeches he made on the way. It is reported that about 300 Gujarat village officials resigned their posts and joined Gandhiji.

His Salt March led to violation of Salt Law all over the country. It also led to boycott of foreign goods and picketing of liquor shops. Students and women played a significant role in this movement. Peasants refused to pay taxes, forest people broke forest laws and grazed their cattle, collected wood in prohibited forest areas. There was an uprising against the government everywhere in India and the British had to use brutal force to suppress it.

Q.7. Imagine you are a woman participating in the Civil Disobedience Movement. Explain what the experience meant in your life.

Ans. Women entered the National Movement in large numbers for the first time by participating in the Civil Disobedience Movement. During Gandhiji’s ‘Salt March’, thousands of women came out of their homes to listen to him. They participated in protest marches, manufactured salt, picketed foreign goods and liquor shops. They came in the urban areas from high caste families. In the rural area they were from the rich peasant households. They took part in the movement as their sacred duty. They stood by their men and suffered physical blows also. They included old women, women with babies in their arms, and young girls. It did not win them any new status. Even Gandhiji thought women’s place was at home, as good mothers and good wives. The Congress did not give them any position in the organisation — but the women

made their presence felt. Women who had never stepped out of their homes, women in purdah could be seen marching side by side with their men. 

Q.8. Why did political leaders differ sharply over the question of separate electorates?

Ans. By separate electorates we mean a system in which people of one religion vote for a candidate of their own religion. The British used this system to divide the people of India and thus to weaken the National Movement. This would make their position strong in India and make them rule for a long time. They succeeded in driving a wedge between the Hindus and Muslims which finally led to the partition of the country in 1947.

The different political leaders did not agree with this policy and held different opinions.

(i) Congress : It opposed tooth and nail the British policy of separate electorates. It understood the mischief created by the divide and rule policy. It was in favour of joint electorates.

(ii) Muslim leaders like Muhammad Iqbal and M.A. Jinnah wanted separate electorates to safeguard the political interests of the Muslims. They were afraid, as a minority religious group, that they would never be able to win elections in a joint electorate and the Hindus would always dominate them.

(iii) The leaders of the Depressed Classes under Dr B.R. Ambedkar also wanted a separate electorate, because they were also afraid of Hindu dominance in a joint electorate. After Gandhi’s fast unto death, the Poona Pact was signed between him and Dr. Ambedkar. Gandhiji saw it as a blow to national unity and feared that the Dalits would never become one with the Hindu society, under separate electorate. 

Dr. Ambedkar agreed to a joint electorate provided the Depressed Classes had reserved seats in the Provincial and Central Legislative Councils.