NATIONALISM IN INDIA

Q.1.Explain why growth of nationalism in the colonies is linked to anti-colonial movements?

OR How would you account for the growth of national consciousness in the 1st half of the
20th century? OR “In India, as in Vietnam and many other colonies, the growth of modern
nationalism is infinitely connected to the anti-colonial”. Explain.
A1.The growth of national consciousness is linked to anti colonial movements:
1.People began discovering their unity in the process of their struggle with colonialism.
2.The sense of being oppressed under colonialism provided a shared bond between people.
3.It brought different communities together to take part in the struggle against the colonizers.
4.Although each class and group felt the effect of colonialism differently, ant their ideas of freedom were not
always the same, but leaders e.g. Gandhi in India, tried to unite these groups within one movement.

Q.2.Explain how the 1st World War helped in the growth of the National movement in India.
OR What political and economic changes occurred in India after the 1st World War?
A2.1.INCREAWSE IN DEFENCE EXPENDITURE: It was financed by war loans and also by increasing
taxes, raising custom duties, introducing income tax.
2.INCREASE IN PRICES: Price doubled between 1913 and 1918 which lead to extreme hardship for the
common people.
3.CROP FAILURE : in 1918-1919 and 1920-1921 crops Failed in many parts of India, resulting in acute food
shortages.
5.INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC : According to the census of 1921,12-13 million people died due to famine and
epidemic.
People had thought that their problems and hardships would be over at the end the war but nothing
happened. All the above mentioned factors angered people in India and helped to raise feelings of
nationalism.
Q.3 what is meant by Satyagraha? OR Describe the new method of mass agitation by
Gandhiji. “Satyagraha is active resistance “Explain.
A3.This was a form of struggle which Gandhiji adopted against Apartheid(racial discrimination) in South
Africa.
1.The idea of Satyagraha emphasized the power of truth and the need to search for truth. A satyagrahi does
not inflict pain on his adversary.
2.It suggested that if the case was true, if the struggle was against injustice, then physical force was not
necessary to fight the oppressor. He does not want his destruction.
3.A satyagrahi could win the battle through non violence, without being aggressive. His soul burns the
flame of love.
4.People had to be persuaded to see the truth. They cannot be forced to accept the truth through the use of
violence.
Q.4.Which Satyagraha movements were organized by Gandhiji in 1916,1917 and 1918? OR
Describe the early experiments on Satyagraha initiated by Gandhiji on local issues between
the years 1916-18.
A4.1.In 1916, he travelled to Champaran Bihar, to fight for the planters who were forced to grow indigo
instead of food crops.
2.In 1917,he organized a satyagraha to support the peasants of Kheda district in Gujrat, demanding that the
revenue collection had to be relaxed. Due to crop failure and epidemic, farmers were unable to pay the
revenue.
3.IN 1918,he organized a satyagraha in Ahmedabad for the cotton mill workers.
Q.5What was Rowlatt Act? Why were the Indians outraged by this Act? What was Gandhi ji’s
response to the Act or How was this Act opposed by the people in India?
A5. 1.The Rowlatt Act was hurriedly posed through the Imperial Legislative Council even though the Indian
members opposed it.
2.Though the Indians were outraged by this Act as it gave the government enormous powers to repress
political activities.
3.According to this Act, the government could detain political prisoners for 2 years without any trial.
4.This led to widespread discontentment among Indians. Gandhi ji’s response was to start a non-violence
civil disobedience movement against it, which would start with a hartal on 6th April. The people opposed in
the following ways:
1.Rallies were organized in various cities.
2.Workers went on strike in railway shops.
3.Shops were closed down.
4.Large crowds came on to the streets when they heard of the Jallianwala Bagh incident. There were strikes,
clashes with the police and attacks on the govt. buildings.
Q.6. What was the reason for the Martial Law imposed?Explain the measures taken by the
movement started against the Rowlatt Act.
A6. The government was alarmed by the non violence civil disobedience which was started by Gandhiji
against the Rowlatt Act. They took repressive measures:
1.Local leaders in Amritsar were put in prison.
2.Gandhiji was barred from entering Delhi.
3.On 10th April,the police in Amritsar fired upon a peaceful procession.
4.The people were provoked and they attacked banks, post offices and railway stations. So Martial Law was
imposed and General Dyer took command.
Q.7. Write a report on the Jalianwala Bagh Massacre. OR Describe the events leading to the
Jalianwala Bagh incident.
A7. 1. ON 13th April, a crowd of villagers who had came to Amritsar to attend a fair gathered in the enclosed
ground of Jallianwala Bagh.
2.Being from outside the city they did not know about the Martial Law imposed in Amritsar.
3.General Dyer entered the area, blocked the exit points, and opened fire, killing hundreds of people.
4.His object as he declared later was to produce a moral effect and to create in the minds of Satyagrahis a
feeling of terror and awe.
Q.8. Why did Gandhiji call off the Rowlatt Satyagraha? OR What was the reaction of the
people to the Jallianwala Bagh incident? How did the British respond to it?
A8. 1.When people came to know about the Jallianwala Bagh incident, they came out in buildings.
2.There were strikes, clashes with the police, and they attacked government buildings.
3.The government responded with brutal repression, wanting to humiliate and terrorise people.
4.The satyagrahis were forced to rub their nose on the ground, crawl on the streets, and to do salaam to the
sahibs.
5.People were flogged, villages around Gujranwala, now in Pakistan, were bombed.
6.Seeing violence spreading Gandhiji called off the Satyagraha.
Q.9. Why was the Khilafat Movement started?
A9. 1. The first world war ended with the defeat of Ottoman Turkey.
2.There was a rumour that the Ottoman Emperor the spiritual head of the Islamic world, was being forced
to sign a harsh treaty.
3.So to defend the powers of the Khalifa a Khilafat Committee was formed in Bombay in March 1919 by 2
brothers, Shaukat Ali and Mohammad Ali.
Q.10. Why did Gandhiji want to join the Khilafat and Non -Cooperation movements?
A10. 1.The Rowlatt satyagrah had been limited mostly to towns and cities.
2.Gandhiji wanted to start a more broad based, mass movement in India. But he knew that such a
movement could not be started without bringing the Hindus and Muslims together.
3.One way of doing this was to take up the Khilafat issue.
4.Mohammad Ali and Shaukat Ali began discussing with Gandhiji the possibility of uniting the 2
movements.
5.Gandhiji saw this as an opportunity to bring the Hindus and Muslims together.
6.So in the Calcutta Congress session 1920, the decision was taken to unite both the movements, to support
Khilafat and fight for Swaraj.
7.The Non-Cooperation programme was finally adopted in the Nagpur session December 1920.
Q.11.Why was the Non-Cooperation Movement started?
A11.It was started because of:
1.Injustice done in Punjab(the Jallianwala Bagh incident):On 13th April, General Dyer opened fire on the
crowd that had gathered in the Jallianwala Bagh, killing hundreds of people.
2.Injustice done to Turkey: There were rumours that a harsh peace treaty would be imposed on Ottoman
Emperor, the spiritual head of Islam. Muslims in India wanted to defend the temporal powers of the
Khalifa.
3.For Swaraj: At the Calcutta session Congress had decided to fight for swaraj which was still being denied
by the British.
4.To change the National movement in to a mass movement: The Rowlatt Satyagrah had been limited
mostly in towns and cities. After its suspension, Gandhiji felt that need to start a more broad based mass
movement in India.
Q.12. Why did Gandhiji pick the methods of non-cooperation?
A12.In this book Hindi Swaraj Gandhiji said that the British rule was established in India with the
cooperation of Indians and had survived due to this cooperation. If Indians refused to cooperate British rule
in India would collapse within a year and Swaraj would come.
Q.13.What were the methods Gandhiji proposed to adopt in the Non-Cooperation
Movement?
OR Mention 4 proposals with reference to the Non-Cooperation Movement, as suggested by Gandhiji. OR
How did the NCM unfold?
A13.1.First stage: All the titles of honour given by the British were to be given up to show that the Indians
did not want to do anything with the British.
2.Second Stage: Then the people would boycott civil services, army, police, courts, legislative, educational
institutions and foreign goods.
3.Third Stage: In this stage people were asked not to pay taxes to the government. If the government used
repression then a full scale civil disobedience campaign would be started.
Q.14.What two things about the proposal of the Non Cooperation movement worried the
Congress?
A14. 1. They did not want to boycott the council elections scheduled for November.
2.They feared that the movement might led to population violence.
Q.15.Where did the Non Cooperation movement start? Describe its methods.
A15.The movement started in January 1921 with the middle class participation in the cities.
1.Thousands of students left the government controlled schools and colleges, head masters and teachers
resigned.
2.Lawyers gave up their legal practices.
3.Council elections were boycotted exception Madras where the Justice Party felt that entering the council
was the only way of gaining power, something which only the Brahmans had.
4.Foreign goods were boycotted, liquor shops were picketed and foreign cloth was burned.
5.In many places merchants and traders refused to trade in foreign goods. The import of foreign cloth
halved between 1921-22, its value dropping from Rs.102 crore to 57 crore.
6.As the movement spread people began discarding importing clothes, and wearing only the Indian ones,
and production of Indian textile mills and handloom went up.
Q.16. Why did the Non Cooperation movement slowdown in cities?
A16.It slowed down due to the following reasons:
1.Khadi cloth was more expensive than the mass produced mill cloth, and poor people could not afford to
buy it. They could not boycott mill cloth for too long.
2.Boycotting of British institutions also posed a problem. For the movement to be successful, alternative
Indian institutions had to be set up so that they could be used in the place of British ones. These were very
slow to come up, so students and teachers started going back to the British govt. schools and lawyers joined
back work in government courts.
Q.17.Describe the peasant movement in Awadh.
A17.In Awadh peasants were lead by Baba Ramachandra, who had earlier been to Fiji as an indentured
labour.
2. The peasants in Awadh were very miserable and their movement was against the talukdars and landlords.
3.They demanded high rents from then and a variety of other cesses.
4.Peasants had to do beggar and work on their farms without payments.
5.They had no security of tenure. They could be asked to leave their land anytime.
6.The peasants under Baba Ramchandra demanded, reduction of revenues, abolition of beggar and social
boycott of landlords.
7.In many places Nayi-Dhobhi bands were organized by panchayats to deprive landlords of the services of
even barbers and washermen.
Q.18.How was the peasant movement linked with the On cooperation movement.
A18. 1. In June 1920 Jawaharlal Nehru went to the village in Awadh, talking to the villagers and trying to
understand their problem.
2.By October the Oudh Kisan Sabha was set up headed by Jawaharlal Nehru, Ramachandra and few other
leaders.
3.Within a month over 300 branches had been set up in the villages around the region.
4.So, when the Non Cooperation movement began in 1921, the Awadh peasant struggle integrated with the
wider struggle.
Q.19. What did Swaraj mean to the peasants of Awadh? OR “The peasant movement in
Awadh developed in forms that the Congress leadership was unhappy with”.
A19. 1. Primarily the Awadh movement was against the talukdars and landlords.
2. As the movements spread in 1921 the houses of talukdars and merchants were attacked, bazaars were
looted and grain hoards were taken over.
3.In many places local leaders told peasants that Gandhiji had declared that they would not be required to
pay any taxes and that land would be distributed among the poor. They took the name of Gandhiji to give
sanctions to their actions.
Q.20.Describe in brief the militant guerrilla movement of Andhra Pradesh. OR How did the
tribal peasants interpret the message of Gandhiji and his ideals of Swaraj? In what ways did
Gandhiji inspire Alluri Sitaram Raju?
A20. The movement spread in the Gudem hills of Andhra Pradesh because tribals were suffering from many
miseries and they interpreted swaraj in their own way:
1.The colonial government had closed large forest areas, preventing them from entering the forest to graze
their cattle or to collect fuel wood.
2.This made the hill people angry as their livelihoods were affected and their traditional tribal rights were
denied.
3.Government also forced them to do begar for road buildings in the mountains.
4.The tribals revolted under the leadership of Alluri Sitaram Raju, who they thought was the incarnation of
God.
5.Alluri claimed that he had special powers, he could make astrological predictions, heal people and survive
bullet shots.
6.He talked of the greatness of Gandhiji and said he was inspired by the NCM and persuaded the people to
wear khadi and give up drinking.
7.He respected Gandhiji’s ideals but said that India could be freed only by force, not non-violence.
8.The Gudem rebels attacked police stations, killed British officials and carried on guerrilla warfare for
achieving Swaraj. But Alluri was captured and killed in 1924.
Q.21.What was the idea of Swaraj in the plantation workers of Assam? What was the inland
emigration Act? What were the consequences?(Describe the people participation in the N.C.
Movement-mix a little of all ans.-cities-Awadh-Gudem hills-Assam)List all the social groups
which joined the N.C. Movement under cause-objectives activities.(Take points from Ans 15
to 21 and place them under the headings given in the question)
A21. 1. The plantation workers had been forcibly brought from nearby villages to work on the tea
plantations of Assam.
2.For them freedom meant the right to move in and out of the confined space in which they were enclosed
and maintaining a link with the villages from which they had come.
3.But according to Inland Emigration Act of 1859, they were not allowed to leave the tea gardens without
permission, which they rarely got.
4.When they heard of the N.C. Movement, thousands of workers denied the authority and left the
plantation and headed home.
5.For them Swaraj meant that Gandhi raj was coming and they would be given land in their own villages.
6.But they did not know that there was a railway and streamer strike. They were caught by the police,
beaten up and brought back.
Q.22. “Swaraj meant different things to different people. “Discuss.
A22. 1. Middle class people in towns and cities: The students, teachers, lawyers, traders, merchants all
joined the movements because they saw it as freedom from foreign rule. Boycotting foreign groups meant
that the sale of Indian goods would go up.
2.Peasants in the countryside: By Swaraj they understood that they would not have to pay any taxes and
land would be distributed.
3.Tribals of hilly areas: They understood that they would be free to enter he forests and they would get back
the traditional rights and means of livelihood.
4.Plantation workers: They believed that Gandhi raj was coming. They were free to move out of the
plantations and go back to their villages where they could get land.
Q.23. What was the importance of the Non-Cooperation movement?
A23. 1. For the 1st time the National movement became a mass movement. The educated urban class,
peasants and workers all moved together.
2.It gave rise to national feelings in wider scale.
3.It gave the people more confidence in their power to fight for freedom.
4.People realized the strength of their unity.
5.Gandhiji emerged as powerful leaders.
Q.24. Why did Gandhiji call off the Non Cooperation movement?
A24. 1.The visions of these movement were not defined by the Congress Programme, and everyone
interpreted Swaraj in their own ways, imagining it to be a time when all their suffering and troubles would
be over.
2.The movement was turning violent in many places and the satyagrahis needed to be properly trained,
before they would be ready for a mass struggle.
3.Within the Congress, some leaders were now tired of the mass struggle and wanted to participate in
elections.
4.C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru formed the Swaraj party within the Congress to agree for a return to council
politics.
Q.25. Who formed the Swaraj party and why? Which two factors shaped Indian politics
towards the late 1920’s?
A25. The Swaraj Part was formed by C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru. These leaders were now tired of mass
struggles and wanted to participate in elections. They felt that it was important to oppose the British
policies within the councils.
The 2 factors that shaped Indian politics were:
1.Effect of the world wide economic depression: Agricultural prices began to fall from 1926 and collapsed
after 1930.As the demand for agricultural goods fell and exports declined, peasants found it difficult to sell
their harvest crops and pay revenue.
2.The new Tory government in Britain sent a Statutory Commission under John Simon to look into the
functioning of the constitutional system in India and suggest some changes. When he arrived in India he
was greeted with the slogan “Go back Simon”. It was sent back as it did not have even a singles Indian
member, all were British.
Q.26. Why was the Simon Commission sent to India? Why was it rejected?
A26.Point 2 of Ans 25.
Q.27. What is the importance of the Lahore session in Dec 1929?
A27.The radicals within the Congress led by J.L. Nehru and Subhash Chandra Bose became more assertive.
So in this session under Jawaharlal Nehru:
1.The decision changed from Swaraj to Purna Swaraj .
2.It was declared that 26th June 1930 would be celebrated as Independence Day.
3. The decision to start the 2 n d mass movement, the Civil Disobedience, was also
taken.
Q28. How was the salt march an effective symbol of resistance against the British?
OR
Why did Gandhiji oppose the salt tax? Analyse the circumstances which led Gandhiji to
choose abolition of the salt tax as the most important demand of the Civil Disobedience
Movement.
A28. 1) Gandhiji found salt a powerful symbol to unite the whole nation as salt was something that was
consumed by both rich and poor. It was one of the most essential item of food.
2) The British had imposed tax on it and taken over the monopoly over its production. This revealed
the most oppressive face of British rule.
3) It would effect the British economically.

Q29. Discuss the events that lead to the Civil Disobedience Movement or why did Gandhiji
start the Civil Disobedience Movement ? What was the idea behind the demands that
Gandhiji sent to Irwin? What was the major or the most stirring demand? (What was the
nature of the demands made by Gandhiji in the 11 point ultimatum?)
A29. The events were:
1. The Simon Commission that had come to discuss about the constitutional changes did not have a
single Indian member.
2. There was still no mention for Swaraj.
3. In Oct. 1929, Irwin made a vague offer of dominion status for India in an unspecified future, and a
Round Table Conference to discuss a future constitution changes, The Congress leaders were not a
satisfied with this.
4. The tax on salt and the British monopoly over its production.
5. Due to the world wide economic depression, the agricultural prices fell in India, the demand for
agricultural goods declined and export decreased. The farmers could not sell their harvests and it
became difficult for them to pay the taxes.
6. On 31st Jan, Gandhiji sent a letter to Viceroy Irwin stating 11 demands, some general and some
specific demands of different classes from peasants to industrialists.
7. The idea was to make the demands wide ranging, so that all classes within the Indian society could
identify with them and everyone could be brought together in a united campaign.
8. The major demand was the abolition of the salt tax as salt was consumed by both rich and poor, a very
essential item for food. The monopoly of the British was the most oppressive policy of the British
government and Gandhiji wanted to attract each and everyone into the movement.
9. This letter was an ultimatum that if the demands were not fulfilled by 11th March, the Congress would
start the Civil Disobedience Movement.
10. Irwin refused to talk about the demands, so Gandhiji launched the CDM.
Q30. With which incident did the CDM start?
OR
Describe the salt march.
A30. 1) Gandhiji started the CDM with the famous salt march to Dandi, a coastal town in Gujarat. He was
accompanied by 78 volunteers.
2) The march was over 240 miles, from an Ashram in Sabarmati to Dandi. They walked for 24 days,
about 10 miles a day.
3) Thousands came to hear Gandhiji whenever he stopped. He told them the meaning of Swaraj and
urged them to peacefully deal with the British.
4) On 6th April, they reached Dandi, and brake the salt law, manufacturing salt by boiling sea water.

Q31. How was the CDM different from the NCM?

A31. 1) In Non-Cooperation the demand was the Swaraj. But in the Civil Disobedience Movement the
demand changed to Purna Swaraj.
2) During the NCM, people were asked not to cooperate, but during the CDM people were asked to not
only refuse cooperation, but also to break laws. Peasants refused to pay revenues and chaukidari taxes and
in many places forest people violated forest laws and went into the Reserved forests to collect wood and
graze cattle.
3) Women participation was more in the CDM than the NCM.
4) The CDM was a wider and more broad based movement than the NCM. E.g.: Rich farmers peasants,
industrialists, united to make it a success.
5) The NCM was a mass movement whereas the CDM was a national movement.

Q32. Why did Gandhiji call off the CDM?

OR
What was the reaction/ policy of the British government to the CDM?
A32. Gandhiji called of the movement due to the following reason:
1) The colonial government began to arrest Congress leaders one by one due to which there were violent
clashes in many places.
2) When Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan was arrested in April 1930, angry crowds demonstrated in the streets of
Peshawar, facing policing firing.
3) When Gandhiji himself was arrested, industrial workers in Sholapur attacked police posts, municipal
buildings, law courts and railway stations.
4) Peaceful satyagrahas were attacked, women and children beaten up, and about 100,000 people were
arrested.
5) Worried by these developments, Gandhiji decided to call off the movement and entered into a pact with
Irwin on 5th Match 1931, according to which he would participate in a Round Table Conference in
London and the Government agreed to release the political prisoners.

Q33. When did the Gandhi-Irwin pact take place? What were the provisions of the pact? What
was the outcome?
A33. Gandhiji called off the CDM due to brutal repression by the British government and entered into a pact
with Irwin on 5th Match 1931, known as the Gandhi-Irwin pact. The two agreements were:
1) Gandhiji agreed to participate in the 2nd Round Table Conference.
2) The government agreed to release the political prisoners.
Q34. Why did Gandhiji start the CDM again?
OR
Describe the 2nd Phase of the CDM.
A34. When he returned to India after the 2nd Round Table Conference had failed Gandhiji discovered that:
1) The government had begun a new cycle of repression.
2) Ghaffar and Jawaharlal Nehru were both in jail.
3) The Congress had been declared illegal.
4) Many steps had been taken to prevent meetings, demonstrations and boycotts.
5) Gandhiji relaunched the CDM, which continued for over a year. By 1934 it lost its momentum as the
participation this time was lukewarm.
Q35. What were the ideals of the different social groups that participated in the CDM?
OR
Describe the people’s participation in the CDM other than the Dandi March.
A35. Rich peasants:
a) In the countryside the rich peasants , like the Patridars of Gujarat and Jats of Haryana, were
producers of commercial crops, so they were hit by the trade depression and falling prices.
b) Their incomes fell and they found it difficult to pay revenue to the government.
c) When the government refused to reduce the revenue, they joined the CDM, organizing their
communities and forcing other members to participate in boycott programmes.
d) For them, the fight for Swaraj was a struggle against high revenues.
e) But they were very disappointed when the movement was called off without any reduction in taxes.
So when Gandhihi started the DM again in 1932, they refused to participate.

Poor peasants:
a) Many of them were small tenants cultivating land they had rented from landlords.
b) As the depression continued and their incomes fell, they found it difficult to pay rents.
c) They wanted the unpaid rent to the landlord to be remitted. Besides reduction of the revenue, for
them the fight was a struggle against high rents also.
d) But the Congress did not support the No Rent campaign as it would upset the rich farmers and
landlords. So when the CDM was restarted, the poor did not join it again.

Merchants and Industrialists: (What was the attitude of the business class towards the CDM)
a) Indian industrialists reacted against colonial policies that restricted their business.
b) They wanted protection against foreign imports and a rupee-sterling foreign exchange ratio that
would discouraged foreign imports.
c) To organize their interests, they formed the Indian Industrial and Commercial Congress in 1920,
and the Federation of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries which was led by famous
industrialists like Purshottamdas Thakurdas and G.D. Birla.
d) They attacked the colonial control over Indian economy and supported the CDM. They also gave
financial help.
e) For them Swaraj meant no colonial control over Indian economy. But after the failure of the Round
Table Conference they were no longer enthusiastic.

Industrial workers
a) They did not participate in the movements in large numbers ,except in the Nagpur region.
b) They adopted some ideas like boycott of foreign goods ,as part of their own movement against low
wages and poor working conditions.
c) There were also strikes by railway workers in 1930 and dock workers in 1932.
d) In 1930,1000 workers in chotanagpur tin mines wore Gandhi caps and participated in protest rallies
and boycott campaign.
e) But the congress did not include their demands in their programme ,as they were afraid that it
might upset the industrialists.
Q36. Write about the participation of workers in CDM.
OR
Imagine that you are a woman participating in CDM. Explain what the experience meant
to your life.
A36 a) During the salt march thousand of women came out of their houses to listen to Gandhi.
b) They participated in march manufactured salt, picketed foreign clothes and liquor shops. Many went
to jail.
c) In urban areas these women were from high caste families and in rural areas they were from rich
rich peasant households.
e) But this increased public role did not mean that there was any change in the position of
Women in the society. Gandhi now convinced that their duty was still to look after their homes and
families, be good mothers and wives.

Q.37What were the limitations of the CDM?

A37. 1.The Dalits:
a)For a long time the Congress had ignored the Dalits as they were afraid as it would asset the conservative
high caste Hindus.
b)According to Gandhiji, swaraj could not come for 100 years if untouchability was not eliminated.
c)But the Dalits wanted a political solution to this problem. They demanded reserved seats in educational
institutions and a separate electorate that would choose only Dalit members to legislative councils. So their
participation was very limited.
2.Muslim Political Organization:
a)After the decline of the Non Cooperation-n-Khilafat Movement, a large section of Muslims broke away
from the congress.
b)From the mid 1920’s the Congress became more dominated by Hindu religious nationalist groups like the
Hindu Mahasabha. So relations between the Hindus and Muslims became worse.
c)There were many riots in various cities and every riot deepened the distance between them.
d)In 1927 the Congress and Muslim League tried to unite. Muhammad Ali Jinnah was ready to give up the
demand for separate electorates if Muslims were assured reserved seats in Central Assembly and a
presentation in proportion to population in Muslim dominated areas. But this was denied by M.R. Jayakar
of the Hindu Mahasabha in 1928.So Muslims did not join the movement.
3. Industrial workers
a) They did not participate in the movements in large numbers ,except in the Nagpur region.
b) They adopted some ideas like boycott of foreign goods ,as part of their own movement against low
wages and poor working conditions.
c) There were also strikes by railway workers in 1930 and dock workers in 1932.
d) In 1930,1000 workers in chotanagpur tin mines wore Gandhi caps and participated in protest rallies
and boycott campaign.
e) But the congress did not include their demands in their programme ,as they were afraid that it
might upset the industrialists.
Q.38.What was Gandhiji’s attitude towards the Dalits?
A38. 1.Gandhiji favoured the Dalits and called them harijans.
2.He was clear that , swaraj could not come for 100 years if untouchability was not eliminated.
3.Their active participation in the fight for freedom was necessary.
4.He organized satyagrahas to allow them to enter temples and other public places.
5.He himself cleaned toilets to dignify the work of the sweepers.
6.He persuaded the upper caste to their attitude towards them.
Q.39. What was the Poona Act?
A39. 1.Dr. B.R. Ambedkar organized the Dalits into the Depressed Classes Association in 1930 and
demanded separate electorates for them to which the British agreed.
2.Gandhiji began a fast unto death because he believed that separate electorates would slow down their
integration into the society.
3.Ambedkar ultimately accepted Gandhiji’s position and the result was Poona Pact of September 1932.
4.It gave the Depressed Classes reserved seats in provincial and central legislative councils, but they were to
be voted by the general voters.
Q.40What is Nationalism? How did it spread?
A40. 1.Nationalism is when people begin to believe that they are all part of the same action when they
discover some unity which binds them together.
2.His sense of collective belonging came partly through the experience of united struggles.
3.History, fiction, folklore, songs, and symbols also played an important part in making of Nationalism.
Q.41.What rule did icons and symbols play in the spread of nationalism? How did the people
of different communities, religions or language develop a sense of collective belonging in
India?
A41. 1. Figure or image
a) The image was 1st created by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhya.
b) Later, Abindranath Tagore painted the famous image of Bharat Mata. In the painting, she is
calm, composed, divine and spiritual.
c) In the following years, the image of Bharat Mata took different forms and was circulated in
different prints.
d) Devotion to this figure was an evidence of nationalism.
2. Folklores
a) Indian nationalists began recording folktales sung by bards
b) They toured many villages to gather folk songs and legends and these tales gave true picture of
Indian traditional culture.
c) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhaya wrote the Vande Mataram in the 1870s which later became
the national song.
d) In Bengal, Rabindranath Tagore collected ballads, nursery rhymes and myths. All this gave
people a sense of pride in their culture and country.
3. Flag
a) During the Swadeshi Movement, in Bengal, a tri colour flag was designed in red-green-yellow.
It had 8 lotuses which stood for the 8 British Provinces and a crescent moon, which stood for
Hindu-Muslim unity.
b) Later, Gandhiji himself designed the swaraj flag, which was again a tri colour, red-green-white
and a spinning wheel in the centre.
c) Carrying the flag during marches became a symbol of defiance.
4. Reinterpretation of History
a) The British saw Indians as backward and primitive, not capable of governing themselves, so
Indian history had to be thought about differently.
b) Indians wrote about the glorious developments in the ancient past when art and architecture,
science and mathematics, law and philosophy, craft and trade had flourished.
c) This glorious time was followed by a decline when India was colonised.
d) The nationalists urged the people to take pride in India’s achievements in the past and
struggle to change the miserable condition of life under the British rule.
Q.42. Critically examine the different ways suggested by different leaders for uplifting the
status of dalits in Indian society.
A42. 1. Gandhiji favoured them and called them Harijans or Children of God. According to him, swaraj
would not come for 100 years if untouchability was not eliminated. He organised satyagrahas to allow them
to enter temples and public places such as parks, roads, schools etc. He himself cleaned toilets to dignify the
work of the bhangis.
2. Dalit leaders wanted a political rather than a social solution to their problem. They demanded separate
electorates that would choose Dalit members to Legislative Councils. They also demanded reservation of
seats in educational institutions.
3. B.R.Ambedkar supported them in this by organising them into the Depressed Classes Association for
their upliftment, otherwise they would be at the mercy of upper class Hindus.
4. Congress had always ignored them for the fear of offending the sanatans, the conserved high-class
Hindus.
Q.43. Differentiate between Swaraj and Purna Swaraj.
A43. 1.SWARAJ
a) IT means self government by the Indians formed by the representatives of the people.
 b) People would have the right to deal with internal matters.
c) India would remain a part of the British empire.
d) Sovereignty over India would remain with the British crown.
2.PURNA SWARAJ
a) It means total freedom from British rule.
b)People would not be a part of the British Empire.
c)India would not be a part of the British Empire.
d)People would not only be free, but sovereign too.
Q.44. On what basis was Jinnah ready to give up the demand for separate electorates?
A44. 1.Muslims were given reserved seats in the Central Assembly.
2.They were represented in proportion to population in the Muslim dominated provinces.
Q.45. How did the demand for separate electorates bring forth the communal divide in
India?
A45.They differed to protect their own political interests:
1.Gandhiji and other leaders of the Congress thought that separate electorates would weaken the national
movement.
2.Ambedkar and other leaders of the depressed classes thought that separate electorates was the only way
that depressed classes could be uplifted. Otherwise the would always be at the mercy of upper caste Hindus.
3.Muslim leaders like Jinnah and Mohammad Iqbal wanted separate electorates to safeguard the interests
of Muslims. They felt that majority of the people were Hindus and so, if there were joint electorates,
Muslims would have little chance of winning the elections. They feared that the culture and identity of the
minorities would be submerged under the domination of a Hindu majority.
Q.46. What was the reaction of the Congress leaders to Irwin’s proposals in 1929? What
pledge was taken on 26th January?
A46.
1. In October 1929, Irwin announced a vague offer of dominion status for India in an unspecified
future and a round table conference to discuss the future constitution.
2. This did not satisfy the Congress leaders. The radicals within the Congress led by Jawaharlal Nehru
and Subhash Chandra Bose became more assertive, and the liberals and moderates gradually lost
their influence.
3. In December 1929, under the presidency of Jawaharlal Nehru, the Congress formalised the demand
of Purna Swaraj and declared that 26th January would be celebrated as Independence Day. People
on this day would struggle for complete independence.
Q.47. Describe the differences that occurred between the Congress and the Muslim leaders
on political issues.
A47.
1. At first, the Congress and the Muslim leaders made efforts to renegotiate an alliance, and in 1927 it
appeared that such a unity could happen.
2. The important differences were over the question of representation in the future assemblies that
were to be elected.
3. Muhammad Ali Jinnah was willing to give up the demand for separate electorates, if Muslims were
assured reserved seats in the Central Assembly and representation in proportion to population in
Muslim-dominated provinces (Bengal and Punjab).
4. Negotiation continued but all hope of resolving the issue at the All Party Conferences in 1928
disappeared when M.R. Jaykar of the Hindu Mahasabha strongly opposed all efforts to
compromise.