Chapter 1

Nationalism in India

Preface :

Nationalism: It is a belief system which instills a sense of common identity among the members of a nation.
National flag, national symbol, national anthem, etc. play an important role in developing and strengthening
the idea of nationalism.

The First World War, Khilafat And Non-Cooperation

Effects of First World War: The War led to a huge increase in defence expenditure. This was financed
by war loans and by increasing taxes.

(1) Customs duties were raised and income tax was introduced to raise extra revenue. Prices of items
increased during the war years. The prices doubled between 1913 and 1918. The common people
were the worst sufferers because of price rise.
(2) Forced recruitment of rural people in the army was another cause of widespread anger among
people.
(3) Crop failure in many parts of India resulted in acute shortage of food. Influenza epidemic further
aggravated the problem. According to 1921 census, about 12 to 13 million people died because of
famines and epidemic.

Satyagraha: A novel method to win

Mahatma Gandhi advocated a novel method of mass agitation; called satyagraha. This method was
based on the idea that if someone is fighting for a true cause, there is no need to take recourse to
physical force to fight the oppressor. Gandhiji believed that a satyagrahi could win a battle through non-
violence, i.e. without being aggressive or revengeful.

Some early satyagraha movements organized by Gandhi:

1. Indigo movement in champaran in 1916

2. Peasants’ movements in Kheda in 1917

3. Cotton Mill workers’ movement in Ahemdabad

The Rowlatt Act(1919): A controversial law

The Rowlatt Act was passed by the Imperial Legislative Council in 1919. The Indian members did not
support the Act, but it was passed; nevertheless. The Act gave enormous powers to the government to
repress political activitiesand imprisonment of political prisoners without any court trial for two years.

Satyagraha against the Rowlatt Act

On 6th April, 1919; Gandhiji launched a nationwide satyagraha against the proposed Rowlatt Act.which was
to be started on 6th of april by declaring hartal The British administration decided to clamp down on the
nationalists. Several local leaders were arrested. Mahatma Gandhi was barred from entering Delhi.

On 10th April 1919; in Amritsar; the police fired upon a peaceful procession. This provoked widespread
attacks on government establishments. Martial law was imposed in Amritsar and the command of the area
was given to General Dyer.

Jallialnwalan Bagh Massacre: On 13th April ,The infamous Jallianwalla Bagh massacre took place; the day
on which Baisakhi is celebrated in Punjab. A crowd of villagers came to participate in a fair in Jallianwalla
Bagh. This was enclosed from all sides with narrow entry points. General Dyer blocked the exit points and
opened fire on the crowd. Hundreds of people were killed in the incident. Public reaction to the incident
took a violent turn in many north Indian towns because things took highly violent turn. Mahatma Gandhi
called off the movement as did not want violence to continue.

Khilafat Movement

Mahatma Gandhi felt the need of a more broad-based movement in India. He was convinced that it could
be only possible by bringing the Hindus and Muslims on a common platform and the Khilafat issue gave
him the opportunity to bring the Hindus and Muslims on a common platform.Tthat’s why a Khilafat
committed was formed in Bombay in March 1919 to defend the Khalifa This committee had leaders like
the brothers Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali. They also wanted Mahatma Gandhi to take up the cause to
build a united mass action so Gandhi decided to extend his support to the Khilafat committee to bring
Hindu-Muslim together.so at the Culcutta session (sep,1920) Gandhi declared to launch Non-cooperation
movement in the support of Khilafat and Swaraj.

Non-cooperation Movement

Gandhiji believed that if Indians begin to refuse to cooperate, the British rulers will have no other way
than to leave India.
 Some of the acitivies of non-cooperation movement:

(1) Surrender the titles which were awarded by the British government.
(2) Boycott civil services, army, police, courts, legislative councils and schools.
(3) Boycott foreign goods.
(4) Liquor shops picketed
(5) Burn foreign cloths and products

(1) The Movement in the Towns:

The movement started with good participation from the middle-class in the cities. 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 boycott of
foreign cloths helped in increasing the demand of cloths made in India.

Reasons for Slowdown of Movement:

Boycott of British institutions posed a problem of lack of alternative Indian institutions. Such
institutions were slow to come up. Students and teachers began coming back schools. Similarly,
lawyers resumed their work in the courts and since Khadi was more expensive than mill-made cloth.
The poor people could not afford to buy khadi.

(2) The movement in the Countryside:

Awadh:

The peasants’ movement in Awadh was led by Baba Ramchandra. He was a sanyasi who had earlier
worked in Fiji as an indentured labourer. Oudh Kisan Sabha was set up by October. It was headed by
Jawaharlal Nehru, Baba Ramchandra but many place people indulged in violence and stopped paying rents
by invoking the name of the Mahatma.

(3) The movement in Forests:

Tribal peasants gave their own interpretation of Mahatma Gandhi and the idea of swaraj. Many rebels
from the tribal areas became non-violent and often carried guerilla warfare against the British officials
under the leadership of Alluri Sitaram Raju.

(4) The movement in plantations

As per the Indian Emigration Act of 1859, The plantation workers were not permitted to leave the tea
gardens without permission. When the news of Non-Cooperation Movement spread to the
plantations, many workers began to defy the authorities. They left plantations and headed towards
their homes. But they got stranded on the way because of a railway and steamer strike. They were
caught by the police and brutally beaten up.

By the end of 1921, the movement was turning violent at many places. Gandhiji decided to withdraw
the non-cooperation movement in February 1922.

Simon Commission
The Simon Commission arrived in India in 1928 to look into the functioning of the constitutional
system in India and suggest changes It was greeted with the slogan ‘Go back Simon’. In October 1929,
Lord Irwin announced a vague offer of ‘dominion status’ for India but it was rejected by Congress
party.

Salt March:Beginning Civil Disobedience Movement

The Salt March marked the beginning of the Civil Disobedience Movement. The Salt March or Dandi
March was started by Gandhiji on 12th March 1930. He was accompanied by 78 volunteers. They walked
for 24 days to cover a distance of 240 miles from Sabaramati to Dandi and under this movement Foreign
cloth was boycotted. Peasants refused to pay revenue. Village officials resigned. Tribal people violated forest
laws.

The government’s repression to civil discbedience was quite brutal. Even women and children were beaten
up. About 100,000 people were arrested.and when things began to take a violent turn, Mahatma Gandhi
called off the movement. He signed a pact with Irwin on 5th March 1931. This was called the Gandhi-Irwin
Pact. Gandhiji went to London in December 1931. The negotiations broke down and Gandhiji had to
return with disappointment. By 1934, the movement had lost its momentum.

How difference people of society saw the movement

(1) The Rich farmers : For the rich farmers like Jats of UP and Patiodars of Gujrat, the fight for swaraj
was a struggle against high revenues. When the movement was called off in 1931; without the
revenue rates being revised; the farmers were highly disappointed.

(2) The poor farmers: The small tenants just wanted the unpaid rent to the landlord to be
remitted. They often joined the radical movements which were led by Socialists and
Communists

(3) Industrialists: The Indian merchants and industrialists were against the colonial policies
which restricted their business activities. They wanted an environment which could allow the
 business to flourish. . For the businessmen, swaraj meant an end to oppressive colonial
policies.

(4) Industrial Workers: The industrial workers showed lukewarm response to the Civil
Disobedience Movement. Since industrialists were closer to the Congress, workers kept a
distance from the movement

Women’s Participation

Women also participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement in large numbers. However, most of the
women were from high-caste families in the urban areas and from rich peasant households in the rural
areas. But for a long time, the Congress was reluctant to give any position of authority to women within
the organization. The Congress was just keen on the symbolic presence of women.

The Limits Of Civil Disobedience

(1) Participation of Dalits:Since many dalit leaders wanted a different political solution to the problems
of the dalit community. They demanded reserved seats in educational institutions and separate
electorate for dalits. Dalit participation in the Civil Disobedience Movement was limited.

(2) Participation of Muslims : After the decline of the Non-Cooperation-Khilafat Movement, a large
section of Muslims became alienated from the Congress. From the mid-1920s, the Congress was
more visibly associated with the Hindu religious nationalist groups.

The Sense Of Collective Belonging

The united struggles for independence helped in building the sense of collective belonging. Additionally, a
variety of cultural processes also captured the spirit of nationalism.

(1) Nation Depicted in Images: The identity of the nation is most often symbolised in a figure or
image; with which people can identify the nation. The image of Bharat Mata was the pictorial
representation of the mother land

(2) Songs and folklore: ‘Vande Mataram’ the national song was written by Bankim Chandra
Chattopadhyay in 1870s. This was sung during the Swadeshi movement in Bengal. Different
artists projected their own version of Bharat Mata.Many nationalist leaders took help of folk
tales to spread the idea of nationalism
 (3) The National flag : The national flag which we see today has evolved through various stages.
A tricolor (red, green and yellow) was used during the Swadeshi movement. There were eight
lotuses on it which depicted the eight provinces of British India. There was a crescent moon
on the flag which represented Hindus and Muslims. Gandhji had designed the Swaraj flag by
1921. It was also a tricolor (red, green and white) and there was a spinning wheel in the
centre.

(4) Reinterpretation of History : Many indian felt that it was important to interpret the history
from an Indian perspective. They wanted to glorify the rich past of India so that the Indians
could feel proud of their history.

Questions and answers

Write in brief
Question 1. Explain:
(a)Why growth of nationalism in the colonies is linked to an anti-colonial movement.

Answer:
(a) Colonisation affected people’s freedom, and nationalist sentiments surged during the process of struggle
against imperial domination. The sense of oppression and exploitation became a common bond for people
from different walks of life, and this resulted in the growth of nationalist ideals. Thus, growth of nationalism
in the colonies is linked to anti-colonial movements.

b) How the First World War helped in the growth of the National Movement in India.

Answer:
(b)During the First World War, the British army conducted forced recruitment from rural areas in India.
To finance the defence expenditure, high custom duties and income taxes were imposed. Also, during
1918-19 and 1920-21, crops failed in many parts of India, thereby resulting in acute food shortages. All this
caused extensive anger and opposition against the British colonial rule, and the national movement of India
headed towards a stronger, more definitive direction.

c) Why Indians were outraged by the Rowlatt Act.

Answer:
(c)The Rowlatt Act was passed hurriedly through the Imperial Legislative Council despite opposition from
Indian members. It gave the government autocratic powers to repress political activities besides allowing it
to detain political prisoners without a trial, for two years. The Indian were outraged by this act as it was
clearly undemocratic and oppressive, and hurt national sentiments and dignity.

d) Why Gandhiji decided to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement.

Answer:
(d)Gandhiji decided to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement due to various incidents of violence
perpetrated by the masses, especially the Chauri Chaura incident in 1922 where the people clashed with the
police, setting a police-station on fire. Gandhiji felt that the people were not yet ready for a mass struggle,
and that satyagrahis needed to be properly trained for non-violent demonstrations.

Question 2. What is meant by the idea of satyagraha?

Answer:
Satyagraha was a novel method of mass agitation. The idea of Satyagraha emphasized upon the power of
truth and the need to search for truth. It suggested that if the cause was true and if the struggle was against
injustice, then physical force was not necessary to fight the oppressor.
Through non-violent methods a Satyagraha could appeal the conscience of the oppressor by the power of
truth, which was bound to win.
Question 3. Write a newspaper report on:

a) The Jallianwala Bagh massacre

Answer:
a) On 13th April 1919, a large crowd gathered in the enclosed ground of Jallianwala Bagh – some to protest
against the British government’s repressive measures, others to attend the annual Baishakhi Fair. These
people were unaware of the imposition of Marshal Law in the city. General Dyer, the Commander, blocked
the exit points from the Bagh and opened fire upon the innocent citizens. Dyer’s intention was to produce a
‘moral effect’ and terrorize satyagrahis. Hundreds of innocent people including women and children were
killed and wounded due to this indiscriminate firing by the British soldiers, which ultimately led to nation-
wide outrage. JallianwalaBagh incident was the most brutal incident in the History of India.

b) The Simon Commission

Answer:
b) The Simon Commission was constituted by the Tory Government in Britain, under Sir John Simon. The
objective of the Commission was to look into the functioning of the constitutional system in India and
suggest some constitutional changes. But nationalists in India opposed the Commission because it had not a
single Indian member. Therefore, when the Simon Commission arrived in India in 1928, it was greeted
with the slogan “Go Back Simon”. All parties, including Congress and the Muslim league, participated in
the demonstrations.

Question 4. Compare the images of Bharat Mata in this chapter with the image of Germania in Chapter 1.

Answer:
∙∙ The image of Germania was the symbol of German nation whereas; the image of Bharat Mata was the
symbol of Indian nation.
∙∙Both images inspired nationalists who worked very hard to unify their respective countries and to attain a
liberal nation.
∙∙The image of Bharat Mata is different from that of Germania in the sense that former reflects the religious
basis of its making.
∙∙The image of Bharat Mata painted by Abanindranath Tagore is bestowed with learning, food, clothing and
some ascetic quality also. Another painting of Bharat Mata in which we find Mata holding Trishul and
standing beside a lion and an elephant – symbols of power and authority. This image appears to be more
akin to the image of Germania where she holds a sword and a shield.
Discuss Project
Question 1. 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.
Answer:
The different social groups that joined the Non-Cooperation Movement of 1921 were the urban middle
class comprising lawyers, teachers and headmasters, students, peasants, tribals and workers.
∙∙The middle class joined the movement because the boycott of foreign goods would make the sale of their
textiles and handlooms go up.
∙∙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.
∙∙ 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.
Question 2. Discuss the Salt March to make clear why it was an effective symbol of resistanceagainst
colonialism.
Answer:
The Salt March was an effective symbol of resistance against colonialism because it was done in revolt
against a commodity- salt, used by the rich and the poor alike. The tax on salt, and the government
monopoly over its production was a severely oppressive administrative move. The Salt March was effective
also because Gandhiji met a large number of commoners during the march and he taught them the true
meaning of swaraj and non-violence. By peacefully defying a law and making salt against government orders,
Gandhiji set forth an example to the whole nation of how the oppressor could be confronted in a non-
violent manner. This also led to the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1930.

Question 3. Imagine you are a woman participating in the Civil Disobedience Movement. Explain what the
experience meant to your life.
Answer:
I was very happy to participate in the Civil Disobedience Movement because I understood that I have to
serve the nation in whatever capacity I could. I had heard Gandhiji speaking and asking us to participate in
this movement. Inspired by him, I also offered Satyagraha. Picketed liquor shops and shops selling foreign
cloth and also courted arrest. I felt empowered by these activities and felt that women also can help the men
actively in the ultimate goal of achieving independence from the British.

Question 4. Why did political leaders differ sharply over the question of separate electorates?

Answer:
Political leaders differed sharply over the question of separate electorates because of differences in opinion.
While those supporting the cause of minorities and the dalits believed that only political empowerment
would resolve their social backwardness, others like Gandhiji thought that separate electorates would further
slow down the process of their integration into society. Also, it was feared that the system of separate
electorates would gradually divide the country into numerous fragments because every community or class
would then ask for separate representations.