JAMIA MILLIA ISLAMIA

Name- Saima Gous

Roll no- 51
Enrollment ID- 201901961
Subject- History
Paper code- BLW- 204
Year- Ist year, 2nd Semester
Course- B.A.LL.B(H) Regular, Faculty of law
Unit- 1
1.Do you agree that Arthashastra is a bold departure from the concept of state and law
given by Manusmriti. Give a detailed explanation comparing both Arthashastra and
Manusmriti in support of your answer.
Law and history- An introduction
Law is a “rule of life. It is founded on the dogmas and experiences of life and life' dogmas and
experiences are recorded in a vastly wider library than the covers of the law books comprise.”
The well-being of humanity is based on the supremacy of rational law. The test of political
progress of a state is therefore the predominance of justice or Dharma, which means respect for
human personality and well-being, and this means equality of all before law. The habits and
customs of the people, their history and traditions, their qualities of character and conduct, social
life and religious beliefs are represented in the law of the state. Thus, the knowledge of the
sources of the law and the way that present legal system has come to be evolved, is considered
as the essence of the subject-matter of legal history which connects history with law.
Arthashastra- Arthashastra can be defined as “Science and art of politics and diplomacy.”
This treatise is divided into sixteen books dealing with every topic concerned with the rrunning
of a state-taxation, law, diplomacy, military strategy, economics, bureaucracy etc. It is written by
Kautilya. The emphasis is on codification of law and uniformity of law throughout the empire.
Kautilya's views on legal systems, justice and king's role can be seen in arthashastra. The aim of
arthashastra was to provide a good governance to states or kingdoms.
Manusmriti-Manusmriti, also called “code of manu”, but it literally means “reflections of
Manu”. It present itself as a document that compiles and organises the code of conduct for
human society. Manusmriti is assumed to be the law book of hindus, as like the sharia is for
muslims, or the church dogma for catholic Christians. Manusmriti is a code of conduct put
together by brahmins, mainly for brahmins, and also for “upper caste communities”, especially
the king. It is a compile of documents known as dharma-shastras.
No, according to me, Arthashastra is not a bold departure from the concept of state and law given
by Manusmriti.
The history of ancient Indian political thought was the story of great minds. Manu and Kautilya,
the ancient Indian thinkers had given us their rich political and administrative policies and ideas
about state and law. Manusmriti holds a position of of prominence in the hindu literature. It is
the oldest smriti. Manusmriti or Manava dharmasastra is a “work of encyclopaedic scope.” Manu
was one of the most original thinkers of ancient india and according to most historians manu
belonged to 4th century B.C. Manusmriti is a storehouse of information on the political, social
and judicial life. The manusmriti is the most authoritative work on hindu law and presents the
pattern of hindu society and civilisation. It contains social duties and obligations of various castes
of individuals in different phases of life. Thus it was Manu, who gave the stamp of saintliness
and persistence to the socio-political institutions of the land and gave the first part of criminal
and civil law.
Kautilya's arthashastra is another eminent work on ancient political thought which was
composed in 2nd century B.C. Kautilya was the great prime minister of Chandragupta Maurya.
Kautilya's Arthashastra is basically a work on the art of government. In his administrative and
political ideas, the only thing to pay heed was the “King”. According to his belief, for the smooth
running of adminitration and for the welfare of the people, the kind had to be well acquainted
with the four vedas and four sciences of government(Anvikashakti, Tra, Varta and Dandniti).
Kautilya's judicial and administrative structure was stratified in nature. As for justice, he laid
stress on the principal of “equity” and “immediacy”. As for law and order, he believed that law
was a royal command enforced by sanctions.
Manu and Kautilya's views on State, King and Kingship had been comparatively analysed. Both
Manu and Kautilya had concieved the state as a seven-limbed. According to Manu, he seven
elements of Prakritis were the king, the ministers, the capital, the kingdom, the treasury, the army
and the troops. But kautilyas's style of ranking the elements was: the king, the ministers, the
country, the fort, the treasury, the army, the friend and the enemy. Thus he changed the previous
order of priority and added the new element, the enemy. However, he agreed with manu when
he stated that excepting the enemy, these seven elements, possessed of their excellent
characteristics, were said to be the limb like elements of the state. Both had defined the various
qualifications an ideal king should posses, duties of the king in administrative, legal, financial,
religious and military fields. Both believed that the king must be wise, enlightened and should
dedicate his life in serving the people. The king must have an efficient and loyal cabinet, a
competent and incorruptible civil service and an intelligent judiciary. Both of them is of the view
that the king must have the compact legislature composed of experts with dedicated service
motive. According to both, the best adminitrator is the one who takes care of the people, the sick,
the humble, the widow and the helpless minor. The king must also see that taxes and law are
flexibl and are levied justly. Both had dealt with minor issues like the education of princes, their
marriages, living style, their safety and the like. Both discussed the functions to state analytically.
Thus to them state was to serve a definite purpose with a specific end. Both supported
comprehensive function of state. According to kautilya and manu, the function of state is not
only to secure but also to develop all-round development of its people. A state can fulfill all his
need when it has economic back-bone strength. A state should adopt such policies by which
export may be more than import, and makes a happy human being with his glorious future. The
state was to protect the citizens from the tyranny of individuald and the state as well.
According to both, the state was regarded as a concrete institution instead of looking upon the
state as a necessary or unnecessary evil, they accepted it as a positive good. Their conception of
the state as a positive good found its best exposition in the almost universally accepted idea that
the highest and foremost duty of the king was to provide protection to the people. They endorsed
the concept of the organic unity of the state. It was clearly implied in the inter-relationship
believed to subsist between the seven limbs or angas of the state, that is, the Saptanga theory.
Saptanga theory was given by Kautilya. According to Saptanga theory, the various parts of the
state were linked with one another ike the organs of the human body. If anyone of the limbs goes
diseased or began to function in an abnormal manner, the health and well- being of the state as
a whole suffered. Each limb had its own proper function to discharge, and all contribute to the
health and happiness of the body-politic. Manu, who was more devoted advocate of this theory
than Kautilya, said that the parts of tha state were linked together to form a single whole in the
same way in which the three staves of a Sanyasin's staff were knit together to make one stick and
he believed that each of them has a particular excellence of its owm. They concieved the state in
its definite form. They did not make a mention of government and mentioned instead the
ministers. They put the ministers, treasury, army, and forts together and designated the whole as
adminitration. Thus, they were more keenly interested in the concrete problems of administration
than theoretical discussions.
Both Manu and Kautilya recognised the importance of Dharma both as the end of the state and
as a source of law. Both had agreed on the important role played by the ministers in the
administration. The ministers should discharge their duties efficiently. Both Manu and Kautilya
accepted the importance of vedas, dharma and varnashrama.
The views of Manu and Kautilya on administration of Justice was quite relevant. According to
them, the ethical code of a society and its cultural standards were inter-related. The culturalal
maturity and social amicability and even their deterioration was reflected in the law and order of
that society. Justice was administered by the tribe and clan assemblies, and the judicial procedure
was very simple. But with the extension of the state and the growth of the royal powers, the king
came gradually to be regarded as the fountain of justice, and a more elaborate system of judicial
administration came into existence. Both Manu and Kautilya was expert in giving directions
regarding the maintenance of law and order and they appeared to be clever advocates capable of
managing the disputes of common man. They defined the legal suits like related to non-payment
of debts, sale without ownership, partnership deeds, deposits and pledging, non-payment of
wages, breach of agreements, assault, defamation, robbery, violence, adultery etc. They
expressed that the king should preside over the court where justice was meted out to the subjects.
They believed that judge should be a person learned in all branches of learning. Since legal codes
were considered to be concrete and exalted principles of justice which were fundamental to the
society. They regarded impartial adminitration of justice as one of the main duties of the king.
The king was considered to be the fountain of justice. Both permitted the privileges of caste
system in the administration of justice. Both favoured the consequences of punishment.
Both manu and Kautilya had provided an exhaustive and illustrative description of the duties,
responsibilities and role of the king, prince, ministers, and other state officials. They provided a
full- fledged commentary as to how this should be effectively undertaken. They gave instructions
about the defense of the state boundary's, protection of the forts, and the manner in which the
invasion by the enemy must be handled. They classified legal matters into civil and criminal and
it specified guidelines for administering justice in terms of evidence, procedures and witnesses.
They strongly believed in dandniti, though they maintained that penalties must be fair and just,
and proportionate to the crime committed. Both were very practical about the problem of
corruption. They realised that the role of the state was to ensure that commercial activities do
not violate laws or are harmful for the consumer and if the state did not establish and enforce
codes of conduct, it would raise transaction costs. They emphasised that the king should build
forts, canals, roads, and moats. Futher, they enumerated the measures such as penalties and a
system of vigilance to ensure the efficient discharge of the responsibilities of various tiers of
governance. Penalties were also used for the enforcement of revenue targets and expenditure
limits. Evidently, they understood the importance of accountability and transparency, which in a
number of public sector has been a prime reason for the proliferation of loss making public sector
enterprises. They analysed the methods of diplomacy, principles determining foreign policy, role
of the diplomats and spies. They worked out full implications of the policies of peace, war,
neutrality, marching, seeking shelter and double policy.
Conclusion- Thus, both manu and kautilya in their present shape, are dorsal to the
commencement of the christian era, but they are the best representatives extant of the two
dominant types of political thought which arosed centuries ago. Both have preserved strata of
earlier thought. It is not very easy to accept the ideas of Mnu and Kautilya, in the present times.
But these are still considered with due importance as they were composed at a time when science
and technology were not developed so much and when caste and creed superiority were at its
peak. They were sincere to their commitments. They worked with a view to improve socio-
economic conditions of the people of that age. The science of Dharma and the science of Artha
had a good deal in common, and, in strict theory, supplemented each other. Hence their works
were unique.
Unit-2
2.Why the 6th century is regarded as a period of religious unrest? What were the causes
and consequences of this religious upheaval?
Introduction-The 6th century B.C is regarded as an important epoch of world history. The period
from about 600 BC was one of social and religious unrest in the history of India. The old
ritualistic vedic tradition had gradually ceased to be a strong force. A great deal of serious
thinking about the ills and sorrows of life and a desire to remove them led to the establishment
of numerous religious sects. It was like a spiritual and religious awakening in the Indian society
for newness and reform. It seems that there were 62 religious sects based on customs and rituals
practiced by different people.
Causes of the religious upheaval in the 6th Century B.C-
In the past vedic times society was divided into four Varna's- Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas
and Shudras. A well defined functions was allocated to each Varna, although it was accented that
varna was based on birth and the two higher Varna's were given some privileges. The Brahmanas
who were given the function of priests and teachers, claimed the highest status and dignity in
society. But sometimes kshatriyas claimed their superiority over brahmins. The brahmanas had
to do the duties of study, teaching, worship, and work as priest, give gifts and accept gifts. The
Kshatriyas had to study, worship, accept the profession of arms, and protect living beings. They
ranked second in Verna hierarchy, they fought and governed and lived on the taxes collected
from the peasants.The Vaishyas had the duties of studying, worshipping, doing a agricultural
work, cattle-rearing, and trading. They appear as principal taxpayers. The shudras duties were
menial work from the upper three castes and assigned production of wealth by their labour, arts
and crafts. It could be seen that study, worship and giving gifts were enshrined for the upper
three castes, the lowest cast shudras had to go without education, self-improvement through
worship or even to make gifts, but production of wealth, arts and crafts were their duties which
required physical labour and acquisition of artisan's skill. However, along with the higher two
Varna's they were placed in the category of dvija or the twice-born. A dvija was entitled to
wearing the sacred thread and studying the vedas from which the shudras were kept out. The
shudras were meant for serving the three higher Varna's and also women were barred from taking
the vedic studies. They appear as domestic slaves, agricultural slaves, craftsmen and hired
labourers in post-vedic time. Shudras were called cruel, greedy and thieving in habits and some
of them were treated as untouchables. The higher the varna's the more privileged and purer a
person was. The lower the varna of an offender, the more severe was the punishment prescribed
for him. Thus, the two higher classes -brahmanas and Kshatriyas enjoyed privileges that were
denied to the vaishyas and shudras. They demanded several privileges, including those of
receiving gifts and exemption from taxation and punishment. The Brahmanas was to fill the
highest offices of the state and society by working as teacher, priest, judge, prime minister,
assessor, as member of Dharma parishad, legal commission. The brahmanical supremacy closed
the doors of religious quest to other social classes.
Naturally the division of Varna seems to have created tension in the society. The Kshatriyas who
functioned as rural reacted strongly against the ritualistic domination of the brahmanas and seem
to have led a kind of protest movement against the importance attached to birth in the varna
system. They looked after the welfare of the people. There was a doctrine of rise and fall in caste
status as advocated by Manu and Yajnavalka after Gautama. If a Brahmana marries a shudra
woman, and a daughter is born of this union and that daughter marries a brahmana and in this
way daughter after daughter marries brahmanas for seven generations and the seventh generation
will be brahmana. Many sub-castes on the basis of their occupation appeared in this period. Gods
of the early vedic period like Indra and agni lost their importance. Prajapati(the creator),
vishnu(the protector) and rudra(the destroyer) became prominent during the later vedic period.
Sacrifices were still important and the rituals connected with them became more elaborate. The
ceremonies could only be performed by brahmins, who were given a prominent position in
society. The importance of prayers declined and that of sacrifices increased. Priesthood became
a profession and a hereditary one. Many superstitious beliefs in spirits, spells and charms became
part of their religion. They believed in the principles of Karma(action) and Moksha(Salvation).
The formula for sacrifices were invented and elaborated by the priestly class. They made a
monopoly of both religious thinking and sacred performances. Therefore, towards the end of this
period there was a strong reaction against priestly dominance and against sacrifices and rituals.
The Upanishads, do not deal with rituals or sacrifices. They deal with the higher knowledge and
explain the relationship between jeeva( individual soul) and Brahma(Supreme God). In the
course of this religious movement within the fold of the Indian society, the situation became
somewhat complicated due to the influx of foreigners of altogether alien and cultural standards,
the first reaction of which was gloomy forebodings of universal decay and dissolution of the
social fabric which may be noticed in the contemporary Brahmanical works.
Another remarkable social development of this period was the increase in the number of mixed
castes. It has already been discussed how the Brahmanical society solved the problems of
intermarriage and social status of the offspring of intermarriage between the different castes of
the fourfold social order. But intermarriage between the traditional Brahmanical four castes and
the Yavanas, Sakas, Chinas, Pahlavas etc, gave rise to many more mixed castes or social unity.
It becomes clear, therefore, that while the traditional fourfold division of castes continued to
exist during this period, and many mixed castes grew up as a result of intermarriages. This
proves that caste-system had not become rigid or perified although it was showing signs of
hardening, and had not reached the stereotyped form as we see in today.
Thus, it was in the 6th century B.C that there was two great founders of religions in Mankind,
who lived in India. They were Mahavira Jina and Gautama Buddha, the founders of Jainism and
Buddhism. It was in this mental climate that jainism and Buddhism rose as two mighty religious
movements to usher in an era of enlightened progress. They created a ferment of new ideas and
philosophical principles. Both buddhism and Jainism were heterodox and revolutionary in
character.
Consequences of this religious upheaval- (Rise of Buddhism and Jinism)
Besides intellectual unrest, there were many social and economic inequalities existing during the
6th centuries B.C. People wanted a different kind of society and a different system of religion
and this favoured the rise of buddhism and jainism due to following-
1.Ritualistic Vedic religion- The complex rituals and sacrifices advocated in the later Vedic
period were not acceptable to the common people. The rites and ceremonies were too costly for
ordinary people to perform. The became discontended with the religious beliefs and practices of
that age. The superstitious beliefs and mantras confused the people. The teachings of upanishads,
an alternative to the system of sacrifices, were highly philosophical in nature and therefore not
easily understood by all. Therefore, what was needed in the larger interests of the people was a
simple, short and intelligible way to salvation for all people. This need was fulfilled by the
teachings of Buddha and Mahavira. In the brahmanical society the vaishyas ranked third, the
first two being brahmanas and Kshatriyas. The vaishyas extended generous reform movement
and religion of Mahavira and Buddha. The merchants made handsome gifts to Gautama Budddha
and his disciples. Jainism and Buddhism in the initial stage did not attach any importance to the
existing Varna. They preached the ospel of non-violence, which would put an end to wars
between different kingdoms and promote trade and commerce. The brahmanical lawbooks,
called the Dharamshastras, described lending money as impious practice. As religion lost its
former vitality, the society also lost its earlier strength. Thus, jainism and buddhism were the
reformation which tried to get rid from the evils of brahmanical society. They urged self control,
ascetism and renunciation of all worldly bonds.
2.Caste system- In the course of time, the castes became rigid like water-tight compartments.
The most significant thing during this period was the rise of numerous mixed castes due to inter-
marriage between castes as to the influx of the Yavanas, sakas, Chinas, Pahlavas etc.Caste was
decided according to birth and not according to profession. People who belonged to the lower
castes were ill-treated by the high castes. The institution of untouchability also came into being.
The buddhist and jains texts in the epics give a different picture of the caste-system. Both
believed in the equality of all human beings. All have the right to attain Nirvana by leading a
pure life. According to them, one does not become a brahmana by birth, but by education and
conduct. In the mahabharata also, Buddhist texts the son of a brahmana is a brahmana even when
his mother be a Kshatriya or vaishya. Despite the predominance of the hindu caste system, the
jains and buddhists did not go by caste order. According to buddhist and jain texts Kshatriya are
superior to the Brahmanas and among the four castes, the kshatriyas are given the first place. In
these texts the superiority of the brahmanas is challenged. The Buddhist texts also show that
caste was not rigidly tied to craft. Buddhism and jainism describe a normal brahmana as one
serving the society as a hermit, or a rishi and living in forest. From all this it is clear that the
buddhist texts and the epics did not believe in the rigid caste structure of the brahmanical social
system. The intellectuals and reformers, naturally, resented such unjust social distinctions among
the people. The Buddhist Sangha was, therefore, thrown open to all equally.
3.Killing of Animals to perform Sacrifices- The Simple sacrifices of the early vedic period
were discarded and replaced by expensive Yajnas. A large number of animals had to be killed
for the ceremonial sacrifices and Yajnas. A new agricultural economy based on iron-ploughs
needed all the more animals to plough the peasants fields. People, therefore, resented such
meaningless sacrifices which required the indiscriminate slaughter of animals to appease the
gods. Buddhist and jains prohibited the killing of animals. The respect for animal rights in
Jainism and Buddhism derives from the doctrine of Ahimsa.
4.Supremacy of the priestly class- With the introduction of elaborate rites and rituals, the
priestly class came to occupy a position of supremacy in society. The priests dominated the life
of a man birth to death. People turned against these priests who made their religion complicated,
expensive and burdensome. Buddhism and jainism condemned the supremacy of the priestly
class. Both Mahavira and Buddha urged their hearers to give up their vices and follies and to
practice purity of conduct and sincerity of belief which is the essence of every true religion.
Mahavira laid stress on asceticism.
5.Difficult Vedic Language- The vedic literature had been written in sanskrit, which was beyond
the the comprehension of the common people. Many could not understand the vedic Mantras
recited by the brahmin priests. Both Buddha and Mahavira preached in simple languages.
6.Efforts of religious reformers- The unrest against the evils had crept into the vedic religion
and society led to the rise of a number of intellectuals and holy men. They questioned the efficacy
of meaningless rites and the supremacy of the priestly class. The simple life and teachings of
these holy men, like Mahavira and Buddha, attracted many who were longing to be liberated
from the oppression of the Brahmanical order.
Conclusion- Thus, 6th century is regarded as a period of religious unrest. The brahmanas claimed
themselves as superior one in this period. Common people suffered to extreme level. Soon there
was a change in the society after the rise of jainism and buddhism. A reaction against such
religious and social evils became inevitable. There were saints and preachers who openly raised
their voice for a rethinking. In the long run, the jain and buddhist movements led to far reaching
results in human history.
Unit- 3
3.What do you mean understand by evolution of Indo-islamic Culture and What is its
impact on literature, language, painting, culture and architecture of the period? How
Sufism helped in promoting Indo-islamic culture?
The establishment of the delhi sultanate in the beginning of the 13 th century facilitated the
beginning of a new era of cultural development in India. The interaction of the turks with the
indians, who had definite religious beliefs and well-established ideas on art, architecture and
literature, led to the development of a new composite culture. This culture is known as the Indo-
islamic culture. It is said to be a fusion of the best elements of both persian (Muslim influence)
and Indian predominantly Hindu influence culture. The Indo-islamic style was neither strictly
islamic nor strictly hindu. It was, in fact, a combination of islamic culture elements to those of
the Indian culture.
It has been witnessed that whenever two communities with separate backgrounds, civilizations
and cultures stay together for centuries, it is quite natural that they influence each other mutually.
The spirit of synthesis and mutual harmony led to the growth of a new composite culture which
was neither purely hindu nor entirely muslim but a happy fusion of the best elements of both
which continued throughout the medieval period and akbar' reign was its high watermark as it
evidenced in almost every walk of social and cultural life.
Factors which led to the growth of Indo-islamic culture-
1.The system of common administration- A common central administrative arrangement,
extending over a lengthy period and over the greater part of India, was bound to influence the
minds of everyone on certain specific common lines. There was common religious or spiritual
ideology for the whole country, that is, akbar's Din-i-llahi. Sultan Md tughluq appointed a hindu
named Sri Raja as his wazir. The hindu superstitions of the 'evil eye' (nazar), the utara and
ceremony of arti, which was termed by the muslims as nisar, took deep roots in the muslim
societies. The purdah system and seclution of women, was introduced elaborately into the hindu
society. Even the custom of Jauhar, prevalent among the rajputs, influenced the muslims. Ibn
batuta mentions sati in his account. Death ceremony was performed by both the communities.
It is clear from the accounts of foreign travellers that during the mughal period the hindus and
muslims put on virtually the same dress, and the only marked difference was that the muslim
tied the strings of their coats on the right side, and hindus did it on the left.
2.The rise of a common language- The language which the muslim invaders spoke or employed
in the adminitration was arabicised, persian mixed with turkish. Some of the literary works
written in marathi contains most of the words of persian origin. Muslims were attracted toward
the study of hindu sciences of medicine and astrology. Zia nakshabi was the first scholar who
translated sanskrit stories in persian, which came to be known as tutinama during muhammad
bin tugluq's reign. Zain-ul-abidin, the kashmiri ruler, got the Mahabharata and kalhana's
rajatharangini translated into persian. Amir Khusrau created a new style of persian called sabaq-
i-hind or the indian style. He composed the verses in hindavi. Tibbi-i-sikandari(medicine) was
translated from sanskrit into persian Many of the crafts and arts introduced in india by muslims
were practiced by hindus-manufacture of paper, enamelling and faience.
3.The sufi and bhakti moments- The spirit of tolerance, the desire to assimilate each other's
ideas and customs and the wider outlook of the hindu and muslim sainsts gave impetus to two
religious movements- Sufism among the muslims and the bhakti cult among the hindus. The sufi
saints from the muslim community and the bhakti preachers of hinduism tried to bridge the gap
by asserting the oneness of two religions with emphasis on devotion and true piety. They asserted
the effectiveness of two religions, which had different paths leading to the realization of the same
invisible power-God or Allah. Dutta and Sarkar rightly said, “The hindus and the mohammedans
of India had come to be considerably influenced by each other's thoughts and customs and mutual
toleration was taking the place of medieval fanaticism.” Both the communitis began to imbibe
each other's thoughts, traditions and customs. The sufi movement afforded a common platform
to the more learned minds among hindus and muslims. This hindu-muslim unity left tremendous
impact on the cultural domain of India. The seeds scattered by the sufi and Bhakti saints produced
a deep sense of equality and brotherhood in India.
4.Development of Indo-persian literature- During the medieval period persian was the most
popular language. Prof. Sherwani has observed that, “persian slowly but surely took the place of
sanskrit as the cementing force of the country.” During the medieval period, hindus and muslims,
whose mother tongue was not persian, competed with each other to learn this language of
culture, and india produced persian literature in all its branches, which compared well with with
the literature of persia. Persian was saturated so much in the rising languages of the country that
it contributed thousands of words to vocabulary not merely of hindi and urdu but also of bengali,
Marathi and Gujarati and even now the attempt to eradicate these words from our language has
not met with success. Though persian language flourished maximum under the mughals, it
continued to receive encouragement during the turko-afghan times also.
Impact of Indo-islamic culture on-
1.Literature and language- One of the most significant results of Hindu-muslim co-existence
was felt in the domain of language and literature. During the reign of muslim rule in India, the
rulers introduced their own languages like Arabic and persian into Indian Administration. The
existing indian languages such as Bengali, Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Gujarati etc. were considerably
influenced by persian, Arabic and Turkish languages of the muslim community. Many books in
different indian languages were translated into arabic and persian and vice versa. In this process
of linguistic intermixing, the literary tradition of the country underwent a sea change. Firoz
tughlaq had ordered the translation of certain books on medicine in sanskrit into persian. Abul
fazal and his brother Faizi translated the sanskrit works into persian usually with the help of
sanskrit pandits and scholars.
The common language of the Indians was Hindi and under the sultans, persian was the court
language. By continuous interaction between the two languages a mixed variety of language
called urdu was born having persian script and many resemblances with hindi style and language.
Thus urdu became the most volatile and lyrical language which was basically a product of
linguistic synthesis. Indian vernacular language had been benefitted by islamic influence to a
great extent. Thus, the muslim rulers of bengal and Lucknow were great patrons of bengali and
hindi literature.
2.Painting - Painting showed a blending of persian and indian ideas. Abul Fazl's Akbarnamah
contains a number of paintings depicting customs and rituals of those days. The art of Indian
painting got a new lease of life during this period. The hindu art of mural painting underwent a
remarkable change with the arrival of the mughals who brought with them the tradition of
chinese cum persian painting. The themes of the painting were quite varied. They consisted of
Razmnama (persian translation of the mahabharata), Hamzanama (story of prophet
Muhammad's uncle Amir hamza and Turik-i-alfi etc.
3.Culture- During the 13th and 14th century there were cultural integration between the Hindu
and muslim cultures in northern India to a considerable extent. When the arabs, the turks, the
afghans, the iranians and other central asian foreigners had conquered and settled down in our
country and came into close contact with the indigenous population, they influenced our society
and culture and were themselves influenced in turn. The hindu society was influenced by the
presence of islam in two respects. Firstly, the missionary zeal of Islam, which aimed at
converting the hindu population to a foreign religion, strengthened conservatism in indian ranks.
Secondly, some of the democratic principles of Islam were borrowed by indian leaders and
reformers who stressed the equality of castes and preached that caste was no bar to religious
salvation. With the passage of time, when realities began to dawn, the effort to evolve a new
relationship led to the development of new culture which was neither exclusively hindu nor
purely muslim. It was, indeed, a muslim-hindu culture. It may be described as acceptance of
unity in diversity or harmony of contrasts. Not only did hindu religion, hindu art, hindu literature
absorb muslim elements, but the very spirit of huindu culture and a very stuff of hindu mind
were altered.
4.Art & Architecture- With the establishment of muslim rule in India there was a marked
growth in cultural excellence in the realm of architecture. The new designs, new modes of
construction like spherical domes, arches, tall minarets, open courtyards, pillared caves, huge
walls etc were introduced in architectural creations following the islamic style. But these changes
in designs were carried out by hindu craftsmen. As a result a fusion of hindu and muslim styles
of art took place.
According to Sir john marshall, “Indo-Islamic art was neither merely a local variety of islamic
art nor a modified form of hindu architecture. It derives its character from both sources though
not always in an equal degree.”
There were also imperial or delhi style of architecture is found in delhi and its neighbouring
areas such as Qutub Minar, Quwwat-al-islam mosque, alwai darwaja etc. After the decline of the
sultanate of Delhi the rulers of provincial dynasties asserted independence and began to build
tombs, mosques ans palaces on their own. When the sultanate of delhi lavishly patronized the
architectural growth of the country, the hindu rulers did not lag behind. The hindu structures had
their own peculiarities marked by narrow pillars, cornice or chhaja, corbel brackets, tapering
arches, decorative designs. It was during the mughal period that indo-islamic architecture
reached the pinnacle of glory and magnificence. The architectures of the mughal period are
marked by splendor and form, graceful domes, magnificent palace halls, decorated gateways of
slender pillars. These pieces of architecture reveal a splendid synthesis of persian and Indian
style-muslim architecture with hindu decoration. Tara chand rightly said, “The craftsmanship,
ornamental richness and general design remained largely hindu while the arches, plain domes,
smooth falls & spacious interiors were muslim superimposition.”
How sufism helped in promoting indo-islamic culture-
Sufism – An introduction
Sufism had its origin in iran. Sufism was introduced in india in the 11 th century AD. Sheikh
Ismail of Lahore was the first sufi saint who preached the teachings of sufism in india. His
disciple, Sheikh Ali-bin-Usman-al-Hujwaisi, was considered the founder of the Sufi cult in India.
The sufis never set out to find a new religion. Their source of inspiration was the Quran and the
life of the prophet Mohammed. Their aim was to purify islam and give it a deeper interpretation.
They wanted to abolish caste distinctions and they threw light on the concept of universal
brotherhood.
The Sufi movement was a socio-religious movement of 14th -15th century whose exponents were
unorthodox muslim saints who had a deep study of vedantic philosophy and had come in contact
with great sages and seers of India. They could see the indian religion from very near and realized
its inner values. It therefore was the result of the hindu influence on islam and provided a
common platform for both the religions. They realized god by the renunciation of the world and
worldly pleasures. Sufism proved very helpful in birdging the gap between the followers of
hinduism and islam and encouraged the feeling of Hindu-muslim unity. Sufism believed in unity
of all religions, because every religion points out the ultimate aim to reach the god and get his
blessings. The leading sufi saints are Hazrat Khwaja Muin-ud-din chisti and Nizam-ud- din
auliya.
Conclusion- Thus, Islamic impact left a lasting influence on various aspects of indian culture.
The indigenous cultural tradition underwent a great transformation after coming in contact with
islamic heritage over several centuries in the realms of literature and language, painting, music,
architecture, culture and social customs etc. The effects of this cultural synthesis are no longer
alien and have become an integral part of indian culture. Hence, sufism also helped in promoting
indo-islamic culture.
Unit-4
It is said that socio-religious reform movements in India during the 19th century led to the
rising of national consciousness and spread of the liberal ideas of the western world. Do
you agree with the statement? Give a detailed explanation in support of your argument.
Yes, I agree with the statement that socio-religious reform movements in India during the 19th
century led to the rising of national consciousness and spread of the liberal ideas of the west
among the Indian people.
Introduction- The term 'independence' encompasses a wide spectrum of political organisation,
philosophies and movements whose aim was to free India from the clutches of the britishers and
also to bring mass nationalisation and awakening among the Indian people. The spirit of reform
embraces whole of India and this was possible only because of rising nationalism among the
people of our country. The main thread which runs through the entire socio-religious reforms
was the presence of the feeling of unity and mass integration of the people. The reform
movements were rationalism and religious universalism. Therefore, the Indian struggle for
independence and social reform movements basically deals with the inter-relationship of
freedom movements with the socio-religious reforms of indian society and how our Indian
leaders face problems in bringing the people together which were divided on the basis of religion,
language, caste, class and culture so that the notion of liability can be imbibed in them.
Causes for the socio-religious reforms movement-
1.Political unity- India was politically united because of the expansion and consolidation of
british rule. It led to the understanding of many common problems of the indians. The nature of
British rule provoked many young indians to find out the causes of their misery and degradation.
2.Reaction against propaganda of Christian Missionaries- The Christian missionaries made
all possible attempts to spread christianity particularly among the poor and the oppressed.
Educational institutions, hospitals, charity services and official support were also made use for
this purpose. Therefore, both the hindus and muslims made attempt to safe their religion.
3.Contribution of foreign scholars- Many foreign scholars like Max muller and William Jones
rediscovered India's past. They studied the scholarly of Indians of past. They brought to light
rich cultural heritage which was even superior to western culture. They translated many literary
and superior works. These works received worldwide recognition. It made the educated indians
develop faith in their culture. They wanted to establish the superiority of Indian culture against
the western culture.
4.Indian press- The European introduced the printing press in India. It made possible the
appearance of many newspapers and magazines. Books were also published in different Indian
languages. Mostly their subject matter was Indian. It certainly helped to open eyes of the
educated indians with regard to natural heritage and glory. They therefore, started to work for
Indian glory and culture.
5.Western education- The spread of western education led to the spread of western concept of
democracy, liberty, equality, and nationalism. The Indians who went abroad came in direct
contacct with the working of these concepts. After they returned, they were too pained to see the
lack of awareness among the indians about such concepts. They did the spade work for the spread
of such ideas.
Socio-Religious reform movements in modern India-
The Indian society in the first half of the 19th century was caste ridden, decadent and rigid. A
change was therefore needed in society. When the british rule came to India, they introduced
modern ideas of liberty, social and economic equality, fraternity, justice and democracy and also
english language which had a tremendous impact on Indian society. There were some
enlightened indians like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Ishwar chandra, Dayanand saraswati and many
others who were willing to fight and bring in reforms in society so that it could face the
challenges of the west. They worked for abolition of caste system and untouchability, purdah
system, sati, child marriage, social inequalities and illiteracy.
1.Raja Ram mohan roy and Brahmo samaj- Raja ram mohan roy was a man of great literary
talent. He was a social, religious and educational reformer who challenged traditional Hindu
culture and indicated lines of progress for Indian society. He is also known as “Father of
modern India.”
His Approach to religion- Raja ram was a great humanist. He stressed the unity of all religions.
He was inspired by the monotheism of Islam(unity of godhead), the ethical teachings of
christianity and sublime doctrines of the upanishads. His main aim was to get rid the hindu
religion of image worship, sacrificial rites and other meaningless rituals. He condemned the
priestly class for encouraging these practices. According to him, man should adopt truth and
goodness and should give up things based on falsehood and superstition. He believed that every
religion had set up a moral code necessary for social peace and happiness.
Social reforms- Raja ram mohan roy was not merely a religious reformer but also a social
reformer. His greatest achievement was the abolition of sati. He realized that the practice of sati
was due to the extremely low position of Hindu women. Therefore, he started working for
women's right. He started his anti-sati crusade. It was then that the practice of sati was made
illegal in India. He deeply opposed to the caste system, the practice of polygamy, child marriage
that prevailed in the Indian society. He protested against the practice of denying women the right
to property. These social reforms, he believed, were necessary for political advancement and
happiness of the people of India. He condemned the subjugation of women and opposed the
prevailing ideas that women were inferior to men in intellect or in a moral sense. He supported
the rights of widows to remarry.
Brahmo Samaj- To bring his ideas into practice, Raja Ram founded the brahmo sabha in 1828
which later came to be known as Brahmo samaj. It was open to all persons regardless of their
colour, caste, nationality, caste and religion. It emphasised human dignity, opposed idol worship
and condemned socia evils like sati pratha. It was not meant to be a separate religious sect but
only a place where people believed in one true god. No sacrifices and idol worship was allowed.
2.Ishwar chandra Vidyasagar- He was a scholar of great depths. He dedicated himself to the
cause of the emancipation of women. It was due to his sincere efforts that obstacles to the
marriage of widows were removed through a law. He played a leading role in promoting
education of girls and started a number of schools for girls.
3.Prarthana Samaj- The Prarthana Samaj was established by Dr Atma Ram with the objective
of rational worship and social reform. The two great members were R.C Bhandarkar and
Govind Ranade. They devoted themselves to the work of social reform such as caste-system,
intercaste marriage, widow remarriage and encouraging women and poor class people. Ranade
devote his entire life to prarthana samaj. He believed religiou reform was inseparable from social
reform. He also believed that if religious ideas were rigid there would be no success in social,
economic and political spheres. He was the leader of social reformation and cultural renaissance
in western India.
4.Arya Samaj- Swami dayanand saraswati founded the Arya samaj in 1875. It was the most
influential social and religious movement in india. He opposed to idolatry, ritual and priesthood,
remarriage of widows, particularly to the prevalent caste practices and popular hinduism as
preached by the Brahmins. He favoured the study of western science. Arya samaj tried to
inculcate the spirit of self-respect and self-reliance among the people of India. This promote
nationalism. At the same time one of its main objectives was to prevent the conversion of hindus
to other religions.
5.Ramakrishna Mission- Swami Vivekananda was the staunch follower of Ramakrishna
mission. He was a patriot from the core of his heart. He laid stress on Ramakrishna's teaching on
the oneness of all religion. He condemned the caste-system, rigid ritual, old superstitions belief
and advocated liberty, free thinking and equality. His principle aim was the upliftment of masses.
For him, service to the poor and downtrodden was the highest religion. To organise such service,
he founded the ramakrishna mission in 1897.
6.Jyotiba Phule- Jyotiba phule was a highly admired social reformer of the 19th century.
Social reforms-Uplifting lower castes- The caste structure to him was 'slaver'. He focused on
the brahmin domination and the poverty, hardship and distress which the lower castes were then
facing. Phule strongly felt that all the problems of dalits could be solved if proper education was
provided to them.
Gender justice- Phule said that women were superior to men because “they bore children and
nursed them.” Men kept their women uneducated and dominated them. He founded a number of
schools for girls and lower castes (mahars and mangs). He set up orphanage to provide shelter
to poor widows and their children.
Satya shodhak Samaj- Phule founded the satya sodhak Samaj in 1873. He endeavoured to
mitigate the distress and sufferings of dalits and women.
Revivalism among the muslims- Sir syed Ahmed Khan was the founder of the Aligarh
Movement in india. The objective of the Aligarh Movement was to instil in the muslims a desire
for western education and culture. The Mohammedan- Anglo-oriental college was started in
Aligarh. Sir syed khan did a lot to bring about social awakening among the muslims in India.
The newly educated muslims condemned polygamy, the purdah system and other evils that had
crept into the society.
The reform movements promoted the spirit of brotherhood and arouse nationalist ideas
amongst the people of India-
1.All these reformers denounced untouchability and the rigidities of the caste system. The ideas
of brotherhood and equality attracted the attention of the so-called lower castes. They felt that
they were entering the national mainstream.
2.At the time when nation was seized with despair and idleness, Dayananda and Vivekananda
boldly preached the gospel of strength and self-reliance.
3.All these reformers believed that “the uplift of women must come first and then only can any
good come about for the coutry. They taught us that the western nations attained greatness by
paying proper respect to women.
4.All these reformers were inspired by the spirit of nationalism. They knew it fully well how
India's resources were being exploited by the british. The colonalists had drained the life and
blood from our people, on whose labours depended the luxury of the white ones.
Influence of Western Education- The foreign rulers had imposed their language on the indians
for the sake of their own facility. But the advantages of the knowledge of english were many.
Western education instilled in the minds of the educated classes the western ideas of liberty and
equality. It also gave them a common language which made it possible for them to understand
each other and plan a common programme of action. Many youngmen went to England to receive
education and they quickly became nationalists, democrats and socialists.
Impact of these reform movements-
The reform movements brought about remarkable changes in the society and religion. Some
legal measures were introduced to raise the status of women. Sati and infanticide was declared
illegal. Widow remarriage was permitted by a law passed in 1856. Marriageable age was raised
to ten by a law passed in 1860. For preventing child marriage, the sharda act was passed in 1929.
There were movements of caste reform and caste abolition, equal rights for women, a campaign
against child marriage, and a ban on widow remarriage, a crusade against social and legal
inequalities. The educated indians started to think reasonably. The caste system began to lose its
hold in the society and there was a significant achievement in the field of emancipation of
women, some legal measures were also adopted to imrove their status. The reform movements
led to the mass awakening and strengthened the emotional, social and economical bond among
indians which provide as a great pillar to our fight for independence.
Conclusion- Thus, in india many thinkers and reformers came forward to bring reforms in our
society. According to them society and religion were interlinked. Both needed to be reformed to
achieve positive growth and development of the country. Hence, our reformers took the initiative
awaken the Indian masses. They were able to blend positive indian values with western ideas
and the principles of democracy and equality.
Unit-5
5.How did Gandhiji's entry in the India's freedom struggle changed its course? Discuss
Introduction- Nationalism denotes patriotism or “devotion to the nation.” One who is'patriotic'
loves his country and feels very loyal towards it. Such an urge impelled people to fight against
foreign domination. That is why the first modern political organisation in ondia, the congress,
called itself Indian National congress, not just Indian congress. The objective of the congress
was cited as “ending all racial, religious and provincial prejudices” and promoting a feeling of
“national unity among all lovers of the country.”
The early nationalists, also known as Moderates were a group of political leaders in India active
between 1885 and 1907. Their emergence marked the beginning of the organised national
monement in India. Some of the important moderate leaders were Pherozeshah Mehta &
Dadabhai Naoroji. They are known as “Early nationalists” because they believed in demanding
reforms while adopting constitutional and peaceful means to achieve their aims. The early
nationalists had full faith in the british sense of Justice, honesty, and integrity while they believed
that British rule was a boon for India. The Early Nationalists were faithful believers in open-
minded and moderate politics.
Recognition of true nature of British Rule-
The politics of the moderate nationalists were founded on the belief that british rule could be
reformed within. The nationalists writers and agitatorsblamed the british rule for the poverty of
the people. Politically conscious Indians were convinced that the purpose of the British rule was
to exploit India economically, that is, to enrich england at the cost of India. The nationalists came
to see that Indian industries could not flourish except under an Indian government, which could
protect and promote them. Thus an increasing number of Indians were getting convinced that
self-government was essential for the sake of the economic, political and cultural progress of the
country and that political enslavement meant stunting the growth of the Indian people.
The founding of the Indian National Congress-
The birth of the Indian National Congress was an event of very great significant in the history of
India. It was the first all india association of a permanent nature. With it began a new era in the
politica life of India. A.O Hume founded the indian National congress. He addressed a circular
letter in which he said, “Whether in the individual or the nation, all vital progress must spring
from within, and it is to you, that your country must look for the initiative.” The appeal had the
desired effect. The Indian national congress was thus founded and the first session was hed in
december. 1885 at Bombay under the presidenship of W.C Bonnerjee, a leading Barrister. A.O
Hume had played a major role in the formation of the congress. That is why he is considered as
the father of the Indial national Congress. Gopak krishna Gokhale feared had the founder of the
congress not been an Englishmen and a retired civil servant the government would probably
have found some way or the other to suppress the movement in its infancy. The first session was
attended by 72 delegates from all parts of India. It was attended by such eminent persons as
Dadabhai Naoroji, W.C Bonnerjee, Telang, Pherozeshah Mehta, Subhramannya Aiyar, N.G
Chandravarkar, Justice Ranade and Behramji Malabari. At the beginning, congress leaders talked
quite modestly about their operations. The most important demands of the congress were-
expansion of the legislative councils, reduction of military expenditure, holding of Indian civil
service examination both in england and India, spread of both general and technical education,
wider employment of Indians in the higher services, people's right to carry arms and appointment
of a royal commission to enquire into the working of the Indian administration. With the
foundation of the congress the national movement went from strength to strength. The 72
delegates who attended the first session could never have imagined that congress would some
day launch Civil disobedience Movement to put an end to the British rule and attain Swaraj.
Partition of Bengal-
In 1905 the partition of Bengal was announced and the Indian national movement entered its
second stage. Lord Curzon issued an order dividing the province of Bengal into two parts-
Eastern bengal and Assam and the rest of Bengal. It was said that the existing province of bengal
was too big to be efficiently administered by a single provincial government. The officials hoped
to stem the rising tide of nationalism in Bengal. Begal united is a power. Bengal dividedcwill
pull in several different ways. That is what the congress leaders felt: their apprehensions are
perfectly correct and they form one of the great merits of the scheme.
Anti-partition movement- The Anti- partition Movement was the work of the entire national
leadership of bengal. Its most prominent leaders were moderate leaders like surendranath
Banerjee and Krishna Kumar mitra, militants and revolutionary nationalists took over in the
later ages. In fact, both the moderate and militant nationalists cooperated with one another during
the course of the movement. The leaders of the protest movement declared it to be a day of
national mournung throughout bengal.
The swadeshi and Boycott Movements- The purpose of the Swadeshi Movement was the
expansion of Indian industries. Swadeshi and Boycott were indeed complementary and
supplementary to each other. The Boycott of foreign goods required that the markets should be
flowing with home-made goods. The Boycott Movement thus developed into a policy of “Non-
cooperation with the british in every field.”
The Struggle for Swaraj-
The third and the last phase of the National movement begal in 1919 when the era of popular
mass movements was initiated. The Indian people waged perhaps the greatest mass struggle in
World history and India's national revolution was victorious.
Gandhiji's role in the struggle for Swaraj-
Gandhi ji was a renowned freedom activist and an authoritative and powerful political leader
who had played an important role in India's struggle for independence against the british rule of
India. In South Africa for about 20 years, Gandhiji protested against injustice and racial
discrimination using the non-violent method of protests. When Gandhi returned to India early in
1915, he had the prestige of a leader. While asking for India's support in the First world war, the
governmen had held out the most brilliant promises. Gandhi did a lot of service for the british
empire in the war years. He played an active role in recruiting young indians for the army.
Meanwhile, he could not remain indifferent to people's sufferings in the country. Unrest spread
in the country and there was powerful agitation against the british rule. During this agitation,
Gandhi took command of the nationalist Movement. He had evolved in his struggle against
racism in South Africa a new form of struggle-non-cooperation and a new technique of struggle-
Satyagrah which could be put into practice against the British in India. He had, moreover, a basic
sympathy for and understanding of the problems and psychology of the indian peasantry. He
was, therefore, able to appeal to it and bring it into the mainstream of the National movement.
He was thus able to arouse and unite all sections of the Indian people in a militant mass national
movement. His ideology of truth and non-violence influenced many.
Various Movements led by Gandhiji for India's Independence-
1.Champaran Movement(1917)- The Champaran Movement in 1917 was the first Satyagrah
movement inspired by Gandhi and a major revolt in the Indian Independence Movement.
Farmers of Bihar were protesting against the farming of Indigo with barely any payment for it.
The farmers oppressed Mahatma Gandhi when he returned to India from South Africa in 1915.
They wanted gandhi to use the same methods that he used in South Africa to organize mass
uprisings by people to protest against injustice. Champaran Movement is the first popular
movement which gave direction to India's youth and freedom fighters.
2.Kheda Satyagrah- The Kheda movement of 1918 was a major revolt in the Indian
independence movement. The movement was started in the Kheda district of Gujarat by
Mahatma Gandhi during the period of the British rule. People of Kheda were unable to pay the
high taxes levied by the british due to crop failure and a plague epidemic. Therefore, Mahatma
Gandhi organised movement to support the peasants of Kheda district. It was the third Satyagrah
movement led by Mahatma Gandhi after Champaran Satyagrah and Ahmedabad mill strike.
3.Khilafat Movement- The Khilafat Movement of 1919 is also known as the Indian Muslim
movement. The Ottoman Empire, having sided with the central powers during world war I,
suffered a major military defeat. The Muslims were protesting for the safety of their Ottoman
Caliph and launched Khilafat movement under the guidance of gandhi to fight against the british
government to restore the collapsing status of the Caliph in Turkey. The success of this
movement made Mahatma Gandhi, the national leader in no time. He became a notable
spokesperson of All India Muslim Conference. The Khilafat Movement contributed to a sense
of National Unity.
4.Non-Cooperation Movement- The Non-cooperation movement was launched on 1 August
1920 by Mahatma Gandhi. Following the Rowlatt Act of 17 March 1919, and the Jallianwala
Bagh Massacre of 13 April 1919, indian national congress withdrew its support for british
reforms. Mahatma Gandhi launched the non-cooperation movement with the aim of self-
governance and obtaining full independence. His main motive was to establish non-cooperation,
non-violence and made this movement as his weapons against britishers. Through Non-
cooperation movement Mahatma Gandhi urged the protestors to boycott britisher's goods and
services and wearing Khadi. Since then the movement became the motto of the Indian freedom
movement.
Objectives of the non-cooperation movement-
i)restoring the old status of the sultan of Turkey
ii)Punishing those guilty of atrocities
iii)Attaining Swaraj for India
5.Civil Disobedience Movement: Dandi March and Gandhi-Irwin Pact- The civil
disobedience movement was a vital part of Indian freedom struggle led by Mahatma Gandhi
against the ruling colonial government. While addressing the nation in a newspaper, young India,
in march 1930. Gandhi expressed his willingness to suspend the movement if his eleven demands
get accepted by the government. But Lord Irwin's government did not respond back to him. As
a result, he initiated the movement in full vigor. The movement began with the Dandi march
which was led by Gandhi ji on 12th march 1930 from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi in Gujarat.
After reaching Dandi, gandhi and his followers violated the salt laws by making salt from the
salted sea water. After this, breaking the british laws became the widespread phenomena in
India. People started the sale of the restricted political pamphlets violating Section 144. Gandhi
ji urged indian women to start spinning and soon people started protesting in front of the
government offices and shops selling foreign goods. Women of India have started taking part in
the Indian freedom struggle. Sarojini Nidu came to the leading edge during this movement. In
this, the most popular leader was Abdul Gaffar Khan, called as “Frontier Gandhi.” The Lord
Irwin's government called a round table conference in 1930 in london and the Indian national
Congress refused to be a part of it. Just to make sure that congress attended the second round
table conference, Lord Irwin signed a pact with the Gandhi in 1931. It was called the Gandhi-
irwin Pact. The pact talked about the releasing of all the political prisoners and cancellation of
all the oppressive laws.
6.Quit India Movement (1942)- Quit India movement was launched by Mahatma Gandhi on
8th August 1942 during the second world war in order to drive british rule out of India. The india
congress committee, under the insistence of Gandhi, demanded a mass british withdrawal from
India and Gandhi delivered a “Do or die” speech. As a consequence, the entire members of the
Indian national congress were immediately arrested by the british officials and imprisoned
without trial. But the demonstrations and protests continued across the country. Even though the
britishers were somehow successful in suppressing the Quit India movement but soon realized
that their days of the rule in india were over. By the end of the world war II, they made clear
indications of handling over the powers to India. Eventually, Gandhi called off the movement
resulting in the release of thousands of prisoners.
Conclusion- Thus, Gandhi felt it was his responsibility to fight for India's rights. Mahatma
Gandhi was important because he led india into freedom from the british. Also, he influenced
many people and places other than india. So, Gandhi believed in the power of people and
accordingly launched these mass movements.He changed history by protesting non-violently
and gaining independence for India. Ahimsa and Satyagrah were his methods of resistance.