nationalism in india

Question 1

1. What is nationalism?

Answer 1

Nationalism refers to the feeling of oneness that emerges when people living in a common region share the same historical, political, cultural background, speak the same language, have the same values etc.

Question 2

2. What was growth of nationalism connected to?

Answer 2

• The growth of modern nationalism is intimately connected to the anti-colonial movement in India, just like in any other country.
• In the process of their struggle with colonialism people began discovering their unity.
• Anti-colonial movement gave a strong issue to the people with which they could identify and could come on a common platform.
• All though each class or group of people felt that they were being oppressed under colonialism, the effects of colonialism were felt differently.
• Hence, the growth of nationalism in the colonies is linked to an anti-colonial movement

Question 3

3. How had the ‘First World War’ created economic problems in India? Explain with examples. (2016, 19)
4. How did the WW1 create a new economic situation? Explain with three examples. (2003)
5. What was the impact of the First World War on India (2011,15)

Answer 3

• The war and its aftermath created favorable situation for mass struggle and played an important role in shaping India’s freedom struggle.
• Increase in defense expenditure due to the war led to the increase in taxes, custom duties
• Introduction of income tax
• Prices increased doubling between 1913 and 1918
• Extreme hardships, poverty and forced recruitments in the army raised anti-British feelings
• During 1918–19 and 1920–21, food shortages due to the failure of crops and famines and Influenza epidemic.
• Around 1-12 million people died as a result of epidemics and famines
• After the war the British Government Proved a failure to address the above issues and people were ready to be led by a leader like Gandhiji who returned to India in 1915.

Question 4

6. Explain any four points about Gandhiji’s Satyagraha. (2008, 11)

Answer 4

• Meaning – Emphasis on power of truth via non-violent methods
• If the cause was true and the fight was against injustice, a satyagrahi doesn’t have to use violence to win the fight.
• This could be achieved by appealing to the conscience of the oppressor.
• By this struggle, truth was bound to triumph ultimately.
• Gandhiji believed that this dharma of non-violence could unite all Indians.

Question 5

7. How did Gandhi apply the idea of Satyagraha in our country? (2013)
8. Name the two mains ‘Satyagraha Movements ‘organized by Mahatma Gandhiji successfully in favor of peasants in 1916 and 1917. (2008, 11)

Answer 5

Gandhiji spread the idea of Satyagraha :
• Gandhi organized Satyagraha movements in many parts of the country.
• In 1916, he went to Champaran in Bihar to inspire the peasants to struggle against the
oppressive plantation system
• followed by organizing a satyagraha to support the peasants of the Kheda district of Gujarat in 1917. The peasants there, so affected by a crop failure and a plague epidemic, couldn’t pay the revenue and thus demanded that the revenue collection ought to be relaxed.
• In 1918, Gandhi went to Ahmedabad, where he organized a satyagraha movement amongst cotton mill workers.

Question 6

9. Why did Mahatma Gandhi decide to launch a nationwide ‘Satyagraha’ against the proposed ‘Rowlatt Act? Explain with three reasons. (2010, 14, 15)
10. What was Rowlatt Act? How was it opposed by the people in India? Explain with examples. (2010, 11, 13)

Answer 6

Gandhiji decided to launch a nationwide Satyagraha against the proposed Rowlatt Act, 1919, because
• It gave enormous power to the government and no power to the leaders.
• This law was hurriedly passed even after the united opposition by the Indians and other Indian leaders.
• It allowed the detention of political leaders without any trial for two years.
• It means that the British Government can arrest any Indian leader without any proof of crime.
The Rowlatt Act was opposed in the following manner.
i) Rallies were organized in various cities.
ii) Workers went on strikes in railway workshops.
iii) Shops were closed down.
• It was in opposition to the Rowlatt Act that the infamous Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place. General Dyer ordered his troops to open fire on the innocent civilians who had gathered from the city of Amritsar and outside to attend a peaceful meeting.

Question 7

11. Describe the incident and impact of Jallianwala Bagh massacre. (2014, 15)

Answer 7

• On 13th April 1919, the infamous Jallianwala Bagh incident took place.
• On that day, a crowd of villagers who had come to Amritsar to attend a fair gathered in the enclosed ground of Jallianwala Bagh.
• Being from outside the city, they were unaware of the martial law that had been imposed.
• General Dyer entered the area, blocked the only exit point, and opened fire on the crowd, killing and wounding hundreds of people.
• His objective was to ‘produce a moral effect’ to create in the minds of satyagrahis, a feeling of terror and awe.
Impact/reason why Gandhiji called off the rowlatt act?
• As the news spread, crowd took to the streets in North Indian towns.
• There were strikes, clashes with police.
• Attacks on Government buildings.
• The government responded with brutal repression to terrorize people.
• Satyagrahis were forced to rub their noses on the ground, crawl on streets, do salaam to sahibs.
• People were whipped and villages were bombed.
• The British violated the freedom of speech and expression.
• Seeing the violence Gandhiji called off the act.

Question 8

12. Why did Mahatma Gandhi support Khilafat movement? (2011, 2012, 14)

Answer 8

• The Rowlatt Satyagraha had been a wide spread movement, no doubt, but it was still limited mostly to cities and towns.
• Mahatma Gandhi now felt the need to launch a more broad-based movement in India.
• But he was certain that no such movement could be organized without bringing the Hindus and Muslims closer together. One way of doing this, he felt, was to take up the Khilafat issue——-The khilafat issue was that after the defeat of the emperor of ottoman turkey harsh treaties are going to be imposed on the Khalifa and this caused widespread anger in the Muslims of all over the world——–Therefore, he decided to support this issue.

Question 9

13. Who launched the Khilafat movement?

Answer 9

• Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali

Question 10

14. Why was the N.C movement launched? (2011, 12)

Answer 10

• The main purpose of the khilafat movement was to reimpose the Ottoman Turkish Emperor Khalifa.
• Khilafat movement was started to protest against the injustices done to Turkey after the first world war. Turkey was important to the Indian Muslims as the sultan of turkey was also the ‘Khalifa’ and was head of Muslims all over the world.
• Another purpose of the Khilafat movement was to build up the relationship between Hindus and Muslims.

Question 11

15. What were the reasons or why did Gandhiji launch Non-cooperation movement? (2008, 12)

Answer 11

Gandhiji launched the Non-cooperation movement of JANUARY 1921 because :
• According to Gandhiji, the British rule was established in India with the cooperation of Indians and had survived only because of this cooperation. So, the time has arrived to withdraw cooperation to the British.
• First World War added to the misery of the Indian people. Heavy taxes, high prices, famines, and epidemics made people’s life miserable.
• Rowlatt Act invited large scale protests throughout the country.
• Jallianwala Bagh Massacre and the injustice done to Punjab made Indians angry which need to be avenged.
• To restore the status of the ruler of Turkey.
• To bring Swaraj or Self Rule to India.

Question 12

16. What happened in the Nagpur session 1920?

Answer 12

i. At the Calcutta session, September 1920, Gandhi had convinced congress leaders to start in non-cooperation movement in support of khilafat and swaraj
ii. Congress was reluctant to boycott council elections of November 1920 as they feared it would lead to popular violence
iii. During September to December there was intense tussle in the congress
iv. Congress session, Nagpur, December 1920- compromise was worked out and non-cooperation movement was adopted.

Question 13

17. “British rule in India would have collapsed if Indians had not cooperated”. How did this statement help in starting mass movement in India against the British rule? (2005)

Answer 13

• The idea of non-cooperation was first introduced by Gandhiji in his book Hind Swaraj, where he declared that since the British had established their rule in India with the cooperation of the Indians, it would collapse only when the cooperation was withdrawn.
• He proposed that the movement should unfold in stages. It should begin with the surrendering of titles that the government had awarded to the Indians. A boycott of civil services, army, police, courts and legislative assemblies, schools and foreign goods would show their non-cooperation to the British empire.
• Mahatma Gandhi felt that in case the government used repression, a full civil disobedience campaign would be launched.

Question 14

18. Discuss the various stages of Non-Cooperation of Non-cooperation Movement. (2016)
19. Mention three main proposals, with reference to the Non-cooperation movement. (2008)

Answer 14

• Firstly, Indians who received titles and honors from the British renounced them in protest.
• Secondly, there were large scale demonstrations including hartals. All government institutions including schools, Colleges, offices and legislature were boycotted.
• Then, in case the government used repression, a full civil disobedience campaign would be launched.

Question 15

20. Describe any four economic effects of the non-cooperation movement

Answer 15

• Foreign goods were boycotted, liquor shops picketed , and foreign clothes were burnt hugely.
• The import of foreign clothes halved between 1921 and 1922, its value dropping from 102 crore to 57 crore rupees.
• In many areas, traders and merchants refused to trade in foreign goods and sometimes even they refused to finance foreign trade.
• As the boycott movement spread, people used only Indian clothes and began to discard foreign clothes.
• As a result, production of Indian textile mills and handloom went up largely.

Question 16

21. Give three reasons behind slowing down of Non-cooperation Movement (2011, 12, 15)

Answer 16

• Khadi cloth was often more expensive than mass produced mill cloth and poor people could not afford to buy it.
• Boycott of British institutions posed a problem.
• For the movement to be successful, alternative Indian institutions had to be set up so that they could be used in place of the British ones.
• These institutions were slow to come up so students and teachers began trickling back to govt schools
• Lawyers also joined back work in government courts.

Question 17

22. List the different groups which participated in the non-cooperation movement

Answer 17

1) Towns- teachers, students, lawyers
2) Tribal peasants of Andhra Pradesh
3) Poor peasants of Awadh
4) Plantation workers of Assam

Question 18

23. How did the Non-cooperation movement spread in cities across the country? Explain its effects on the economic front. (2015)

Answer 18

• The movement started with middle class participation in the cities.
• Thousands of students left government-controlled schools and colleges.
• Headmasters and teachers resigned and lawyers gave up their legal practices.
• The council elections were boycotted in most provinces except Madras where Justice Party took part in elections to get some share of power.
Effects of Non-Cooperation Movement on the economic front were :
• Foreign goods were boycotted
• Liquor shops were picketed
• Foreign clothes were burnt in huge bonfires
• The import of foreign cloth halved between 1921-1922. In value, the drop was from Rs. 102 crores to Rs.57 crore
• In many places, merchants and traders refused to trade in foreign goods or finance foreign trade.
• The people began discarding imported clothes and wore only Indian ones.
• Production of Indian textile mills and handlooms went up tremendously.

Question 19

24. Describe any three major problems faced by the peasants of Awadh in the days of Non-cooperation movement. (2015 ,16)

Answer 19

• In Awadh the talukdars and peasants had to pay exorbitantly high rents and a variety of other taxes.
• Peasants had to do begar and work at landlord’s farms without any payment.
• As tenants, they had no security of tenure, being regularly evicted so that they could acquire no right over the leased land.

Question 20

25. How did the peasants of Awadh use different methods to achieve their goal? Explain with examples. (2014)

Answer 20

• Peasants of Awadh were led by Baba Ram Chandra, a Sanyasi.
• the movement was against talukdars and Landlords.
• The landlords and talukdars demanded exorbitantly high rents and other cess.
• Peasants had to do begar and work at landlord’s farms without any payment.
• As tenants, the farmers had no security of tenure.
• The peasant movement demanded-
i. reduction of revenue
ii. abolition of begar
iii. social boycott of oppressive landlords.
• ln many places, nai-dhobi bandhs were organized by panchayats to deprive landlord of the services of barbers and washermen.
• Oudh Kisan Sabha was set up headed by Jawaharlal Nehru, Baba Ram Chandra and few others. within a month, over 300 branches were set up in the villages. The peasants developed in forms. ln 1921, the houses of Talukdars and Merchants were attacked. Bazaars were looted. Grain hoards were taken over.

Question 21

26. Who was Alluri Sitaram Raju? Explain the role played by tribal peasants in the Gudem Hills of Andhra Pradesh during the non-cooperation movement. (2012)
27. Analyze any four features of Gudem rebellion of Andhra Pradesh. (2011)

Answer 21

• Alluri Sitaram Raju was an Indian revolutionary
• Raju was inspired by the Non-Cooperation Movement
• Raju was captured and executed in 1924, and over time became a folk hero.

The Gudem rebellion spread in response to Gandhiji’s Non-Cooperation Movement.
The four features of this rebellion are:
• In the Gudem Hills of Andhra Pradesh, a militant guerrilla movement spread in the early 1920s under the leadership of Alluri Sitaram Raju.
• Causes for participation-
i. The hill people got enraged when the colonial government prevented them from entering the forests to graze their cattle, or to collect fuel wood and fruits.
ii. These restrictions affected their traditional rights and livelihood.
iii. The government began forcing them to contribute beggar for road building, so the hill people revolted
• They considered Sitaram Raju as an incarnation of God, inspired by Gandhiji’s Non-Cooperation Movement, Raju persuaded the Gudem rebels to wear Khadi and give up drinking. But at the same time, he asserted that India could be liberated only by the use of force, not non-violence.
• Meaning of swaraj for tribal peasants was a fight against beggar and forest laws
• The Gudem rebels attacked police stations, attempted to kill British officials and carried on guerrilla warfare for achieving Swaraj.

Question 22

28. “The plantation workers in Assam had their own understanding of Mahatma Gandhi and the notion of Swaraj”. Support the statement with arguments. (2016)
29. Explain the response of the plantation workers to the Non-Cooperation Movement? What did freedom mean to them? (2016)
30. What was the notion of swaraj for the plantation workers in Assam? (2008)

Answer 22

This statement can be supported by the following arguments.
• Cause for joining movement-
i. Under the Inland Emigration Act of 1859, the plantation workers were not permitted to leave tea-gardens without permission and, in fact, they were rarely given such permission.
• For plantation workers in Assam, swaraj meant right to move freely in and out of the confined space in which they were enclosed, and to retain a link with the native village.
• When they heard of the Non-Cooperation Movement thousands of workers left the plantations and headed home.
• They believed that Gandhi Raj meant that they would be given land in their own villages.
• However, due to steamer and railway strike, thousands were stranded on the way.
• They were caught by the police and badly beaten up.

Question 23

31. Why did Gandhiji decide to withdraw the Non-cooperation Movement in February,1922? Explain any three reasons. (2016)

Answer 23

• In Chauri Chaura, a peaceful demonstration was going on but it turned into violent and the police station was burnt down by the people.
• Gandhi was completely against the use of violence and believed that the protest was becoming violent in many areas.
• Gandhi thought that satyagrahis needed more tolerance and training to lead non-violent mass struggles

Question 24

Different incidents and developments leading to the Civil disobedience movement:

Answer 24

After the withdrawal of the Non-cooperation movement, there was a void-gap.
 Successful peasant movement in Bardoli, Meerut and Lahore conspiracy cases in 1929
 The arrival of Simon Commission consisting of all British members, in 1928 and their report.
 The worldwide economic depression affected the agricultural sector.
 Simon Commission infuriated the Indian Masses.
 Nehru report in respect of Indian Constitution.
 Demonstrators being brutally assaulted in anti-Simon Commission agitation.
 Lahore Session in 1929, raised the demand for ‘Poorna Swaraj’.
 Salt March laid the foundation of the Civil Disobedience Movement.

Question 25

why did Industrialists support this movement?

Answer 25

Industrialists supported this movement because: During the First World War, Indian merchants and industrialists had made huge profits and became powerful. Keen on expanding their business, they now reacted against colonial policies that restricted business activities

Question 26

describe the Swaraj Party

Answer 26

It was formed by the Congress leaders Motilal Nehru, C.R. Das Desbandhu. It was formed to contest Council Elections set up Govt Act India Act 1919. Many Congressmen were tired of Mass struggle as was Non- cooperation movement.