Nationalism in India Flashcards
Why is the idea of nation state important? What stuff can create the a sense of collective belongingness which will help further in creating the idea of a nation state?
The idea of nation state is important as it creates a sense of common identity and belongingness.
Things such as new symbols, icons, songs, etc.. can create a sense of collective belongingness.
State the most common point for the development of the feeling of nationalism among colonies.
Anti colonial movement was the most common thing which happened during the development of the idea of nationalism among colonies against the oppressor.
This was helpful as when the people of the same ethnic composition felt that they were being oppressed by someone and when they struggled together to fight against the oppressor, a sense of collective belongingness developed there and the feeling of creating a nation state (nationalism) was born.
However, the notion of freedom varied for different people.
How the first world war affect India?
The first world was last from 1914 to 1918.
The first world war affected India in the following ways -
1. The defence needs of Britain increased which so, they increased taxation in India and took loans for their millitary needs.
2. Taxation in India double between 1913 to 1918. This created disappointment among Indians.
3. Forced recruitment of Indian soldiers was done in the British army to fought the world war I. This created a widespread anger.
4. Crop failure in India led to the shortage of food. Influenzas, epidemics and famines occured.
5. Due to all this 12 - 13 million people died.
6. Price of food grains increased
Explain Satyagraha. Name all the experiment done by Gandhiji with it.
Satyagraha is satya + agraha. Which essentially means that if you are fighting for the right things against the injustice, then no physical force is required for fight against the oppressor. Oppressor should be persuaded to see the truth, instead of being forced to accept the truth through the use of violence.
It has been experimented at -
- Champaran, Bihar [1917]
In the support of Indigo planters against the oppressive plantation system of britishers. - Kheda, Gujarat [1917]
Supporting peasants affected by the crop failure and do revenue relaxation - Ahmedabad, Gujarat [1918]
In the support of cotton mill workers against cotton mill owners.
Explain the Rowlatt act. What was done to oppose this?
The act gave the government powers to repress the political activities, political leaders can be arrested and kept in prision without trial for 2 years
Gandhiji opposed this unjust law. He launched hartal / Rowlatt satyagraha, on 6 april 1919. This was all done very non violently and many non violent rallies and strikes were done in other parts of india too.
Explain the Rowlatt act. What was done to oppose this?
The act gave the government powers to repress the political activities, political leaders can be arrested and kept in prision without trial for 2 years
Gandhiji opposed this unjust law. He launched hartal / Rowlatt satyagraha, on 6 april 1919. This was all done very non violently and many non violent rallies and strikes were done in other parts of india too.
Explain the Rowlatt act. What was done to oppose this?
The act gave the government powers to repress the political activities, political leaders can be arrested and kept in prision without trial for 2 years
Gandhiji opposed this unjust law. He launched hartal / Rowlatt satyagraha, on 6 april 1919. This was all done very non violently and many non violent rallies and strikes were done in other parts of india too.
Explain the Jallianwala Bagh incident.
Due the some violence done by Indian by protesting against the Rowlatt act. Britishers imposed a martial law which did not permit people to do social gatherings.
leaders including mahatma gandhi were barred from entering delhi.
On 13th april, many people gathered in the Jallianwala Bagh, some were there due to Baisakhi fair and some were there for protesting.
General Dyer came there, blocked the only exit gate, fired people and killed many. This angered people all over India, they attacked police and government property. Government got a free hand and responded with brutal violence on them.
Explain the Khilafat movement.
the khalifat movement is as follows -
- Khalifa was the spiritual head of the Islamic world and the emperor of Ottoman empire
- After his defeat in WW1, rumours spread across the world that some harsh treaty would be imposed on him which would be a disrespect for muslims. So, this angered muslims.
- This was protested by Khilafat committee in Bombay on march, 1919.
- Gandhiji saw this as the movement of uniting muslims and hindus for the bright future of India. So, he collaborated with Muhammad and Shaukat Ali of the Khilafat committee to also participate in the protest.
- In the calcutta session, september 1920, demand for a Non-cooperation movement was raised. In 1920 summer, Gandhiji along with Shaukat Ali toured a lot cross India and popularised the Non-Cooperation movment.
What was Non cooperation movement?
Gandhiji said in his book “Hind Swaraj” that Britishers are in India only because Indians are cooperating with them. They will leave if Indians refuse to cooperate.
Gandhiji decided to raise a non cooperation movement in which Indians would not cooperate with the British.
During the Khilafat movement, Gandhiji raised a demand for non cooperation movement with Mhd. and Shaukat ali. IN calcutta session, sept. 1920, a demand for a Non-cooperation movement was raised.
Gandhiji decided to unfold the non cooperation movement in stages. First surrendering of titles that were given by govt., then boycotting of civil services, army , police , courts , legislature councils, schools, universities, etc.
If government used repression, then full Civil Disobedience movement would be launched.
Finally, in Nagpur session of Congress in december 1920, Non-cooperation movement was adopted.
State some challenges faced during the doing of Non cooperation movement?
- leaders within congress did not wanted to boycott council elections.
- Some feared violence.
- there were large debates between supporters and opponents of the movement.
State some limitation of the Non cooperation movement?
- There was an absence of alternative Indian institutions.
- Khadi clothes were expensive than mass produced mill clothes.
- Some Indians became very violent with the movement and gradually people started losing interest in it.
State some limitation of the Non cooperation movement?
- There was an absence of alternative Indian institutions.
- Khadi clothes were expensive than mass produced mill clothes.
- Some Indians became very violent with the movement and gradually people started losing interest in it.
Describe the non cooperation movement in towns?
Many people participated in the movement in cities but it gradually slowed. Many said that they were participating for gaining freedom but the term freedom meant different to different people. for eg; to a farmer freedom means to be provided with good facilities for farming but to a business owner freedom means that he should be provided with less trade barriers and less taxes should be charged on him.
Middle class people participated in the following ways -
- Elections were boycotted. But justice party of non-brahmans in the south didn’t boycotted election because they thought that they could gain power by participating in council elections and therefore, brahmans could not rule non brahmans.
- Students left govt schools and colleges, teachers resigned and lawyers gave up legal practices.
- Khadi people started to wear khadi clothes instead of western clothes.
Explain Alluri Sitaram Raju.
- He claimed of having some special powers.
- He said he can make astrological prediction, can heal people and could even survive bullet shot.
- Rebels proclaimed that he was the incarnation of god.
- He supported Gandhiji, he was inspired by non cooperation movement, encouraged people to give up on drinking and popularized the used of Khadi cloth.
- But the believed in the use of violent.
- Finally, he was captured and executed in 1924.
What was Begar?
Begar was the labour work that villagers were forced to contribute without any payment.
Describe the participation of peasants in the non cooperation movement.
- In Awadh, Baba Ramchandra (Indentured labour from fiji, later can back to india) led the peasants against talukdars and landlords who demanded high rents from peasants.
- Peasant movements demanded reduction of revenue, abolition of begar, social boycott of oppressive landlords.
- ’’'’Nai-dhobhi-bands’’’’ - done to deprive landlords of basic services.
- ’’'’Oudh Kisan Sabha’’’’ - set up of jawaharlal nehru and baba ramchandra to help the peasants to fight against the oppressive landlords gives low wages to workers .
- Peasant fought violently which made congress disappointed and also a rumor was spread that Gandhji ordered the peasants to do violence.
Describe the participation by tribals in the non cooperation movement.
- In Gudem hills, millitant guerrilla movement was done by tribal people in early 1920s which included violence.
- All this was done because of the strict policy of the colonial govt which forced tribal people to do begar.
