CLASS X NATIONALISM IN INDIA (HISTORY-3)

Nationalism in India (Class X His-3)

• Nationalism: Nationalism is the feeling of oneness among the people living in a territory.

FIRST WORLD WAR BROKE OUT IN 1914

FIRST WORLD WAR CREATED A NEW ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL SITUATION IN INDIA (IMPACTS)

•       The growth of modern nationalism is intimately connected to anti-colonial movement.

•       The British imposed war expenditure on India. Income tax was introduced. Customs duties were raised.

•       Prices of essential goods doubled during the war period.

•       Forced recruitment was made in to the British Indian army.

•       Crop failures resulted in shortage of food materials. Influenza epidemic spread in many parts of India. Millions of people lost their lives.

GANDHIYAN SATYAGRAHA

•       Gandhiji came back to India in 1915.

•       He introduced a new powerful method of struggle called Satyagraha.

•       His heroic fight for the Indians in South Africa was well-known. His novel method of mass agitation known as Satyagraha had yielded good results.

SATYAGRAHA

•       Satyagraha literally means holding on to truth or truth force.

•        The idea of Satyagraha emphasized the power of truth and the need to search for truth.

•       It was a non-violent struggle introduced by Gandhiji in the Indian National Movement.

•       It persuades the opponent to understand the truth.

•       If the cause was true and if the fight was against injustice then physical force was not necessary to fight the oppressor.

•       Hunger strike, peaceful demonstrations, strike, hartal and non cooperation with the government are some methods of Satyagraha

FIRST THREE SATYAGRAHA MOVEMENTS ORGANISED BY GANDHIJI IN INDIA

•       Champaran Movement [1916]: It was a movement of workers in the indigo plantations of the Champaran district of Bihar. It was against the oppressive plantation system.

•        Kheda  Movement[1917]: Crop failure and plague epidemic made the life of the farmers miserable in the Kheda district of Gujarat. So, they started a movement under Gandhiji’s leadership with the demand for a reduction in land revenue.

•        Mill workers Movement(1918): Low wages and poor working conditions forced the mill workers of Ahmedabad to start a movement under Gandhiji’s leadership in 1918. He advised to workers to go on strike and to demand a 35% increase in wages.

Rowlatt Act[1919]

•       This Act gave the government the power to imprison any person without any trial for a period of two years.

•       Aim of this act was to destroy the national movement by imprisoning the national workers.

•       It was a black law because it was against basic human rights.

ROWLATT SATYAGRAHA

•       Gandhiji organised a non-violent satyagraha against the Rowlatt Act.

•       A hartal was organized on 6 April 1919. Rallies were conducted. Shops were closed down. Workers conducted strike. Transport and communication systems came to a standstill.

These protests led to the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre.

JALLIANWALA BAGH MASSACRE

•       On 13 April 1919, a public meeting was organized at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar to protest against the arrests of national leaders.

•        Many villagers who came to attend the annual Baisaki fair were also present in the park.

•        General Dyer reached the meeting place along with the British troops. He ordered the troops to fire. The firing lasted for nearly 10 minutes.

•       More than thousand people were killed and many were wounded. This incident is called Jallianwala Bagh Massacre.

KHILAFAT MOVEMENT

•       It was a movement organized by Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali  [Ali brothers].

•       The aim of this movement was to protest against the injustice done to Turkey by Britain after the First World War.

•       The Turkish Sultan had the title of Khalipha. The Muslims considered him as their spiritual leader. So, many Muslims joined this movement.

GANDHIJI DECIDED TO LAUNCH THE NON- COOPERATION MOVEMENT BECAUSE :

•       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.

•        Muslims became unhappy due to the ill treatment of Turkey. They started Khilafat Movement.

•        The Congress session at Nagpur (1920) adopted Gandhiji’s the idea of Non co-operation.

NON-COOPERATION MOVEMENT

•       Non co-operation was launched under Gandhiji’s leadership in 1920.

•        It aimed at protesting against the injustices done to Punjab and Turkey and to attain Swaraj.

•        Educated middle class led the movement in towns and cities. Educational institutions, Law courts and foreign goods were boycotted.

•        Peasants organized movements against Talukdars and Landlords in villages under the leadership of Baba Ramchandra.

•        Tribal people started an armed struggle in the Gudem hills of Andhra Pradesh under the leadership of Alluri Sitaram Raju.

•        Workers in the plantations of Assam started a struggle to get the right to free movement.

•        Chauri-Chaura incident forced Gandhiji to call off the Movement.

DIFFERING STRANDS WITHIN THE NON COOPERATION MOVEMENT

•       MOVEMENT IN TOWNS AND CITIES:

•       Educated middle class led the movement in towns and cities.

•       Educational institutions, law courts and the council elections were boycotted.

•       Foreign clothes and other goods were burnt in bonfires. People began to use Khadi clothes.

•       Government Servants resigned their jobs. Liquor shops were picketed.

NON CO OPERATION MOVEMENT SLOWED DOWN IN TOWNS AND CITIES BECAUSE:

•       Khadi clothes were very costly. The poor were not able to buy them.

•        Indians boycotted British institutions like law courts and educational institutions. But alternative institutions did not come up. So people had to stop boycott.

MOVEMENT IN THE COUNTRYSIDE (VILLAGES)

•       PEASANTS’ MOVEMENT.

•       In Awadh, a peasant’s movement was organized by Baba Ramchandra.

•       It was against landlords and talukdars. Reduction of rent and the abolition of begar were their main demands.

•        They formed the Oudh Kisan Sabha.

BABA RAMCHADRA

•       He led a peasant’s movement in Awadh against Talukdars and Landlords.

•       He demanded reduction of rent, abolition of Begar and the boycott of landlords.

In October 1920, he formed Oudh Kisan Sabha with the help of Nehru.

TRIBAL MOVEMENT

•       In the Gudem Hills of Andhra Pradesh, tribals started a movement under the leadership of Alluri Sitaram Raju.

•       Tribals wanted to get back their traditional rights over forests.

•        The methods followed by the tribals and peasants were against the Gandhian method of non violence. They followed violent methods of struggle.

ALLURI SITARAM RAJU

•       He led a movement of the tribal people in the Gudem hills of Andhra Pradesh.

•        Many people considered him as an incarnation of God.  They believed that he had many special powers.

•       He supported Gandhiji and asked his followers to wear khadi and stop drinking. But, he organized an armed struggle against the British.

MOVEMENT IN THE PLANTATIONS

•       Workers in the plantations of Assam demanded the right to move freely in and out of the estates.

•       They opposed the Inland Emigration Act of 1859 which took away the right to free movement.

•       When they heard about the Non co-operation movement, they moved to their villages. They thought that the Gandhi Raj was coming and everyone would be given land in their villages.

•       However, they were caught and brought back.

WITHDRAWAL OF THE NON COOPERATION MOVEMENT

•       Gandhiji withdrew the Non Co-operation Movement because:

•       The movement became violent in some places. In February 1922, in Chauri chaura (Uttar Pradesh) people turned violent and set fire to a police station. Twenty two police men were killed in this incident. Gandhiji was against violence.

•       The movement slowed down in urban areas.

•        He thought that it was necessary to train the people in non-violent Satyagraha.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE NON- COOPERATION MOVEMENT

•       Non Co-operation movement was a large scale mass movement. It attracted common people from all social groups.

•       Non Co-operation Movement and Khilafat Movement went together. So, they promoted Hindu-Muslim unity.

•       Peasants’ and tribals’ movements became a part of the Indian National Movement.

•       It was a non-violent movement. So, it popularized the Gandhian idea of Non-violent Satyagraha.

SIMON COMMISSION (INDIAN STATUTORY COMMISSION) - 1928

•       It was a statutory commission set up by the British under Sir John Simon.

•       It was asked to study the constitutional system in India and suggest changes.

•       Indians opposed the Simon Commission because:

•       All the members of the commission were English men. There was no Indian in it.

•       It did not provide any hope of Swaraj to Indians.

LAHORE CONGRESS OF 1929

•       The Congress session was held at Lahore in 1929 under the Presidentship of Jawaharlal Nehru. Following decision were taken:

•       The Congress declared Poorna Swaraj as its aim.

•       It was decided to celebrate 26 January every year as Independence Day.

•       It was decided to start the Civil Disobedience Movement to win Poorna Swaraj.

DEVELOPMENTS THAT LED TO THE LAUNCHING OF THE CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE MOVEMENT

•       Indians launched a powerful struggle against the Simon Commission. The government resorted to repression.

•       Great Depression made the life of the people highly miserable.

•       Lahore Conspiracy case and Meerut Conspiracy case created discontent among the Indians.

•       Lahore Congress of 1929 declared Poorna Swaraj as its aim and decided to launch the Civil Disobedience Movement.

•       Gandhiji inaugurated the movement by breaking the Salt Law at Dandi.

SALT MARCH [SALT SATYAGRAHA]

•       Gandhiji decided to inaugurate the Civil Disobedience Movement by breaking the salt law.

•       Gandhiji and 78 of his followers started a march on foot from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi [Dandi March].

•       On 4^th April 1930, they reached Dandi. Gandhiji prepared salt by using sea water, broke the salt law and inaugurated the Movement. (Started on 12^th March 1930)

•       The government imposed heavy tax on salt. Moreover, the production of salt was the monopoly of the government. So the price of salt was very high. Therefore, Gandhiji opposed the salt law.

THE MAIN FEATURES OF THE CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE MOVEMENT.

•       Gandhiji led a march on foot from Sabarmati to Dandi. He broke the Salt Law at Dandi and inaugurated the Movement.

•       People broke salt law in many places. Foreign goods were boycotted. Liquor shops were picketed. Government servants resigned their jobs. Forest laws were broken. People refused to pay taxes. Leaders were arrested. Workers attacked government offices.

•       Gandhiji called off the movement on 5 March 1931 under the Gandhi-Irwin Pact. He agreed to attend the Second Round Table Conference as the govt.agreed to release the political prisoners.

•       It was restarted when Gandhiji returned from London. It was finally called off in 1934.

THE MAIN FEATURES OF THE CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE MOVEMENT

•       Gandhiji led a march on foot from Sabarmati to Dandi. He broke the Salt Law at Dandi and inaugurated the Movement.

•       People broke salt law in many places. Foreign goods were boycotted. Liquor shops were picketed. Government servants resigned their jobs. Forest laws were broken. People refused to pay taxes. Leaders were arrested. Workers attacked government offices.

•       Gandhiji called off the movement on 5 March 1931 under the Gandhi-Irwin Pact. He agreed to attend the Second Round Table Conference.

•       It was restarted when Gandhiji returned from London. It was finally called off in 1934.

•       People refused to cooperate with the government during the Non Co-operation Movement. People broke the laws during the Civil Disobedience Movement.

•       Muslims participated in large numbers in the Non Co-operation Movement. Muslim participation was less in the Civil Disobedience Movement.

•       No tax campaign was not there in Non Co-operation Movement. People refused to pay taxes in Civil Disobedience Movement

SOCIAL GROUPS WHICH PARTICIPATED IN CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE MOVEMENT

•       Rich Peasants - Depression and fall in prices affected them badly. They demanded reduction in land revenue. Swaraj meant reduction of taxes for them.

•       Poor Peasants - Depression affected them badly. They demanded reduction in rent. Swaraj meant reduction of rent for them.

•       Business classes – They demanded protection against the import of foreign goods. They wanted a Rupee-Sterling exchange rate that would discourage import. They formed the Indian Industrial and Commercial Congress in 1920. They also formed the Federation of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries. They gave financial help to the movement and refused to sell the foreign goods.

•       Industrial Workers – They were poorly paid. Conditions of work were miserable. Swaraj meant better wages and working conditions for them. Railway workers and dockyard workers conducted strike. Workers in mines wore Gandhi Caps and took part in rallies.

MAIN CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE MOVEMENT

•       Civil Disobedience Movement was the first struggle to win Poorna Swaraj or Complete Independence.

•       It was based on non violent Satyagraha. Gandhian ideas were widely followed.

•       Women participated in large numbers in this movement.

•       It was a real mass movement. Different social groups participated.

•       It was an open challenge to the British rule. The people openly disobeyed laws.

MAIN LIMITATIONS OF THE CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE MOVEMENT

•       Dalits did not participate in the Civil Disobedience Movement, because the Congress did not give importance to their demands.

•       Many Muslims did not participate in it. They thought that the Congress was moving close to the Hindu Maha Sabha.  

•       Communal riots occurred in many places. Disunity between Hindus and Muslims started.

•       Industrial workers participation was minimum.

EFFORTS MADE BY GANDHIJI FOR THE UPLIFTMENT OF DALITS

•       (i)Gandhiji was against untouchability. He said that Swaraj would not come for 100 years, if untouchability was not abolished.

•       (ii)He called the untouchables ‘Harijans’ or sons of Gods.  

•       (iii)He organized Satyagraha to get temple entry and access to public wells, tanks, roads and schools for dalits.

•       (iv)He cleaned harijan  colonies and in his ashram there was no caste feelings.

•       (v)He asked the upper caste Hindus to give up the inhuman practice of untouchability.

GANDHIJI Vs AMBEDKAR

•       Dr. Ambedkar demanded separate electorates for the dalits. He thought that a share in political power would help in their upliftment. Gandhiji opposed separate electorates. He thought that it would create disunity. So, they clashed in the Second round table conference. 

Poona Pact: It was signed between Gandhiji and Ambedkar in September 1932. Gandhiji brought an end to his fast. He accepted the demand for reservation of seats for dalits in the legislatures. Ambedkar agreed to give up the demand for separate electorates.

CULTURAL FACTORS AND IDENTITIES WHICH CREATED A SENSE OF COLLECTIVE BELONGING AMONG THE PEOPLE OF INDIA.                    

•       IMAGE OF BHARAT MATA :

•       Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay created the image of Bharat Mata.

•       Abanindranath Tagore painted her image.

•       Bharat Mata looked like a Sanyasini. She is calm, divine and spiritual. Devotion towards her became a proof of Nationalism.

VANDE MATARAM

•       It was a prayer to Bharat Mata written by Bankim Chadra Chattopadhyay in 1870.

•        Vande Mataram became the war cry of the Indians.

•       It was later included in his novel Anandamath.

NATIONAL FLAG

•       During the Swadeshi Movement a tricolor flag (red, green and yellow) was developed. It had 8 lotuses representing the 8 provinces of the British India. It also had crescent moon which represented Hindus and Muslims.

•        In 1921, Gandhiji designed the Swaraj flag. It was also a tricolor flag (red, green and white). It had a spinning wheel which represents the Gandhian idea of Self Help. It was designed by Pingali Vengayya.

•        The flag became a symbol of the Nation. It created the feeling of oneness. The people carried flag in protest marches and rallies.

REDISCOVERY OF INDIA’S PAST

•       The British considered Indians backward and primitive. They said that the Indians were not capable of ruling themselves.

•        In the 19^th century, some educated Indians started the efforts of rediscover India’s great achievements. They rediscovered the achievements made by the Indians in art, architecture, science, mathematics, religion, culture, law, philosophy, crafts and trade.

•        Knowledge about the great achievements of Indians created national pride, self confidence and patriotism among the Indians.

REVIVAL OF FOLKLORE

•       Nationalists toured the villages to collect the folk songs and legends.

•       Rabindranath Tagore collected a number of folk songs and legends.

•       In Madras, Natesa Sastri published a four volume collection of Tamil folk tales (The Folklore of Southern India).

•       The folk songs and legends gave a true picture of Indian culture. They showed there all thoughts and characteristics of Indians.

•        They created National Pride among the people.

Conclusion

•       Means of creating a feeling of nationalism was through reinterpretation of history. The nationalist writers urged the readers to take pride in India’s great achievements in the past and struggle to change the miserable conditions of life under British rule.

Important Events

1917 – M K Gandhi launches the Champaram campaign in Bihar to focus attention on the grievances of ‘indigo’ planters in April.

1919 -  Rowlatt Act introduced on Feb 16, 1919.

1919 – The Jallianwala Bagh tragedy took place on 13^th April in Amritsar.

1920 – The Indian National Congress adopts the Non-Cooperation Resolution in December.

1920-22 – M K Gandhi suspends Non-Cooperation Movement on Feb 12 after the violent incidents at Chauri Chaura.

1922-23 – ‘Swaraj’ Party was formed by Motilal Nehru and others on 1^st January.

1925 – The Kakori Train Conspiracy case in August.

1928 – Simon Commission arrives in Bombay on Feb 3. An All India hartal was called on. Lala Lajpat Rai assaulted by the police at Lahore.

1929 – Lord Irwin announced that the goal of British policy in India was to grant the Dominion status to India. On 31^st Oct, Congress adopts the demand for ‘Purna Swaraj’.

1930 – M K Gandhi launches the Civil Disobedience Movement with this epic Dandi March (March 12 to April 6). First phase of the Civil Disobedience Movement: March 12, 1930 to March 5, 1931`.

1931 – On 5^th March, the ‘Gandhi Irwin’ pact was signed and the Civil Disobedience Movement was suspended.

1931 – Bhagat Singh, Sukh Dev and Rajguru were executed on 23^rd March.

1932 -  Gandhiji was arrested and imprisoned without trail on 4^th Jan.

1932 – Gandhiji in jail, begins his epic ‘fast unto death’ against the Communal Award on 20^th Sep and ends the fast on 26^th of the same month after the Poona Pact.

1935 – The Government of India Act 1935 was passed on 4^th Aug.

1939 – The Muslim League observes the resignation of the Congress ministries as ‘Deliverance Day’ on 22^nd
Dec.

1942 – The INC meets in Bombay, adopts ‘Quit India’ resolution on 7^th & 8^th Aug.

1942 – Gandhiji and other Congress leaders were arrested on 9^th Aug.

1942 – Quit India movement begins on 8^th Aug; the Great Aug Uprising.

1947 – Lord Mountbatten was on 3^rd June for the partition of India and the announcement was made on June 4^th that transfer to power to India and Pakistan would be done on Aug 15, 1947.