Topic : Nationalism In India

Submitted By : Submitted To:

Sambhav kushwaha XYX

10th
NATIONALISM IN
INDIA
Concept

 First World War , khilafat and non-cooperation

 Differing strands within the movements
 Towards Civil Disobedience
 The Sense Of Collective Belonging
 Section A
The First world War ,
Khilafat and Non
cooperation
The First World war (1914 – 1918 )
turning point in the history of national movement and
creating a new political and economic situation .
National movement
- Influenced new social groups , and developed new
modes of struggle
- Offered opportunity to demand concessions from
Britain
- Resulted in hardships :-
Concept

 The struggle for independence and growth of nationalism

in India took place simultaneously
 The idea of India as a nation , as one entity , took deep
roots only when the anti – colonial movement began in
India . A bond was created between different groups
because everyone shared the burden of imperialism and
oppression
 It took a leader of unquestionable ability – Mahatma
Gandhi
– from 1920‟s how the congress
 Developed the national movement how it brought
social groups together .
 This chapter is utterly based on NATIONALISM - its growth
and popularity amongst all Indians
 -
Hardships Suffered During The World War

Rise in prices Famines or crop

(Double of what failures (1918-
they were 1921)
Huge Increase in
in 1913) Result – According
defence
expenditure To Census 1921
Result:- Great (12 – 13 million
Suffering to people died )
New Idea - Satyagraha

 A novel way of fighting the colonial rule . A mass agitation , nonaggressive

and peaceful against injustice and oppression .
 Since India could not match Britain in force of arms  violent course would
not win independence
 Satyagraha means insistence of truth
 Not weapon of weak but of the strong
 Not a physical but moral force
 Gandhiji organised Satyagraha
movements
1) In champaran Bihar (1916)
 Peasant rose against the unjust
plantation system

2) Satyagraha in Kheda district in Gujarat

(1917)
Relaxation of taxes due to famine

3) In Ahmedabad (1918)
 Amongst Cotton mill workers
The Rowlatt
Act
 In 1919 the imperial Legislative Council passed the act
, despite the opposition.
 Giving the government immense powers to detail
political prisoners without trial and repress political
activities
Response of Gandhiji- Wanted a non- violent civil
disobedience against such a repressive law . He
organised a Hartal on April 6 , 1919
 Consequence of the hartal

 Rallies organized in various cities

 Workers strike in railway workshops , shops closed
down
 The British government panicked and arrested nationalist
 Police fired in Amritsar (April 10 ) on a peaceful procession
Result- Attacks on post offices , banks , railways.
General Dyer imposed Martial Law in Amritsar
13 April
1919
 Jallian walla Bagh massacre took place .
 Peaceful meeting was fired upon by General Dyer , after
blocking all the exits points
 Hundreds of innocent people got killed .
Bases of massacre – Dyer wanted to strike terror in hearts
Result – lead to strike , clashes with police and attacks on
government buildings ,hence Gandhiji called off the
movement
The Khilafat Movements
 Gandhi wanted to launch a more broad based movement-->bringing
muslims under the umbrella of a unified national movement.

 He Took up the Khilafat movement , where in Mohammad Ali and Shaukat

Ali found it in March 1919 to defend it
 Gandhiji convinces Congress to join in support of it as well Swaraj (1920)
and start a non – cooperation movement .
 Khilafat Issue
 In first World War the Ottoman Turkish empire
was defeated .
 A harsh treaty was imposed on the Turkish
emperor – The Khalifa (spiritual head and
protector of holy places)
 The empire was dismembered by 1920
Why Non – Cooperation
Gandhiji‟
s Idea
In his book Hind Swaraj:
The British rule survived due to the cooperation between Indian and British
No cooperation  No British Rule  Collapse Of the empire  Swaraj For
India
 Debates followed , many leaders feared violence
 Compromise worked out at congress at Nagpur (December , 1920 )
and
the non – cooperation started
 Methods of Non - cooperation
i. Movements to unfold in stages
ii. Surrender of all Government titles
iii. Boycott of civil services, army , police , courts and legislative councils
, schools ,foreign goods.
iv. In case of government repression- (a full disobedience movement
to be launched )
v. Mobilization of popular support for the movement under Gandhi ji and
Shaukat Ali ( 1920)
Section B – DIFFERING STRANDS
WITH THE MOVEMENT

Began in January 1921

Many Social Groups

participated

All answered the call of Swaraj

Each had their own aspirations

 The Movement in Towns
 Middle Class took up the fight for Swaraj
 Students in thousands left schools and colleges controlled by
the government.
 Headmasters , teachers resigned and lawyers gave up practices
 Council Elections Boycotted .

Effect On Economic
Front

 Foreign goods boycotted ; liquor shops picketed foreign cloth burnt

, people discarded wearing of foreign clothes
 Indian textile mills and handlooms increased production to meet
the demands
 Import Of foreign clothes halved between 1921 and 1922 , its
value dropped from 102 – 57 crores .
Slowing Down Of the
Movement
 Many Reasons :
I. Khadi was more expensive than the mass
produced
mill cloth  the poor couldn‟t afford it
II. In the absence of food, Indian institutes , teachers and
students joined the government instutions. Lawyers
also decided to attend the courts
The movement in the country side

 1) The non cooperation took over the struggles of

peasants
 2) Each struggle was against a different target.
 3) Some struggles became violent , which was against
Gandhian principle
 4) All the actions were taken in the name of the
Mahatma
 5) The Peasant Movement because of their
different
aspirations and interpretations advocated violence.
 6)Peasants persuaded people to wear Khadi and give up
drinking
Awadh Peasants

 Led by Baba Ramchandra

 Against talukidars and landlords, who demanded high
rents
 Forced them to do begar and work on landlords‟ afm
rs
without any payment
 Tenants had no security of revenue, regularly evicted
 The peasants demanded reduction of revenue, abolition
of begar, and social boycott of oppressive landlords.
 Organised nai-dhobi bandhs.
 In 1920, Jawaharlal Nehru began going
around the villages in Awadh, talking
to villagers and trying to understand
their grievances.
 October – the Awadh Kisan Sabha
was set up by Jawaharlal Nehru and
Baba Ramchandra.
 Within a month, 300 branches had
been set up in the villages around the
region.
Tribal Peasants
 In the Gudem hills of Andhra Pradesh, militant guerrilla
movements spread in 1920.
 The colonial government had closed large forest areas, preventing people
from entering the forest to graze their cattle, or to collect fuel-wood and
fruits.
 This enraged the hill-people, when the government forced them to do
begar for road-building, the hill-people revolted.
 They were led by Alluri Sitaram Raju. He talked of the greatness of
Mahatma Gandhi, said he was inspired by the Non-Cooperation
Movement, and persuaded people to wear khadi and give up
drinking.
 He asserted that India could be liberated only by the use of force, and
attacked police stations, attempted to kill British officers, and carried out
guerrilla warfare for achieving Swaraj.
 Raju was captured and executed in 1924.
The movement in the plantation

 Workers had their own idea of swaraj .

 Their Agitation : An Example
 Plantation workers in Assam agitateds for the right to move freely
and not to be confined to the gardens they worked in . The
British thus passed an Inland Emigration Act (1859) prevented
them from leaving the plantation without permission .

 Raised Slogans demanding „Swatantra Bharat‟ chanted gandhi‟s

name and emotionally realted to non- cooperation
 Their identification with Gandhi and movement went beyond their
local units
 Believed Gandhi Raj was coming every one would be given their
land in their own villages
The British thus passed an Inland Emigration Act (1859) prevented
them from leaving the plantation without permission .
 Their agitation took the form of leaving the plantations and moving
towards their village .
 Result- They were caught by the police and brutally beaten up .
  The Non Cooperation was called off by Gandhiji in 1922 due to The
Chauri – Chaura incident , near Gorakhpur .
 Section C – TOWARDS CIVIL
DISOBEDIENCE
 After the withdrawal of the Non Cooperation Movement , the Congress leaders
wanted to end mass struggle and fight British rule by participating in
elections to the provincial councils , set up in 1919by Government of India
 Formation of Swaraj Party :
- C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru founded the Swaraj Party within the Congress to
fight the elections for the Councils and demand reform .
- Younger leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhash Chandra Bose pressed for
full independence.
Two Factors that shaped Indian
Politics Towards late 1920‟s
1) There was world wide economic depression ,Agricultural prices
touched bottom between 1926 and 1930.Farmers could not
sell their products and the countryside was in turn out
2) The British Council a statutory commission under Sir John Simon
in 1927 . It was to look into the functioning of the
constitutional system in India . The commission was all white
with not a single Indian member .
 Indian Reaction To
Simon Commission
 U n a n i m o u s a n d i m m e d i a t e Commission greeted with “Simon Go Back “
slogans when they arrived in India in 1928.

 All parties  The Congress ,

Demonstrated against
Simon  The Muslim League
Commission.

 A new constitution drafted under the leadership of Motilal Nehru in 1928.

 The Famous Nehru Report presented a constitution of India on the lines of self
governing dominions within the British Empire.
 At the Lahore Sessions of the Congress (29-31 december , 1929) the Congress
adopted the resolution of complete independence for India as its goal . President
Jawaharlal Nehru hoised the Indian Tricolour on 31 December , 1929 ,
demanding “Purna Swaraj” . It was also declared that 26 January 1930 , would
be celebrated
 So Mahatma Gandhi gave the call for
Civil Disobedience Movement.
 He chose Salt as the symbol of unity of
the nation. He declared that the “Salt
Tax” imposed was the most inhuman act
, that the ingenuity of man could devise
.
 Before Starting the Movement on 31 jan
1930 , He wrote a lettter to then Viceroy
, Lord Irwin , making 11 demands . His
demands covered every class –
Industrialist to Peasant
Why Salt ?
 Salt is consumed by both by the poor and the rich.
 It is one of the most essential item of food .
 The government had the monopoly over its production .
 Mahatma Gandhi called tax on salt as the most
repressive act of the British Government.
- Newspapers carried day to day report of the effect of
Gandhiji‟s speeches on the villages he passed through.
- It is said that 300 Gujrat officials resigned their posts in
answer to Gandhiji‟s appeal.
- On 6th April 1930 , Gandhiji reached Dandi , a small
village on the Gujrat sea coast, the ceremonially broke
the salt law by boiling water and manufacturing salt.
- A golden movement in the history of the Indian
National Movement “A pinch of salt , that shook a
mighty kingdom”.
 The Civil Disobedience Movement began this
gesture.
Difference between the Non –
Cooperation Movement and the Civil
Disobedience Movement.

 The first movement (1920 -22 ) attempted to bring the government to a

standstill by non- cooperation with the administration.
 The Second (civil Disobedience Movement ) aimed at paralysing the
government by performance of illegal acts .
 Thousands in different parts of the country , violated the salt law and the
demonstrated before the government salt factories.
 Not only salt laws were broken , boycott of foreign goods and liqour shops
also took place . Women ,students and youth played a major role in the
boycott .
 Peasants refused to pay taxes – revenue and chaukidari taxes– forest laws
were violated in many places and people entered Reserved Forest to
collect wood and graze their cattle .
Action taken by the British
Government
 Giving into action and arrested the congress leaders one
by one.
 Jawaharlal Nehru arrested on 14 April. On 23rd April
1930 Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan , a staunch follower of
Gandhiji , led a mass demonstration of Khudai
Khidmatgars (known as „Red Shirt‟) was arrested .
The soldiers of the Gharwal Regiment refused to fire on
the unarmed crowd , who forced the armoured cars
and police firing bravely.
 On 4th may 1930 Gandhiji was arrested which led the
industrial workers in Sholapur  Attack the police posts
municipal buildings, lawcourts and railway stations .
 A frightened and shaken British Government
responded with a policy of brutal repression ,About
100,000 people were arrested .
 The government tried to diffuse the situation by
making Viceroy , Lord Irwin, to sign a pact called
the Gandhi – Irwin Pact on 5 march , 1931 .Gandhiji
agreed to attend the Round Table Conference in
London and the government agreed to release all
political prisoners .
 Gandhiji attended the second Round Table
Conference (the first was boycotted by the
congress) in December 1931 . But he returned
disappointed and resumed the Civil Disobedience
Movement .
 The Movement lasted a year and by 1934 , it had lost its
momentum.
 Congress was declared illegal ;most of its leaders
, including Jawahar Lal Nehru and Abdul Ghaffar Khan
were put in jail . All Boycotts , demonstations and
meetings were stopped by the british Government .
How participants Saw
the movement
 Swaraj meant to different social group who joined the
Civil Disobedience Movement .
 1. In the Countryside
 Many activists were the rich peasant communtities like
the Patidars of Gujrat and Jats of UP
 They were mostly producers of commercial crops, badly
affected by trade depression and falling prices Hence
, they could not pay the revenue demands of the
government.
 Government refused to reduce the revenue tax
 Resulted in peasants joining National Movement.
 The fight for independence was
related to their
Grievances
Demand for reduction of revenue
taxes
 Greatly disappointed when
movement was called off in 1931
, without reduction in taxes, hence
refused to join again in 1932.
The Poor
The Depression made them unable to pay the
rents to landlords. Their own income dwindle
swiftly

 They wanted Congress to help them in

getting the unpaid rent remitted.
The Business Classes
• Indian industrialists and merchants had
made huge profits during the First World
War
• They now reacted against colonial policies
that restricted their trade
• They wanted to protection against import
of foreign goods.
• A rupee sterling exchange ratio that would
discourage imports
• They formed Indian Industrial and Commercial
Congress in 1920 and Federation of the Indian
Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in 1927.
• G D Birla and Purushottamdas Thakurdas attacked
colonial economic policies and supported the movement
gave it financial assistance, refused to buy or sell foreign
goods.
• But the failure of the Round Table Conference curbed their enthusiasm .They
worried about socialism among the youth as it would prolonged disruption
of business
Industrial Working Class
  Did not participate in Civil Disobedience Mov.
,except Nagpur.
 They adopted Gandhian Ideas- boycott of foreign goods
as part of their own movement against low wages and
poor working conditions,
 There were strikes  Railway workers (1930)
 Dockworkers (1932)
 Thousands of workers in Nagpur took part in letters and
boycott campaigns, but the Congress was reluctant to
include workers demands in their struggle as it alienate
the industrialists
 Women and the Civil
Disobedience Movement
 1930 was the year when women entered the
struggle for independence on a massive
scale.
 During Dandi March, thousands of women
came out to listen to him.
 Eager participation in protests , marches
, picketed foreign cloth and liquor
shops .
 Urban Areas they came from high caste families.
 Rural Areas they came from rich peasant houses.
Before 1930 ,women who had never stepped out became a familiar
sight in the Civil Disobedience Movement.
 Congress did not encourage them or give them any imp . Posts within
organisation.

Gandhi‟s thought : He was convinced that it was

duty of a women to look after home , be good
mothers and wives .
The Limits Of Civil Disobedience

 The 1930 campaign saw one social group who did not
actively participate in it

They were the “Untouchables” now called “Dalits” or the

oppressed.
Mahatma Gandhi called them Harijans and declared that
India would not achieve „ Swaraj „ for hundreds of years ,if
untouchability was not completely eliminated .
He organised Satyagraha to secure them entry to the
temples, and access to public wells , tanks, roads and
schools.
Dalits –(wanted political solution for their problems )

1)They demanded reservation of

r seats , in educational institutions
, separate electorate to choose
. their own candidate to the
Legislative Council.They wanted
to solve their social problems.

2)Dr.B.R.Ambedkar , the leader of Gandhiji began a fast unto

Dalits, formed an association in death.He believed that the Dalits
1930, called the “Depressed Class would never be integrated into
Association”. society,if they got separate
He clashed with Gandhiji at Second electorates Dr Ambedkar finally
Round Table Conference by signed a pact with him on
demanding separate electorates for September 1932 called Poona Act
Dalits which was later accepted by
British Council. .
 What is Poona Act ?
 It gave reserved seats in the provincial and Central
Legislature Councils to the Depressed Classes. They
were to be voted in by general electorate .
 Muslim political organisations also kept away from civil
Disobedience Movement.
Reason:
i. Muslims felt alienated from Congress after the decline
of Non – CooperationKhilafat Mov.
ii. From mid-1920 the Congress seemed to be more
visibly associated with Hindu religions nationalist
groups like the Hindu Mahasabha.
iii. There were Hindi-Muslim Clashes and riots in many
cities , which further worsened the relations between
the two communities.
 Attempts were made in 1927 by the Congress and Muslim League to form
an alliance .It seemed possible as M.A Jinnah , one of the leaders of the
league to give up the demand for separate electorate s if :
i. Muslims were assured reserved seats in Central Assembly.
ii. Representation in proportion to population in the Muslim dominated
provinces,(Bengal and Punjab)

Negotiations failed in 1928 when M.R Jayakar of the Hindu Mahasabha

strongly opposed efforts at comprise.
Hence Civil Disobedience Movement started in an atmosphere of
distrust and suspicion between the two communities. Muslims
feared
Culture and Identity  Submerge under Majority dominance.
Section D: THE SENSE OF
COLLECTIVE BELONGING
 How does a sense of belonging develop in the minds
of people who belong to different communities , regions
and speak different languages?
 Answer lies in the fact that when people believe that
they all are a part of the same nation, and when they
discover common bonds that unite them , then
nationalism grips the hearts and minds of people .
What are these beliefs and
common bonds?
 1) Collective belonging comes through experiences of
common struggle .
 2) A common history and fiction.
 3) Folklore and songs
 4) Popular prints and symbols are their factors giving rise
to nationalism.
Symbols
 Symbols: certain figures and images become
the identity of a nation.
 Example: Statue Of Liberty- USA
What is the symbol of India?
“Bharat Mata” ,in the 20th century , when
nationalism was at its height , it was this
image which aroused people.
Bankim Chandra Chattopadhya created the
image in his song Vande Mataram- ( A Hymn
in praise of Mother India , written in 1870 in
novel “Anand Math”
Song was sung by people of swadeshi
movement.
Abanindranath Tagore pained Bharat
Mata as a
Calm , composed , divine and spiritual
figure .
Folk Song and Folklore

 They also became a symbol of nation

and revived people’s pride in their
culture.
 Nationalists like Rabindranath Tagore
(Bengal) , Natesa Shastri (Madras)
completed songs, ballads myths and
folklore. The latter published  The
Folklore Of Southern India.
Icons and Symbols

 Icons and symbols were used in unifying people

and inspiring them.
 Swadeshi movement in Bengal – the tricolour flag
was designed (red, green and yellow) – had eight
lotuses, representing the eight provinces of British
India, and a crescent moon, representing Hindus
and Muslims.
 In 1921, Gandhiji designed the Swaraj flag –
tricolour – red, green and white – and had
a spinning wheel in the centre,
representing Gandhian ideals of self-help.
Re-interpretation of History
 Indians began feeling that to instil a sense of
pride in the nation, India history had to be
thought about differently.
 They wrote about the glorious development in
ancient times, when art and
architecture, science and mathematics, religion
and culture, law and philosophy, craft and trade
had flourished.
 The nationalist historians urged the leaders to
take pride in India‟s great achievements in the
past, and struggle to change the miserable
conditions of life under British rule.
Conclusion :

 Gandhiji channelised the anger against the colonial gov.

into a common struggle for the freedom in the first half of
the 20th century.
 He forged unity between the people , continuosly tried to
reslove differences and grievances and tried not to
alienate an group . Conflict and disunity was a result of
these very efforts at times , but Gandhiji saw the
emergence of a nation wanting to liberate itself from
colonial rule , inspite of all its differences
Bibliography

1. Wikipedia
2. Owler.com
3. NCERT book
4. Slideshare.com