GRADE- X

CH-2: HISTORY: NATIONALISM IN INDIA

SESSION-2021-2022
NOTES
Part 1: The First World War
The First World War (1914- 1918) created a new political and economic situation in India.India faced
various problems during war period:
• Increase in defence expenditure which was financed by war loans and increasing taxes(in the form of
custom duties and income tax).
• Prices increased through the war years. The prices doubled between 1913 and 1918.The common
people were the worst sufferers because of price rise.
• Forced recruitment in rural areas to supply soldiers caused widespread anger.
• During 1918- 19 and 1920-21, crop failure in many parts of India resulted in acuteshortage of
food.
• Influenza epidemic further aggravated the problem.
Note: - People thought their hardships would end after the war but it did not happen.

Related Questions:-
Q1.What was the impact of First World War on the life on people in India?
Or
Q2.What hardships were faced by people during First World War in India?

1.1 The Idea of Satyagraha (1915 – 1918)

Gandhi returned to India in January 1915 with his highly valued reputation of having innovated the
Satyagraha technique successfully against racial injustice in South Africa. On Gokhale’s advice, he toured
India for two years to observe political and social conditions of India.

Q.What was Satyagraha? Write its main ideology.

• It was a non- violent method of mass agitation against the oppressor.
• It emphasized the power of truth and the need to search for truth.
• It suggested that if the cause was true, if the struggle was against injustice there is no needfor physical
force to fight the oppressor.
Note: The main Dharma of a Satyagrahi is NON-VIOLENCE.

Some early Satyagraha movements organized by Gandhi are -

1) In 1917 - Champaran in Bihar - to inspire the peasants to struggle against the oppressive
plantation system.
2) In 1917 – Kheda district in Gujarat – Gandhi asked the people not to pay the taxes due to thefailure of
crops. Ultimately the government agreed and payment of tax was deferred to the next year.
3) In 1918 – Ahmedabad, Gujarat - Mahatma Gandhi intervened in a dispute between workersand mill
owners of Ahmedabad. He advised to workers to go on strike and to demand a 35% increase in wages.

Related questions:
Q1. How did Mahatma Gandhi successfully organize Satyagraha movements in various placesjust after
arriving in India? Explain by giving three examples.
Q2. What was the main ideology of Satyagraha movement started by Mahatma Gandhi?

1.2 The Rowlatt Act (1919)

 • The Rowlatt Act was passed by the Imperial Legislative Council in 1919 despite ofopposition
from the Indian members.
• The Act gave –
a) Powers to the government to repress political activities.
b) It allowed detention of political prisoners without trial for two years.
• On 6th April, 1919 Gandhi launched a nationwide Satyagraha against the proposed Rowlatt Act.
He wanted non – violent Civil Disobedience.
• He called for hartals, rallies were organized, and shops were closed. Several localleaders were
arrested from Amritsar. Mahatma Gandhi was barred from entering Delhi.
• On 10 April, police in Amritsar fired on peaceful procession, provoking widespreadattacks on
banks, railway stations and post offices.
• Martial law was imposed and the command was given to General Dyer.

Related question:
Q1. Why did Gandhi decide to launch a nationwide Satyagraha against the proposed Rowlatt Act?(All
the points mentioned above will be the answer for this question)

Jallianwalla Bagh (13th April 1919)

• On Baisakhi 13 April 1919 large crowd gathered in the ground of Jallianwalla Bagh.
• Some came to protest against the repressive laws passed under Rowlatt act and others came to attend
annual baisakhi fair they were not aware that the martial law was imposed there on 10th April.
• General Dyer blocked the exit points and opened fire on the crowd and hundreds of people were killed
in the incident.
• As the news of massacre got spread people went out on streets, there were strikes, clashes with police
and attacks on government buildings.
• In order to suppress them government responded with brutal repression, humiliation of people, people
were asked to rub their nose on ground, crawl on streets, people were flogged and villages were bombed
• Mahatma Gandhi called off the movement as it got violent.

Related questions:
Q1. Explain Jallianwala Bagh massacre. What was the result of this massacre?
Q2. Describe in brief the reactions of the people immediately after Jallianwala Bagh incident.

Need of Wider Spread of Movement

The Rowlatt Satyagraha was limited mainly to the cities and towns. Mahatma Gandhi felt the need of a
more broad-based movement in India. He was convinced that it could be only possibleby bringing the
Hindus and Muslims on a common platform.

Khilafat Movement (1919)

• The Khilafat issue gave him the opportunity to bring the Hindus and Muslims on a common platform.
• The Ottoman Turkey was badly defeated in the First World War. There were rumours about a harsh
peace treating likely to be imposed on the Ottoman emperor; who was thespiritual head of the Islamic
world (the Khalifa).
• A Khilafat committed was formed in Bombay in March 1919 to defend the powers of Khalifa. The
leaders of the committee were brothers Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali.
• They also wanted Mahatma Gandhi to take up a united mass movement.
• At the Calcutta session of the Congress in September 1920, the resolution was passed to launch a non-
cooperation movement in support of Khilafat and also for swaraj.
 Related questions:
Q1 Why was Khilafat Movement supported by Gandhi in 1919? What was his main aim?
Q2. Why was Khilafat committee formed?
1.3 Non-Cooperation(launched in 1920, started in 1921)
In his famous book Hind Swaraj (1909) Mahatma Gandhi declared that British rule was established in
India with the cooperation of Indians, and had survived only because of this cooperation. If Indians
refused to cooperate, British rule in India would collapse within a year,and swaraj would come. Gandhiji
believed that if Indians begin to refuse to cooperate, the British rulers will have no other way than to
leave India.

Some of the proposals of non-cooperation movement:

a) Surrender the titles which were awarded by the British government.
b) Boycott civil services, army, police, courts, legislative councils and schools.
c) Boycott foreign goods.
d) Launch full civil disobedience campaign, if the government persisted with repressivemeasures.

Some leaders of the congress opposed the idea of the movement because:
• They did not want to boycott the council elections of November 1920.
• They thought that the movement would become violent.
• The wanted to oppose the government policies by participating in legislative councils.
Note: -
At the Congress session at Nagpur in December 1920, a compromise was worked out betweensupporters and
opponents of the movement; Non-cooperation programme was adopted.

Related questions:
Q1. Mention three main proposals with reference to Non- Cooperation Movement as suggestedby
Mahatma Gandhi.
Q2. Why did some leaders of the congress oppose the idea of the movement?
Part 2:
Different Strands within the Movement
• The Non-Cooperation- Khilafat Movement began in January 1921.
• Various social groups participated in this movement, each with its own specific aspiration.
All of them responded to the call of Swaraj, but the term meant differentthings to different
people.
A) The Movement in the Towns
Contribution of People in the movement:- (Social Front+ Political Front + Economic Front)
a) Movement was supported by middle class.
b) Thousands of students left government-controlled schools and colleges.
c) Headmasters and teachers resigned.
d) Lawyers gave up their legal practices.
e) The council elections were boycotted in most provinces except Madras. In Madras, the JusticeParty, the
party of the non-Brahmans, felt that entering the council was one way of gaining somepower – something
that usually only Brahmans had access to.
f) Foreign goods were boycotted.
g) Liquor shops picketed.
h) foreign cloth burnt in huge bonfires.
 • The import of foreign cloth halved between 1921 and 1922, its value dropping from Rs 102crore to
Rs 57 crore. The boycott of foreign cloths helped in increasing the demand for clothes made in India.

Reasons for Slowdown of Movement

a) Khadi was more expensive than mill-made cloth. The poor people could not afford to buy khadi.
b) The boycott of British institutions posed a problem of lack of alternative Indian institutions. Thus students
and teachers began coming back schools. Similarly, lawyers resumed their work inthe courts.

Related Questions:
Q1. How did middle class contribute in non- cooperation movement?
Q2. Why did Non-cooperation movement slowdown in towns?

B) The Movement in Countryside:

• From the cities, the Non-Cooperation Movement spread to the countryside.
• It drew into its fold the struggles of peasants and tribals which were developing in different parts of India
in the years after the war.
I) PEASANT MOVEMENT : Awadh
• Peasants were led by Baba Ramchandra.
• Movement was against oppressive Talukdars and landlords.

Problems faced by peasants:

a) High rents and a variety of other taxes.
b) They were forced to do Begar.
c) Had no security of tenure.

Demands of the peasants were:

a) The peasant movement demanded reduction of revenue.
b) Abolition of beggar.
c) Redistribution of land.
d) Social boycott of oppressive landlords.
• In many places nai – dhobi bandhs were organized by panchayats to deprive landlords of the services of
barbers and washermen.
Note:
• Even before the beginning of Non-cooperation movement Nehru along with Baba Ramchandra form
OUDH KISAN SABHA. With the launch of non-cooperation congresstried to integrate both but the
leaders were not happy with the way movement developed.
• As the movement spread in 1921, the houses of talukdars and merchants were attacked, bazaars were
looted, and grain hoards were taken over.
• In many places local leaders use Gandhi’s name to sanction their actions (like the news was spread that
Gandhiji said not to pay taxes and land to be redistributed though he neversaid that but his name was
used by local leaders).

Related questions:
Q1. Explain any three problems faced by the peasants of Awadh.
Q2. How was the movement against the landlords and talukdars led by Baba Ramchandra?Q3. What
were the causes and result of Peasant Movement that took place in Awadh?
 C) Rebellion by the Tribal peasants:
MILITANT GUERILLA MOVEMENT: Gudem Hills in AndhraPradesh
Causes of the movement:
a) Strict Forest Laws imposed by British which prevented tribal people from entering the foreststo graze
their cattle, or to collect fuel wood and fruits.
b) The government began forcing them to contribute begar for road building.
• Alluri Sitaram Raju talked of the greatness of Mahatma Gandhi, said he was inspired bythe Non-
Cooperation Movement, and persuaded people 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, notnon-violence.
• Raju was captured and executed in 1924, and over time became a folk hero.
Related questions:
Q1. Why was Militant Guerilla movement organized?
Q2. Alluri Sitaram Raju was inspired by Gandhi but his views were different from him?
2.3 Swaraj in the Plantations: Assam
• Under the Inland Emigration Act of 1859, plantation workers were not permitted to leavethe tea gardens
without permission, and in fact they were rarely given such permission.
• When they heard of the Non-Cooperation Movement, thousands of workers defied theauthorities,
left the plantations and headed home.
• They believed that Gandhi Raj was coming and everyone would be given land in theirown villages.
• Stranded on the way by a railway and steamer strike, they were caught by the police andbrutally beaten
up.
• People chanted Gandhiji’s name and raised slogans demanding ‘Swatantra Bharat’. Theywere
identifying with a movement which went beyond the limits of their immediate locality.
Related question:
Q1. ‘The plantation workers in Assam had their own understanding of Mahatma Gandhi and thenotion
of Swaraj’. Support the statement with arguments.
Q2. How was the Non- cooperation Movement taken in the plantations?
Q3. “People were identifying with a movement which went beyond the limits of their immediate
locality”. Explain the statement by giving three examples. (Hint: You can write examples of Tribal
movement, Peasant movement and Plantation site workers).
Part 3:
Towards Civil Disobedience
Related Question:
Q1. Why did Mahatma Gandhi decide to withdraw the Non- Cooperation Movement in February 1922?
In February 1922, Gandhiji decided to withdraw the Non-Cooperation movement due to the following reasons-
• The Non-Cooperation movement was turning violent. At Chauri-Chaura in Gorakhpur, a peaceful
demonstration in a bazaar turned into a violent clash with police in which more than 20 policemen were
killed.
• Gandhiji also felt that Satyagrahis needed to be properly trained before they would be readyfor mass struggle.
• Within the Congress, some leaders were tired of mass struggles and wanted to participate in elections to the
provincial councils which were set up under the Government of India Act 1919. According them this will
help them to oppose British policies. Thus, they favoredcouncil politics.

Note: C.R. Das and Moti Lal Nehru formed the Swaraj Party in 1922.
 Jawahar lal Nehru and Subhash Chandra Bose pressed for more radical mass agitation and for full
independence.
After the withdrawal of Non- Cooperation Movement, two factors shaped the Indian politicstowards the
late 1920s-
1)The Great Depression (1926 onwards)
• This was the period when the effect of the Great Depression was being felt on India.
• Agricultural prices began to fall from 1926. The prices collapsed in 1930.
• The whole country was in turmoil as peasants were finding it difficult to sell their harvestand pay their
revenue.

2) Simon Commission 1927

• The Tory government of Britain formed a commission under the leadership of Sir John Simon against the
growing nationalist movement in India.
• The commission was formed with the objective to look into the functioning of theconstitutional system in
India and suggest changes.
• Since all the members in the commission were British, the Indian leaders opposed the commission.
• When the commission arrived in India in 1928, Congress and the Muslim League along with the other
parties greeted the commission with black flags and slogans such as “Go back Simon”.
• In October 1929, a vague offer by made by Lord Irwin – giving ‘dominion status’ to Indiain an unspecified
future and a Round Table Conference to discuss a future constitution butthis did not satisfy the Congress
leaders.
• In December 1929: Under the presidency of Jawaharlal Nehru, the Lahore session of Congress formalized
the demand of “Purna Swaraj” (complete independence) for India.It was declared that 26th January 1930,
would be celebrated as the Independence Day when people were to take a pledge to struggle for complete
independence.
Related question:
Q1. What was Simon Commission? Why it was opposed by Indians?
Q2. Examine the significance of the Lahore Session (1929) of the Indian National Congress.

The Salt March and the Civil Disobedience Movement31st January 1930
• Mahatma Gandhi sent a letter to Viceroy Irwin stating eleven demands. Some of these wereof general
interest; others were specific demands of different classes, from industrialists topeasants.
• He gave an ultimatum to fulfill his demands by 11th March 1930, post which Civil Disobedience
movement will be launched.
• The demands were not fulfilled this marked the beginning of Salt March. He demanded toabolish the
salt tax. Salt was something consumed by the rich and the poor alike, and it wasone of the most essential
items of food.
• Mahatma Gandhi started his famous salt march accompanied by 78 of his trusted volunteers. The march
was over 240 miles, from Gandhiji’s ashram in Sabarmati to the Gujarati coastal town of Dandi. The
volunteers walked for 24 days, about 10 miles a day.
• Thousands came to hear Mahatma Gandhi wherever he stopped, and he told them what hemeant by
swaraj and urged them to peacefully defy the British.
• On 6th April 1930 he reached Dandi, and ceremonially violated the law, manufacturing saltby boiling
seawater. Thus launching the Civil Disobedience Movement.
• Civil Disobedience movement was different from Non cooperation movement as people were asked not
only to refuse cooperation with British (as they did during non cooperation)but also to break colonial
laws.
 • People broke salt law, foreign cloth was boycotted , liquor shops were picketed, peasants refused to pay
taxes.
Related question:
Q1. ‘Mahatma Gandhi found in salt a powerful symbol that could unitethe nation’. Why?
Q2. What marked the beginning of Salt March?
Q3. How civil disobedience movement was started in 1930 in India?
Q4. How Civil Disobedience movement was different from Non-Cooperation Movement?
April 1930: Calling off Civil Disobedience Movement
• The Colonial Government tried to control the situation by arresting congress leaders.
• When Abdul Ghaffar Khan (a devout disciple of Mahatma Gandhi) was arrested, angry crowds
demonstrated in the streets of Peshawar, facing armored cars and police firing.
• A month later, when Mahatma Gandhi himself was arrested, industrial workers in Sholapur attacked
police posts, municipal buildings, law courts and railway stations – all structuresthat symbolized British
rule.
• Government responded with a policy of brutal repression. Peaceful satyagrahis were attacked, women
and children were beaten, and about 100,000 people were arrested.
• Mahatma Gandhi once again decided to call off the movement and decided to enter into apact with lord
Irwin on 05th March 1931.

5th March 1931 (Gandhi- Irwin Pact)

• Under this pact, congress under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi agreed to participate inthe Second
Round Table Conference in London.
• They agreed to suspend the Civil Disobedience Movement.
• On the other hand government agreed to release all political prisoners.

Related question:
Q1. Write detail about Gandhi- Irwin pact.
Q2. Why Mahatma Gandhi called off Civil Disobedience movement?

December 1931
• Gandhiji went to London for the conference, but the negotiations broke down and he returned disappointed.
Back in India, Gandhiji discovered that the government had beguna new cycle of repression.
• Ghaffar Khan and Jawaharlal Nehru were both in jail.
• The Congress had been declared illegal, and a series of measures had been imposed toprevent meetings,
demonstrations and boycotts.
• With great apprehension, Mahatma Gandhi relaunched the Civil Disobedience Movement.
• For over a year, the movement continued, but by 1934 it lost its momentum.

Related Question:
Q1. Why did Gandhiji re- launch the ‘Civil Disobedience Movement’? Explain any threereasons?

3.2 How Participants saw the Movement

1) Rich Peasant Communities (like patidars of Gujarat and Jats of U.P.)
• For them the fight for swaraj was- a) struggle against high revenues as their cash incomedisappeared at
the time of Great depression.
• How did they supported – a) They organized committees, b) They forced reluctant members to join
boycott programs.
• They were disappointed when the movement was called off in 1931, without revenue beingrevised, so when
it was restarted in 1932 many refuse to join.
2) Poorer Peasantry:
• They wanted revenue to reduce and remittance of unpaid rent as it was becoming really difficult for them to
pay rent as their income reduced drastically at the time of Economic Depression.
• They supported many movements of nationalist struggle.
• But Congress was not willing to support their no rent campaign as they had fear that it might upset rich
peasant and landlords. Therefore, relationship between peasants and congress remained uncertain.
3) Business Class:
• Demands : a) They wanted protection against imports of foreign goods,
b) A rupee-sterling foreign exchange ratio that would discourage imports.
• To organise business interests, they formed the Indian Industrial and Commercial Congressin 1920 and the
Federation of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) in1927.
• Most businessmen came to see swaraj as a time when colonial restrictions on business would no longer exist
and trade and industry would flourish without constraints.
• They supported the movement by providing financial assistance and by boycotting sale andpurchase of foreign
goods.
• But after failure of round table conference in London, they find it difficult to continue theirparticipation as
their business was getting disrupted due to long strikes. Also they saw congress leaders are more inclined
towards socialism (socialism – is against private property)

4) Industrial Working Class:

• They did not participate in large number except in Nagpur.
• Still many workers adopted Gandhian programme like boycott of foreign goods, as part of their own
movements against low wages and poor working conditions. They organized strikes all over India.
• Congress was reluctant to include them as they felt this would alienate industrialist.

5) Women:
• They participated in large number during Dandi March, protests, marches, picketed liquorshops and many
went to jail.
• They began to see service to the nation as a sacred duty of women.
• But Congress was keen only on their symbolic presence and did not allow women to holdany position of
authority within organization.
• According to Gandhi it was the duty of women to look after home and hearth, be goodmothers and
good wives.
Related question:
Q.What was the contribution of a) Rich Farmers, b) Poor Peasants, c) Women, d) Working class e)
Business Class in Civil Disobedience Movement?
3.3 The Limits of Civil Disobedience
1) Untouchables
Mahatma Gandhi called untouchables as harijans or the children of God, organised satyagrahato secure them
entry into temples, and access to public wells, tanks, roads and schools. He himself cleaned toilets to dignify
the work of the bhangi (the sweepers), and persuaded uppercastes to change their heart and give up ‘the sin
of untouchability’.
• The untouchables demanded reserved seats in educational institutions, and a separate electorate that would
 choose dalit members for legislative councils.
• Dr B.R. Ambedkar formed Depressed Classes Association in 1930, and clashed against Mahatma Gandhi at
the second Round Table Conference because he demanded separate electorates for dalits.
• Gandhiji believed that separate electorates for dalits would slow down the process of theirintegration into
society and to go against this he started a fast unto death.
• Ambedkar ultimately accepted Gandhiji’s position and the result was the Poona Pact of September 1932.
It gave the Depressed Classes (later to be known as the Schedule Castes)reserved seats in provincial and
central legislative councils, but they were to be voted in bythe general electorate.

2) Muslims
• After the decline of the Non-Cooperation-Khilafat movement, a large section of Muslims felt alienated from
the Congress.
• From the mid-1920s the Congress came to be more visibly associated with openly Hindu religious nationalist
groups like the Hindu Mahasabha. Their efforts to reunite congress and muslim league.
• Jinnnah, one of the leaders of the Muslim League, was willing to give up the demand for separate electorates,
if Muslims were assured reserved seats in the Central Assembly and representation in proportion to
population in the Muslim-dominated provinces.
• Negotiations over the question of representation continued but all hope of resolving the issue at the All
Parties Conference in 1928 disappeared when M.R. Jayakar of the Hindu Mahasabha strongly opposed
efforts of compromise.
• Many Muslim leaders and intellectuals expressed their concern about the status of Muslims as a minority
within India. They feared that the culture and identity of minorities would besubmerged under the domination
of a Hindu majority.
Part 4: The Sense of Collective Belonging
Related question:
Q1. How did cultural processes help in creating a sense of collective belongingness in India?Explain.
Or
How did people belonging to different communities, regions and language groups develop asense of
collective belonging?
• A sense of unity and nationalism was inspired by history and fiction, folklore and songs, popular prints and
symbols.

a) The identity of Nation:- The identity of India came to be visually associated with the image ofBharat Mata.
The image was first created by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. He also wrote Vande Mataram which was
widely sung during swadeshi movement. Abanindra nath Tagore also created an image of Bharat Mata and in
subsequent years many images were printed and painted by many artists this united many people and
communities.

b) Movement to Revive Indian folklore:- Ideas of nationalism also developed through amovement to revive
Indian folklore. In late-nineteenth-century India, nationalists began recordingfolk tales and they toured villages
to gather folk songs and legends. They believed that British hascorrupted our culture and it was very important
to preserve it to restore sense of pride in one’s past.

c) Icons and Symbols as unifying bond:- During the Swadeshi Movement, a tri-colour (red, greenand yellow)
flag was designed. It had eight lotuses representing eight provinces of British India and a crescent moon,
representing Hindus and Muslims. In 1921: Gandhiji had designed the tri- colour Swaraj flag (red, green and
yellow) with the spinning wheel at the center. This flag represented the Gandhian ideal of self help.

d) Through reinterpretation of History:- The glorious developments in the ancient times when art and
 architecture, science and mathematics, religion and culture, law and philosophy, and craftsand trade flourished
were discovered with the help of history. This instilled pride and united the Indians. Nationalist histories 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 question:-
Q1. Why growth of nationalism in the colonies is linked to an anti – colonial movement?
Ans-The growth of modern nationalism in the colonies is linked to an anti-colonial movementin India because-
In the process of their struggle with colonialism people began discovering their unity.
a) All though each class or group of people felt that they were being oppressed undercolonialism,
the effects of colonialism were felt differently.
b) The congress under Mahatma Gandhi tried to bring these groups together within one movement.
But the unity didn't emerge without conflict.