Chapter 2: Nationalism in India

Answer:
This chapter explains how nationalism developed in India during the anti-colonial struggle. It focuses on the period after the First World War, the idea of satyagraha, the Rowlatt Act, Jallianwala Bagh, the Khilafat and Non-Cooperation movements, different social groups within the national movement, the Civil Disobedience Movement, the Salt March, limits of nationalist unity, and the cultural symbols that created a sense of collective belonging.

Answer:
Mahatma Gandhi meant that satyagraha was not passive submission. It was an active moral force based on truth and non-violence. A satyagrahi did not use physical force or hatred, but actively resisted injustice by appealing to the conscience of the oppressor. It required courage, discipline, self-suffering and firm commitment to truth.

Suggested Poster Text:

STUDENTS OF INDIA, WAKE UP!
Answer Gandhiji’s call for Swaraj.

Boycott government-controlled schools.
Reject foreign rule and foreign control.
Join national schools and serve the motherland.

Non-Cooperation is our path. Swaraj is our goal.
Let us study for freedom, not for slavery.

Suggested Answer:
If I were a peasant in Uttar Pradesh in 1920, I would have joined Gandhiji’s call for Swaraj because peasants were suffering under high rents, illegal cesses, begar and eviction by landlords. For me, Swaraj would mean freedom from exploitation, reduction of revenue, abolition of unpaid labour and security over land. I would support the movement because it gave peasants hope for justice and dignity.

Answer:
Different groups participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement for different reasons. Rich peasants wanted reduction in revenue. Poor peasants wanted unpaid rent to landlords to be remitted. Business classes wanted protection against foreign imports and a favourable rupee-sterling exchange ratio. Industrial workers wanted better wages and working conditions. Women saw participation as a sacred duty to the nation. However, their ideas of Swaraj were not always the same.

Answer:
Iqbal viewed communalism as a way of recognising different religious communities within Indian society and protecting their interests. However, communalism can also be defined differently as a political ideology that places the interests of one religious community above those of the nation as a whole. In its narrow form, communalism creates division, suspicion and conflict among communities. A democratic society should protect cultural and religious identities while maintaining national unity and equal citizenship.

Answer:
The growth of nationalism in the colonies is linked to anti-colonial movements because colonial rule created a common experience of oppression. People from different regions, classes and communities realised that they were all being exploited by the same colonial power. The struggle against colonialism united them and created a shared sense of belonging. In India, different groups had different grievances, but the common aim of ending British rule helped develop national consciousness.

Answer:
The First World War created economic and political hardship in India. Defence expenditure increased, and this was financed through war loans and higher taxes. Customs duties were raised and income tax was introduced. Prices doubled between 1913 and 1918, causing hardship for common people. Villages were forced to supply soldiers, and forced recruitment created anger. Crop failure and influenza added to the suffering. People expected relief after the war, but their hardships continued. This created widespread resentment against British rule and helped the national movement grow.

Answer:
Indians were outraged by the Rowlatt Act because it gave the colonial government enormous powers to repress political activities. It allowed the detention of political prisoners without trial for two years. The Act was passed hurriedly through the Imperial Legislative Council despite the united opposition of Indian members. Indians saw it as unjust, repressive and a violation of civil liberties.

Answer:
Gandhiji decided to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement after the Chauri Chaura incident in 1922, where a violent crowd set fire to a police station, killing policemen. Gandhiji believed that the movement had become violent and that people were not yet ready for a disciplined non-violent struggle. Since non-violence was central to satyagraha, he called off the movement.

Answer:
Satyagraha means the force of truth and non-violence. Gandhiji believed that if the cause was true and the struggle was against injustice, physical force was not needed. A satyagrahi could fight oppression through non-violent resistance, self-suffering and moral courage. The aim was not to destroy the opponent but to appeal to the opponent’s conscience and make truth triumph.

Answer:

Hundreds Killed in Firing at Jallianwala Bagh
Amritsar, 14 April 1919

A terrible tragedy took place yesterday at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar. A large crowd had gathered in the enclosed ground. Some people had come to protest against the government’s repressive measures, while many villagers had come to attend the Baisakhi fair. General Dyer entered the ground with troops, blocked the exits and ordered firing on the unarmed crowd. Hundreds were killed and many were injured. The incident has shocked the entire country and has created deep anger against British rule.

Answer:

Simon Commission Faces Nationwide Protest
Bombay, 1928

The Simon Commission arrived in India today and was greeted with widespread protests. The Commission was appointed to examine the working of the constitutional system in India and suggest reforms. However, it has no Indian member, as all its members are British. This has angered Indians across political groups. Protesters raised the slogan “Simon Go Back”. The Congress, Muslim League and other parties joined the demonstrations, making the protest a united national response.

Answer:

Answer:
The Non-Cooperation Movement of 1921 was joined by different social groups such as students, teachers, lawyers, middle-class people, merchants, traders, peasants of Awadh, tribal peasants of the Gudem Hills, plantation workers in Assam, and many others.

1. Middle classes in towns: Students left government schools and colleges, teachers resigned and lawyers gave up practice. They joined because they wanted Swaraj and wished to boycott British institutions.

2. Peasants in Awadh: They were led by Baba Ramchandra. They struggled against landlords and talukdars who demanded high rents, cesses and begar. For them, Swaraj meant freedom from landlord oppression and reduction of revenue.

3. Tribal peasants in Gudem Hills: They were led by Alluri Sitaram Raju. They were angry because colonial forest laws restricted their movement and prevented them from collecting forest produce. For them, Swaraj meant restoration of traditional forest rights.

Answer:
The Salt March was an effective symbol of resistance because salt was used by both rich and poor. The British monopoly on salt and the salt tax affected everyone. By choosing salt, Gandhiji connected the abstract idea of freedom with a simple everyday necessity.

On 12 March 1930, Gandhiji began his march from Sabarmati Ashram with 78 followers. He walked about 240 miles to Dandi and broke the salt law on 6 April 1930 by manufacturing salt from seawater. This act marked the beginning of the Civil Disobedience Movement. People across India broke salt laws, boycotted foreign cloth, picketed liquor shops and refused to pay taxes. Thus, the Salt March became a powerful mass symbol of defiance against colonial rule.

Suggested Answer:
As a woman participating in the Civil Disobedience Movement, I would feel proud to serve the nation. Leaving my home to join processions, picket foreign cloth and liquor shops, and support the national struggle would give me courage and confidence. For the first time, I would feel that women too had a public role in the freedom movement. The experience would make me realise that service to the nation was not limited to men. It would also help me understand the value of unity, sacrifice and self-respect.

Answer:
Political leaders differed over separate electorates because different communities had different views of political representation and national unity.

Dr B.R. Ambedkar demanded separate electorates for Dalits because he believed political empowerment was necessary to remove their social disabilities. He felt that separate electorates would allow Dalits to choose their own representatives.

Gandhiji opposed separate electorates for Dalits because he believed they would slow down the process of their integration into Hindu society. He feared that they would divide society further.

Muslim leaders such as Muhammad Iqbal supported separate electorates for Muslims because they believed Muslims were a distinct community with specific political interests. Many Congress leaders opposed separate electorates because they felt they would weaken national unity. Thus, the debate reflected tensions between community rights and the idea of a united nation.

Answer:

Suggested Answer:
Conclusion: Both movements were anti-colonial and mass-based, but India’s movement under Gandhiji placed greater emphasis on non-violence, while Indo-China’s struggle involved stronger revolutionary and military dimensions.