Chapter 3 - Nationalism In India

Rowlatt Act gave the government power to suppress political activity and detain political prisoners without trial.

a. The Rowlatt Act was passed in the year 1919.

b. This Act gave enormous powers to the British Government.

c. The provisions of the Act empowered British Government to suppress any sort of political activities thereby enabling the detention of Indian nationalists and prisoners without any trial for two years.

d. The Act was passed without considering the opposition of the Indian members.

e. There was a nationwide agitation against this Act.

f. Mahatma Gandhi organised nationwide Satyagraha.

g. Rallies were organised, and shops were closed.

h. Workers went on strike in railway workshops.

Thus, the Rowlatt Act, in a way, paved the root for united opposition against the British.

The First World War had ended with the defeat of Ottoman Turkey, and there were rumours that a harsh peace treaty was going to be imposed on the Ottoman Emperor.

1. In order to defend the Khalifa’s temporal powers, a Khilafat Committee was formed in Bombay in March 1919.

2. A young generation of Muslim leaders like the brothers Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali began discussing with Mahatma Gandhi about the possibility of united mass action.

This took the form of the Khilafat movement.

Oudh Kisan Sabha was set up headed by Jawaharlal Nehru, Baba Ramchandra and a few others.

1. In Awadh, a movement was led by Baba Ramchandra against the talukdars and landlords.

2. The peasants were asked to pay high rents and cesses.

3. Peasants had to do begar, a form of labour that villagers had to contribute without any wages.

4. The movement demanded the abolition of begar, reduction of revenue and social boycott of oppressive landlords.

5. Jawaharlal Nehru went around the villages to understand the grievances of the villagers.

Thus, in June 1920, Oudh Kisan Sabha was started.

Alluri Sitaram Raju was an independence nationalist from Andhra Pradesh.

1. He was an ardent follower of Mahatma Gandhi.

2. When the hill people were forced to contribute begar, Sitaram Raju led them against the British.

3. He was considered as an incarnation of God.

4. His astrological predictions were correct, and he could heal many people.

5. He was capable of surviving even bullet shots.

6. He insisted people wear Khadi clothes and stop taking liquor.

7. Even though he was attached to Gandhian principles, he believed in the use of force to achieve independence.

8. He, with his followers, tried to kill British officers and attacked police stations.

Alluri Sitaram Raju was trapped by the British and was executed in the year 1924.

The Non-Cooperation Movement started with middle-class participation in the cities. Government schools and colleges and foreign clothes were boycotted, and liquor shops were picketed.

1. The movement in the cities gradually slowed down for a variety of reasons.

2. The boycott of British institutions posed a problem, Indian institutions were slow to come up.

3. The mass-produced mill cloth was cheap when compared to the expensive khadi cloth. People started buying foreign clothes as they could not afford higher prices.

Hence, the Non-Cooperation movement was gradually withdrawn in cities.

The demand of Purna Swaraj was accepted by the Congress at the Lahore session of Congress in the year 1929.

a. In this session, the declaration of ‘Purna Swaraj’ or complete independence was passed.

b. The Congress requested the Indians to celebrate 26^th January 1930 as the Independence Day.

c. This resolution of Purna Swaraj was the beginning of the political movement against the colonial rule.

d. The political, economic and cultural injustice towards the Indians was mentioned in the resolution.

e. The launching of the Civil Disobedience movement was mentioned very clearly in the resolution.

The resolution of Purna Swaraj was a symbolic event in the history of India.

Hindu Mahasabha was a Hindu nationalist organisation. It is said that this Sabha was formed to protect the rights of Hindus when India was under British dominance.

The Indian tricolour flag was designed during the Swadeshi movement in Bengal in 1921.

1. The flag which was first designed had three colours Red, Green and Yellow.

2. It had eight lotuses. These eight lotuses represented the eight provinces of British India.

3. The flag had a crescent moon which represented Hindus and Muslims.

4. By 1921, the flag was again designed with Red, Green and White.

5. This flag had a shining wheel at the centre.

6. This wheel represented the Gandhian ideal of self-help.

This tricolour flag was called the ‘Swaraj Flag’ during the independence movement.

The image of Bharat Mata was created by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.

1. The image created was painted by the famous Rabindranath Tagore.

2. Bharat Mata was picturised as a form of Hindu Goddess.

3. She was calm, composed and divine.

4. The image was shown as dispensing learning, food and clothing.

5. Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote ‘Vande Mataram’ as a hymn to the nation.

The image of Bharat Mata symbolised India and developed a feeling of nationalism among the Indians.

In Madras, Natesa Sastri worked for the revival of folk culture.

1. He published a four-volume collection of Tamil fold tales.

2. The collection was titled The Folklore of Southern India.

3. According to him, “the folklore was the most trustworthy manifestation of people’s real thoughts and characteristics”.

Natesa Sastri also stated that the folklore was national literature.

Kheda Satyagraha was launched by Gandhiji in the year 1917. The Kheda Satyagraha was in support of the peasants who were unable to pay revenue due to crop failure and a plague epidemic. The satyagraha demanded relaxation in revenue collection.

The Simon Commission was appointed in the year 1929. The Simon Commission was constituted under Sir John Simon.

1. The commission was set up to look after the functioning of the constitutional system in India and suggest changes.

2. However, they did not have a single Indian member, which was a huge problem.

3. When the Simon Commission arrived in India in 1928, it was greeted with the slogan,

‘Simon, Go Back’.

Hence, the Simon Commission was boycotted as it did not have any Indian representation.

The Non-Cooperation movement was called off in 1922 by Mahatma Gandhiji. This was because of the Chauri Chaura incident. A peaceful demonstration in a bazaar turned into a violent clash with the police killing many British police officers. Gandhiji felt that people should be properly trained to follow the three principles of Satyagraha-Truth, Ahimsa and Non-violence before any mass struggles.

Dr B.R. Ambedkar organised the Dalits into the Depressed Classes Association in 1930. But he clashed with Mahatma Gandhi at the Second Round Table conference. He demanded separate electorate for Dalits. Gandhiji felt that granting of the separate electorate may harm the unity of our country and weaken the freedom struggle. Hence, they both signed the Poona Pact in 1932.

The first image of Bharat Mata was created by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.

1. The image created was painted by the famous Rabindranath Tagore.

2. Bharat Mata was picturised as a form of Hindu Goddess.

3. She was calm, composed and divine.

4. The image was shown as dispensing learning, food and clothing.

5. Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote ‘Vande Mataram’ as a hymn to the nation.

The image of Bharat Mata symbolised India and developed a feeling of nationalism among the Indians

The idea of Satyagraha 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, then physical force was not necessary to fight the oppressor.

The Non-Cooperation movement in the Gudem Hills of Andhra Pradesh was led by Alluri Sitaram Raju.

1. Alluri Sitaram Raju led the militant guerrilla movement in the early 1920s in the Gudem Hills.

2. This was a protest against the British Government which prevented the hill people from entering the forests, collecting fuelwood and grazing the cattle.

3. Sitaram Raju, who was considered as an incarnation of God, persuaded the rebels to wear Khadi clothes and stop taking liquor.

4. Under his leadership, Gudem rebels attempted to kill the British officials, raided on Police stations. Guerilla warfare was carried on to achieve independence.

Thus, the rebellion at Gudem Hills was in response to Gandhi’s Non-Cooperation movement.

Baba Ramchandra led the peasant movement in Awadh during the Non-Cooperation movement. Baba Ramchandra was a sanyasi. He launched this movement against the talukdars and landlords. The peasants of Awadh had to do a begar. This movement was started demanding reduction in revenue, the abolition of begar and social boycott of the oppressive landlords.

The Rowlatt Act was passed in the year 1919 much against the opposition of the Indian members. The Act empowered the British Government to suppress the political activities and detain the political prisoners for two years without any trial.

There was a stout reaction from the Indians.

1. Mahatma Gandhi launched the nationwide satyagraha.

2. Shops were closed.

3. Rallies were organised in many parts of the country.

4. Workers went on strike in railway workshops.

Thus, the Rowlatt Act called for a nationwide protest against the British Government.

Alluri Sitaram Raju was claimed to have a special power that could heal people and survive bullet shots. Alluri Sitaram Raju was believed to be the incarnation of God. He was very accurate in his astrological predictions and could heal people.

Jallianwala Bagh massacre was an important incident in the history of India. Many people had gathered at Jallianwalla Bagh at Amritsar in Punjab on the 13^th of April 1919. Many men, women and children were present to attend the meeting against the Rowlatt Act. General Dyer ordered the British Army to block the entrance. He suddenly ordered his men to start firing on the crowd without any warning. Many Indians were brutally murdered, and many others were killed and injured.

Poona Pact was signed between Dr B.R. Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi.

1. The Pact gave depressed classes reserved seats in the provincial and central legislative councils but to be voted in by the general electorate.

2. Earlier, Ambedkar and Gandhiji clashed at the Second Round Table Conference as Ambedkar demanded separate electorate for the Dalits.

3. Mahatma Gandhi was against this as he felt that granting a separate electorate would weaken the independence movement affecting the unity among Indians.

Hence, this Pact was signed to resolve the demand.

The term ‘boycott’ meant the refusal to participate in activities, or buy and use things that belonged to the British Government. It was one of the ways used by the people during the Non-Cooperation movement.

Several Satyagraha movements were launched by Mahatma Gandhi after his return from South Africa. Champaran, Kheda, Ahmedabad etc., were some of those places.

Champaran:

Mahatma Gandhi went to Champaran in the state of Bihar in the year 1916 and started Satyagraha along with the peasants as a struggle against the exploitative plantation system.

Ahmedabad:

Another Satyagraha movement was launched in the year 1918. This movement was organised among the workers of cotton mills.

Kheda:

Gandhiji started another Satyagraha movement in Kheda in the year 1918, demanding relaxation in revenue collection. The peasants of Kheda were unable to pay the revenue due to crop failure and a plague epidemic.

After these movements, Gandhiji decided to launch another Satyagraha movement against the Rowlatt Act in the year 1919.

Non-Cooperation was a powerful method of resistance following the principles of non-violence and ahimsa.

1. It was a passive resistance led by Gandhiji in the year 1920.

2. It involved the boycott of British goods and clothes.

3. Even the titles conferred by the British Government were surrendered.

4. Council elections were boycotted.

5. Indians were requested to boycott government controlled schools and colleges.

Thus, the powerful resistance was the first ever nationalist movement in India in the struggle of independence against British which united all the sections of Indians.

1. The workers were not permitted to leave the tea gardens without permission as per the provisions of the Inland Emigration Act, 1859.

2. Thousands of workers left the plantations and went home.

3. They believed that they all would be given land in their own village when Gandhi was coming.

4. However, they were all caught by the Police and beaten up.

5. According to the workers, Swaraj meant the right to move freely in and out of the restricted space which will enable them to stay in link with their village.

The workers believed that Gandhiji was the true identity of Swaraj, even to relieve them from all sort of troubles.

The following are the differences between the Civil Disobedience Movement and the Non-Cooperation movement.

Even though both these movements were nationalist movements started by Gandhiji, the Civil Disobedience Movement was more successful.

The nationalists made sincere efforts to unify people against the British Government. It was not an easy task to unify them. The following were some of the problems involved in the process:

1. The past history of India was based on facts about Hinduism and Hindu mythologies.

2. The images that were celebrated were drawn from Hindu iconography.

3. This made the people of other communities feel isolated.

4. Moreover, Mahatma Gandhiji’s leadership tried to channel people’s grievances into an organised movement.

5. However, there was participation from people belonging to different groups and classes each having their own aspirations and expectations.

6. Hence, the meaning of freedom from the British rule was interpreted in different ways by different societies of people.

7. The demands of one group did not alienate each other.

8. It was the leaders who constantly worked to unite all classes of people and tried to resolve their grievances.

9. There were episodes of frequent disunity and conflicts between the different groups of people.

Thus, unifying people with different views of freedom was difficult, but our leaders strived hard to free our country from the British clutches.

Satyagraha is always a powerful weapon following the path of ahimsa and non-violence.

1. Satyagraha followed the idea that if the cause was true and if the struggle was against injustice, then there is no need for physical force to fight against the oppressor.

2. Gandhiji followed Satyagraha during his stay in South Africa to fight the injustice.

3. He decided to take the path of Satyagraha after arriving in India.

4. He fought for the welfare of peasants in Kheda district of Gujarat demanding the relaxation in revenue collection. The peasants could not pay high revenue due to crop failure and a plague epidemic. The British Government agreed and deferred the payment of revenue to next year.

5. He also travelled to Champaran to inspire peasants. He launched satyagraha to struggle against the exploitative plantation system. The British Government passed an Act to ensure the welfare of the peasants.

6. He launched another Satyagraha in 1918 among the mill workers of Ahmedabad. The workers got a hike in their pay after Gandhiji’s intervention.

These are fine examples to show that Satyagraha always wins battles through non-violence.

Some of the Muslim organisations showed less interest in their response to Civil Disobedience Movements.

1. A large part of the Muslim population in the country was separated from the Congress after the failure of the Non-cooperation and Khilafat movement.

2. Hindu nationalist groups like the Hindu Mahasabha was closely associated with the Congress.

3. This led to the straining of ties between the Hindus and Muslims.

4. Communal clashes and riots spread across the country as each community was involved in organising their own religious processions and campaigns.

5. M.R. Jayakar who belonged to the Hindu Mahasabha was not ready to compromise with the demand of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, leader of the Muslim League. Jinnah demanded reserved seats for Muslims in the Central Assembly, and he wanted separate representation for the Muslims in Bengal and Punjab.

6. This widened the gap between the two communities.

7. Hence, the majority of the Muslims did not respond to the call for Civil Disobedience Movement.

Thus, alienation from the Congress and distrust among the Hindus and Muslims were the main reasons for the poor response to the call for united struggle.

People should believe that they all belong to the same country. This sense was developed by the united struggles against the British to some extent. The following are some of the cultural processes through which Indian nationalism captured people’s minds.

1. History and Fiction:

a. Reinterpretation of history served as an important tool in creating a feeling of nationalism among Indians.

b. As the Britishers felt that Indians were primitive, Indians started to reinterpret history to know about their achievements.

c. During ancient times, religion and culture, art and architecture, science and mathematics, trade etc., flourished. Articles on these were written to inspire people.

d. It was also mentioned that there was a huge decline in these areas when Britishers started colonising India.

e. The history of glorious India made the readers to inculcate the urge for freedom from the British clutch.

2. Popular prints and Symbols:

a. A nation is always identified with a figure or an image.

b. The image of Bharat Mata, portrayed by Abanindranath Tagore came to be the symbol of identity of India.

c. Tricolour flag, which was called as Swaraj flag, designed by Gandhiji also instilled nationalism among Indians.

3. Folklore and Songs:

a. Indian nationalists went around many villages to gather their traditional folk tales.

b. Movements were launched to revive the traditional Indian folklore.

c. These folktales played a major role in restoring one’s national identity and developing a sense of pride.

4. Hymns:

Hymns like Vande Mataram and ‘Swaraj is my birthright’ were widely sung to capture nationalism.

Nationalism, thus, spreads only if there is a feeling of oneness among all the people of a country.

Civil Disobedience Movement was accepted in different forms by different classes of society. The support given by the business class was a big boost to the movement.

1. The Civil Disobedience Movement was welcomed by the business class during the early phase of the movement.

2. Monetary support was extended, and the business class refused to buy or sell the Manchester goods.

3. The businessmen expected to have independent business units without any colonial restrictions being imposed.

4. They wanted the smooth functioning of trade and other industries without any constraints.

5. But the support given by the business class was withdrawn when Gandhiji relaunched the movement after the failure of the Round Table Conference.

6. They did not want their business to be disrupted.

Thus, the business class extended warm support when the Civil Disobedience Movement was launched.

The Salt March was an effective tool of resistance against British colonial power.

1. Mahatma Gandhi was very much against the levy of tax on salt and monopoly of the Government over its production.

2. He felt that salt was the essential food item having no disparity between the rich and the poor.

3. Hence, he stated that it was an atrocity of British power.

4. He decided to launch a movement to exempt salt from tax.

5. Lord Irwin, the then Viceroy was sent a letter from Gandhiji stating eleven demands.

6. The Primary demand was to withdraw the tax on salt and make it tax-free.

7. Since the British side showed reluctance, Gandhi started the salt march.

8. It was called as Dandi March, where he walked 240 miles from his Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi.

9. He was accompanied by about seventy-eight followers.

10. After reaching Dandi, the coastal town, he boiled sea water and manufactured salt, thus violating the salt law.

11. By this, he persuaded people to break colonial laws and started Non-cooperation movement against the British power.

This Dandi March or the Salt March, thus, can be rightly said as the first powerful protest against the British.