Nationalism in India

1. Introduction
 The growth of modern nationalism in India was closely connected with the anti-
colonial movement.
 People belonging to different groups discovered a sense of unity while fighting
against British colonial rule.
 However, different social groups experienced colonialism differently and had
different ideas about freedom and Swaraj.
 Under Mahatma Gandhi, the Congress tried to bring these different groups together
into a common national movement.
 The major movements discussed in this chapter are:
1. Satyagraha
2. Rowlatt Satyagraha
3. Khilafat and Non-Cooperation Movement
4. Civil Disobedience Movement
5. The development of a sense of collective belonging.

2. The First World War and Its Impact on India

The First World War (1914–1918) created a new economic and political situation in India.
Major effects:
1. Increase in defence expenditure
o The British government increased expenditure on defence.
o It raised money through war loans and increased taxes.
2. Increase in prices
o Prices almost doubled between 1913 and 1918.
o This created great hardship for ordinary people.
3. Forced recruitment
o Villagers were forced to supply soldiers for the British army.
o This created widespread anger in rural areas.
4. Crop failures
o Crops failed in many parts of India during 1918–19 and 1920–21.
 o This caused severe food shortages.
5. Influenza epidemic
o The influenza epidemic caused enormous loss of life.
o According to the 1921 Census, around 12–13 million people died because of
famines and the epidemic.
Result
People expected their suffering to end after the war, but their problems continued. This
created anger against British rule.

3. The Idea of Satyagraha

Mahatma Gandhi
 Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa in January 1915.
 In South Africa, he had successfully used a new method of mass agitation called
Satyagraha.
Meaning of Satyagraha
Satyagraha means the struggle based on:
 Truth
 Non-violence
 Moral force
 Resistance against injustice
Gandhiji believed that:
If the cause is true and the struggle is against injustice, physical force is not necessary.
A Satyagrahi should not use violence or seek revenge. Instead, he or she should appeal to the
conscience of the oppressor.
Early Satyagraha Movements in India
Year Place Purpose

1917 Champaran, Bihar Peasants' struggle against oppressive plantation system

1917 Kheda, Gujarat Demand for relaxation of revenue collection

1918 Ahmedabad Support for cotton mill workers

4. The Rowlatt Act, 1919

In 1919, Gandhiji launched a nationwide Satyagraha against the Rowlatt Act.
Features of the Rowlatt Act
 It gave the British government enormous powers to repress political activities.
 Political prisoners could be detained without trial for two years.
 Indian members of the Imperial Legislative Council strongly opposed the Act, but it
was passed.
Gandhiji's response
 Gandhiji called for a hartal on 6 April 1919.
 Rallies were held.
 Workers went on strike.
 Shops were closed.
The government responded with repression.

5. Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

Date: 13 April 1919
A large crowd gathered at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar.
 Some people had come to protest against the government's repressive measures.
 Others had come for the Baisakhi fair.
 General Dyer entered the enclosed area.
 He blocked the exits.
 He ordered troops to fire on the crowd.
 Hundreds of people were killed.
The incident created widespread anger throughout India.
The British government responded with brutal repression in Punjab.
Because violence was spreading, Gandhiji called off the Rowlatt Satyagraha.
Exam Point
Why were Indians outraged by the Rowlatt Act?
Because it gave the government the power to detain political prisoners without trial and
severely restricted civil liberties.

6. The Khilafat Movement

After the First World War:
 The Ottoman Empire was defeated.
 Muslims feared that a harsh peace treaty would be imposed on the Ottoman Sultan,
who was regarded as the Khalifa or spiritual head of the Islamic world.
 A Khilafat Committee was formed in Bombay in March 1919.
 Muslim leaders Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali discussed united action with
Gandhiji.
Gandhiji's objective
Gandhiji saw the Khilafat issue as an opportunity to:
 Bring Hindus and Muslims closer.
 Build a united national movement.
 Strengthen the struggle for Swaraj.
At the Calcutta Congress session in September 1920, Gandhiji convinced Congress leaders
to support Non-Cooperation for Khilafat as well as Swaraj.

7. The Non-Cooperation Movement

Why did Gandhiji launch Non-Cooperation?
Gandhiji believed that British rule survived in India because Indians cooperated with the
British.
He argued that if Indians stopped cooperating with the British, colonial rule would collapse.
Programme of Non-Cooperation
The movement was to begin with:
 Surrender of government-awarded titles
 Boycott of civil services
 Boycott of army and police
 Boycott of courts
 Boycott of legislative councils
 Boycott of schools
 Boycott of foreign goods
If the government responded with repression, a Civil Disobedience Movement would be
launched.
Important Congress Sessions
  September 1920 – Calcutta: Support for Non-Cooperation was discussed and
accepted.
 December 1920 – Nagpur: The Non-Cooperation programme was formally adopted.
Movement began
January 1921 – Non-Cooperation-Khilafat Movement began.

8. Differing Strands Within the Movement

Different social groups joined the movement, but they had different expectations from
Swaraj.
A. Movement in the Towns
The movement initially received strong middle-class participation.
Students
 Left government schools and colleges.
Teachers
 Many resigned.
Lawyers
 Gave up their legal practices.
Economic boycott
People:
 Boycotted foreign goods.
 Picketed liquor shops.
 Burnt foreign cloth.
 Used Indian cloth.
Impact
The import of foreign cloth fell by about half between 1921 and 1922, from ₹102 crore to
₹57 crore.
Indian textile mills and handlooms benefited.
Why did the movement slow down in cities?
 Khadi was more expensive than mass-produced mill cloth.
 Poor people could not afford khadi.
 Alternative Indian educational and legal institutions were slow to develop.
  Students returned to government schools.
 Lawyers returned to government courts.

9. Rebellion in the Countryside

The Non-Cooperation Movement spread to rural areas and involved peasants and tribals.
A. Peasant Movement in Awadh
Leader:
Baba Ramchandra
Main grievances:
 High rents
 Various cesses
 Forced labour (begar)
 Lack of security of tenure
 Eviction by landlords
Demands:
 Reduction of revenue
 Abolition of begar
 Social boycott of oppressive landlords
In October 1920, the Oudh Kisan Sabha was formed under:
 Jawaharlal Nehru
 Baba Ramchandra
 Others
Important term
Begar: Forced labour without payment.

10. Tribal Movement in the Gudem Hills

In the Gudem Hills of Andhra Pradesh, tribal people were angry because:
 The colonial government closed large forest areas.
 People could not graze cattle.
 They could not collect fuelwood and fruits.
  Their traditional rights were restricted.
 They were forced to provide begar for road construction.
Leader: Alluri Sitaram Raju
 He claimed to possess special powers.
 His followers believed that he was an incarnation of God.
 He admired Gandhiji and supported khadi.
 However, he believed that freedom could be achieved through force, not non-
violence.
 The rebels attacked police stations and British officials.
 They used guerrilla warfare.
 Raju was captured and executed in 1924.

11. Swaraj in the Plantations

Plantation workers in Assam had their own understanding of Swaraj.
Their demands
Freedom meant:
 Freedom to move in and out of tea plantations.
 Maintaining contact with their villages.
Under the Inland Emigration Act of 1859, plantation workers could not leave tea gardens
without permission.
When they heard about the Non-Cooperation Movement:
 Thousands left plantations.
 They headed towards their villages.
 They believed that Gandhi Raj was coming.
 Many believed that they would receive land in their villages.
However, they were stopped and beaten by the police.

12. Withdrawal of the Non-Cooperation Movement

Chauri Chaura Incident – 1922
At Chauri Chaura in Gorakhpur, a peaceful demonstration became violent.
A clash took place between protesters and the police.
Gandhiji's decision
In February 1922, Gandhiji withdrew the Non-Cooperation Movement because:
 The movement was becoming violent.
 He believed that satyagrahis needed proper training in non-violence before
participating in mass struggles.
Important
February 1922 → Non-Cooperation Movement withdrawn.

13. Swaraj Party

After the withdrawal of Non-Cooperation:
Some Congress leaders wanted to enter legislative councils.
Leaders
 C. R. Das
 Motilal Nehru
They formed the Swaraj Party within the Congress.
Their objective was to:
 Participate in council politics.
 Oppose British policies from within the councils.
 Demonstrate that the councils were not truly democratic.
Young leaders such as Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose wanted more radical
mass agitation and complete independence.

14. Simon Commission

The British government appointed the Statutory Commission, popularly known as the
Simon Commission.
Chairman:
Sir John Simon
Major problem
There was not a single Indian member in the Commission.
Indian response
When it arrived in India in 1928, people protested with the slogan:
“Go Back Simon!”
The Congress and Muslim League participated in demonstrations.
Lala Lajpat Rai was injured during a protest against the Simon Commission and later died
from his injuries.

15. Purna Swaraj

Lahore Congress – December 1929
Under the presidency of Jawaharlal Nehru, the Congress formally demanded:
Purna Swaraj – Complete Independence
It was decided that:
26 January 1930
would be celebrated as Independence Day.

16. Salt March and Civil Disobedience Movement

Gandhiji chose salt as a symbol of resistance because:
 Salt was consumed by both rich and poor.
 It was an essential item.
 The British government imposed a salt tax.
 The government had a monopoly over salt production.
Gandhi's Letter to Irwin
On 31 January 1930, Gandhiji sent a letter to Viceroy Irwin containing eleven demands.
The most important demand was:
Abolition of the salt tax.

17. Dandi March

Started:
12 March 1930
Gandhiji began the march from Sabarmati Ashram with 78 volunteers.
Destination:
Dandi
Distance:
More than 240 miles
Duration:
24 days
On 6 April 1930, Gandhiji reached Dandi and broke the salt law by making salt from
seawater.
This marked the beginning of the Civil Disobedience Movement.

18. Civil Disobedience Movement

Difference from Non-Cooperation
Non-Cooperation Movement Civil Disobedience Movement

Began in 1921 Began in 1930

People refused to cooperate with British People refused cooperation and broke colonial
institutions laws

Boycott of schools, courts, councils and Breaking salt laws, refusing taxes and violating
foreign goods forest laws

Withdrawn in 1922 Lost momentum by 1934

Activities during Civil Disobedience
People:
 Broke the salt law.
 Manufactured salt.
 Boycotted foreign cloth.
 Picketed liquor shops.
 Refused to pay revenue.
 Refused to pay chaukidari taxes.
 Village officials resigned.
 Forest people violated forest laws.

19. Gandhi-Irwin Pact

Date:
5 March 1931
Under the Gandhi-Irwin Pact:
  Gandhiji agreed to participate in the Round Table Conference in London.
 The government agreed to release political prisoners.
Gandhiji attended the conference in London in December 1931, but negotiations failed.
The Civil Disobedience Movement was later relaunched.
By 1934, the movement had lost its momentum.

20. Participation of Different Social Groups

Different groups joined the Civil Disobedience Movement for different reasons.
A. Rich Peasants
Examples:
 Patidars of Gujarat
 Jats of Uttar Pradesh
Why did they join?
 They were producers of commercial crops.
 The economic depression caused agricultural prices to fall.
 Their cash income declined.
 They found it difficult to pay government revenue.
Their idea of Swaraj
For them, Swaraj meant relief from high revenue demands.

B. Poor Peasants
They wanted:
 Reduction/remission of rents.
 Relief from the burden of unpaid rent.
They often joined radical movements led by Socialists and Communists.
The Congress was reluctant to support no-rent campaigns because it did not want to upset
rich peasants and landlords.

21. Business Classes

Indian merchants and industrialists had become powerful during the First World War.
They wanted:
  Protection against imports.
 Policies favourable to Indian businesses.
 Removal of colonial restrictions.
Organisations
 Indian Industrial and Commercial Congress – 1920
 FICCI – 1927
Industrialists such as:
 Purshottamdas Thakurdas
 G. D. Birla
supported the Civil Disobedience Movement initially.
They gave financial assistance and boycotted imported goods.

22. Industrial Workers

Industrial workers did not participate in the Civil Disobedience Movement in large numbers.
However, some workers:
 Boycotted foreign goods.
 Participated in strikes.
 Protested against low wages.
 Protested against poor working conditions.
Examples:
 Railway workers went on strike in 1930.
 Dockworkers went on strike in 1932.
 Workers in Chotanagpur tin mines participated in protest rallies and boycott
campaigns.
The Congress was reluctant to include workers' demands because it feared losing the support
of industrialists.

23. Participation of Women

Women participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement on a large scale.
They:
 Joined protest marches.
  Manufactured salt.
 Picketed foreign cloth shops.
 Picketed liquor shops.
 Went to jail.
Many women from:
 High-caste urban families
 Rich peasant rural families
participated in the movement.
However, Gandhiji continued to emphasise women's traditional responsibilities as mothers
and wives, and the Congress was initially reluctant to give women positions of authority.

24. Limits of Civil Disobedience

Not every social group participated equally.
A. Dalits
The oppressed castes were increasingly known as Dalits from around the 1930s.
Gandhiji's efforts
Gandhiji:
 Opposed untouchability.
 Used the term Harijan.
 Organised movements for temple entry.
 Supported access to public wells, roads and schools.
 Worked to change the attitudes of upper castes.
Dr B. R. Ambedkar
Ambedkar demanded:
 Political empowerment of Dalits.
 Reserved seats.
 Separate electorates for Dalits.
He organised the Depressed Classes Association in 1930.
Poona Pact – September 1932
Gandhiji opposed separate electorates for Dalits.
The result was the Poona Pact:
  Depressed Classes received reserved seats in provincial and central legislative
councils.
 These representatives were to be elected by the general electorate.

25. Muslims and the Civil Disobedience Movement

Many Muslim political organisations responded cautiously to the Civil Disobedience
Movement.
Reasons:
 The decline of the Non-Cooperation-Khilafat Movement created alienation from
Congress.
 Hindu-Muslim relations worsened.
 Communal clashes increased.
 Many Muslims feared that their culture and political identity would be dominated by
the Hindu majority.
Muhammad Iqbal
In 1930, Sir Muhammad Iqbal supported the importance of separate electorates as a
safeguard for Muslim political interests.

26. Sense of Collective Belonging

Nationalism develops when people begin to believe that they are part of the same nation.
In India, a sense of collective belonging developed through:
 United struggles
 History
 Fiction
 Folklore
 Songs
 Popular prints
 Symbols
These cultural processes helped people imagine India as one nation.

27. Bharat Mata

The nation was increasingly represented through the image of Bharat Mata.
Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
 Wrote Vande Mataram in the 1870s.
 It was later included in his novel Anandamath.
 The song became associated with the Swadeshi Movement.
Abanindranath Tagore
 Painted the famous image of Bharat Mata in 1905.
 Bharat Mata was represented as calm, spiritual and divine.
The image became a powerful symbol of Indian nationalism.

28. Folklore and Nationalism

Nationalists tried to revive Indian folklore.
They:
 Collected folk songs.
 Recorded folk tales.
 Collected legends and myths.
 Tried to preserve traditional culture.
Important personalities
Rabindranath Tagore
 Collected ballads, nursery rhymes and myths in Bengal.
Natesa Sastri
 Published The Folklore of Southern India.
 Considered folklore to be national literature.
Folklore helped people develop pride in their cultural heritage.

29. Flags and Symbols

Nationalists used flags and symbols to create a sense of unity.
Swadeshi Flag
A tricolour flag of:
 Red
 Green
  Yellow
It had:
 Eight lotuses representing eight provinces of British India.
 A crescent moon representing Hindus and Muslims.
Swaraj Flag – 1921
Designed by Gandhiji.
It was:
 Red
 Green
 White
It had a spinning wheel (charkha) in the centre.
The spinning wheel represented the Gandhian ideal of self-help.
Carrying the flag became a symbol of defiance against British rule.

30. Reinterpretation of History

Nationalists believed that Indians needed to develop pride in their past.
They highlighted India's achievements in:
 Art
 Architecture
 Science
 Mathematics
 Religion
 Culture
 Law
 Philosophy
 Crafts
 Trade
They argued that India had a glorious past before colonial rule.
Limitation
When nationalist histories and symbols focused mainly on Hindu traditions, people belonging
to other communities sometimes felt excluded.
31. Important Dates – Quick Revision
Year/Date Event

1915 Gandhiji returned to India

1917 Champaran Satyagraha

1917 Kheda Satyagraha

1918 Ahmedabad Mill Workers' Satyagraha

1919 Rowlatt Act

6 April 1919 Rowlatt Satyagraha/Hartal

13 April 1919 Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

1920 Khilafat and Non-Cooperation programme

January 1921 Non-Cooperation-Khilafat Movement began

February 1922 Chauri Chaura; Non-Cooperation withdrawn

1924 Alluri Sitaram Raju arrested and executed

1928 Simon Commission protested

December 1929 Lahore Congress; Purna Swaraj

26 January 1930 Independence Day celebrated

March–April 1930 Dandi/Salt March

6 April 1930 Salt law broken at Dandi

5 March 1931 Gandhi-Irwin Pact

December 1931 Second Round Table Conference

1932 Civil Disobedience relaunched

September 1932 Poona Pact

1934 Civil Disobedience Movement lost momentum

32. Important Terms

Satyagraha
A method of resistance based on truth and non-violence.
Swaraj
Self-rule or freedom from colonial rule.
Boycott
Refusal to deal with, participate in or use something as a form of protest.
Begar
Forced labour without payment.
Picket
A form of protest in which people block the entrance to a shop, factory or office.
Purna Swaraj
Complete independence.
Civil Disobedience
Deliberately breaking unjust colonial laws as a form of protest.
Khilafat
A movement to defend the temporal powers of the Ottoman Khalifa after the First World War.

33. Most Important Differences

Non-Cooperation vs Civil Disobedience
Non-Cooperation Movement
 Started in 1921.
 Refusal to cooperate with British institutions.
 Boycott of schools, courts, councils and foreign goods.
 Withdrawn in 1922 after Chauri Chaura.
Civil Disobedience Movement
 Started in 1930.
 People refused to cooperate and deliberately broke colonial laws.
 Began with the breaking of the salt law.
 Included refusal to pay taxes and violation of forest laws.
 Lost momentum by 1934.

34. Causes of the Growth of Nationalism in India

Remember these major causes:
World War I → Economic hardship → Political repression → Rowlatt Act →
Jallianwala Bagh → Khilafat issue → Non-Cooperation → Civil Disobedience →
National unity
In simple words:
The hardships caused by British colonial rule brought different sections of Indian society into
anti-colonial struggles. These struggles gradually developed a common feeling of
nationalism, although different groups had different ideas about what freedom meant.

35. Quick Revision Flowchart

First World War
↓
Economic hardship + Forced recruitment + Food shortages
↓
Gandhiji's Satyagraha
↓
Rowlatt Act – 1919
↓
Jallianwala Bagh – 13 April 1919
↓
Khilafat Movement
↓
Non-Cooperation Movement – 1921
↓
Different social groups participate
↓
Chauri Chaura – 1922
↓
Non-Cooperation withdrawn
↓
Simon Commission – 1928
↓
Lahore Congress – 1929
↓
Purna Swaraj
↓
Dandi March – 1930
↓
Civil Disobedience Movement
↓
Gandhi-Irwin Pact – 1931
↓
Civil Disobedience relaunched – 1932
↓
Movement loses momentum – 1934