### **Introduction**
- Nationalism in India emerged as a response to **anti-colonial struggles**.
- **Shared identity** was forged through experiences of colonial oppression.
- **Mahatma Gandhi** and the **Indian National Congress** unified diverse groups under a common
movement for independence.
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### **1. The First World War, Khilafat, and Non-Cooperation**
#### **Impact of the First World War**
- **Economic strain**: Increased taxes to fund war efforts.
- **Inflation and shortages**: Prices of goods doubled (1913–1918).
- **Forced recruitment** in villages caused anger.
- **Famine and influenza pandemic** (1918–21) killed 12–13 million people.
#### **Satyagraha Movement**
- **Philosophy**: Truth (*satya*) and non-violence (*ahimsa*).
- **Key movements**:
- **Champaran (1917)**: Against indigo planters.
- **Kheda (1918)**: Tax boycott after crop failure.
- **Ahmedabad (1918)**: Mill workers’ strike for higher wages.
#### **Rowlatt Act & Jallianwala Bagh Massacre**
- **Rowlatt Act (1919)**: Allowed detention without trial.
- **Jallianwala Bagh (13 April 1919)**: General Dyer fired on unarmed civilians, killing hundreds.
#### **Khilafat and Non-Cooperation Movement**
- **Khilafat Issue**: Muslims protested the dismantling of the Ottoman Caliphate.
- **Gandhi’s Strategy**: Merged Khilafat demands with **Swaraj** (self-rule).
- **Non-Cooperation Movement (1920)**: Boycott of schools, courts, foreign goods, and titles.
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### **2. Differing Strands Within the Movement**
#### **Urban Participation**
- **Middle-class involvement**: Students, lawyers, and teachers joined.
- **Challenges**:
- Lack of Indian institutions to replace British ones.
- **Khadi** cloth was expensive for the poor.
#### **Rural Uprisings**
- **Awadh Peasants**: Led by **Baba Ramchandra**; demanded rent reduction and end to *begar*.
- **Tribal Revolts**: **Alluri Sitaram Raju** led protests against forest laws in Andhra Pradesh.
- **Plantation Workers**: Fled Assam plantations, seeking freedom under Gandhi’s *Swaraj*.
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### **3. Towards Civil Disobedience**
#### **Political Developments**
- **Simon Commission (1928)**: Boycotted for having no Indian members.
- **Purna Swaraj (1929)**: Congress declared complete independence.
- **26 January 1930**: Observed as Independence Day.
#### **Salt March and Civil Disobedience**
- **Salt March (1930)**: Gandhi marched 240 miles to Dandi, breaking salt laws.
- **Key Actions**:
- Boycott of foreign goods and refusal to pay taxes.
- Village officials resigned en masse.
- **British Response**: Mass arrests, brutal repression.
- **Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931)**: Truce for Round Table Conference (which failed).
- **Movement faded by 1934**.
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### **4. Participants’ Perspectives**
| **Group** | **Demands** | **Response** |
|--------------------|---------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|
| **Rich Peasants** | Lower land revenue | Withdrew after unmet demands (1931). |
| **Poor Peasants** | Rent remission | Congress ignored no-rent campaigns. |
| **Business Class** | Economic freedom | Supported boycott but withdrew post-1931. |
| **Workers** | Better wages | Limited strikes; Congress avoided their issues.|
| **Women** | Equality | Participated in protests but lacked leadership.|
| **Dalits** | Separate electorates | Poona Pact (1932) reserved seats in legislatures.|
| **Muslims** | Protection of rights | Alienated by Hindu symbolism; feared majority rule.|
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### **5. The Sense of Collective Belonging**
#### **Cultural Symbols**
- **Bharat Mata**: Iconic painting by Abanindranath Tagore.
- **Vande Mataram**: National song symbolizing unity.
#### **Revival of Folklore**
- Nationalists collected folk tales to promote cultural pride.
#### **National Symbols**
- **Tricolour Flag**: With *charkha* (spinning wheel) as a symbol of self-reliance.
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### **Conclusion**
- Nationalism united diverse groups under Gandhi’s leadership.
- **Challenges**: Internal divisions (rich vs. poor, Hindus vs. Muslims).
- The movement laid the foundation for India’s independence in 1947.
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