10th SST HISTORY (NATIONALISM IN INDIA)

 NOTES PREPARED BY 

KHURSHEED AHMAD

TEACHER IN SCHOOL

 EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

 JAMMU AND KASHMIR

HISTORY CLASS 10th

"NATIONALISM IN INDIA "

 CHAPTER 2

TERMINOLOGY

Satyagraha:-The Gandhian novel method of struggle based on the non-violence

Nation states: -A state having common territory and inhabit language, race, culture, history etc.

Boycott:-A form of protest in which people refuse to deal and associate with some particular people, activities or buy and use things of a particular country,

Picket: -A form of demonstration or protest in which people block the entrance to a shop,factory, office etc.

Beggar: -A kind of labor get done by forcibly and with out any payment

Dominion state: -The self-government under the formal supervision of the colonial rule.

Swaraj: -It means self-rule.

Martial laws means military rule, when martial law is imposed ordinary laws are suspended

Civil Disobedience: -The peaceful violation of government laws.

Separate Electorates: -A system in which the enfranchised citizens are divided on the basis of community or religion for representation purposes.

Write in Brief

(1)Why growth of nationalism in the colonies is linked to an anti- colonial movement?

Nationalism in Europe is usually associated with the formation of nation states. However, in the colonies like India, growth of nationalism is intimately linked to anti-colonial movement. It is rightly said that nationalism in the colonies developed partly as a result and partly as a reaction to the policies of the colomizers. The colonial rule negatively affected the different sections of the people in the colonies, which developed common feeling of oppression among them It provided them a good platform for the exchange of nationalist and liberal idess. The common sense of oppression and exploitation brought together different classes, castes and communities to fight against the colonial rule. So, the anti-colonial movement resulted in the growth of nationalism in colonies.

(2)How the First World War helped in the growth of the National Movement in India?

The contribution of First World War in the growth of Indian National Movement is 
highlighted in the following points:-
(i) The First World War led to huge increase in  expenditure, which was met by increasing taxes, rising of custom duties, war loans and  introduction of income tax. All these created economic hardship for Indians.

(ii) The failure of crops in 1918-19 and 1920-21, led to acute food shortage in many parts of India. It was accompanied by influenza epidemic which claimed 12-13 million lives.

(iii) The forced recruitment of people in army from rural areas of India caused widespread reaction against British. This is evident from the fact that national movement spread to new  areas,incorporated new social group and developed new modes of struggle after the war.

(3Why Indians were outraged by the Rowlatt Act?

The Indian were outraged by the Rowlatt Act because of the following reasons:-

(i)The Act had been hurriedly passed through the imperial legislative council despite the united opposition of the Indian members.

(ii) The people of India had been promised a democratic setup but the Act came a sudden below to them. It was a cruel joke to deprive Indians of all liberties and right and to

(iii) It was a cruel joke to deprive Indians of all liberties and right and to stop them seeking protection under law.

(iv) It strengthened the hands of colonial government to suppress the political activities of Indian nationalists and revolutionaries. Only suspicion was sufficient to cage them for life or hang them.A widespread public agitation was bound to engulf the country against this“Black Law" and a nation-wide protest was called on 6th April 1919.

(4)Why Gandhiji decided to withdraw the Non-Cooperation.

The congress had asked all the satyagrahis to take a pledge to remain non-violent in word and deed. The movement had spread among the masses, when the movement was at its height, violence occurred at Chauri Caura, a village in the Gorakhpur (U.P.) when a procession of 30,000 peasants was fired upon by the police and am cities committed on the processionists. In retaliation, the agitated mob set fire to a police station causing death of one Darogah (S.H.O) and 22policemen. Gandhi was so shocked with this violence that he announced the withdrawal of the movement. He felt that the people were not yet ready for a mass movement. So they need to be trained to understand how to carry a non-violent struggle successfully

(5). What is meant by the idea of Satyagraha?

The word Sangraha is a compound of two words- saty truth) and agraha (holding fish It means holding on truth no matter what happens. It is a kind of passive resistance to change the mind and heart of the opponent through self-suffering. It is an idea of pledge of resistance to an unjust law, with God as witness and no fear of consequences It is a non-violent alternative to a violent struggle against oppression, exploitation and injustice.

Saryagrahe is the law of love for all. It eschews violence, the idea behind it is not to destroy or harass the opponent, but to convert him or win him over by sympathy, patience and self-suffering. Saryagraha was a novel method of struggle and non-violent method of mass agitation experimented and developed by Mahatma Gandhi against racist government of outh Africa Confident over its success, Mahatma Gandhi adopted it to fight against the British government of India. It has been conceived as a weapon of the strongest and has various forms-strikes, picketing, fasts, prayers, spinning. non-cooperation, civil disobedience, boycott etc.

(6). Write a newspaper report on:-

(a) The Jallianwala Bagh Massacra (tragedy):-

On 13th April 1919, a large crowd of about 10,000 people had assembled in the enclosed Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar (Punjab). Some had come to protest against the repressive measures of the British government and other to attend the annual harvest festival (Baisakhi Fair). The people were unaware about the imposition of Martial Law in the city.

General Dyer, the military commander, plugged off all the possible exits and without any warming, ordered his troops to open fire on the peaceful and unarmed protestors. At about 100yards range, the firing lasted for 10 minutes, resulting in the death of about 1000 Indians and wounded 2000. This incident is known as "Jallianwala Bagh Massacre".

The massacre exposed the true nature of a colonial rule. It was condemned worldwide. The event was later described by General Dyer before the Hunter Commission as one meant for producing a moral effect among the Indians.

(b) Simon Commission: - The British government appointed a commission under the chairmanship of Sir John Simon in November, 1927. The  commission was appointed to look into the working of 1919 constitutional reforms in India and suggest changes.

The appointment of the commission sparked- off a wave of protest all over India, because all the members of the commission were Englishmen and no Indian was included in it. The exclusion of Indians in the commission mobilized the Indians to start a new phase of struggle against the British rule. Therefore, congress in its Madras Session of December, 1927 decided to boycott the commission. So, when Simon commission arrived in India on February 03,1928. it was welcomed by nationwide strikes, black flags and the slogans of Go Back Simon The appointment of the commission broke lull in the national movement, which prevailed in it since the withdrawal of the non-cooperation movement.

(7). Compare the images of Bharat Mata in this Chapter (Nationalism in India)

with the image of Germania in chapter (Nationalism in Europe). The European artists tried to give a concrete shape to the abstract ideas of nationalism, liberty, freedom etc through personification. The Indian artists followed the same trend during the Indian National Movement. The comparison between Germania and Bharat Mata is highlighted as following:-

Germania:- It is the female allegory of German nation was believed to instill nationalist feelings among the German people. In visual representation, she is portrayed as wearing a crown of oak leaves to develop heroism among German people. As Germania did not reflect any religious basis in its making, it did not create any controversy among the people of Germany.

Bharat Mata:- It had been shown by different artists in different ways. Abindranath Tagore painted Bharat Mata as a calm, composed, divine and spiritual figure. This was an attempt to present the character of India before the world. But, in another figure she is shows with a Trishul standing beside a lion and an elephant symbolizing the power and authority of India. No doubt, the images of Bharat Mata inspired nationalists to unify people and achieve freedom,

But importunately, it played an indirect role in the spread of communalism in pre- independent India.

(8) List all the different social groups which joined the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1921. Then choose any three and write about their hopes  and struggles to show way they joined the movement, 

The Non-cooperation Movement (1920-22) is considered the first campaign 
against the British rule organized by the Indian national congress under the leadership of  Mahatma Gandhi. The different social groups which Joined the movement are enlisted as under:-

(i)Middle class (students, teachers, lawyers) in
(Ii) Tribal people.
(iii) Plantation workers.
(iv) Peasants in the country side.

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 different things to different people,

(i) Peasants:-In the country side, the movement incorporated the peasant struggles. The peasants directed their movements against oppressive
landlords and talkkdars. For Example, In Awadh, peasants demanded reduction of revenue, abolition of beggar and social boycott of  oppressive landlords. So, for peasants Swaraj meant freedom from the exploitation of landlords.

(ii) Tribals:- Tribals also interpreted the movement in their own way. They hoped that through this movement they could restore their traditional forest rights i.e. shifting cultivation, hunting, gathering, grazing etc. For Example, in the Gudem Hills of Andhra Pradesh, tribals started a militant gurilla movement against British under Alluri Sitaram Raju,

(iii) Plantation workers:- Workers too had their own understanding of Gandhian programme and the nation of swaraj. For them swaraj meant freedom to move freely in and out of the confined space of plantations which was denied to them under Inland  emigration Act of 1859. For the non-cooperation programme included defying authorities leave plantations and move towards home.

(9). Discuss the Salt March to make clear why it was an effective symbol of resistance against colonialism. 

Mahatma Gandhi started the Civil Disobedience Movement on 12th March 1930. It was begun with the historic Dandi March. Together with 78 chosen followers, Gandhiji walked nearly 240 miles for about 24 days from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi- village on the Gujarat Sea-coast. He ached there on 6th April 1930. He picked up a handful of salt and broke the salt law as a refusal to live under the British rule and British made laws.

The Salt March was an effective symbol of resistance against colonialism. This is revealed from the following points:-

(i) Gandhiji found in salt most powerful symbol that could unite the nation as it was a thing consumed by the rich and poor alike. It was one of the essential items of food.

(Ii) The British government of India had monopoly over production of salt and the salt tax hit every section of society. So, to break salt law was seen an act which would give wider base to the anti-colonial movement and shook the British rule.

(iii) During the course of salt march, thousands of volunteers were attracted towards Gandhiji, who urged them to break the British laws peacefully. Thus, Salt March became an effective instrument of mobilizing people against British rule.

(iv) It was an open challenge to British laws as it gathered nation-wide support against British and led to the spread of Civil Disobediencemovement.

(10). Why did political leaders differ sharply over the question of separateelectorates?

The Separate electorates system was designed as a milestone in the divide and

rule' strategy of British rule. It proved to be the master stroke of imperialistic

strategy. The political leaders sharply differed over the question of separate

electorates because of their respective compulsion and understandings, which are

described below:

The leaders of Muslim league, like Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Sir Mohammad Iqbal favored separate electorates. They argued that in a Hindu majority country, the interests of the Muslims would suffer. This was the result of the activities of RSS(Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh) and Hindu Mahasabha. So, they supported separate electorate to safe guard the political interests of the Muslims. The congress leaders- Gandhiji and Jawahar Lal Nehru opposed the system of separate electorates. They considered it as an obstacle in the way of unity of Indians and the national movement. Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, the leader of the Dalits, supported separate  electorate for Dalits(Depressed Classes). He considered it an important tool for the upliftment of depressed classes and to end the disabilities inflicted on them by the orthodox

Brahmans..... 

E&OE