Class 10 History Chapter 2 Nationalism in India

NOTES, EXTRA Q/A

{NK TUTION CLASSES}

What is Nationalism in India?

Nationalism refers to an idea that nurtures the needs of a certain nation with the
intention of sustenance of self-governance over its motherland. Nationalism in
India evolved as a notion during the time of the Indian independence movement
that pushed for independence from the British. Despite the diversity in their
religious, cultural, and religious backgrounds, Indian people felt and spread the
idea of nationalism.

Mahatma Gandhi’s Role in Nationalism

Mahatma Gandhi played an important role in Nationalism in India. Due to the
process of colonialism, each Indian came to be a Britsh prisoner and many
movements were stated by Gandhiji for freedom of Indians from the British rule,
starting with the non-cooperation movement. Satyagraha denotes “Agitation for
Truth” and organised the Champaran Satyagraha first, followed by Kheda and
Ahmedabad Mill Strike.
The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
Nationalism in India Class 10 Notes described the Jallianwala Bagh
Massacre, which took place on 13th April in 1919, in Amritsar. The British
Government passed the Rowlatt Act in 1919, which gave them power to control
any political activity and for detention of political prisoners without trial for 2
years. On 13th April 1919, Baisakhi fair was held at Jallianwala Bagh, attended
by several villagers and martial law was passed.
General Dyer blocked the entry and exit points of the Bagh and opened fired on
the civilians, killing many. This enraged the Indians and there were riots and
attacks on government structures, due to which Gandhi had to end the
satyagraha movement, due to complete chaoes.
The First World War, Khilafat, and Non-Cooperation
The growth of Nationalism in India is connected to the anti-colonial movement.
The Congress under Mahatma Gandhi was responsible for forming shared
bonds among people, around the idea of colonialism. The First World
War created a scenario of new economic as well as political situations in the
years which followed after 1919.
Nationalism in India class 10 notes described custom duties came to be
doubled between 1913 and 1918, and income tax came to be introduced. This
led to a difficult life among the common people. Between the years 1918-1919,
crops failed in India, which resulted in food shortages, accompanied by an
influenza epidemic. In this situation of crisis, a new leader emerged and led to a
new mode of struggle.
Mahatma Gandhi and the Idea of Satyagraha
It is mentioned in the Nationalism in India class 10 notes, Mahatma Gandhi
returned to India in January 1915, from South Africa and started a movement
known as Satyagraha. The objectives of Satyagraha were an emphasis on the
power of truth and also the need to search for truth. Mahatma Gandhi was of
the ideology that battles can be won in a non-violent way and unite all Indians.

In the year 1917, Gandhi also traveled to Champaran situated in Bihar, for
inspiring the peasants to struggle against the oppressive plantation system.
Following, in the same year he organized satyagraha to support the peasants of
Kheda in Gujarat, and in 1918, he went to Ahmedabad to organize satyagraha
among the cotton mill workers there.

The Rowlatt Act

In the year 1919, Mahatma Gandhi launched a movement nationwide which
was against the Rowlatt Act which was proposed; as the Rowlatt Act gave the
government numerous powers to repress political activities well allowed for the
detention of political prisoners without trial for about 2 years. On 10th April, the
police of Amritsar fired on a peaceful procession, which led to numerous attacks
on the banks, post offices, and also railway stations. It is mentioned in the
Nationalism in India class 10 notes, Martial laws came to be imposed and
General Dyre came in front and took action.

The Khilafat issue was then taken up by Mahatma Gandhi which included
bringing Hindus and Muslims together. The First World War came to an end
with the defeat of Ottoman Turkey and in 1919, the Khilafat committee was
formed in Bombay. In September of 1920, Gandhiji convinced the other leaders
of the need of starting a non-cooperation movement in support of Khilafat as
well as for Swaraj.

The Poona Pact

PoonaPact refers to the agreement between M K Gandhi and B R Ambedkar
which was signed in the Yerwada Central Jail on 24th September 1932 in
Poona, for depressed class for reservation for electoral seats in the Legislature
of the British Government.
Why Non- Cooperation?
It is mentioned in the Nationalism in India class 10 notes that British rule was
established in India because of the cooperation of Indians according to
Mahatma Gandhi. The non-cooperation movement took place in stages and
began with the surrendering of the titles that the government awarded and also
a boycott of civil services, the army, police, courts, and also other legislative
councils, foreign goods, and schools. After many campaigns between
supporters and opponents, in December 1920, the Non-Cooperation movement
came to be adopted.
Different Strands Within the Movement
The Non-Cooperation-Khilafat movement began in the year January 1921.
Nationalism in India class 10 notes mentions that various groups participated in
the movement, but the terms meant different things for different groups of
people.

The Movement in the Towns

In the towns, the middle class started the movement, and thousands of
teachers, students, and headmasters left most of the government-controlled
schools and colleges, and lawyers gave up practicing. On the economic front,
the effects of the non-cooperation were many.

It is mentioned in the Nationalism in India class 10 notes that the production

from Indian textile mills expanded after the boycotting of foreign goods started.
The movement came to be slowed down because Khadi clothes were
expensive, less Indian institutions for students as well as teachers to choose
from; so they went back to normal forms of earnings.

Rebellion in the Countryside

The non-cooperation movement also spread to the countryside, where peasants
as well as tribal people were developing in different parts of India. A peasant
movement was started against the talukdars and landlords, who demanded
huge rent and other dues. Peasants demanded a reduction of revenue,
abolition of begar, and also a social boycott of the oppressions done by the
landlords.

It is mentioned in the Nationalism in India class 10 notes that Jawaharlal Nehru

set up along with a few others Oudh Kisan Sabha and within a month, 300
branches were set up in 1921, the peasant movement came to be spread and
the houses of talukdars and merchants came to be attacked, bazaars were
looted and grain boards were taken.
The militant Guerrilla movement was started and spread to the Gudem hills in
Andhra Pradesh and the government also started closing forest areas due to
which their livelihood came to be affected. Hill people revolted, led by Alluri
Sitaram Raju who claimed to have some superpowers.

Swaraj in the Plantations

Under the Inland Emigration Act of 1859, plantation workers were not allowed to
leave the plantation gardens without permission and after they heard of the
non-cooperation movements, thousands came to leave the plantations without
permission and headed back home. For the plantation workers of Assam,
freedom meant moving freely and retaining links with the village they came
from.
Towards Civil Disobedience
It is mentioned in the Nationalism in India class 10 notes that the non-
cooperation movement was withdrawn in 1922 because Mahatma Gandhi felt
that the movement was turning violent. Swaraj Party was formed by CR Das
and Motilal Nehru. In the late 1920s, Indian politics was shaped by two factors.
First was the worldwide economic depression and second, was falling
agricultural prices.

In 1928, Simon Commission arrived in India and was greeted with “Go back,
Simon”. In 1929, under Jawaharlal Nehru’s Presidency, Lahore Congress came
to formalize the demand for “Purna Swaraj” or for the full independence of India,
and in 26 January 1930 was declared to be celebrated as Independence Day.
The Salt March and the Civil Disobedience Movement

A letter was sent to the Viceroy Irwin by Mahatma Gandhi on 31 January 1930,
stating eleven demands. The most stirring of all the demands was that of the
abolition of the salt tax, which was consumed by both rich as well as poor. They
stated that the demands have to be fulfilled by 11 March, otherwise, Congress
will start the civil disobedience campaign.

The famous salt march was started by Mahatma Gandhi accompanied by 76 of

his trusted followers from Sabarmati to Dandi. On the 6th of April, they
reached Dandi, and violated the law, by manufacturing soil and marking the
beginning of the Civil Disobedience Movement. In different parts of India, the
salt law was broken, and foreign clothes were boycotted, peasants refused to
pay revenue, forest laws were violated.
With the horrific incidents, Mahatma Gandhi decided to call off the movement
and entered a pact with Irwin on 5th March 1931, which came to be known as
Gandhi-Irwin Pact, with which Gandhiji consented to participate in Round Table
Conference in London. It is mentioned in the Nationalism in India class 10 notes
that the conference didn’t work out, Mahatma Gandhi relaunched Civil
Disobedience Movement and continued for a year but by 1934 it lost
momentum.

How Participants Saw the Movement?

Some active groups in the movement included the Patidars of Gujarat and the
Jats of Uttar Pradesh who became ardent supporters of the Civil Disobedience
Movement and were disappointed when the movement was called off in the
year 1931. Poorer sections of the society like peasants, also participated in the
radical movements, mostly led by Socialists and Communists.

The business interests of the society were organized into the Federation of the
Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries in 1927 and the Industrial and
Commercial Congress in 1927. It is mentioned in the Nationalism in India class
10 History notes that they attacked colonial control of the economy and
supported Civil Disobedience when launched first. In 1930 and also 1932,
railways workers along with dock workers were also on strike.

The Limits of Civil Disobedience

Nationalism in India class 10 History notes describe that Dalits were not
influenced by the idea of Swaraj. Mahatma Gandhi did organize satyagraha for
the untouchables but they were more interested in different political solutions to
the problems associated with the community and demanded reservation of
seats in the educational sector and also for a separate electorate.

The Dalits were organized into Depressed Classes Association in 1930 by B.R.
Ambedkar and clashed with Mahatma Gandhi at the second Round Table
Conference by demand of separate electorates for the Dalits. Poona Pact of
1932, gave Depressed Classes reservations for seats in provincial and also
central legislative councils, and after the decline of Non-Cooperation and the
Khilafat movement, Muslims felt a little alienated from the urges of Congress
due to the worsening of relations between Muslims and Hindus.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah was ready for giving up on his idea of a separate
electorate, if there would be an assurance of reserved seats for Muslims in the
Central Assembly and also representation in proportion to Muslim-dominated
provinces. However, in 1928, at the All Parties Conference 1928, M.R.Jayakar
of Hindu Mahasabha came to oppose such efforts.

Nationalism in India: Sense of Collective Belonging

When people start to believe that they belong to a single nation, nationalism
starts to spread, which is known as the sense of collective belonging. This is
possible with the help of history, fiction, folklore, songs, popular prints, and also
symbols that became part of Nationalism in India.

By the twentieth century, India came to be identified with the image of Bharat
Mata, created by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, who wrote “Vande Mataram”
as a hymn of the motherland. The famous image of Bharat Mata was created by
Abanindranath Tagore, as an ascetic figure, who was calm, composed, and
spiritual. From the 19th century, nationalists began to record folk tales sung by
bards. They traveled throughout different villages singing folk songs and
legends.

Swadeshi movement in Bengal, a tricolor flag was designed which had eight
lotuses that represented eight provinces under British, a crescent moon which
represented the Hindus and also Muslims. Gandhiji in the year 1921, designed
the Swaraj flag, a tricolor and a spinning wheel in the center, which represented
Gandhiji’s idea of what is known as self-help.

EXTRA QUESTION AND ANSWERS

Question 1.
What was the Rowlatt Act? (2011 OD)
Answer:
Rowlatt Act gave the government enormous powers to suppress political activities and
allowed detention of political prisoners without trial for two years. In other words, the Act
proposed no appeal, no vakil and no daleel.

Question 2.
Why was the Rowlatt Act imposed? (2011 D)
Answer:
The imposing of the Rowlatt Act authorized the government to imprison any person
without trial and conviction in a court of law.
Question 3.
In which session of the Indian National Congress was the demand for ‘Puma Swaraj’
formalized? (2012 D)
Answer:
Lahore Session, December 1929.

Question 4.
Who composed ‘Vande Mataram’? (2012 D)
Answer:
Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay

Question 5.
Who created the first image of Bharat Mata? (2012 D)
Answer:
Abanindranath Tagore

Question 6.
Why was the Khilafat movement started? (2012 OD)
Answer:
Khilafat movement was started by Mahatma Gandhi and the Ali Brothers, Muhammad
Ali and Shaukat Ali in response to the harsh treatment given to the Caliph of Ottoman
empire and the dismemberment of the Ottoman empire by the British.

Question 7.
What combination of colours was there in the ‘Swaraj flag’ designed by Gandhiji in
1921? (2012 OD)
Answer:
Red, Green and White.

Question 8.
What was the main reason to withdraw the Non-cooperation Movement? (2013 OD)
Answer:
Mahatma Gandhi called off the Non-cooperation Movement as the movement had
turned violent in many places. The Chauri Chaura incident in 1922 turned into a violent
dash and 22 policemen were killed. Gandhiji felt satyagrahis were not ready for mass
struggles.

Question 9.
Which Act did not permit plantation workers to leave the tea garden without permission?
Answer:
Inland Emigration Act of 1859.

Question 10.
Name two main ‘Satyagraha’ movements organized by Mahatma Gandhi successfully in
favour of peasants in 1916 and 1917. (2013 D)
Answer:

1. Indigo Planters Movement in Champaran, Bihar in 1916.

2. Peasants Satyagraha Movement was organized in Kheda district in Gujarat in
1917 to support peasants in the demand for relaxation of revenue collection.

Question 11.
Who is the author of the famous book ‘Hind Swaraj’? (2014 D)
Answer:
Mahatma Gandhi.

Question 12.
In which novel was the hymn ‘Vande Mataram’ included and who was the novel written
by? (2014 OD)
Answer:
Novel—Aandamath
Author — Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.

Question 13.
In which year and place did Mahatma Gandhi organise Satyagraha for the first time in
India? (2014 D)
Answer:
In 1916, in Champaran, Bihar.

Short Answer Questions (SA) 3 Marks

Question 14.
Explain the idea of Satyagraha according to Gandhiji. (2014 D)
Answer:
Mahatma Gandhi returned to India in 1915 from South Africa. Gandhiji’s novel method
of mass agitation is know as ‘Satyagraha’. Satyagraha emphasised truth. Gandhiji
believed that if the cause is true, if the struggle is against injustice, then physical force
was not necessary to fight the oppressor. A satyagrahi can win the battle through non-
violence. People, including oppressors, had to be persuaded to see the truth. Truth was
bound to ultimately triumph. Gandhiji believed that dharma of non-violence could unite
all India.

Question 15.
Explain the effects of ‘worldwide economic depression’ on India, towards late 1920s.
(2013 OD)
Answer:
In 19th century, colonial India had become an exporter of agricultural goods and an
importer of manufactures.
The worldwide economic depression immediately affected Indian trade. India’s exports
and imports nearly halved between 1928 and 1934. As international prices crashed,
prices in India also plunged. Peasants producing for the world market were worst hit.
Though agricultural prices fell, the colonial government refused to reduce revenue
demands. Peasants indebtedness increased. For example, Jute producers of Bengal.

In these depression years, India became an exporter of precious metals, notably gold.

Question 16.
Explain any three facts about the new economic situation created in India by the First
World War. (2011 D)
Answer:
The First World War created a dramatically new economic situation in India:
(i) Manchester imports into India declined as the British mills were busy with war
production to meet the needs of the army paving the way for the Indian mills to supply
for the huge home market.

(ii) As the war prolonged, Indian factories were called upon to supply war needs. As a
result new factories were set up, new workers were employed and everyone was made
to work longer hours.

(iii) Cotton production collapsed and exports of cotton cloth from Britain fell dramatically
after the war, as it was unable to modernize and compete with US, Germany, Japan.
Hence within colonies like India, local industrialists gradually consolidated their position
capturing the home market.

Question 17.
How did the plantation workers understand the idea of ‘Swaraj’? Explain. (2011 OD)
Answer:
For the plantation workers of Assam, “Swaraj” meant freedom to move freely in and out
of the confined space in which they all were enclosed and also to be able to keep the
link with their native village intact. Under the Inland Emigration Act of 1859, plantation
workers were not allowed to leave their tea gardens without permission, which they
were rarely given.

When they heard of the Non-cooperation Movement, thousands of workers defied

authorities, left the plantations and headed home.

Question 18.
Explain the circumstances under which Gandhiji decided to call off the Civil
Disobedience Movement in 1931. (2012 OD)
Answer:
Gandhiji decided to call off the Civil Disobedience movement in 1931 because:
 1. Political leaders like Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan were arrested. More than one lakh
people were arrested.
2. Government responded with brutal repression and peaceful satyagrahis were
arrested. Women and children were beaten up.
3. It resulted in an uprising in Peshawar in 1930.
4. Industrial workers in Sholapur attacked police post. In Chittagong, the
revolutionaries captured the armoury and a pitched battle was fought between the
government troops and the revolutionaries. (any three)

In such a situation, Gandhiji called off the movement and the Gandhi-Irwin Pact was
signed.

Question 19.
Explain the reaction of Indian people against the Rowlatt Act passed through the
Imperial Legislative Council in 1919. (2012 OD)
Answer:
Reaction of Indian people against the Rowlatt Act of 1919:

1. Rallies were organized against this Act.

2. Railways, workshops and shops closed down.
3. The procession in Amritsar provoked widespread attacks on buses, post offices,
railway stations, telegraphic lines, etc.
4. On 6th April Gandhiji held Hartal against this unjust law (Rowlatt Act).
5. The peaceful demonstration in Jallianwala Bagh led to a violent movement all
across the country.

Question 20.
How had the First World War created a new economic situation in India? Explain with
three examples. (2013 D)
Answer:
The First World War created a dramatically new economic situation in India:
(i) Manchester imports into India declined as the British mills were busy with war
production to meet the needs of the army paving the way for the Indian mills to supply
for the huge home market.

(ii) As the war prolonged, Indian factories were called upon to supply war needs. As a
result new factories were set up, new workers were employed and everyone was made
to work longer hours.

(iii) Cotton production collapsed and exports of cotton cloth from Britain fell dramatically
after the war, as it was unable to modernize and compete with US, Germany, Japan.
Hence within colonies like India, local industrialists gradually consolidated their position
capturing the home market.
Question 21.
How was Rowlatt Act opposed by the people in India? Explain with examples. (2013 D)
Answer:
Gandhiji, who had formed a Satyagraha Sabha earlier, called for a countrywide protest
against the proposed Rowlatt Act. Throughout the country, 6 April 1919 was observed
as a National Humiliation Day. Gandhiji wanted a non-violent civil disobedience against
such unjust laws. Hartals (Strikes) and rallies were organized in various cities. Workers
went on strike in railway workshops. Shops closed down. The movement was non-
violent but proved to be effective.

Question 22.
Why did Gandhiji decide to launch a nationwide Satyagraha against the proposed
Rowlatt Act, 1919? How was it organised Explain. (2016 D, 2015 D, 2014 OD)
Answer:
The Rowlatt Act was passed despite the united opposition of the Indian members of
Imperial Legislative Council.

1. The Act gave the government enormous powers to oppress political agitations.
2. It had allowed the detention of political prisoners without trial for two years. There
was no provision for appeal.
The passing of this Act aroused large scale indignation.

Gandhiji, who had formed a Satyagraha Sabha earlier, called for a countrywide protest
against the proposed Rowlatt Act. Throughout the country, 6 April 1919 was observed
as a National Humiliation Day. Gandhiji wanted a non-violent civil disobedience against
such unjust laws. Hartals and rallies were organized in various cities. Workers went on
strike in railway workshops. Shops were closed down. The movement was non-violent
but proved to be effective.

Question 23.
Which were the two types of demands mentioned by Gandhiji in his letter to Viceroy
Irwin on 31st January 1930? Why was abolition of ‘salt tax’ most stirring demand?
Explain. (2013 OD)
Answer:
Some of the demands were of general interest; others were specific demands of
different classes from industrialists to peasants.

1. On 31st January, 1930 Gandhiji sent a letter to Viceroy Irwin stating eleven
demands, one of which was the demand to abolish Salt Tax.
2. Salt was one of the most essential food items consumed by the rich and poor alike
and a tax on it was considered an oppression on the people by the British
Government.
3. Gandhiji’s letter was an ultimatum and if his demands were not fulfilled by March
11, he had threatened to launch a civil disobedience campaign.
Question 24.
Explain any three problems faced by the peasants of Awadh. (2011 D)
Answer:
Three problems faced by the peasants of Awadh were:

1. Talukdars and landlords demanded exorbitantly high rents and a variety of other
taxes from the peasants.
2. Peasants had to do begar and work at the landlords’ farms without any payment.
3. As tenants they had no security of tenure and were being regularly evicted so that
they could acquire no right over the leased land.

Question 25.
Explain any three reasons for the lukewarm response of some Muslim organizations to
the Civil Disobedience Movement. (2011 D)
Answer:
Three reasons for lukeivarm response of some Muslim organizations to Civil
Disobedience Movement were:

1. After the decline of Non-cooperation-Khilafat movement, a large section of

Muslims felt alienated from the Indian National Congress.
2. The visible and open association of Congress with Hindu religious nationalist
groups like the Hindu Mahasabha in mid 1920s made the Muslims suspicious of
Congress motives.
3. The frequent communal clashes not only deepened the distance between the two
communities but also there was an important difference over the question of
representation in the future assemblies that were to be elected.

Question 26.
Explain any three effects of the Non-cooperation Movement on the economy of India.
(2011 OD)
Answer:
The economic sphere was affected by the Non-cooperation Movement:

1. Foreign goods were boycotted, liquor shops were picketed and foreign cloth was
burnt. The import of foreign cloth halved between 1921-1922. Its value dropped
from ₹ 102 crore to ₹ 57 crore.
2. Many merchants and traders refused to trade in foreign goods or finance foreign
trade.
3. People began discarding imported clothes and wearing Indian ones.
4. The production of Indian textile mills and handlooms went up. Use of khadi was
popularized.

Question 27.
How did the rich peasants and women take part in Civil Disobedience Movement?
(2011 OD)
Answer:
Role of rich peasants:

1. Being producers of commercial crops, they were hard hit by trade-depression and
falling prices.
2. As their cash income reduced, they found it impossible to pay the government’s
revenue demand.
3. These rich peasants became ardent supporters of the Civil Disobedience
Movement.
4. For them fight for Swaraj was a struggle against high revenues.

Role of women:

1. Women participated in protest marches, manufactured salt and picketed foreign

cloth and liquor shops. Many women went to jail.
2. Women who participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement, came from high-
caste families in urban areas and rich peasant households in rural areas.

Question 28.
Why did Non-cooperation Movement gradually slow down in cities? Explain any three
reasons. (2012 D, 2013 OD)
Answer:
The Non-cooperation Movement gradually slowed down in cities for a variety of
reasons:

1. Khadi cloth was more expensive than mill cloth and poor people could not afford
to buy it. As a result they could not boycott mill cloth for too long.
2. Alternative Indian institutions were not there which could be used in place of the
British ones. These were slow to come up.
3. So students and teachers began trickling back to government schools and lawyers
joined back work in government courts.

Question 29.
Describe the role of the peasants in Awadh in the Non-cooperation Movement. (2012 D)
Answer:
Role of the peasants in Awadh in the Non-cooperation Movement:

1. In Awadh, the peasants’ movement was led by Baba Ramchandra—a Sanyasi

who had earlier worked in Fiji as indentured labour.
2. The movement was against taluqdars and landlords who demanded high rents
from the peasants. Peasants had to do ‘bega/ and work at landlords’ farms without
any payment. As tenants, they had no security of tenure and could be evicted
without any notice.
3. The peasants’ movement demanded reduction of revenue, abolition of begar and
social boycott of these landlords.
 4. In many places Nai-Dhobi bandits were organized to deprive landlords of the
services of even washermen and barbers.
5. In 1920, Jawahar Lai Nehru began talking to the villagers and formed ‘Oudh Kisan
Sabha’. Within a month 300 branches had been setup in the villages.
6. As the movement spread in 1921, the houses of taluqdars and merchants were
attacked, bazaars were looted and grain hoards were taken over.

Question 30.
Describe any three major problems faced by the peasants of Awadh in the days of Non-
Cooperation Movement. (2015 OD)
Answer:
The movement of Awadh peasants was led by:

1. The peasants’ movement Baba Ramchandra was against talukdars and landlords
who demanded extremely high rents and a variety of other cesses from the
peasants.
2. Peasants were forced to work in landlords’ farms without any payment (begar).
Peasants had no security of tenure, thus being regularly evicted so that they could
acquire no right over the leased land.
3. The demands of the peasants were: reduction of revenue, abolition of begar and
social boycott of oppressive landlords.

Question 31.
Explain any three measures taken by the British administration to repress the
movement started against the ‘Rowlatt Act’. (2013 OD)
Answer:
British officials were alarmed by the popular upsurge:

1. The fear that the lines of communication, such as railways and telegraph, might
get disrupted, the British Government started even stronger repressive measures.
2. Local leaders were picked up. Gandhiji was barred from entering Delhi. On 10th
April, 1919 the police in Amritsar fired upon a peaceful procession.
3. This provoked widespread attacks on banks, post offices and railway stations.
Martial law was imposed and General Dyer took command.

Question 32.
Describe any three suppressive measures taken by the British administration to
clampdown on nationalists. (2014 D)
Answer:
Suppressive measures taken by the British administration were:
(i) The fear that the lines of communication, such as railways and telegraph, might get
disrupted, the British Government started even stronger repressive measures. Local
leaders were picked up. Gandhiji was barred from entering Delhi. On 10th April, 1919
the police in Amritsar fired upon a peaceful procession.
(ii) This provoked widespread attacks on banks, post offices and railway stations.
Martial law was imposed and General Dyer took command. The government replied
with further brutalities. The people of Punjab were made to crawl on the streets and
salute to all ‘Sahibs’. Some were put in open cages and flogged.

(iii) Newspapers were banned and their editors were arrested. A reign of terror followed.
Intellectuals like Rabindranath Tagore renounced their knighthood.

Question 33.
Describe the main features of the ‘Salt March’. (2014 OD)
Or
How did the Salt March become an effective tool of resistance against colonialism?
Explain. (2015 OD, 2016)
Answer:
Mahatma Gandhi found in salt a powerful symbol that could unite the nation.

1. On 31st January, 1930 he sent a letter to Viceroy Irwin stating eleven demands,
one of which was the demand to abolish Salt Tax.
2. Salt was one of the most essential food items consumed by the rich and poor alike
and a tax on it was considered an oppression on the people by the British
Government.
3. Mahatma Gandhi’s letter was an ultimatum and if his demands were not fulfilled by
March 11, he had threatened to launch a civil disobedience campaign.
4. So, Mahatma Gandhi started his famous Salt March accompanied by 78 of his
trusted volunteers. The march was over 240 miles, from Gandhiji’s ashram in
Sabarmati to the Gujarati coastal town of Dandi.
5. The volunteers walked for 24 days, about 10 miles a day. Thousands came to
hear Mahatma Gandhi wherever he stopped, and he told them what he meant by
Swaraj and urged them to peacefully defy the British.
6. On 6th April, he reached Dandi, and ceremonially violated the law, manufacturing
salt by boiling sea water. This marked the beginning of the Civil Disobedience
Movement.

Question 34.
“The Congress was reluctant to include the demands of industrial workers in its
programme of struggle.” Analyse the reasons. (2015 D)
Answer:
Some workers did participate in the civil disobedience movement, selectively adopting
some of the ideas of the Gandhian programme, like boycott of foreign goods as a part of
their own movements against low wages and poor working conditions.

There were strikes by railway workers in 1930 and dock workers in 1932. Thousands of
workers in Chotanagpur tin mines wore Gandhi caps and participated in protest rallies
and boycott campaigns. The Congress was reluctant to include the demands of workers
as part of its programme of struggle. It felt that this would alienate industrialists and
divide the anti-imperial forces.

Question 35.
Why did the Non-Cooperation Movement gradually slow down in the cities? Explain
(2015 D)
Answer:
Non-cooperation movement gradually slowed down in the cities for a variety of reasons:

1. Khadi cloth was often more expensive than mass produced mill cloth and poor
people could not afford to buy it.
2. Boycott of British institutions posed a problem for the movement to be successful.
Alternative Indian institutions had to be set up so that they could be used in place
of the British ones.
3. The institutions were slow to come up. So teachers and students began trickling
back to the government schools and even lawyers joined back work in
government courts.

Question 36.
Why did Mahatma Gandhiji decide to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement in
February 1922? Explain the reasons. (2015 D)
Answer:
In February 1922, Gandhiji decided to launch a no tax movement. The police opened
fire at the people who were taking part in a demonstration, without any provocation. The
people turned violent in their anger and attacked the police station and set fire to it. The
incident took place at Chauri Chaura in Uttar Pradesh. When the news reached
Gandhiji, he decided to call off the Non-cooperation movement as he felt that it was
turning violent and that the satyagrahis were not properly trained for mass struggle.

Question 37.
Describe the main features of ‘Poona Pact’. (2015 OD)
Answer:
The Poona Pact:
(i) Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, who organised the dalits into the Depressed Classes Association
in 1930 demanded separate electorates for dalits in the Second Round Table
Conference organised in London.

(ii) When British accepted this demand in the name of Communal Award, Gandhiji
started a fast into death. He believed that separate electorates for dalits would slow
down the process of their integration into the society.

(iii) Ambedkar and Gandhi came to an agreement with Ambedkar accepting Gandhis
position and the result was the Poona Pact of September, 1932.
  It gave the depressed classes (later to be known as Schedule castes) reserved
seats in provincial and central legislative councils.
 But, they were to be voted in by the general electorate.

Question 38.
Describe the spread of Non-Cooperation Movement in the countryside. (2015 OD)
Answer:
The Non-cooperation movement spread to the countryside also. It drew into the
struggles of peasants and tribals from different parts of India.
(i) In Awadh, the peasants’ movement led by Baba Ramchandra was against talukdars
and landlords who demanded extremely high rents and a variety of other cesses from
the peasants. Peasants were forced to work in landlords’ farms without any payment
(begar). Peasants had no security of tenure, thus being regularly evicted so that they
could acquire no right over the leased land. The demands of the peasants were—
reduction of revenue, abolition of begar and social boycott of oppressive landlords.

(ii) In the Gudem Hills of Andhra Pradesh a militant guerrilla movement spread in the
early 1920s against the closure of forest areas by the colonial government, preventing
people from entering the forests to graze their cattle, or to collect fuelwood and fruits.
They felt that their traditional rights were being denied.

(iii) For plantation workers in Assam, freedom meant the right to move freely in and out
of the confined space in which they were enclosed. It meant retaining a link with the
village from which they had come. Under the Inland Emigration Act of 1859, plantation
workers were not permitted to leave tea gardens without permission. In fact the
permission was hardly granted. When they heard of the Non¬Cooperation Movement,
thousands of workers defied the authorities and left for their homes.

Question 39.
“The plantation workers in Assam had their own understanding of Mahatma Gandhi and
the notion of Swaraj”. Support the statement with arguments. (2016 OD)
Answer:
“The plantation workers in Assam had their own understanding of Mahatma Gandhi and
the notion of Swaraj” —

1. For plantation workers in Assam, freedom meant the right to move freely in and
out of the confined space in which they were enclosed.
2. Under the Inland Emigration Act of 1859 plantation workers were not permitted to
leave the tea gardens without permission.
3. Swaraj meant retaining a link with the village from which they had come.
4. When they heard of the Non-cooperation Movement, thousands of workers defied
the authorities, left the plantations and headed home.
5. They believed that Gandhi Raj was coming and everyone would be given land in
their own village.
Question 40.
What type of flag was designed during the ‘Swadeshi Movement’ in Bengal? Explain its
main features. (2016 OD)
Answer:
During the ‘Swadeshi Movement’ in Bengal, a tricolour flag—red, green and yellow was
designed. It had eight lotuses representing the eight provinces of British India.

It had a crescent moon, representing Hindus and Muslims.

10. Mention three main proposals with reference to the Non-Cooperation

Movement as suggested by Mahatma Gandhi. [CBSE 2008 (D)]
Or
Gandhiji proposed that the Non-Cooperation should unfold in stages.
Explain. [CBSE 2013]

Answer: The Non-Cooperation had two aspects, i.e., one relating to the struggle and
the other relating to the norms of conduct and constructive work. Gandhiji proposed
that the movement should unfold in the following stages :
(i) Surrender of titles, honours and honorary posts,
(ii) Boycott of Legislative Councils,
(iii) Boycott of law courts by the lawyers,
(iv) Boycott of Government schools and colleges, and withdrawal of children from these
schools and colleges.
(v) Boycott of British goods, To get a popular support for the movement, Mahatma
Gandhi and Shaukat Ali toured extensively throughout India.

2. How was the Non-Cooperation Movement converted into a national movement

by Gandhiji?

Answer: (i) Hindu-Muslim Unity : Mahatma Gandhi felt the need to launch a more
broad-based movement in India. He was certain that no such movement could be
organized without bringing the Hindus and Muslims closer together.

(ii) Merging Khilafat issue with the movement : So to unite the both the communities
he decided to take up the Khilafat issue. 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 Ottoman emperor – the spiritual head of the Islamic world (the Khalifa).

(iii) Talking to Muslim leaders : A young generation of Muslim leaders like the
brothers Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali, began discussing with Mahatma Gandhi about
the possibility of a united mass action on the issue. Gandhiji saw this an opportunity to
bring Muslims under the umbrella of a unified national movement. At the Calcutta
session of the Congress in September 1920, he convinced other leaders of the need to
start a non-cooperation movement in support of Khilafat as well as for Swaraj.

13. “The effects of Non-cooperation on the economic front were more dramtic.”
Explain.
Or
Explain the effects of Non-Cooperation Movement on the economic front.
[CBSE 2014 (F)]
Or
Explain the impact of Non-Cooperation Movement in the economic field.
[CBSE 2012]

Answer: (i) Fall in imports : Foreign goods were boycotted, liquor shops picketed, and
foreign cloth burnt in huge bonfires. The import of foreign cloth halved between 1921
and 1922, its value dropping from Rs. 102 crore to Rs. 57 crore.
(ii) Boycott of Foreign goods : In many places merchants and traders refused to trade
in foreign goods or finance foreign trade.
(iii) Boost for Indian industry : As the boycott movement spread, and people began
discarding imported clothes and wearing only Indian ones, production of Indian textile
mills and handlooms went up.

Explain the reason for the Lahore Session of the Congress in 1929 to be called the
historical session. [CBSE 2014]

Answer: (i) The Simon Commission had to face demonstration all over India, and no
party was in favour of the Commission. So in an effort to win the political parties the
Viceroy, Lord Irwin, announced in October 1929, a vague offer of “dominion status’ for
India in an unspecified future and a Round Table Conference to discuss a future
constitution.

(ii) The announcement fell short of the expectations of the Congress. At its Lahore
Session, presided over by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in December, 1929, the Congress
passed a resolution boycotting the Round Table Conference. It declared ‘Purna Swaraj’
(Complete Independence) as its goal, and took steps to launch a programme of Civil
Disobedience. The Puma Swaraj Day was celebrated all over India on 26th January, 1930.