. What is nationalism in India?

Nationalism in India refers to the political and social movement that aimed at achieving
independence and self-governance for India from British colonial rule. It emerged in the late 19th
and early 20th centuries, and it played a crucial role in shaping the Indian freedom struggle.

The First World War, Khilafat and Non-Cooperation

* Impact of World War I on India:
1) Increase in defense expenditure of the British army was financed by Introducing
Income Tax in India
2) Through the war years prices increased 2× and cause hardship for common people
3) Forced recruitment in villages...
4) Crop failure in many parts of India resulted in a food shortage
5) Acc. to Census 12 to 13 million people died due to famines and epidermis

1.1) The Idea of Satyagraha

Concept of Satyagraha: Satyagraha, a method pioneered by Mahatma Gandhi, is based on the
power of truth and the principle of non-violence. It advocates that if the cause is just, then one can
confront injustice without physical force. Instead of using violence or seeking revenge, a satyagrahi
(one who practices satyagraha) aims to appeal to the oppressor's conscience, convincing them of
the truth of the cause. Gandhi believed that this approach could unite all Indians and lead to the
triumph of truth.

- Gandhi ji came to India in January 1915

1. In 1916 Champaran Satyagraha Against the Plantation system
European planters were compelling the peasants of champarn to grow indigo on
at least 3/20th of their land and sell it on prices fixed by them. Gandhi defied
district administration orders and refused to leave to orders withdrawn. And
finally matter was resolved by involvement of Gandhi it was his first satyagraha
movement in India
2. In 1917 - Kheda, Gujarat - For no revenue collection peasants were
demanding suspension of revenue tax in the wake of crop failure. Govt.refused
to remit and demanded it full collection. Gandhi advised peasants not to pay
any tax till remission was met. Finally they got remission.
3. In 1918 - Ahmedabad, Gujarat - With Cotton mill workers Gandhi
intervened in a dispute between the textile workers and mill owners .workers
demanded 35% hike in wage due to inflation. on the direction of Gandhi
workers went on strike .Gandhi undertook fast unto death to strengthen strike
finally demand of workers was accepted

1.2) The Rowlatt Act (1919)

In 1917 a committee was setup under the president ship of sir Sydney Rowlett to look
into the militant nationalist activities.
On the basis of its report Rowlett Act was passed in march 1919.
1) This Act had been passed hurriedly through the Imperial Legislative council despite

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The United opposition of the Indian members
2) It gave the government enormous power to repress political activities
3) It allowed the detention of political prisoners without trial, for two years
* 6 April, 1919-Gandhi ji started Satyagraha against Rowlatt Act
- Rallies were organized in various cities
- Workers went on strike in railway workshops and shops closed down
* Martian Law: To give powers to the army of a particular region
- 13 April: Jallianwalla Bhag incident took place which was done by General Dyer
- He blocked the exit points, and opened fire on the crowd, killing hundreds.

- After this, people started fighting with police and attacking government offices and in
respect, British started fighting with people and destroying villages through Bonds.

- Finally after so much violence, Gandhi ji stopped Satyagraha

- Gandhi ji wanted to combine Hindu and Muslim. so they raised the 'Khilafat Issue'

* Khilafat Issue
1) World War 1 ended with the defeat of the Ottoman... Rumour spread that there will
be a harsh Treaty on Ottoman Empire (The Khalifa)
2) To defend Khalifa's Power, a Khalifa committee was formed in Bombay in March
1919
3) Muslim leaders like Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali (Ali Brothers)
4) Gandhi ji saw this opportunity to unite Hindu and Muslim
5) At the Calcutta session of Congress (Sep. 1920) he convinced leaders to start a non-
cooperation movement for Swaraj and Khilafat issue

1.3) Why Non-cooperation?

-Gandhi ji wrote Book: Hind Swaraj (1909) they declared that British rule was
established because we help them and if we stop helping them, then we get Swaraj in
1 year
* Congress not accepting N.C.M. Why?
1) Because in this Council election has to be boycotted, but they want to take part in
elections
2) There will be so much violence
* Finally, Congress adopted N.C.M in the Nagpur session in Dec. 1920
Gandhi suggested a staged approach to the Non-Cooperation Movement.
Stage 1: Surrender government-awarded titles, boycott civil services, army, police, courts, legislative
councils, schools, and foreign goods.
Stage 2: Launch a full civil disobedience campaign if the government used repression.

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Differing Strands within the Movement-
The N.C.M began in January 1921
2.1) The Movement in the Towns
* How movement adopted?
1) Students and teachers left government-controlled schools and colleges...
2) The Council election was boycotted in most provinces except Madras
3) Liquor shops were pickted
4) People started wearing Khadi

* Drawbacks: 1) Khadi was expensive

2) Very few Indian Institutions
So people rejoined government-controlled schools, colleges, and Courts

2.2) Rebellion in the Countryside

☆Peasents:
- For them movement is for Talukdars and landlords
1) Problem:-
(i) Talukdars demanded high rent
(ii) Begar... had to work without getting paid
2) Demands:
(i) Reduction of revenue
(ii) Abolition of begar
(iii) Redistribution of Land
(iv) Social boycott of oppressive landlords
3) Protest:
(i) No services were provided to landlords
(ii) Talukdars were attacked
(iii) Bazaars were looted
(iv) Formed Oudh Kisan Sabha
* Baba Ram Chandra - Head of peasants in Awhad

☆Tribal People:
1) Problems:
(i) Britishers closed large forest
(ii) Forced them to do work
(iii) Prevented them from entering the forest and grazing cattle or collecting fruits

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2) Started Guerrilla war in Gudem Hills (Andhra Pradesh)
- Lead by Alluri Sitaram Raju
- People say that Raju has superstitious powers and refer to him as God
- Raju was Inspired by N.C.M - to persuade people to wear khadi and boycott liquor
- He is a follower of Gandhi ji but he thought that violence must be used to liberate
Indian
- Gudem rebels attacked the Police station and killed British officials
* 1924 - Raju was arrested and killed

2.3) Swaraj in the Plantations

- For them, freedom was moving freely in and out of the land.
1) According to Inland Emigration Act (1859) plantation workers were not allowed to
leave the plantation without permission
2) Owing N.C.M thousands of workers left the plantation and headed home
3) They believed Gandhiji Raj was coming and everyone would be given land in their
villages
* In February 1922 Gorakhpur, Chori-chaura Bazaar, a peaceful demonstration
turned into violence
* Gandhi ji finally called off N.C.M

Towards Civil Disobedience

- Now leaders get tired of mass struggle and wanted to participate in the Provincial
Council that had been set up by the Government of
India Act of 1919
- They wanted to oppose British policies within the councils and argue for reform
- C.R Das and Motilal Nehru formed the Swaraj party to go back to Council
* Two factors shaped Indian politics towards the late 1920s

1) Worldwide economic depression

- Agriculture prices began to fall in 1926 and collapsed after 1930
- Demands and export declined
- Farmers found it difficult to sell their harvest and pay their revenue
2) Simon Commission
* Commission: An official group of people to control something
- This commission was made by the British govt.
- Head was Sir John Simon
- They were sent to India to see the functioning of the Indian Constitution and suggest
some changes

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- But there is one drawback: there is no Indian in this commission
- So In 1928, when the commission comes to India they were greeted by the 'Go Back
Simon' slogan
- Lord Irwin offer dominance status
* Congress leaders were not satisfied. they demanded full Independence
* Under the presidency of Jawaharlal Nehru in the Lahore session of congress, Dec
1929
they demanded 'PURNA SWARAJ' and declared 26 January, Independence day
3.1) The Salt March and Civil Disobedience Movement
* On 31 January 1930, Gandhi ji send a letter to Irwin in which they put 11 demands
* The main demand was the abolition of the Salt Tax
* Mahatma Gandhi ji send an ultimatum, If The demands were not fulfilled by 11
March, the congress would launch a Civil
Disobedience campaign
- But their demands were not fulfilled.
* Gandhi ji started The Salt March on 12 March 1930
1) Gandhi ji was accompanied by 78 of his trusted volunteers
2) It was 240 miles, from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi
3) They take 24 days... 10 miles/day
4) Thousands came to hear Gandhi ji whenever he stopped. he told them about swaraj
and non-violence
5) On 6 April 1930, he reached Dandi and violated the law by manufacturing salt
* Civil Disobedience Movement Started

* How was C.D.M different from N.C.M?

1) People were now asked not only to refuse cooperation as they had done in 1921-22
but also to break colonial rules
2) Thousands of people manufactured Salt and broke the law, they protested in front
of government Salt factories
3) Foreign clothes were boycotted and liquor shops were picketed
4) Peasants refused to pay the revenue and chowkidar taxes, and village officials
resigned
5) Forest people violated forest laws by going into the reserved forests to collect wood
and graze cattle
* Britishers started arresting leaders like Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Mahatma Gandhi
- In response, people started attacking Police stations
- Britishers attacked Satyagrahi and started hitting women and children and
arrestedalmost 1 lakh people
Finally, Gandhi ji stopped C.D.M in 1931

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- In Dec 1931, Gandhi ji went to London for a Round Table conference, but the
negotiations broke down and they returned disappointed
- Back in India, they saw that Congress leaders were arrested and congress was
declared illegal
- With Great apprehension, Gandhi ji restarted C.D.M in 1932
- But C.D.M lost its momentum by 1934

3.2) How Participants saw the Movement

* How Social Groups took part in C.D.M?
* Rich Peasants
1) Countryside rich peasants communities like Patidars of Gujarat and Jats of U.P
were active in C.D.M
2) Being producers of Commercial crops, they were very hard hit by the trade
depression and falling prices
3) As their income fell, they found it hard to pay revenue
4) They enthusiastically supported C.D.M. they took part in Boycott programs and
refused to pay the revenue
5) For them fighting for Swaraj was against high revenue. They were deeply
disappointed when the C.D.M was called off in 1931 without the revenue rates being
revised
* In 1932, when C.D.M relaunched they refused to participate
* Poor Peasants
1) They work on land and pay rents
2) Due to Economic Depression it is difficult to pay rents
3) They demanded that the unpaid rent should be forgiven
4) But congress leader don't pay much attention to rent Campaign because they don't
want to make their relation bad with Rich Farmers and landlords
* Business Classes
1) They wanted policies that supported business whereas colonial policies restricted
their business activities
2) They wanted policies that support business whereas colonial policies restricted their
business activities
3)They formed The Indian Industrial and Commercial Congress (FICCI) in 1920 and
The
Federation of the Indian Chamber of
Commerce and Industries (FICCI) in 1927 led by Purshottamdas and G.D Birla
4) They supported C.D.M financially ad refused to buy and sell imported goods
5) Businessmen saw Swaraj as a time when trade and Industries can flourish without
any colonial restrictions.

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(* Congress session of 1927 was held in Madras)

* Working Class
1) Only some working class took part in C.D.M except Nagpur region
2) They adopted the idea of the Gandhi program, like the boycott of foreign clothes and
goods
3) For them movement was against low wages and bad working conditions
4) There were strikes by Railway workers in 1930 and dock workers in 1932
5) In 1930, thousands of workers in Chotanagpur tin mines wore Gandhi caps and
participated in protest rallies and boycott campaigns.

* Women
1) Women participated in large numbers in the Civil Disobedience Movement
2) Thousands of women came out of their homes to listen to Gandhi
3) They participated in protest marches, manufactured salt, and boycotted foreign
goods
4) Many were put to jail by police
5) They began to see service to the nation as their sacred duty of them
3.3) The Limits of Civil Disobedience
*What were the Limitations of C.D.M?
1) Congress ignored Dalits and depressed classes in order to please high-caste
Hindus...Hence participation of depressed classes were limited.
2) Congress associated with Hindu religious Nationalist groups.Hence, less Muslim
participation.
3) There was distrust between communities alienated from congress. Hence large
section of Muslim did not respond to C.D.M
4) Rich peasants were disappointed when the movement was called off in 1931 without
the revenue rates being revised. so many refused to participate when the movement
was restarted in 1932
5) Congress was closer and supported industrialists...Hence the working class did not
take part in C.D.M except in Nagpur.
* POONA PACT (September 1932)
1) Dr. BR. Ambedkar who organized Dalits into the depressed classes Association
demanded a separate electorate for Dalits
2) When the British government conceded Ambedkar's demand, Gandhi ji began Fast
until death.
3) He believed that separate electorate from Dalits would slow down the process of
their integration into society.
4) Ambedkar accepted Gandhi ji position and the result was the POONA PACT of
September 1932.

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5) POONA PACT gave the depressed classes reserved seats in provincial and Central
legislative councils but they were to be voted in by the general electorate.

The Sense of Collective Belonging

- The sense of collective belongingness can be created in 5 ways:
1) United Struggle

2) History, Fiction, Songs, Folktales, Prints, and Symbols. All played a part in
increasing nationalism
3) Pictures like BHARAT MATA...Songs like VANDE MATARAM written by Bankim
Chandra Chattopadhyay
4) revival of Folklores...
5) Reinterpretation of History...