Chapter 2 Nationalism in India

Notes
The First World War, Khilafat and Non-Cooperation
 In India, the growth of modern nationalism is connected to the anti-colonial movement
 Due to colonialism, many different groups shared bonds together, which were forged by the Congress under
Mahatma Gandhi.
 The war created a new economic and political situation in the years after 1919.
 Income tax was introduced, and the prices of custom duties were doubled between 1913 and 1918
 In 1918-19 crops failed in India, resulting in a shortage of food accompanied by an influenza epidemic.
 At this stage, a new leader appeared and suggested a new mode of struggle.
The Idea of Satyagraha
 In January 1915, Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa
 Satyagraha emphasised the power of truth and the need to search for truth.
 According to Mahatma Gandhi, people can win a battle with non-violence which will unite all Indians.
 In 1917, he travelled to Champaran in Bihar to inspire the peasants to struggle against the oppressive
plantation system.
 In the same year, he organised satyagraha to support the peasants of the Kheda district of Gujarat.
 In 1918, Mahatma Gandhi went to Ahmedabad to organise a satyagraha movement amongst cotton mill
workers.
The Rowlatt Act
In 1919, Mahatma Gandhi launched a nationwide satyagraha against the proposed Rowlatt Act. The Act
gave the government enormous powers to repress political activities and allowed the detention of political
prisoners without trial for two years. The British government decided to clamp down on nationalists by
witnessing the outrage of the people. On April 10th, police in Amritsar fired on a peaceful procession, which
provoked widespread attacks on banks, post offices and railway stations. Martial law was imposed, and
General Dyer took command.On 13th April, the Jallianwala Bagh incident took place. A large crowd
gathered in the Jallianwala Bagh, where a few people came to protest against the government’s new
repressive measures, while some came to attend the annual Baisakhi fair. General Dyer blocked all the exit
points and opened fire on the crowd killing hundreds. After the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, people became
furious and went on strikes, clashes with police and attacks on government buildings. Mahatma Gandhi had
to call off the movement as it was turning into a violent war.Mahatma Gandhi then took up the Khilafat issue
by bringing Hindus and Muslims together. The First World War ended with the defeat of Ottoman Turkey. In
March 1919, a Khilafat Committee was formed in Bombay. In September 1920, Mahatma Gandhi
convinced other leaders of the need to start a non-cooperation movement in support of Khilafat as well as
for Swaraj.
Why Non-Cooperation?
According to Mahatma Gandhi, British rule was established in India with the cooperation of Indians. Non-
cooperation movement is proposed in stages. It should begin with the surrender of titles that the
government awarded and a boycott of civil services, the army, police, courts and legislative councils,
schools and foreign goods. After many hurdles and campaigning between the supporters and opponents of
the movement, finally, in December 1920, the Non-Cooperation Movement was adopted.
Differing Strands within the Movement
In January 1921, the Non-Cooperation-Khilafat Movement began. In this movement, various social groups
participated, but the term meant different things to different people.
The Movement in the Towns
The middle class started the movement, and thousands of students, teachers, and headmasters left
government-controlled schools and colleges, and lawyers gave up their legal practices. On the economic
front, the effects of non-cooperation were more dramatic. The production of Indian textile mills and
handlooms went up when people started boycotting foreign goods. However, this movement slowed down
due to a variety of reasons, such as Khadi clothes being expensive and fewer Indian institutions for
students and teachers to choose from, so they went back to government schools, and lawyers joined back
government courts.
Rebellion in the Countryside
The Non-Cooperation Movement spread to the countryside, where peasants and tribals were developing in
different parts of India. The peasant movement started against talukdars and landlords who demanded high
rents and a variety of other cesses. It demanded a reduction of revenue, abolition of begar and social
boycott of oppressive landlords.Jawaharlal Nehru, in June 1920, started going around the villages in Awadh
to understand their grievances. In October, he, along with a few others, set up the Oudh Kisan Sabha, and
within a month, 300 branches had been set up. In 1921, the peasant movement spread, and the houses of
talukdars and merchants were attacked, bazaars were looted, and grain boards were taken over.In the
early 1920s, a militant guerrilla movement started spreading in the Gudem Hills of Andhra Pradesh. The
government started closing down forest areas, due to which their livelihood was affected. Finally, the hill
people revolted, which was led by Alluri Sitaram Raju, who claimed that he had a variety of special powers.
Swaraj in the Plantations
For plantation workers in Assam, freedom meant the right to move freely in and out and retain a link with
the village from which they had come. Under the Inland Emigration Act of 1859, plantation workers were
not permitted to leave the tea gardens without permission. After they heard of the Non-Cooperation
Movement, thousands of workers left the plantations and headed home. But unfortunately, they never
reached their destination and were caught by the police and brutally beaten up.
Towards Civil Disobedience
In February 1922, the Non-Cooperation Movement was withdrawn because Mahatma Gandhi felt that it
was turning violent. Some of the leaders wanted to participate in elections to the provincial councils. Swaraj
Party was formed by CR Das and Motilal Nehru. In the late 1920s, Indian politics was again shaped
because of two factors. The first effect was the worldwide economic depression, and the second effect was
the falling agricultural prices. The Statutory Commission was set up to look into the functioning of the
constitutional system in India and suggest changes. In 1928, Simon Commission arrived in India, and it was
greeted by the slogan ‘Go back, Simon’. In December 1929, under the presidency of Jawaharlal Nehru, the
Lahore Congress formalised the demand for ‘Purna Swaraj’ or full independence for India. It was declared
that 26 January 1930 would be celebrated as Independence Day.
The Salt March and the Civil Disobedience Movement
On 31 January 1930, Mahatma Gandhi sent a letter to Viceroy Irwin stating eleven demands. Among the
demands, the most stirring of all was the demand to abolish the salt tax, which is consumed by the rich and
the poor. The demands needed to be fulfilled by 11 March, or else Congress would start a civil
disobedience campaign. The famous salt march was started by Mahatma Gandhi, 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. On 6 April, he reached Dandi, and ceremonially violated the law, manufacturing salt
by boiling seawater. This marked the beginning of the Civil Disobedience Movement.
The movement spread across the world and salt law was broken in different parts of the country. Foreign
clothes were boycotted, peasants refused to pay revenue, and in many places, forest law was violated. In
April 1930, Abdul Ghaffar Khan, a devout disciple of Mahatma Gandhi, was arrested. Mahatma Gandhi was
arrested a month later, which led to attacks on all structures that symbolised British rule. By witnessing the
horrific situation, Mahatma Gandhi decided to call off the movement and entered into a pact with Irwin on 5
March 1931. Gandhi-Irwin Pact, Gandhiji consented to participate in a Round Table Conference in London.
When the conference broke down, Mahatma Gandhi returned to India disappointed and relaunched the
Civil Disobedience Movement. It continued for almost a year, but by 1934 it lost its momentum.
How Participants Saw the Movement
The Patidars of Gujarat and the Jats of Uttar Pradesh were active in the movement. They became
enthusiastic supporters of the Civil Disobedience Movement. But they were deeply disappointed when the
movement was called off in 1931. So when the movement was restarted in 1932, many of them refused to
participate. The poorer peasants joined a variety of radical movements, often led by Socialists and
Communists.To organise business interests, the Indian Industrial and Commercial Congress in 1920 and
the Federation of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) in 1927 were formed. The
industrialists attacked colonial control over the Indian economy and supported the Civil Disobedience
Movement when it was first launched. Some of the industrial workers did participate in the Civil
Disobedience Movement. In 1930 and 1932, railway workers and dock workers were on strike.
Another important feature of the Civil Disobedience Movement was the large-scale participation of women.
But, for a long time, Congress was reluctant to allow women to hold any position of authority within the
organisation.
The Limits of Civil Disobedience
Dalits, addressed as untouchables, were not moved by the concept of Swaraj. Mahatma Gandhi used to
call them Harijans or the children of God, without whom swaraj could not be achieved. He organised
satyagraha for the untouchables, but they were keen on a different political solution to the problems of the
community. They demanded reserved seats in educational institutions and a separate electorate.
Dr B.R. Ambedkar, who organised the Dalits into the Depressed Classes Association in 1930, clashed with
Mahatma Gandhi at the second Round Table Conference by demanding separate electorates for Dalits.
The Poona Pact of September 1932 gave the Depressed Classes (later to be known as the Scheduled
Castes) reserved seats in provincial and central legislative councils. After the decline of the Non-
Cooperation-Khilafat movement, Muslims felt alienated from Congress, due to which the relations between
Hindus and Muslims worsened.Muhammad Ali Jinnah was willing to give up the demand for separate
electorates if Muslims were assured reserved seats in the Central Assembly and representation in
proportion to the population in the Muslim-dominated provinces. Nevertheless, the hope of resolving the
issue at the All Parties Conference in 1928 disappeared when M.R. Jayakar of the Hindu Mahasabha
strongly opposed efforts at compromise.
The Sense of Collective Belonging
Nationalism spreads when people begin to believe that they are all part of the same nation. History and
fiction, folklore and songs, and popular prints and symbols all played a part in the making of nationalism.
Finally, in the twentieth century, the identity of India came to be visually associated with the image of
Bharat Mata. Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay created the image, and in the 1870s, he wrote ‘Vande
Mataram’ as a hymn to the motherland.Abanindranath Tagore painted his famous image of Bharat Mata
portrayed as an ascetic figure; she is calm, composed, divine and spiritual. In late-nineteenth-century India,
nationalists began recording folk tales sung by bards, and they toured villages to gather folk songs and
legends. During the Swadeshi movement in Bengal, a tricolour flag (red, green and yellow) was designed,
which had eight lotuses representing eight provinces of British India and a crescent moon representing
Hindus and Muslims. By 1921, Gandhiji designed the Swaraj flag, a tricolour (red, green and white) and
had a spinning wheel in the centre, representing the Gandhian ideal of self-help.
Conclusion
In the first half of the twentieth century, various groups and classes of Indians came together in the struggle
for independence. The Congress, under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, attempted to resolve
differences and ensure that the demands of one group did not alienate another. In other words, what was
emerging was a nation with many voices wanting freedom from colonial rule.
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Long questions
1.The Civil Disobedience Movement saw the participation of different social classes and groups. Give
reasons for the participation of the following:
(1) rich peasants
(2) poor peasants
(3) business classes
(4) industrial working classes
(5) women.
2.The middle classes played an important role in the Non-Cooperation Movement in the cities. Explain.
Why do you think that the movement slowed down in the cities?
3.What was the impact of the First World War on the economic conditions in India?
4.Discuss the role of South India in the Non-Cooperation Movement.
5.Why did Gandhiji decide to withdraw the ‘Non-Cooperation Movement’ in February, 1922? Explain any
three reasons.
6.The Congress was reluctant to include the demands of industrial workers in its programme of struggle.”
Analyse the reasons.
7.Who designed the Swaraj Flag ? What were the features of this flag ? How was it used as a symbol of
defiance ?
8.What do you know about the Lucknow Pact of 1916? Write its importance in history of India.
9.Explain with examples the role of industrialists in the freedom struggle of India.
10.Explain with examples the role of industrialists in the freedom struggle of India.
11.Which were the two types of demands mentioned by Gandhiji in his letter to viceroy Irwin on 31 January
1930. Why was abolitions of salt tax most stirring demand ? Explain.
12.Who organized the Depressed Classes Association and what were the aims of this association?
13.Describe any two suggestive measures taken by the British administration to clamp down on nationalists
14.Describe the incidence of Jallianwala Bagh Massacre.
15.Explain the reasons for relaunching the Civil Disobedience Movement by Gandhiji..
16.Discuss the role of women in the revolutionary movement.
17.What were the three local issues in which Gandhiji experimented his technique of Satyagrah during the
years 1917-18 ? How were these issues resolved ?
18.Explain any three reasons for the slow-down of Non-cooperation movement in cities.
19.Explain any three measures taken by the British administration to uprise the movement started against
the Rowlatt Act”
20.Workers of Assam had their Own understanding of Mahatma Gandhi and the nation of Swaraj. Explain
with examples
21.How did the Non-Cooperation Movement unfold in the cities and towns of India?
22.Describe the implications of First World War on the economic and political situation of India.
23.Describe the role of poor peasantry in the Civil Disobedience Movement."
24.Poor peasants kept themselves away from Congress and Civil Disobedience Movement. Why?
25.State any two hopes and expectations of the industrial working class from the Civil Disobedience
Movement. Explain any two reasons why the Congress was not interested in including their demands
26.When did Mahatma Gandhi return from South Africa? State any two important works or Satyagrahas
which Mahatma Gandhi did immediately after his arrival in India.
27.How did the Business class relate itself to the Civil Disobedience Movement? Explain with examples.
28.How did the tribals of the ‘Gudem Hills of Andhra Pradesh interpret Swaraj’? What
was the differences between the beliefs and practices of their leader, Alluri Sita Ram Raju ?
29.Mention three reasons by which the rich peasant communities took active participation in the Civil
Disobedience Movement.
30.How did Non-Cooperation movement start with participation of middle class people in the cities? Explain
its impact on the economic front.
30.Why was Congress reluctant to allow women to hold any position of authority within the organisation ?
How did women participate in Civil Disobedience Movement? Explain.
31.Some icons and symbols were used for unifying the people and sparking in them the feeling of
nationalism.’ Give two evidences to support above statement.
32.Compare the images of Bharat Mata in this chapter with the image of Germania in Chapter
33.How had the ‘First World War’ created economic problems in India? Explain with examples.
34.The Civil Disobedience Movement was different from the Non-co-operation Movement.” Support the
statement with examples.
35.How did the Non-Cooperation Movement spread to the countryside and drew into its fold the struggles
of peasants and tribal communities? Elaborate.
36.How as the freedom struggle for India’s independence was converted into a Mass movement by
M.K.Gandhi.
Short Questions
1.Describe any three causes that led to the Non-Cooperation Movement.
2.Describe any three causes of ‘Civil Disobedience Movement’.
3.Mention any three efforts made by Gandhiji to get Harijans their rights.
4.Why did Mahatma Gandhi perceive salt as a powerful symbol that unite the nation ?
5.Why did Mahatma Gandhi perceive salt as a powerful symbol that unite the nation ?
6.How did the revival of Indian folklore help to develop the ideas of nationalism ?
7.What did the image of Bharat Mata painted by Abanindranath Tagore portray ?
8.When and where was Khilafat Committee formed ? What was its objective ?
9.Why did Mahatma Gandhi find in ‘salt’ a powerful symbol that could unite the nation? Explain
10.How did the Civil Disobedience Movement come into force in various parts of the country? Explain with
examples
11.Why was the Non-Cooperation Movement launched in 1920 ? Why did Gandhiji call off the movement in
1922?
12.Method of reinterpretation of history was followed to encourage the feeling of nationalism.” Give any
three arguments to support this statement. .0rHow did the ‘Reinterpretation of history’
created a feeling of nationalism in India ? Give four points.
13.How did the people belonging to different community regions or language develop a sense of collective
belonging during the Indian freedom struggle ?
14.Ideas of nationalism also developed through a movement to revive Indian folklore.” Support the
statement with four examples.
15.What was the response of the Congress leaders to Lord Irwin’s proposals in October 1929 ?
16.Examine the background of the poona pact of 1932 in the light of difference between Gandhiji and Dr
BR Ambedkar
Very short question
1.Describe the role of Alluri Sitaram Raju inAndhra Pradesh during 1920s.
2.Explain the ideas of Gandhiji as he expressed in the famous book ‘Hind Swaraj’ regarding Non-
Cooperation.
3.Evaluate the contribution made by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay towards Swadeshi Movement.
4.Why did Mahatma Gandhi choose ‘Salt Tax’ to launch the Civil Disobedience Movement ? Explain three
reasons.
5.Which folk tales were published by Natesa Sastri ? Highlight the main point of his thinking.
6.Explain any three features of the peasant movement organised in Awadh in the second decade of the
20th century.
7.How could Non-cooperation become a Movement? Give your opinion.
8.In which session of Congress, Non-Cooperation Movement was adopted? What were the plans of Gandhi
to launch Non-Cooperation Movement?
9.Explain any four factors to show how did the First World War help in the growth of the National Movement
in India.
10.What was the Rowlatt Act of 1919? Explain the reaction of the people against the Rowlatt Act.
11.What was the main issue behind the Khilafat Movement? Why did Gandhiji support this?
12.Explain the idea of Satyagraha?
13.Why did the peasants join the Civil Disobedience Movement in India
14.How did ‘Salt March’ become an effective tool of resistance against colonialism ? Explain.
15.Why was the participation of Dalits in the Civil disobedience movement limited?
16.Some of the Muslim political organisations in India were lukewarm in their response to the Civil
Disobedience Movement.” Examine the statement.
17.Write a brief essay on women’s participation in the Civil Disobedience, Movement of 1930.
18.Describe the different factors that shaped the political situation in the late 1920s.
19. Imagine you are a young political leader in 1929, attending a meeting of the Indian National Congress.
During the discussions, you hear about the British government's offer of Dominion Status for India. What
did this offer states?
20.Why did Mahatma Gandhi organise, Satyagraha in the Kheda district of Gujarat in 1917? Give the main
reason.
21. "The Simon Commission arrived in India in 1928, a move that triggered widespread protests across the
country." Evaluate the reasons behind its arrival.
22.Why were men from Indian villages forcefully recruited to the British army during the first world war?
23..Read the case given below and explain the key compromise reached between Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and
Mahatma Gandhi through the pact signed by them.
Dr BR Ambedkar, who organised the dalits into the Depressed Classes Association in 1930, clashed with
Mahatma Gandhi at the Second Round Table Conference by demanding separate electorates for dalits.
When the British government conceded Ambedkar's demand, Gandhiji began a fast unto death. He
believed that separate electorates for dalits would slow down the process of their integration into society.

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Case Based Questions
1. Read the sources given below and answer the questions that follows:
Against this background the new Tory government in Britain constituted a Statutory Commission
under Sir John Simon. Set up in response to the nationalist movement, the commission was to look
into the functioning of the constitutional system in India and suggest changes. The problem was that
the commission did not have a single Indian member. They were all British.
When the Simon Commission arrived in India in 1928, it was greeted with the slogan ‘Go back
Simon’. All parties, including the Congress and the Muslim League, participated in the demonstrations.
In an effort to win them over, 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. This did not satisfy the Congress leaders. The radicals within the Congress, led by
Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose, became more assertive. The most stirring of all was
the demand to abolish the salt tax. Salt was something consumed by the rich and the poor alike, and
it was one of the most essential items of food. The tax on salt and the government monopoly over its
production, Mahatma Gandhi declared, revealed the most oppressive face of British rule.
Questions :
1. Why did Tory government set up Simon Commission?
2. Why did Lord Irwin announced dominion status?
3. Why did Gandhiji find in salt is a powerful symbol of unity?
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2. Read the sources given below and answer the questions that follows:
Mahatma Gandhi returned to India in January 1915. As you know, he had come from South Africa
where he had successfully fought the racist-regime with a novel method of mass agitation, which he
called satyagaha. It suggested that if the cause was true, if the struggle was against injustice, then
physical force was not necessary to fight the oppressor. Without seeking vengeance or being aggressive,
a satyagrahi could win the battle through non- violence.
On l3 April a large crowd gathered in the enclosed ground of Jallianwalla Bagh. Some came to protest
against the government’s new repressive measures. Other had come to attend the annual Baisakhi fair.
Being from outside the city, many villagers were unaware of the martial law that had been imposed.
Dyer entered the area, blocked the exit points, and opened fire on the crowd killing hundreds.
The movement started with middle-class participation in the cities. Thousands of students left
government-controlled schools and colleges, headmasters and teachers resigned and lawyers gave up
their legal practices. The council elections were boycotted in most provinces except Madras.
Questions :
1. What do you mean by the idea of Satyagraha?
2. By which episode most of the people gathered in the Jallianwala Bagh?
3. Which movement was talking about in the paragraph? What does it mean to the people?
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3. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow :
Satyagraha is not physical force. A satyagrahi does not inflict pain on the adversary, he does not seek
his destruction. In the use of Satyagraha, there is no whatever. Satyagraha is pure soul-force. Truth
is the very substance of the soul. That is why this force is called Satyagraha. The soul is informed
with knowledge. In its burns the flame of love... Non-violence is the supreme Dharma.
Questions :
1. Who spoke these words ?
2. Explain the differences between physical force and soul-force, with examples.
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4.Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow :
We believe that it is the inalienable right of the Indian people, as of any other people, to have freedom
and to enjoy the fruits of their toil and have the necessities of life, so that they may have full
opportunities of growth. We believe also that if any government deprives a people of these rights and
oppresses them, the people have a further right to alter it or to abolish it. The British Government in
India has not only deprived the Indian people of their freedom but has based itself on the exploitation
of the masses and has ruined India economically, politically, culturally and spiritually. We believe,
therefore, that India must sever the British connection and attain Purna Swaraj or Complete
Independence.
Questions :
1. When was this pledge to be taken ?
2. Explain the rights of the Indian people which they should have got.
3. Who was the President of Congress when the decision was taken to celebrate 26 January, 1930
as Independence Day ?
4. Why must India sever the British connection and attain Purna Swaraj ? Explain briefly
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5. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow :
On 6 January 1921, the police in United Provinces fired at peasants near Rae Bareli. Jawaharlal Nehru
wanted to go to the place of firing, but was stopped by the police. Agitated and angry, Nehru
addressed the peasants who gathered around him. This is how he later described the meeting: ‘They
behaved as brave men, calm and unruffled in the face of danger. I do not know how they felt but I
know what my feelings were. For a moment my blood was up, non-violence was almost forgotten –
but for a moment only. The thought of the great leader, who by God’s goodness has been sent to lead
us to victory, came to me and I saw the kisans seated and standing near me, less excited, more peaceful
than I was and the moment of weakness passed, I spoke to them in all humility on non-violence. I
needed the lesson more than they and they heeded me and peacefully dispersed.’
Questions :
1. How did the peasants who gathered around Nehru near Rae Bareli behave when he addressed
then?
2. To what extent do you feel that the demands of the peasants of Rae Bareli were correct?
3. Explain what did Nehru mean when he said. I needed the lesson more than they.
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6. Read the source given below and answer the question that follows.
The movement started with middle-class participation in the cities. Thousands of students left
government-controlled schools and colleges, headmasters and teachers resigned and lawyers gave up
their legal practices. The council elections were boycotted in most provinces except Madras, where the
Justice Party, the party of the non-Brahmans, felt that entering the council was one way of gaining
some power-something that usually only Brahmans had access to. The effects of non-cooperation on
the economic front were more dramatic. Foreign goods were boycotted. The import of foreign cloth
halved between 1921 and 1922, its value dropping from 102 crore. In many places merchants and
traders refused to trade in foreign goods or finance foreign trade. 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.
Questions :
1. Explain the role of ‘Justice Party in boycotting of Council elections’
 2. How was the effect of ‘non-cooperation on the economic front dramatic’.
3. Explain the effect of ‘Boycott movement on foreign textile trade’.
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7.Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow :
On 6 January, 1921, the police in United Provinces fired at peasants near Rae Bareli. Jawahar Lal
Nehru wanted to go to the place of firing but was stopped by the police. Agitated and angry, Nehru
addressed the peasants who gathered around him. This is how the later described the meeting.
“They behaved as brave men, calm and unruffled in the face of danger. I do not know how they felt but
I know what my feelings were. For a moment my blood was up, non-violence was almost forgotten but
for a moment only. The thought of the great leader, who by God’s goodness has been sent to lead us to
victory, came to me, and I saw the Kisans seated and standing near me, less excited, more peaceful
than I was and the moment of weakness passed.
I spoke to them in all humility on non-violence I needed the lesson more than they and they heeded
me and peacefully dispersed.” Questions :
1. What is the source of the above passage ?
2. What were Nehru’s feelings and how did he change them ?
3. How did the peasants who gathered around Jawaharlal Nehru near Rae Bareli behave when
he addressed them ?
4. Explain what did Nehru mean when he said, “I needed the lesson more then they”.
5. Why the peasants of Oudh agitating against the Taluqdars and the landlords?
6. Explain the feeling of J. L. Nehru, while addressed the peasants.
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Assertion and Reason
Read the statements and choose the correct option:
a. Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
b. Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion
(A).
c. Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.
d. Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.
Q1. Assertion (A): Dyer entered the area, blocked the exit points, and opened fire on the crowd, killing
hundreds.
Reason (R): His object, as he declared later, was to produce a moral effect, to create in the minds of
Satyagrahis, a feeling of terror and wave.
Q2. Assertion (A): In 1917, Gandhiji organised a Satyagraha to support the peasants of the Kheda district
of Gujarat.
Reason (R): The peasants were affected by crop failure and plague epidemic. They could not pay the
revenue and were demanding that revenue collection be relaxed.
Q3. Assertion (A): In Awadh, the peasants were led by Alluri Sitaram Raju.
Reason (R): The movement here was against talukdars and landlords.
Q4. Assertion (A): Rich peasants became enthusiastic supporters of the Civil Disobedience Movement,
organising their communities and at times forcing reluctant members to participate in the boycott
programmes.
Reason (R): However, they were deeply happy when the movement was called off in 1931 with revenue
rates being lowered.
Q5. Assertion (A): The council elections were boycotted in most provinces except Madras.
Reason (R): In many places, merchants and traders refused to trade in foreign goods or finance foreign
trade.
Q6. Assertion (A): Gandhiji entered into Gandhi-Irwin Pact on 5th March, 1931.
Reason (R): Ghaffar Khan and Jawaharlal Nehru were both put in jail, the Congress was declared illegal
and a series of measures had been imposed to prevent meetings, demonstrations and boycotts.
Q7. Assertion (A): When Simon Commission arrived in India, it was greeted with the slogan 'Go back
Simon!
Reason (R): This happened as Mahatma Gandhi was on Dandi March during that time.
Q8. Assertion (A): Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote "Vande Mataram' as a hyn the motherland and it
was later included in his novel Anandamath and widely sung during the Swadeshi Movement,
Reason (R): Rabindranath Tagore painted his famous image of Bharat Mata, which is portrayed as an
ascetic figure, who is calm, composed, divine and spiritual.
Q9.Assertion (A): In 1917, Gandhiji organised a satyagraha to support the peasants of the Kheda district of
Gujarat.
Reason (R): The peasants were affected by crop failure and plague epidemic. They could not pay the
revenue and were demanding that revenue collection be relaxed.
Q10. Assertion (A): The council elections were boycotted in most provinces except Madras.
Reason (R): In many places, merchants and traders refused to trade in foreign goods or finance foreign
trade.
Q11. Assertion (A): The Non-Cooperation Movement gradually slowed down for a variety of reasons in the
cities.
Reason (R): 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.
Q12. Assertion (A): In Awadh, the peasants were led by Alluri Sitaram Raju.
Reason (R): The movement here was against Oudh Kisan Sabha.
Q13. Assertion (A): When Simon Commission arrived in India, it was greeted with the slogan 'Go back
Simon'.
Reason (R): This happened as Mahatma Gandhi was on Dandi March during that time.
Q14. Assertion (A): Gandhiji entered into Gandhi-Irwin Pact on 5 March 1931.
Reason (R): Ghaffar Khan and Jawaharlal Nehru were both put in jail, the Congress was declared illegal,
and a series of measures had been imposed to prevent meetings, demonstrations and boycotts.
Q15. Assertion (A): Rich peasants became enthusiastic supporters of the Civil Disobedience Movement,
organising their communities and at times forcing reluctant members to participate in the boycott
programmes.
Reason (R): However, they were deeply happy when the movement was called off in 1931 with revenue
rates being lowered.
Q16. Assertion (A): Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote Vande Mataram' as a hymn to the motherland
and it was later included in his novel Anandamath and widely sung during the Swadeshi movement.
Reason (R): Rabindranath Tagore painted his famous image of Bharat Mata, v is portrayed as an ascetic
figure, who is calm, composed
Q17. Assertion : The council elections were boycotted in most provinces except Madras.
Reason : In many places, merchants and traders refused to trade in foreign goods or finance
foreign trade.

Q18. Assertion : The Non-Cooperation Movement gradually slowed down for a variety of reasons in the
cities.
Reason : 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.

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Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who among the following wrote the Vande Mataram?

(a) Rabindranath Tagore
(b) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
(c) Abindranath Tagore
(d) Dwarkanath Tagore

2. Certain events are given below. Choose the appropriate chronological order :
1. Coming of Simon Commission to India
2. Demand of Purna Swaraj in Lahore Session of INC.
3. Government of India Act, 1919
4. Champaran Satyagraha Choose the correct option :
(a). 3 - 2 - 4 - 1
 (b) 1 - 2 - 4 - 3
(c) 2 - 3 - 1 - 4
(d) 4 - 3 - 1 – 2
3.Who among the following brought out ‘Bengal Gazette; the first weekly newspaper?
1. Bipin Chandra Pal
2. Bal Gangadhar Tilak
3. Gangadhar Bhattacharya
4. Raja Rammohan Roy

4.Which of the following was the reason for calling off ‘the Non-cooperation Movement’ by Gandhiji?
i. Pressure from the British Government
ii. Second Round Table Conference
iii. Gandhiji’s arrest
iv. Chauri-Chaura incident

5. Who among the following published ‘Punjab Kesri’ ?

(a) Balgangadhar Tilak
(b) Mahatma Gandhi
(c) Bhagat Singh
(d) B.R Ambedkar

6.Which one of the following option best signifies this picture?

1. Indian workers march in south Africa 1913.

2. The Boycott of foreign cloths 1922.
3. Chauri Chaura Movement.
4. Dandi March lead by Mahatma Gandhi.
7. Arrange the following events in the correct sequence-
1. Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa.
2. Congress gave its support to Khilafat Movement.
3. Dandi March
4. Mahatma Gandhi travelled to champaran in Bihar to inspire the peasants to struggle against the
oppressive plantation system.

Options :
(a) 1, 4, 2, 3
(b) 2, 3, 4, 1
(c) 4, 2, 3, 1
(d) 2, 1, 4, 3
8. Study the following picture and choose the correct option :
 1. Women were neither encouraged nor allowed to join national freedom movement.
2. For the first time women joined nationalist processions in masses.
3. Britishers were not very much concerned about such movements.
4. Women were forced to join the freedom movements.

9.Arrange the following in the sequence in which the events occurred:

1. Chauri-Chaura
2. Khilafat Movement
3. Second Round Table Conference
4. Civil Disobedience Movement
Options :
(a) 1, 4, 2, 3
(b) 2, 3, 4, 1
(c) 4, 2, 3, 1
(d) 2, 1, 4, 3

10.Complete the following table with the correct information-

Act Passed by Date Implies
A - ? Imperial B - ? Arrest of a
legislative person without
council warrant
(b) A - Rowlatt Act, B - February 1921
(b) A - Rowlatt Act, B - February 1919
(c) A - Irwin Act, B - February 1921
(c) A - Irwin Act, B - February 1919

11.Identify the place from the details given below:

• The place is known for salt satyagraha
• The place was chosen as the start of Civil Disobedience Movement
• The place is situated in Gujarat.
Options :
(a) Jallianwalla Bagh
(b) Champaran
(c) Chauri-Chaura
(d) Dandi
(a) Both assertion and reason are true and reason is the correct explanation of assertion
(b) Both assertion and reason are true but reason is not the correct explanation of assertion
(c) Assertion is true but reason is false
(d) Both assertion and reason are false
 Ans : Delhi 2010

(b) Both assertion and reason are true but reason is not the correct explanation of assertion.

26. Arrange the following in correct sequence:

1. Simon Commission
2. Rowlatt Act
3. Adoption of Purna Swaraj by the Congress
Options
(a) 1, 2, 3
(b) 2, 3, 1
(c) 3, 2, 1
(d) 2, 1, 3

15. Identify the Agitation -

• Also known as “Pure Soul Force”.
• It was not a physical force.
• A person engaged in this agitation shall not seek the destruction of the opponent.
• Played a vital role in the freedom of India.
(a) Jallianwalla Bagh Movement
(b) Satyagraha
(c) Dandi Andolan
(d) Quit India movement
Ans : OD 2013, Delhi 2017

(b) Satyagraha

16. Arrange the following in the correct sequence of occurrence:

1. Dandi March
2. Kheda Satyagraha
3. Champaran Satyagraha
4. Arrival of Gandhiji
Options :
(a) 2, 4, 3, 1
(b) 2, 3, 4, 1
(c) 4, 3, 2, 1
(d) 4, 3, 2, 1
Ans : Comp 2021

(d) 4, 3, 2, 1

17. Complete the following table with the correct information-

Event Headed by Lasted Protest
From to Against
Dandi Mahatma A-? B-?
March Gandhi
(a) A - 12th March 1930 to 6th April 1930,
B - British salt monopoly
(b) A - 12th March 1921 to 6th April 19321,
B - Irwin act
(c) A - 12th March 1921 to 6th April 1922,
B - Jaliyawala Incident
(d) A - 12th March 1930 to 6th April 1931, B - Rowlatt Act

18. Identify the incident-

 • Happened on April 13, 1919 in the northern state of India
• People were protesting against the government’s new repressive measures
• Some people come to attend the annual baisakhi fair
• The objective of such act was to “produce a moral effect”

Options :
(a) Second Round Table Conference
(b) Dandi March
(c) Jallianwalla Bagh Incident
(d) Chauri Chaura Incident
Ans : SQP 2007

(c)

19. Arrange the following events in the correct sequence-

1. Quit India movement launched
2. Muslim League Established
3. Death of Lala Lajpat Rai
4. Formation of federation of Indian Chamber of commerce and industries

Options
(a) 1, 4, 2, 3
(b) 2, 3, 4, 1
(c) 4, 2, 3, 1
(d) 2, 1, 4, 3
Ans : Foreign 2014

(c) 4, 2, 3, 1

20. Identify the movement-

• Started by Mahatma Gandhi supporting to bring the Hindus and Muslims together.
• Was started to support the khalifa of Turkey.
• A decision was taken in Calcutta congress session 1920 to support it.
• Muslim leaders like the brothers Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali, discussed about it with
Mahatma Gandhi.
1. Jallianwalla Bagh Incident
2. Khilafat Movement
3. Dandi Andolan
4. Quit India movement

21.Identify the appropriate reason for the formation of the Swaraj Party from the options given below :
(a) Wanted members of Congress to return to Council Politics.
(b) Wanted members of Congress to ask for Purna Swaraj for Indians.
(c) Wanted members of Congress to ask Dominion State for India.
(d) Wanted members of Congress to oppose Simon Commission.

22.Match the following items given in Column A with those in Column B. Choose the correct answer
from the options given below:
Column A Column B
A. Supervision of 1. Japan
functioning of
banks.
 B. First Asian 2. Henry Ford
country to be
Industralised.
C. Pioneer of the 3. Secularism
system of mass
production.
D. No 4. Reserve Bank of
official religion, India
constitution
does not give
any special
status.
Options
(e) A – 4, B – 1, C – 3, D – 2
(f) A – 4, B – 1, C – 2, D – 3
(g) A – 2, B – 1, C – 3, D – 4
(h) A – 2, B – 3, C – 4, D – 1
23.Arrange the following in correct sequence:
1. Gandhi-Irwin Pact
2. Gandhi sent letter to Viceroy Lord Irwin.
3. Violation of Salt Act. by Mahatma Gandhi.

Options :
(a) 1, 2, 3
(b) 2, 3, 1
(c) 3, 2, 1
(d) 2, 1, 3

24.Arrange the following in the correct sequence:

4. Chauri Chaura Incident
5. Khilafat Movement
6. Jallianwala Bagh Incident
7. Mahatma Gandhi returned to India
Options
(a) 1, 4, 2, 3
(b) 2, 3, 4, 1
(c) 4, 3, 2, 1
(d) 2, 1, 4, 3
25.Arrange the following in the correct sequence: The Rowlatt Act:
1. Martial law was imposed, and General Dyer took command.
2. Gandhiji decided to launch a nationwide satyagraha against the proposed Rowlatt Act.
3. Local leaders were picked up from Amritsar, and Mahatma Gandhi was barred from entering
Delhi.
4. It gave the government enormous powers to repress political activities.

Options
(e) 2, 4, 3, 1
(f) 2, 3, 4, 1
(g) 4, 3, 2, 1
(h) 4, 3, 2, 1
26. Arrange the following statements in sequential order based on the events that shaped the Non-
cooperation movement.
1. General Dyer opened fire at the large crowd gathered in the enclosed ground of Jallianwala
Bagh.
2. “Forced recruitment” carried out by the British government and the economic hardships
faced by the people during the first world war.
3. The defeat of the Ottoman Emperor of Turkey led to the formation of the Khilafat movement.
4. Gandhiji launched a nationwide satyagraha against the Rowlatt act.
Options:
a. 4, 3, 2, 1
b. 2, 1, 4, 3
c. 1, 4, 3, 2
d. 1, 2, 3, 4
27. Identify the appropriate reason for the boycott of the Simon Commission by the Indians from the
options given below:
a. Simon commission had been formed to banish the Indian National Congress
b. Simon commission had only two Indian members
c. Simon commission had been formed without taking permission from the Indian National
Congress
d. Simon commission did not have a single Indian member
28. Identify the appropriate reason for Dandi March by Mahatma Gandhi:
a. Tax on salt
b. Boycott of Simon Commission
c. Demand for Poorna Swaraj
d. Fall of prices of agricultural goods
29. Identify the appropriate reason for the formation of the Swaraj party from the options given
below.
a. Wanted members of Congress to return to Council Politics
b. Wanted members of Congress to ask for Poorna Swaraj for Indians
c. Wanted members of Congress to ask Dominion State for India
d. Wanted members of Congress to oppose Simon Commission
30.Consider the following events:
1. Poona Pact
2. Rowlatt Act
3. Salt March
4. Simon Commission
The correct chronological order of these events is
a. 4, 3, 2, 1
b. 4, 3, 1, 2
c. 3, 4, 1, 2
d. 2, 4, 3, 1
31.. Why did the Simon Commission come to India?
a. To control the campaign against the British in cities
b. To look into the functioning of the British
c. To initiate salt law in India
d. To suggest changes in the functioning of the constitutional system in India
32. In which congress session the demand of ‘Purna Swaraj’ was formalized in 1929?
a. Calcutta
b. Bombay
c. Lahore
d. Nagpur
33.Which of the following event happened on 31 January 1930?
a. Gandhiji wrote a letter to Lord Irwin
b. Lahore session of Congress was concluded
c. The Salt March was launched by Gandhiji
d. All of the above
34. Arrange the following events in the correct chronological order.
1. Coming of Simon Commission to India
 2. The demand of Purna Swaraj in the Lahore session of the Indian National Congress
3. Government of India Act, 1919
4. Champaran Satyagraha
Options
a. 3, 2, 4, 1
b. 4, 2, 4, 1
c. 2, 3, 1, 4
d. 4, 3, 1, 2
35.Identify the appropriate reason from the following options, for the non-participation of industrial
workers in the Civil Disobedience Movement.
a. Industrialists were close to Congress
b. British offered them good salaries
c. They were reluctant to boycott foreign goods
d. Growth of socialism
36. . Who was the writer of the book ‘Hind Swaraj’?
(a) Rabindranath Tagore
(b) B.R. Ambedkar
(c) Mahatma Gandhi
(d) Jawahar Lai Nehru
37.Which of the following was the reason for calling off the Non-cooperation Movement by Gandhiji?
(a) Pressure from the British Government
(b) Second Round Table Conference
(c) Gandhiji’s arrest
(d) Chauri-Chaura incident
38. Who set up the ‘Oudh Kisan Sabha’?
(a) Alluri Sitaram Raju
(b) Jawahar Lai Nehru and Baba Ramchandra
(c) Jawaharlal Nehru and Shaukat Ali
(d) Mahatma Gandhi
38.What did the idea of Satyagraha emphasise ?
A. the power of truth and the need to search for truth, and physical force was not necessary to fight the
oppressor
B. need to search for truth, and use physical force
C. fight with arguments and violence
D. agitation and violence
39. Which areas did Gandhi organise the satyagraha?
A.Champaran in Bihar and Ahmedabad
B. Champaran in Bihar, Kheda district of Gujarat, Ahmedabad
C. Kheda district of Gujarat, Ahmedabad
D. Champaran in Bihar, Kheda district of Gujarat
40.What was the Rowlatt Act of 1919?
A. detention after trial for 3 years
B. no hearing of cases
C. detention of prisoners for 3 years without trial
D. allowed detention of political prisoners without trial for two years
41. When did the infamous Jallianwalla Bagh incident take place?
A. 13 April, 1919
B. !0 April 1920
C. 10 April. 1919
D. 13 April 1920
42. Which British officer open- fired at the Jallianwala Bagh congregation ?
A. Sir John Simon
B. General Dyer
C. Montgomery
D. Mountbatten
43. Which of the following statements accurately distinguishes between the Civil Disobedience Movement
and the Non-Cooperation Movement?
(1) Non-Cooperation Movement began with the surrender of titles, boycott of British institutions and goods,
while the Civil Disobedience Movement began with the breaking of colonial laws.
(II) Non-Cooperation Movement demanded separate electorates for Dalits, Civil Disobedience Movement
aimed for self-governance.
(III) Non-Cooperation Movement was launched because of the anger of Jallianwala Bagh tragedy, Civil
Disobedience Movement was launched against the Simon Commission.
(IV) Non-Cooperation Movement was supported by the British Government, Civil Disobedience Movement
was supported by almost all the sections of the society.
Options:
(a) Statements (1) and (III) are correct.
(b) Statements (I), (III) and (IV) are correct.
(c) Statements (I), (II), (III) and (IV) are correct.
(d) Only statement (1) is correct.
44.Identify the leader:
(1) He served as the president of the Indian National Congress.
(II) He set up the Oudh Kisan Sabha.
(III) He was a radical leader.
Options:
(a) Mahatma Gandhi
(b) Subhas Chandra Bose
(c) Jatin Das
(d) Jawaharlal Nehru
45.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 also had a crescent moon, representing
(a) the unity of all communities
(b) Hindus and Muslims
(c) the eight provinces of British India
(d) the struggle for independence
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