Write in brief
Question 1: Explain:
a) Why growth of nationalism in the colonies is linked to an anti-colonial movement.
Answer-
In India, the growth of modern nationalism is intimately connected to the anti-colonial movement.
People began discovering their unity in the process of their struggle with colonialism. The sense of being oppressed under colonialism provided a shared bond that tied many different groups together. However, the unity did not emerge without conflict, as different groups felt the effects of colonialism differently, and their notions of freedom were not always the same.
b) How the First World War helped in the growth of the National Movement in India.
Answer-
The First World War created a new economic and political situation.
It led to a huge increase in defence expenditure which was financed by war loans and increasing taxes, including customs duties being raised and income tax introduced. Prices doubled between 1913 and 1918, leading to extreme hardship for the common people. Villages were called upon to supply soldiers, and the forced recruitment in rural areas caused widespread anger. Furthermore, crop failures and an influenza epidemic in 1918-19 and 1920-21 resulted in acute shortages of food. According to the census of 1921, 12 to 13 million people perished as a result of famines and the epidemic.
c) Why Indians were outraged by the Rowlatt Act.
Answer-
Indians were outraged by the proposed Rowlatt Act (1919) because it was hurriedly passed through the Imperial Legislative Council despite the united opposition of the Indian members.
The Act gave the government enormous powers to repress political activities.
It allowed the detention of political prisoners without trial for two years. Mahatma Gandhi sought non-violent civil disobedience against such unjust laws.
d) Why Gandhiji decided to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement.
Answer-
Mahatma Gandhi decided to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement in February 1922.
He felt the movement was turning violent in many places.
The immediate reason was the incident at Chauri Chaura in Gorakhpur, where a peaceful demonstration turned into a violent clash with the police. Gandhiji believed that satyagrahis needed to be properly trained before they would be ready for mass struggles.
Question 2: What is meant by the idea of satyagraha?
Answer-
The idea of satyagraha was a novel method of mass agitation successfully used by Mahatma Gandhi against the racist regime in South Africa.
It emphasised the power of truth and the need to search for truth. It suggested that if the struggle was against injustice, physical force was not necessary to fight the oppressor.
A satyagrahi could win the battle through non-violence without seeking vengeance or being aggressive. This was achieved by appealing to the conscience of the oppressor, persuading them to see the truth. Mahatma Gandhi believed this dharma of non-violence could unite all Indians.
Question 3: Write a newspaper report on:
a) The Jallianwala Bagh massacre
Answer-
AMRITSAR, APRIL 14, 1919: HUNDREDS KILLED AS GENERAL DYER FIRES ON CROWD
The infamous Jallianwalla Bagh incident took place on 13 April. A large crowd had gathered in the enclosed ground, including villagers attending the annual Baisakhi fair who were unaware that martial law had been imposed. General Dyer entered the area, blocked the exit points, and opened fire on the crowd, killing hundreds. Dyer later declared his object was to ‘produce a moral effect’, aiming to create a feeling of terror and awe in the minds of satyagrahis. Following this, the government responded with brutal repression in north Indian towns, forcing satyagrahis to rub their noses on the ground, crawl on the streets, and do salaam (salute) to all sahibs.
b) The Simon Commission
Answer-
DELHI, FEBRUARY 3, 1928: INDIAN LEADERS UNITE AGAINST ALL-BRITISH COMMISSION
The Statutory Commission was constituted under Sir John Simon by the new Tory government in Britain to look into the functioning of the constitutional system in India and suggest changes. The primary issue fueling nationalist anger was that the commission did not have a single Indian member. When the Simon Commission arrived in India in 1928, it was greeted with the widespread slogan ‘Go back Simon’. All political parties, including the Congress and the Muslim League, participated in the demonstrations.
Question 4: Compare the images of Bharat Mata in this chapter with the image of Germania in Chapter 1.
Answer-
The identity of the nation is often symbolised in a figure or image, helping people identify with the nation. In India, this identity became visually associated with the image of Bharat Mata.
The image was first created by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, who wrote ‘Vande Mataram’ as a hymn to the motherland. Abanindranath Tagore’s famous painting (1905) portrayed Bharat Mata as an ascetic figure; she is shown as calm, composed, divine and spiritual, dispensing learning, food and clothing.
In later representations, the image acquired different forms, sometimes shown with a trishul, standing beside a lion and an elephant, both of which are symbols of power and authority. Devotion to this mother figure came to be seen as evidence of one’s nationalism. However, when the images celebrated were drawn from Hindu iconography, people of other communities sometimes felt left out.
Discuss
Question 1: List all the different social groups which joined the Non-Cooperation Movement of 1921. Then choose any three and write about their hopes and struggles to show why they joined the movement.
Answer-
The different social groups that joined the Non-Cooperation-Khilafat Movement beginning in January 1921 included the middle-class in the towns, peasants in the countryside (Awadh), tribal peasants (Gudem Hills), and plantation workers (Assam).
The three chosen groups and their aspirations are:
The Middle Class (In the Towns)
The movement started with middle-class participation; students left schools and colleges, teachers resigned, and lawyers gave up their legal practices. Their hopes were to cripple British economic dominance through boycott. They boycotted foreign goods, picketed liquor shops, and burnt foreign cloth. The movement slowed down because Khadi cloth was often more expensive than mass-produced mill cloth, and the alternative Indian institutions were slow to come up.
Peasants (In Awadh)
Peasants, led by Baba Ramchandra, struggled against talukdars and landlords who demanded exorbitantly high rents and begar (forced labour without payment). Their demands included the reduction of revenue, the abolition of begar, and the social boycott of oppressive landlords. They organized nai – dhobi bandhs. As the movement spread, local leaders misinterpreted Gandhiji’s message, telling peasants that no taxes were to be paid and land was to be redistributed, leading to attacks on talukdar homes and looting of bazaars.
Tribal Peasants (In Gudem Hills, Andhra Pradesh)
A militant guerrilla movement spread here, led by Alluri Sitaram Raju. They were enraged because the colonial government had closed large forest areas, denying their traditional rights to graze cattle or collect wood. They also revolted when forced to contribute begar for road building. Raju, who was captured and executed in 1924, was inspired by the NCM but asserted that India could be liberated only by the use of force, not non-violence, leading them to attack police stations and carry on guerrilla warfare.
Question 2: Discuss the Salt March to make clear why it was an effective symbol of resistance against colonialism.
Answer-
Mahatma Gandhi identified salt as a powerful symbol that could unite the nation. The Salt March was an effective symbol of resistance because it targeted the most oppressive face of British rule.
Salt was an essential item of food, consumed by all, yet the government imposed a tax on salt and maintained a monopoly over its production. By attacking this universal issue, Gandhiji connected the abstract demand of Purna Swaraj to a concrete demand of everyday life.
The march covered 240 miles from Sabarmati to Dandi, starting with 78 trusted volunteers. On 6 April 1930, Gandhiji ceremonially violated the law by manufacturing salt. This marked the beginning of the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM). The CDM was different because people were asked not only to refuse cooperation but also to break colonial laws. This symbolic defiance encouraged thousands across the country to break the salt law, manufacture salt, boycott foreign cloth, and refuse chaukidari taxes.
Question 3: Imagine you are a woman participating in the Civil Disobedience Movement. Explain what the experience meant to your life.
Answer-
The Civil Disobedience Movement involved the large-scale participation of women.
The experience meant, for thousands of women, moving out of their homes on to a public arena for the first time. They participated in protest marches, manufactured salt, and picketed foreign cloth and liquor shops. Many women went to jail.
This participation was motivated by the belief that service to the nation was a sacred duty of women, moved by Gandhiji’s call. In urban areas, these women typically came from high-caste families, while in rural areas they came from rich peasant households.
However, this increased public role did not necessarily mean any radical change in the way the position of women was visualised. The Congress was reluctant to allow women to hold any position of authority within the organization, often prioritizing only their symbolic presence.
Question 4: Why did political leaders differ sharply over the question of separate electorates?
Answer-
Political leaders differed sharply over separate electorates due to conflicting views on achieving political representation and social integration, particularly for minority and marginalized communities.
Dr B. R. Ambedkar, who organized the Depressed Classes Association in 1930, demanded separate electorates for Dalits. Dalit leaders believed that political empowerment through such electorates would resolve their social disabilities. Mahatma Gandhi opposed this, fearing it would slow down the process of their integration into society. This conflict led to the Poona Pact of September 1932, which granted the Depressed Classes reserved seats in legislative councils, but they were to be voted in by the general electorate.
Muslim political organizations also clashed with the Congress. Muhammad Ali Jinnah of the Muslim League was willing to forgo separate electorates if Muslims were assured reserved seats in the Central Assembly and representation proportional to population in Muslim-dominated provinces. However, negotiations broke down, notably due to strong opposition from figures like M.R. Jayakar of the Hindu Mahasabha. Muslim leaders feared that without such safeguards, the culture and identity of minorities would be submerged under the domination of a Hindu majority.