Chapter 02: Nationalism in India - Vardaan Master Notes

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Introduction The Rise of Nationalism in India:

Connection to Europe: In Europe, modern nationalism led to the creation of nation-states, where citizens shared a common identity and history.
A New Identity in India: The rise of nationalism gave Indians a new identity and a sense of belonging to one nation.
Forging Unity: New symbols (flag), songs (Vande Mataram), and ideas helped unite diverse communities.
Anti-Colonial Link: The feeling of being oppressed by the British acted as a common bond that united different groups of Indians.
Different Experiences: Every class and group felt the impact of British rule differently; their ideas of freedom were also different.
Role of Congress: Under Mahatma Gandhi, Congress tried to bring these different groups together, though achieving this unity often involved conflicts.

The Big Picture This chapter covers the story of Indian nationalism from the 1920s, focusing on the Non-Cooperation Movement and the Civil Disobedience Movement. Timeline Flowchart

1. FIRST WORLD WAR, KHILAFAT & NON-COOPERATION

Impact of the First World War

After 1919, the national movement spread to new areas and involved new social groups.

Economic Problems: Increased defence spending was paid for by war loans and increasing taxes. Customs duties were raised, and a new income tax was introduced. Prices of everyday goods doubled (1913-1918), causing extreme hardship.
Social Problems: Forced recruitment in rural areas for the army caused widespread anger.
Other Hardships: In 1918-19 & 1920-21, crops failed leading to severe food shortages, followed by a deadly influenza epidemic. About 12-13 million people died.

1.1 The Idea of Satyagraha

Mahatma Gandhi returned to India in Jan 1915 from South Africa, where he successfully fought racism with satyagraha.

What is Satyagraha? A philosophy based on the power of truth. If the cause is true and against injustice, physical force is not needed. A satyagrahi appeals to the conscience of the oppressor without violence. Gandhiji believed this dharma of non-violence could unite Indians.
Early Movements (1917-1918):
★ Champaran (1917): Inspired peasants against the oppressive plantation system in Bihar.
★ Kheda (1917): Supported Gujarat peasants demanding revenue relaxation due to crop failure & plague.
★ Ahmedabad (1918): Organised movement for cotton mill workers.

1.2 Rowlatt Act & Jallianwalla Bagh (1919)

Rowlatt Act: Passed hurriedly despite Indian opposition. It gave government immense power to repress political activities and detain prisoners without trial for 2 years. Gandhi called for a hartal on April 6, 1919.
British Repression: Scared of disrupted communication, British arrested local leaders; Gandhi was barred from Delhi. Police firing on April 10 led to martial law under General Dyer.
Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre (April 13, 1919): A large crowd gathered in Amritsar (some protesting, others for Baisakhi fair). Dyer blocked the exit and fired on the unarmed crowd, killing hundreds, to "produce a moral effect".
Aftermath: Huge crowds protested, strikes occurred. Government responded with brutal force (flogging, bombing). Gandhi called off the movement.

1.3 Khilafat Issue & Why Non-Cooperation?

Gandhi realised a broader movement was needed, requiring Hindu-Muslim unity.

Khilafat Issue: WW1 ended with Ottoman Empire's defeat. To defend the Khalifa (Islamic spiritual head), a Khilafat Committee was formed in Bombay (1919) by Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali.
Why Non-Cooperation? In Hind Swaraj (1909), Gandhi declared British rule survived only due to Indian cooperation. Refusing it would collapse the rule within a year.
The Plan: 1) Surrender of titles. 2) Boycott of civil services, army, police, courts, schools, foreign goods. 3) Full civil disobedience if repressed.
Adopted officially at the Nagpur Congress session in December 1920.

2. DIFFERING STRANDS WITHIN THE MOVEMENT

2.1 The Movement in the Towns

Middle-Class Participation: Thousands left government schools; lawyers gave up practice. Council elections were boycotted (except in Madras by the Justice Party).
Economic Impact: Foreign goods boycotted, liquor shops picketed, foreign cloth burnt in massive bonfires. Import of foreign cloth dropped by half (1921-22). Indian textile mills boosted.
Why it Slowed Down: Khadi was expensive for the poor. Lack of alternative Indian institutions meant students, teachers, and lawyers slowly returned to government jobs.

2.2 Rebellion in the Countryside

Peasants in Awadh: Led by Baba Ramchandra against talukdars demanding high rents and begar (forced unpaid labor). Demanded revenue reduction. Oudh Kisan Sabha set up (Oct 1920). It turned violent as houses were attacked.
Tribals in Gudem Hills (Andhra): Angry at closed forest areas (preventing grazing/fuelwood collection). Led by Alluri Sitaram Raju (who claimed special powers). He admired Gandhi but believed India could only be freed by violence. They waged a militant guerrilla war.

2.3 Swaraj in the Plantations

Meaning of Swaraj: For Assam tea workers, it meant the right to move freely in and out of gardens and maintain links with home villages.
Inland Emigration Act (1859): Prevented workers from leaving without rarely-given permission.
Tragic End: Hearing of Non-Cooperation, thousands headed home believing "Gandhi Raj" was coming. Caught in a railway/steamer strike, they were brutally beaten by police.

3. TOWARDS CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE

Withdrawal, Simon Commission & Purna Swaraj

Withdrawal (Feb 1922): Gandhi withdrew Non-Cooperation due to violence (e.g., Chauri Chaura incident where 22 police died). Swaraj Party formed by C.R. Das & Motilal Nehru to contest council elections.
Simon Commission (1928): Sent to suggest constitutional changes, but had NO Indian members. Greeted with "Go back Simon".
Purna Swaraj: In Dec 1929 at the Lahore Congress (under J.L. Nehru), the demand for full independence was formalised. 26 Jan 1930 was declared Independence Day.

3.1 The Salt March (Dandi March)

Salt as Symbol: Consumed by all; the tax/monopoly on it showed the most oppressive face of British rule.
The March: Irwin rejected Gandhi's 11 demands. Gandhi and 78 volunteers marched 240 miles from Sabarmati to Dandi (24 days). On April 6, 1930, he broke the law by boiling seawater.
The Civil Disobedience Movement: People were now asked to BREAK colonial laws (not just non-cooperation). Massive boycotts and forest law violations followed.
Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931): Gandhi called off the movement to attend the 2nd Round Table Conference. It failed, and upon returning to severe repression, he relaunched the movement, which lost momentum by 1934.

3.2 How Participants Saw the Movement

Rich Peasants (Patidars, Jats): Hard hit by trade depression. Swaraj meant struggle against high revenues. Disappointed when called off in 1931.
Poor Peasants: Wanted unpaid rent to landlords waived. Congress didn't support their "no rent" campaigns to avoid alienating rich peasants.
Business Classes: Wanted protection against imports. Swaraj meant no colonial business restrictions. Later feared socialism and disruption.
Working Classes: Mostly stayed away as industrialists got closer to Congress (except in Nagpur).
Women: Large-scale participation in protests and salt making. However, Congress long remained reluctant to give them authority positions.

3.3 The Limits of Civil Disobedience

Dalits: Long ignored by Congress fearing conservative Hindus. Gandhi called them harijan and fought for temple entry. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar formed Depressed Classes Association (1930) and demanded separate electorates.
Poona Pact (1932): After Gandhi fasted against separate electorates, Ambedkar agreed to reserved seats voted by the general electorate.
Muslims: Alienated post-Khilafat. Congress's association with Hindu Mahasabha worsened relations. Failed compromise in 1928 (M.R. Jayakar opposed Muslim League). Muslims feared Hindu majority domination.

4. THE SENSE OF COLLECTIVE BELONGING

United Struggles & Cultural Processes

Nationalism spreads when people believe they are part of the same nation. This happened through united anti-colonial struggles and cultural processes:

Image of Bharat Mata: Created by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay (who wrote Vande Mataram). Abanindranath Tagore later painted her as calm, divine, and spiritual.
Folklore: Nationalists collected folk tales/songs (e.g., Rabindranath Tagore, Natesa Sastri) to restore pride in traditional culture damaged by outside forces.
Icons & Flags: Swadeshi tricolour (red/green/yellow) had 8 lotuses. By 1921, Gandhi designed the Swaraj flag (red/green/white) with a spinning wheel, symbolising self-help.
Reinterpretation of History: Countered the British view of Indians as backward by writing about India's glorious ancient achievements in science, art, and trade.
Problems: Glorifying a Hindu past alienated other communities.

Conclusion

A growing anger against colonial rule brought various groups into a common struggle.
Congress under Gandhi tried to organize these grievances into massive movements.
Different groups participated with their own specific hopes (freedom meant different things).
Despite internal conflicts and broken unity, a nation with many voices wanting freedom was emerging.

Key Terms and Definitions (Glossary)

Term	Definition
Satyagraha	A non-violent method of mass agitation emphasizing the power of truth and the need to search for truth.
Rowlatt Act	An oppressive act (1919) allowing the British to imprison political prisoners without trial for 2 years.
Begar	Forced labour that villagers were compelled to contribute without any payment.
Boycott	The refusal to deal and associate with people, or participate in activities, or buy and use things.
Picket	A form of demonstration or protest by which people block the entrance to a shop, factory, or office.
Purna Swaraj	Complete independence, formally demanded at the Lahore session of Congress in 1929.

Important Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Q & A (1 Mark) Q1. Why did Mahatma Gandhi organize Satyagraha in Kheda district of Gujarat in 1917?
Ans: To support the peasants who were affected by crop failure and a plague epidemic and were demanding that revenue collection be relaxed.

Q & A (3 Marks) Q2. How did the First World War help in the growth of the National Movement in India?
Ans:

The war created a new economic and political situation leading to huge increases in defence expenditure.
Taxes were increased, customs duties raised, and income tax introduced, causing extreme hardship.
Forced recruitment of villagers into the army caused widespread anger, fueling the nationalist movement.

Q & A (5 Marks) Q3. Describe the main features of the 'Salt March'. Why did Gandhi choose Salt as the symbol?
Ans: Gandhi chose salt because it was an essential food item consumed by both the rich and the poor, making the salt tax a symbol of the most oppressive face of British rule.

Features of the March:
1. Gandhi sent an ultimatum to Viceroy Irwin with 11 demands; upon refusal, the march began.
2. He marched 240 miles from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi with 78 trusted volunteers.
3. On 6 April 1930, he reached Dandi and ceremonially violated the law by boiling seawater to manufacture salt.
4. This act marked the beginning of the Civil Disobedience Movement across the country.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Board Exams

Exam Tips

Do NOT confuse Non-Cooperation with Civil Disobedience: Non-cooperation (1920) was about refusing to cooperate with the British (boycotts, resigning jobs). Civil Disobedience (1930) went a step further—it involved explicitly breaking colonial laws (like the Salt Law).
Jallianwala Bagh Date: Remember the exact date, 13 April 1919 (Baisakhi day).
Chauri Chaura Incident: This is the specific reason Gandhi called off the Non-Cooperation movement (Feb 1922). Do not confuse it with other violent incidents.
Lahore Session 1929: This is where Purna Swaraj was demanded under the presidency of Jawaharlal Nehru, not Gandhi.

Chapter 2: Nationalism in India