Chapter - 2 Nationalism in India

 Chapter - 2 Nationalism in India

The chapter discusses the emergence of nationalism in India and how it became a powerful force in the struggle against British rule.

Focuses on the Non-Cooperation Movement(1920), Civil Disobedience Movement, and other aspects of the Indian independence struggle.

The First World War, Khilafat and Non-Cooperation

Impact of first world war in India?

• World war - I (1914-18) created a new economic and political situation in India.
• High taxes, price rise, forced recruitment, and famines led to widespread resentment.

1.1 The Idea of Satyagraha

What is Satyagraha?

• Gandhi ji came India January 1917
• Satyagraha is a method of non-violent protest developed by Mahatma Gandhi.
• The word means ‘truth-force’ or ‘soul-force’.
• It is based on the idea that if the cause is true and the struggle is just, then no physical force is necessary to fight injustice.

Key Principles of Satyagraha:

• Non-violence (Ahimsa) – Never use physical force, even if the opponent does.
• Truth (Satya) – Be truthful and seek truth through peaceful means.
• Suffering (Tapasya) – Be ready to endure pain without retaliation.
• Faith in the Opponent’s Conscience – Gandhi believed that if you peacefully appeal to the conscience of the oppressor, it will eventually lead them to see their injustice.
• Gandhi’s Belief:- "Satyagraha is not just a political strategy, but a way of life."
• He believed that Satyagraha would unite people from all walks of life in a moral struggle against injustice and create a foundation for Indian nationalism.

Gandhi’s Early Experiments with Satyagraha in India:- Before launching national movements, Gandhi experimented with Satyagraha at local levels:

• 1. Champaran Satyagraha (1917) – Bihar :- Struggle of indigo farmers against oppressive European planters.
• 2. Kheda Satyagraha (1918) – Gujarat :- Farmers couldn’t pay taxes due to crop failure; demanded tax relief.
• 3. Ahmedabad Mill Strike (1918) – Gujarat :- Cotton mill workers demanded better wages; Gandhi led a peaceful hunger strike.

1.2 The Rowlatt Act (1919)

What Was the Rowlatt Act?

• Against this  Act of 1919, Gandhi ji launch Satyagraha 
• Passed by the Imperial Legislative Council despite strong opposition by Indian members.
• Introduced by Sir Sidney Rowlatt, hence called the Rowlatt Act.

Main Features of the Act:

• No Trial – Allowed the government to arrest and detain people without trial for up to 2 years.
• No Right to Know Charges – Accused persons didn’t have to be told what crime they were charged with.
• No Lawyer – They could not even hire a lawyer to defend themselves.
• Suppression of Press and Freedom – Curtailed freedom of expression and increased censorship.

Indian Reaction & Rowlatt Satyagraha (1919):

• Indians saw it as a “Black Act” – a violation of civil rights.
• It infuriated people all over the country.
• Mahatma Gandhi called for a nationwide protest against it using Satyagraha.
• Gandhi launched a non-violent movement:
• Hartals (strikes)
• Rallies
• Boycotts
• Peaceful protests
• Hindu-Muslim unity was seen during this movement.

Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (13 April 1919):

• Peaceful protestors had gathered at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar.
• Martial law:- it was imposed by, British General Dyer ordered firing on the unarmed crowd without warning.
• Hundreds were killed and thousands injured.
• This brutal act shocked the nation and broke people’s trust in the British.

Result of the Rowlatt Act & Jallianwala Bagh:

• Gandhi decided the British could not be trusted with reforms.
• It was a turning point that fueled mass nationalism.
• Led to the launch of the Non-Cooperation Movement later in 1920.
• Gandhi ji call off the movement when seeing voilence spread 

Khilafat Movement (1919-1920): 

• Launched by Indian Muslims to protest against the harsh treatment of the Ottoman Turkey after WWI.
• Khilafat Committee formed in Bombay,March 1919.
• Muhammad & Shaukat Alii discuss with Gandhi ji to united mass action towards unified nation.
• Calcutta Session of Congress (1920):- Convinced other leader to start non-cooperation movement, in support of 'Khilafat' as well as for 'Swaraj'.

1.3 Why Non-Cooperation?

Mahatma Gandhi's Belief: In his book "Hind Swaraj (1909)" Gandhi ji wrote: 

• Gandhi believed that British rule in India was based on the cooperation of Indians.
• If Indians refused to cooperate, the British rule would collapse within a year.
• This idea led to the launch of the Non-Cooperation Movement.

How non-cooperation became a movement:-

• Government awardee titles were surrender.
• Boycott civil services, army, police, court, Legislative councils, school & Foreign clothes.
• 1920 Civil disobedience campaign launch

Congress Decision – 1920 Nagpur Session:- Non-Cooperation movement was adopted.

2.Differing Strands within the Movement

• For Gandhi, it meant peaceful protest to gain swaraj.
• But for peasants, tribals, and workers, it also meant:
• Land reform
• End of exploitation
• Economic relief
• This shows how it became a true mass movement – everyone participated, even if for different reasons.

2.1 The Movement in  Towns:

• Students left British schools and colleges.
• Lawyers (like C.R. Das, Motilal Nehru) stopped going to British courts.
• Foreign goods were boycotted.
• People started wearing khadi (Indian-made cloth).
• Shops selling foreign goods were shut down.
• Effects of non-cooperation on Economic front:-
• Foreign goods were boycotted, liquor shops pickted.
• Foreign clothes burnt
• half of import foreign cloth people began to use Indian clothes.

Reason of slow down of movement in cities:- 

• People not able to afford khadi clothes because it was expensive.
• Teachers and Students join schools and colleges.
• Lawyer joined their practices in government court.
• Students, Teachers and Lawyer had no options for their survival.

 2.2 Rebellion in the Countryside

How peasants and tribal people joined the Non-Cooperation Movement in rural areas, especially with their own local issues in mind. Two  Rebillion take place in the countryside.

1. Peasant Movement in Awadh (Uttar Pradesh)

Leader: Baba Ramchandra, a sanyasi who had worked in Fiji as an indentured laborer.

Reasons for Protest:

• High rents and taxes.
• Forced labor (begar) demanded by landlords (talukdars).
• No rights over leased land.

Demands:

• Reduction in rent.
• Abolition of begar.
• Right to use land without eviction.

How They Protested:

• Peasants refused to pay rent.
• They attacked landlords' estates.
• Pitched tents and organized panchayats.
• They raised slogans like “No rent, no tax”.

Awadh Kisan Sabha:- In October Nehru ji and Baba Ram Chandra formed organization. 

Connection with Congress:

• Congress leaders initially tried to bring these protests under control.
• Gandhi wanted non-violence, but peasants were more aggressive.
• This shows how local struggles merged with the national movement — though with different goals.

Gandhi ji Declared:- 

• Taxes were not paid.
• Land redistributed among the poor.

2. Tribal Movement in Gudem Hills (Andhra Pradesh):- Leader: Alluri Sitaram Raju (seen as an incarnation of God by the tribals).

Why the Tribals Rebelled:

• The British restricted forest access.
• They banned the tribals from collecting wood or grazing cattle.
• Tribals were forced into begar (forced labor) for road construction.

The Rebellion:

• Raju inspired the tribals to take up arms.
• They used guerrilla warfare to attack British officials.
• Though Raju supported Gandhi’s message of swaraj, he believed violence was necessary.

Outcome:

• The British captured and executed Raju in 1924.
• The rebellion left a mark and showed how tribals connected their local grievances to the freedom struggle.

2.3 Swaraj in the Plantations

This section explains how the Non-Cooperation Movement spread to the tea plantations of Assam and how plantation workers interpreted the idea of Swaraj.

Who Were the Plantation Workers?

• Mostly poor tribal and rural workers.
• They were sent far from home to work in tea gardens in Assam under the Inland Emigration Act of 1859.
• This law restricted their movement: they couldn't leave the plantations without permission.

Conditions of Workers:

• Very low wages.
• Harsh working and living conditions.
• No freedom to return to their villages.
• Exploited and isolated from the rest of the country.

 3. Towards Civil Disobedience

Gandhi launched the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1930 after the Non-Cooperation Movement ended.

What Is Civil Disobedience?

• It means disobeying unjust laws peacefully.
• Not just refusal to cooperate like before, but now actively breaking British laws.
• Gandhi planned to start the movement with salt as the symbol of protest.

Who formed Swaraj Party and why it formed?

C.R Dass and Moti lal Nehru formed the Swaraj Party. within in the congress to argue for a return to council pollitics

Government of India Act of 1919:- The Government of India Act 1919 introduced limited self-governance in provinces, but kept real power in British hands.

Which two factors shaped the Indian politics in late 1920?

1 - Worldwide economic depression.

2 - Tory Governmet in Britian constituted Simon commission

Function of Simon commission:- Simon Commission to India to review the working of the Government of India Act 1919 and suggest reforms.

What problems Indian have with Simon Commission?

No Indian was included in the commission , all members were British!

Arrived Simon Commission in India in 1928:- 

• Indians strongly boycotted the commission with slogans like "Simon Go Back".
• Protest led to nationwide strikes and rallies.
• October 1929:- Lord Irwin announced round table conference to discuss about future constitution.
•  Demand for Purna Swaraj (Complete Independence)
• After the disappointment with the Simon Commission and British attitude, the Congress lost hope in gaining dominion status.
• In the Lahore Session of the Indian National Congress in 1929, presided by Jawaharlal Nehru, the Congress declared the goal of Purna Swaraj (complete independence).
• 26 January 1930 was observed as Independence Day all over India.
• This declaration set the stage for the Civil Disobedience Movement.

3.1 The Salt March and the Civil Disobedience Movement

Why Salt?

• Salt is a basic necessity of life, used by rich and poor alike.
• The British government had a monopoly on salt production and tax.
• Indians were not allowed to make or sell salt.
• Gandhi chose salt as a symbol of resistance – simple, yet powerful and relatable for all

The Salt March (Dandi March) – 12 March to 6 April 1930

• 31 January 1930 Gandhi ji write a letter to Irwin with 11 Demands.
• Gandhi began a 240-km march from Sabarmati Ashram (Ahmedabad) to Dandi (Gujarat).
• He was joined by 78 trusted volunteers.
• The march lasted for 24 days.
• On 6 April 1930, Gandhi broke the Salt Law by making salt from seawater at Dandi.
• This marked the beginning of the Civil Disobedience Movement.

 Civil Disobedience Movement: What Happened?

• People across India started:
• Breaking colonial laws, especially the Salt Law.
• Boycotting British goods, especially cloth and liquor.
• Picketing shops selling foreign goods.
• Refusing to pay taxes (like land revenue).
• Resigning from government jobs and schools.
• Villagers stopped paying taxes and broke forest laws.

British Reaction:

• Brutal suppression by the British government.
• April 193A - bdul Gaffar Khan arrested 
• Over 90,000 people were arrested.
• Gandhi was also arrested.

Gandhi-Irwin Pact – 5  March 1931

• After huge pressure, the British agreed to negotiate.
• Gandhi-Irwin Pact was signed:
• Gandhi agreed to call off the movement and attend the Second Round Table Conference in London.
• British agreed to release political prisoners (except those involved in violence).

Failure of Round Table Conference

• The conference in London failed – the British refused to grant dominion status or discuss full independence.
• Gandhi returned disappointed and relaunched the movement in 1932.

 3.2 How Participants Saw the Movement:- different social groups joined the Civil Disobedience Movement, but they all had their own reasons, expectations, and ideas of Swaraj (freedom).

1. Rich Peasants (Like in UP and Gujarat) :- Why They Participated:

• They owned land and had to pay high land revenue (taxes) to the British.
• During the Great Depression (1929), crop prices fell, but taxes remained high.
• They joined the movement hoping that revenue would be reduced.

What Happened?

• When the movement was called off after the Gandhi-Irwin Pact, they were disappointed because their main demand (reduction in land revenue) was not fulfilled.
• Many refused to join the movement again in 1932.

 2. Poor Peasants:- Why They Participated:

• They were landless or small farmers with huge debts.
• They wanted the movement to bring relief from taxes and loans.

What Happened?

• Congress did not support no-rent campaigns, fearing it would alienate rich peasants.
• Poor peasants felt left out and lost faith in Congress.

3. Businessmen and Industrialists:- Why They Participated:

• FICCI 1927:- Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
• Purshotam Das And G.D.Birla supoorted Civil Disobedience movement
• They wanted protection from British imports.
• Wanted to expand Indian industries.
• Supported boycott of foreign goods, gave financial help to Congress.

What Happened?

• Worried by growing labour unrest and longer political instability.
• Lost enthusiasm when the movement was suspended.

Chota Nagpur mines worker Strike:- 1930

Strikes by Railway Workers:- in 1931

Dock Worker:- strike 1932

4. Women:- Why They Participated:

• Inspired by Gandhi, thousands of women came out to:
• Picket liquor shops
• Boycott foreign cloth
• Participate in protest marches
• Many were from urban educated families as well as rural areas.

 3.3 The Limits of Civil Disobedience

Civil Disobedience Movement involved many Indians, not everyone participated equally, and some groups felt left out or even alienated.

1. Dalits or ‘Untouchables’:- What They Wanted:

• Better treatment, social equality, and access to temples, schools, and public places.
• They wanted political representation and reserved seats.

Why They Felt Excluded:

• Congress was hesitant to include their demands (feared alienating upper-caste support).
• Gandhi believed in upliftment of Dalits but called them Harijans (children of God), not in favor of separate electorates for them.

 Clash of Ideas/Role of Ambedkar:

• Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, leader of Dalits, demanded separate electorates.
• Gandhi opposed this, fearing it would divide the Hindu community.
• Round table confrence:- Demanding separate electroal for "Dalit".

Poona Pact (1932):

• After Gandhi’s fast unto death, the Poona Pact was signed.
• Separate electorates were dropped, but Dalits were given reserved seats in general elections.

2. Muslim Participation:-Why Muslims Were Wary:

• After the Khilafat Movement ended, many Muslims felt disconnected from the Congress.
• Hindu-Muslim unity weakened.
• Some felt that Congress was not protecting their interests.
• There were communal tensions and riots in the late 1920s.

Result:

• Muslim leaders like Muhammad Ali Jinnah and others began focusing more on separate Muslim identity and rights.
• Many Muslims did not participate in Civil Disobedience.

4. The Sense of Collective Belonging

Nationalism in India grew not just through movements, but also by creating a shared identity among Indians – a feeling of "We are all one nation."

What Is “Collective Belonging”? :- It means when people start feeling united as one group or nation.

Even though Indians came from different castes, religions, regions, etc., they started seeing themselves as part of one Indian identity.

How Was This Feeling Created?:- 

1. Images and Symbols

• The image of Bharat Mata (Mother India) became a symbol of the nation.
• First painted by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, then later popularized by Abanindranath Tagore.
• Bharat Mata was shown as a goddess and symbol (Trishul, Elephant, Tiger) – powerful and divine(Authority).
• This helped people imagine India as a motherland to be loved and protected.

 2. National Songs

• In 1870, Bankim Chandra wrote ‘Vande Mataram’, which became the national song of the freedom movement.
• It was sung during protests, processions, and patriotic gatherings.

3. Folk Tales and Folklore

• Leaders collected folk stories, songs, and legends from rural India.
• These represented the rich culture and unity of Indian society.
• It showed people that India had a glorious past and a common cultural heritage.
• In Bengal:- Rabindra Nath Tagore began to collect ballad, nursery, rhymes, and myths
• In Madras:- Natesa Sastri collection of Tamil folk tales, "The Folklore of Southern India".

4. Use of History

• Nationalists wrote about India’s ancient achievements in science, art, and religion.
• This was done to instill pride in Indians and counter British claims that Indians were backward and needed foreign rule.

5. Indian Flag

• The Indian national flag went through many changes:
• Early version (1906): three colors – green, yellow, red with symbols like lotus and sun.
• Eight Lotus representing:- Eight British Provinces, Crescent Moon:- Representing Hindu & Muslim.
• Later version in 1921 (by Gandhiji): spinning wheel (charkha) in the center, symbolizing self-reliance.
• The flag became a symbol of unity and resistance.

Difference Between Non-Cooperation and Civil Disobedience Movements

Feature       Non-Cooperation Movement (1920–2            Civil Disobedience Movement (1930–34)

Launched by Mahatma Gandhi                                                         Mahatma Gandhi

Main Aim To oppose British rule through non-cooperation To break unjust British laws (civil                                                                                                                                     disobedience)

Reason (Against Rowlatt Act, Jallianwala Bagh massacre, and Khilafat issue)         Against salt tax, colonial rule, and demand                                                                                                                                         for Purna Swaraj (complete independence) 

Main Method (People refused to cooperate: boycott of schools, colleges, law courts, foreign goods) People actively broke                                                                                                                                       laws: salt law, forest laws, refused to pay taxes

Nature of Protest Non-violent non-cooperation                                                                 Peaceful law-breaking (Satyagraha)

Participation (Urban middle class, students, teachers, lawyers) Wider participation: peasants, tribals, women, business class

Government Response Repressive, arrests, crackdown         Brutal suppression, mass arrests, Congress declared illegal

Ended Because Chauri Chaura incident (violence by protesters) Failed Round Table Conference, British refusal to grant                                                                                                                                     demands

Outcome Gave mass support to national movement     United Indians but exposed social divisions; led to Poona Pact

Extra Questions:-

• What British think about Indians?
• What respond of Indian about British thinking?
• How different community people develop a sense of collective belonging?
• Difference Between Non-Cooperation and Civil Disobedience Movements
• Why Gandhi ji organise salt march?
• Why Gandhi ji Called off Movement?
• Why different communnity or people have differnt standards about movement?
• What was Martial Law?
• What do you mean by idea of satyagarh and who launch it?
• When congress session held in Calcutta, Nagpur and Madrs show in map with year?

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