Nationalism in India

1. Introduction

The growth of nationalism in India was closely connected with the struggle against colonial rule. During the twentieth century, different social groups participated in the national movement in different ways. Mahatma Gandhi played a central role in transforming Indian nationalism into a mass movement.

The national movement included several important struggles such as the Champaran Satyagraha, Kheda Satyagraha, Rowlatt Satyagraha, Non-Cooperation Movement and Civil Disobedience Movement.

2. Gandhi's Arrival from South Africa

Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa in January 1915. He had spent many years in South Africa, where he developed the method of Satyagraha to oppose racial discrimination and injustice.

After returning to India, Gandhi travelled widely and came into contact with peasants, workers and ordinary people. He gradually became an important leader of the Indian national movement.

3. First World War and Its Impact on India

The First World War created a new economic and political situation in India. The British government increased defence expenditure and raised taxes to finance the war.

Major Effects

• Defence expenditure increased considerably.
• Taxes and customs duties were increased.
• Prices of essential goods increased sharply.
• Villagers were forced to supply soldiers.
• Forced recruitment created widespread anger.
• Crops failed in several areas.
• The influenza epidemic caused enormous loss of life.

4. Meaning of Satyagraha

The word Satyagraha means the force of truth or insistence on truth. Gandhi believed that a person could oppose injustice through non-violence.

Main Principles

• Truth
• Non-violence
• Peaceful resistance
• Self-sacrifice
• Moral force

According to Gandhi, Satyagraha was not simply a weapon of the weak. It was a method through which people could resist injustice without using physical violence.

5. Champaran Satyagraha

Champaran in Bihar became the site of Gandhi's first major Satyagraha movement in India. Peasants were forced by European planters to cultivate indigo under the oppressive Tinkathia system.

Gandhi visited Champaran, investigated the problems of peasants and supported their struggle. The government eventually accepted several demands of the peasants.

6. Kheda Satyagraha

In the Kheda district of Gujarat, crop failure and poor harvests created severe difficulties for peasants. The peasants demanded suspension of revenue collection because they were unable to pay land revenue.

Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and other leaders supported the peasants. The movement demonstrated the power of peaceful collective resistance.

7. Rowlatt Act and Rowlatt Satyagraha

The British government passed the Rowlatt Act in 1919. The Act gave the government enormous powers to repress political activities and detain political prisoners without trial.

Gandhi organised a nationwide Satyagraha against the Rowlatt Act. A hartal was organised on 6 April 1919.

8. Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

On 13 April 1919, a large crowd gathered at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar. Many people had assembled to celebrate Baisakhi and protest against the arrest of local leaders.

General Reginald Dyer ordered troops to fire on the unarmed crowd. Hundreds of people were killed and many more were injured.

The massacre created widespread anger throughout India and further strengthened opposition to British rule.

9. Non-Cooperation Movement

Gandhi proposed that Indians should refuse to cooperate with British rule. The movement was adopted by the Indian National Congress in 1920.

Programme

• Surrender of government titles.
• Boycott of government schools and colleges.
• Boycott of courts.
• Boycott of foreign cloth.
• Promotion of khadi and indigenous goods.
• Participation in peaceful national activities.

Withdrawal of the Movement

The movement was withdrawn in February 1922 after the violent incident at Chauri Chaura, where a crowd attacked and burned a police station. Gandhi believed that the movement had become violent and therefore stopped it.

10. Movement in Towns and Countryside

Movement in Towns

In towns, the movement was supported by students, teachers, lawyers and middle-class groups. Foreign cloth was boycotted and people participated in demonstrations and strikes.

Peasants in Awadh

In Awadh, peasants were led by Baba Ramchandra. They opposed high rents, illegal dues and forced labour.

Tribal Peasants

In the Gudem Hills of Andhra Pradesh, tribal people resisted restrictions imposed by the colonial forest laws. Alluri Sitaram Raju became an important leader of the tribal movement.

Plantation Workers

Plantation workers in Assam wanted freedom to move freely and return to their villages. Many workers left plantations during the Non-Cooperation Movement.

11. Swaraj Party

After the withdrawal of the Non-Cooperation Movement, some leaders wanted to enter legislative councils and oppose colonial policies from inside the institutions.

C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru formed the Swaraj Party in 1923. They aimed to challenge colonial rule through council politics.

12. Simon Commission

The British government appointed the Simon Commission to examine constitutional reforms in India. The commission had no Indian member.

Indians protested against it with the slogan: “Simon Go Back!”

Lala Lajpat Rai was injured during a protest against the Simon Commission and later died from his injuries.

13. Civil Disobedience Movement

The Civil Disobedience Movement began with the decision to break unjust colonial laws. Gandhi selected the salt law as an important symbol because salt was used by rich and poor alike.

Main Features

• Violation of the salt law.
• Boycott of foreign cloth.
• Refusal to pay certain taxes.
• Resignation from government posts in some areas.
• Peaceful demonstrations and picketing.

14. Dandi March and the Salt Law

Gandhi began the historic Salt March from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi on 12 March 1930. He was accompanied by a group of selected volunteers.

On 6 April 1930, Gandhi reached Dandi and broke the salt law by producing salt from seawater.

15. Gandhi-Irwin Pact

The Gandhi-Irwin Pact was signed in March 1931 between Mahatma Gandhi and Lord Irwin. Gandhi agreed to suspend the Civil Disobedience Movement and participate in the Second Round Table Conference in London.

The government agreed to release many political prisoners and allow peaceful picketing.

16. Gandhi and Dr B.R. Ambedkar

Dr B.R. Ambedkar strongly represented the political and social interests of the oppressed castes, who were then described as the Depressed Classes.

The British Communal Award of 1932 provided separate electorates for the Depressed Classes. Gandhi opposed separate electorates and began a fast in prison.

Gandhi and Dr B.R. Ambedkar eventually reached an agreement known as the Poona Pact of 1932.

17. Government of India Act, 1935

The Government of India Act of 1935 introduced provincial autonomy and expanded the system of representative government. It became an important constitutional development before independence.

18. Elections and Congress Ministries

Provincial elections were held in 1937 under the Government of India Act. The Indian National Congress performed well and formed ministries in several provinces.

The experience of provincial government gave Indian leaders practical experience of administration.

19. Quit India Movement

The Quit India Movement was launched by the Indian National Congress in August 1942. The movement demanded an immediate end to British rule in India.

Gandhi gave the famous call of “Do or Die”. Major Congress leaders were arrested soon after the movement began.

Despite severe repression, the movement spread across many parts of India. Students, workers, peasants and ordinary people participated in different ways.

20. Cripps Mission

The British government sent the Cripps Mission to India in March 1942 under the leadership of Sir Stafford Cripps.

The mission proposed constitutional arrangements after the Second World War. However, the proposal did not satisfy the major Indian political groups and was rejected.

21. Cabinet Mission

The British government sent the Cabinet Mission to India in 1946 to discuss the transfer of power and constitutional arrangements.

The mission included three British Cabinet members:

• Lord Pethick-Lawrence
• Sir Stafford Cripps
• A.V. Alexander

The Cabinet Mission proposed a federal structure with a Union dealing mainly with defence, foreign affairs and communications.

22. Allegory and National Symbols

An allegory is a representation of an abstract idea through a person, object or symbolic figure. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, artists represented nations as female figures.

These figures helped people imagine the nation as a mother or a symbolic female personality.

Examples

• France was represented by Marianne.
• Germany was represented by Germania.
• India was represented by Bharat Mata.

23. Bharat Mata

The image of Bharat Mata became an important symbol of Indian nationalism. Abanindranath Tagore painted a famous image of Bharat Mata in 1905.

Bharat Mata was represented as a calm and spiritual female figure. She was shown holding objects associated with learning, religious faith and prosperity.

24. Making of the National Flag

The national flag became an important symbol of Indian nationalism. During the national movement, different designs of flags were used.

The tricolour with the spinning wheel or Charkha became associated with the Gandhian movement. The Charkha represented self-help, self-reliance and resistance to foreign goods.

After independence, the design of the national flag was modified and the Ashoka Chakra replaced the spinning wheel.

25. Participation of Different Social Groups

The national movement brought together different groups, but their reasons for participating were not always identical.

26. Limits of the National Movement

Although the national movement involved many social groups, all groups did not always have the same understanding of freedom and independence.

Different communities sometimes had different political and economic interests. The Congress attempted to unite these groups under the larger goal of ending colonial rule, but conflicts and differences remained.

27. Quick Revision