Class 10 Social Science Notes Chapter 3 (Nationalism in India) – India and Contempory World-II Book

Detailed Notes with MCQs of Chapter 3, 'Nationalism in India'. This is a crucial chapter, not just for your Class 10 understanding but also forms a significant part of the syllabus for various government exams. It details the story of how modern nationalism, connected to the anti-colonial movement, developed in India, particularly focusing on the period after 1915 under Mahatma Gandhi's leadership.

Pay close attention to the sequence of events, key figures, concepts, and the diverse participation involved.

Chapter 3: Nationalism in India - Detailed Notes for Exam Preparation

1. Introduction: The Growth of Modern Nationalism

• Modern nationalism in India, like in many other colonies, emerged in connection with the anti-colonial struggle.
• People began discovering their unity in the process of their struggle against colonialism.
• The sense of being oppressed under colonialism provided a shared bond.
• However, each class and group felt the effects of colonialism differently, their experiences varied, and their notions of freedom were not always the same.
• The Congress under Mahatma Gandhi tried to forge these groups together within one movement, but this unity did not emerge without conflict.

2. The First World War, Khilafat and Non-Cooperation (1914-1922)

• Impact of the First World War (1914-1918):

  • Created new economic and political situations.
  • Huge increase in defence expenditure financed by war loans and increased taxes (customs duties raised, income tax introduced).
  • Prices increased dramatically (doubling between 1913 and 1918), leading to extreme hardship for common people.
  • Villages were called upon to supply soldiers; forced recruitment in rural areas caused widespread anger.
  • Crop failures in 1918-19 and 1920-21 led to acute food shortages.
  • Influenza epidemic (1921 census shows 12-13 million perished due to famines and epidemic).
  • People hoped hardships would end after the war, but that did not happen.

• The Idea of Satyagraha:

  • Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa in January 1915.
  • His method of mass agitation was called Satyagraha (Emphasis on the power of truth and the need to search for truth).
  • It suggested that if the cause was true, if the struggle was against injustice, then physical force was not necessary to fight the oppressor.
  • A satyagrahi could win the battle through non-violence by appealing to the conscience of the oppressor.
  • Early Satyagraha Movements organised by Gandhi:
    • 1917: Champaran (Bihar) - Inspired peasants to struggle against the oppressive plantation system (Indigo planters).
    • 1917: Kheda (Gujarat) - Supported peasants affected by crop failure and plague epidemic, who couldn't pay revenue and demanded relaxation.
    • 1918: Ahmedabad (Gujarat) - Organised movement amongst cotton mill workers regarding wages and working conditions.

• The Rowlatt Act (1919):

  • Passed hurriedly by the Imperial Legislative Council despite united Indian opposition.
  • Gave the government enormous powers to repress political activities.
  • Allowed detention of political prisoners without trial for two years.
  • Gandhi decided to launch a nationwide satyagraha against this 'black act'.
  • Rowlatt Satyagraha (Launched April 6, 1919): Rallies, strikes (hartal), shops closed. Alarmed, the British administration clamped down. Local leaders were picked up, Gandhi barred from entering Delhi.

• Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (April 13, 1919):

  • On April 10, police in Amritsar fired upon a peaceful procession, provoking widespread attacks. Martial law was imposed, and General Dyer took command.
  • On April 13 (Baisakhi day), a large crowd gathered in the enclosed ground of Jallianwala Bagh. Some came to protest, others to attend the annual Baisakhi fair (unaware of martial law).
  • Dyer entered the area, blocked the only exit point, and ordered troops to fire on the unarmed crowd, killing hundreds.
  • His objective, as he declared later, was to ‘produce a moral effect’, to create terror and awe in the minds of satyagrahis.
  • This incident led to strikes, clashes, and government repression (humiliation, crawling on streets, salaam to sahibs, flogging).

• Khilafat Movement:

  • Issue: Harsh peace treaty imposed on the Ottoman Emperor (the Khalifa, spiritual head of the Islamic world) after WWI.
  • A Khilafat Committee was formed in Bombay in March 1919 (Leaders like Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali).
  • Gandhi saw this as an opportunity to bring Muslims under the umbrella of a unified national movement.
  • At the Calcutta session of the Congress (September 1920), he convinced other leaders of the need to start a Non-Cooperation Movement in support of Khilafat as well as for Swaraj.

• Non-Cooperation Movement (NCM):

  • Why Non-Cooperation? Gandhi, in his book 'Hind Swaraj' (1909), declared that British rule was established and survived in India with the cooperation of Indians. If Indians refused to cooperate, British rule would collapse within a year, and Swaraj would come.
  • Methods Proposed:
    • Surrender of titles awarded by the government.
    • Boycott of civil services, army, police, courts, legislative councils, schools, and foreign goods.
    • In case of government repression, a full civil disobedience campaign would be launched.
  • Adoption: The Non-Cooperation programme was adopted at the Congress session at Nagpur in December 1920.
  • Launch: The movement began in January 1921.

3. Differing Strands within the Movement (How NCM unfolded):

• The Movement in the Towns:

  • Middle-class participation was strong initially.
  • Thousands of students left government schools/colleges; headmasters/teachers resigned.
  • Lawyers gave up legal practices.
  • Council elections were boycotted (except in Madras, where the Justice Party participated).
  • Economic Impact: Foreign goods boycotted, liquor shops picketed, foreign cloth burnt. Import of foreign cloth halved between 1921-1922. Merchants refused to trade in foreign goods. Production of Indian textile mills and handlooms went up.
  • Slowdown: The movement gradually slowed down in cities.
    • Khadi cloth was often more expensive than mass-produced mill cloth.
    • Lack of alternative Indian institutions for students and professionals to join.

• Rebellion in the Countryside:

  • Awadh (Peasants): Led by Baba Ramchandra (an indentured labourer from Fiji). Movement against talukdars and landlords demanding high rents and 'begar' (forced labour without payment). Demands: reduction of revenue, abolition of begar, social boycott of oppressive landlords. Oudh Kisan Sabha set up (headed by Jawaharlal Nehru, Baba Ramchandra). By 1921, movement turned violent in places (houses attacked, bazaars looted). Local leaders told peasants Gandhi had declared no taxes were to be paid.
  • Gudem Hills (Andhra Pradesh - Tribal Peasants): Militant guerrilla movement in the early 1920s. Led by Alluri Sitaram Raju (claimed special powers, inspired by NCM but believed India could be liberated only by force). Forest laws prevented people from entering forests for cattle grazing, firewood, fruits, impacting livelihoods. Gudem rebels attacked police stations, attempted to kill British officials. Raju was captured and executed in 1924.
  • Plantation Workers (Assam): For them, freedom meant the right to move freely in and out of the confined spaces (tea gardens) and retaining a link with their villages. Under the Inland Emigration Act of 1859, plantation workers were not permitted to leave tea gardens without permission. Hearing of NCM, thousands defied authorities, left plantations, headed home. They believed Gandhi Raj was coming and everyone would be given land in their own villages. They were caught, stranded, and brutally beaten up.

• Meaning of Swaraj: The term 'Swaraj' meant different things to different groups. However, they were united under the name of Mahatma Gandhi and the call for Swaraj, linking their local movements to a larger struggle.

• Withdrawal of NCM: In February 1922, at Chauri Chaura (Gorakhpur, UP), a peaceful demonstration turned violent, resulting in the death of 22 policemen. Mahatma Gandhi, a staunch believer in non-violence (Ahimsa), felt the movement was turning violent and satyagrahis needed proper training. He called off the Non-Cooperation Movement.

4. Towards Civil Disobedience (Post-NCM Developments)

• Internal Debates within Congress:

  • Some leaders were tired of mass struggles and wanted to participate in elections to the provincial councils (set up by the Government of India Act of 1919) to oppose British policies from within.
  • Swaraj Party: Formed by C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru to argue for a return to council politics.
  • Younger leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose pressed for more radical mass agitation and full independence (Purna Swaraj).

• Factors Shaping Indian Politics in the late 1920s:

  • Worldwide Economic Depression: Agricultural prices fell from 1926, collapsed after 1930. Peasants found it difficult to sell harvests and pay revenue.
  • Simon Commission (1928):
    • Constituted by the Tory government in Britain under Sir John Simon to look into the functioning of the constitutional system in India and suggest changes.
    • Problem: The commission did not have a single Indian member. All were British.
    • When it arrived in India in 1928, it was greeted with the slogan ‘Go back Simon’. All parties, including Congress and Muslim League, participated in demonstrations.
    • Lord Irwin announced a vague offer of ‘dominion status’ (in October 1929) and a Round Table Conference to discuss a future constitution, which did not satisfy Congress leaders.

• Demand for 'Purna Swaraj' (Complete Independence):

  • Lahore Congress Session (December 1929): Presided over by Jawaharlal Nehru.
  • Formalised the demand for 'Purna Swaraj'.
  • Declared that 26 January 1930 would be celebrated as Independence Day, when people would take a pledge to struggle for complete independence. (This date was later chosen for the adoption of the Indian Constitution).

• The Salt March and the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM):

  • Gandhi found in salt a powerful symbol to unite the nation. Salt tax affected rich and poor alike; it was a widely used commodity.
  • He sent a letter to Viceroy Irwin on 31 January 1930, stating 11 demands (including abolition of salt tax). It was an ultimatum: if demands not met by March 11, Congress would launch CDM. Irwin was unwilling to negotiate.
  • Dandi March (Salt March):
    • Started by Gandhi accompanied by 78 trusted volunteers.
    • Marched over 240 miles from Gandhi's ashram in Sabarmati to the coastal town of Dandi (Gujarat).
    • Started on March 12, 1930, reached Dandi on April 6, 1930.
    • On April 6, he ceremonially violated the salt law by manufacturing salt from boiling sea water. This marked the beginning of the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM).

• Features of CDM:

  • Different from NCM: People were now asked not only to refuse cooperation but also to break colonial laws.
  • Thousands broke the salt law (manufactured salt, demonstrated).
  • Foreign cloth boycotted, liquor shops picketed.
  • Peasants refused to pay revenue and chaukidari taxes.
  • Village officials resigned.
  • Forest people violated forest laws (entering Reserved Forests).

• Government Repression: Arrests of leaders (Abdul Ghaffar Khan - Peshawar, Gandhi - May 1930), attacks on peaceful satyagrahis, women, children beaten, ~100,000 people arrested.

• Gandhi-Irwin Pact (March 5, 1931):

  • Gandhi called off the movement.
  • Agreed to participate in the Second Round Table Conference in London (Congress had boycotted the first).
  • Government agreed to release political prisoners.
  • Gandhi went to London (Dec 1931), negotiations broke down, he returned disappointed.

• Relaunch of CDM: Back in India, Gandhi found new repression (Ghaffar Khan, Nehru jailed, Congress declared illegal). He relaunched CDM in 1932. It continued for over a year but lost momentum by 1934.

5. How Participants Saw the Movement (Diverse Perspectives):

• Rich Peasant Communities (Patidars of Gujarat, Jats of UP): Active participants. Hard hit by trade depression and falling prices, they demanded revenue reduction. Swaraj for them was a struggle against high revenues. Disappointed when movement called off in 1931 without revenue rates being revised. Reluctant to rejoin in 1932.
• Poor Peasantry: Wanted unpaid rent to landlords remitted. Joined radical movements led by Socialists and Communists. Congress was often unwilling to support ‘no rent’ campaigns (fearing alienation of rich peasants and landlords). Relationship between poor peasants and Congress remained uncertain.
• Business Classes: Reacted against colonial policies restricting business. Wanted protection against imports, favourable exchange ratio. Supported NCM/CDM financially, refused to buy/sell imported goods. Formed Indian Industrial and Commercial Congress (1920) and Federation of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) (1927). Leaders: Purshottamdas Thakurdas, G. D. Birla. Saw Swaraj as freedom from colonial restrictions on business. Apprehensive of militant activities, prolonged disruption, and growing influence of socialism. Lost enthusiasm after the failure of the Round Table Conference.
• Industrial Working Class: Did not participate in large numbers (except Nagpur region). As industrialists came closer to Congress, workers stayed aloof. Some participation (strikes by railway/dock workers in 1930/1932, Chotanagpur tin miners wore Gandhi caps in 1930). Congress was reluctant to include workers' demands (to avoid alienating industrialists).
• Women: Large-scale participation. Participated in protest marches, manufactured salt, picketed shops. Many went to jail. Mostly from high-caste urban families and rich peasant rural households. Gandhi believed women's duty was to look after home, be good mothers/wives. For long, Congress was hesitant to allow women to hold positions of authority within the organisation. Symbolic presence.

6. The Limits of Civil Disobedience:

• 'Untouchables' (Dalits):
  • Had begun organising themselves, demanding reserved seats, separate electorates.
  • Limited participation in CDM. Congress ignored Dalits for fear of offending conservative high-caste Hindus ('Sanatanis').
  • Gandhi called them 'Harijan' (children of God), organised satyagraha for temple entry, access to public facilities. He himself cleaned toilets. Persuaded upper castes to change heart.
  • Dalit leaders (like Dr. B.R. Ambedkar) demanded political empowerment, organised Dalits into the Depressed Classes Association (1930). Clashed with Gandhi at Second Round Table Conference demanding separate electorates for Dalits.
  • Poona Pact (September 1932): Gandhi began a fast unto death against separate electorates (believed it would slow down integration). Ambedkar ultimately accepted Gandhi's position. Pact gave Depressed Classes reserved seats in provincial/central legislative councils, but to be voted in by the general electorate. Dalit movement remained apprehensive of Congress-led national movement.
• Muslim Political Organisations:
  • After decline of Non-Cooperation-Khilafat movement, felt alienated from Congress.
  • Congress visibly associated with Hindu religious nationalist groups (like Hindu Mahasabha) from mid-1920s. Communal clashes increased.
  • Efforts for unity (1927) failed over the question of representation in future assemblies. Muhammad Ali Jinnah (Muslim League leader) was willing to give up demand for separate electorates if Muslims were assured reserved seats in Central Assembly and representation in proportion to population in Muslim-dominated provinces (Bengal, Punjab). Hopes dashed when M.R. Jayakar (Hindu Mahasabha) strongly opposed compromise (1928 All Parties Conference).
  • During CDM, suspicion and distrust grew. Alienated from Congress, large sections of Muslims could not respond to the call for united struggle. Many feared their culture and identity would be submerged under Hindu majority domination.

7. The Sense of Collective Belonging (Cultural Nationalism):

• Nationalism spreads when people believe they are part of the same nation, discover unity. This sense partly came through united struggles, but also through culture.
• Image of Bharat Mata: Identity of India came to be visually associated with the image of Bharat Mata. First created by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. He wrote 'Vande Mataram' (1870s) as a hymn to the motherland (included in his novel 'Anandamath'). Widely sung during Swadeshi movement. Abanindranath Tagore painted his famous image of Bharat Mata (portrayed as ascetic, calm, divine, spiritual). Devotion to this mother figure seen as evidence of one's nationalism.
• Indian Folklore: Nationalists toured villages gathering folk songs and legends. Believed these tales gave a true picture of traditional culture corrupted by outside forces. Essential to preserve folk tradition to discover national identity, restore pride. (e.g., Rabindranath Tagore in Bengal, Natesa Sastri in Madras - published 'The Folklore of Southern India').
• Icons and Symbols (Flag):
  • During Swadeshi movement (Bengal): Tricolour flag (red, green, yellow) designed. Had 8 lotuses (representing 8 provinces of British India), crescent moon (representing Hindus and Muslims).
  • By 1921, Gandhi designed the Swaraj flag: Tricolour (red, green, white) with a spinning wheel in the centre (representing Gandhian ideal of self-help). Carrying the flag became a symbol of defiance.
• Reinterpretation of History: British saw Indians as backward, primitive, incapable of self-governance. Indians began looking into the past to discover India's great achievements (art, architecture, science, math, religion, culture, law, philosophy, crafts, trade). Glorious ancient past contrasted with miserable conditions under British rule. Urged readers to take pride, struggle to change present conditions.
• Challenges: Efforts to unify people were not without problems. When the past being glorified was Hindu, when images celebrated were drawn from Hindu iconography, people of other communities felt left out.

Conclusion:

• A growing anger against the colonial government brought together various groups and classes into a common struggle for freedom.
• Congress under Gandhi channelled people's grievances into organised movements.
• Through such movements, the diverse groups came together, but their aspirations and expectations were varied.
• As the national movement developed, nationalist leaders tried to forge national unity, but the diversities and internal conflicts often weakened the efforts. The emergence of India as a nation was a process fraught with complexities.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) for Practice:

1. Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa in which year?
   (a) January 1914
   (b) January 1915
   (c) March 1917
   (d) April 1919

2. The infamous Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place on which date?
   (a) 10 April 1919
   (b) 13 April 1919
   (c) 6 April 1919
   (d) 5 March 1931

3. Who was the author of the book 'Hind Swaraj' (1909)?
   (a) Jawaharlal Nehru
   (b) Subhas Chandra Bose
   (c) Mahatma Gandhi
   (d) Sardar Patel

4. The Non-Cooperation Movement was called off by Mahatma Gandhi due to:
   (a) The Jallianwala Bagh incident
   (b) The Chauri Chaura incident
   (c) The signing of the Gandhi-Irwin Pact
   (d) The failure of the Round Table Conference

5. The 'Purna Swaraj' resolution was adopted in which session of the Indian National Congress?
   (a) Calcutta Session (Sept 1920)
   (b) Nagpur Session (Dec 1920)
   (c) Lahore Session (Dec 1929)
   (d) Bombay Session (1934)

6. Who led the peasant movement in Awadh during the Non-Cooperation Movement?
   (a) Alluri Sitaram Raju
   (b) Baba Ramchandra
   (c) Mahatma Gandhi
   (d) Motilal Nehru

7. The Simon Commission (1928) was boycotted by Indians because:
   (a) It supported the Muslim League
   (b) It did not include any Indian member
   (c) It proposed dominion status
   (d) It was appointed by the British Labour Party

8. The Poona Pact (1932) was signed between Mahatma Gandhi and:
   (a) Muhammad Ali Jinnah
   (b) Lord Irwin
   (c) Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
   (d) Jawaharlal Nehru

9. Who painted the famous image of Bharat Mata, portraying her as an ascetic figure?
   (a) Rabindranath Tagore
   (b) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
   (c) Natesa Sastri
   (d) Abanindranath Tagore

10. FICCI (Federation of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries) was formed in which year?
    (a) 1920
    (b) 1927
    (c) 1929
    (d) 1930

Answer Key for MCQs:

1. (b) January 1915
2. (b) 13 April 1919
3. (c) Mahatma Gandhi
4. (b) The Chauri Chaura incident
5. (c) Lahore Session (Dec 1929)
6. (b) Baba Ramchandra
7. (b) It did not include any Indian member
8. (c) Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
9. (d) Abanindranath Tagore
10. (b) 1927

Make sure you revise these points thoroughly. Understanding the chronology, the key concepts like Satyagraha and Swaraj, and the reasons for participation (or lack thereof) by different social groups is essential. Good luck with your preparation!