Chapter 2 - Nationalism in India - Notes

Indian nationalism grew during the time when India wanted to become free from the rule of the British. In this part of the lesson, students will learn about what happened in the 1920s. They will study the times when people said 'no' to following the British rules and how they peacefully disobeyed them. Students will also learn how the Congress party worked to make the movement for freedom stronger. They will find out how many different kinds of people joined the movement and how this idea of loving and wanting the best for their country became very important to everyone.

The First World War

• The First World War, which took place from 1914 to 1918, was a major global conflict involving many countries.
• Countries formed two main groups: the Allies, including countries like the United Kingdom, France, and Russia, and the Central Powers, including Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire. The war was fought mainly in Europe, but its effects were felt around the world.
• The war ended in 1918 with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.

The First World War's impact on India's economy

• Imports of Manchester goods to India decreased due to British mills being occupied with war production for the army, which opened opportunities for Indian mills to cater to the vast domestic market.
• As the war extended, Indian factories were tasked with fulfilling war requirements. Consequently, new factories emerged, fresh workers were hired, and longer working hours became the norm.
• Cotton production faced a significant decline, and exports of cotton cloth from Britain witnessed a sharp drop post-war. This was due to its inability to modernize and compete with countries like the US, Germany, and Japan. Consequently, in colonies like India, local industrialists progressively strengthened their position by gaining dominance in the domestic market.

Khilafat Movement

The Khilafat Movement was a significant political and religious movement in India during the early 20th century which was initiated by Mahatma Gandhi and the Ali Brothers, Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali, as a response to the mistreatment of the Ottoman Caliphate and the breakup of the Ottoman Empire by the British.

The Non-Cooperation Movement

• The Non-Cooperation Movement was a significant phase in India's struggle for independence. It was a peaceful protest against British colonial rule, led by Mahatma Gandhi and supported by various leaders and the Indian National Congress.
• The movement began in 1920 and aimed to nonviolently resist British authority by refusing to cooperate with their institutions, laws, and policies. People boycotted British goods, refused to attend government schools, and withdrew from official positions.
• This movement gained massive support from various sections of society, including students, lawyers, and farmers. It showed the power of nonviolent resistance and united Indians against British rule. It laid the groundwork for future independence struggles and marked a turning point in India's fight for freedom.
• However, it was called off in 1922 after incidents of violence in Chauri Chaura.

Chauri Chaura incident

• In February 1922, Gandhiji chose to initiate a tax resistance movement. During a demonstration, the police fired at the participants without any reason. The people, angered by this, responded with violence, attacking and setting fire to the police station. This event happened in Chauri Chaura, Uttar Pradesh.
• Upon learning of this, Gandhiji decided to halt the Non-Cooperation Movement. He believed it was becoming violent and that the satyagrahis were not adequately prepared for such a large-scale struggle.

Why Non-Cooperation?

As per Mahatma Gandhi, English rule was laid out in India with the collaboration of Indians. Non-collaboration development is proposed in stages. It ought to start with the acquiescence of titles that the public authority granted and a blacklist of common administrations, the military, police, courts and regulative chambers, schools and unfamiliar products. After many obstacles and crusading between the allies and adversaries of the development, at last, in December 1920, the Non-Collaboration Development was embraced. It was adopted at Nagpur in Dec. 1920.

Effects of the Non-cooperation Movement on the economy of India

The Non-Cooperation Movement had significant effects on India's economy during the early 1920s. The movement, led by Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian National Congress, aimed to peacefully protest against British colonial rule. While the primary focus was on political change, its impact on the economy was noteworthy:

• Boycott of British Goods: One of the key aspects of the movement was the boycott of British goods. This led to a decline in the demand for imported products, affecting British trade and revenue generated from Indian consumers. The import of foreign cloth was cut by half from 1921 to 1922, decreasing its value from Rs 102 crore to Rs 57 crore.
• Local Production: As people boycotted British goods, there was a renewed interest in locally made products. This encouraged Indian industries and craftsmanship, boosting indigenous production and self-sufficiency. Individuals started favoring Indian clothing and stopped using imported ones. Indian textile mills and handloom production increased, and the use of khadi gained popularity.
• Decline in Revenue: The boycott and refusal to cooperate with British institutions resulted in a decrease in government revenue, as people avoided paying taxes and fees associated with British-controlled systems.
• Impact on Education: The movement encouraged students to withdraw from government-controlled educational institutions. This led to a drop in enrollment and revenue for these institutions, affecting the British-controlled education system.
• Economic Disruption: The non-cooperation activities, including strikes and protests, disrupted normal economic activities. Businesses, transportation, and administrative functions were often interrupted, causing economic instability.
• Loss of British Control: The movement's widespread participation demonstrated the Indian population's determination for change. This weakened British control over various aspects of Indian life, including the economy.
• Social and Cultural Shift: The movement emphasized self-sufficiency and a return to Indian traditions. This shift had an impact on consumption patterns and preferences, influencing the economy indirectly.

Countryside Non-cooperation Movement

• In Awadh, Baba Ramchandra led a group of farmers who were upset with talukdars and landlords. These landlords asked for very high rent and extra money from the farmers. The farmers were made to work on the landlords' farms without getting paid (like beggars). The farmers didn't have the assurance of keeping the land they farmed. They were often forced to leave, so they couldn't claim rights to the land. The farmers had three main requests: they wanted the rent to be lower, the beggar system to stop, and they wanted to boycott landlords who were mean to them.
• In the early 1920s, a strong rebel movement emerged in the Gudem Hills of Andhra Pradesh. This movement was against the British government's decision to close off forest areas. This prevented people from going into the forests to let their cattle graze, gather firewood, and pick fruits. People believed their old rights were being taken away.
• For workers on plantations in Assam, being free meant having the ability to move in and out of the small area where they lived. It also meant staying connected to their home village. According to the Inland Emigration Act of 1859, workers on tea plantations weren't allowed to leave without permission. However, this permission was rarely given. When news of the Non-Cooperation Movement reached them, many workers challenged the rules and left for their villages.

The Movement in the Towns

• The working class began the development, and great many understudies, educators, and superintendents left government-controlled schools and universities, and attorneys surrendered their legitimate practices.
• On the financial front, the impacts of non-participation were more sensational. The development of Indian material plants and handlooms went up when individuals began boycotting unfamiliar merchandise. In any case, this development dialed back because of different reasons, for example, Khadi garments being costly and less Indian foundations for understudies and educators to browse, so they returned to government schools, and legal advisors joined back government courts.

Rebellion in the Countryside

• The Non-Cooperation Movement reached the countryside, where farmers and tribes lived in different parts of India. Peasants began to protest against talukdars and landlords who were charging high rents and extra fees. They wanted lower taxes, an end to forced labor, and to avoid landlords who treated them unfairly.
• In June 1920, Jawaharlal Nehru started visiting villages in Awadh to listen to their problems. In October, he and a few others created the Oudh Kisan Sabha, and it grew quickly, with 300 branches in a month. By 1921, the farmer movement grew stronger. They protested by attacking houses of landlords and traders, taking over grain stores, and even looting markets.
• Around the same time in the early 1920s, a strong protest began in the Gudem Hills of Andhra Pradesh. The government was closing forests, which affected the hill people's way of life. They rebelled, led by Alluri Sitaram Raju, who claimed to have special powers. This marked a kind of guerrilla fight for their rights.

Swaraj in the Plantations

For the workers on plantations in Assam, being free meant having the freedom to go back and forth and stay connected to their home villages. But because of the Inland Emigration Act made in 1859, these workers needed permission to leave the tea gardens. When news of the Non-Cooperation Movement reached them, many workers decided to leave the plantations and go back home. Sadly, they were stopped by the police on the way, and they were hurt badly.

The Rowlatt Act 1919

• In 1919, Mahatma Gandhi sent off a cross country satyagraha against the proposed Rowlatt Act. The Demonstration gave the public authority colossal powers to subdue political exercises and permitted the detainment of political detainees without preliminary for a long time. The English government chose to cinch down on patriots by seeing the shock of individuals. On April tenth, police in Amritsar terminated on a tranquil parade, which incited broad assaults on banks, mail depots and rail line stations. Military regulation was forced, and General Dyer assumed control.
• On thirteenth April, the Jallianwala Bagh occurrence occurred. A huge group accumulated in the Jallianwala Bagh, where a couple of individuals came to challenge the public authority's new severe measures, while some came to go to the yearly Baisakhi fair. General Dyer hindered all the leave focuses and started shooting at the group killing hundreds. After the Jallianwala Bagh slaughter, individuals ended up being angry and went on strikes, conflicts with police and goes after on government structures. Mahatma Gandhi needed to cancel the development as it was transforming into a rough conflict.
• Mahatma Gandhi then took up the Khilafat issue by uniting Hindus and Muslims. World War first finished with the loss of Ottoman Turkey. In Walk 1919, a Khilafat Council was shaped in Bombay. In September 1920, Mahatma Gandhi persuaded different heads of the need to begin a non-participation development on the side of Khilafat as well concerning Swaraj.

Jallianwala Bagh incident

On 13 April, 1919, a group of villagers who had gathered at Jallianwala Bagh, unaware of the imposed martial law, became trapped as General Dyer and British troops entered the park. The single exit was closed without warning, and orders were given to fire upon the crowd. This resulted in the deaths of hundreds. General Dyer's ruthless actions stirred unprecedented anger. The news of Jallianwala Bagh spread, leading to protests in various North Indian towns. Street protests, clashes, and assaults on government structures followed.

Differing Strands within the Movement

In January 1921, the Non-Cooperation-Khilafat Movement started. In this development, different gatherings partook, however the term implied various things to various individuals.

Moving Toward Civil Disobedience

In February of 1922, Mahatma Gandhi decided to end the Non-Cooperation Movement because he was worried it was becoming violent. Some leaders wanted to join the provincial council elections. CR Das and Motilal Nehru created the Swaraj Party. In the late 1920s, two things changed Indian politics. The first was a worldwide economic crisis, and the second was the drop in farm prices. They formed the Statutory Commission to study how India's government system worked and suggest improvements. In 1928, the Simon Commission came to India, and people protested by saying 'Go back, Simon.' In December 1929, led by Jawaharlal Nehru, the Lahore Congress asked for 'Purna Swaraj,' which means complete independence for India. They decided to celebrate Independence Day on 26 January 1930.

The Salt March and the Civil Disobedience Movement

• On 31 January, 1930, Mahatma Gandhi wrote a letter to Viceroy Irwin with eleven demands. One of the strongest demands was to remove the salt tax, which affected both rich and poor people. These demands needed to be met by March 11, or else the Congress would start a civil disobedience campaign. Mahatma Gandhi began the famous salt march with 78 trusted followers. They walked over 240 miles from his ashram in Sabarmati to Dandi, a town on the coast of Gujarat. On April 6, he reached Dandi and made salt from seawater, breaking the law. This marked the start of the Civil Disobedience Movement.
• The movement spread all over the country, and people broke the salt law in different places. People stopped using foreign clothes, farmers refused to pay taxes, and in many areas, people went against forest rules. In April 1930, Abdul Ghaffar Khan, a loyal follower of Mahatma Gandhi, got arrested. Gandhi himself was arrested a month later, which led to protests against symbols of British rule. Seeing the tough situation, Gandhi decided to stop the movement and made an agreement with Irwin on March 5, 1931. This was known as the Gandhi-Irwin Pact, and it included Gandhi agreeing to join a conference in London. But when the conference didn't work out, Gandhi returned to India sad and restarted the Civil Disobedience Movement. It went on for almost a year but lost energy by 1934.

How People Viewed the Movement

• The Patidars of Gujarat and the Jats of Uttar Pradesh played active roles in the movement. They became strong supporters of the Civil Disobedience Movement. However, they felt disappointed when the movement was ended in 1931. So, when the movement restarted in 1932, many of them chose not to join. The poorer farmers joined various radical movements, often led by Socialists and Communists.
• To represent business interests, the Indian Industrial and Commercial Congress formed in 1920, and the Federation of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) in 1927. These groups opposed colonial control over the Indian economy and supported the Civil Disobedience Movement at its start. Some industrial workers did take part in the movement. In 1930 and 1932, railway and dock workers went on strike.
• A significant aspect of the Civil Disobedience Movement was the substantial involvement of women. However, the Congress was hesitant to let women hold important positions within the organization for a long time.

Provisions of Poona pact of 1932

Signed between Dr. Ambedkar and Gandhiji. It gave depressed classes reserved seats in central provincial councils but they were to be voted by the general electorate.

The Idea of Satyagraha and Mahatma Gandhi

In January 1915, Mahatma Gandhi got back to India from South Africa and began the development Satyagraha. Satyagraha stressed the force of truth and the need to look for truth. As per Mahatma Gandhi, individuals can win a fight with peacefulness which will join all Indians. In 1917, he ventured out to Champaran in Bihar to motivate the laborers to battle against the severe estate framework. Around the same time, he coordinated satyagraha to help the laborers of the Kheda locale of Gujarat. In 1918, Mahatma Gandhi went to Ahmedabad to sort out a satyagraha development among cotton plant laborers.

The Boundaries of Civil Disobedience

• Dalits, often called untouchables, were not affected by the idea of Swaraj (self-governance). Mahatma Gandhi named them Harijans or God's children, saying Swaraj was incomplete without them. He used satyagraha to support them, but they had a different plan to solve their problems. They wanted special seats in schools and their own voting system.
• Dr. B.R. Ambedkar formed the Depressed Classes Association in 1930 to unite Dalits. At the second Round Table Conference, he disagreed with Gandhi and asked for separate voting for Dalits. The Poona Pact in September 1932 gave the Depressed Classes (later called Scheduled Castes) reserved seats in legislative councils. After the Non-Cooperation-Khilafat movement weakened, Muslims felt distant from Congress, which made the relationship between Hindus and Muslims worse.
• Muhammad Ali Jinnah agreed to drop the idea of separate voting if Muslims got reserved seats in the Central Assembly and fair representation in provinces where they were more. But at the All Parties Conference in 1928, the hope of solving this problem ended because M.R. Jayakar from the Hindu Mahasabha strongly disagreed with any compromise.

The Sense of Collective Belonging

• Nationalism spreads when people start to feel like they all belong to one nation. This feeling was shaped by history, stories, songs, and symbols. In the 1900s, India's identity became linked to the image of Bharat Mata. This image was created by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, who also wrote 'Vande Mataram,' a hymn to the motherland.
• Abanindranath Tagore painted a well-known picture of Bharat Mata as a spiritual figure, calm and divine. In the late 1800s, nationalists began collecting folk tales sung by storytellers and gathering folk songs and stories from villages. During the Swadeshi movement in Bengal, a flag with three colors (red, green, and yellow) was made. It had eight lotuses representing India's provinces and a crescent moon for Hindus and Muslims. By 1921, Gandhi made the Swaraj flag with three colors (red, green, and white) and a spinning wheel in the middle, showing his idea of self-help.

Conclusion

During the initial half of the 20th century, different Indian groups and classes united to fight for independence. Guided by Mahatma Gandhi, the Congress worked to bridge gaps and make sure that the goals of one group didn't push away another. This created a nation with diverse voices, all desiring freedom from foreign rule.

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Key Dates for Students to Memorize

• Battle of Plassey: 1757
• Mahatma Gandhi's Return from South Africa: January 1915
• Champaran Satyagraha in Bihar: 1917
• Kheda Satyagraha in Gujarat: 1917
• Ahmedabad Satyagraha in Gujarat: 1918
• First World War: 1914-1918
• Government Passes Rowlatt Act: February 1919
• Gandhiji Launches Satyagraha Against Rowlatt Act: 1919
• Jallianwala Bagh Incident: 13 April 1919
• Khilafat Committee Formed: March 1919 in Bombay
• Publication of Hind Swaraj: 1909
• Gandhiji Convenes Congress for Non-Cooperation Movement: September 1920
• Non-Cooperation Movement Program Adopted in Nagpur Session: December 1920
• Non-Cooperation Khilafat Movement Begins: January 1921
• Oudh Kisan Sabha Formed: October 1920
• Militant Guerrilla Movement in Gudem Hills under Alluri Sitarama Raju: 1920
• Execution of Alluri Sitarama Raju: 1924
• Chauri Chaura Violence: 1922
• Gandhi Ji Decides to Withdraw Non-Cooperation Movement: 11 February 1922
• Formation of Swaraj Party by C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru: 1922
• Appointment of Simon Commission: 1927
• Go Back Simon Movement: 1928
• Lahore Congress Formalizes Demand for Purna Swaraj under Jawaharlal Nehru's Leadership: December 1929
• Great Economic Depression: 1929
• Declaration of 26 January 1930 as Independence Day: Received Limited Attention
• Gandhiji's Letter to Viceroy Irwin Stating 11 Demands: 31 January 1930
• Start of Salt March: 12 April 1930
• Gandhiji Reaches Dandi for Salt Law Abolition: 6 April 1930
• Arrest of Abdul Gaffar Khan: April 1930
• Arrest of Mahatma Gandhi: May 1930
• Gandhi-Irwin Pact: 5th March 1931
• Second Round Table Conference: September-December 1931
• Execution of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev: 23 March 1931
• Poona Pact: 26 September 1932
• Restart of Civil Disobedience Movement: 1932
• Formation of Indian Industrial and Commercial Congress: 1920
• Formation of Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI): 1927
• Establishment of Muslim League: 1906
• Death of Lala Lajpat Rai: 1928
• Government of India Act: 1935
• Launch of Quit India Movement: 8th August 1942
• Designing of Swaraj Flag by Gandhiji: 1921