NATIONALISM IN INDIA

Political and Economic impact of First World War

● It led to huge increase in defense expenditure
● Custom duties were increased doubled during 1913-18
● Income tax introduced
● Forced recruitment in the army from the villages
● Crops failed and shortage of food grains
● At this stage a new leader appeared and suggested a new mode of struggle.

The Idea of Satyagraha

In January 1915, Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa and started the
movement Satyagraha. Satyagraha emphasised the power of truth and the need to search for
truth. According to Mahatma Gandhi, people can win a battle with non-violence which will
unite all Indians. In 1917, he travelled to Champaran in Bihar to inspire the peasants to
struggle against the oppressive plantation system. In the same year, he organised satyagraha
to support the peasants of the Kheda district of Gujarat. In 1918, Mahatma Gandhi went to
Ahmedabad to organise a satyagraha movement amongst cotton mill workers.

Champaran movement of 1917

Champaran Movement was the first movement started in India by Mahatma Gandhi in Bihar.
The movement launched because farmers in Champaran were forced to grow indigo
cultivation (Tinkathia system). Champaran became Gandhi's first experiment in satyagraha.

Kheda Satyagraha of 1918

The Kheda Satyagraha of 1918, in the Kheda district of Gujarat, India during the period of
the British Raj, was a Satyagraha movement organised by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. It
was a major revolt in the Indian independence movement. It was the second Satyagraha
movement after Champaran Satyagraha. Kheda is a district in the state of Gujarat. Farmers
here faced a terrible famine. After this British conducted a land survey and compelled the
peasants to pay land revenue. They, therefore, started a no- tax movement in Kheda district in
1918.

Ahmedabad Movement
Ahmadabad Mill Strike, 1918 was one of the initial movements led by Gandhi ji. Gandhi
used Satyagraha and hunger strike for the first time during an industrial dispute between the
owners and workers of a cotton mill in Ahmedabad. The owners wanted to withdraw the
plague bonus to the workers while the workers were demanding a hike of 35% in their wages.
(80 percent of the workers' wage -- plague bonus)
Rowlett Act
Mahatma Gandhi intered in the National Politics through a Satyagraha against RowlattAct.
The Act authorized the Government to arrest anyone without a warrant and detain in the jail
without trial up to 2 years. This law was declared “Black law" this Act was passed even all
Indian members of legislative Council were in opposition. A protest began in allover India
which led to the Massacre at Jallianwala Bagh

Jallianwala bagh Massacre

Rowlatt Act came in to effect in march 1919 : A protest movement began in all over India in
Punjab protest was particularly strong, two leaders from Punjab Dr. Satyapal and Dr.
Saifuddin kichlew were arrested and taken to unknown place. To protest against the arrest a
public meeting was held on 13 April 1919 in Jallianwala bagh, General Dyer with his British
troops intered park, closed the only exit without giving any warning ordered troops to fire,
even meeting was peacefully. The firing lasted about 10 minutes and no one was allow to
escape about more than 1000 people were killed and many received serious injuries.

Why khilafat issue ?

Mahatma Gandhi then took up the Khilafat issue by bringing Hindus and Muslims together.
The First World War ended with the defeat of Ottoman Turkey. In March 1919, a Khilafat
Committee was formed in Bombay. In September 1920, Mahatma Gandhi convinced other
leaders of the need to start a non-cooperation movement in support of Khilafat as well as for
swaraj.

Why Non-cooperation?
According to Mahatma Gandhi, British rule was established in India with the cooperation of
Indians. Non-cooperation movement is proposed in stages. It should begin with the surrender
of titles that the government awarded and a boycott of civil services, army, police, courts and
legislative councils, schools and foreign goods. After many hurdles and campaigning
between the supporters and opponents of the movement, finally, in December 1920, the Non-
Cooperation Movement was adopted.

Khilafat and Non co-operation movement 1920

Causes of the movement

Khilafat issue – khalifa was the spiritual head of the Muslims and after the defeat of
turkey in the first world war he was deposed by the British. Khilafat committee was formed
to pressurize the British to restore khilafat . Khilafat committee authorized Mahatma Gandhi
to lead the khilafat movement.
Act of 1919- It was just like a constitution. Indian leaders were expecting swaraj in this act
but it was not granted which make Indian people disappointed.

Rowlett act- This act authorized the police to arrest any one without warrant and detain in
the jail up to two years without trial. This law was declared as black law and Mahatma
Gandhi started a movement against this act.

Jallian wala bagh Massacre-This incident was took place at Amritsar in which many
people were killed. Mahatma Gandhi started this movement to get justice to the people of
Punjab.

Differing Strands within the Movement

In January 1921, the Non-Cooperation-Khilafat Movement began. In this movement, various
social groups participated, but the term meant different things to different people.

The Movement in the Towns

The middle-class started the movement and thousands of students, teachers, headmasters left
government-controlled schools and colleges, lawyers gave up their legal practices. In the
economic front, the effects of non-cooperation were more dramatic. The production of Indian
textile mills and handlooms went up when people started boycotting foreign goods. However,
this movement slowed down due to a variety of reasons such as Khadi clothes are expensive,
less Indian institutions for students and teachers to choose from, so they went back to
government schools and lawyers joined back government courts.

Rebellion in the Countryside

The Non-Cooperation Movement spread to the countryside where peasants and tribals were
developing in different parts of India. The peasant movement started against talukdars and
landlords who demanded high rents and a variety of other cesses. It demanded reduction of
revenue, abolition of begar and social boycott of oppressive landlords.
Jawaharlal Nehru in June 1920, started going around the villages in Awadh to understand
their grievances. In October, he along with few others set up the Oudh Kisan Sabha and
within a month 300 branches had been set up. In 1921, the peasant movement spread and the
houses of talukdars and merchants were attacked, bazaars were looted and grain boards were
taken over.
In the early 1920s, a militant guerrilla movement started spreading in the Gudem Hills of
Andhra Pradesh. The government started closing down forest areas due to which their
livelihood was affected. Finally, the hill people revolted, which was led by Alluri Sitaram
Raju who claimed that he had a variety of special powers.

Swaraj in the Plantations

For plantation workers in Assam, freedom meant right to move freely in and out and retaining
a link with the village from which they had come. Under the Inland Emigration Act of 1859,
plantation workers were not permitted to leave the tea gardens without permission. After they
heard of the Non-Cooperation Movement, thousands of workers left the plantations and
headed home. But, unfortunately, they never reached their destination and were caught by the
police and brutally beaten up.
 Withdrawal of the movement
Mahatma Gandhi call off the Khilafat and Non cooperation movement on 12th Feb 1922 due
to a violent incident took place at Chauri - Choura near Gorakhpur on 5th February 1922 in
which 22 Policemen were burnt to death by the angry peasants.

Swaraj Party – 1922

Swaraj party was founded by C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru in 1922 because these leaders had
Some difference with Gandhi Ji on the decision of the withdrawal of Non-co-operation
movement and boycotting the legislative Council. Few leaders of the congress like C.R. Das
was interested to contest election and to sit in the legislative Council to criticize the
Government Policy that is why these leaders decided to form .-Swaraj Party.

Simon Commission
• After the withdrawal of Non cooperation movement revolutionary Activities began once
again and was being increase. That is why in Nov 1927 the British Government appointed the
Simon commission to review the act of 1919 headed by Sir John Simon the Commission
comprising seven members came in India in 1928.

Indian Attitude towards Simon Commission

• Indian attitude toward Simon commission was not positive people boycotted the commission.
They demonstrated with black flags and shouted Simon go back during this agitation Lala
Lajpat Rai was assaulted by Police, who later died and Govind Ballabh Pant disabled for life
time.

Causes for boycotted by Indians.

 This Commission did not include any Indian member
 The clauses of this commission did not contain any hope of
swaraj for the Indians.

NEHRU COMMITTEE REPORT

• All leading Indian Political Parties came together in 1928 and they try to make a common
programme in this regard they appointed a committee under the President of Motilal Nehru to
discuss the question of framing a new constitution for India.This Committee is known as
Nehru committee. This committee demanded Dominion status or self rule for India,
Fundamental Rights, Adult Franchise, Independence judiciary and reorganization Of
Provincial boundaries on a linguistic basis. These demands are known as Nehru Committee
report.

Mohammad Ali Jinnah's attitude towards Nehru report

• Jinnah reject Nehru committee report because report did not recommended for Separate
Electorate for Muslims and reservation in government Jobs for Muslims.
 Subhash Chandra Bose's attitude towards Nehru report
• Subhash Chandra Bose opposed Nehru committee report because report demanded for
dominion status and he was in favour of complete independence.

Purna swaraj- 1929 (complete Independent)

• Due to the failure of the British Government to give dominion Status to India and some other
development Congress Party compelled to change its goal from Swaraj to Purna swaraj, in
this regard 44th Session of the congress was held at Lahore on 31 Dec 1929 under the
president ship of Jawaharlal Nehru. Important resolutions were passed in this session was-
• Congress declared its goal Purna swaraj or complete independence.
• It was decided that Congress should launch a civil disobedience movement under the
leadership of Mahatma Gandhi.
• It was also decided that 26 January will be celebrated as a independence day every year.
According to this resolution 26 Jan 1930 was celebrated as the first Independence Day.

Civil Disobedience movement 1930

Causes of the Movement

• All the peace methods was failed to convince British to accept the people's demands
• Recommendation of the Nehru Committee was not accepted by the British.
• divide and rule Policy followed by the British government
• Complete independence resolution was passed at Lahore in Dee 1929.

The Dandi march (12 march to 6 April)

• As resolution was passed at Lahore session of Congress in Dec 1929 Gandhi began his civil
disobedience movement with a march with his 78 followers from his Ashram Sabarmati to
Dandi a sea cost. The objective of the march was to Break the “Salt law” on the morning of
6th April 1930 Mahatma Gandhi Broke the law by making Salt from Sea water at the sea
Coast. This was the beginning of the civil disobedient movement and this march is known as
“Dandi march”

Peoples response to the civil disobedience movement.

• Gandhi received much response from the people. (Welcoming and in the ways Gandhi Broke
the Salt law at Dandi first later followed by others countrywide.

Government response to the civil disobedience movement

 Government try to crush the movement by force
 Lathi charges and firing on Unarmed crowd of men and women.
More than 90,000 people were arrested including Mahatma Gandhi and other congress
leaders were sent.
 How Participants saw the Movement
The Patidars of Gujarat and the Jats of Uttar Pradesh were active in the movement. They
became enthusiastic supporters of the Civil Disobedience Movement. But they were deeply
disappointed when the movement was called off in 1931. So when the movement was
restarted in 1932, many of them refused to participate. The poorer peasants joined a variety
of radical movements, often led by Socialists and Communists.
To organise business interests, the Indian Industrial and Commercial Congress in 1920 and
the Federation of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) in 1927 was
formed. The industrialists attacked colonial control over the Indian economy and supported
the Civil Disobedience Movement when it was first launched. Some of the industrial workers
did participate in the Civil Disobedience Movement. In 1930 and 1932 railway workers and
dock workers were on strike.
Another important feature of the Civil Disobedience Movement was the large-scale
participation of women. But, for a long time, Congress was reluctant to allow women to hold
any position of authority within the organisation.

Gandhi- Irwin Pact (March 1931)

• Gandhi and some other leaders were released from the Jail to start peace process during the
civil disobedience movement in January 1931, in this regard an agreement was signed in
March, 1931 between the Mahatma Gandhi and Lord Irwin this agreement is known as
Gandhi – Irwin pact, the main point of the pact was--
 Civil disobedience movement was called off.
 Release of all political prisoners except those who
were charge with Act of violence.
 Congress agreed to participate in the Second Round
Table conference for making constitution of India.

Round Table Conference

• Three round table conference was held at London to discuss Indian problem arise during civil
disobedience movement and for making some constitutional reforms.
 1930
 1931 - Gandhi Participated
1932

Communal Award of 1932

• Communal award was announced by the British Prime Minister Macdonald on 16 August
1932. It provided communal electorates for the Muslims, Sikhs, and members of the
depressed communities of the Hindus. Mahatma Gandhi did not accept these awards
announced that this is a plan to weak freedom struggle, Separate the backward caste from the
Hindus. Mahatma Gandhi Started an indefinite fast to force the British Prime minister to
withdraw the part of the award which was applicable to the depressed communities of the
Hindus.
 Puna Pact
• To protest against the communal award Mahatma Gandhi started his indefinite fast but
British did not accept his demands and did not try to save his life. People of the country got
extremely worried for Gandhi ji, that is why they approached B.R. Ambedkar who was the
leader of the Schedule caste for not to press his demand for separate electorate for Schedule
carte. In this regard an agreement was signed between Gandhi ji and B. R. Ambedkar on 25
Sep 1932 which is known as “Puna pact” this pact recommended joint electorates with
reserved Seats for Schedule Caste; British accept it and Gandhi broke his fast.

The Sense of Collective Belonging

Nationalism spreads when people begin to believe that they are all part of the same nation.
History and fiction, folklore and songs, popular prints and symbols, all played a part in the
making of nationalism. Finally, in the twentieth century, the identity of India came to be
visually associated with the image of Bharat Mata. Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay created
the image and in the 1870s he wrote ‘Vande Mataram’ as a hymn to the motherland.
Abanindranath Tagore painted his famous image of Bharat Mata portrayed as an ascetic
figure; she is calm, composed, divine and spiritual. In late-nineteenth-century India,
nationalists began recording folk tales sung by bards and they toured villages to gather folk
songs and legends. During the Swadeshi movement in Bengal, a tricolour flag (red, green and
yellow) was designed which had eight lotuses representing eight provinces of British India,
and a crescent moon, representing Hindus and Muslims. By 1921, Gandhiji designed the
Swaraj flag, a tricolour (red, green and white) and had a spinning wheel in the centre,
representing the Gandhian ideal of self-help.