Nationalism in India-People's initiative to bring a change
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Course
Social Science
Institution
Fourth Year / 10th Grade
This document is detailed notes for Class 10th History Ch2 Nationalism in India. It provides detailed notes with easy language which enhances memorability, improves engagement and timesaving. It provides linkage between topics which is not given properly in detail in the original book.
Nationalism as a concept is associated with the formation of modern states. A nation-state is a place where
a great majority of people share the same culture and are conscious of it.
Nationalism and Colonialism
Nationalism in most countries is associated with anticolonialism. The combined concerns, actions
and identity of people of a nation resulted in nationalist feelings to free themselves of foreign
rule.
People began discovering their unity in the process of their struggle with colonialism. The sense
of being oppressed under colonialism provided a shared bond that tied many different groups
together.
But each class and group felt the effects of colonialism differently, their experiences were varied,
and their notions of freedom were not always the same.
The end of the First World War created a new political and economic situation in which the
Central Powers lost. Their territories were divided among the allied powers and a new system of
governance was set up.
Germany was also treated unfairly which led to rise of Nazi Party and Hitler ultimately resulting
in World War 2.
World War 1 and India
At the time of World War 1, India was under the control of Britishers and had to fight the British
side.
There was an increase in the defense expenditure. This expenditure was met by war loans and
increased taxes.
Import duties were increased and income tax was also introduced.
Prices of goods increased during the war period causing hardship for common people.
Forced recruitment of soldiers was done from the Indian rural areas which caused anger among
the rural areas.
War expenditure increased which was majorly financed by the Indian economy. The period of war
and after (1918 -1921) also saw a lot of crop failure in India resulting in food shortages and
famine.
The country was also hit by an influenza epidemic which caused the death of a lot of people.
(Approximately: 12 to 13 million)
Arrival of Gandhi and Satyagraha
Mahatma Gandhi returned to India in 1915 from South Africa. He successfully fought the racial regime in
South Africa through a method of mass agitation he called Satyagraha.
Satyagraha emphasized the power of truth and the need to search for truth. It said that if the cause
was true, physical force was unnecessary to fight the oppressor.
This could be achieved by appealing to the conscience of the oppressor without using violence.
Gandhi believed that non-violence (Ahimsa) and Satyagraha could unite all Indians against the
Britishers.
Gandhi thought of Satyagraha as 'Active Resistance' rather than 'Passive' because he believed that
these methods could only be used by the strong and that it is an intensive activity.
He successfully used Satyagraha at 3 places in India immediately after his arrival in India.
, 1. 1917 - Champaran in Bihar - Inspired Peasants Against the Oppressive Plantation System
The first civil disobedience movement by Gandhi in the freedom struggle.
Persuaded by Rajkumar Shukla, an indigo cultivator, Gandhi went to Champaran in Bihar
to investigate the conditions of the farmers there.
The farmers were suffering under heavy taxes and an exploitative system. They were
forced to grow indigo by the British planters under the tinkathia system (3/20 land must
be grown Indigo)
Government refused his investigation request but he secured the support of masses.
After peaceful protests against the planters and landlords led by Gandhi, the
government agreed to abolish the exploitative tinkathia system.
It was during this time that Gandhi was given the names ‘Bapu’ and ‘Mahatma’ by the
people
2. 1918 - Kheda in Gujarat - Supported peasants affected by crop failure and plague against high
revenue
1918 was a year of failed crops in the Kheda district of Gujarat due to droughts.
As per law, the farmers were entitled to remission if the produce was less than a quarter
of the normal output.
But the government refused any remission from paying land revenue rather increased the
taxes by 23%.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, under Gandhi’s guidance, led the farmers in protest against the
collection of taxes in the wake of the famine.
People from all castes and ethnicities of the district lend their support to the movement.
The protest was peaceful and people showed remarkable courage even in the face of
adversities like confiscation of personal property and arrest.
Finally, the authorities gave in and gave some concessions to the farmers.
3. 1918 - Ahmedabad Mill Strike - Supported Cotton Mill Workers on question of plague bonus and
wage hike.
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.
Exploitative working conditions – long working hours and low minimum wages.
The owners wanted to withdraw the plague bonus to the workers while the
workers were demanding a hike of 35% in their wages.
During the peaceful strike led by Gandhi, he underwent a hunger strike.
The Ahmedabad Mill strike was successful and the workers were granted the
wage hike they wanted.
What was the Rowlatt Act of 1919?
This act was passed hurriedly by the Imperial Legislative Council despite the opposition by
Indian members. It gave the government a lot of power to repress political activities and even
allowed detention/arrest of political activists without trial for two years.
This was meant to control the rise of political unity amongst Indians.
Gandhi wanted to fight this unjust law by using the concept of Satyagraha and started the Rowlatt
Satyagraha in 1919 with a 'hartal' (strike) on April 6th.
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