Nationalism in India
Nationalism is the feeling of love and pride towards country
Topics Covered
- How was nationalism born among the people of Our Country
- what struggle did the people of Our country do to get the feelings of nationalism
The First world war , Khilafat and Non- Cooperation
1914:- Allied Powers Vs Central Powers
- Allied Powers -Russia Britain America Japan
- Central Powers:- Austro Hungarian Germany Ottoman Empire
Britain Indirectly connection to India
India was a colony of Britishers. India was also affected by Britain participation in the first world war
Impact of first world war on India
- Increase in defence expenditure of British army was financed by increasing custom duties, Introducing Tx in India
- Price of goods doubled between 1913-1918
- forced recruitment in the army
- 1918-19 and 1920-21 crops failed in many parts of India
- Acute shortage of food
- Many people died from influenza epidemic
- According to 1921 census approx 13 million people died due to famine and epidemic
The Idea of Satyagrah
January 1915 :- Entry the great man of India Mahatma Gandhi ji (Bapu)
- Gandhiji returned to India from South Africa with an Idea named ” Satyagrah ” (The idea of Non-Violence)
- Fight without using any weapons by following the path of truth and peaceful manner
- Before coming in India Gandhiji Organised his first satyagrah movement in South Africa in 1906 against racism system
1917 in Champaran Bihar
- Gandhiji started the first Satyagrah movement in India in 1917 in Champaran Bihar
- Launched for Indigo farmers
- Gandhiji inspired peasants to struggle against oppressive plantation system
in 1917 in Kheda Gujarat
- Peasants affected by crop failure & plague epidemic
- due to this they were unable to pay revenue
- for the support of peasants Gandhiji launched his second Satyagrah and demand for relaxation
In 1918 in Ahmadabad Gujarat
- The cotton mill workers received very low wages
- The prices of goods were increasing so workers were demanding for more wages
- for the support of workers Gandhiji launched his third satyagrah and demand to increase their wages
Rowlatt Act 1919
- Passed by Imperial legislative council
- This act gave the enormous powers to the British government
- Revolutionaries activities→2 year Imprisonment Black Law (without any trial )
- whoever was suspected by the British government they used to Imprison him for 2 years
- Gandhiji launched his Satyagrah to protest against the Rowlatt Act (Rowlatt Satyagrah , First nationwide satyagrah)
6th April
- Gandhiji started movement with ‘Hartal ‘ (Railway workshops workers strikes Rallies )
- British government scared that communication lines would be disturbed
- British government decided to clamp down the political leaders
- local leaders were picked up from Amritsar Punjab
- Gandhiji was barred from entering Delhi
10th April
- The police in Amritsar fired upon a peaceful procession
- people attacks on banks post offices and railway stations
- then a law passed ‘Martial law’ to the Military -General Dyer took command
13th April Jalliawala Bagh Amritsar
- Most of the people came to attend the annual baisakhi Fair
- Some were doing protest against the Rowlatt act
- General dyer entered in the area with Military and blocked the exit points and opened fire on the crowd, killing hundreds (Jalliawala bagh Massacre )
- As the news of Jalliawala bagh spread people gathered on roads , clashes with people, attacks on buildings
- The British Government responded with brutal repression rub their noses , force to salute , flogged , bombed
- Gandhiji never wanted violence seeing violence spread Mahatma Gandhi called off the movement
Big movement Required :-
- Hindu’s Swaraj movement
- Muslims Khilafat movement
→In first world war Britain win over turkey and turkey king caliphate (Khalifa )
→A rumour spread over the world that Britain will sign Harsh of treaty over turkey
March 1919:- Bombay
→Khilfat Committee – Formed by young Muslim’s leaders
Main Leaders
→Mohammad Ali and Shaukat Ali discussed with Mahatma Gandhi about mass action
September 1920:- Congress Session in Calcutta
- Gandhiji convinced other leaders to start a new movement in support of khalifa as well as for swaraj
- Started Non-Cooperation movement by Hindu and Muslim’s leaders
Why Non-Cooperation :-
British Rule was established in India with the cooperation of Indians and Had survived only because of this cooperation. if Indians refused to cooperate British Rule in India would Collapse within a year and swaraj (independence) would come .
Gandhiji proposed that the movement should in this manner
- Surrender of titles that the government awarded
- Boycott British government services
- Civil services
- Army
- Police
- Courts
- Legislative council
- Schools
- Foreign books
→then in case the British government used repression a full civil disobedience campaign would be launched
In Summer 1920:-
- Gandhiji and Shaukat Ali toured extensively in different parts of India mobilising popular support for the movement
- Initially the Indian national congress was not supporting the Non-Cooperation movement
Reason
Gandhiji wants boycott All services but congress
- Council elections was scheduled in November 1920 if we came to power then we can defend and make changes in British policies
- Non-Cooperation movement would create popular violence.
In December 1920
In Congress Nagpur session congress adopted Non-cooperation movement now Gandhiji supported by Hindus /Muslims and Congress
In January 1921 -Non cooperation movement was started
Differing stands with the movement
The Movement in the Town
- The Middle class participated most in the town
- thousands of students left government schools and colleges
- Teachers and Headmaster Resigned
- Lawyer gave up their legal practices
- Council election were boycotted except Madras
- Foreign goods were boycotted
- Liquor shops were picketed
- Foreign cloths burnt
Results
- The Import of Foreign cloth halved between 1921 and 1922
- Merchants and traders refused to trade in foreign goods
- Production of Indian textile mills and hand looms Increased
- Starting wearing Indian cloths (Khadi )
Why Non-cooperation movement slowed down in towns
- Khadi cloths was more expensive poor people can not afford it so they had to wear foreign cloths
- lack of Indian Institutes so students and teachers joined back government schools and colleges
- lawyers joined back in government courts due to lack of alternate Institution
Rebellion in the Countryside
- Peasants
- Tribal Population
Peasants (Avadh)
Peasants → Angry Landlords →Charges high rent & forced to beggar
Peasants Demands
- Reduction of revenue
- Abolition of beggar
- social boycott of oppressive landlord
Helped →Baba Ramchandra (already worked in fiji as a labour )→Movement started (Nai dhobi bandhs )
Nai dhobi bandhs- Stop providing basic services like barber , washer man
Entry New Leader Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru
Baba Ramchandra and nehru started outh kisan sabha in october 1920 within a month over 300 branches had been setup in the village around the region.
Peasants movement gradually turned violet
- Houses of talukars and merchants were attacked
- Bazaars were looted
- local leaders told peasants that Gandhiji had declared that land was to redistributed among the poor
Tribal Population (Gudem Hills Andhra pradesh )
- Colonial government closed forest area
- their livelihood affected
- they felt it was their right to enter forest
- also they were forced to do began
Now Entry Alluri Sita Rama Raju
- He claimed that he had special powers to make astrological predictions and even survive bullets
- he was inspired by Gandhiji
- Told people to wear Khadi and give up drinking
- but he thought Indian could be liberal only, by force not by Non-violence
1920 Alluri Sita Rama Raju and Tribal Started a movement →Guerrilla movement
- Attacks on police stations
- Killing British officer
- Killed Alluri Sita Rama Raju in 1924
Swaraj Plantations
Plantation workers works in Tea Gardens Assam in 1859
Indian Emigration Act 1859
According to this plantations workers were not permitted to leave the tea gardens without permission . when workers came to know Gandhiji started Non-cooperation movement the workers left tea work but Britishers beat him very badly
1992 Chauri Chaura incident (Gorakhpur )
A peaceful demonstration in a market and then local police used to lathi charge them after this incident some people went to the police station and set it on fire due to which the police officers was killed . Gandhiji got angry and withdraw the Non Cooperation movement
Towards The civil disobedience Movement
Gandhiji understand that before any mass struggle people must be properly trained so that people do not misinterpret the movement
The Congress leaders wanted to Participate in elections to the provincial councils as they felt it would easy to oppose British policies within the Councils
C.R.Das + Motilal Nehru (Swaraj Party) formed in 1st January 1923
- Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru and Subhash chandra bose did not participate as they thought India would get Independence by Mass Struggle
Two Factors that shaped the Indian politics
Great Economic depression (1929) Impacted on India
- Agricultural prices began to fall
- Agricultural goods export declined
- peasants found it difficult to sell their harvest crops
- Unable to pay their revenue
Simon Commission
- Britain government (Tory government ) started a commission in 1927
- this commission was headed by sir John Simon
Objective of this mission
- Review the Indian
- Constitution and suggest some changes
Problem→ All seven members were Britishers non were Indian
Commission arrived in India in 1928 greeted with the slogan “Go back ” .that time Viceroy of British government was Lord Irwin
For controlling the situation Lord Irwin gives two offers
- offer of dominion status for India
- A round table conference to discuss a future constitution
But congress leaders were not satisfied especially Radicals (angry persons) -we need full Independence
In December 1929 Lahore Congress Session
- Resolution-Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru demands for ‘Purn Swaraj ‘
- Announce- 26th January 1930 we will celebrate as the Independence day
The Salt March and the Civil disobedience Movement
- Gandhiji believed first unite then movement . Gandhiji felt that salt could became a powerful symbol to unite the nation
Why Gandhiji choose salt as a powerful symbol to unify nation
- Salt consumed by the rich and the poor alike
- British government charge high tax on salt
- British government had monopoly over its productions only British government can produced salt
In January 1930
- Mahatma Gandhi wrote a letter to viceroy Irwin . Gandhiji put his demands in letter which are on different problems of society. the main demand of which was to abolish salt taxes.
- if the demands were not fulfilled by 11th March the congress would launch a civil dissonance campaign
Salt March (Dandi March )
Mahatma Gandhi started his salt march (12 march 1930) accompanied by 78 of his trusted volunteers
- Started from→Sabarmati Ashram
- Destination→Dandi Gujarat
- Distance→240 miles 10 miles/day
- Duration-24 days
On 6th April Gandhiji reached Dandi and started Civil disobediance movement by breaking the salt law
Non Co-operation →difference→Civil disobedience movement
- Thousands in different part in the country broke salt law
- liquor shops were picketed
- Foreign cloths were boycotted
- Peasants refuse to pay revenue
- People violate forest law
British Government began arresting congress leaders one by one
violent clashes→Brutally Beaten→Abdul Gaffar khan was arrested in april 1930 →Mahatma Gandhi arrested
- About 1 lakh people were arrested
- Gandhiji feel very bad seeing all this
- That’s why Gandhiji called off the Civil Disobedience movement