Nationalism in India NCERT Class 10

Nationalism in India NCERT Class 10 NCERT SOLUTION

1. Explain:

(a) Why growth of nationalism in the colonies is linked to an anti-colonial movement.

(b) How the First World War helped in the growth of the National Movement in India.

(c) Why Indians were outraged by the Rowlatt Act.

(d) Why Gandhiji decided to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement.

 

Answer

 

(a) The sense of being oppressed under colonialism provided a shared bond that tied many different groups together. People began discovering their unity in the process of their struggle with colonialism. The movements of freedom struggle were joined by the masses to free themselves from foreign exploitation. Thus, the growth of nationalism in the colonies is linked to anti-colonial movements.

 

(b) During the First World War, to finance the defense expenditure, customs duties were raised and income tax introduced. The forced recruitment in rural areas caused widespread anger. In 1918-19 and 1920-21, crops failed in many parts of India which resulted in acute shortages of food. Also, there was an influenza epidemic. The hardships of people did not end after the war. Thus, they united under leaders to find a new way of struggle.

 

(c) The Rowlatt Act was hurriedly passed through the Imperial Legislative Council despite the united opposition of the Indian members. It gave the government enormous powers to repress political activities and allowed detention of political prisoners without trial for two years. This was an unjust and oppressive law for Indians. Thus, Indians were outraged by the Rowlatt Act.

 

(d) Gandhiji felt the movement was turning violent in many places such as the Chauri Chaura incident. He felt that satyagrahis needed to be properly trained before they would be ready for mass struggles. Thus, Gandhiji decided to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement.

 

2. What is meant by the idea Satyagraha?

 

Answer

 

Satyagraha was a novel method of mass agitation. The idea of ‘Satyagraha’ emphasized 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 without seeking vengeance or being aggressive.

 

3. Write a newspaper report on:

(a) The Jallianwala Bagh massacre

(b) The Simon Commission

 

Answer

 

a) On 13th April 1919, the infamous Jallianwalla Bagh incident took place in the enclosed ground of Jallianwala Bagh. A large crowd gathered in the Jallianwala Bagh. Some people were present to protest against the British government’s repressive measures while others were there to attend the annual Baisakhi Fair. Being from outside the city, many villagers were unaware of the martial

law that had been imposed. Suddenly, a British military officer, General Dyer came, blocked the exit points from the Bagh and opened fire upon the innocent citizens. Hundreds of innocent people including women and children were killed and wounded due to firing by the British soldiers.

 

b) The Simon Commission was constituted by the Tory Government in Britain, under Sir John Simon. The objective of the Commission was to look into the functioning of the constitutional system in India and suggest some constitutional changes. But nationalists in India opposed the Commission because it had not a single Indian member. Therefore, when the Simon Commission arrived in India in 1928, it was greeted with the slogan “Go Back Simon”. All parties, including Congress and the Muslim league, participated in the demonstrations.

 

4. Compare the images of Bharat Mata in this chapter with the image of Germania in Chapter 1.

 

Answer

 

→ The image of Germania was the symbol of the German nation whereas the image of Bharat Mata was the symbol of the Indian nation.

→ Both images inspired nationalists who worked very hard to unify their respective countries and to attain a liberal nation.

→ The image of Bharat Mata painted by Abanindranath Tagore is bestowed with learning, food, clothing and some ascetic quality also. Another painting of Bharat Mata in which we find Mata holding Trishul and standing beside a lion and an elephant – symbols of power and authority. Germania as a female figure is standing against a background of the tricolor fabric of the national flag. She is wearing a crown of oak leaves, as the German oak stands for heroism.

 

Discuss

 

1. List all the different social groups which joined the Non-Cooperation Movement of 1921. Then choose any three and write about their hopes and struggles to show why they joined the movement.

 

Answer

 

The different social groups that joined the Non-Cooperation Movement of 1921 were the urban middle class comprising lawyers, students, teachers and headmasters, peasants, tribals and workers.

→ The middle class joined the movement because the boycott of foreign goods would make the sale of their textiles and handlooms go up.

→ The peasants took part in the movement because they hoped they would be saved from the oppressive landlords, high taxes taken by the colonial government.

→ Plantation workers took part in the agitation hoping they would get the right to move freely in and outside the plantations and get land in their own villages.

 

2. Discuss the Salt March to make clear why it was an effective symbol of resistance against colonialism.

 

Answer

 

Mahatma Gandhi found in salt a powerful symbol that could unite the nation as it was consumed by rich and poor alike. He declared that the tax on salt and the government monopoly over its production was the most oppressive face of British rule. Gandhiji sent a letter to Viceroy Irwin starting eleven demands. The most stirring of all was the demand to abolish the salt tax. Irwin was unwilling to negotiate, so Gandhiji started the Salt March with 78 volunteers. He reached Dandi, violated law and made salt. This March developed the feeling of nationalism, people in different parts of the country broke the salt law and manufactured salt and demonstrated in front of government salt factories. Thus, the Salt March was an effective symbol of resistance against colonialism.

 

3. Imagine you are a woman participating in the Civil Disobedience Movement. Explain what the experience meant to your life.

 

Answer

I participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement which was called by Gandhiji. I participated in protest marches, manufactured salt, and picketed foreign cloth and liquor shops and went to jail. I really see these services to the nation as a sacred duty of women. From the very start, I was sure that British had to leave our country and I saw this as a proud moment as I took part in this activity.

 

4. Why did political leaders differ sharply over the question of separate electorates?

 

Answer

 

Many dalit leaders were keen on a different political solution to the problems of the community. They began organising themselves, demanding a separate electorate that would choose dalit members for legislative councils. They believed political empowerment would resolve the problems of their social disabilities. Dr B.R. Ambedkar, who organized the dalits into the Depressed Classes Association in 1930, clashed with Mahatma Gandhi at the second Round Table Conference by demanding separate electorates for dalits. Gandhiji believed that separate electorates for dalits would slow down the process of their integration into society.

After the decline of the Non-Cooperation-Khilafat Movement, many Muslim leaders and intellectuals expressed their concern about the status of Muslims as a minority within India. They feared that the culture and identity of minorities would be submerged under the domination of Hindu majority.

Nationalism in India NCERT Class 10 MCQ

Question :  Where was Gandhi's ashram located?

• a) Sabarmati

• b) Dandi

• c) Allahabad

• d) Nagpur

Answer :  Sabarmati

 

Question :  Who organized the dalits into the Depressed Classes Association?

• a) B.R. Ambedkar

• b) Mahatma Gandhi

• c) Subhash Chandra Bose

• d) Jawaharlal Nehru

Answer :  B.R. Ambedkar

 

Question :  Who were the Sanatanis?

• a) High-caste Hindus

• b) Saints

• c) Dalits

• d) None of the options

Answer :  High-caste Hindus

 

Question :  What led to the Civil Disobedience Movement?

• a) Violation of Salt Tax by Gandhi

• b) Arrival of the Simon Commission

• c) Working at the firm without payments

• d) Fall in demand for agricultural goods

Answer :  Violation of Salt Tax by Gandhi

 

Question :  What was the main problem with the Simon Commission?

• a) It was an all British commission

• b) It was formed in Britain

• c) It was set up in response to the nationalist movement

• d) All of the options

Answer :  It was an all British commission

 

Question :  What was the effect of the Non-cooperation movement on the plantation workers in Assam?

• a) They left the plantations and headed home

• b) They went on strike

• c) They destroyed the plantations

• d) None of the options

Answer :  They left the plantations and headed home

 

Question :  What did the term begar mean?

• a) Labor without payment

• b) Payment of wages

• c) High rents demanded by landlords

• d) None of the options

Answer :  Labor without payment

 

Question :  Who led the peasants in Awadh?

• a) Baba Ramchandra

• b) Mahatma Gandhi

• c) Jawaharlal Nehru

• d) None of the options

Answer :  Baba Ramchandra

 

Question :  What did the term picket refer to?

• a) Protest by blocking shop entrances

• b) Stealing from shops

• c) Import of goods

• d) Boycott of clothes and goods

Answer :  Protest by blocking shop entrances

  

Question :  What did Mahatma Gandhi in his book, Hind Swaraj, declare?

• a) British ruled India because Indians cooperated with them

• b) British ruled India because the latter was militarily weak

• c) British ruled India because they got international support

• d) None of the options

Answer :  British ruled India because Indians cooperated with them

 

Question :  What did the Rowlatt Act, 1919 presume?

• a) Detention of political prisoners without trial

• b) Forced recruitment in the army

• c) Forced manual labor

• d) Equal pay for equal work

Answer :  Detention of political prisoners without trial

  

Question :  When did Mahatma Gandhi return to India from South Africa?

• a) 1915

• b) 1913

• c) 1919

• d) 1921

Answer :  1915

 

Question :  The famous book of Gandhiji is

• a) Mein Kampf

• b) My Experiments with truth

• c) Hind Swaraj

• d) Discovery of India

Answer :  Mein Kampf

 

Question :  Which of the following formed the Khilafat Committee in Bombay?

• a) Ali Brothers

• b) Muhammad Ali Jinnah

• c) Abdul Ghaffar Khan

• d) Surendra Nath Banerjee

Answer :  Ali Brothers

 

Question :  In which city the Jallianwala Bagh Tragedy took place?

• a) Amritsar

• b) Lahore

• c) Agra

• d) Meerut

Answer :  Amritsar

 

Question :  Which among the following was the reason for Indian opposition to the Rowlatt Act (1919)?

• a) It authorized the government to imprison people without trial

• b) It was passed hurriedly

• c) It was given to the government. enormous powers

• d) Local leaders were picked up

Answer :  It authorized the government to imprison people without trial

  

Question :  Champaran Satyagraha (1916) was launched by Gandhiji against

• a) indigo planters

• b) high revenue demand

• c) mill owners

• d) salt tax

Answer :  indigo planters

 

Question :  Satyagraha was

• a) pure soul force

• b) weapon of the week

• c) physical force

• d) force of arms

Answer :  pure soul force

 

Question :  In which year did Gandhiji return to India from South Africa?

• a) Jan. 1915

• b) Feb. 1916

• c) Jan. 1916

• d) Feb. 1915

Answer :  Jan. 1915

 

Question :  Which among the following was the prime factor in the emergence of modern nationalism in India?

• a) Anti-colonial movement

• b) New symbols

• c) New ideas

• d) Icons

Answer :  Anti-colonial movement

 

Question :  The Tonkin Free School was started in Vietnam in 1907. It provided

• a) Western-style education to Vietnamese

• b) Basic education to Vietnamese

• c) Health education to Vietnamese

• d) Moral education to Vietnamese

Answer :  Western-style education to Vietnamese

Question :  What were the French citizens living in Vietnam called?

• a) Junkers

• b) Colons

• c) French

• d) Vietnamese

Answer :  Colons

 

Question :  When was the Tonkin Free School started?

• a) 1907

• b) 1905

• c) 1908

• d) 1906

Answer : 1907

 

Question :  When did Ho Chi Minh form the Vietnamese Communist Party?

• a) 1931

• b) 1930

• c) 1932

• d) 1934

Answer :  1930

 

Question :  Who was given the name the ‘Mad Bonze’ by the French?

• a) Phan Boi Chau

• b) Nguyen Anh

• c) Huynh Phu So

• d) Kennedy

Answer :  Huynh Phu So

 

Question :  Under the Inland Emigration Act of 1859 the peasants were not permitted to

• a) Leave their plantation without permission

• b) Leave their village

• c) Settle in the city

• d) Allow the women to leave farmlands without permission

Answer :  Leave their plantation without permission

 

Question :  Hind Swaraj was written by?

• a) Mahatma Gandhi

• b) Abul Kalam Azad

• c) Sardar Patel

• d) Subhas Chandra Bose

Answer :  Mahatma Gandhi

 

Question :  What kind of movement was launched by the tribal peasants of Gudem Hills in Andhra Pradesh?

• a) Militant Guerrilla Movement

• b) Satyagraha Movement

• c) Non-Violent Movement

• d) None of the options.

Answer :  Militant Guerrilla Movement

 

Question :  What does the term Khalifa refer to?

• a) Spiritual leader of the Muslim

• b) Sultan of a Muslim country

• c) Nawab of a Muslim state

• d) Badshah of Mughal period

Answer :  Spiritual leader of the Muslim

 

Question :  Why was the Round Table Conference held in England?

• a) To discuss the provisions of the future Indian Constitution.

• b) To discuss the steps to be taken to check Indian National Movement

• c) To give concessions to Indians

• d) To make plans for improvement of agriculture in India.

Answer :  To discuss the provisions of the future Indian Constitution.

 

Question :  Why did Gandhiji organized a Satyagraha in Ahmedabad Mill in 1918?

• a) To demand for higher wages for workers.

• b) To protest against the poor working conditions in the factory.

• c) To protest against high revenue demand.

• d) None of the options.

Answer :  To demand for higher wages for workers.

 

Question :  By what name were the dalits referred to by Gandhiji?

• a) Harijans

• b) Untouchables

• c) Shudras

• d) Achchuts

Answer :  Harijans

 

Question :  Why did the Indians oppose the Rowlatt Act?

• a) It gave the British the power to arrest and detain a person without a trial

• b) It introduced the Salt Law.

• c) It increased taxes on land

• d) It put a ban on the Congress party.

Answer :  It gave the British the power to arrest and detain a person without a trial

 

Question :  By whom was the first image of Bharatmata painted?

• a) Abanindranath Tagore

• b) Rabindranath Tagore

• c) Ravi Verma

• d) Nandalal Bose

Answer :  Abanindranath Tagore

 

Question :  By whom was the Swaraj Party formed?

• a) Motilal Nehru and C.R. Das

• b) Subhas Chandra Bose and Sardar Patel

• c) Jawaharlal Nehru and Rajendra Prasad

• d) Motilal Nehru and Rajendra Prasad

Answer :  Motilal Nehru and C.R. Das

 

Question : Which of the following is true with reference to Satyagraha?

a) It emphasized muscle power b) It emphasized the Power of truth c) Gandhiji successfully fought the racist regime of South Africa with the novel method.

• a) Only A is true

• b) Only B is true

• c) Both A and B are true

• d) Both B and C are true

Answer : Both B and C are true

Question : At which place the congress session of September 1920 was held.

• a) Nagpur

• b) Calcutta

• c) Lahore

• d) Madras

Answer : Calcutta

Question : Who was the leader of the Peasant Movements of Awadh?

• a) Alluri sitaram Raju

• b) Baba Ramchandra

• c) Mahatma Gandhi

• d) None of the above

Answer : Baba Ramchandra

Question : Under which act the Plantations workers of Assam were not permitted to leave the tea garden?

• a) The Rowlatt Act

• b) Cripps Mission

• c) The Inland Migration act

• d) The Inland Emigration act

Answer : The Inland Emigration act

Question : Under which act the Plantations workers of Assam were not permitted to leave the tea garden?

• a) CR Das and Motilal Nehru

• b) CR Das and Jawaharlal Nehru

• c) CR Das and Gandhiji

• d) CR Das and Dr B.R Ambedkar

Answer : CR Das and Motilal Nehru

Question : At which of the following place did Gandhiji make salt out of seawater

• a) Ahmedabad

• b) Wardha

• c) Sabarmati

• d) Dandi

Answer : Dandi

Question : Who wrote 'Hind Swaraj?

• a) Subhas Chandra Bose

• b) Jawaharlal Lal Nehru

• c) Mahatma Gandhi

• d) Sardar Patel

Answer : Mahatma Gandhi

Question : Which incident forced Gandhiji to halt the Non – cooperation movement?

• a) jallianwala Bagh massacre

• b) The Rowlatt act

• c) Chauri Chaura

• d) Arrest of Alluri Sitaram Rammaya

Answer : Chauri Chaura

Question : Who among the following led the civil disobedience movement in Peshawar ?

• a) Maulana Abul Kalam Azad

• b) Mohamad Ali

• c) Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan

• d) None of the above

Answer : Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan

Question : Who first created the image of Bharatmata?

• a) Abanindranath Tagore

• b) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay

• c) Rabindra nath Tagore

• d) None of the above

Answer : Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay

 

Question : When did Mahatma Gandhi return to India from South Africa ?

a) 1913 

b) 1919 

c) 1915 

d) 1921

Question : What did the Rowlatt Act, 1919 presume ?

a) Detention of political prisoners without trial 

b) Forced recruitment in the army

c) Forced manual labor 

d) Equal pay for equal work

 

Question : What did mahatma Gandhi in his book, Hind Swaraj, declare ?

a) British ruled India because the latter was militarily weak

b) British ruled India because Indians cooperated with them

c) British ruled India because they got international support

d) None of these

 

Question : What did the term 'picket' refer to ?

a) Stealing from shops 

b) Import of goods

c) Protest by blocking shop entrances 

d) Boycott of clothes and goods

 

Question : Who led the peasants in Awadh ?

a) Mahatma Gandhi 

b) Jawaharlal Nehru

c) Baba Ramchandra 

d) None of these

 

Question : What was the effect of the non-cooperation movement on the plantation workers in Assam?

a) They left the plantations and headed home 

b) They went on strike

c) They destroyed the plantations 

d) None of these

 

Question : What was the main problem with the Simon Commission ?

a) It was an all British commission

b) It was formed in Britain

c) It was set up in response to the nationalist movement

d) All of the above

 

Question : Who organized the dalits into the Depressed Classes Association ?

a) Mahatma Gandhi 

b) Subhash Chandra Bose

c) Jawaharlal Nehru 

d) B. R. Ambedkar

Question : What moved Abanindranath Tagore to paint the famous image of Bharat Mata ?

a) Civil Disobedience Movement 

b) Swadeshi Movement

c) Quit India Movement 

d) All of these

 

Question : When was the Non-Cooperation programme adopted by the Congress?

a) At Surat in December 1920 

b) At Nagpur in December 1920

c) At Calcutta in January 1921 

d) At Bombay in December 1920 

Question : Who were Indentured laborers?

a) Bonded laborers

b) Labors who were widely used for the plantations

c) Labors who resided in particular place for more than 5 years

d) None of the above 

Question : Who wrote the book ‘The History of the Loss of Vietnam’?

a) Phan Boi Chau

b) Phan Chu Trinh

c) Huynh Phu So

d) Bao Dai 

Question : Who was the founder of the Hoa Hao movement?

a) Phan Boi Chau

b) Ngo Nguyen Anh

c) Huynh Pho So

d) Bao Dai. 

Question : Who overthrew the Bao Dai regime?

a) Sun-Yat-Sen

b) Nguyen Anh

c) Phan Boi Chau

d) Ngo Diem 

Question : Which one of the following countries is not associated with Indo-China?

a) Thailand

b) Vietnam

c) Laos

d) Cambodia

Nationalism in India NCERT Class 10 SAQ

Q.1, What was Satyagraha ? Name any two places where Satyagraha was launched by Gandhiji.

Or

Name the two main ‘Satyagraha’ movements organized by Mahatma Gandhi successfully in favor of peasants in 1916 and 1917.

[CBSE 2008 (D), March 2011]

Ans. (i) Satyagraha was a non-violent method of mass agitation against the oppressor. The idea of satyagraha emphasized the power of truth and the need to search for truth.

(a) Champaran : Gandhiji launched the Satyagraha to inspire the peasants to struggle against the oppressive plantation system.

(b) Kheda : He launched the Kheda Satyagraha to support the peasants who were not in a position to pay the revenue due to crop failure.

Q.2. Who was the writer of the book, ‘Hind Swaraj’. What was the theme of the book?

Or

Explain the ideas of Gandhiji as he expressed in the famous book ‘Hind Swaraj’ regarding Non-cooperation. [CBSE 2012]

Ans. Mahatma Gandhi wrote the Hindi Swaraj. In the book, Gandhiji declared that the British rule was established in India with the

cooperation of Indians, and had survived only because of this cooperation.

If Indians refused to cooperate, the British rule in India would collapse within a year, and Swaraj would be established.

Q.3. Mention any four factors which were responsible for arousing the spirit of nationalism in India.

Ans. (i) Political unification of the country under the Britishers.

(ii) Destruction of India’s old social and economic system.

(iii) Development of modern trade and industry.

(iv) The sense of being oppressed under colonialism provided a shared bond that tied many different groups.

Q.4. What was the impact of the First World War on India ?[CBSE 2015]

Or

Explain new economic and political situations created in India during the First World War.     [CBSE 2008 (O)]

Or

What was the impact of the First World War on the economic conditions in India ? [CBSE March 2011, 2013 (D)]

Ans. The War created a new economic and political situation :

(i) It led to a huge increase in defense expenditure which was financed by war loans and increasing taxes, customs duties were raised, and income tax introduced.

(ii) Through the war years, prices increased – doubling between 1913 and 1918 – leading to extreme hardships for the common people.

(iii) Villagers were called upon to supply soldiers, and the forced recruitment in rural areas caused widespread anger.

Q.5. Why did Gandhiji decide to launch a nationwide ‘Satyagraha’ against the proposed Rowlatt Act 1919 ? Explain any three reasons. [CBSE 2010 2014(0) (D) 2015 (D)]

Or

What was the Rowlatt Act ? How did it affect the National Movement ?

Ans. (i) Rowlatt Act was passed through the Imperial Legislative Council on a report of the Sedition Committee, headed by Justice Rowlatt.

(ii) It was the black act which gave the government and the police to repress political activities, and allowed detention of political prisoners without trial for two years.

(iii) The Act was passed despite the united opposition of the Indian members of the Council.

This Act became one of the factors due to which Gandhiji launched the Non-Cooperation Movement.

Q.6. What were the three local issues in which Gandhiji experimented his technique of Satyagraha during the years 1917-1918 ? How were these issues resolved ? [CBSE March 2011]

Ans. The three local issues were Champaran satyagraha ; Kheda satyagraha and Ahmedabad satyagraha.

(i) Champaran Satyagraha. In the first experiment indigo farmers were encouraged to raise their voice against the oppressive policies of the British. Their demands were sanctioned.

(ii) Kheda Satyagraha : The second experiment was for the farmers who were unable to pay the revenue because of famine and plague epidemic. The recovery was waived off.

(iii) Ahmedabad Satyagraha : The third was for the mill workers who were protesting for better wages. The British had to increase wages along with reforms in working conditions.

Q.7. What was the Rowlatt Act ? How did the Indians show their disapproval towards this Act ? [CBSE March 2011]

Ans. Rowlatt Act was an oppressive act introduced by the British Government in 1919. It gave the Government enormous powers to repress political activities and allowed detention of political prisoners without trial for two years.

Indian Disapproval

* Mahatma Gandhi reacted sharply and decided to launch a non violent civil disobedience against such unjust law.

* Rallies were organized in various cities, workers went on strike in railways, workshops and shops closed down.

* Peaceful protest meetings were organized at Jallianwala Bagh-Amritsar.

Q.8. Who launched the Khilafat Movement ? Why was the Movement launched ? [CBSE March 2012]

Ans. Khilafat movement was a united struggle launched by Muhammed Ali and Shaukat Ali with the cooperation of Mahatma Gandhi.

The First World War ended with the defeat of Ottoman Turkey. There were rumours that a harsh peace treaty was going to be imposed on the Ottoman emperor, the spiritual head of the Islam world. The Sultan was deprived of real authority even over those territories which were left under his control. This angered the Muslims in India.

To defend the powers of Khalifa and to avert harsh peace treaty to be imposed on the Ottoman empire the Khilafat Committee was formed in 1919 in Bombay.

Q.9. Why did Gandhi support the Khilafat Movement ? [CBSE March 2011, 2012]

Ans. (i) As the Rowlatt Satyagraha was limited to cities and towns Gandhiji felt the need to launch a more broad based movement in India. But he was certain that no such movement could be organized without bringing the Hindus and Muslims close together. So he took up the Khilafat issue.

(ii) A new generation of Muslim leaders like the Ali brothers, Muhammed Ali and Shaukat Ali, began discussing with Mahatma Gandhi about the possibility of a united mass action on the issue. Gandhiji saw this as an opportunity to bring the Muslims under the umbrella of a unified national movement.

Q.10. Mention three main proposals with reference to the Non-Cooperation Movement as suggested by Mahatma Gandhi.  [CBSE 2008 (D)]

Or

Gandhiji proposed that the Non­Cooperation should unfold in stages. Explain.    [CBSE 2013]

Ans. The Non-Cooperation had two aspects, i.e., one relating to the struggle and the other relating to the norms of conduct and constructive work. Gandhiji proposed that the movement should unfold in the following stages :

(i) Surrender of titles, honors and honorary posts,

(ii) Boycott of Legislative Councils,

(iii) Boycott of law courts by the lawyers,

(iv) Boycott of Government schools and colleges, and withdrawal of children from these schools and colleges.

(v) Boycott of British goods, To get popular support for the movement, Mahatma Gandhi and Shaukat Ali toured extensively throughout India.

Q.11. Why was the Non-Cooperation Movement launched by Gandhiji ?

Ans. (i) After returning from Africa in 1915 Gandhiji launched some local satyagraha but he was looking for an opportunity to launch a national level movement against the Britishers.

(ii) The Non-Cooperation Movement was launched by Gandhiji to support the Khilafat

(iii) It was also launched against the Rowlatt Act and the Jallianwala Bagh incident.

(iv) Gandhiji merged the Khilafat Movement with the Non-cooperation Movement to bring the Muslims under the umbrella of a unified national movement.

Q.12. How was the Non-Cooperation Movement converted into a national movement by Gandhiji ?

Ans. (i) Hindu-Muslim Unity : Mahatma Gandhi felt the need to launch a more broad-based movement in India. He was certain that no such movement could be organized without bringing the Hindus and Muslims closer together.

(ii) Merging Khilafat issue with the movement : So to unite both the communities he decided to take up the Khilafat issue. The First World War had ended with the defeat of Ottoman Turkey. And there were rumors that a harsh peace treaty was going to be imposed on the Ottoman emperor – the spiritual head of the Islamic world (the Khalifa).

(iii) Talking to Muslim leaders : A young generation of Muslim leaders like the brothers Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali, began discussing with Mahatma Gandhi about the possibility of a united mass action on the issue. Gandhiji saw this as an opportunity to bring Muslims under the umbrella of a unified national movement. At the Calcutta session of the Congress in September 1920, he convinced other leaders of the need to start a non-cooperation movement in support of Khilafat as well as for Swaraj.

Q.13. “The effects of Non-cooperation on the economic front were more dramatic.” Explain.

Or

Explain the effects of the Non-Cooperation Movement on the economic front.

[CBSE 2014 (F)] Or

Explain the impact of the Non-Cooperation Movement in the economic field.

[CBSE 2012]

Ans. (i) Fall in imports : Foreign goods were boycotted, liquor shops picketed, and foreign cloth burnt in huge bonfires. The import of foreign cloth halved between 1921 and 1922, its value dropping from Rs.  102 crore to Rs. 57 crore.

(ii)  Boycott of Foreign goods : In many places merchants and traders refused to trade in foreign goods or finance foreign trade.

(iii) Boost for Indian industry : As the boycott movement spread, and people began discarding imported clothes and wearing only Indian ones, production of Indian textile mills and handlooms went up.

Q.14. Who formed the Swaraj Party ? Why was the party formed ?

Ans. The Swaraj Party was formed by CR Das, and Moti Lai Nehru.

The Non cooperation movement failed to achieve its objective of Swaraj. So within the Congress some leaders were by now tired of mass struggles and wanted to participate in elections to the provincial councils that had been set up by the Government of India Act of 1919. They felt that it was important to oppose British policies within the councils, argue for reform and also demonstrate that these councils were not truly democratic. C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru formed the Swaraj Party within the Congress to argue for a return to council politics.

Q.15. What were the factors responsible for the gradual slow down of the Non­Cooperation movement ? [CBSE 2008 (D), 2013 (D)]

Or

Why did the Non-Cooperation Movement gradually slow down in the cities ? Give reasons.  [CBSE March 2011, 2014, 21015 (D)]

Ans. (i) Expensive Khadi : The Khadi cloth was often more expensive than the mass- produced mill cloth and poor people could not afford to buy it.

(ii) No alternative : The boycott of British institutions posed a problem. For the movement to be successful, alternative Indian institutions had to be set up so that they could be used in place of the British institutions but these were slow to come up. So students and teachers had no option except joining government schools, and lawyers joined back work in government courts.

(iii) Local movements with different interpretations: Workers, industrialists, peasants, traders had their own understanding of Gandhi's notion of ‘Swaraj.’ They started using violent methods for their demands. All this was not approved by Gandhiji and the Congress. So the movement started losing its shine.

Q.16. Describe briefly any three economic effects of the Non-Cooperation Movement. [CBSE 2009 (O)]

Ans. (i) Boycott of foreign goods : People decided to boycott foreign goods and wear Swadeshi clothes, and use Swadeshi goods.

(ii) Impact on imports : As people began discarding imported clothes, the import of foreign clothes halved between 1921 and 1922. Its value dropped from Rs 102 crore to Rs 57 crore.

(iii) Impact on Indian industry: As people decided to boycott foreign clothes, production of Indian textile mills and handloom went up.

Q.17. What were the circumstances which led to the Jallianwala Bagh incident ? Describe in brief the reaction of the people immediately after the incident. [CBSE 2009 (F)] Or

Explain the impact of the Jallianwala Bagh incident on the people. [CBSE 2014 (O)]

Ans. (i) Rowlatt Act : The Rowlatt Act was passed by the government despite the united opposition of the Indian members. The act gave enormous powers to the police to arrest any one without any trail.

(ii) Rowlatt Satyagraha : Gandhiji decided to launch Rowlatt Satyagraha. Rallies were organized in various cities, workers went on strike, and shops were closed down. Alarmed by the popular upsurge, the British government decided to arrest Indian leaders. Local leaders were picked up from Amritsar and Delhi.

(iii) Martial Law : Seeing the people’s reaction against the arrest of their leaders, the police imposed Martial law in Amritsar. On 13th April 1919 General Dyer fired at the people who had gathered in Jallianwala Bagh killing many.

People’s Reaction :

(a) As the news spread, crowds took to the streets in many north Indian towns.

(b) There were strikes, clashes with the police and attacks on government buildings.

Q.20. Explain the circumstances under which the Non-cooperation Movement was withdrawn.

Or

Why was the Non-Cooperation Movement withdrawn by Gandhiji in February 1922. Explain the reasons. [CBSE 2015 (D)]

Or

Explain the conditions of the plantation workers during the colonial rule in India. [CBSE 2012]

Ans. In February 1922, Gandhiji decided to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement due to the following reasons-

(i) The movement was turning violent. At Chauri-Chaura in Gorakhpur, a peaceful demonstration in a bazaar turned into a violent clash in which more than 20 policemen were killed.

(ii) Gandhiji felt that the Safyagrahis needed to be properly trained before they would be ready for mass struggle.

(iii) Within the Congress, some leaders were tired of mass struggles and wanted to participate in elections to the provincial councils, which were set up under the Government of India Act, 1919.

(iv) Industrialists, workers, peasants etc. interpreted the term ‘Swaraj’ in their own way. At many places like that of Andhra Pradesh, leaders like Alluri Sitaram Raju asserted that India could be liberated only by the use of force. But their values were not approved by the Congress.

Q.24. Under what circumstances, the Puma Swaraj was demanded by the Congress ?

Or

Mention the main contents of resolution passed in the Lahore Session of Indian National Congress in December 1929 held under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru. [CBSE2014]

Or

Explain the reason for the Lahore Session of the Congress in 1929 to be called the historical session.                                             [CBSE 2014]

Ans. (i) The Simon Commission had to face demonstrations all over India, and no party was in favor of the Commission. So in an effort to win the political parties the Viceroy, Lord Irwin, announced in October 1929, a vague offer of “dominion status'' for India in an unspecified future and a Round Table Conference to discuss a future constitution.

(ii) The announcement fell short of the expectations of the Congress. At its Lahore Session, presided over by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in December, 1929, the Congress passed a resolution boycotting the Round Table Conference. It declared ‘Purna Swaraj’ (Complete Independence) as its goal, and took steps to launch a programme of Civil Disobedience. The Purna Swaraj Day was celebrated all over India on 26th January, 1930.

Q.25. Why was salt chosen as a weapon by Gandhiji to fight against the Britishers ?

Or

Why did Mahatma Gandhi perceive salt as a powerful symbol that united the nation? [CBSE March 2011]

Ans. (i) Salt was something consumed by the rich and the poor alike, and it was one of the most essential items of food.

(ii) The tax on salt and the government monopoly over its production, revealed the most oppressive face of British rule.

(iii) Salt was chosen to give the movement a wide base.

Q.26. Why did the poor peasants join the Civil Disobedience Movement ? Why did the relationship between the poor peasants and the Congress remain uncertain ? [CBSE 2014(D)]

Ans. (i) The poor peasants had their own problems.

They were not just interested in lowering the revenue, but also demanded remission of rent which they had failed to pay during the depression years.

(ii) In some parts of the country, they launched a ‘no rent’ campaign which was not supported by the Congress because this might have upset the rich peasants and landlords.

(iii) These poor peasants joined a variety of radical movements, often led by Socialists and Communists. So the relationship between the poor peasants and the Congress remained uncertain.

Q.27. Why did the business class participate in the Civil Disobedience Movement ? [CBSE 2014(D)]

Ans. (i) The business class wanted protection against imports of foreign goods.

(ii) They wanted to free the business from colonial restrictions.

(iii) The business community interpreted Swaraj in their own way. They came to see Swaraj at the time when colonial restrictions on business would no longer exist and trade industry would flourish without constraints.

Q.28. Who led the business community during |  the Civil Disobedience Movement ? How did the community provide a big boost to the movement ? [CBSE 2010 (D), 2014(D)]

Or

Explain with examples the role of industrialists in the freedom struggle of India.

Or

Explain the attitude of the Indian merchants and the industrialists towards the ‘Civil Disobedience Movement.’ [CBSE 2015 (O)]

Ans. The business community was led by prominent : industrialists like Mr. Purshottam Das and Mr G.D. Birla.

(i) By opposing colonial policies:  The industrial class was keen on expanding their business, so they reacted against colonial policies that restricted business activities. They wanted protection against imports of foreign  goods, and a rupee-sterling foreign exchange ratio that would discourage imports.

(ii) Forming various organizations: To organize business interests, they formed the Indian Industrial and Commercial Congress in 1920 and the Federation of the Indian  Chamber  of Commerce and Industries  (FICCI) in 1927.

(iii) Support to Civil Disobedience Movement: Led by prominent industrialists like Purshottamdas Thakurdas and G. D. In Birla, the  industrialists attacked colonial control over the Indian economy, and supported the Civil Disobedience Movement when it was first launched.

(iv) Financial aid: They gave financial assistance and refused to buy or sell imported goods. Most businessmen came to see Swaraj as a time when colonial restrictions on business would no longer exist and trade and industry would flourish without constraints.

(v) Role of working class: The industrial working class also participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement. In 1930 thousands of workers in Chotanagpur participated in protest rallies and boycott campaigns.

Q.30. Why did the industrial working class not participate in the Civil Disobedience Movement in large numbers ? Mention any two demands of the workers who participated in the movement. [CBSE 2014(F)]

Or

“The Congress was reluctant to include the demands of industrial workers in its programme of struggle.” Analyze the reasons. [CBSE 2015 (D)]

Ans. The industrial working classes did not participate in the Civil Disobedience Movement in large numbers, except in the Nagpur region. This was because industrialists were supporting the Movement and Congress was reluctant to include workers’ demand as part of the Movement.

Demands of workers

(i) They demanded higher wages.

(ii) They demanded proper working conditions.

Q.31. Explain the effects of “worldwide economic depression’ on India, towards the late 1920s.    [CBSE2013 (O)]

Ans. (i) The depression immediately affected Indian trade. India’s exports and imports nearly halved between 1928 and 1934. As international prices crashed, prices in India plunged. Between 1928 and 1934, wheat prices in India fell by 50 per cent.

(ii) The fall in prices had a deep impact on the poor farmers. Though agricultural prices fell sharply, the colonial government refused to give any relief to the farmers in taxes. Peasants producing for the world market were the worst hit

• Their indebtedness increased.

• They were forced to sell or mortgage their land.

• People were forced to sell their assets like T gold and silver.

• Indian jute producers were worst affected.

(iii) The unrest created by the Great Depression provided an opportunity to Mahatma Gandhi to launch the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1931.

(iv) The depression proved less grim for urban India. Because of falling prices those with fixed income-like town-dwelling landowners who received rents and middle-class salaried employees-now found themselves better off. Everything costs less. Industrial investment also grew as the government extended tariff protection to industries, under the pressure of nationalist opinion.

Q.32. Why was the Civil Disobedience Movement called off by Gandhiji ?

[CBSE March 2012 (O)]

Ans. (i) When Indian leaders were arrested, angry crowds demonstrated in the streets of Peshawar, facing armored cars and police firing. Many were killed.

(ii) A month later, when Gandhiji himself was arrested, industrial workers attacked police posts, government buildings, law courts and railway stations and all structures that symbolized British rule.

(iii) A frightened government responded with a policy of brutal repression. Peaceful satyagrahis were attacked, women and children were beaten, and about 100,000 people were arrested.

(iv) To break the deadline between Congress and the government Lord Irwin invited Gandhiji for a peace pact i.e Gandhi—Irwin pact.

(v) Under such a situation Gandhiji decided to call off the movement.

Q.33. Why was the Civil Disobedience Movement relaunched by Gandhiji?

Ans. (i) Failure of the Second Round Table Conference : In December 1931, Gandhiji went to London for the conference, but the negotiations broke down, and he returned disappointed.

(ii) New cycle of repression : Back in India, Gandiji discovered that the government had begun a new cycle of repression. Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Jawaharlal Nehru were both in jail, the Congress had been declared illegal, and a series of measures had been imposed to prevent meetings, demonstrations and boycotts. With great apprehension, Mahatma Gandhi relaunched the Civil Disobedience Movement.

Q.34. Who designed the Swaraj flag? What were the features of this flag ? How was it used as a symbol of defiance ? [CBSE March 2012]

Ans. Gandhi ji.

(i) It was a tricolor (red, green and white).

(ii) It had a spinning wheel in the center.

(iii) It had eight lotus representing eight provinces of British India, and a crescent moon, representing Hindus and Muslims.

People used to carry the flag, holding it aloft, during marches.

Nationalism in India NCERT Class 10 LONG QUESTION

Explain the reasons and effects of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

                                              Or

Narrate the events leading to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre on 13 April, 1919. What were its effects ?

Answer:

(A) The reasons/events leading to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre were as mentioned below :

1. In March 1919, Rowlatt Act was passed despite the united opposition of the Indian members. It gave powers to the government to detain political prisoners without trial for two years.

2. Gandhiji decided to start non-violent civil disobedience against the Rowlatt Act with a hartal on 6 April, 1919.

3. Activities under the movement were as given below :
   (a) Rallies were organized in various cities.
   (b) Workers went on strike in railway workshops.
   (c) Shops were closed.

4. Policy of the government: The government was alarmed by the popular participation in the movement and was afraid that the lines of communications – railways and telegraph would be disrupted, it decided to follow a strict policy as given below :
   (a) Local leaders in Amritsar were arrested.
   (b) Mahatma Gandhi was barred from entering Delhi.
   (c) On April 10,1919, the police in Amritsar fired upon a peaceful procession. As a result of firing people were provoked and attacked banks, post offices and railway stations.
   (d) The government in order to control the situation, imposed Martial Law. General Dyer took command.

5. On 13 April, 1919, i.e., Baisakhi day, villagers gathered in a fair in Jallianwala Bagh. They were unaware of the Martial Law that had been imposed. Dyer entered the area and blocked the exit point. He opened fire on the crowd, killing hundreds. He declared later that his object was to ‘produce a moral effect’, i.e., create in the minds of satyagrahis a feeling of terror and awe.

(B) Effects :

1. After the Jallianwala Bagh massacre crowds took to the streets in many north Indian towns. There were strikes, clashes with the police and attacks on government buildings.

2. The government, on the other hand, followed a policy of repression.
   (a) They humiliated and terrorized people.
   (b) Satyagrahis were forced to rub their noses on the ground.
   (c) They were forced to crawl on the streets and salam all sahibs.
   (d) People were flogged.
   (e) Some villages around Gujranwala in Punjab were bombed. As the violence spread, Gandhiji called off the movement.

Why did Mahatma Gandhi feel the need to launch a more broad-based movement in India ? How did he achieve this object ?

Answer:

(A) The reason for a more broad-based movement was that the Rowlatt Satyagraha had been a widespread movement but it was mostly limited to cities and towns.

(B) Gandhiji achieved his object in the way as mentioned below :

1. Gandhiji felt that a more broad-based movement could not be organised without bringing Hindu-Muslim unity.

2. (a) One way of achieving Hindu-Muslim unity was to take up the Khilafat issue.
   (b) After the defeat of Turkey in World War I there were rumors that harsh terms would be imposed on the emperor of Turkey who was also the Khalifa or the spiritual head of the Muslims.
   (c) The Indian Muslims decided to defend the temporal powers of the Khalifa.
   id) Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali — two brothers, met Gandhiji who saw this as an opportunity to bring two communities closer and start a unified national movement.

3. Congress sessions at Calcutta and Nagpur:
   (a) In the special session of the Congress at Calcutta in September 1920, in spite of opposition of some leaders, Gandhiji convinced leaders to start a Non-Cooperation Movement in support of Khilafat as well as for swaraj.
   (b) However, many within the Congress were reluctant to boycott the council elections scheduled for November 1920, and they feared that the movement might lead to violence.
   (c) But finally at Nagpur session in December 1920, a compromise between two Congress groups was worked out and the Non-Cooperation programme was adopted in support of Khilafat as well as for Swaraj.

How has non-cooperation spread in cities ? Explain. Why did it gradually slow down ? [CBSE 2016]

Answer:

(a) In the towns, middle classes participated in the movement in the following ways :

1. Students left the schools and colleges. Headmasters and teachers resigned. Lawyers gave up their practice.

2. Elections were boycotted except in Madras, where the Justice Party took part in elections because it was a party of non-Brahmins and felt that entering the Council was one way of gaining some power – something that usually only Brahmans had access to.

3. Foreign goods were boycotted.

4. Liquor shops were picketed.

5. Foreign clothes were burnt in huge bonfires.

6. Many traders refused to import foreign cloth or trade in foreign goods.

(b) Economic effects of Non-Cooperation Movement were as given below :

1. The import of foreign cloth decreased from ? 102 crore to K 57 crore between 1921 and

2. In many places merchants and traders refused to trade in foreign goods or finance foreign trade.

3. People discarded foreign clothes and started wearing only Indian clothes. This led to increased production by the Indian textile mills and handlooms.

(c) The movement in the cities gradually slowed down for the reasons as given below :

1. Khadi was often more expensive than mass produced mill cloth and poor people could not afford to buy it.

2. Similarly the boycott of British institutions failed because to be successful alternative Indian institutions could not be set up in place of the British ones. As a result, students and teachers began to go back to government schools.

3. The lawyers too joined back work in government courts.

Describe the causes, events and results of peasants movement of Awadh during the Non-Cooperation Movement

Answer:

During the Non-Cooperation Movement, the peasants of Awadh under the leadership of Baba Ramchandra – a sanyasi, participated.

1. Causes :
   (a) The talukdars and landlords demanded high rents and other cesses from the peasants who had to beggar and work at landlord’s farms without payment.
   (b) As tenants, there was no security of tenure and no right over the leased land.

2. Object and demands : The demands included reduction of revenue, abolition of begar, and social boycott of oppressive landlords.

3. Activities during the movement:
   (a) In many places, nai-dhobi bandhs were organized by panchayats to deprive landlords of the services of even barbers and washermen.
   (b) By October 1920 Oudh Kisan Sabha was formed. It was headed by Jawaharlal Nehru who had gone there, talked to the villagers to understand their grievances.
   (c) Within a month over 300 branches had been set up in the villages around this region.
   (d) After the start of the non-cooperation movement Congress tried to integrate the Awadh peasants struggle into a wider struggle.
   (e) The peasant movement, however, developed in forms that the Congress leadership was unhappy with because in 1921 the houses of talukdars and merchants were attacked, bazars were looted, and grain hoards were taken over.

1. The local leaders told peasants that Gandhi had declared that no taxes were to be paid and land was to be redistributed among the poor. The name of Gandhiji was used to sanction all actions and aspirations.

4. Results : As the peasants struggle had turned violent, the Congress was unhappy.

“The plantation workers in Assam had their own understanding of Mahatma Gandhi and the nation of Swaraj.” Support the statement with arguments. [CBSE2016]

                                                                    Or

Describe why the plantation workers of Assam joined the Non-Cooperation Movement. What were its results ? What was the importance of the movement of plantation workers and other such movements ?

Answer:

(a) Object : Under the Inland Emigration Act of 1859, plantation workers in Assam were not permitted to leave the tea gardens without permission. In practice they were rarely given such permission. For them freedom meant the right to move freely in and out of the Confined space in which they were enclosed and it meant retaining a link with the village from which they had come. They believed that under Gandhi Raj everyone would be given land in their own village.

(b) Events :

1. During the movement, thousands of workers defied the authorities.

2. They left the plantations and headed home.

3. They, however, never reached their destination. Stranded on the way by a railway and steamer strike, they were caught by the police and brutally beaten up.

(c) Importance :

1. The objects of movement of plantation workers and other such movements (of tribal people in Gudem Hills of Andhra Pradesh) were not defined by the Congress programme. They interpreted the term Swaraj in their own ways. They hoped that time would come when all their miseries would come to an end.

2. The tribals chanted Gandhiji’s name and raised slogans demanding ‘Swatantra Bharat. This way they were also emotionally relating to an all India agitation.

3. When they acted in the name of Mahatma Gandhi or linked their movement with Congress, they were identifying with a movement which went beyond the limits of their immediate locality.

Simon Commission was greeted with the slogan “Go Back Simon” at arrival in India. Support this reaction of Indians with arguments. [CBSE 2016]

Answer:

(a) In 1928, Simon Commission was constituted by the Tory government in Britain in response to the nationalist movement.

(b) The object of the Commission under Sir John Simon, was to look into the functioning of the constitutional system in India and suggest changes. But the problem was that the commission did not have a single Indian member. All the members were British.

It was under these circumstances that the Indians decided to boycott the commission. So when the commission arrived in India in 1928, it was greeted with the slogan ‘Go back Simon’. All parties including the Congress and the Muslim League, participated in the demonstrations.

(c) The demonstration by all parties against the Simon Commission was justified on the following grounds :

1. Under the Government of India Act of 1919, the provincial councils set up were not truly democratic.

2. The powers were still in the hands of the Governor General of India.

3. In response to the demands of the Indians, Simon Commission was appointed to look into the constitutional reforms in India but it was strange that no Indian was appointed as a member. This was an insult for the Indians.

4. Not to include an Indian was against the spirit of nationalists in India. Hence
   demonstration against the Simon Commission. 

Describe the various activities that took place during the first phase of the Civil Disobedience Movement. Why was it withdrawn in March 1931 ? [CBSE 2016]

                         Or

Why did Gandhiji decide to call off the Civil Disobedience Movement ?

Answer:

(a) The various activities that took place during the first phase of the movement were as mentioned below :

1. Violation of salt laws by manufacturing salt.

2. Boycott of foreign cloth.

3. Picketing of liquor shops.

4. Refusal of peasants to pay revenue and chaukidari taxes.

5. Resignation of village officials.

6. Violation of forest laws and going to Reserved forests to collect wood and grazing cattle.

(b) Policy of the government :

1. The government adopted a repressive policy.

2. It arrested the Congress leaders.

3. Abdul Gaffar Khan, a devout disciple of Gandhiji, was arrested in April 1930. It led to clashes in Peshawar.

4. In police firing many people were killed.

5. In Sholapur, people attacked law courts, railway stations and the structures that symbolized British rule.

6. As a result of repressive policy about 100,000 people were arrested.

(c) As a result of the government's repressive policy in which children and women were beaten, Gandhiji once again decided to call off the movement. Gandhi-Irwin Pact was signed on 5th March 1931.

Why did the different social groups join the Civil Disobedience Movement ?[CBSE2016]

                   Or

“The Congress was reluctant to include the demands of industrial workers in its programme of struggle.” Analyze. [CBSE 2016]

Answer:

The different social groups joined the Civil Disobedience Movement for the reasons as mentioned

below :

(1) Rich peasant communities : The reasons for the rich peasant communities for taking part ire the movement were as given below :

1. The rich communities like the Patidars of Gujarat and the Jats of Uttar Pradesh were producers of commercial crops. They were very hard hit by the trade depression and falling prices.

2. They were not in a position to pay revenue to the government. They joined the movement in order to get the revenue reduced. They even forced reluctant members to participate in the boycott programmes. For them the fight for swaraj was a struggle against high revenues.

3. The refusal of the government to reduce the revenue demand had led to widespread
   resentment among the rich peasants.

(2) Poor peasantry :

1. Poor peasantry joined the movement in the hope that their unpaid rent to the landlord would be remitted because due to depression they were not in a position to
   pay the rent. Many of them were small tenants cultivating land they had rented from landlords. Their cash income had dwindled due to depression.

2. The Congress was apprehensive of raising issues because that might upset the rich peasants and landlords. So, Congress did not support ‘no rent’ campaigns. Thus, the relationship between the poor peasants and the Congress remained uncertain.

(3) Business classes :

1. They wanted protection against imports of foreign goods and a rupee-sterling foreign exchange ratio that would discourage imports.

2. They formed the Indian Industrial and Commercial Congress in 1920 and the Federation of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) in 1927.

3. Prominent industrialists Purshottamdas Thakurdas and G.D. Birla attacked colonial control over the Indian economy and supported the Civil Disobedience Movement.

4. They refused to sell or buy imported goods. Most businessmen came to see swaraj as a time when colonial restrictions on business would no longer exist and trade and industry would flourish without constraints. But after the failure of the Round Table Conference, business groups were no longer uniformly enthusiastic. They were apprehensive of the spread of militant activities. They were also worried about prolonged disruption of business, as well as of the growing influence of socialism amongst the younger members of the Congress.

(4) Industrial working class :

1. They did not participate in the movement in large numbers except in the Nagpur region.

2. As the industrialists came closer to Congress, the workers stayed aloof.

3. Some workers did participate in the Civil Disobedience Movement selectively as mentioned below :
   (a) Boycott of foreign goods as part of their own movements against low wages and poor working conditions.
   (b) There were strikes by railway workers in 1930.
   (c) Dockworkers’ strike in 1932.
   (d) In 1930 thousands of workers in Chotanagpur in mines wore Gandhi caps and participated in protest rallies and boycott campaign.It may be mentioned that the Congress was reluctant to include workers’ demands because that would alienate industrialists and divide anti-imperial forces.

“Nationalism spreads when people begin to believe that they are all part of the same nation.” Support the statement. [CBSE 2015]

Answer:

It is true to say that nationalism spreads when people begin to believe that they are all part of the same nation, when they discover some unity that binds them together. In India such a sense of collective belonging came partly through the experience of united struggles. But there were also a variety of cultural processes through which nationalism captured people’s imagination. Thus nationalism spreads in the ways as mentioned below :

1. Symbol of a figure or image : The identity of India was visualized with the image of Bharat Mata. The image was first created by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. Abanindranath Tagore painted his famous image of Bharat Mata. Devotion to the mother figure was treated as evidence of one’s nationalism.

2. Revival of Indian folklore : In the late nineteenth century, revival of folklore helped in the development of nationalism. Folk songs and legends gave a true picture of traditional culture. It helped in discovering national identity and restoring a sense of pride.

3. Icons and symbols : More icons and symbols helped in unifying people and inspiring in them a feeling of nationalism. The examples are designing of a tricolor flag during Swadeshi movement, Swaraj flag by Gandhiji in 1921. The carrying of Swaraj flag during marches and demonstrations became a symbol of defiance.

4. Interpretation of history : The interpretation of history also helped in raising the sense of nationalism among the Indians. Nationalist history drew the attention of the Indians to the great achievements of the past as was done by the extremists like LokManya Tilak.

5. The sense of collective belonging came partly through the experience of united struggles such as Non-Cooperation Movement, Civil Disobedience Movement and Quit India Movement.
   There were also a variety of cultural processes through which nationalism captured people’s imagination. History and fiction, folklore and songs, popular prints and symbols, all played a part in the making of nationalism.

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