Nationalism in India

In India, as in many colonies, the growth of modern nationalism was closely connected to the anti-colonial movement. In this chapter you will study how the First World War created economic and political hardship in India, and how Mahatma Gandhi, returning from South Africa in 1915, used satyagraha in Champaran, Kheda and Ahmedabad, and then against the Rowlatt Act of 1919. You will learn about the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, the Khilafat issue and the launch of the Non-Cooperation Movement, and how its meaning differed for people in towns, peasants in Awadh, tribals in the Gudem hills and plantation workers in Assam. You will then follow the movement towards Civil Disobedience: the Simon Commission, the demand for Purna Swaraj at the Lahore Congress of 1929, the Salt March to Dandi in 1930, and the participation and limits of different social groups, including Dalits and Muslims. Finally, you will see how a sense of collective belonging was built through images like Bharat Mata, folklore, songs, flags and the reinterpretation of history.

Detailed Worksheet: Nationalism in India Section A - Definitions (10 marks) 1. What is satyagraha? Name the three satyagraha movements organised by Gandhiji in India before 1919. (2 marks) 2. What was the Rowlatt Act? Why did Indians oppose it? (2 marks) 3. What was the Khilafat movement? Who led it in India? (2 marks) 4. What is meant by Purna Swaraj? At which Congress session was it demanded? (2 marks) 5. What was the Poona Pact? Between whom was it signed? (2 marks) Section B - Calculations and Applications (15 marks) 6. During the Non-Cooperation Movement, the import of foreign cloth fell from Rs 102 crore in 1921 to Rs 57 crore in 1922. Calculate the fall in rupees and as a percentage. Why did the boycott of foreign cloth slow down after some time? (3 marks) 7. Gandhiji started the Salt March from Sabarmati on 12 March 1930 with 78 volunteers and walked for 24 days, covering about 240 miles, to reach Dandi on 6 April 1930. Calculate the average distance walked per day and, if they walked 8 hours a day, the average time taken per mile. Why was salt chosen as a symbol? (3 marks) 8. Arrange the following events in chronological order and give the year of each: Jallianwala Bagh massacre; Chauri Chaura incident; Lahore Congress session; Gandhi-Irwin Pact; arrival of the Simon Commission. (3 marks) 9. During the First World War, prices in India roughly doubled between 1913 and 1918. If a family spent Rs 20 per month on essential goods in 1913, how much would it need to spend in 1918 for the same goods? List two other hardships caused by the war. (3 marks) 10. Calculate the number of years between: (i) Gandhiji's return to India (1915) and the launch of the Civil Disobedience Movement (1930) (ii) the Lahore session (1929) and Indian independence (1947) (iii) the Rowlatt Satyagraha (1919) and the Quit India Movement (1942). (3 marks) Section C - Diagrams (10 marks) 11. On an outline political map of India, locate and label: (i) Champaran (ii) Kheda (iii) Amritsar (iv) Dandi. (4 marks) 12. On an outline map of India, mark Calcutta (September 1920 special Congress session), Nagpur (December 1920 session), Madras (1927 session) and Lahore (1929 session). (3 marks) 13. Draw a timeline of the national movement from 1915 to 1932, marking at least six important events. (3 marks) Section D - Analysis and Higher-order Thinking (15 marks) 14. Why did Gandhiji decide to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement in February 1922? Was the decision justified? Discuss the views of leaders who were unhappy with it and the formation of the Swaraj Party. (5 marks) 15. 'Different social groups participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement for different reasons.' Explain the participation of rich peasants, poor peasants, business classes, industrial workers and women, and why the movement had limits among Dalits and Muslims. (5 marks) 16. How did a sense of collective belonging develop among Indians? Explain the role of the image of Bharat Mata, folk songs and tales, the national flag and the reinterpretation of history. What problems arose when this identity was linked to Hindu iconography? (5 marks) Instructions: Time allowed 2 hours. Attempt all sections. Answer with relevant dates, places and names. Mark maps neatly with names and draw timelines to scale where possible.