nationalism in india

• Modern nationalism in Europe was associated with the formation of nation-states
• It meant a change in people's understanding of who they were and what defined their identity and sense of belonging
• New symbols, icons, songs, and ideas forged new links and redefined the boundaries of communities
• The growth of modern nationalism in India is connected to the anti-colonial movement
• 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 different groups together
• The Congress under Mahatma Gandhi tried to unite different groups within one movement
• The unity did not emerge without conflict
• Mahatma Gandhi returned to India in January 1915 from South Africa where he had successfully fought against the racist regime with satyagraha
• Satyagraha emphasised the power of truth and the need to search for truth
• If the cause was true and the struggle was against injustice, physical force was not necessary to fight the oppressor
• Satyagraha could win the battle through non-violence by appealing to the conscience of the oppressor
• Mahatma Gandhi successfully organised satyagraha movements in various places in India
• Gandhiji in 1919 launched a nationwide satyagraha against the Rowlatt Act (1919) which gave the government powers to repress political activities and detain political prisoners without trial
• The Jallianwalla Bagh incident took place on 13 April 1919 where General Dyer opened fire on a peaceful crowd, killing hundreds
• Mahatma Gandhi called off the movement after the Jallianwalla Bagh incident
• At the Calcutta session of the Congress in September 1920, a non-cooperation movement was started in support of Khilafat and for swaraj
• Mahatma Gandhi proposed that the non-cooperation movement should begin with surrendering titles, boycotting civil services, army, police, courts, schools, and foreign goods
• The Non-Cooperation-Khilafat Movement began in January 1921 with various social groups participating
• The movement started with middle-class participation in the cities where students, teachers, and lawyers boycotted government-controlled institutions
• Foreign goods were boycotted, liquor shops picketed, and foreign cloth burnt in huge bonfires
• The movement in the cities gradually slowed down due to various reasons such as the high cost of Khadi cloth and the lack of alternative Indian institutions
• Non-Cooperation Movement:

  • Started in cities and spread to the countryside
  • Drew struggles of peasants and tribals
  • Peasants in Awadh led by Baba Ramchandra against talukdars and landlords demanding high rents and other cesses
  • Demanded reduction of revenue, abolition of begar, and social boycott of oppressive landlords
  • Oudh Kisan Sabha set up in October 1920 headed by Jawaharlal Nehru and Baba Ramchandra
  • Movement developed in forms that Congress leadership was unhappy with, leading to attacks on houses of talukdars and merchants, looting of bazaars, and taking over of grain hoards
• • Local leaders told peasants that Gandhiji declared no taxes to be paid and land to be redistributed among the poor
• Peasant Movement in Bardoli:

  • Led by Vallabhbhai Patel against enhancement of land revenue
  • Known as Bardoli Satyagraha
  • Movement was a success
  • Generated immense sympathy in many parts of India
• Gudem Hills Movement:

  • Militant guerrilla movement in Andhra Pradesh in early 1920s
  • Led by Alluri Sitaram Raju
  • Rebels proclaimed Raju as an incarnation of God
  • Inspired by Non-Cooperation Movement but believed in using force for liberation
  • Attacked police stations, attempted to kill British officials, and carried on guerrilla warfare
  • Raju captured and executed in 1924, became a folk hero
• Salt March and Civil Disobedience Movement:

  • Mahatma Gandhi sent letter to Viceroy Irwin with eleven demands, including abolishing salt tax
  • Gandhi started salt march from Sabarmati to Dandi with 78 volunteers
  • Reached Dandi on 6 April, ceremonially violated the law by manufacturing salt
  • Beginning of Civil Disobedience Movement
  • People asked not only to refuse cooperation with British but also to break colonial laws
• In 1930, Mahatma Gandhi began the Civil Disobedience Movement by breaking the salt law at Dandi
• The Civil Disobedience Movement aimed to break colonial laws and challenge British rule in India
• Participants in the movement included various social groups such as rich peasant communities, industrialists, workers, and women
• Rich peasant communities like the Patidars of Gujarat and the Jats of Uttar Pradesh joined the movement due to being hard hit by trade depression and falling prices, leading to resentment towards high revenues
• The industrialists, led by figures like Purshottamdas Thakurdas and G. D. Birla, supported the Civil Disobedience Movement to oppose colonial control over the Indian economy and restrictions on business activities
• Workers participated selectively in the movement, adopting some Gandhian ideas like boycotting foreign goods to address issues of low wages and poor working conditions
• Women played a significant role in the Civil Disobedience Movement, participating in protests, manufacturing salt, and picketing foreign cloth and liquor shops
• Dalit participation in the movement was limited, with leaders like Dr B.R. Ambedkar demanding separate electorates for political empowerment to address social disabilities
• Muslim political organizations had a lukewarm response to the Civil Disobedience Movement, feeling alienated from the Congress due to the decline of the Non-Cooperation-Khilafat movement and worsening Hindu-Muslim relations
• In 1928, the All Parties Conference aimed to resolve issues, but M.R. Jayakar of the Hindu Mahasabha strongly opposed compromise efforts
• This led to suspicion and distrust between communities when the Civil Disobedience Movement started
• Large sections of Muslims, alienated from the Congress, could not respond to the call for a united struggle
• Muslim leaders and intellectuals expressed concern about the status of Muslims as a minority in India, fearing cultural and identity submersion under a Hindu majority