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
• In most countries, the making of this new national identity was a long process
• New symbols, icons, songs, and ideas forged new links and redefined the boundaries of communities
• In India, modern nationalism emerged in connection to the anti-colonial movement
• People discovered their unity in the process of struggling against colonialism
• The sense of being oppressed under colonialism provided a shared bond among different groups
• Each class and group felt the effects of colonialism differently, with varied experiences and notions of freedom
• The Congress under Mahatma Gandhi tried to unite these groups within one movement, although unity did not come without conflict
• The growth of nationalism in India up to the first decade of the twentieth century has been previously studied
• From the 1920s, the focus is on the Non-Cooperation and Civil Disobedience Movements in India
• The Congress aimed to develop the national movement
• Different social groups participated in the movement
• Nationalism captured the imagination of the people
• After the First World War, there was a new economic and political situation in India
• Defence expenditure increased significantly and was financed by war loans and increasing taxes
• Customs duties were raised and income tax was introduced
• Prices doubled between 1913 and 1918, leading to extreme hardship for the common people
• Villages were required to supply soldiers, and forced recruitment in rural areas caused widespread anger
• In 1918-19 and 1920-21, crops failed in many parts of India, resulting in acute food shortages
• An influenza epidemic accompanied the food shortages
• According to the census of 1921, 12 to 13 million people perished due to famines and the epidemic
• Mahatma Gandhi returned to India in January 1915 from South Africa
• Gandhi introduced the idea of satyagraha, emphasizing the power of truth and the need to search for truth
• Satyagraha suggested that physical force was not necessary to fight injustice, and that non-violence could win the battle
• The concept involved appealing to the conscience of the oppressor rather than using violence
• Gandhi believed that non-violence could unite all Indians
• In 1916, Gandhi organised a satyagraha movement in Champaran, Bihar, to inspire peasants to struggle against the oppressive plantation system
• In 1917, Gandhi organised a satyagraha to support the peasants of the Kheda district of Gujarat, who were affected by crop failure and a plague epidemic
• In 1918, Gandhi went to Ahmedabad to organise a satyagraha movement among cotton mill workers
• Mahatma Gandhi distinguishes between passive resistance and Satyagraha
• Passive resistance is considered the weapon of the weak, while Satyagraha can only be used by the strong
• Satyagraha is not passive resistance; it requires intense activity
• The movement in South Africa led by Gandhi was active, not passive
• Satyagraha is not physical force
• A satyagrahi does not inflict pain on the adversary or seek their destruction
• In the use of satyagraha, there is no ill-will
• Satyagraha is based on pure soul-force
• Truth is the essence of the soul, which is why this force is called satyagraha
• The soul is filled with knowledge and love