The Nationalist Movement of India – An Introduction
* Rise of nationalism in India was linked with opposition of colonialism.
* The First World War created a new political and economic situation in India.
* The Indian freedom movement geared up momentum once again with the coming of Mahatma Gandhi in 1915.
Satyagraha – Satyagraha – Ideals and Implementation
* Satyagraha was a method of mass agitation founded on the sound belief of nonviolence as a tool of protest.
* Mahatma Gandhi knew that India could never match the British in military strength so he adopted the concept of Satyagraha.
* Mahatma Gandhi successfully organized Satyagraha Movements in Champaran in Bihar, and Kheda and Ahmadabad in Gujarat.
Rowaltt Act and Jallianwallah Bagh Massacre
* The Rowlatt Act aimed to curb the political activities in the country and it aquiped the courts with the power to detain.
* In opposition to the Rowlatt Act Mahatma Gandhi initiated a civil disobedience movement.
* Several people were killed in Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre in Amritsar. This incident had happened under the command of General Dyer.
Launch of Non-Cooperation Movement
* Mahatma Gandhi believed in Swaraj. He suggested that if Indians resolved not to cooperate with the British, the British rule would get abolished.
* Mahatma Gandhi proposed a stage by stage strategy for the successful implementation of the Non-cooperation Movement.
* After a lot of debates Congress confirmed the Non-cooperation movement to attain Swaraj.
Non-cooperation Movements in Towns and Countryside
* The Non-cooperation movement got an active response from all sections of the society.
* In towns, people boycotted British goods and British Institutions.
* The movement slowed down in the towns because there were no alternative Indian Institutions solutions to counter the British.
* The movement spread to the rural areas where it coincided with the struggle of the oppressed peasants and tribal.
* The peasants and the tribal movements digressed from Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals and developed a violent streak.
Non-Cooperation Movement in Plantations
* Non-Cooperation movement started as a non-violent resistance of the British rule but over the time it became violent.
* The plantation workers ascribed their own meaning to Swaraj and the NonCooperation Movement.
* The plantation workers worked under very strict rules and regulations and were seldom allowed to visit their homes.
* Inspired by the Non-Cooperation Movement thousands of workers disobeyed the British authorities and left the plantations to go back to their homes.
* The workers were caught by the police and beaten mercilessly.
* Simon Commission and the Civil Disobedience Movement
* In February 1922, Mahatma Gandhi decided to take back the Non-cooperation Movement due to widespread violence.
* The Simon Commission was a statutory Commission which aimed at looking into the constitutional system of India and suggests changes.
* Congress and other parties protested against the Simon Commission.
* Mahatma Gandhi viewed the tax on salt and the monopoly of the Government on its production as downright oppressive.
* Mahatma Gandhi launched a Civil Movement a salt March from Sabarmati Ashram to the coastal town of Dandi.
* On reaching Dandi on 6th April, Mahatma Gandhi broke the salt law and the Indians began manufacturing their own salt.
Gandhi-Irwin Pact and Round Table Conference
* The British Government clamped down on the Congress Leaders and protestors in the Civil Disobedience Movement.
* In 1931, Mahatma Gandhi decided to call off the Civil Disobedience Movement and entered into a pact with Lord Irwin.
* Mahatma Gandhi attended the Round Table Conference but the negotiations failed in the Conference.
* Mahatma Gandhi re-launched the Civil Disobedience Movement but by 1934 the movement died out.
Attitude of Different Sections of Society
* The rich peasants participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement to protest against revenue, when their demands were not taken up by the Congress they took back their support.
* Congress was hesitant to support the No-rent campaign of tenants for the fear of alienating the rich peasants.
* The industrial working class adopted a few Gandhian ideas selectively to support their movements against low wages and poor working condition.
* The failure of the Second Round Table Conference and the growth of socialist ideas in Congress disappointed the business class who had supported the movement.
Personification of Indian Nationalism
* People of different regions of India felt a collective belonging because they had participated together in freedom struggles against the common aggressor – The British.
* In the 20th century, Indian nation was conceptualized visually as Bharat Mata. Over the years, this representation went through a lot of changes.
* Revival of the Indian Folklore and interpretation of history also contributed to the growth of nationalism.
* Indians explored glories from the past and viewed the Colonial British era as an opposition to it.