NCERT Class 10 History Chapter 2 – Nationalism in India

The Indian independence movement against British colonialism brought nationalistic sentiments to India as a unifying force which people used to achieve their goal of independence. The chapter describes key historical events which include the Non-Cooperation Movement and Civil Disobedience Movement because these events helped create a unified national identity among Indian people. The Indian National Congress organized national protests while leading the movement through its activities. Various social groups including farmers, workers, students, and women participated in the movement. The animation learning system at ToppersSky helps students grasp nationalism development because it provides clear and engaging content that strengthens their exam preparation and understanding of concepts.

Students can also access the NCERT Social Science Class 10 Notes for all chapters. These notes surely help students during their exam preparation as well as during revision.

The First World War, Khilafat and Non-Cooperation

Indian national identity developed through the resistance movement which fought against British colonial rule during the period of British rule in India. Mahatma Gandhi led the Indian National Congress to unify diverse social groups into a strong national movement. The First World War which lasted from 1914 to 1918 brought about major economic and political challenges. The tax rate increased while customs duties doubled and essential goods prices experienced significant price increases. The 1918–19 period brought suffering to people through crop failures and a deadly influenza epidemic which resulted in widespread complaints.

The Idea of Satyagraha

Mahatma Gandhi returned from South Africa in 1915 to introduce Satyagraha which means the power of truth and non-violence. Through his peaceful methods of resistance he believed that people could successfully overcome all forms of injustice. He started a movement in 1917 to assist indigo farmers who endured plantation system abuses which affected their rights in the Champaran area of Bihar. He established a satyagraha movement in Kheda Gujarat to assist farmers who experienced losses from their crop failures. He backed wage growth for Ahmedabad cotton mill employees who toiled in the city throughout 1918.

The Rowlatt Act and Jallianwala Bagh

The British government enacted the Rowlatt Act in 1919, which permitted authorities to arrest people without legal proceedings while they enforced stringent restrictions on political activities. Gandhi started a nationwide protest against the law. The situation escalated when General Dyer ordered soldiers to shoot at unarmed people who had gathered peacefully at Jallianwala Bagh during the Baisakhi festival on 13 April 1919. The tragic massacre resulted in hundreds of deaths. The incident shocked the nation and led to widespread anger.

Gandhi decided to stop the movement because multiple areas experienced violent outbreaks. The British government enacted the Rowlatt Act in 1919, which provided police officers with the authority to arrest people without judicial approval while imposing extensive restrictions on political activities.

Gandhi organized a countrywide demonstration to oppose the law. General Dyer commanded his soldiers to shoot at the civilian crowd, which had assembled to celebrate the Baisakhi festival on 13 April 1919. The tragic massacre that took place at the site resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people. The incident created national shock, which resulted in widespread public outrage. Gandhi decided to stop the movement because different regions of India showed violent protests.

Khilafat and Non-Cooperation

The Khalifa supporters among Indian Muslims experienced profound distress following the Ottoman Empire’s defeat in World War I. The Khilafat committee established itself in 1919 to preserve the Khilafat’s power. Gandhi supported this movement to Hindu-Muslim unity. The Non-Cooperation Movement was set in 1920 when he convinced the Congress leaders to support not only the Khilafat movement but also the Swaraj self-rule movement.

The Non-Cooperation-Khilafat Movement started its activities in January 1921. The social groups which took part in this event included peasants and workers and students and business classes. Each group possessed distinct expectations about Swaraj and their understanding of it. The movement established an essential period in India’s battle for freedom which helped to develop national pride throughout the nation.

Differing Strands within the Movement

The Non-Cooperation-Khilafat Movement started its first activities when January 1921 began. The different social groups that took part in the event showed their dedication to the movement but each group had its own interpretation of Swaraj.

The Movement in the Towns

The movement started when middle-class people in cities began to participate in protests. Government schools and colleges lost thousands of students and teachers and headmasters. Lawyers ended their legal work because they stopped practicing at British courts. The boycotts of foreign products resulted in higher Indian textile and handloom production.

The movement in towns experienced a gradual decline. Khadi remained too costly for most people because the country had only a few national educational institutions. Students returned to government schools while lawyers went back to their court practice.

Rebellion in the Hinterlands

The trend went on to the hinterlands and from there peasants and adivasis brought to the fore their own demands.

Peasants in Awadh staged protests against their high rent payments to oppressive landlords. The protesters demanded revenue reduction and complete abolition of beggars which forced them to work without payment and they wanted to implement a social boycott against landlords who exploited their workers. Jawaharlal Nehru visited villages in June 1920 to learn about the problems faced by peasants. The Oudh Kisan Sabha was established in October 1920 and within a few weeks it opened hundreds of branches throughout the region. The peasant movement started to use violence in various regions by 1921 when they began attacking landlord homes and market areas.

The tribal communities of Gudem Hills in Andhra Pradesh began a guerrilla warfare movement against forest regulations which restricted their rights to access forests and their traditional ways of life. The movement was led by Alluri Sitarama Raju who motivated tribal communities to fight against British control.

Swaraj in the Plantations

The workers who planted crops in Assam saw Swaraj as their right to travel outside plantations while staying linked to their home villages. The tea garden workers had to obtain official consent before they could exit their work areas according to the Inland Emigration Act of 1859. The Non-Cooperation Movement led thousands of plantation workers to abandon their jobs and travel home. Police officers stopped multiple people who then experienced severe treatment.

Towards Civil Disobedience

The Non-Cooperation Movement ended because Mahatma Gandhi saw its violent activities increasing during February 1922. Some leaders wanted to participate in elections to legislative councils. C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru established the Swaraj Party as their political organization.

The global economic depression together with the decreasing agricultural prices during the late 1920s created major factors which determined the political development of India.The movement organized large protests which used the slogan “Go Back Simon” to express their demands.

The Lahore Congress session set Purna Swaraj as its goal for full independence in December 1929 when Jawaharlal Nehru was president. The official Independence Day was established through the decision which designated 26 January 1930 as the designated date.

The Salt March and the Civil Disobedience Movement

Gandhi sent his demands to Viceroy Lord Irwin through a letter which he delivered on 31 January 1930. He started the Salt March after officials refused to meet his demands. Gandhi and 78 volunteers created a 240-mile path which they used to walk from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi. He started the Civil Disobedience Movement when he created salt through seawater extraction on 6 April 1930.

The movement became a national phenomenon. People refused to buy foreign products while they skipped tax payments and violated forest regulations. Authorities took Abdul Ghaffar Khan and other leaders into custody. The police arrested Gandhi which resulted in large-scale demonstrations across the country.

The Gandhi-Irwin Pact signed in March 1931 resulted in Gandhi attending the London Round Table Conference. He started the movement again after the negotiation process failed. Civil disobedience started gaining declining momentum after 1934.

How Participants Viewed the Movement

The different groups involved in the movement had separate goals. The Patidars of Gujarat and Jats of Uttar Pradesh supported the movement but felt disappointed when it was withdrawn. The socialist and communist parties lead revolutionary movements which attract poor peasants to their cause.

Industrialists created the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in 1927 to defend their business interests. The movement received backing from many people who started to support it. The railway workers and dock workers participated in strikes which lasted from 1930 to 1932.

Women made important contributions to protests by picketing both liquor shops and foreign cloth stores. Congress organizations would not allow women to take control of leadership roles.

The Limits of Civil Disobedience

The Dalits who were known as untouchables at that time could not find complete belief in the CongressSwaraj concept. Gandhi dedicated his efforts to improve the social status of people whom he referred to as Harijans. Dalit leaders expected their need for separate political representation to be recognized.

During the Round Table Conference B. R. Ambedkar proposed that Dalits should receive their own voting rights. His relationship with Gandhi suffered because of this disagreement. The Poona Pact of 1932 established designated seats for Depressed Classes in legislative councils.

The Non-Cooperation-Khilafat Movement experienced decline which resulted in decreased Hindu-Muslim unity. Muhammad Ali Jinnah wanted Muslim communities to receive protections and government representation but political conflicts grew deeper which created religious divisions.

The Sense of Collective Belonging

Nationalism developed as people started to identify themselves with their shared national identity. The combination of literature and songs and folklore and symbols established their essential role in the process.

He wrote “Vande Mataram” as a national hymn to India. Abanindranath Tagore created a painting which showed Bharat Mata as a sacred mother who possesses divine qualities.

National flags became unifying emblems for countries. The Swadeshi Movement designed a tricolour flag that included religious symbols. Gandhi introduced the Swaraj flag in 1921 which featured three colours and a central spinning wheel to represent national independence and social cohesion.

The Non-Cooperation and Civil Disobedience Movements brought together multiple groups who shared a common goal of nationalism while each group maintained its specific objectives. The movements advanced the fight for liberation while they established the groundwork which led to India gaining its independence.

Conclusion

The Indian freedom struggle transformed into a major popular movement after various Indian groups from different regions and social backgrounds united against British imperialism. Mahatma Gandhi guided the Indian National Congress to unite various groups which included farmers, laborers, students, women and businesspeople. The two groups involved in the struggle for self-rule had different demands but their common objective was to achieve Swaraj. The diverse groups in the organization developed national pride which created the base for building a powerful independent country. The movement demonstrated that people needed to work together with strong dedication if they wanted to achieve their goal of ending colonial control.

FAQs

1. What is nationalism?

Nationalism establishes a common national identity between people who share the same nationality. The phenomenon occurs when people who share historical and cultural and linguistic connections decide to see themselves as belonging to one nation. The Indian freedom movement developed its nationalistic identity during the struggle against British rule when different groups united to achieve Swaraj self-rule.

2. How did the First World War assist in fostering nationalism in India?

The First World War brought economic hardship through its combination of high taxes and rising prices and crop failures and unemployment. The resulting economic difficulties lead to increased Indian discontent which strengthened their opposition to British rule and resulted in greater support for the national movement. The United States possesses training data which remains active until October 2023.

3. What was the role of Mahatma Gandhi in the national movement?

Mahatma Gandhi established Satyagraha as his main principle while he organized important movements which included Non-Cooperation and Civil Disobedience to promote nonviolent action and mass public involvement.

4. Why was the Non-Cooperation Movement important?

It united people from towns and villages, encouraging boycott of British institutions and goods, thereby strengthening the freedom struggle.