Chapter 2: Nationalism in India — Notes & Worksheet

🇮🇳 Chapter 2: Nationalism in India

Class 10 | India and the Contemporary World II | NCERT | Notes • Exercise Answers • Worksheet

1. Background: Post-WWI India

WWI created heavy taxes, rising prices (doubled 1913–1918), forced recruitment of soldiers.
Crop failures (1918–21) + influenza epidemic killed 12–13 million people.
People expected relief after war but conditions worsened.
A new leader — Mahatma Gandhi — returned from South Africa (January 1915) with a new idea: Satyagraha.

2. The Idea of Satyagraha

Satyagraha = Truth Force / Soul Force. A unique method of non-violent mass agitation developed by Gandhi in South Africa.

If a cause is just — physical force is NOT needed.
A satyagrahi wins by appealing to the conscience of the oppressor.
No vengeance, no aggression — truth will ultimately triumph.
Non-violence (ahimsa) is the supreme dharma — could unite all Indians.

Year	Place	Issue
1917	Champaran, Bihar	Peasants against oppressive indigo plantation system
1917	Kheda, Gujarat	Crop failure; peasants demanded revenue relaxation
1918	Ahmedabad	Satyagraha among cotton mill workers

3. Rowlatt Act (1919) and Jallianwalla Bagh

🔴 Rowlatt Act:

Passed in 1919 despite united opposition of all Indian members.
Gave government power to arrest without trial for 2 years.
Gandhi launched nationwide satyagraha — hartal on 6 April 1919.

💔 Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre (13 April 1919):

Large crowd at Jallianwalla Bagh — Baisakhi fair + protest against repressive measures.
General Dyer entered, blocked exits, opened fire — hundreds killed.
His aim: "to produce a moral effect" — create terror.
News spread → strikes, attacks on government buildings. Gandhi called off the movement.

4. Khilafat Issue and Non-Cooperation Movement

Khilafat Committee (1919): Formed by Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali to defend the Khalifa (spiritual head of Islamic world), threatened by harsh peace treaty on Ottoman Turkey after WWI.
Gandhi used Khilafat to unite Hindus and Muslims in one national movement.
Non-Cooperation Movement launched January 1921 at Nagpur Congress session.

Gandhi's Logic: "British rule survived only because Indians cooperated. Withdraw cooperation — and it will collapse within a year."

Programme: Surrender titles → boycott civil services, army, police, courts, councils, schools, foreign goods → if repression: full civil disobedience.

5. Differing Strands within the Movement

🏙️ In the Towns:

Students left schools; teachers and lawyers resigned.
Foreign cloth burnt; liquor shops picketed.
Import of foreign cloth halved (1921–22): Rs 102 crore → Rs 57 crore.
Movement slowed: Khadi expensive; no alternative Indian institutions ready.

🌾 Countryside Rebellions:

Region	Leader	Issue / Demands	Outcome
Awadh (UP)	Baba Ramchandra (former indentured labourer, Fiji)	Against high rents, begar, evictions by talukdars/landlords. Demanded: revenue reduction, abolish begar, boycott landlords.	Oudh Kisan Sabha formed — 300+ branches. But peasants went beyond Congress — looted bazaars, attacked talukdars.
Gudem Hills (AP)	Alluri Sitaram Raju (seen as incarnation of God)	Colonial forests closed — denied traditional rights. Forced to do begar for road building.	Guerrilla warfare — attacked police stations, tried to kill British officials. Raju captured & executed 1924. Became folk hero.
Assam (Plantations)	Tea garden workers	Under Inland Emigration Act 1859 — could not leave tea gardens without permission.	Thousands left, believing 'Gandhi Raj' coming. Caught by police on way, brutally beaten.

6. Chauri Chaura (February 1922)

At Chauri Chaura, Gorakhpur — a peaceful bazaar demonstration turned violent. Crowd burnt a police post, killing policemen. Gandhi immediately called off the Non-Cooperation Movement — satyagrahis needed proper training first.

7. Towards Civil Disobedience (1922–1930)

Swaraj Party (C.R. Das & Motilal Nehru) — wanted to participate in council elections.
Younger leaders (Nehru, Bose) pressed for radical mass agitation and full independence.
Simon Commission (1928): All-British commission — greeted with 'Go Back Simon'. Lala Lajpat Rai beaten during protests; died from injuries.
Lahore Congress (December 1929): Under Jawaharlal Nehru — demand for Purna Swaraj (complete independence).
26 January 1930 celebrated as Independence Day.

8. The Salt March and Civil Disobedience Movement

🧂 The Dandi March — Key Facts

📅

Started

12 March 1930

👣

Distance

240 miles (24 days)

🧑‍🤝‍🧑

Volunteers

78 trusted volunteers

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Route

Sabarmati → Dandi

⚖️

Law broken

6 April 1930 at Dandi

Salt was consumed by all — rich and poor. Tax on it was the most oppressive face of British rule.
CDM was different from NCM — people now asked to break colonial laws, not just refuse cooperation.
Gandhi-Irwin Pact (5 March 1931) — CDM called off; Round Table Conference (London) failed.
CDM relaunched 1932; lost momentum by 1934.

9. Who Participated — Different Groups

👥 Groups in Civil Disobedience Movement

🌾

Rich Peasants

Patidars, Jats — against high revenue; lost enthusiasm in 1932

🧑‍🌾

Poor Peasants

Wanted rent remission; Congress unwilling to support 'no rent' campaigns

🏭

Business Class

FICCI; against colonial trade restrictions; later feared socialism

⚙️

Workers

Mostly stayed aloof; some strikes in 1930 & 1932

👩

Women

Marches, picketing, salt making; symbolic role only in Congress

🤝

Dalits

Limited participation; Ambedkar demanded separate electorates

☪️

Muslims

Many felt alienated; feared Hindu dominance after Khilafat declined

10. Poona Pact (September 1932)

Ambedkar demanded separate electorates for Dalits → British agreed → Gandhi fasted unto death.
Result: Dalits got reserved seats in provincial/central councils but voted by the general electorate.

11. Sense of Collective Belonging

Cultural Process	How it built Nationalism
Bharat Mata	Image created by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay (Vande Mataram, 1870s); painted by Abanindranath Tagore (1905) — ascetic, divine, calm. Symbol of the nation.
Folklore revival	Nationalists collected folk songs, tales to recover national identity. Tagore in Bengal; Natesa Sastri in Madras.
Flags as symbols	Swadeshi flag — tricolour (red, green, yellow), 8 lotuses + crescent moon. Gandhi's Swaraj flag (1921) — tricolour + spinning wheel.
Rewriting history	Indians looked at India's glorious ancient past to counter British view that Indians were primitive and incapable of self-rule.

12. Timeline

Jan 1915Gandhi returns to India from South Africa

1917Champaran & Kheda Satyagraha

Apr 1919Rowlatt Act satyagraha; Jallianwalla Bagh massacre (13 April)

Mar 1919Khilafat Committee formed in Bombay

Jan 1921Non-Cooperation–Khilafat Movement launched

Feb 1922Chauri Chaura incident; Gandhi withdraws NCM

May 1924Alluri Sitaram Raju captured and executed

1928Simon Commission arrives — 'Go Back Simon' protests; Lala Lajpat Rai dies

Dec 1929Lahore Congress — Purna Swaraj demand

Mar 1930Salt March begins → Civil Disobedience starts (6 April)

Mar 1931Gandhi-Irwin Pact; CDM called off

Sep 1932Poona Pact — Ambedkar & Gandhi agreement

Aug 1942Quit India Movement — "Do or Die"

13. Key Terms

Term	Meaning
Satyagraha	Truth force; non-violent resistance based on conscience, not physical force.
Hartal	A general strike — shops and businesses close as protest.
Begar	Forced unpaid labour that peasants had to provide to landlords.
Boycott	Refusal to deal with, use, or buy certain things — form of protest.
Khilafat	Movement to protect the Ottoman Khalifa — spiritual head of Islamic world.
Purna Swaraj	Complete independence from British rule (demanded Dec 1929).
Civil Disobedience	Deliberate, non-violent breaking of unjust laws to resist colonial authority.
Poona Pact	1932 agreement — Dalits got reserved seats (not separate electorates) in councils.
Bharat Mata	Image of Mother India — symbol of nationalist identity.

Write in Brief — Q.1: Explain

(a) Why is nationalism in colonies linked to anti-colonial movements?

In colonies like India, nationalism grew through the shared experience of being oppressed. Heavy taxes, forced recruitment, racial discrimination created a common bond among different groups. The struggle against colonialism became the platform where people discovered their unity. The Congress under Gandhi forged diverse groups — peasants, workers, merchants, students — into one anti-colonial movement. National identity was born out of this shared struggle, not from a single culture or language.

(b) How did WWI help the growth of the National Movement?

WWI (1914–18) created conditions that fuelled anti-British feelings: 1. Heavy taxes — customs duties raised, income tax introduced to finance war. 2. Prices doubled between 1913 and 1918 — extreme hardship for common people. 3. Forced recruitment of soldiers from rural areas caused widespread anger. 4. Crop failures (1918–21) + influenza epidemic killed 12–13 million people. 5. People expected relief after war but conditions worsened — sparking the rise of mass nationalism under Gandhi.

The Rowlatt Act (1919) outraged Indians because: 1. It was passed hurriedly despite united opposition from all Indian members of the Legislative Council. 2. It gave government power to arrest and detain political prisoners without trial for 2 years. 3. It suppressed political activities and free speech. 4. It showed the British had no intention of granting more freedom to Indians even after their sacrifices during WWI. Gandhi organised a nationwide satyagraha (hartal on 6 April 1919) against this "Black Act."

(d) Why did Gandhi withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement?

In February 1922, at Chauri Chaura (Gorakhpur), a peaceful demonstration turned violent — the crowd clashed with police and burnt a police post, killing policemen. Gandhi believed: 1. The movement was becoming violent in many places — against his core principle. 2. Satyagrahis needed to be properly trained for mass struggle before proceeding. 3. Non-violence was the moral strength of the movement — any violence would destroy it. So he immediately called off the entire Non-Cooperation Movement.

Write in Brief — Q.2: What is Satyagraha?

What is meant by the idea of satyagraha?

Satyagraha means "truth force" or "soul force." It is Gandhi's method of non-violent resistance. Key ideas: • If the cause is just, physical force is NOT needed to fight the oppressor. • A satyagrahi wins by appealing to the conscience of the oppressor — not through violence. • No vengeance, no aggression — truth will ultimately triumph. • It is active resistance requiring courage and inner strength, not passive surrender. • Non-violence (ahimsa) is the supreme dharma and could unite all Indians. Gandhi first used satyagraha in South Africa and then successfully applied it in Champaran, Kheda, Ahmedabad, and later in the nationwide movements.

Write in Brief — Q.3: Newspaper Reports

3(a) Newspaper report: Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre

📰 THE TRIBUNE, AMRITSAR — 14 APRIL 1919 MASSACRE AT JALLIANWALLA BAGH — HUNDREDS KILLED IN COLD BLOODYesterday on the auspicious occasion of Baisakhi, tragedy struck Amritsar. A large peaceful crowd had gathered at the enclosed ground of Jallianwalla Bagh — some to protest the Rowlatt Act, others to enjoy the annual fair. Many from surrounding villages were unaware of martial law. Without warning, British General Dyer entered, ordered his troops to block all exits, and opened fire on the unarmed crowd. Firing continued until ammunition ran out. Hundreds lie dead; many more wounded.General Dyer later stated that his aim was "to produce a moral effect" — to create fear. India demands justice. This massacre will not be forgotten.

3(b) Newspaper report: The Simon Commission

📰 THE HINDUSTAN TIMES — 1928 'GO BACK SIMON' — INDIA UNITED AGAINST ALL-BRITISH COMMISSIONThe Statutory Commission under Sir John Simon, set up to review India's constitutional system, arrived in India today to massive protests across the country. The cause of outrage: not a single Indian member is included in the commission — all members are British.For the first time in years, the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League have jointly participated in demonstrations, shouting 'Go Back Simon' in unison. In Lahore, Lala Lajpat Rai led a peaceful protest march but was brutally assaulted by the British police. He is in critical condition. The entire nation is in outrage. India's right to participate in its own governance cannot be ignored.

Write in Brief — Q.4: Bharat Mata vs Germania

Compare images of Bharat Mata with Germania

Similarities: • Both represent the nation as a woman — a powerful visual symbol of nationalist identity. • Both inspire loyalty, sacrifice, and pride in the nation. • Both were used as rallying symbols during nationalist movements.Differences: • Germania (Philipp Veit) shows a warrior figure with armour, sword, German flag — symbolising power, militarism, aggressive nationalism. • Bharat Mata (Abanindranath Tagore, 1905) shows an ascetic, calm, spiritual figure with learning, food, clothing — representing non-violence, nurturing, peace. • Germania inspires aggressive, militant nationalism; Bharat Mata reflects the Gandhian ideal of peaceful resistance. • Note: Some later images of Bharat Mata show her with a trishul, beside a lion — more similar to Germania.

Discuss Questions

Discuss Q.1: Social groups in Non-Cooperation Movement

Groups and their aspirations:1. Middle class (towns): Students, lawyers, teachers — wanted full swaraj/independence; boycotted schools and courts. 2. Merchants and traders: Wanted end of colonial economic restrictions; boycotted foreign goods. 3. Peasants (Awadh): Led by Baba Ramchandra — wanted end to high rents, begar, and evictions. For them swaraj = freedom from landlords. 4. Tribal peasants (Gudem Hills, AP): Led by Alluri Sitaram Raju — wanted traditional forest rights back. Used guerrilla warfare; believed force, not non-violence, was needed. 5. Plantation workers (Assam): Wanted freedom to leave tea gardens and return to their villages. Swaraj = the right to move freely. Each group had different, sometimes conflicting, understandings of what Swaraj meant.

Discuss Q.2: Why the Salt March was an effective symbol of resistance

The Salt March was powerful because: 1. Salt is consumed by everyone — rich, poor, Hindu, Muslim, man, woman. It was the most unifying symbol. 2. The salt tax was the most oppressive face of British rule — taxing a basic necessity of life. 3. The march was highly visible — 240 miles, 24 days, 78 volunteers — covered by national and international media. 4. Breaking the salt law was an act anyone could imitate — people across India began making salt. 5. It inspired women to come out of their homes for the first time. 6. It showed ordinary people could defy the mighty British empire peacefully. 7. Thousands joined Gandhi along the way — making it a truly mass movement.

Discuss Q.4: Why political leaders differed over separate electorates

The debate was fundamental — about power, identity, and nationhood:• Dr B.R. Ambedkar: Demanded separate electorates for Dalits so they could elect their own representatives — ensuring their voice was not drowned by the Hindu majority. Political empowerment, he believed, would solve social inequality.• Mahatma Gandhi: Opposed separate electorates — believed they would permanently divide Hindu society, slow the integration of Dalits, and weaken national unity. He called untouchables 'harijan' and worked for their social upliftment.• Muslim League (Jinnah): Demanded separate electorates for Muslims — feared Hindu-majority rule would marginalise Muslims.• Result: The Poona Pact (1932) — Dalits received reserved seats in councils but voted by the general electorate (not separately). The disagreement showed how the meaning of representation and nationhood was deeply contested.

📝 Practice Worksheet — Chapter 2: Nationalism in India
Name: _____________________________ | Class: _____ | Date: _____________

A. Fill in the Blanks

Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from in January 1915.
The Rowlatt Act allowed detention of political prisoners without trial for years.
The Jallianwalla Bagh massacre took place on April 1919.
The peasant movement in Awadh was led by .
Alluri Sitaram Raju led the guerrilla movement in the Hills of Andhra Pradesh.
The Salt March ended at the coastal town of in Gujarat.
The Gandhi-Irwin Pact was signed on 5 1931.
'Vande Mataram' was written by as a hymn to the motherland.
The Poona Pact was signed in September .
The demand for Purna Swaraj was made at the Congress session in December 1929.

B. Match the Following

Column A	Column B	Your Answer
1. Baba Ramchandra	A. Depressed Classes Association
2. Dr B.R. Ambedkar	B. Awadh peasant movement
3. Alluri Sitaram Raju	C. Swaraj Party
4. C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru	D. Gudem Hills guerrilla movement
5. Abanindranath Tagore	E. Bharat Mata painting (1905)

C. True or False

The Rowlatt Act was passed with the support of all Indian members in the Legislative Council. []
General Dyer's aim at Jallianwalla Bagh was to "produce a moral effect." []
Alluri Sitaram Raju believed in Gandhi's principle of non-violence. []
The Salt March was 240 miles long and took 24 days. []
The Poona Pact gave Dalits a completely separate electorate. []

D. One-Line Answers

What does 'Satyagraha' mean?
Who led the Anti-Simon Commission protest in Lahore?
Where and when was the demand for Purna Swaraj officially made?
Under which Act were Assam plantation workers not permitted to leave tea gardens?
What was the Oudh Kisan Sabha and who founded it?
What was the significance of 26 January 1930?

F. Short Notes (Write 3–4 lines each)

1. Chauri Chaura Incident and its consequence:

2. The Khilafat Movement:

3. Role of women in the Civil Disobedience Movement:

4. Why Dalits had limited participation in Civil Disobedience Movement:

🔑 Answer Key

Fill in the Blanks: 1. South Africa 2. Two 3. 13th 4. Baba Ramchandra 5. Gudem 6. Dandi 7. March 8. Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay 9. 1932 10. Lahore

Match: 1-B2-A3-D4-C5-E

True/False: 1-False2-True3-False4-True5-False

MCQs: 1-(a) 1919 2-(b) Abanindranath Tagore 3-(c) Sabarmati 4-(b) Nagpur 1920

CH 2 NATIONALISM IN INDIA