list of symbols pertaining to Nationalism in India and Explain their attributes and significance.
Answers
Answer:
(a) Growth of nationalism in the colonies is linked to an anti-colonial movement because:
Colonisation affected people’s freedom.
The sense of oppression and exploitation became a common bond for people of different groups which resulted in the growth of nationalist ideals.
People began discovering their unity in the process of their struggle with colonialism.
(b) The First World War helped in the growth of the National Movement in India in the following ways:
During the First World War, the British army forcibly recruited people from the rural areas of India.
To finance the defence expenditure, custom duties were raised and income taxes were imposed.
During 1918-19 and 1920-21, crops failed in many parts of India which resulted in acute food shortages. All this caused extensive anger and opposition against the British colonial rule, and the national movement of India headed towards a stronger and more definitive direction.
(c) Indians were outraged by the Rowlatt Act due to the following reasons:
The Rowlatt Act was passed hurriedly through the Imperial Legislative Council despite opposition from Indian members.
It gave the government autocratic powers to repress political activities and allowed detention of political prisoners without a trial for two years.
It was clearly injustice and oppressive for Indians..
(d) Gandhiji decided to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement due to the following reasons:
The movement was turning violent at few places. In 1922, at Chauri-Chaura in Gorakhpur, a peaceful demonstration turned into a violent clash in which more than 20 policemen were killed.
Gandhiji felt that the Safyagrahis needed to be properly trained before they would be ready for mass struggle.
Within the Congress, some leaders were tired of mass struggles and wanted to participate in elections to the provincial councils.
Also Read: NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Social Science History Chapter - 1
Question 2. What is meant by the idea of satyagraha?
Answer: The idea of satyagraha implies a unique method of mass agitation that emphasises the power of truth and the need to search the truth. It supports the belief that if the cause is true and the struggle is against injustice, then there is no need for physical force to fight the oppressor. In this, people-including the oppressors have to be persuaded to see the truth instead of being forced to accept truth through the use of violence. By this struggle, truth was bound to be victorious.
Question 3. Write a newspaper report on:
(a) The Jallianwala Bagh massacre
(b) The Simon Commission
Answer:
(a) The Jallianwala Bagh massacre- On 13th April, 1919, a public meeting was announced, at Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar to protest against the Rowlatt Act. The people were allowed to assemble there. Thousands of people gathered in the Jallianwala Bagh. Suddenly, General Dyer marched there with armoured troops. They blocked the exit points from the Bagh and opened fire upon the innocent citizens. Hundreds of innocent people including women and children were killed on this day. Dyer’s purpose in doing so was to ‘produce a moral effect’ and terrorise the Satyagrahis. This massacre of innocent people in thousands led to large scale strikes, clashes with police and attacks on government buildings by the enraged Indian people.
(b) The Simon Commission was appointed in India in 1928. This commission consisted of seven members and its Chairman was Sir John Simon. The objective of the Commission was to look into the functioning of the constitutional system in India and suggest some constitutional changes. But nationalists in India opposed the Commission because it had no Indian member. The Congress and the Muslim League jointly demonstrated against it. When the Simon Commission arrived in India, it was greeted with the slogan “Go Back Simon”.
Question 4: Compare the images of Bharat Mata in this chapter with the image of Germania in Chapter 1.
Answer: Comparison of the images of Bharat Mata with the image of Germania:
The image of Germania symbolises the German nation whereas the image of Bharat Mata represents the Indian nation.
The image of Bharat Mata is different from that of Germania in the sense that former reflects the religious basis of its making.
The image of Bharat Mata painted by Abanindranath Tagore is bestowed with learning, food, clothing and some ascetic quality also. In another painting, we find Mata holding Trishul and standing beside a lion and an elephant – symbols of power and authority. Germania as a female figure is standing against a background of the tricolour fabric of the national flag. She is wearing a crown of oak leaves, as the German oak stands for heroism.
Discuss.
Answer:
The Simon Commission was a group of 7 MPs from Britain who were sent to India in 1928 to study constitutional reforms and make recommendations to the government. The Commission was originally named the Indian Statutory Commission. It came to be known as the Simon Commission after its chairman Sir John Simon.