Q.1. Explain:
(a) Why is the growth of nationalism in the colonies linked to an anti-colonial movement ?
(b) How did the First World War help in the growth of the National Movement in India? [CBSE2014]
Or
Explain any four facts to show how did the First World War help in the growth of the National Movement in India. [CBSE March 2011]
(a) Why were Indians outraged by the Rowlatt Act ?
(b) Why did Gandhiji decide to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement?
Answers
Answer:
In India, as in Vietnam and many other colonies, the growth of modem nationalism is intimately connected to the Anti-colonial Movement. People began discovering their unity in the process of their struggle with colonialism. The sense of being oppressed under colonialism provided a shared bond that tied many different groups together.
The European powers considered their culture more civilised, modern and superior. They forcefully started imposing their culture on the colonies. This also aroused the feeling of nationalism.
Gandhiji used ‘Satyagraha’ against the Britishers. This also promoted the spirit of nationalism among the people.
The anti-colonial movement was a united struggle by the people against the foreigners. The united struggle was responsible for arousing the spirit of nationalism.
(b) The War created a new economic and political situation :
It led to a huge increase in defence expenditure which was financed by war loans and increasing taxes, customs duties were raised, and income tax introduced.
Through the war years, prices increased – doubling between 1913 and 1918 – leading to extreme hardships for the common people.
Villagers were called upon to supply soldiers, and the forced recruitment in rural areas caused widespread anger.
(c)
Rowlatt Act was passed through the Imperial Legislative Council on a report of the Sedition Committee, headed by Justice Rowlatt.
It was the black act which gave the government and the police to repress political activities, and allowed detention of political prisoners without tried for two years.
The Act was passed despite the united opposition of the Indian members of the Council.
This Act became one of the factors due to which Gandhiji launched Non-Cooperation Movement.
(d) In February 1922, Gandhiji decided to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement due to the following reasons:
The movement was turning violent. At Chauri-Chaura in Gorakhpur, a peaceful demonstration in a bazar 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, which were set up under the Government of India Act, 1919.
Industrialists, workers, peasants etc. interpreted the term ‘Swaraj’ in their own way. At many places like that of Andhra Pradesh, leaders like Alluri Sitaram Raju asserted that India could be liberated only by the use of force. But there values were not approved by the Congress.
Answer:
(a) Nationalism is a feeling that combines all the people of the nation into a single unit. It is a powerful sentiment that binds people together in a common bond beyond their communal, lingual, caste or religious differences. In all the colonies of the world, the imperialist power exploited the people socially, religiously, economically and politically.
Colonization affected people's freedom, and nationalist sentiments surged during the process of struggle against imperial domination.
The sense of oppression and exploitation became a common bond for people from different walks of life, and this resulted in the growth of nationalist ideals.
Although each class or group of people felt that they were being oppressed under colonialism, the effects of colonialism were felt differently.
People started uniting against the colonialism which strengthened the sense of nationalism further.
Thus, the growth of nationalism in the colonies is linked to anti-colonial movements.
(b)
During the First World War, the British army conducted forced recruitment from rural areas in India.
To finance the defence expenditure, high customs duties and income taxes were imposed.
Also, during 1918-19 and 1920-21, crops failed in many parts of India, thereby resulting in acute food shortages. Accompanied by epidemics it accounted for 12 to 13 million deaths. All this caused extensive anger and opposition against the British colonial rule.
People hoped that their hardships would end after the war was over. But this did not happen.
The war had given rise to many social and economic problems. The Montague-Chelmsford Reforms of 1919 could not satisfy the aspirations of the Indians. There arose a general discontent among the Indian masses against the British rule.
(c)
The Indians helped the British Government during World War I. They were hopeful that after the war, the government would give them many rights.
However, the government did not do anything and therefore, there was an immense discontent among the people.
To cope with the situation, they passed the Rowlatt Act 1919. Imperial Legislative council passed the Rowlatt Act against the opposition of Indians.
It gave the government autocratic powers to repress political activities besides allowing it to detain political prisoners without a trial, for two years.
The Indians were outraged by this act as it was clearly undemocratic and oppressive and hurt national sentiments and dignity.
Rallies were organized in various cities, workers went on strike in railway workshops and shops were closed down.
(d)
Gandhiji had declared that the non-cooperation movement will be a non-violent one.
He decided to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement due to various incidents of violence perpetrated by the masses, especially the Chauri Chaura incident in 1922 where the people clashed with the police, setting a police-station on fire.
Although he had stopped the national revolt single-handedly, on 10 March 1922, Gandhi was arrested. On 18 March 1922, he was imprisoned for six years for publishing seditious materials. This led to the suppression of the movement and was followed by the arrest of other leaders.
Gandhiji felt that the people were not yet ready for a mass struggle and that satyagrahis needed to be properly trained for non-violent demonstrations.