What is nationalism? Mention some factors for the rise of nationalism
Answers
Answer:
The feeling of one's own nation and a sense of collective belongingness towards the nation is referred as the nationalism.
Some of the factors that help in the rise of nationalism are :
• UNITED STRUGGLE :
The sense of collective belongingness among Indians came from a united struggle of the people against the colonisation under whom they suffered oppression, suppression and cruelty. Different religious groups and communities unitedly struggled against the British rule.
• Common Identity :
Image of India was transformed as Bharat Mata first by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and later on by other artists like Abanindranath Tagore. He painted the image of Bharat Mata portraying her as a calm, composed, ascetic, divine and a spiritual figure. The painting of 'Bharat Mata' was commonly identified as motherland and affected people equally.
• SONGS :
In the 1870s, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee wrote 'Vande Mataram' as hymn to the motherland. Later it was included in his novel Anandamath and widely sung during the Swadeshi movement in Bengal.
• REVIVAL OF INDIAN FOLKLORE :
Ideas of nationalism also developed through a movement to revive Indian folklore. These tales, as believed, gave a true picture of traditional culture that had been corrupted and damaged by outside force. In Bengal, Rabindranath Tagore himself began collecting ballads, nursery rhymes and myths, and led the movement for folk revival. In Madaras, Natesa Sastri published a massive four volume collection of Tamil folk tales, The Folklore of Southern India. Reviving the folklore through folk songs, legends helped in promoting traditional culture and restore a sense of pride in the past history and culture.
• FLAGS AND SYMBOLS :
The development of icons and symbols like the tricolour flag was done to unify people and inspire in them a feeling of nationalism. Carrying the flag, holding it aloft, during marches became a symbol of defiance.
• REVIVAL OF HISTORY :
Another means of creating a feeling of nationalism was through reinterpretation of history. The nationalist histories urged the readers to take pride in India's great achievements in the past and struggle to change the miserable conditions of life under British rule.
• ROLE OF LEADERS :
Leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru aroused the feelings of nationalism through their motivational speeches and political activities.
Thus it can be concluded that nationalism spreads, when people began to believe that they were all part of the nation.