Question

Write three factors which led to the growth of nationalism in India.

Answer 1

Many causes contributed to the emergence of the nationalist movement in India. They were as follows:

1. British Imperialism:

The British imperialism was the most important factor, which contributed to the rise of nationalism in India. It made the geographical unification of the country possible. Before the advent of the British, the people of the south were usually separate from the rest of India except for some short inter­vals. The British imperialism made the people to think as one nation.

2. Influence of the Western Civilization:

The establishment of British rule in India made closer relations with the Western world possible. Thus, the contacts with the European countries influenced the Indians immensely. The nineteenth century in Europe was the century of nationalism and liberalism. The Indians came to learn their lessons from the Europeans on both these ideologies.

Indians imbibed the ideas of nationalism and liberalism from the Western countries particularly from Germany, Italy, Greece, and Belgium. Besides this, the ideas of Western think­ers namely, Macaulay, Burke, Bentham, Mill, Spencer, Rousseau, and Voltaire also inspired and encouraged the ideas of independence among the Indians. Thus, there was a growth of political consciousness and awakening among the Indians.

3. Spread of English Language:

There was a rapid spread of English education in India especially after the revolt of 1857. The second half of the nineteenth century was a golden age of Liberalism in Europe, particularly England. The study of the political classics of English literature from Milton to Mill planted in the minds of English-educated Indians the seeds of liberalism in its two aspects—nationalism and democracy.

Thus with the spread of English education, the educated Indians gradually became politically conscious. The British introduced the English lan­guage in India with their own selfish interest in mind. At the beginning, they mainly needed Indian clerks educated in English in order to strengthen their rule in India. English education also facilitated people of different provinces to come close to one another. Thus, it helped in raising, national feelings, and political con­sciousness among the Indians.

Answer 2

Political and Administrative Unity: ...
English Language and Western Education: ...
Development of Transport and Means of Communication