Please refer to Nationalism in India Class 10 Social Science Important Questions with solutions provided below. These questions and answers have been provided for Class 10 Social Science based on the latest syllabus and examination guidelines issued by CBSE, NCERT, and KVS. Students should learn these problem solutions as it will help them to gain more marks in examinations. We have provided Important Questions for Class 10 Social Science for all chapters in your book. These Board exam questions have been designed by expert teachers of Standard 10.
Class 10 Social Science Important Questions Nationalism in India
Objective Type Questions
Question. Why did Gandhiji withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement?
(a) Gandhiji realized that people were losing interest in the movement.
(b) Some Congress leaders wanted to participate in elections to Provincial Councils
(c) Some Congress leaders wanted more radical mass agitation
(d) Gandhiji felt the movement was turning violent in many places
Answer : (d) Gandhiji felt the movement was turning violent in many places
Question. Why did Nationalists in India tour villages to gather folk songs and legends? Choose the most appropriate reason from the following:
(a) Nationalists wanted to study their own culture
(b) Nationalists wanted to publish it and earn money
(c) Nationalists did it because it gave a true picture of traditional culture
(d) Nationalists wanted to keep fold culture intact
Answer : (c) Nationalists did it because it gave a true picture of traditional culture
Question. By whom was the first image of Bharat Mata painted?
(a) Rabindranath Tagore
(b) Abanindranath Tagore
(c) Raja Ravi Verma
(d) Nandalal Bose
Answer : (b) Abanindranath Tagore
Question. When did Jallianwala Bagh incident take place?
(a) 13th April 1919
(b) 14th April 1920
(c) 13th March 1919
(d) 15th March 1920
Answer : (a) 13th April 1919
Question. In which one of the following Indian National Congress Session the idea of Non-Cooperation Movement was accepted?
(a) Lahore Session
(b) Nagpur Session
(c) Calcutta Session
(d) Madras Session
Answer : (c) Calcutta Session
Question. During which of the following movements did the women participate in large numbers for the first time?
(a) Swadeshi and Boycott Movement
(b) Non-Cooperation Movement
(c) Civil Disobedience Movement
(d) Quit India Movement
Answer : (c) Civil Disobedience Movement
Question. Why did the Indians oppose the Rowlatt Act?
(a) It introduced the Salt Law
(b) It increased taxes on land
(c) It gave the British the power to arrest and detain a person without a trial.
(d) It put a ban on the Congress Party.
Answer : (c) It gave the British the power to arrest and detain a person without a trial.
Question. Why was the Round Table conference held in England?
(a) To discuss the provisions of future Indian Constitution
(b) To discuss the steps to be taken to check Indian National Movement
(c) To give concessions to Indians
(d) To make plans for improvement of agriculture in India
Answer : (a) To discuss the provisions of future Indian Constitution
Question. Why were the Dalits ignored by the Congress for a long time?
(a) Fear of offending the sanatanis
(b) Fear from Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
(c) Fear from socialism
(d) Fear from industrialists
Answer : (a) Fear of offending the sanatanis
Question. In which of the followingregion was Dalit participation limited in the Civil Disobedience Movement?
(a) Maharashtra and Nagpur
(b) Awadh and Maharashtra
(c) Bengal and Punjab
(d) Kerala and Karnataka
Answer : (a) Maharashtra and Nagpur
Question. What does the term Khalifa refer to?
(a) Sultan of a Muslim country
(b) Spiritual leader of the Muslims
(c) Nawab of a Muslim state
(d) Emperor of Mughal period
Answer : (b) Spiritual leader of the Muslims
Very Short Answer Type Questions
Question. Who gave the slogan ‘Inqlab Zindabad’?
Answer : Bhagat Singh
Question. What is meant by the term “Begar”?
Answer : “Begar” means the labour that villagers were forced to contribute without any payment.
Question. Where did a militant guerilla movement took place in the 1920s?
Answer : In the Guden Hills of Andhra Pradesh
Question. Name the party of non-Brahmans in Madras.
Answer : Justice Party
Question. Who formed the Swaraj Party?
Answer : Motilal Nehru and C.R. Das
Question. What were the rich peasant community of Gujarat known as?
Answer : The Patidars
Question. Where did Mahatma Gandhi use his word Satyagraha for the first time?
Answer : In South Africa
Question. Who headed the Oudh Kisan Sabha?
Answer : Jawaharlal Nehru and Baba Ramchandra
Question. Name the two brothers who formed the Khilafat Committee.
Answer : Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali
Question. What is meant by the term “Boycott”?
Answer : “Boycott” means the refusal to deal and associate with people or participate in activities, or buy and use things — usually a form of protest.
Question. Why did the Congress ignore the Dalits for a long time?
Answer : The Congress had ignored the Dalits for the fear of offending the conservative high-class Hindus.
Question. Who wrote the book ‘Hind Swaraj’?
Answer : Mahatma Gandhi
Question. Who organized the depressed class association?
Answer : Dr. B.R. Ambedkar organised the Dalits into the Depressed Classes Association in 1930.
Question. Who said “It is certain that India cannot rival Britain or Europe in force of arms… Indians have made the religion of non-violence their own…”?
Answer : Mahatma Gandhi
Question. Name three leaders of the HSRA.
Answer : Bhagat Singh, Jatin Das and Ajoy Ghosh
Question. Who led the peasant movement in Bardoli?
Answer : Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Question. What is meant by the term Picket?
Answer : A picket is a form of demonstration or protest by which people block the entrance to a shop or factory or office.
Question. Which Act of British Government was passed in 1919 that was opposed by the Indians?
Answer : The Rowlatt Act
Short Answer Type Questions
Question. What was the significance of the Calcutta Session of Congress in 1920?
Answer : In the Calcutta Session of the Congress in September 1920, Gandhiji managed to convince other leaders of the need to start Non-cooperation Movement in support of the Khilafat Movement as well as for Swaraj.
Question. Why was the Bardoli Satyagraha organised? Who led the Bardoli Satyagraha?
Answer : In 1928, Vallabhbhai Patel led the peasant movement in Bardoli, a taluka in Gujarat against enhancement of land revenue. This was known as Bardoli Satyagraha.
Question. Why was the Khilafat Committee formed?
Answer : The First World War had ended with the defeat of Ottoman Turkey. And there were rumours that a harsh peace treaty was going to be imposed on the Ottoman emperor – the spiritual head of the Islamic world (the Khalifa). To defend the Khalifa’s temporal powers, a Khilafat Committee was formed in Bombay in March 1919.
Question. Who coined the term Satyagraha?
Answer : Mahatma Gandhi had successfully fought against the racist regime in South Africa with the novel method of mass agitation which he called Satyagraha.
Question. What role did First World War play in the growth of national movement in India?
Answer : Price-hike, extreme poverty and acute shortage of food was experienced by India, even though it was not directly involved in the world war. Forced recruitment, famine and epidemic created widespread anger and resentment. The Indians realised that they were being dragged into the war to fulfill the imperialistic designs of the British. This feeling united the Indians who now began to demand reforms from the British.
Question. How was the growth of Nationalism in India different from the spread of Nationalism in Europe?
Answer : The colonial exploitation of India led to a common hatred for the foreign rule. The British policy of racialism created national feeling among Indians. Whereas, in Europe nationalism emerged with the concepts of liberty, equality and fraternity as the people struggled to achieve democracy in their respective nation-states.
Question. In which Congress Session, the Non-Cooperation programme was adopted?
Answer : The Non-Cooperation programme was adopted in the Congress Session at Nagpur in December 1920.
Question. What was the limitations of the Civil Disobedience Movement?
Answer : Limitations of Civil Disobedience Movement :
(i) Dalit participation was limited. They began organising themselves, demanding reserved seats in educational institutions, and a separate electorate. Dr B.R. Ambedkar, who organised the Dalits into the Depressed Classes Association in 1930, clashed with Mahatma Gandhi at the Second Round Table Conference by demanding separate electorates for Dalits. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar ultimately accepted Gandhiji’s proposal and the result was the Poona Pact of September 1932.
(ii) Muslim political groups were also lukewarm in their response to the Civil Disobedience Movement. After the decline of the Non-Cooperation-Khilafat Movement, large section of Muslims felt alienated from the Congress. When the Civil Disobedience Movement started, there was a sudden atmosphere of suspicion and distrust between communities. Alienated from the Congress, large sections of Muslims could not respond to the call for a united struggle. Many Muslim leaders and intellectuals expressed their concern about the status of Muslims as a minority within India. They feared that the culture and identity of minorities would be submerged under the domination of Hindu majority.
Question. How was the Rowlatt Act opposed by the people in India? Explain with examples.
Answer : The Rowlatt Act of 1919 was opposed in the following manner:
(i) Rallies were organised in various cities.
(ii) Workers went on strike in railway workshops.
(iii) Shops were closed down.
Question. Describe any three suppressive measures taken by the British administration to clamp down on nationalists.
Answer : (i) Rowlatt Act: Rowlatt Act was an oppressive Act introduced by the British Government in 1919. It gave the government enormous powers to repress political activities and allowed detention of political prisoners without trial for two years.
(ii) Imposing martial law: Whenever the nationalists used to launch a mass movement the government responded with martial law. During Rowlatt Satyagraha, Non-Cooperation Movement, Civil Disobedience Movement, etc, the government responded with brutal repression, seeking to humiliate and terrorise people : satyagrahis were forced to rub their noses on the ground, crawl on the streets, and do salaam (salute) to all sahibs; people were flogged and villages were bombed.
(iii) Putting the nationalist behind the bars: During every mass movement the nationalist leaders were picked up and put behind the bars. For example, during Rowlatt Satyagraha most of the local leaders were arrested and during Civil Disobedience Movement Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Mahatma Gandhi and other leaders were arrested and put behind the bars.
Question. How did the Salt March become an effective tool of resistance against colonialism? Explain.
Answer : Salt March :
(i) Salt was consumed by all the sections of the society.
(ii) It was the most essential item of food.
(iii) The tax on salt and the government monopoly over production.
(iv) Gandhiji found salt as a powerful symbol that could unite the nation.
(v) On 31st January 1930, he sent a letter to Viceroy Irwin stating eleven demands.
Question. Who had designed the ‘Swaraj Flag’ in 1921? Explain the main features of this ‘Swaraj Flag’.
OR
Which flag did Gandhiji design in 1921? Mention its special features.
Answer : (i) In 1921, Gandhiji had designed the Swaraj flag.
(ii) It was a tricolour (red, green and white) flag and had a spinning wheel in the centre representing the Gandhian ideal of self-help.
(iii) Carrying the flag, holding it aloft, during marches became a symbol of defiance.
Question. How could Non-Cooperation become a movement? Give your
Answer : Non-Cooperation became a movement :
(i) It was the view of Gandhiji that the British rule was set in India with the cooperation of Indians.
(ii) If Indians refused cooperation, British rule in India would collapse within a year and Swaraj would come.
(iii) Gandhiji proposed that the movement should unfold in stages.
(iv) In case the government used repression, a full civil disobedience campaign would be launched.
(v) Mahatma Gandhi and Shaukat Ali toured extensively, mobilising popular support of the movement.
(vi) It should begin with surrender of titles that government awarded and a boycott of civil services, police, courts and legislative councils, schools and foreign goods.
Question. Discuss the various stages of the Non-Cooperation Movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi.
Answer : Gandhiji proposed that the movement should unfold in stages :
1st Stage–Surrender of titles that the government awarded.
2nd Stage–Boycott of civil services, army, police, courts and legislative, councils, schools, and foreign goods.
3rd Stage–Then, in case the government used repression, a full civil disobedience campaign would be launched.
Question. Examine the events that led to the Civil Disobedience Movement. Why did the industrialists support this movement?
Answer : The events that led to the Civil Disobedience Movement were :
(i) Arrival of the Simon Commission consisting of all British members, in 1928 and their report.
(ii) Successful peasant movement in Bardoli, Meerut and Lahore conspiracy cases in 1929.
(iii) Lahore Session of Congress in 1929.
(iv) Nehru report in respect of the Indian Constitution.
(v) Demonstrators being brutally assaulted in anti- Simon
Commission agitation.
Industrialists supported this movement because:
During the First World War, Indian merchants and industrialists had made huge profits and became powerful. Keen on expanding their business, they now reacted against colonial policies that restricted business activities.
Question. Explain any three features of the Peasant Movement organised in Awadh in the second decade of 20th century.
Answer : In the second decade of 20th century, a Peasant Movement started against exploitation of talukdars and landlords.
(ii) The movement was led by Baba Ramchandra who was earlier a Sanyasi.
(iii) The peasants through this movement demanded reduction of revenue, abolition of ‘begar’ and social boycott of oppressive landlords.
Question. What were the causes of the withdrawal of the Non- Cooperation Movement? Explain.
OR
Why did Mahatma Gandhi decide to withdraw the Non- Cooperation Movement in February 1922 ? Explain the reasons.
OR
Why did Gandhiji decide to withdraw the ‘Non-Cooperation Movement’ in February 1922 ? Explain any three reasons.
Answer : Withdrawal of Non-Cooperation Movement in February 1922 :
(i) Gandhiji felt the movement was turning violent in many places.
(ii) A clash took place at Chauri Chaura in Uttar Pradesh.
(iii) A group of volunteers picketing a liquor shop were beaten up by a police officer.
(iv) In protest a group of peasants went to the police station, bolted the door and set fire to the police station killing 22 policemen.
(v) The incident shocked Gandhiji and he immediately withdrew the movement.
Question. Why did political leaders differ sharply over the question of separate electorates for Muslims and the Dalits?
OR
Why did political leaders differ sharply over the question of separate electorates?
Answer : (i) Dalit began organising themselves, demanding reserved seats in educational institutions, and a separate electorate. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, who organised the Dalits into the Depressed Classes Association in 1930, clashed with Mahatma Gandhi at the Second Round Table Conference by demanding separate electorates for Dalits.
(ii) The leaders of the Depressed Classes under Dr B.R. Ambedkar also wanted a separate electorate, because they were also afraid of Hindu dominance in a joint electorate. After Gandhi’s fast unto death, the Poona Pact was signed between him and Dr. Ambedkar. Gandhiji saw it as a blow to national unity and feared that the Dalits would never become one with the Hindu society, under separate electorate. Dr Ambedkar agreed to a joint electorate provided the Depressed Classes had reserved seats in the provincial and central legislative councils.
(iii) After the decline of the Non-Cooperation and Khilafat Movement, large section of Muslims felt alienated from the Congress. Muslim leaders like Muhammad Iqbal and M.A. Jinnah wanted separate electorates to safeguard the political interests of the Muslims. They were afraid, as a minority religious group, that they would never be able to win elections in a joint electorate and the Hindus would always dominate them.
Question. Simon Commission was greeted with slogan ‘Go back Simon’ at arrival in India. Support this reaction of Indians with arguments.
Answer : Simon Commission :
(i) The new Tory government in Britain constituted a Statutory Commission under Sir John Simon.
(ii) It was set up in response to the nationalist movement.
(iii) The commission was to look in to the functioning of the constitutional system in India and suggest changes.
(iv) The problem was that the commission didn‘t have a single Indian member.
Question. How did people from various groups saw The Civil Disobidience Movement?
Answer : Rich peasants-
• Rich peasant communities expected the revenue tax to be reduced, when the British refused to do so, they did join the movement.
• They did not rejoin the movement as the movement was called without revising the revenue rates
Poor Peasants-
• The poor peasants wanted rents of lands to be remitted.
• The Congress was unwilling to support the “no rent“ campaigns due to the fear of upsetting the rich peasants and landlords.
Business Classes-
• After the war, their huge profits were reduced, wanted protection against import of foreign goods.
• The spread of militant activities, worries Of prolonged business disruptions, growing influences of socialism amongst the young Congress forced them not to join the movement.
Women-
Women also participated in protest marches, manufactured salt, and picketed foreign cloth and liquor shops.
Congress was reluctant to allow women to hold any position of authority within the organization.
Question. Explain the differing strands within the Non Cooperation Movement.
Answer : The Non-Cooperation-Khilafat Movement began in January 1921. Various social groups participated in this movement, each with its own specific aspiration. All of them responded to the call of Swaraj, but the term meant different things to different people.
The Movement in the Towns-
• It started with middle class participation in cities.
• Students, teachers, lawyers gave up studies, jobs, legal practices and joined movements.
• Council elections were boycotted.
• Foreign goods were boycotted.
• Liquor shops were picketed
Rebellion in the Countryside
Peasants and tribals took over the struggle which turned violent gradually.
Peasant Movement in Awadh
The peasants were led by Baba Ramchandra in Awadh against landlords and talukdars
In 1920, the Oudh Kisan Sabha was set up headed by Jawaharlal Nehru, Baba Ramchandra and a few others
Movement of Tribals in Andhra Pradesh
Alluri Sitaram Raju led the guerrilla warfare in the Gudem Hills of Andhra Pradesh.
The rebels attacked police stations.
Raju was captured and executed in 1924.
Question. What was Simon Commission? Why was it opposed by Indians?
Answer : • It was constituted by the Tory government of Britain to look into the demands of the nationalist and suggest changes in the constitutional structure of India.
• The Commission arrived in India in 1928.
• The Congress protested against this commission.
• In December, 1929, under the presidency of Jawaharlal Nehru, the Lahore session of Congress formalized the demand of “Purna Swaraj“.
Question. Brief about the idea of Satyagraha.
Answer : • The idea of satyagraha emphasized the power of truth and the need to search for truth.
• It suggested that if the cause was true, if the struggle was against injustice, then physical force was not necessary to fight the oppressor.
• Without seeking vengeance or being aggressive, a satyagrahi could win the battle through nonviolence.
• Some early satyagraha movements organized by Gandhi: Peasants’ movement in Champaran 1916 Peasants’ movement in Kheda in 1917
• Mill workers’ movement in Ahmedabad in 1918.
Question. What is the sense of collective belonging.
Answer : • The sense of collective belonging came partly through the experience of united struggles.
• History and fiction, folklore and songs, popular prints and symbols, all played a part in the making of nationalism.
• By 1921, Gandhiji had designed the Swaraj flag. It was again a tricolor (red, green and white) and had a spinning wheel in the centre.
Question. Give a brief note about the Swaraj Plantations.
Answer : 1. For the Plantation workers Swaraj meant the freedom to roam freely.
2. They thought Gandhi Raj was coming and everyone would be given land in his own village.
3. To support Non Cooperation Movement, they all left their Plantations without the permission of the employer.
4. Unfortunately they all were caught mid-way and brutally beaten.
Question. Explain the Civil Disobidience Movement and the Salt March.
Answer : • Salt was used in every home and Gandhiji took it a powerful instrument to mobilize a mass movement.
• Gandhi ji started his famous Salt March on 11 March, 1930.
• 78 trusted followers followed accompanied him\
• The march was to cover 240 miles in 14 days
• On 6th April 1930, he reached Dandi and ceremonially violated the law by manufacturing salt by boiling sea water
• This marked the beginning of Civil Disobedience Movement.
• Many people manufactured salt at many places to show their solidarity with Gandhi ji.
Question. What were the limitations of the Civil Disobidience Movement?
Answer : • Limited participation of Dalits: Dalits participation in the civil Disobedience movement was very limited, particularly in Maharashtra and Nagpur region where their organization was quite strong.
• No Participation of Muslims: Some of the Muslim political organizations in India were also Lukewarm in their response to the Civil Disobedience Movement. After Non-Cooperation-Khilafat movement Muslims felt alienated from the congress.
• Dominant role of Sanatanis and Hindu Mahasabha: The role of Sanatanis and Hindu Mahasabha was very dominant.
• Due to the fear of Sanatanis the conservative high class Hindus, congress ignored the Dalits. Congress was very close to Hindu Mahasabha. Hindus Mahasabha strongly opposed the efforts of compromise between Congress and Muslim League.
• Clash between BR Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi: In 1930 Dr B R Ambedkar clashed with Mahatma Gandhi at the second-round table conference by demanding separate electorate for Dalits.
• Participants have different aspirations: Participation had their own aspirations. There was a contrast between the demands of industrialist and working class. Contrast was also there in the demand of Rich peasants and poor peasants. United struggle was not there.
Question. Explain the events which led to the Civil Disobedience Movement
Answer : • By the end of 1921, the movement was turning violent at many places. Gandhiji decided to withdraw the non-cooperation movement in February 1922.
• Even many Congress leaders were fatigued by mass struggles and wanted to participate in the elections to the provincial councils.
• The provincial councils were set up by the Government of India Act of 1919.
• Many leaders were of the opinion that it was important to oppose the British policies by becoming a part of the system.
• The older leaders; like Motilal Nehru and Motilal Nehru formed the Swaraj Party (within the
• Congress) and began to argue for a return to council politics.
• The younger leaders; like Subhas Chandra Bose and Jawaharlal Nehru; were in favour of more radical mass agitation and pressed for full independence.
• This was a period of internal debate and dissension within the Congress.
• This was also the period when the effect of the Great Depression was being felt on India. Agricultural prices began to fall from 1926. The prices collapsed in 1930. The whole country was in turmoil because of the effects of Great Depression
Question. Explain how the Non-Cooperation Movement unfolded in 3 stages.
Answer : • Non-cooperation movement was a mass movement which was launched by Gandhi in 1920. It was a peaceful and a non-violent protest against the British government in India.
• Proposals of non-cooperation movement:
• Surrender the titles which were awarded by the British government.
• Boycott civil services, army, police, courts, legislative councils and schools.
• Boycott foreign goods.
• Launch full civil disobedience campaign, if the government persisted with repressive measures
• The main aim of the Non-Cooperation movement was the demand of ‘Swaraj’ or the self Govt.
Question. Explain the effect of first world war.
Answer : • The War led to a huge increase in defense expenditure.
• This was financed by war loans and by increasing taxes. Customs duties were raised and income tax was introduced to raise extra revenue. Prices of items increased during the war years.
• The prices doubled between 1913 and 1918. The common people were the worst sufferers because of price rise. Forced recruitment of rural people in the army was another cause of widespread anger among people.
• Crop failure in many parts of India resulted in acute shortage of food. Influenza epidemic further aggravated the problem. According to 1921 census, about 12 to 13 million people died because of famines and epidemic.
Question. What was the Rowlatt Act and Jallianwala Bagh Massacre.
Answer : This act gave the government enormous powers to repress political activities and allowed detention of political prisoners without trial for two years.
Jallianwala Bagh massacre
• On 13th April 1919, a huge crowd gathered in the enclosed ground of JallianwalaBagh.
• Dyer entered the area, blocked the exit points, and opened fire on the crowd, killing hundreds.
• As the news spread, strikes, clashes with the police and attacks on government buildings started.
• The government responded with brutal repression.
• Gandhi called off the Rowlatt satyagraha as the violence spread.
Question. Explain the Khilafat Movement.
Answer : • Khilafat Movement was led by two brothers Shaukat Ali and Muhammad Ali.
• Khilafat Committee was formed in Bombay in March 1919 to defend the Khalifa’s temporal powers.
• Gandhiji convinced the Congress to join hands with the Khilafat Movement and start a Non- Cooperation Campaign for Swaraj.
• At the Congress session at Nagpur in December 1920, the Non-Cooperation programme was adopted.
Question. Why did Mahatma Gandhi call off the Non-cooperation Movement?
Answer : Mahatma Gandhi called off the Non-cooperation Movement because of the violence incident at Chauri Chaura village in Gorakhpur where an angry mob burnt a police station. This action defeated the purpose of non-violence which was the very essence of Gandhiji’s Satyagraha.
Question. Why did Gandhiji start Satyagraha against the Rowlatt Act?
Answer : The Rowlatt Act of 1919 had been hurriedly passed through the Imperial Legislative Council despite the united opposition of the Indian members. This act gave the government enormous power to repress political activities. Mahatma Gandhi wanted a non-violent Civil Disobedience Movement against the unjust laws and hence, he decided to start Satyagraha against the Rowlatt Act.
Long Answer Type Questions
Question. How was the sense of collective belongingness developed during the national movement in India?
Answer : A sense of collective belonging came partly through the experience of united struggle. Symbols played an important role in bringing the feeling of collective belongingness. For example, Bal Gangadhar Tilak revived the Ganpati Festival in Maharashtra. In the 20th century the growth
of nationalism and the identity of India came to be associated with the image of Bharat Mata. This image was first created by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in his hymn to motherland, Vande Mataram. Abanindranath Tagore painted his image of Bharat Mata portraying the female allegory as an ascetic figure. Nationalists also started recording folk lores and folk songs to give a sense of identity and to revive the traditional culture of India. For example, in Madras Natesa Sastri published a massive four-volume collection of Tamil folk tales called “The folklore of Southern India as he believed that folklore was the ‘most trustworthy manifestation of people’s real thoughts and characteristics.’
Question. What was the issue of conflict between the Congress and the Muslim League?
Answer : The major difference between the Congress and the Muslim League was over the question of representation in the future assemblies that were to be elected. Muhammad Ali Jinnah of the Muslim League was willing to give up the demand for a separate electorate, if Muslims were given reserved seats in the Central Assembly and representation in proportion to population in the Muslim dominated provinces of Bengal and Punjab. But the Congress was dominated by the Hindu Mahasabha leaders who were not ready to make any compromise with the Muslims. After the Government of India Act of 1935, provincial elections were held under its provisions in 1937, and the results thereof, made the conflict between the two political parties more visible. The Indian National Congress secured a sweeping victory in seven provinces and was in a position to form coalition ministries in two other provinces. The Muslim-League, on the other hand, did not fare well at all, especially in the Muslim majority provinces of the Punjab and Bengal. Although it did better in the non-Muslim provinces, yet that was not enough to enable the League to boast of being the sole representative organization of the Muslims.
Question. How did the workers of the plantation react to the Non-Cooperation Movement?
Answer : For plantation workers in Assam, freedom meant the right to move freely in and out of the confined space in which they were enclosed, and it meant retaining a link with the village from which they had come. Under the Inland Emigration Act of 1859, plantation workers were not permitted to leave the tea gardens without permission, and in fact they were rarely given such permission. When they heard of the Non-cooperation Movement, thousands of workers defied the authorities, left the plantations and headed home. They believed that Gandhi Raj was coming and everyone would be given land in their own villages. They, however, never reached their destination. Stranded on the way by a railway and steamer strike, they were caught by the police and brutally beaten up.
Question. Describe the role of peasants of Awadh in the Non-Cooperation Movement.
Answer : In Awadh, the peasants were led by Baba Ramchandra – a sanyasi who had earlier worked as a bonded labourer in Fijji. The peasant movement was organised mainly against the Talukdars and landlords who exhorted a heavy rent from the peasants. The peasants were also forced to do begar (work without wages) at the landlord’s farms. The peasants had no security of tenure and were regularly evicted from the land they tilled so that they could not acquire any right over the leased land. The peasant movement was organised with the following objectives:
• Reduction of revenue
• Abolition of begar
• Social boycott of oppressive landlords
In many places the nai-dhobi bandhs were organised to deprive the landlords of the services of barbers and washermen. The Oudh Kisan Sabha was set up headed by Jawaharlal Nehru, Baba Ramchandra and few others. It had over 300 branches around the region.
Question. Why did Gandhiji want the tax on the salt to be abolished?
Answer : Mahatma Gandhi found in salt a powerful symbol that could unite the nation. On 31 January
1930, he sent a letter to Viceroy Irwin stating eleven demands. Some of these were of general interest; others were specific demands of different classes, from industrialists to peasants. The idea was to make the demands wide-ranging, so that all classes within Indian society could identify with them and everyone could be brought together in a united campaign. The most stirring of all was the demand to abolish the salt tax. Salt was something consumed by the rich and the poor alike, and it was one of the most essential items of food. The tax on salt and the government monopoly over its production, Mahatma Gandhi declared, revealed the most oppressive face of British rule.
Question. Describe the Dandi March.
Answer : Mahatma Gandhi started his famous salt march from his ashram at Sabarmati on 12 March 1930 to the coastal town of Dandi in Gujarat. He was accompanied by 78 of his trusted followers. Gandhiji and the volunteers walked for 24 days to cover the 240 miles for Dandi. They would walk ten miles a day. All the places that Gandhiji went through were thronged by the masses who listened to his talk on swaraj and civil disobedience. Gandhiji urged them to defy the British government through peaceful ways. On April 6 1930 he reached Dandi and ceremonially violated the salt law by manufacturing salt by boiling sea water.
Question. What were the limitations of the Civil Disobedience Movement? Elaborate.
Answer : Limitations of Civil Disobedience Movement :
(i) Dalit participation was limited. They began organising themselves, demanding reserved seats in educational institutions, and a separate electorate. Dr B.R. Ambedkar, who organised the Dalits into the Depressed Classes Association in 1930, clashed with Mahatma Gandhi at the Second Round Table Conference by demanding separate electorates for Dalits. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar ultimately accepted Gandhiji’s proposal and the result was the Poona Pact of September 1932.
(ii) Muslim political groups were also lukewarm in their response to the Civil Disobedience Movement. After the decline of the Non-Cooperation-Khilafat Movement, large section of Muslims felt alienated from the Congress. When the Civil Disobedience Movement started, there was a sudden atmosphere of suspicion and distrust between communities. Alienated from the Congress, large sections of Muslims could not respond to the call for a united struggle. Many Muslim leaders and intellectuals expressed their concern about the status of Muslims as a minority within India. They feared that the culture and identity of minorities would be submerged under the domination of Hindu majority.
Question. Describe the development which led to the launching of Non- Cooperation Movement.
Answer : The following developments took place which led to the launching of Non-Cooperation Movement:
(i) Mahatma Gandhi successfully organised Satyagraha movements in various places.
(ii) In 1916, he travelled to Champaran in Bihar to inspire the peasants to struggle against the oppressive plantation system.
(iii) Then in 1917, he organised a Satyagraha to support the peasants of the Kheda district of Gujarat.
(iv) In 1918, he went to Ahmedabad to organise a Satyagraha movement amongst cotton mill workers.
(v) In 1919, he decided to launch a nationwide Satyagraha against the proposed Rowlatt Act.
(vi) Rallies were organised in various places.
(vii) At the Calcutta Session of the Congress in September 1920, he convinced other leaders of the need to start a Non- Cooperation Movement in support of Khilafat as well as for Swaraj.
Question. How did a variety of cultural processes play an important role in the making of nationalism in India? Explain with examples.
OR
How did people belonging to different communities, regions or language groups develop a sense of collective belonging?
OR
How was the sense of collective belonging developed during the freedom movement ? Explain.
Answer : (i) This sense of collective belonging came partly through the experience of united struggles and growing anger among people against the colonial government.
(ii) But there were also a variety of cultural processes through which nationalism captured people‘s imagination :
(a) The identity of the nation symbolised in a figure or image of Bharat Mata created through literature, songs, paintings, etc.
(b) Movement to revive Indian folklore to enhance nationalist sentiments.
(c) Role of icons and symbols in unifying people and inspiring in them a feeling of nationalism.
(d) Creating a feeling of nationalism was through reinterpretation of history.
Question. Why was Congress reluctant to allow women to hold any position of authority within the organisation? How did women participate in Civil Disobedience Movement? Explain.
Answer : Congress reluctant in the participation of women:
(i) Congress was keen only on the symbolic presence of women within the organization.
(ii) Gandhiji was convinced that it was the duty of women to look after home and hearth, be good mothers and good wives.
Participation of women in Civil Disobedience Movement:
(i) During Gandhiji’s Salt March, thousands of women came out of their homes to participate in protest marches.
(ii) Manufactured salt and picketed liquor shops.
(iii) Boycotted foreign goods.
(iv) Many went to jail.
(v) Women were from high caste families and from rich peasant households participated.
(vi) Moved by Gandhiji’s call, they began to see service to nation as a sacred duty of women.
Question. Explain the response of the plantation workers to the Non- Cooperation Movement started by Gandhiji. What did freedom mean for them?
Answer : (a) The response of the plantation workers to the Non- Cooperation Movement was :
(i) Under the Inland Emigration Act of 1859, plantation workers were not permitted to leave the tea gardens without permission.
(ii) When they heard of the Non-Cooperation Movement, thousands of workers defied the authorities, left the plantations and headed home.
(iii) They believed that Gandhi Raj was coming and everyone would be given land in their own village.
(iv) They, however, never reached their destination. Stranded on the way by a railway and steamer strike, they were caught by the police and brutally beaten up.
(b) For them, freedom meant the right to move freely in and out of the confined space in which they were enclosed.
Question. Critically examine the main aspects of Indian National Movement during the period between 1920 and 1935.
Answer : Following are the main aspects of the Indian National Movement between 1920-1935 :
(i) Beginning of Mass Movement after Jalianwalla Bagh Massacre.
(ii) Application of Satyagraha to Mass Movement, new methods to protest, boycott, picketing, renunciation of titles, and non-payment of taxes.
(iii) People of different sections and parts shared a common bond of resistance—united in their hatred against the British rule.
(iv) Industrialists led by Purshottamdas Thakurdas and G. D. Birla criticised colonialism.
Question. Critically examine the reasons of conflict between the Congress and the Muslim League. Why did the Muslim League fail to respond to the call of United Struggle during the Civil Disobedience Movement?
Answer : The important differences between the Congress and the Muslim League were over the question of representation of Muslims in the future assemblies that were to be elected.
Suspicion and distrust between the two communities was a major reason.
(i) The Civil Disobedience Movement started under this atmosphere of distrust.
(ii) Negotiation over the question of representation continued but all hopes of resolving the issue in All Parties Conference in 1928, disappeared when Mr. R. Jayakar of Hindu Maha sabha strongly opposed efforts of compromise.
(iii) Alienated from Congress, large sections of the Muslim failed to respond to the call of a united struggle.
(iv) The Muslim feared that the culture and identity of the minorities would be submerged under the domination of a Hindu majority.
Question. How did the peasants of Awadh use different methods to achieve their goal? Explain with examples.
Answer : (i) Peasants of Awadh were led by Baba Ram– chandra, a Sanyasi. The movement was against talukdars and landlords.
(ii) The landlords and talukdars demanded exorbitantly high rents and other cesses. Peasants had to do begar and work at landlords farms without any payment.
(iii) As tenants, the farmers had no security of tenure. The peasant movement demanded a reduction of revenue, the abolition of begar and social boycott of oppressive landlords.
(iv) In many places, nai-dhobi bandhs were organised by panchayats to deprive landlords of the services of barbers and washermen.
(v) Oudh Kisan Sabha was set up headed by Jawaharlal Nehru; Baba Ramchandra and few others.
Within a month, over 300 branches were set up in the villages. The peasants developed in forms that the Congress leadership was unhappy with.
In 1921, the houses of talukdars and merchants were attacked. Bazaars were looted. Grain hoards were taken over.
Question. Explain any five factors which gave rise to the Civil Disobedience Movement of 1930.
Answer : Factors that gave rise to the Civil Disobedience Movement were :
(i) The problem with the Simon Commission.
(ii) Irwin’s vague offer of Dominion Status for India in an unspecified future.
(iii) Salt Law.
(iv) Neglect of eleven demands of Gandhiji by the British.
(v) Lahore Session of INC (1929).
Question. Explain the attitude of the Indian merchants and the industrialists towards the ‘Civil Disobedience‘ Movement’.
Answer : The attitude of the Indian merchants and the industrialists towards the Civil Disobedience Movement :
(i) During the First World War, Indian merchants and industrialists had made huge profits and became powerful.
(ii) They wanted protection against imports of foreign goods and a Rupee-Sterling Foreign Exchange ratio that would discourage import.
(iii) To organise business interest they formed the Indian Industrial and Commercial Congress (in 1920) and the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries— FICCI ( in 1927).
(iv) They gave financial assistance and refused to buy or sell imported goods.
(v) Most businessmen came to see ‘Swaraj’ as a time when colonial restrictions on business would no longer exist and trade and industry would flourish without constraints.
(vi) After the failure of the Round Table Conference business groups were no longer uniformly enthusiastic.
(vii) They were apprehensive of the spread of militant activities and worried about prolonged disruption of business.
Question. “Dalit participation was limited in the Civil Disobedience Movement”. Examine the statement.
Answer : Dalit participation was limited in the Civil Disobedience Movement.
The causes for this are listed below :
(i) Dr B.R. Ambedkar, who organised the Dalits into the Depressed Classes Association in 1930, clashed with Mahatma Gandhi at the Second Round Table Conference by demanding separate electorates for Dalits.
(ii) When the British government conceded Dr. B. R. Ambedkar’s demand, Gandhiji began a fast unto death.
(iii) Gandhiji believed that separate electorates for Dalits would slow down the process of their integration into the society.
(iv) Dr. Ambedkar ultimately accepted Gandhiji’s position and the result was the Poona Pact of September 1932.
(v) It gave the Depressed Classes (later to be known as the Schedule Castes) reserved seats in provincial and central legislative councils, but they were to be voted in by the general electorate.
Question. Describe the significance of the Civil Disobedi-ence Movement in the freedom struggle of India.
Answer : Significance of the Civil Disobedience Movement:
(i) The Civil Disobedience Movement launched against the arrival of the Simon Commission. This continues between 1930 and 1934.
(ii) Complete Independence was the main aim of Civil Disobedience Movement which formulated this demand in the Lahore Session.
(iii) It was fully fledged mass movement.
(iv) Mahatma Gandhi started the famous Salt March.
(v) On 6th April, he ceremonially violated the law, manufacturing salt by boiling sea water.
(vi) This marked the beginning of the Civil Disobedience Movement.
Question. Different social groups had different interpretation of Swaraj. Identify the differences in their thinking during the Civil Disobedience Movement.
Answer : Different social groups showed different reactions to the Civil Disobedience Movement. The Patidars of Gujarat and the Jats of UP were active in the movement as their crops were hard hit by the trade depression. The refusal of the government to reduce the revenue led to wide spread resentment. The rich peasant communities supported the Civil Disobedience Movement as it was a struggle of high revenues for them. The poor peasants found it difficult to pay the rent to the patidars and landlords. The relationship between the small tenants and the Congress remained uncertain as the Congress could not support the ’no rent’ demand of the poor tenants. The Congress could not afford to antagonise the rich peasants and the landlords.
During the First World War, the Indian merchants had made profits and had become powerful. They now reacted against colonial policies that restricted their business activities. They formed the Indian Industrial and Commercial Congress and the Federation of the Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI). Under the leadership of Purushottamdas Thakur and G.D. Birla they joined the Civil Disobedience Movement. The industrial working class, however, contributed little to the Civil Disobedience Movement. They were against the low wages and poor working conditions. But they kept their distance from the Congress who had the support of the rich industrialists.
Women participated in Gandhiji’s salt march. Generally, women from urban families and from rich rural household came out to listen to Gandhiji and participate in the Civil Disobedience Movement.
Question. Why did Gandhiji decide to launch his Satyagraha against the Rowlatt Act?
Answer : Rowlatt Act of 1919 was passed through the Imperial Legislative Council despite the united opposition of the Indians. This Act was termed as ‘Black Act’ because of its unjust and restrictive nature. It gave the power to the government to arrest anyone suspected of political activities without a warrant and imprison him without a trial for two years. The act also placed censorship on the Press. It gave the police enormous power. Just when the Indians were expecting a reward for their services rendered to the British during the First World War, they were imposed upon with this ‘Black Act’. Gandhiji decided to launch a Satyagraha against the infamous Rowlatt Act as the Act was humiliating for the Indian masses. Mahatma Gandhi wanted non-violence civil disobedience against such unjust law. He declared the Rowlatt Satyagraha with a nation-wide hartal (strike) on April 6,1919.
Question. Why did Gandhiji and the Congress leaders decide to launch the Quit India Movement?
Answer : The Second World War had started in 1939 and Japan was gaining over the north-eastern frontiers
of India. Japan was a part of the Axis Powers who were opposed to the British in the Second World War. The British had abandoned their territories in South-East Asia and had left their population in a lurch. The Indians now started doubting the ability of the British in defending India against a possible Japanese attack. The British assumption of support from the Indians during the second World War was not taken well by the Indian National Congress. Gandhiji also believed that if the British left India, Japan would not have enough reason to invade India. The war-time difficulties of high prices, shortage of food and essential commodities fostered resentment against the British government.
The immediate cause for the Quit India movement was the failure of the Cripps Mission. Under Sir Stafford Cripps a mission was sent to India to resolve the Indian question of a new constitution and self-government. The Cripps Mission failed because it did not offer complete independence to India. It granted a dominion status to India. The failure of the Cripps Mission to guarantee any kind of constitutional remedy to India’s problems also led to the INC calling for a mass civil disobedience movement.
Question. What was the significant impact of Quit India Movement?
Answer : On August 8, 1942 in the Bombay session of the INC, Gandhiji gave the call for Quit India Movement through his famous slogan of ‘Do or Die’. A resolution was passed for a non-violent mass struggle on the widest possible scale throughout the country. People observed hartals and demonstrations and processions were accompanied by national songs and slogans. The entire state machinery came to a standstill. The Quit India Movement was violently suppressed by the British. People were lathi-charged and villages burnt. It took the British more than a year to suppress the movement. Over 1,00,000 people were arrested and the government resorted to violence in order to crush the agitation. The movement also saw the emergence of new national leaders such as Aruna Asaf Ali, Ram Manohar Lohia and Jayprakash Narayana. The Quit India Movement changed the nature of political negotiation with the British, ultimately paving the way for India’s independence.
Case Based Questions
Question. Read the passage give below and answer the questions that follow.
The movement started with middle-class participation in the cities. Thousands of students left government-controlled schools and colleges, headmasters and teachers resigned, and lawyers gave up their legal practices. The council elections were boycotted in most provinces except Madras, where the Justice Party, the party of the non-Brahmans, felt that entering the council was one way of gaining some power – something that usually only Brahmans had access to.
(i) Which movement is being referred in the above given passage?
Answer : Non-cooperation Movement
(ii) What was the purpose of Justice Party to contest Elections to Council in Madras?
Answer : The Justice Party wanted to contest the Council Elections as it was one way of gaining some political power.
(iii) How did the rural people react to this movement?
Answer : The peasants demanded a reduction of revenue.
The peasants demanded an abolition of bonded labour
The peasants demanded a social boycott of oppressive landlords.
Question. Read the passage give below and answer the questions that follow.
Nationalism spreads when people begin to believe that they are all part of the same nation, when they discover some unity that binds them together. But how did the nation become a reality in the minds of people? How did people belonging to different communities, regions or language groups develop a sense of collective belonging? This sense of collective belonging came partly through the experience of united struggles. But there were also a variety of cultural processes through which nationalism captured people’s imagination. History and fiction, folklore and songs, popular prints and symbols, all played a part in the making of nationalism. The identity of the nation, as you know, is most often symbolised in a figure or image.
(i) How were the Indians able to connect with their culture?
Answer : Through the feeling of collective belonging among each other.
(ii) How did revival of Indian folklore help in spread of nationalism?
Answer : Nationalists believed that these tales gave a true picture of the traditional culture that had been destroyed by the colonial forces.
(iii) Why did the national leaders encourage developing the identity of the nation as a figure or image?
Answer : • This helped them in explaining their struggle to the masses.
• This helped in creating an image with which the people could identify the nation.
• This helped in reinterpretation of History for the national leaders.
