NATIONALISM IN INDIA

The Rowlatt Act was passed through the Imperial Legislative Council in 1919.
Q. Why did Gandhiji decide to launch a nationwide 'Satyagraha' against the proposed
Rowlatt Act 1919? Explain any three reasons.(CBSE 2010, 2014)
Gandhiji decided to launch a nationwide Satyagraha against the proposed RowlattAct
1919.
Reasons:
1. The Act was clearly unjust. It gave the government enormous powers to repress
political activity.
2. It allowed detention of political prisoners without trial for two years.
3. It gave vast powers to the police to search a place and arrest any person without trial.
4. Despite united opposition of the Indian members in the Imperial Legislative council the
Act was passed.

Q. Describe the circumstances which led to the Khilafat and Non-Cooperation

Movement?(CBSE 2017)
1. After the suspension of the Rowlatt Satyagraha, Gandhi felt the need to launch a more
broad-based movement in 1920. But he knew no such movement could be organised
without bringing the Hindus and Muslims closer together.
Khilafat Issue:
2. The First World War ended with the defeat of the Ottoman Turkey. The emperor was the
spiritual head of the Islamic world. (Khalifa).
3. There were rumours that a harsh peace treaty was going to be imposed on the
Ottoman emperor. This angered the Muslims in India.
4. To defend the temporal powers of the Khalifa, a Khilafat Committee was formed. It was
led by the Ali brothers.
5. Gandhiji saw an opportunity to bring the Muslims under the umbrella of a unified
national movement.
6. At the Calcutta session of the Congress in September, 1920, Gandhiji convinced other
leaders of the need to start a Non-Cooperation Movement in support of Khilafat as well
as swaraj.
Conditions created by the First World War:
7. The First World War that was fought from 1914-1918 led to increase in taxes due to huge
increase in defence expenditure.
8. Crops failed in 1918-1919 resulting in acute shortage of food.
9. Many people lost their lives in war and due to epidemic.
10. Forced recruitment in the army caused widespread anger.
11. Jallianwala Bagh Massacre: People had gathered to attend a fair in Jallianwala Bagh
Massacre. General Dyer, the officer in command, entered the park and ordered firing
on the peaceful people, killing hundreds. As the news spread crowds took to the streets.
Q. How did Non-Cooperation Movement start with participation of middle class people in
the cities? Explain its impact on the economic front. (CBSE 2018) OR
 How did Non-Cooperation Movement become popular in cities. Explain. (CBSE2017) OR
 What were the effects of Non-Cooperation Movement on the economic front"(CBSE 2017) OR
 Describe the extent of people's participation in the Non-Cooperation Movement the
towns. What were its economic effects?
The Non-Cooperation Movement began in January 1921 with middle class participation
in cities.
(i) Thousands of students left government controlled schools and colleges, head masters
and teachers resigned and lawyers gave up their legal practices.
(ii) The council elections were boycotted in most provinces except Madras where the
Justice Party, the party of non-Brahmins felt entering the council was one way of gaining
some power.
Impact on the economic front:
(iii) Foreign goods were boycotted, liquor shops were picketed and foreign cloth burnt in
huge bonfires.
(iv) As people, began boycotting and discarding foreign cloth, and traders refused trade
in imported cloth, the import of foreign cloth halved between 1921 and 1922.
(v) In many places merchants and traders refused to trade in foreign goods and finance
foreign trade. People began wearing only Indian clothes. The production of Indian textile
mills and handloom went up.

Q. Why the Non-Cooperation Movement slowed down in cities? Explain. (CBSE 2011, 14, 15, 17)
The movement slowed down in cities because of a variety of reasons:
1. Khadi cloth was more expensive, less durable and expensive to maintain than mill
made cloth. The poor could not afford to buy it and therefore could not boycott mill
made cloth for long.
2. Boycott of foreign cloth, schools, colleges, courts by lawyers was an integral part of the
Non-Cooperation Movement.
3. Boycott of British institutions posed a problem. For the movement to be successful
alternative Indian institutions had to be set up so that they could be used in place of
British institutions.
4. Alternative institutions were slow to come up. Teachers and students had no option
except go back to government schools.
5. Lawyers too joined back work in government courts.

Q. Describe the spread of Non-Cooperation Movement in the countryside.(CBSE 2015)

OR
Explain the course of the Non-Cooperation Movement in the countryside
1. In the countryside the movement drew into its fold the struggles of the peasants, tribals
and the local leaders.
2. The movement in the countryside was against talukdars and landlords and not against
the Britishers. The problems of the rural people were different from those of the urban
people.
Problems:
1. The 'talukdars' & landlords were demanding very high rents and a variety of other taxes.
2. Peasants had to do 'begar' and work at the landlord's farms without any payment.
3. The peasants as tenants had no security of tenure. They were regularly evicted.
As the problems of the people in the countryside were different, their demands too were different.
Demands:
1. reduction of revenue
2. abolition of 'begar
3. redistribution of land
Protests: The methods of protest were also different
1. In many places 'Nai-dhobi bandhs' were organized by the panchayats to deprive the
landlords of the services of barbers, and washermen etc.
2. By October, the Oudh Kisan Sabha was set up headed by Jawaharlal Nehru, Baba
Ramchandra and a few others.
3. As the movement spread in 1921, the houses of 'talukdars' and merchants were
attacked, bazars looted and grain hoards taken over.
4. Name of the Mahatma was invoked to sanction actions like non payment of taxes and
redistribution of land. It was not liked by some of the Congress leaders.
Simon Commission:
A Statutory Commission of seven members with Sir John Simon as Chairman was set up for
India in 1928 to look into the functioning of the constitutional system in India and suggest
changes.

Why boycotted: The commission on arrival was boycotted by Indians.

1. What angered Indians was that the Commission did not have a single Indian member.
2. The Indian National Congress, the Muslim League and other parties decided to oppose
the Simon Commission.
Methods:
1. Indian people organised strikes all over the country.
2. When the Commission reached Bombay it was greeted with black flags with the
slogan 'Go back Simon‘.
Impact:
1. The Commission is best remembered for the political fervour it generated.
2. The anti-protest movements led to nationalist enthusiasm and unity reached new
heights.
3. It temporarily united different groups and parties in the country and moved them to
action. The radicals within the Congress led by Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra
Bose became more assertive.
4. The change in mood was reflected in Congress demand for Purna Swaraj at the Lahore
session in January 1930 and announcement of launching of the Civil Disobedience
Movement.
5. The Simon Commission recommendations formed the basis of the Act of1935