Chapter 2. Nationalism in India-NCERT Exercise History Class 10 In English

Q1. Explain:

a) Why growth of nationalism in the colonies is linked to an anti- colonial movement.

b) How the first world war helped in the growth of the national movement in India.

c) Why Indians were outraged by the Rowlatt Act.

d) Why Gandhiji Decided to withdraw the Non- Cooperation movement.

Answer: 

(a) (i) The anti- colonial movement brought together people of all castes, classes and communities to fight against the powerful European country.

(ii) This improved a good platform for the exchange of natiunalist and liberal ideas among the natives.

(b) (i) During the first world war period, prices rose in India which led to extreme hardships, for the common people.

(ii) Villagers were unwillingly recruited in army and had to do begar. This led to widespread anger among Indians.

(iii) Also, the failure of crops at the same time led to the spread of anti British and nationalist feelings among Indians.

(c) Under Rowlatt Act, Indian leaders could be detained without reason for two years in order to prevent anti- British sentiments. This led anger among Indians.

(d) Gandhiji withdrew the Non- cooperation Movent due to voilent incident of Chauri- Chaura Gorakhpur. 

Q2. What is meant by the ideas of Satyagraha?

Answer: 

(1) The idea of Satyagrah emphasized the power of the truth and the need to search for truth.

(2) It suggested that if the cause was true, if the struggle was against injustice, then physical force was not neccessary to fight against the oppressor.

(3) Without being aggresive, a satyagrahi could win the battle.

(4) This could be done by appealing to the conscience of the opressor instead of forcing them to accept the truth with voilence.

Q3. Write a newspaper report on:

(a) The Jallianwala Bagh maasacre

(b) The Simon Commission.

Answer: 

(a) (1) On 13th April, 1919, a crowd of villagers had gathered at jalliawala Bagh. They had come to Amritsar to attend an annual fair. 

(2) They were unaware of the Martial Law imposed to Amritsar.

(3) General Dyer entered the arae and blocked the exit points opened fire on the crowd. Hundreds of people were killed.

(4) As the news spread out, there were strikes, clashes with the police.

(5) The goverenment responded with brutal repression by humilliating the people in many ways.This resulted in the beginning of Non- Cooperation movement by Gandhiji.

(b) (1) Sir John Simon was the head of a Statutory Commission set up by the Tory government in Britain.

(2) (i) The Commission was to look into the functioning of the constitutional system in India and suggest changes.

(ii) The Simon Commission was to study the Indian Constitutional system and suggested changes in it. But , it did not have any Indian as its member. All its members were British. Therefore, it was oppesed in India.

(iii) When the Simon Commission arrived in India in 1992, it was greeted with the slogan "Go back Simon". Congress, Muslim league and all other political parties opossed the Simon Commission.

(3) (i) To pacify Indian leaders, who agitated against Simon Commission, the Victory, Lord Irwin announced, in october 1929, a vague offer of 'dominion status' for India.

(ii) A round table conference was held to discuss a future Constitution.

Q4. Compare the images of Bharat Mata in this chapter with the image of Germania in Chapter 1.

Answer: 

(1) The image of Germania was the symbol of German nation. Whereas, the image of Bharat Mata was trhe symbol of Indian nation.

(2) Both the images inspired nationalists who worked very hard to unify their respective countries and to attain a liberal nation.

(3) But the image of Bharat Mata is different from that of Germania, in the sense that, former reflects the religious basis of its making.

(4) The image of Bharat Mata become a controversial figure and also indirectly figure and also indirectly played a role in spread of communalism in pre- independent India. On the other hand, the image of Germania did not have any such controversy attached to it.

Disscus

Q1. List all the different social groups which joined the Non- Coop[eration movement of 1921. Then choose any three and write about there hopes and struggles to show why they joined the movement.

Answer: 

I. The social groups of India, that joined the Non- Cooperation Movement of 1921 were as under:

(i) Middle class people (students, teachers, lawyers, etc.)

(ii) Political Parties except the justice party of Madras.

(iii) Merchants and traders.

(iv) Peasants of Awadh.

(v) Tribals of Andhra Pradesh.

(vi) Plantation workers in Assam.

Let's Know why some these social groups joined the Non- Coop[eration Movement.

II. (a) Peasants of Awadh: (1) Baba Ramchandra was the peasants leader in Awadh. He wes a sanyasi, who had earlier beent to Fiji as an indentured labourer. He led a movement against the talukdars (landlords) of Awadh.

(2) The peasantsof Awadh had the following problems:

(i) Talukdars or landlords of Awadh demanded high rents and a variety of other cesses from the peasant.

(ii) peasants had to do 'begar' and work at landlord's fams without any payment.

(iii) As tenants, they had no security of tenure. They were regularly evicted, so that they could acquire no right over the leased land.

(b) Tribals of Andhra pradesh :

(1) Government prevented them from entering inbto forests to graze cattle and collected firewood, which they considered to be their  natural right. This was protested by the tribals.

(2) Government wanted them to do begar for road building and other government activities in the area, they were not ready to do this and rebelled.

(3) Alluri Sitaram Raju emerged as a tribal leader and showed faith in Gandhiji. He emphasised on guerilla warfare against the government and started such activities in 1920s.

(4) Gudem rebels attacked police stations and attempted to kill the British officials.

(5) They resorted to guerilla warfare but in 1924, Raju was executed and hanged.

(c) Plantation Workers: (i) They assumed Non- Cooperation Movement as a man that could reunite them will their families, by overruling the terms and conditions of their contracts.

(ii) Therefore, many of them defied the authorities, left the plantations and headed to home.

(iii) They believed that Gandhiji Raj was coming and everyone would be given land in their own villages.

(iv) But their plans failed, as they could not reach their destinations due to railway and steamer strikes; they were caught by the police and brutally beaten up.

Q2. Discuss the Salt March to make clear why it was an effective symbol of resistance against colonialism.

Answer: 

Under British rule , the British had a monopoly on the manufacture of salt in India. Their main aim was to collect more revenue from the Indians so they imposed tax on the manufacture of salt. Tax on such an indispensable commodity was unbearable and unjust. So Gandhiji decided to start a Satyagraha against it . On 12th March 1930, he along with his 78 followers left his Sabarmati Ashram for Dandi , a village on the west cost of India . After covering a distance of 380 km , in 25 days , they reached Dandi on 6th April 1930 . On reaching Dandi they prepared salt by boiling the seawater. By violating the Salt Law, Gandhiji became a symbol of just a beginning . At his call, people began to defy the unjust law and the orders of the British government .

Q3. Imagine you are a women participating in the Civil Disobedience Movement. Explain What the experience meant to your life.

Answer: 

(1) I am feeling humbe and great. When I walk with thousands of life minded women, for the national cause, I felt pride.

(2) The participation in the Civil Disobedience Movement, I feel, also raises the status of women in the Indian society and put them in equal importance with Indian Man.

(4) Although, there occurs not much change in the domestic lives of women, but the contribution madfe through paticipation in the movement itself, is one of the most significient incidents for the Indian women.

Q4. Why did political leaders differ sharply over the question of seprate electrorates?

Answer: 

(1) Political leaders representated the different classes and communities of Indian society. For Example, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar representated "opressed classes" or dalits of India. Similarly, M.A. Jinnah representated muslim social groups of Indians.

(2) These leaders wanted to uplift the status of their followers by securing some special political rights, by securing seprate electorates for them.

(3) But the Congress party, especially Gandhiji, belived that separate electorates would adversely affect the unity of India.