Unit 1 Flashcards
Spread of Nationalism in India
- Nationalism in India developed during the anti-colonial struggle.
- Educated Indians demanded more autonomy in the mid-19th century.
- The Indian National Congress led the nationalist movement.
- Gandhi played a key role in mobilizing and uniting Indians.
- Internal conflicts arose due to differing ideologies and strategies.
Effect of War
LIPSI
L - Led to Increase in Defence Expenditure
I - Income Tax was introduced & Custom Duties were raised.
P - Prices were increased
S - Supply of Soldiers & Forced Requirment
I - In India, Acute Shortage of Food & Spreading of Influenza
Satyagraha
- Satyagraha focused on the importance of truth and the pursuit of it.
- It advocated that physical force was unnecessary to fight against
injustice if the cause was true. - Through non-violence, a Satyagrahi could win without seeking
revenge or being aggressive. - The aim was to persuade people, including oppressors, to
see the truth, rather than imposing it through violence. - Satyagraha ensured that truth would ultimately
triumph.
Mahatma Gandhi
In January 1915, Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa. He
y
visited Champaran in Bihar in 1916 to motivate peasants to fight against
the oppressive plantation system. The following year, he led a Satyagraha to
support the demands of the Kheda district peasants in Gujarat to relax revenue
collection. In 1918, Gandhi organized a Satyagraha among cotton mill workers
in Ahmedabad.
Rowlatt Act (1919)
- Rowlatt Act was passed hastily through the
Imperial Legislative Council despite strong
opposition from Indian members. - The Act granted the government broad
powers to suppress political activities. - Political prisoners could be detained without
trial for up to two years. - The Act led to the imposition of martial law,
with General Dyer appointed to enforce it.
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
- On April 13, 1919, a large crowd gathered in the enclosed area of Jallianwalla Bagh.
- Some came to protest the government’s new repressive measures, while others were attending the annual Baisakhi fair.
- Many villagers from outside the city were unaware of the imposed martial law.
- General Dyer blocked the exit points and ordered his troops to fire on the unarmed crowd, killing hundreds.
- Dyer’s intention was to create a sense of terror and awe in the minds of Satyagrahis by producing a moral
effect
Khilafat Issue
- Ottoman Turkey was defeated in WWI.
Muslims were concerned about the harsh peace treaty imposed on the Khalifa. - A Khilafat Committee was formed in Bombay to
defend the Khalifa’s temporal powers. - Young Muslim leaders discussed a united mass action with Gandhi.
- Gandhi saw this as an opportunity to unify Muslims
under a national movement. - The non-cooperation movement was launched in 1920 to support Khilafat and Swaraj.
Why, Non -Cooperation ?
- Mahatma Gandhi’s book Hindi Swaraj (1909) declares that British rule in India was established with the help of Indians.
- According to Gandhi, the British dominion in India
survived solely because of Indian cooperation. - Gandhi believed that if Indians refused to cooperate,
the British rule in India would collapse within a year. - In his book, Gandhi envisioned Swaraj, or self-rule, in India as a viable alternative to British dominion
How can non-cooperation become a movement ?
- Mahatma Gandhi proposed a staged approach for the noncooperation movement.
- The first stage involved surrendering governmentawarded titles and boycotting civil services, army, police, and foreign goods.
- The second stage would be initiated if the government used repression against the movement. The second stage would involve a full-scale civil disobedience campaign.
Stammp
S - Started by the middle-class in towns.
T - Thousands of students, teachers, and headmasters left
schools and colleges.
M - Many lawyers also gave up their legal practices.
M - Movement included the boycott of foreign goods.
P - Production of Indian textile mills and handlooms surged
