Indian Nationalism and Freedom Movement

Nationalism in India

• Nationalism in India was closely tied to the anti-colonial movement, with people discovering their unity through the struggle against colonialism.
• The Congress, led by Mahatma Gandhi, aimed to unite different groups within the movement.

Non-Cooperation and Civil Disobedience Movements

• The movements began in the 1920s, with the aim of developing the national movement and incorporating new social groups.
• The First World War led to a new economic and political situation, with increased defence expenditure, taxes, and prices, causing hardship for the common people.

The Idea of Satyagraha

• Mahatma Gandhi introduced the concept of satyagraha, which emphasized the power of truth and non-violence.
• Satyagraha involved appealing to the conscience of the oppressor, rather than using physical force.

The Rowlatt Act

• The Rowlatt Act (1919) gave the government enormous powers to repress political activities, allowing detention of political prisoners without trial for two years.
• Mahatma Gandhi launched a nationwide satyagraha against the Act, which led to widespread protests and government repression.

The Jallianwalla Bagh Incident

• The Jallianwalla Bagh incident occurred on April 13, 1919, when General Dyer opened fire on a peaceful procession, killing hundreds.
• The incident sparked widespread protests and government repression.

The Khilafat Movement

• The Khilafat Movement was formed in 1919 to defend the Khalifa's temporal powers, following the defeat of Ottoman Turkey in the First World War.
• Mahatma Gandhi saw the movement as an opportunity to unite Hindus and Muslims under the umbrella of a unified national movement.

Non-Cooperation

• Mahatma Gandhi proposed non-cooperation as a means of achieving swaraj, arguing that British rule in India would collapse if Indians refused to cooperate.
• The non-cooperation movement unfolded in stages, beginning with the surrender of titles and a boycott of civil services, army, police, courts, and legislative councils.

The Non-Cooperation-Khilafat Movement

• The movement began in January 1921, with various social groups participating, each with their own specific aspirations.
• Middle-class participation in the cities led to widespread protests, boycotts, and the burning of foreign cloth.

Differing Strands within the Movement

• Different social groups participated in the movement, each with their own understanding of swaraj.
• The movement in the towns was marked by middle-class participation, boycotts, and the burning of foreign cloth.
• The movement faced challenges, including the high cost of khadi cloth and the difficulty of boycotting British institutions.### The Non-Cooperation Movement
• Gandhiji called for students and teachers to boycott British educational institutions and lawyers to give up their practices in British courts
• The movement spread from cities to the countryside, drawing in peasants and tribals who were fighting against talukdars and landlords
• Peasants demanded reduction of revenue, abolition of begar, and social boycott of oppressive landlords
• In Awadh, peasants were led by Baba Ramchandra, a sanyasi who had earlier been an indentured labourer in Fiji
• Jawaharlal Nehru set up the Oudh Kisan Sabha, which had over 300 branches in villages around the region within a month

Rebellion in the Countryside

• The movement in the countryside was not fully supported by the Congress leadership
• Houses of talukdars and merchants were attacked, bazaars were looted, and grain hoards were taken over
• Local leaders told peasants that Gandhiji had declared that no taxes were to be paid and land was to be redistributed among the poor

Tribal Peasants and Swaraj

• Tribal peasants interpreted the message of Mahatma Gandhi and the idea of swaraj in their own way
• In the Gudem Hills of Andhra Pradesh, a militant guerrilla movement spread in the early 1920s
• The movement was led by Alluri Sitaram Raju, who claimed to have special powers and was inspired by the Non-Cooperation Movement
• Raju talked of the greatness of Mahatma Gandhi, but also asserted that India could be liberated only by the use of force, not non-violence

Swaraj in the Plantations

• Plantation workers in Assam had their own understanding of Mahatma Gandhi and the notion of swaraj
• For them, freedom meant the right to move freely in and out of the confined space of the plantations and to retain a link with their villages
• Thousands of workers defied the authorities, left the plantations, and headed home, but were caught by the police and brutally beaten up

Towards Civil Disobedience

• Mahatma Gandhi decided to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement in February 1922 due to its turn towards violence
• The movement was replaced by a focus on council politics, with some leaders like C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru arguing for participation in elections to provincial councils
• Younger leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose pressed for more radical mass agitation and full independence

The Salt March and the Civil Disobedience Movement

• Mahatma Gandhi found in salt a powerful symbol that could unite the nation
• He sent a letter to Viceroy Irwin stating eleven demands, including the abolition of the salt tax
• When the demands were not fulfilled, Gandhi started his famous salt march, accompanied by 78 volunteers
• The march was over 240 miles, from Gandhiji's ashram in Sabarmati to the Gujarati coastal town of Dandi
• The movement spread, with thousands breaking the salt law, manufacturing salt, and demonstrating in front of government salt factories### The Civil Disobedience Movement
• The movement started in 1930 when Mahatma Gandhi was arrested, leading to protests and demonstrations across the country.
• The Gandhi-Irwin Pact was signed on March 5, 1931, which led to the release of political prisoners and Gandhi's participation in the Round Table Conference in London.
• The negotiations broke down, and Gandhi returned to India disappointed, leading to a new cycle of repression by the government.

Participants in the Civil Disobedience Movement

• Rich peasants, such as the Patidars of Gujarat and the Jats of Uttar Pradesh, participated in the movement due to their economic interests.
• They were impacted by the trade depression and falling prices, leading to resentment against the government's revenue policies.
• Poorer peasants, including small tenants, were also interested in the movement, but their demands were different from those of the rich peasants.
• They wanted the unpaid rent to landlords to be remitted and were influenced by socialist and communist ideologies.
• Business classes, including industrialists and merchants, supported the movement, seeking protection against foreign imports and a favorable foreign exchange ratio.
• Workers, including railway and dockworkers, participated in the movement, but their demands were not included in the Congress's programme.
• Women, including those from high-caste families and rich peasant households, participated in the movement, but their roles were largely symbolic.

The Limits of Civil Disobedience

• The 'untouchables' (dalits) were not enthusiastic about the movement, as they felt that the Congress had ignored their interests.
• Dalit leaders, including Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, demanded reserved seats and a separate electorate, leading to a clash with Gandhi.
• The Poona Pact of 1932 was signed, giving the Depressed Classes (later known as the Scheduled Castes) reserved seats, but they were to be voted in by the general electorate.
• Muslims were also lukewarm in their response to the movement, as they felt alienated from the Congress due to the decline of the Non-Cooperation-Khilafat Movement.
• Muslim leaders, including Muhammad Ali Jinnah, demanded separate electorates and representation in proportion to population in Muslim-dominated provinces.
• The negotiations failed, leading to a lack of unity between Hindus and Muslims.