The Nationalist Movement (1870-1947) PDF

# The Nationalist Movement (1870 to 1947) The Rule of East India Company ended with Queen Victoria's Proclamation of November 1,1858. The British government now had control. The people of India still had no say in the government or in the formulation of policies. This resentment surfaced in the for...

# The Nationalist Movement (1870 to 1947) The Rule of East India Company ended with Queen Victoria's Proclamation of November 1,1858. The British government now had control. The people of India still had no say in the government or in the formulation of policies. This resentment surfaced in the form of rebellions that later gave rise to the Indian National Movement. Many political associations were formed to express the problems of Indians. For example, in 1876, Surendranath Banerjee established the Indian Association in Calcutta. ## Formation of Indian National Congress (INC) The Indian National Congress was formed in December, 1885 by A. O. Hume, a retired British official. He was supported by 72 educated Indian delegates from different regions of the country. The first meeting of the Indian National Congress took place in Bombay under the presidentship of W. C. Bonnerjee. Gradually, the Congress became the backbone of the National Movement (1885-1947). The early phase of the Congress was influenced by the leaders who were referred as Moderates (1885-1905). The Moderates had complete faith in the British. They adopted moderate ways to pursue their goals. Their main demands were to: - Have representative institutions in the whole country for the welfare of the people. - Create Provincial Legislative Councils in all provinces. - Recruit Indians for higher positions in the administration. - Hold Civil Services Examination in India. - Ensure the growth of Indian industries and handicrafts. - Stop the drain of wealth to Britain. - End the exploitation of Indian resources and people. The prominent Moderate leaders were Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Dadabhai Naoroji, Surendra Nath Banerjee, Pheroz Shah Mehta, Mahadev Govind Ranade, Badruddin Tayabji and others. **Do you know?** - The Moderates believed in ideas rather than action. They followed a policy of 3Ps - Prayer, Petition and Protest. The critics termed their policy as 'Political Begging.' - Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's song Vande Matram was sung in 1886 for the first time. ## Partition of Bengal In order to weaken the National Movement, the British attacked the Hindu-Muslim unity. Lord Curzon issued an order in July, 1905 to partition Bengal. The official reason given by Britishers was that it was difficult to govern and collect revenue from such a big province, but people knew that the Britishers wanted to divide the Indians and rule, therefore, there were protests against the partition. The day was observed as the Day of Mourning. The **Swadeshi** (of one's own country), Boycott and National Education were adopted as tools for achieving Swaraj by the radicals. Indians boycotted foreign goods and used only Indian goods. 'Swaraj is my birth right and I shall have it!' - the slogan of Tilak gave impetus to the attainment of Swaraj meaning self-rule. Students played an important role in these movements by boycotting classes and picketing shops selling foreign goods. Many women also joined processions and picketing. The radical group among the Congress encouraged: - Love for swadeshi goods. - Participation in mass rallies to boycott foreign goods. - Boycott of government services, schools and colleges. - Surrender of titles conferred by the British. Swadeshi Movement spread from Bengal to Maharashtra and Punjab. The government suppressed the movement. During this period, Dadabhai Naoroji presided over the Calcutta session of Congress in 1906. A call was given for attainment of 'Swaraj' - self-government. The differences between the Moderates and Radicals came to head during the Surat session in 1907. There was a split in the party and the two groups parted ways. The Moderates were led by Gopal Krishna Gokhale and Pheroze Shah Mehta. The Radicals were referred to as the Extremists by the British. They were led by Lal, Bal and Pal. **Do you know?** Many Indian leaders and Indian supporters living abroad sought anti-British help from various countries. They collected and sent money and arms to Indian revolutionaries. Prominent among them were Lala Hardayal, Madam Bhikaji Cama, Sardar Sigh Rana, Bhai Paramanand, V.D. Savarkar, etc. ## Formation of Muslim League The Britishers were practising the policy of divide and rule to weaken the nationalist movement. They encouraged the Muslims to form a separate organisation of their own. Muslim League was formed in 1906 by Aga Khan, the religious head of a Muslim sect and Nawab Salimulla of Dhaka. ## Morley-Minto Reforms (1909) The British Government announced Morley-Minto Reforms to pacify the Moderates. But the reforms did not pay any heed to the demand of Indians for Swaraj. Muslims were granted separate electorate (representation). This reform was a further threat to the Hindu-Muslim unity in the National Movement. The Moderates opposed it and the struggle for Swaraj became more intense. ## Home Rule League In 1916, an Irish lady, Mrs. Annie Besant established the Home Rule League in Madras and Bal Gangadhar Tilak established it in Maharashtra. The purpose of the League was to attain self-government. The British government tried to crush the movement but the agitation continued. ## Lucknow Pact of 1916 In 1916, the Moderates and Radicals reunited to strengthen the National Movement after nine years and signed a joint pact at Lucknow with the Muslim League. They jointly demanded self-rule for India. ## Arrival of Mahatma Gandhi on the Indian Political Scene After the First World War (1914-18), Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi took over the leadership of the Congress. He introduced the technique of non-violent agitation, which was called Satyagraha - demand for truth. It was a non-violent struggle against the British oppression. He propagated tolerance, brotherhood, non-violence (ahimsa) and simple living. Gandhiji realised that social reforms were necessary for a truly national struggle. He established Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat where people of all castes and religions were welcomed. His first movement was in support of peasants. It began in Champaran in Bihar in 1917. He forced the British government to increase the price of indigo for the benefit of peasants. By 1919, Gandhiji had become the most popular leader of India. He launched many powerful mass movements. **Do you know?** During Gandhiji's period, leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhash Chandra Bose also came to the forefront with the demand of complete independence. ## Montague Chemsford Reform or Government of India Act of 1919 The British paid no heed to the agitations for self-rule going on all over the country. They introduced another set of reforms to appease people. But the reforms were insignificant. The number of elected members was increased in Legislature Assembly and Council of States but there was no change in the location of power. The system of Dual Government - Dyarchy was introduced. All important subjects, like finance and police were under the control of the Governor and the Indian ministers were given the charge of education and health. But the real power still remained with the British officials. Indians were very disappointed by the reforms. ## Rowlatt Act of 1919 There was growing unrest among Indians and protests increased. The British government passed the Rowlatt Act to consolidate their control. It empowered the Government to arrest anyone without a warrant and imprison people without trial. This caused massive demonstrations and hartals all across the country. **Do you know?** Rowlatt Act was known as the Black Law as no arrested person was allowed to go for an Appeal, Dalil (argument) and Vakil (lawyer). ## Jallianwala Bagh Massacre On April 13, 1919, the people of Punjab gathered on the auspicious day of Baisakhi at Jallianwala Bagh near Golden Temple in Amritsar. When they were protesting peacefully against the arrest of two prominent congress leaders of Punjab - Dr. Satya Pal and Saiffudin Kitchlew, General Dyer ordered the British armed forces to open fire at the hundreds of innocent, unarmed men, women and children. The massacre stunned the whole country. The government imposed martial law in Punjab. Under martial law, people were tortured, newspapers were banned and mails were censored. **Do you know?** Turkey suffered injustice at the hands of the British after the First World War. Ali brothers - Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali, started the Khilafat Movement against the British to undo the injustices against Muslims in Turkey. Later on, under the leadership of Gandhiji, the Khilafat movement became a part of Non-Cooperation Movement. ## The Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-22) Mahatma Gandhi said, 'The British rule was established and survived in India with the cooperation of Indians. If Indians refused to cooperate, British rule would collapse and Swaraj would come. The Congress session at Nagpur in December 1920 ratified Gandhiji's call for Non-Cooperation - not to cooperate with the government. Non-Cooperation was directed against the injustices done by the British in Punjab and Turkey. It began with: - Renouncing of titles and honours given by the British. - Boycott of legislatures. - Boycott of schools and colleges by students and teachers. - Opening of Jamia Milia at Aligarh and Kashi Vidya Peeth at Benaras. - Boycott of government offices and courts. - Bonfires of foreign goods. - Hartals and strikes all over the country. After 1919, the struggle against the British rule took the form of a mass movement which involved peasants, tribals, students, workers, traders, women, etc. The unity between Hindus and Muslims strengthened. When the Non-Cooperation movement was launched, people wholeheartedly participated in it. The Britishers retaliated by imprisoning all the important leaders of the movement accept Gandhiji. ## Chauri Chaura In 1922, the police fired upon a group of demonstrators, at Chauri Chaura in Uttar Pradesh. The agitated mob set police station on fire and burnt 22 policemen alive. Gandhiji was shocked. He called off the Non-Cooperation movement as he felt that the movement had lost its non-violent character. Some leaders supported his decision but leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhash Chandra Bose opposed the withdrawal of the movement due to one violent incident. Motilal Nehru and Chittranjan Das formed the 'Swaraj Party' to enter the Legislative Councils and then destroy the British administration from inside. Inspite of single-handedly stopping the Non-Cooperation Movement, Gandhiji was arrested. Though the Non-Cooperation movement was withdrawn prematurely, it was successful in bringing the entire country close and helped in giving a national character to the country's freedom struggle. Gandhiji continued to propagate khadi, Hindu-Muslim unity and eradication of untouchability. ## Peasants and Workers' Movements The peasants and workers joined the freedom movement to oppose British exploitation and high taxes. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel took up the cause of peasants of Bardoli in Gujarat. ## Simon Commission (1927) The Simon Commission was sent to India to review the Government of India Act of 1919 and suggest further reforms to appease the Indians. Congress decided to oppose the Commission as it did not have even a single Indian representative.