Chapter Summary

This section is a concise recap of all of Chapter 2 — Nationalism in India. Use it for last-minute revision before the Board examination.

In India, modern nationalism grew with the anti-colonial struggle led by the Congress under Mahatma Gandhi. The First World War brought economic hardship, and Gandhi (returned 1915) introduced satyagraha — the power of truth and non-violence — with early successes at Champaran, Ahmedabad and Kheda.

Rowlatt, Non-Cooperation and its Strands

  • Rowlatt Act (1919): detention without trial; hartal on 6 April; Jallianwalla Bagh massacre (13 April 1919, General Dyer).
  • Khilafat + Non-Cooperation (1921): to unite Hindus and Muslims; Hind Swaraj (1909) — British rule survives on Indian cooperation; adopted at Nagpur (Dec 1920).
  • Towns: students, teachers, lawyers boycott; foreign cloth import halved (Rs 102 cr → Rs 57 cr); slowed as khadi was costly.
  • Awadh: Baba Ramchandra, Oudh Kisan Sabha, against talukdars and begar.
  • Tribals (Gudem): Alluri Sitaram Raju, force not non-violence (executed 1924). Assam plantations: Inland Emigration Act 1859.
  • Chauri Chaura (Feb 1922): violence → Gandhi withdraws Non-Cooperation.

Civil Disobedience and its Participants

  • Towards CDM: Swaraj Party (C.R. Das, Motilal Nehru); Depression; Simon Commission (1928, 'Go back Simon'); Lahore Congress (Dec 1929) — Purna Swaraj; 26 Jan 1930 Independence Day.
  • Salt March: 11 demands (31 Jan 1930); Sabarmati to Dandi, 240 miles, 78 volunteers, 24 days; 6 April 1930 salt law broken → Civil Disobedience Movement.
  • Repression: Peshawar (Ghaffar Khan), Sholapur, ~1,00,000 arrested; Gandhi–Irwin Pact (5 March 1931); Second Round Table Conference fails; relaunched 1932; faded by 1934.
  • Participants: rich peasants (Patidars, Jats — anti-revenue); poor peasants (no-rent); business (FICCI 1927, Birla, Thakurdas); workers (limited); women (large-scale, but symbolic role).

Limits and the Sense of Collective Belonging

  • Dalits: Ambedkar — Depressed Classes Association (1930), separate electorates; Gandhi's fast; Poona Pact (Sept 1932) — reserved seats via general electorate.
  • Muslims: alienation from the Congress; Jinnah; Iqbal (separate electorates, 1930).
  • Collective belonging: Bharat Mata (Bankim Chandra — 'Vande Mataram'; Abanindranath Tagore, 1905); folklore (Rabindranath Tagore, Natesa Sastri); flags (Swadeshi tricolour; Swaraj flag 1921 with spinning wheel); reinterpreting history (pride in the past, but Hindu bias left others out).

Quick Revision — Must-Know Facts

  • Gandhi returns 1915; satyagraha; Champaran 1917, Ahmedabad & Kheda 1918.
  • Rowlatt Act 1919; Jallianwalla Bagh 13 April 1919 (General Dyer).
  • Non-Cooperation + Khilafat 1921 (adopted at Nagpur, Dec 1920); withdrawn after Chauri Chaura (Feb 1922).
  • Lahore Congress Dec 1929 — Purna Swaraj; Salt March to Dandi, 6 April 1930.
  • Gandhi-Irwin Pact 5 March 1931; Poona Pact Sept 1932 (Gandhi-Ambedkar).
  • Bharat Mata: Bankim Chandra ('Vande Mataram'), Abanindranath Tagore (1905).
  • Swaraj flag 1921 — red, green, white with spinning wheel.

Quick Revision — Commonly Confused Points

  • Non-Cooperation (refuse cooperation) vs Civil Disobedience (break colonial laws).
  • Baba Ramchandra (Awadh peasants) vs Alluri Sitaram Raju (Gudem tribals).
  • Swaraj Party (C.R. Das, Motilal Nehru — council politics) vs radicals (Nehru, Bose — full independence).
  • Bankim Chandra (wrote 'Vande Mataram') vs Abanindranath Tagore (painted Bharat Mata).
  • Depressed Classes Association 1930 (Ambedkar) vs Poona Pact 1932 (reserved seats).
  • Swadeshi flag (red-green-yellow, 8 lotuses) vs Swaraj flag 1921 (red-green-white, spinning wheel).