Class Notes Grade 10 Chapter - 3 Nationalism in India

CLASS NOTES GRADE 10
CHAPTER – 3
NATIONALISM IN INDIA
Part 1: The First World War
The First World War (1914- 1918) created a new political and economic situation in India.
India faced various problems during war period:
 Increase in defence expenditure which was financed by war loans and increasing taxes
(in the form of custom duties and income tax).
 Prices increased through the war years. The prices doubled between 1913 and 1918.
The common people were the worst sufferers because of price rise.
 Forced recruitment in rural areas to supply soldiers caused widespread anger.
 During 1918- 19 and 1920-21, crop failure in many parts of India resulted in acute
shortage of food.
 Influenza epidemic further aggravated the problem.
Note: - People thought their hardships would end after the war but it did not happen.
Related Question:-
What was the impact of First World War on the life on people in India?
Or
What hardships were faced by people during First World War in India?
1.1 The Idea of Satyagraha (1915 – 1918)
Gandhi returned to India in January 1915 with his highly valued reputation of having innovated
the Satyagraha technique successfully against racial injustice in South Africa. On Gokhale’s
advice, he toured India for two years to observe political and social conditions of India.
What was Satyagraha? Write its main ideology.

 It was a non- violent method of mass agitation against the oppressor.
 It emphasized the power of truth and the need to search for truth.
 It suggested that if the cause was true, if the struggle was against injustice there is no
need for physical force to fight the oppressor.
Note: The main Dharma of a Satyagrahi is NON-VIOLENCE.
Some early Satyagraha movements organized by Gandhi are -

1) In 1916 - Champaran in Bihar - to inspire the peasants to struggle against the oppressive
plantation system.
2) In 1917 – Kheda district in Gujarat – Gandhi asked the people not to pay the taxes due to the
failure of crops. Ultimately the government agreed and payment of tax was deferred to the next
year.
3) In 1918 – Ahmedabad, Gujarat - Mahatma Gandhi intervened in a dispute between workers
and mill owners of Ahmedabad. He advised to workers to go on strike and to demand a 35%
increase in wages.
Related questions:
Q1. How did Mahatma Gandhi successfully organize Satyagraha movements in various places
just after arriving in India? Explain by giving three examples.
Q2. What was the main ideology of Satyagraha movement started by Mahatma Gandhi?
1.2 The Rowlatt Act (1919)
 The Rowlatt Act was passed by the Imperial Legislative Council in 1919 despite of
opposition from the Indian members.
 The Act gave –
a) Powers to the government to repress political activities.
b) It allowed detention of political prisoners without trial for two years.
 On 6th April, 1919 Gandhi launched a nationwide Satyagraha against the proposed
Rowlatt Act. He wanted non – violent Civil Disobedience.
 He called for hartals, rallies were organized, and shops were closed. Several local
leaders were arrested from Amritsar. Mahatma Gandhi was barred from entering
Delhi.
 On 10 April, police in Amritsar fired on peaceful procession, provoking widespread
attacks on banks, railway stations and post offices.
 Martial law was imposed and the command was given to General Dyer.
Related question:
Why did Gandhi decide to launch a nationwide Satyagraha against the proposed Rowlatt Act?
(All the points mentioned above will be the answer for this question)
Jallianwalla Bagh (13th April 1919)

 On Baisakhi 13 April 1919 large crowd gathered in the ground of Jallianwalla Bagh.
 Some came to protest against the repressive laws passed under Rowlatt act and others
came to attend annual baisakhi fair they were not aware that the martial law was
imposed there on 10th April.
 General Dyer blocked the exit points and opened fire on the crowd and hundreds of
people were killed in the incident.
 As the news of massacre got spread people went out on streets, there were strikes,
clashes with police and attacks on government buildings.
 In order to suppress them government responded with brutal repression, humiliation
od people, people were asked to rub their nose on ground, crawl on streets, people
were flogged and villages were bombed
 Mahatma Gandhi called off the movement as it got violent.
Related questions:
Q1. Explain Jallianwala Bagh massacre. What was the result of this massacre?
Q2. Describe in brief the reactions of the people immediately after Jallianwala Bagh
incident.
Need of Wider Spread of Movement

The Rowlatt Satyagraha was limited mainly to the cities and towns. Mahatma Gandhi felt the
need of a more broad-based movement in India. He was convinced that it could be only
possible by bringing the Hindus and Muslims on a common platform.
Khilafat Movement (1919)
 The Khilafat issue gave him the opportunity to bring the Hindus and Muslims on a
common platform.
 The Ottoman Turkey was badly defeated in the First World War. There were rumours
about a harsh peace treating likely to be imposed on the Ottoman emperor; who was
the spiritual head of the Islamic world (the Khalifa).
 A Khilafat committed was formed in Bombay in March 1919 to defend the powers of
Khalifa. The leaders of the committee were brothers Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali.
 They also wanted Mahatma Gandhi to take up a united mass movement.
 At the Calcutta session of the Congress in September 1920, the resolution was passed
to launch a non-cooperation movement in support of Khilafat and also for swaraj.
Related questions:
Q1. Why was Khilafat Movement supported by Gandhi in 1919? What was his main aim?
Q2. Why was Khilafat committee formed?
1.3 Non-Cooperation(launched in 1920, started in 1921)
In his famous book Hind Swaraj (1909) Mahatma Gandhi declared that British rule was
established in India with the cooperation of Indians, and had survived only because of this
cooperation. If Indians refused to cooperate, British rule in India would collapse within a
year, and swaraj would come. Gandhiji believed that if Indians begin to refuse to cooperate,
the British rulers will have no other way than to leave India.
Some of the proposals of non-cooperation movement:

a) Surrender the titles which were awarded by the British government.
b) Boycott civil services, army, police, courts, legislative councils and schools.
c) Boycott foreign goods.
d) Launch full civil disobedience campaign, if the government persisted with repressive
measures.
Some leaders of the congress opposed the idea of the movement because:
 They did not want to boycott the council elections of November 1920.
 They thought that the movement would become violent.
 The wanted to oppose the government policies by participating in legislative councils.
Note: -
At the Congress session at Nagpur in December 1920, a compromise was worked out
between supporters and opponents of the movement; Non- cooperation programme was
adopted.
Related questions:
Q1. Mention three main proposals with reference to Non- Cooperation Movement as
suggested by Mahatma Gandhi.
Q2. Why did some leaders of the congress oppose the idea of the movement?

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CLASS NOTES GRADE 10

Part 1: The First World War

1.1 The Idea of Satyagraha (1915 – 1918)

What was Satyagraha? Write its main ideology.

Note: The main Dharma of a Satyagrahi is NON-VIOLENCE.

Some early Satyagraha movements organized by Gandhi are -

1.2 The Rowlatt Act (1919)

Jallianwalla Bagh (13th April 1919)

Need of Wider Spread of Movement

Khilafat Movement (1919)

Q2. Why was Khilafat committee formed?

1.3 Non-Cooperation(launched in 1920, started in 1921)

Some of the proposals of non-cooperation movement:

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