Rise of Nationalist Movement
▪ The foundation of the nationalist movement had been laid by the end of the 19th century.
▪ The main target of this movement was to face the challenge of foreign supremacy.
▪ Its effects were the socio-religion reform movement, the spread of modern western
education, the emergence of the middle class and the economic consequences of the British
rule.
▪ The politicial awareness that these trends gave birth to the concept of ‘nationhood’ and
‘nationalist aspirations’.
▪ In the wake of this political consciousness various political association were founded, particularly in the Presidency towns, to organise the English-educated classes to plead for a more or less common programme of political progress.
▪ The culmination of this trend was the foundation of the Indian National Congress in 1885, which marks the formal beginning of the organised nationalist movement, to drive out the foreigners from the country.
▪ All classes of people in India joined at one stage and played their part in the freedom struggle.
Timeline of Indian Independence Movement
1. 1857 - The Revolt of 1857
2. 1870 - Poona Sarvajanik Sabha founded
3. 1876 - Indian National Association founded
4. 1878 - Vernacular Press Act passed
5. 1885 - Indian National Congress was founded
6. 1892 - Gandhiji left for Africa
7. 1905 - Partition of Bengal and Swadeshi Movement
8. 1906 - Muslim League founded
9. 1915 - Gandhiji came to India
10. 1918 - Satyagrah at Champaran
11. 1919 - Rowlatt Act, Jallianwala Bagh massacre
12. 1920 - Khilafat and Non-Co-operation Movement
13. 1924 - Poorna swaraj
14. 1932 - Civil Disobedience Movement
15. 1940 - Demand of two different nations by Muslim League
16. 1942 - Quit India Movement
17. 1947 - Partition and Freedom of India.
Freedom Struggle
1. First phase (1885 - 1905)
2. Second phase (1905 - 1919)
Key points of this struggle were:
1. Foundation of the Indian National Congress and its first twenty years (1885 - 1905) - the moderate phase.
2. The rise of neo-nationalism or Extremism, the Swadeshi movement and the first phase of Revolutionary Terrorism(1905-15)
3. The beginning of the Gandhian phase-commencing with the anti-Rowlatt Bills agitation to the Non-Cooperation Movement (1916-22)
4. The council entry programme and the rise of the Swarajist party, the second phase of the Revolutionary Terrorism and the anti-Simon Commission Agitation (1922-28)
5. The Nehru Report, the Lahore Session of the Congress, the Poorna Swarajya resolution and the Civil Disobedience Movement (1928-34)
6. The Government of India Act 1935, the so-called provincial autonomy in action, and the outbreak of the Second World War (1935-39)
7. The Second World War, beginning of radical and communal movements and the Quit India Movement (1939-44) and
8. India towards freedom and partition (1945 - 47)
Factors responsible for the National Movement
We may list the following factors which created discontent among the people of India and brought
the Indian on the same platform against British rule.
(1) Economic causes;
(2) Political causes;
(3) Social -religious causes;
(4) Unified system of administration;
(5) Development of the means of communication;
(6) Growth of western thought and education;
(7) Development of vernacular languages;
(8) Growth of a modern press;
(9) Art and literature;
(10) Racial arrogance of the rulers; and
(11) Immediate factors of provocation under the Viceroy Ripon,
especially the Ilbert Bill controversy.
Rise of political ideas and Political Association (Upto 1885)
▪ British Supremacy in India created certain forces as a result of its direct and indirect
consequences which eventually challenged the British imperialism.
▪ One important effect of the initiation of western culture in India was the growth of modern
political concepts like nationalism, nationality, political rights etc.
▪ The Indian sub-continent witnessed the growth of political ideas and political organisation
hitherto unknown to the Indian World. This was the reason why political associations
heralded 19th century modern politics into India.
▪ Several public associations were began. In 1866, Dadabhai Naoroji organised the East India Association to discuss the Indian question and to influence British to promote Indian welfare. Later, he organised branches of the Association, in prominent Indian cities.
Bangbhasha Prakasika Sabha
▪ Founded in 1836, it was first organized political association of India.
▪ It worked for reform of administrative association of Indians with the British, spread of
education, putting forward Indian demands to the British parliament.
▪ Raja Ram Mohan Roy was pioneer in political movement in India.
▪ The ‘Sabha’ was established by associates of Raja Rammohan Roy.
British India Society
▪ British India Society was founded in 1839 in England with efforts of William Adam who was
a friend or Raja Rammohan Roy.
▪ The Society organised meeting at several place to create awareness of the condition in India.
In 1841, the society started a newspaper “British Indian Advocate.”
Bengal British India Society
▪ With efforts of George Thomson, along with Dwarkanath Tagore, Chandra Mohan Chatterjee
and Parmananda Maitra; ‘Bengal British Society’ was founded on 20th April 1843.
▪ The idea behind this set-up was to secure the welfare and advancement of all classes in
loyalty to the government of the reigning sovereign of the British dominions.
East India Association
▪ This organisation was established by “The grand old man” of Indian National Movement
Dadabhai Naoroji.
▪ It was a platform for discussing matters and ideas about India, and to provide representation
for discussing matters and ideas about India and to provide representation for the Indians to
the Government.
▪ Naoroji delivered first lecture to the association on 2nd may 1867. The ‘Associations’s’ first
president was Lord Lyveden.
India League
▪ Founder editor of “Amrit Bazaar Patrika”, Sisir Kumar Ghose, along with a few progressive
leaders of the time, founded the “India League” in year 1875 in Calcutta.
▪ The basic aim of the ‘League’ was to represent masses and to stimulate a sense of
nationalism among the people.
▪ Later, the ‘League’ was superseded by the “India Association”, founded in year 1876 with
active participation from Anand Mohan Bose, and S.N. Banerjee.
▪ ‘Indian Association’ raised voice against issues like age limit for ICS examination and
opposed ‘Ilbert Bill’.
Poona Sarvajanik Sabha
▪ On 2nd April, 1870 Poona Sarvajanik Sabha was founded by M.G. Ranade and G.V. Joshi.
▪ The ‘Sabha’ provided many prominent leaders of national stature like ‘Bal Gangadhar Tilak’.
▪ It aimed to serve as a mediating body between British Government and people of India.
▪ In 1875, “Sabha’ submitted a petition to the ‘House of Commons’ to demand India’s representation in British Parliament.
Madras Mahajan Sabha
It was established by S. Ramaswami Mudaliar and P. Anandacharlu in year 1884 in Madras. The
Sabha in collaboration with ‘Bombay Presidency Association’ and the ‘Indian Assocation’ sent a
delegation to England.
INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS
• The foundation of Indian National Congress in 1885 was not a sudden event.
• It was the culmination of political awakening.
• It was an all India level organisation aimed at certain basic tasks and objectives.
• A.O. Hume was the founder of Indian National Congress.
• First INC meeting was held at the Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College on 28th December, 1885.
• W.C. Banerjee was elected its first president and was attended by 72 delegates.
• It aimed at the development of close relations between national workers.
• The second session of INC met at Calcutta in December 1886 under the presidentship of Dadabhai Naoroji. 436 delegates participated in this meeting.
• Formation of Congress as a body for freedom struggle, highlights its characteristics as one of the oldest and biggest democratic organization in the world.
Aims and Objectives of Congress:
▪ Promotion of friendship amongst the countrymen.
▪ Development of consolidation of feeling of national unity irrespective of race, caste, religion or provinces.
▪ Formulation of popular demands and presentation before the government through petitions.
▪ Training and organization of public opinion.
▪ Consolidation of sentiments of national unity.
▪ Recording of the opinions of educated classes on pressing problems
▪ Laying down lines for future course of action in public interest.
Role of Congress
▪ Early congress leaders showed their concern for removal of poverty from India, a resolution highlighting improvement of India.
▪ Annual sessions of Congress took place in different venues every year.
▪ Provincial conferences were organized so as to foster countrywide involvement.
▪ Congress took important steps so as to organise public opinion in Great Britain in favour of Indian viewpoint.
▪ Congress gave thrust on seeking representation in government. It was Madan Mohan Malviya who commented no taxation without representation.
▪ In 1872 Dadabhai Naoroji became a member of British Parliament.
▪ By Indian Council Act of 1892, indirect elections were introduced for the first time for a credit also goes to INC.
▪ Congress demanded fiscal suspension from British Government.
▪ Congress demanded Indianization of Civil services.
▪ It also protested against economic emasculaton of India.
▪ INC also protested against insensitivity shown by government to natural disasters including famines, plague and floods in India.
That is why in 1896 it passed a resolution blaming British
rule for famines in India.
▪ Mahatma Gandhi appeared on Congress platform of the first time in 1901, Calcutta session, seeking support for Indian struggle in South Africa and the session was presided by Dinolaw Wacha.
▪ It was in 1905 that a resolution was passed seeking introduction of socialistic pattern of society. Apart from resolution for introducing concept of economic and social
reconstruction.
Understanding ‘Safety Valve Theory’
The ‘Safety Value Theory’ is based on seven volumes of secret report which A.O. Hume, the founder of the Congress, read at Simla in 1878.
The theory was first mentioned in Hume’s biography, written
by William Wedderburn and published in 1913.
According to this theory, the British wanted the formation of an organization which could save the administration from possible political outburst in the country.
That is why they provided ample support to A.O. Hume and other Indian intelligentsia in the formation of the Indian National Congress.
First Congress Session:
A. O. Hume along with the cooperation of Indian leaders organised the first session of the Indian National Congress at Bombay in the hall of the Gokaldas Tejpal Sanskrit College in December 1885.
There were four main demands put forward by the Congress at its first session:
a) A simultaneous examination for the ICS to be held in England and India;
b) Reform of legislative council and adoption of the principle of election in place of nomination in constituting them;
c) Opposition to the annexation of upper Burma; and
d) Reduction in the military expenditure.
The Moderates (1885 - 1905)
• The moderates were the first in the 19th century to develop an economic critique of colonialism.
• This critique was perhaps the most important contribution to the development of the national movement in India.
• They pointed out that a large part of India’s capital and wealth was being drained to Britain in the form of salaries and pensions to British Civil and military officials working in India.
• Moderate leaders believed in constitutional medium of struggle. That is why, radicalism of direct action was absent from their struggle.
Their achievement lies in the fact that they
were architect of first all India politics forum.
It fostered sense of political unity and spirit of togetherness in Indians for making of India as nation.
Methods of Political work
▪ Moderate congressmen believed in a peaceful and constitutional agitation
▪ Prayers and petitions were the media.
▪ Congress sessions survived only for 3 days a year. It had no channel to carry on the work in the interval.
▪ They had faith in goodness of the British nation and were sure that all would be well if the British could be familiarised with the true state of affair in India.
▪ In 1889, a British Committee of INC was formed.
Role of Masses:
The basic weakness of the moderates lay in their narrow social base.
Their movement did not have a wide appeal. In fact, the leaders lacked political trust in the masses.
The area of their action was limited to the urban community. As they did not have the support of the masses, they declared that the time was not ripe for throwing out a challenge to the foreign rulers.
Their programmes and policies championed the cause of all sections of the Indian people and represented nation-wide interests against colonial exploitation.
Main objectives and Demands of the INC (1885 - 1905)
In the early years, the INC also suffered from a blinkered conviction in the essential sense of justice and goodness of the British people, they deluded themselves that all would be well if the British people could be acquainted with the true state of affairs.
They had an equally deep rooted belief that the Indian nation was one and that its suffering arose from the discriminatory behaviour of sundry bureaucrats.
The resolutions passed at various Congress sessions reflected these twin factors.
They were roughly similar from one session to the next, and they dealt with three broad types of grievances, namely political, administrative and economic.
About INC
▪ Aurobindo Ghosh called INC as “begging institute”.
▪ Bipin Chandra Pal viewed “INC playing with bubble”.
▪ Tilak, the Father of Indian Unrest said “INC distinguished between begging and claiming the rights”.
▪ Tilak also said, “Rights are not begged, they are claimed”.
▪ Even Jawaharlal Nehru observes the early Congress to be “an English knowing upper class affairs”.
Rise of the Extremism
• The moderate policies of the early Congress disillusioned many of its younger leaders, known as Neo-nationalists or Extremists.
• By their painstaking studies and writings, the early nationalist leaders had exposed the true nature of British rule in India.
• Dadabhai Naoroji, exposed the exploitative nature of British rule in India and proved that Britain was ‘bleeding India white’ and the constant ‘drain of wealth’ from India was directly responsible for India’s economic miseries.
• The new turn in Indian politics found expression in two forms-
(i) The formation of the Extremist group within the Congress,
(ii) the growth of Terrorism or Revolutionary movement in the country at large.
• Four prominent Congress leaders - Lokamanya Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, Aurobindo Ghose
and Lala Lajpat Rai – defined the creed of the new group, gave articulate to its aspirations and guided its operations.
• Tilak gave the slogan to the new group when he said, “Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it”.
• It should be clearly understood that the demand for Swaraj by extremists was demand for complete freedom from British rule and full independence to manage national affairs without any foreign control.
• The swaraj of the moderate leaders was merely a demand for colonial self-government
within the Empire.
▪ The methods applied by the two groups were different in their modulation and approach.
The extremists had no trust in the generosity of the British public or parliament, nor were
they convinced of the power of merely holding conference.
▪ The extremists also affirmed their worry in passive resistance, mass agitation and strong will to suffer or make self-sacrifices.
The new leadership sought to create an ardent love for liberty, accompanied by a spirit of sacrifice and readiness to suffer for the cause of the country.
▪ They tried to root out from the people’s mind the power of the British rulers and gave them self-reliance and confidence in their own strength.
▪ They had full confidence in the strength of the masses and they planned to achieve swaraj through mass action.
▪ They, therefore, pressed for political work among the masses and for direct political action by the masses.
▪ The extremists urged boycott of the foreign goods use of Swadeshi goods, national education and passive resistance.
The torch of extremism was lit by Tilak who used religious orthodoxy to arouse national consciousness.
He was the first to give the slogan of “Swarajya, Swadesh and Boycott” and wrote in his paper Kesari, “Our nation is like a tree, of which the original trunk was swarajya and the branches were Swadeshi and Boycott.”
The three pillars of extremism were ‘Lal, Bal and Pal’ (Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Bipin Chandra Pal) who became the ideals of future nationalists.
They launched a vehement attack on the British Government.
Partition of Bengal (1905 AD) :
In Bengal the nationalist feelings and anti British movement arose. Lord Curzon played the policy of Divide and Rule, to crush nationalism.
The government separated East Bengal which was dominated
by the Muslims and merged it with Assam instead of spreading non - Bengali areas from the province of Bengal.
Both radicals and moderates opposed it. The condition for the appearance of millitant nationalism had thus, developed when in 1905 the partition of Bengal was declared and the Indian national movement, entered its second phase.
▪ On 20th July, 1905, Lord Curzon issued an order dividing the province of Bengal into two parts: Eastern Bengal and Assam with a population of 31 million and rest of Bengal with a population of 54 million of whom 18 million were Bengalis, and 36 million Biharis and Oriyas.
▪ Although the main argument supported by the Government in favour of the partition was that the existing province of Bengal was too big to be efficiently administered by a single provincial government, the real motive was to curb the growth of national feeling in politically advanced Bengal by making a gulf between the Bengali speaking Hindus and Muslims, and destroying the unity of 78 millions of Bengalis by dividing them into two groups.
▪ The Indian National Congress and the nationalists of Bengal strongly opposed the partition.
They realised the principal motive behind the partition was the destruction of the unity of the Bengalis on religious grounds.
They could not but feel that the partition was a measure
intentionally adopted to ignite enmity and hostility between the Hindus and Muslims, the two great communities in Bengal.
▪ An anti partition agitation was initiated on 7th August, 1905 at the Town Hall, Calcutta, where a massive demonstration against the partition was organised.
▪ 16th October, 1905 was the day fixed for the coming into force of partition and after a month, Lord Curzon left India.
▪ 16th October, 1905 was declared to be a day of national mourning throughout Bengal.
It was observed as a day of fasting. There was a hartal in Calcutta. People went to the Ganges barefooted in the early hours of the morning and took their bath.
▪ Rabindranath Tagore composed a national song, ‘Amar Sonar Bangla’, for this occassion which was sung by huge crowds parading the streets.
▪ There were cries of ‘Bande Mataram’ which became a national song of Bengal.
▪ The ceremony of Raksha Bandhan was observed on 16th October, 1905. Hindus and Muslims tried rakhi on one another’s wrists as a symbol of the unbreakable unity.
Muslim league : The Muslim League was founded in 1906 at Dacca. It demanded for the separate
electorate for Muslims.
This demand was later included in the Government of India Act 1909.
In 1907, the congress split due to differences that arose between the moderates and extremists.
MAJOR MOVEMENT ACTS, COMMISSION AND PARTIES
Swadeshi Movement
• To oppose the partition of Bengal the Indian leaders initiated the Swadeshi and Boycott Movement in August 7, 1905.
• To offer more active resistance, it was decided to Boycott British goods.
• This was the beginning of the Swadeshi movement, which within a few years transformed the Indian political scene.
• Bonfires of British cloth demonstrated the people’s determination not to rely on foreign products.
• It gave a tremendous impetus to Indian industry, an open challenge to the British authority.
• This swadeshi movement was an immense success.
Main effect of Swadeshi Movement
Swadeshi movement was stepping stone of Nationalist movement, which led to the beginning of organized political movement in India.
▪ Rise of Neo-nationalism
▪ Surat split
▪ Boycott of foreign goods.
▪ Cultural revival and emergence of nationalist art and literature.
▪ Concept of national education.
Movement under Extremists (1905 - 08)
▪ Led by Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, Lajpat Rai and Aurobindo Ghosh.
▪ The political extremists, demanded self-government for India, not under British control or British superiority
Morley Minto Reforms or Indian Council Act, 1909
• This reform named after Morley, the secretary of state and Minto, the viceroy at that time.
The principle of separate electorate for Hindus and the Muslims was legalized.
• The Home Rule Movement was started due to the Congress inactivity after 1907 and disappointment with the Act of 1909.
• During this period Tilak gave the famous slogan, “Swaraj is my birthright and I will have it.”
Communalism
• Communalism is the belief that in India Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians form different and distinct communities.
• Inherent in communalism is the second perception that the social, cultural, economic and political interests of the followers of one religion are dissimilar and divergent from the interest of the followers of another religion.
• When the interests of the followers of different religions or of different religious communities are seen to be mutually incompatible, antagonistic and hostile.
Communalism is said to be at its apex.
• Thus, at this stage, the communalists assert that Hindus and Muslims cannot have common secular interest, and that their secular interests are bound to be opposed to each other.
• To look upon the communal problem in India merely as the Hindu-Muslim question or religious antagonism between the Hindus and the Muslims is misleading.
• Apart from the Hindus and the Muslims there was third period in the communal triangle - the British rulers, who insinuate themselves between the Hindus and the Muslims and thus,
created a communal triangle of which they remained the base.
Spread of Communalism:
▪ The communalism spread as a result of British policy of divide and rule.
▪ The separation of electorates through the Constitutional Acts.
▪ The Act of 1909, gave weightage to the Muslims in the Legislative councils elections.
▪ The spread of communalism among the Muslims, Hindu and Sikhs made the question of the
Indian nationalism knotty.
▪ Yet, a considerable number of members of each community was patriotic and was on the
side of the congress.
▪ The Nationalist leaders used religious overtones which led to causing the problem of communalism.
World War I and Indian Nationalism
The First World War broke out in June 1914 between Britain, France and Russia on one side and
Austria, Germany, Italy and Turkey on the other. As India was a colony of Britain, many Indians
troops fought in different parts of the world as part of British army.
▪ When the war started, the congress was firmly under the control of Gokhale and the
Moderates.
▪ The Indian National Congress decided to support the British war efforts, both as a matter of
duty and in a spirit that grateful Britain would repay Indian’s loyalty and gratitude.
▪ In India, the years of the war marked the maturing of nationalism.
▪ During the war India’s manpower and resources were badly exploited.
▪ The moderate leaders remained loyal and supportive to the British war efforts.
▪ Some leaders like B. G. Tilak and Annie Besant were convinced that the British would not
grant them their demand of self role till they pressurised them.
▪ The immediate impact of this nationalist wave in India was the launching of the Home Rule
Movement by Mrs. Annie Besant and B. G. Tilak.
▪ War years turned out to be years of intense nationalist political agitation.
▪ Tilak’s contention was that every Indian had the birth right to be free. He laid the
foundations for the great anti-government movement led by Gandhiji in the next few years.
▪ To curb the revolutionary and terrorist activities, the government introduced repressive
laws, which included the Indian Criminal Act, under which special Tribunals were set up to
try the revolutionary and terrorist cases.
▪ Under the Defence of India Act, hundreds of suspects were transported without benefit of
proper trial.
▪ These repressive measures hit the revolutionaries very hard, but did not blunt their courage.
▪ General Muslims uprising also took place on account of the declaration of war against
Turkey.
▪ They strongly proposed that Muslims should not remain subservient to the British
Government, but should participate in the National Movement.
▪ The events of the First World War and the prevalent sentiments were responsible for the
Lucknow Pact and the Khilafat Movement.
Gadar Movement
• The movement also known as the “Gadar Mutiny” or the “Gadar Conspiracy” was a plan to
initiate a pan-India revolt in the British Indian Army in 1915 to end British rule in India.
• The movement was linked to “Gadar Party”–An organisation founded by Punjabi Indians in
the United States and Canada.
• Some of key members of Gadar Party were Lala Har Dayal, Sohan Singh Bhakna, Abdul Hafiz,
Mohamed Barakatullah, Kartar Singh. Sarbha and Rasbehri Bose.
• The party had its headquarters in ‘San Francisco’. It also published a magazine ‘Gadar’ for
free distribution to promote aims and objectives of the organisation.
Home Rule Movement
• The release of Tilak after 6 years of jail in Mandalay (Burma) moderated the launching of
Home Rule Movement by Tilak and Mrs. Annie Besant, both of them decided to work in
close co-operation to launch the movement to attain concessions, disillusionment with
Morley - Minto Reforms and Wartime miseries.
• But the Home Rule Movement declined after Besant accepted the proposed Montagu
Chelmford Reforms and Tilak went to Britain to pursue the case that he had filed against
Valentine Chirol, the author of Indian unrest.
Lucknow Session of Congress (1916)
▪ Lucknow Pact was signed in 1916.
▪ By this pact, the Congress accepted the separate electorates given to the Muslims by the
1909 Act.
▪ By this it does not mean that the Congress and the Muslim League merged with each other.
They still held up their annual sessions separately and had district agendas and political
cause of action.
Beginning of the Gandhian Era [Post war situation]
• During the First World War, nationalism had required its forces and the nationalists were
expecting major political achievements after the war; and they were willing to fight back of
their expectations were thwarted.
• The economic situation in the post-war years had taken a turn for the worse. Indian
industries, which had prospered during the war because of foreign imports of manufactured
goods, faced losses and closure.
• The Indian industrialists wanted protection of their industries through imposition of high
customs duties and grant of government aid, they realized that a strong nationalist
movement and an independent Indian government along could secure these.
• The workers facing unemployment and high prices and living in great poverty, also turned
actively towards the nationalist movement.
• The urban educated Indian faced increasing unemployment.
• Thus, all sections of Indian society were suffering economic hardships. The government was
aware of the rising tide of nationalist and anti-government sentiments once again decided to
follow the policy of concessions and repressions.
F
Importance of the year 1919
▪ The year 1919 constitutes an important landmark in the history of British India.
▪ The Rowlatt Bills and the reign of terror in Punjab culminated in Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
▪ The emergence of M. K. Gandhi.
▪ Development of Pan - Islamism as a force of Indian politics.
▪ The passing of Government of India Act, 1919 on the basis of Montagu Chelmsford Report.
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