Class 10 History - Nationalism in India

The growth of modern nationalism in India is intimately connected to the anti-colonial movement.

1. The First World War and Its Impact

The war created a new economic and political situation in India:

• Huge increase in defense expenditure.
• Increase in taxes and introduction of income tax.
• Forced recruitment of soldiers in villages.
• Crop failure during 1918-19 and 1920-21 leading to acute food shortages.

2. The Idea of Satyagraha

Mahatma Gandhi returned to India in January 1915. He introduced the method of Satyagraha (Insistence on Truth).

Early Satyagrahas:

1. Champaran (1917): Against the oppressive plantation system.
2. Kheda (1917): To support peasants in Gujarat who couldn't pay revenue due to crop failure.
3. Ahmedabad (1918): For cotton mill workers.

3. Major Movements

The Rowlatt Act (1919)

• Gave the government enormous powers to repress political activities.
• Allowed detention of political prisoners without trial for two years.
• Led to the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre on 13th April 1919.

Non-Cooperation Movement (1921)

• Launched in collaboration with the Khilafat Movement.
• Boycott of foreign goods, schools, and tiles.
• The movement was withdrawn after the Chauri Chaura incident in 1922.

Civil Disobedience Movement (1930)

• Started with the famous Dandi March (Salt March).
• Salt was a powerful symbol because it was consumed by both rich and poor.

4. The Sense of Collective Belonging

Nationalism spreads when people begin to believe that they are all part of the same nation. This was achieved through:

• Images: Bharat Mata.
• Folklore: Reviving Indian folk tales.
• Iconography: The Tricolour flag.
• History: Reinterpretation of Indian history.

📅 Important Timelines

• 1915: Gandhi returns to India.
• 1919: Rowlatt Act, Jallianwala Bagh.
• 1921: Non-Cooperation Movement starts.
• 1930: Dandi March, Civil Disobedience.
• 1942: Quit India Movement.

Study the maps related to these movements carefully! 🇮🇳