Ans) The growth of nationalism in the colonies is linked to the anti-colonial movement for the following reasons-

1. During the struggle against colonialism, people began to identify their unity.
2. The feeling of being oppressed under colonialism provided a common bond that tied together many different groups.
3. The colonial powers began to forcefully impose their culture on the colonised people, which also aroused the feeling of nationalism.
4. The anti-colonial movement was a joint struggle against the foreign rulers. This joint struggle was responsible for the growth of the feeling of nationalism in the colonies.

Ans) In 1914, when the First World War broke out, the British government involved India in the war. American President Wilson and British Prime Minister Lloyd George declared that the war was being fought to protect democracy and the rights of national self-determination, so Indians should give their full cooperation in the war. On Lloyd George’s declaration, Mahatma Gandhi assured the British government of full cooperation in conducting the war. Many Indians joined the British army and participated courageously in the war. The war awakened the feelings of nationalism. Indian leaders demanded that if Britain was fighting the war to protect democracy, it was its moral duty to establish self-rule in India after the war.

Ans) In the history of the national movement, this act was called the ‘Terrorist Criminal Act’. The following points were included in the Rowlatt Act to suppress the national movement.

1. According to the Rowlatt Act, the British government was given complete freedom to suppress the national movement or any activity carried out against the government.
2. The government was allowed to detain any person without a trial.
3. Any person who was suspected of being a revolutionary could be detained by the magistrate.

Protest against the Rowlatt Act -and There was a nationwide protest against the Rowlatt Act (1919). Mahatma Gandhi also actively participated in this protest and started the Satyagraha movement with enthusiasm. A nationwide strike was decided on 6 April. Rallies were organized in different parts of the country, and slogans were raised against the Rowlatt Act. It was a movement in which rich-poor, high-low, Hindu-Muslim all came together.

Ans) Withdrawal of Non-Cooperation Movement – When the movement was at its peak, an incident occurred which forced Gandhiji to stop the movement. On February 5, 1922, an agitated mob fired at the police station at Chauri Chaura in Gorakhpur district. Gandhiji believed in non-violence. Therefore, this violent incident hurt his principles. So he withdrew the movement on February 11, 1922, despite the dissuasion of nationalist leaders. This was the first nationwide movement. Two days later, Mahatma Gandhi was sentenced to 6 years imprisonment by the British government.

Ans) The ideology of Satyagraha stressed the power of truth and the need to seek truth. This meant that if your cause was truth, if your struggle was against injustice, you did not need any physical force to fight the oppressor. Without any retaliation or aggression, a Satyagrahi could win the battle through non-violence. This could be done by awakening the conscience of the oppressor. Instead of forcing people to accept the truth through violence, it was necessary to inspire not only the oppressor but also other people to see the truth. This struggle was sure to ultimately lead to the victory of truth.

Ans) Here are four key views of Gandhiji on Satyagraha –

1. Truth and non-violence – Gandhi stressed that satyagraha is based on truth (‘satya’) and non-violence (‘ahimsa’). He believed that these principles must be followed to effectively combat injustice.
2. Moral force – Gandhi considered satyagraha a moral weapon. He argued that it was not merely a political weapon but a way to reach the conscience of the oppressor, thereby promoting understanding and reconciliation.
3. Active resistance – Although satyagraha is non-violent, Gandhi believed it required active resistance against oppression. He encouraged people to stand up against unjust laws and practices, and stressed that passive acceptance of injustice was not an option.
4. Empowerment of the Oppressed – Gandhi believed that Satyagraha empowers the oppressed by encouraging them to assert their rights and dignity. It transforms the struggle for justice into a moral campaign that uplifts the spirit of the oppressed and fosters unity among them.

Ans) Jallianwala Bagh Massacre – The Rowlatt Act was implemented in March 1919. The whole country opposed it. There was also opposition to the Rowlatt Act in Punjab. The British government lathi-charged at many places in Punjab. On April 10, two influential Congress leaders, Dr. Satyapal and Dr. Saifuddin Kichloo, were arrested and sent to jail. In protest against these arrests, a protest meeting was organized at Jallianwala Bagh on Baisakhi day on April 13. As soon as the meeting started, an army officer, General Dyer, ordered his soldiers to open fire on the crowd without any warning. The soldiers opened fire on the crowd, killing more than 800 people and injuring about 2000 people. The Jallianwala Bagh incident had created widespread discontent among the people against British rule. After this, the non-cooperation movement started.

Ans) Simon Commission In 1927, the British government appointed a seven-member commission headed by Sir John Simon to prepare a report on constitutional reforms in India. The commission was boycotted as all its members were British and not a single representative was Indian. Wherever the commission went in India, there were strikes, black flags and slogans of ‘Simon go back’. Lala Lajpat Rai died in a police lathicharge during a demonstration against the Simon Commission.

Ans) After reaching India, Mahatma Gandhi organised the Satyagraha movement in various places –

1. In 1917, Gandhiji travelled to the Champaran region of Bihar and inspired the peasants to struggle against the oppressive plantation system.
2. In 1917, Gandhiji organised Satyagraha to help the peasants of the Kheda district of Gujarat. The peasants of Kheda district were not in a position to pay rent due to crop failure and the plague epidemic. They wanted relaxation in rent collection.
3. In 1918, Gandhiji reached Ahmedabad to start the Satyagraha movement with the workers of the cotton textile mill.

Ans) Poona Pact – When the British government accepted one of Ambedkar’s demands, Gandhiji began a fast unto death. He believed that separate electorates for Dalits would slow down the process of their integration into society. Ambedkar finally understood Gandhiji’s position and signed the Poona Pact in September 1932. It gave reserved seats to the depressed classes (later known as Scheduled Castes) in the provincial and central legislative councils, but they were to be voted in by the general electorate.

Ans) Gandhiji started the Non-Cooperation Movement due to the following circumstances and reasons –

1. After the First World War, the economic condition of India had become very pathetic, but the British government did not make any change in its tax collection policy. Therefore, there was a feeling of resentment towards British rule among the farmers and traders.
2. The British government had given many assurances to get the cooperation of the Indians during the First World War, which were not fulfilled later. As a result, a feeling of discontent spread among the Indians.
3. By passing the Rowlatt Act, the British government created a feeling of widespread discontent among the public.
4. The Jallianwala Bagh massacre of April 13, 1919, also encouraged anti-British sentiments.

Ans) The First World War affected the economy of India in the following ways-

1. The First World War led to a huge increase in defence expenditure. Loans were taken for the war, and taxes were raised to meet the expenses. Customs duties were increased, and income tax was introduced.
2. Prices rose sharply during the war and doubled between 1913 and 1918. This caused great hardship to the common people.
3. Crops failed in many parts of the country in 1918-19 and 1920-21, leading to severe food shortages.

Ans) In the Lahore Congress session of December 1919, a resolution to launch the Civil Disobedience Movement was passed by the Congress Working Committee. The Viceroy Lord Irwin rejected the ‘Purna Swaraj’ resolution of the Lahore Congress session, but Gandhiji still hoped for a compromise. Thus, he placed his 11 demands before Lord Irwin on 30 January 1930. Gandhiji also declared that if the demands were rejected, the Civil Disobedience Movement would be launched.

Gandhiji wanted the government to reduce exchange rates, reduce land revenue, impose a complete ban on alcohol, provide licenses for keeping guns, abolish the salt tax, release political prisoners who abstained from violence, take control of the C.I.D., reduce army expenditure by 50%, reduce import of cloth, etc. The Viceroy rejected these demands. Therefore, Gandhiji launched the Civil Disobedience Movement as planned.

Ans) Answer: The 44th session of the Congress was held in Lahore in 1929. The president of this session was Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru. In this session, the Congress passed a resolution demanding Purna Swaraj. It was also decided to start the Civil Disobedience Movement to achieve independence. It was decided to celebrate 26 January as Independence Day every year all over India. Thus, 26 January 1930 started being celebrated as Independence Day. This celebration created great enthusiasm among the general public, and the message of Purna Swaraj or ‘Purna Swaraj’ reached every home. Thus, the Lahore session of the Congress made an important place in Indian history.

Ans) The Non-Cooperation Movement started in 1920 under the leadership of Gandhiji. The main objectives of the Non-Cooperation Movement were opposition to the Rowlatt Act and the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, sycophantic behavior of the British, and attainment of Swaraj. The Non-Cooperation Movement had three basic principles: boycott of councils, boycott of courts, and schools. The programs of this movement were as follows-

1. Renunciation of government titles and boycott of honorary jobs.
2. Boycott of courts by lawyers and barristers.
3. Boycott of foreign goods.
4. Resignation from posts by nominated members of local bodies.
5. Boycott of government festivals.

Ans) The following results came out of the Non-Cooperation Movement –

1. A sense of common ideology and nationalism spread throughout the country, and people of different communities and provinces came under the banner of Congress.
2. Hindu-Muslim unity was established. Gandhiji cast his magic on people of all classes and tied all the people into a group that moved forward in one direction.
3. This movement shook the foundations of British rule. The British felt that they could not move forward without the help of the liberals.
4. People developed a desire to boycott foreign goods and an attachment to indigenous goods. As a result, cottage industries got a boost.
5. The importance of the English language was abolished and the Congress adopted Hindi as the national language.

Ans) The Khilafat Movement was an important event of the Non-Cooperation Movement. It started after the First World War. The main objective of this movement was to restore the power of the Islamic Sultan, Caliph. To support this movement, the Ali brothers (Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali) started the Khilafat Movement in India. Congress leaders also joined the Khilafat Movement and helped spread this movement in India. But as soon as this movement stopped in Turkey, Indian Muslims also ended this movement.

Importance of Khilafat Movement – The Khilafat and Non-Cooperation movements had a very important place in the national movement of India. Due to this movement, Hindu-Muslim unity got strengthened, which also strengthened the freedom movement.

Ans) The All India Congress Working Committee passed the resolution of the ‘Quit India’ revolution on 8 August 1942. On this occasion, Gandhiji said, “Every Indian should consider himself independent. He should be ready to die in the true pursuit of freedom or in the efforts made for it.”

According to the Mahajan couple, “The national movement of 1942 was different and distinct from the movements of 1921 and 1930 in many ways. The earlier movements were launched to prepare Indians for the final struggle against British rule. Their aim was to awaken the country. For centuries, people were humiliated by foreigners. The fear from their hearts had to be removed, and patriotism had to be instilled in them. The goal of attaining Swaraj was before them, but it was still very far away. In 1942, the agitators had decided to fight the final battle for independence and thus they were ready to sacrifice everything to achieve their goal.”

Ans) During the freedom struggle, Gandhiji asked to adopt the following measures-

1. Adoption of non-violence – The basic principle of Mahatma Gandhi’s political ideology was non-violence from the very beginning. Gandhiji considered non-violence to be the weapon of the powerful, not of cowards. According to Gandhiji, “Non-violence is a true weapon that has the power to conquer all.”
2. Emphasis on the use of the best means in the movement – Apart from non-violence, Gandhiji also emphasized on truth, morality, justice, purity and fearlessness. According to him, “Truth and non-violence are two sides of the same coin.” In his view, a great revolutionary is one who believes in truth. He also emphasized on morality. According to him, it is through morality that self-power develops in man.
3. Means of movement started by Gandhiji – Gandhiji’s movements were completely non-violent and their main sources were – individual Satyagraha, mass Satyagraha, boycott of foreign goods and government services, and sit-in at liquor shops.

Ans) Attitude of Indian Industrialists and Merchants towards Civil Disobedience Movement –

1. During the First World War, Indian merchants and industrialists made huge profits and became powerful. To expand their businesses they opposed the colonial policies which restricted their businesses.
2. They wanted protection from the import of foreign goods and changes in the rupee-sterling foreign exchange ratio so that imports could be reduced.
3. In 1920, they founded the Indian Industrial and Commercial Congress to organise business interests. In 1927 also formed the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
4. Led by leading industrialists like Purushottamdas Thakurdas and G. D. Birla, the industrialists opposed colonial control over the Indian economy. They provided financial support to the movement and refused to buy or sell imported goods.