History Ch.11: The Making of the National Movement: 1870s-1947
Textbook questions
1. Why were people dissatisfied with British rule in the 1870s and 1880s?
Ans : The main reason was the two Acts was passed by the British.
1.The Arms Act, 1878: The Arms Act disallowed Indians from possessing weapon.
2. The Vernacular Press Act, 1878: Vernacular Press Act allowed the government to confiscate the assets of newspapers including their printing presses if the newspapers published anything that was found “objectionable”.
3 The Ilbert Bill controversy- This bill provided for the trial of British or European individuals by Indians. However, the white opposition forced the government to withdraw the bill. This enraged the Indians further.
2. Who did the Indian National Congress wish to speak for?
Ans:
1) Indian National Congress wished to speak for all the people of India, irrespective of class, colour, caste, creed, language or gender.
2) It stated that India, its resources and systems were not of any specific class or community but of all the citizens of India.Thus, it wished to speak for all the people of the country.
3.What economic impact did the First World War have on India?
Ans: The following are the economic impacts of First World War on India:
(i) Negative Effects:
1. There was huge rise in expenditure of defence of Government of India.
2. Increased taxes on income of individual and business profits by the Government.
3. There has been sharp increase in prices due to increase in expenditure. this created difficulties for common people.
(ii) Positive Effects:
4. Due to increase in demands of industrial good such as jute bags, cloth, rails,etc business groups reaped fabulous profits.
5. Expansion of Indian industries due to decline in imports by other countries in India.
4. What did the Muslim League resolution of 1940 ask for?
Ans: The Muslim League resolution of 1940 asked for “Independent States” for Muslims in the Eastern and North-Western areas of the country. Chaudhary Rehmat Ali had coined the term ‘Pakistan’ in 1933
5. Who were the Moderates? How did they propose to struggle against British rule?
Ans: The leaders of Congress in the first twenty years were termed as moderate.the early members include Dadabhai Naoroji, Pherozeshah Mehta, Badruddin Tyabji, W.C. Bonnerji, Surendranath Banerji, Romesh Chandra Dutt, S. Subramania etc.
i. The Moderate leaders developed public awareness about the unjust nature of British rule.
ii. They published newspapers, wrote articles and showed how British rule was leading to the economic ruin of the country.
iii. They criticised British rule in their speeches and sent representatives to different parts of the country to mobilise public opinion.
iv. It passed many resolutions on the salt tax, treatment of Indian labourers abroad, and the sufferings of forest dwellers
v. The Congress demanded reduction of revenue, cut in military expenditure, and more funds for irrigation.
vi. They believed that the British had respect for the ideals of freedom and justice and therefore they would definitely accept just all the demands of the people of India.
6. How was the politics of the Radicals within the Congress different from that of the Moderates?
Ans :
1. The Radicals were opposed to the “politics of prayers” followed by the Moderates within the Congress.
2. They explored more radical objectives and methods. They emphasised the importance of self reliance and constructive work.
3. They argued that people must rely on their own strength, not on the “good” intentions of the government (as was the stated policy of the Moderates).
4. They believed that people must fight for swaraj.
7.Discuss the various forms that the Non-Cooperation Movement took in different parts of India. How did the people understand Gandhiji?
Ans: The Non-Cooperation Movement gained momentum during 1921 and 1922.
In most cases, the calls for non-cooperation were related to local grievances.
i. In Kheda, Gujrat, Patidar peasants organised non-violent campaigns against the high land revenue demand of the British.
ii. In coastal Andhra and interior Tamil Nadu, liquor shops were picketed.
iii. In the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, tribals and poor peasants protested against the colonial state for restricting their use of forest resources. They staged a number of “forest satyagrahas”, sometimes sending their cattle into forests without paying grazing fees.
iv. In Punjab, the Akali agitation of the Sikhs sought to remove corrupt mahants – supported by the British – from their gurudwaras.
v. In Assam, tea garden labourers demanded a big increase in their wages. When the demands were not met, they left the British-owned plantations.
People interpreted Gandhiji according to their own circumstances:
1. People thought Gandhiji as messiah, someone who could help them overcome their misery and poverty.
2. Peasants believed that he would help them in their fight against zamindars, while agricultural labourers felt that he would provide them with land.
8. Why did Gandhiji choose to break the salt law?
Ans :
1. Gandhiji chose to break the salt law as British government had a monopoly on the manufacture and sale of salt. It also imposed a tax on the sale of salt.
2. Gandhiji believed that it was sinful to tax salt as it was an essential part of food.
3. He led a march from Sabarmati to the coastal town of Dandi, where he broke the salt law by gathering natural salt found on the seashore, and boiling sea water to produce salt.
4. Peasants, tribals and women participated in large numbers.
5. This march related the general desire of freedom to a specific grievance shared by everybody, and thus, did not divide the rich and the poor.
9. Discuss those developments of the 1937-47 period that led to the creation of Pakistan.
Ans: The developments of the 1937-47 that lead to the creation of Pakistan are as follows:
1.From the late-1930s, the Muslim League began viewing the Muslims as a separate-nation from the Hindus.
2) The provincial elections of 1937 also might have convinced the League the Muslims were a minority .
3)In 1940, the League finally moved a resolution demanding ‘Independent States’ for Muslims in the north¬western and eastern areas of the country.
4)In the provincial electrons in 1946 the League got grand success in the seats reserved for Muslims.
Hence it persisted its demand for Pakistan.
5)In March 1946, .The failure of the Cabinet Mission made partition inevitable. Ultimately in 1947 partition took place with the birth of a new country, i.e. Pakistan.
important words:
• Sarvajanik: All the people.
• Sovereign: Being independent without outside interference.
• Publicist: Someone who publicises an idea by circulating information, writing reports, speaking at public meetings.
• Moderate: A person who is against taking extreme action.
• Repeal: To cancel law.
• Radical: A person who welcomes new ideas or opinions.
• Revolutionary Violence: The use of violence to make a radical change within society.
• Council: An appointed or elected body of people with an administrative advisory or representative function.
• Knighthood: An honour granted by British crown for exceptional personal achievement or public service.
• Picket: A person or a group of people protesting outside a building or shop to prevent others from entering.
• Mahants: Religious functionaries of Sikh gurudwaras.
• Illegal eviction: Forcible and unlawful throwing out of tenants from the land they rent.
• RSS: It stands for Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
• Purna Swaraj: Complete independence.
• Provincial Autonomy: Capacity of the provinces to make relatively independent decisions while remaining within a federation.
• General Constituencies: Election districts with no reservations for any religious or other community.
• Refugee: One who has been forced to leave his country or home due to some political, religious or social reasons.
Dateline:
- 1878 — The Arms Act was passed.
- 1878— The Vernacular Press Act was passed.
- 1883 -Ilbert Bill controversy
- 1885 — The Indian National Congress came into existence.
- 1905 — Bengal got partitioned.swadesi movement
- 1906 -Muslim League
- 1907 -Surat Split
- 1908- Tilak sent to impression
- 1909- Morley Minto Act
- 1911- Annulation of partition of Bengal
- 1913-Gadar Pary
- 1914 -WW1 started)Tilak release from Mandley jail
- 1915 — Mahatma Gandhi came to India from South Africa./Home rule
- 1916-Lucknow Pact
- 1917 -Champaran
- 1918 - Keda satyagrah / Ahmedabad Mil worker strike/End of WW-I
- 1919 — The Rowlatt Act passed / Rowlatt Satyagraha started.
- 1919— The Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place./ Act
- 1919 -Khilafat Agitation
- 1920 — The Non-Cooperation Movement started./ Provincial Election
- 1922 — Gandhiji called off the Non-Cooperation Movement.
- 1923 -Swaraj Party made
- 1925-RSS formation
- 1929 — The Congress resolved to fight for Purna Swaraj.
- 26 Jan 1930 — Independence Day was observed all over the country.
- 1930 — Mahatma Gandhi launched Dandi March.
- 1930-32- Round tables
- 1931 -CDO suspended/Bhagat Singh ,Rajguru and Sukhdev sacrifice
- 1932 -Poona Pact
- 1935 -Govt of India Act
- 1937 - provincial Election . Congress 7/11 Province.
- 1939-WW-II started
- 1940-Direct Action day by Muslim league
- August 1942 — The Quit India Movement started.
- 1945-End of WW II. Negotiation between congress and league failed
- 1946 -Provincial election
- 1946 -3 Member Cabinet Mission came to India
- 1947 — India independence Act passed and got independence.
Map work.