Nationalism in India

a) In the colonies, nationalism grew along with the anti-colonial struggle because people discovered their unity while fighting foreign rule. Colonialism oppressed different groups in different ways, but the shared experience of being ruled and exploited created a common bond and a sense of belonging.

b) The First World War helped the national movement in India by creating hardship and anger. Defence expenditure rose, taxes increased, prices doubled, villages faced forced recruitment, crops failed in 1918–19 and 1920–21, and an influenza epidemic caused millions of deaths. These conditions made people more ready to oppose British rule.

c) Indians were outraged by the Rowlatt Act because it gave the government huge powers to repress political activity and allowed detention without trial for two years. It was passed despite the united opposition of Indian members, so it was seen as unjust and repressive.

d) Gandhiji withdrew the Non-Cooperation Movement in February 1922 because it was turning violent in many places. He felt that satyagrahis needed proper training before a mass struggle could continue, and he wanted to avoid violence.

Satyagraha means the power of truth and the need to search for truth. It is a method of active resistance against injustice in which a person does not use physical force, does not seek revenge, and relies on non-violence to appeal to the conscience of the oppressor.

a) Jallianwala Bagh massacre

Amritsar, 13 April 1919: A peaceful crowd gathered at Jallianwala Bagh to protest the repressive Rowlatt measures and attend the Baisakhi fair. Without warning, General Dyer blocked the exits and ordered fire on the unarmed crowd. Hundreds were killed. The incident has shocked the nation and has become a symbol of brutal colonial repression.

b) Simon Commission

All India, 1928: The Simon Commission, appointed to review the constitutional system in India, arrived without a single Indian member. This insult has angered all political parties, including the Congress and the Muslim League. Across the country, people greeted it with the slogan “Go back Simon” and held demonstrations demanding that Indians must be included in decisions about India’s future.

The images of Bharat Mata and Germania are both national symbols, but they are presented differently.

- Bharat Mata is shown as a mother figure. In Abanindranath Tagore’s painting, she appears as an ascetic, calm, divine and spiritual woman. In later popular images, she may also be shown with a trishul, a lion and an elephant, symbolising power and authority.
- Germania in Chapter 1 was also used as a national personification of Germany, but it represented the nation more as a political symbol of unity and strength.
- Both figures were meant to inspire national feeling and create a sense of collective belonging.
- A difference is that Bharat Mata is deeply tied to ideas of motherhood, sacrifice and spirituality, while Germania is more directly linked with the idea of a united nation-state.

So, both are symbolic mother-nation figures, but Bharat Mata carries a stronger religious and emotional appeal in the Indian context.

The different social groups that joined the Non-Cooperation Movement included:

- Middle-class people in towns: students, teachers, lawyers, and some council voters
- Peasants in Awadh and other regions
- Tribal peasants in forest regions such as the Gudem Hills
- Plantation workers in Assam
- Different local groups influenced by Khilafat and nationalist ideas

Three examples:

1. Peasants in Awadh
They suffered under talukdars and landlords who demanded high rents, extra cesses and begar. They wanted lower revenue, an end to forced labour, and social boycott of oppressive landlords. They joined because they hoped swaraj would reduce their suffering.

2. Tribal peasants in the Gudem Hills
The colonial government restricted their access to forests, which affected grazing, fuelwood collection and fruits. They also had to do begar for road building. They supported the movement because they wanted to protect their traditional rights and saw swaraj as freedom from such restrictions.

3. Plantation workers in Assam
They were not allowed to leave the tea gardens freely. When they heard of Non-Cooperation, many left the plantations believing that Gandhi Raj would bring them back to their villages and give them land. Their struggle was for freedom of movement and a better life.

Thus, different groups joined the movement, but each group interpreted swaraj in its own way.