Solution to NCERT Text Book Questions
1. Explain:
a) Why growth of nationalism in the colonies is linked to an anti-colonial movement?
Answer: There is an old saying, “Enemy’s enemy is my friend”. Something of the same kind happened in India and in most of the countries under colonial rule. When people started to understand and feel the oppression under colonial rule they tried to rediscover their glorious past. They could understand that it was necessary to fight colonial rulers to restore their glorious past and their freedom. Thus what started as anti – colonial movement, turned into nationalist movement. Everybody had his/her own interpretation of anti-colonialism but the ultimate aim was to get rid of them. This single point was the unifying factor for diverse mass of India. Finally, the idea of India as a nation started to emerge.
b) How the First World War helped in the growth of the National Movement in India?
Answer: The First World War created a new economic and political situation. It led to a huge increase in defence expenditure which was financed by war loans and increasing taxes: customs duties were raised and income tax introduced. Through the war years prices increased – doubling between 1913 and 1918 – leading to extreme hardship for the common people. Villages were called upon to supply soldiers, and the forced recruitment in rural areas caused widespread anger.
Then in 1918-19 and 1920-21, crops failed in many parts of India, resulting in acute shortages of food. This was accompanied by an influenza epidemic. According to the census of 1921, 12 to 13 million people perished as a result of famines and the epidemic. People hoped that their hardships would end after the war was over. But that did not happen.
This led to an overall resentment among people.
c) Why Indians were outraged by the Rowlatt Act?
Answer: The Rowlatt Act had been hurriedly passed through the Imperial Legislative Council despite the united opposition of the Indian members. It gave the government enormous powers to repress political activities, and allowed detention of political prisoners without trial for two years.
Because of potential repression by this act people were highly outrage in India.
d) Why Gandhiji decided to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement?
Answer: After the Jalianwala Bagh incident there was widespread protest by people. The British rulers reacted brutally. This resulted in large scale violence. Gandhiji wanted to stop violence at all cost. So he decided to withdraw the Non – cooperation movement.
2. What is meant by the idea of satyagraha?
Answer: The idea of satyagraha emphasised the power of truth and the need to search for truth. It suggested that if the cause was true, if the struggle was against injustice, then physical force was not necessary to fight the oppressor. Without seeking vengeance or being aggressive, a satyagrahi could win the battle through nonviolence. This could be done by appealing to the conscience of the oppressor. People – including the oppressors – had to be persuaded to see the truth, instead of being forced to accept truth through the use of violence. By this struggle, truth was bound to ultimately triumph. Mahatma Gandhi believed that this dharma of non-violence could unite all Indians.
3. Write a newspaper report on:
a) The Jallianwala Bagh massacre
Answer: Jalianwala: 13th April, 1919, The News of India: It was a celebration for Baisakhi. Many village folks had gathered at the local garden and were enjoying the fair. Little did they know that for many of them it would be their last fair of life. General Dyer entered the scene. Taking the benefit of prohibitory orders he ordered firing on innocent people. There was all around panic. It was a stampede like situation. To make matters worse General Dyer blocked all the exit points of the garden. Hundreds of people were killed. In the kaliyug of foreign rule it was one of the darkest days in the history of India.
b) The Simon Commission
Answer:
The world is suffering from economic depression but the depression seems to be taking its toll on British rulers minds as well. No matter how tough it will be they would love to rule India sitting miles away in London. They want to view and analyse India from English sunglasses. The fact that there is not a single Indian present in the commission points to this. The so called advanced society thinks that Indians are not evolved enough to think and decide about their own affairs. But when the Simon Commission comes it will be surprised to know what lies in store for it. Nationalists are well prepared this time to give it the well deserved boot.
4. Compare the images of Bharat Mata in this chapter with the image of Germania in Chapter 1.
Answer: In both cases the nation has been depicted as a female figure. This points to the visualization of the nation as mother or motherland. Both images show heroism, power and authority. In the case of Germania the crown of oak leaves shows heroism and the sword shows power and authority. In the case of Bharat Mata the lion and elephant show heroism and the flag shows power and a hope for a better future.
5. List all the different social groups which joined the Non-Cooperation Movement of 1921. Then choose any three and write about their hopes and struggles to show why they joined the movement.
Answer: Farmers: For farmers it was becoming difficult to pay high taxes. So for them the freedom movement was a fight for a future with low taxes.
Businessmen: British wanted to promote business interests of British companies. This resulted in laws which were against the business interests of Indian business communities. So for them freedom meant a better environment to do business.
Workers: For workers the freedom movement was having a hope of getting freedom from low ages and unfavourable working conditions.
6. Discuss the Salt March to make clear why it was an effective symbol of resistance against colonialism.
Answer: Salt is a thing which is used by rich and poor alike. High taxes on salt meant poor could not afford it. For them abolition of the salt tax would have been a boon. For business classes the salt struggle would have ended British monopoly from salt business. So, salt was an issue which could appeal to a almost all people of India. That is why Gandhiji chose salt as an effective symbol of resistance against colonialism.
7. Why did political leaders differ sharply over the question of separate electorates?
Answer: Gandhiji did not want separate electorates on the basis of religion or caste as he was of the view that it would have divided India. Most of the Hindu leaders were against this. Ambedkar wanted separate electorates for Dalits as he was convinced that it would ensure political power to Dalits. Initally Jinnah was in favour but later agreed to be on Gandhi’s side in the hope of getting adequate representation of Muslims in Muslim dominated states, like Punjab and Bengal.
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