Nationalism in India Questions and Answers CBSE Class 10 Board Exam

1 Mark Questions

Question 1. Name the writer of the novel Anandamath.

Answer : Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay is the writer of the novel Anandamath.

Question 2. Name the writer of the book ‘Hind Swaraj’.

Answer : Mahatma Gandhi is the writer of the book Hind Swaraj.

Question 3. Who wrote the song ‘Vande Mataram’?

Answer : The song ‘Vande Matram’ was written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.

Question 4. State the slogan with which Simon Commission was greeted in 1928 in India.

Answer : Simon Commission arrived in India and was greeted with the slogan ‘Simon go back’.

3 Marks Questions

Question 5. Why did Gandhiji decide to launch a nationwide Satyagraha against the proposed Rowlatt Act 1919 Explain any three reasons.

Answer : Gandhiji decided to launch a nationwide Satyagraha against the proposed Rowlatt Act, 1919 due to the following three reasons:

(a) The Rowlatt Act was passed hurriedly by the Imperial Legislative Council despite the opposition by the Indian members.

(b) The Rowlatt Act gave enormous power to the government for repressing the political activities.

Question 6. Evaluate the contribution of folklore, songs, popular prints etc. in shaping the nationalism during freedom struggle.

Answer : (a) Folklores, folk songs, prints, icons and symbols etc. helped in unifying the Indians and inspired a feeling of nationalism in them. The image of India was first visualized as Bharat Mata by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and also a hymn ‘Vande Mataram’ was written by him in 1870s. This hymn was later included in his novel Anandamath and sung during the swadeshi movement in Bengal.

(b) The image of Bharat Mata was portrayed as calm, composed, divine and spiritual which acquired different forms in different years by different artists. This image of India developed the ideas of nationalism in India.

(c) The Indian folklores were revived and the folk tales were recorded and sung by bards which gave a true picture of the traditional Indian culture and tells how it was ruined by the Britishers.

(d) Rabindranath Tagore led the movement for the revival of the folks and thus collected ballads, nursery rhymes and myths .Tamil folk tales were published by Natesa Shashtri in his book The folklore of southern India which was a massive four volume collection.

(e) A tricolor swadeshi flag, using red, green and yellow was designed during the swadeshi movement in Bengal which had 8 lotuses for the representation of the 8 provinces and a crescent moon for symbolizing the Hindus and the Muslims. A tricolor Swaraj flag was designed by Gandhiji in the year 1921 using the colours red, green and white. A spinning wheel was in the centre of the flag which represented the Gandhian ideal of selfhelp.

Question 7. Why did Gandhiji decide to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement in February 1922? Explain any three reasons.

Answer : Gandhiji decided to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement in February 1922 due to the following three reasons:

(a) The Non-Cooperation Movement was turning violent in many places.

(b) To train the Satyagrahis for mass struggle.

(c) Some of the Congress leaders were not willing to continue the non-cooperation because they were tired of the mass struggle, wanted to participate in the council elections and they wanted to criticize the British policies within the council.

Question 8. Evaluate the role of business classes in the ‘Civil Disobedience Movement.’?

Describe the role of merchants and the industrialists in the ‘Civil Disobedience Movement’.

Analyse the role o f merchants and industrialists in the Civil Disobedience Movement.

Answer : The Indian merchants and the industrialist became rich and powerful due to huge profits they made during the First World War. Thus they started opposing the colonial policies which restricted their business to expand. They had two demands – protection against the import of foreign goods and a favorable exchange ratio of rupee and sterling. In the year 1920 and 1927, Indian Industrial and Commercial Congress and the Federation of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries were formed respectively by the Indian merchants and industrialist to organize their business interest.

Purshottamdas Thakurdas and G.D. Birla were the prominent industrialist who supported the Civil Disobedience Movement, given financial assistance, refused to buy and sell the foreign goods and attacked the colonial control. According to the merchants and the industrialists, the meaning of Swaraj was expansion of trade and business without restrictions by the colonial government. But they were disheartened due to the failure of the Round Table Conference.

Question 9. Why did Gandhiji relaunch the Civil Disobedience Movement after the Second Round Table Conference? Explain any three reasons.

Answer : Gandhiji relaunched the Civil Disobedience Movement after the Second Round Table Conference due to the following reasons:

(a) When Mahatma Gandhi went for the Round Table Conference in December 1931, he returned disappointed as the negotiations were broken down.

(b) He discovered this new cycle of repression by the British.

Question 10. How did the ‘Salt March’ become the base to begin the ‘Civil Disobedience Movement’? Explain.

Answer : The ‘Salt March’ become the base to begin the ‘Civil Disobedience Movement’ because on 31st March 1930, Mahatma Gandhi sent a letter to Viceroy Irwin stating eleven demands out of which some were of general interest and some were specific demands of different classes. The demands were wide ranging in order to bring together everyone under a united campaign. The most important demand was to abolish the salt tax as it was the most important item in food that is consumed by both rich and poor.

Question 11. Explain the reasons for the business class to participate in the ‘Civil Disobedience Movement’.

Question 12. Who had designed the ‘Swaraj flag’ by 1921? Explain the main features of the ‘Swaraj flag’.

Answer : A tricolor Swaraj flag was designed by Gandhiji in the year 1921. The main features of this Swaraj flag was:

(a) It was designed using the colours red, green and white.

(b) A spinning wheel was in the centre of the flag which represented the Gandhian ideal of self- help.

Question 13. ‘The Civil Disobedience Movement was different from the Non-Cooperation Movement.’ Support the statement with examples.

Answer : The Civil Disobedience Movement was different from the Non-Cooperation Movement in the following ways:

(a) The Civil Disobedience Movement dealt with the breaking of the colonial laws whereas the Non-Cooperation Movement did not follow the rules of the colonial government.

(b) In the Civil Disobedience Movement, people broke the salt law and forest law whereas in the Non-Cooperation Movement, they carried out peaceful demonstrations.

(c) The Civil Disobedience Movement was launched to get Purna Swaraj whereas the Non-Cooperation Movement was to unite the Hindus and Muslims to attain Swaraj.

Question 14. What type of flag was designed during the Swadeshi Movement in Bengal? Explain its main features.

Answer : (a) A tricolor swadeshi flag, using red, green and yellow was designed during the swadeshi movement in Bengal.

(b) It had 8 lotuses for the representation of the 8 provinces. (c) It had a crescent moon for symbolizing the Hindus and the Muslims.

Question 15. ‘The plantation workers in Assam had their own understanding of Mahatma Gandhi and the notion of Swaraj.’ Support the statement with arguments.

Answer : According to the Inland Emigration Act 1859, the plantation workers in Assam were not allowed to leave the tea garden. Therefore, they also joined the Swaraj movement. For the plantation workers in Assam, the notion of Swaraj was to get the right of free movement in and out of the confined space, retaining a link with the village from which they belong to and also they believed that in the Gandhi Raj they would be given land.

Question 16. Why did different social groups join the Civil Disobedience movement? Explain.

Answer : The following were the different social groups who participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement with different objectives:

(a) These rich peasants due to the trade depression, falling prices and disappeared cash income were not able to pay the revenue and also the government refused to reduce the revenue. Their notion for Swaraj struggle was basically a struggle against high revenue.

(b) For the poor peasantry groups, the meaning of Swaraj was lowering the revenue demand and also they wanted the unpaid rent to be remitted.

(c) Women also participated in large scale in the civil disobedience movement during the salt march by Gandhiji. They belonged to the high caste families from the urban areas and rich peasant households from the rural areas. For them it was a sacred duty to serve the nation.

Question 17. Simon Commission was greeted with slogan ‘Go Back Simon’ on arrival in India. Support this reaction of Indians with arguments.

Answer : Against the situation of countryside turmoil, the Tory government in Britain set up a commission named Simon Commission after the name of Sir John Simon to look into the constitutional system in India and suggest the changes needed. There were no Indian members in this commission. In the year 1928, Simon Commission arrived in India and was greeted with the slogan ‘Simon go back’.

Question 18. “The Congress was reluctant to include the demands of the industrial workers in its programme of struggle.” Analyse the reasons.

Answer : Some of the industrial workers who participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement were the Nagpur industrial workers who selectively adopted some of the Gandhian ideas such as boycott of the foreign goods. They participated in the movement as part of their own movement against the low wages and the poor working conditions in the industries.

In the year 1930 and 1932, the railway workers and the dockworkers went on strike. The Chhotanagpur tin mines workers also protested in rallies wearing Gandhian caps and boycotted the campaigns. But the Congress was not willing to include their demands because he thought that this would alienate the industrialists and divide the anti-imperialist forces.

Question 19. Why did the Non-Cooperation Movement gradually slowdown in cities? Explain.

Explain any three reasons for the slow down of Non-Cooperation Movement in cities.

Answer : The Non-Cooperation Movement gradually slowed down in towns and cities because–

(a) The khadi clothes were expensive which the poor people could not afford.

(b) There was need for Indian institutions for the teachers, students and the lawyers but these were very slow to come up.

(c) Thus once again people started using the mill made British clothes and the students, teachers and the lawyers joined back their respective institutions.

Question 20. Describe the main features of Poona Pact.

Answer : In the Second Round Table Conference, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar demanded separate electorates for the Dalits. Against this Gandhiji, began a fast unto death because he believed that separate electorates for the Dalits would slow down the process of national integration.

Later on, Ambedkar accepted Gandhian view and in the Poona Pact the depressed class people were given the reserved seats in the provincial and the central legislative council election but to be voted in by the general electorate.

Question 21. How did Salt March become an effective tool of resistance against colonialism? Explain.

Answer : Salt March become an effective tool of resistance against colonialism because on 31st March 1930, Mahatma Gandhi sent a letter to Viceroy Irwin. Mahatma Gandhi had stated eleven demands in this letter out of which some were of general interest and some were specific demands of different classes. The demands were wide ranging in order to bring together everyone under a united campaign. The most important demand was to abolish the salt tax as it was the most important item in food that is consumed by both rich and poor.

Question 22. Describe the spread of Non-Cooperation movement in the countryside.

How did the non-cooperation spread to the countryside? Explain.

Against this situation of countryside turmoil the Tory government in Britain set up a commission named Simon Commission under Sir John Simon to look into the constitutional system in India and suggest the changes needed. There were no Indian members in this commission.

Question 23. Describe any three major problems faced by the peasants of Awadh in the days of Non-Cooperation movement.

Explain any three problems faced by the peasants of Awadh.

Answer : The three major problems faced by the peasants of Awadh in the days of NonCooperation Movement were:

(a) They demanded very high rents and other cesses from the peasants.

(b) The peasants were bound to work at landlord’s farm without any payment.

(c) Peasants had to do begar, no security of tenure and also they were evicted regularly so that they could not acquire right over the leased land.

Question 24. How could Non-Cooperation become a movement? Give your opinion.

Answer : In the year 1909 Mahatma Gandhi wrote a book named ‘Hind Swaraj’ in which he wrote that the British survived in India only because of the cooperation of the Indians otherwise they would have collapsed within a year. Gandhiji planned to unfold the movement in stages. In the first stage the people surrendered the titles, boycotted civil services, army, police, schools, foreign goods, courts and legislative councils. The full Civil Disobedience campaign was planned for the second phase if the government tried to supress the first phase.

Question 25. How did the industrialist relate to the Civil Disobedience Movement? Analyse their role.

Question 26. Explain the circumstances which compelled Mahatma Gandhi to call off the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1930.

Answer : The circumstances which compelled Mahatma Gandhi to call off the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1930 were:

(a) The Non-Cooperation Movement was turning violent in many places.

(b) To train the Satyagrahis for mass struggle.

Question 27. How did women participate in the Civil Disobedience Movement? Explain.

Answer : Women participated in large scale in the Civil Disobedience Movement during the Salt March by Gandhiji. They belonged to the high caste families from the urban areas and rich peasant households from the rural areas. For them it was a sacred duty to serve the nation.

Question 28. Explain the idea of Satyagraha according to Gandhiji.

Answer : The idea of Satyagraha according to Gandhiji was a novel method of mass agitation which emphasizes the power of truth and the need to search for the truth. Mahatma Gandhi said that if you are fighting for the truth and against injustice then there is no need of physical force to defeat the oppressor.

This can be possible without being aggressive. The oppressors can be persuaded to see the truth with the use of non-violence. Mahatma Gandhi had a hard belief that the dharma of non-violence will help in uniting the people of the country.

Question 29. Describe any three suppressive measures taken by the British administration to clamp down on nationalists.

Explain any three measures taken by the British administration to repress the movement started against the Rowlatt act.

Answer : The three suppressive measures taken by the British administration to clamp down on nationalist were:

(a) To suppress the nationalist the British administration picked up the local leaders and barred Gandhiji from entering Delhi.

(b) Martial law was imposed.

(c) The Satyagrahis were forced to rub their nose on the ground, crawl on streets and do salute to all the Sahibs. People were beaten up and villages were bombed.

Question 30. Describe the main features of the ‘Salt March’.

Answer : The main features of the ‘Salt March’ are:

(a) On 31st March 1930, Mahatma Gandhi sent a letter to Viceroy Irwin stating eleven demands out of which some were of general interest and some were specific demands of different classes.

(b) The demands were wide ranging in order to bring together everyone under a united campaign. The most important demand was to abolish the salt tax as it was the most important item in food that is consumed by both rich and poor.

(c) Mahatma Gandhi started the March for over 240 miles with his 78 trusted volunteers from Sabarmati to Dandi. They walked for 10 miles a day for 24 days. He violated the salt law by manufacturing salt by boiling the sea water on 6th April 1930.

(d) Now Gandhiji wanted Indians to refuse all sort of cooperation with the British and also break the colonial rules.

Question 31. How had the First World War created a new economic situation in India? Explain with three examples.

Answer : The First World War created a new economic situation in India. The three examples are:

(a) The defence expenditure was financed by the war loans. The increased taxes, raising the custom duties and introducing the income tax, and increased prices of the commodities caused economic hardship for the common people.

(b) For the continuous supply of the soldiers the villages were called upon and recruitment was done forcefully.

(c) There was a period of crop failure in many parts of the country which caused acute food shortages and millions of people perished due to the famine and the epidemics.

Question 32. How was Rowlatt Act opposed by the people in India? Explain with examples.

Answer : Rowlatt Act opposed by the people in India. The three examples are:

(a) A non-violent Civil Disobedience was planned against this act which would start with a strike on 6th April 1919.

(b) Against the Rowlatt Act, rallies were organized, the railway workshop workers went on strike and the shops were closed down.

Question 33. Some of the political organisations in India were lukewarm in their response to ‘Civil Disobedience Movement’. Examine the statement.

Answer : It is true to say that some of the political organisations in India were lukewarm in their response to ‘Civil Disobedience Movement’.

(a) Some of the Congress leaders were not willing to continue the non-cooperation because they were tired of the mass struggle, wanted to participate in the council elections and criticize the British policies within the council.

(b) The Swaraj party was formed within the Congress party by C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru. It was formed with the purpose to argue for return to council elections.

(c) T h e Muslims and their political organisations were also not taking much interest in the Civil Disobedience Movement due to the decline of the NonCooperation Khilafat Movement. They felt alienated from Congress. They felt that Congress is linked with the Hindu Mahasabha and their propagandas are Hindu oriented.

Question 34. ‘Nationalism spreads when people begin to believe that they are all part of the same nation.’ Justify the statement.

Answer : It is true to say that ‘Nationalism spreads when people begin to believe that they are all part of the same nation.’ Nationalism is a belief that all are a part of the same nation which binds the people together and make different communities, regions and language groups united.

This came through the united struggles like the Non-Cooperation Movement, Civil Disobedience Movement, the wars like revolt of 1857. History, fiction, folklores, folk songs, prints, icons, symbols, etc. all these helped in unifying the Indians and inspired a feeling of nationalism in them. The history was reinterpreted to create the feeling of nationalism and instill a sense of pride among the Indians. Through this the perspective of British towards India as backward, primitive and incapable of governing themselves was criticized.

Question 35. Which were the two types of demands mentioned by Gandhiji in his letter to Viceroy Irwin on 31st January 1930? Why was the abolition of ‘Salt Tax’ most stirring demand? Explain.

The abolition of ‘Salt Tax’ was most stirring demand because salt was the most important item in food that is consumed by both rich and poor.

Question 36. Explain the effects of ‘worldwide economic depression’ on India, towards late 1920s.

Answer : The effects o f ‘worldwide economic depression’ on India, towards late 1920s were:

(b) For the continuous supply of the soldiers the villages were called upon and recruitment was done forcefully.

(c) There was a period of crop failure in many parts of the country which caused acute food shortages and millions of people perished due to the famine and the epidemics.

Question 37. How did the people support the Civil Disobedience Movement as it spread in different parts of the country? Explain with examples.

Answer : The people supported the Civil Disobedience Movement as it spread in different parts of the country due to the following reasons:

(a) Due to the worldwide economic depression the agricultural prices began to fall, demands for agricultural goods fell and the export declined.

(b) This resulted in a countryside turmoil because now it was difficult for the peasants to sell their harvest and pay the high revenue.

(c) Against this situation of countryside turmoil the Tory government in Britain set up a commission named Simon Commission after the name of Sir John Simon to look into the constitutional system in India and suggest the changes needed. There were no Indian members in this commission.

Question 38. How did colonial government react as the Civil Disobedience Movement spread in the country? Explain any three points.

Answer : The following are the ways in which the Colonial government reacted as the Civil Disobedience movement spread in the country.

(a) To suppress the nationalist the British administration picked up the local leaders and barred Gandhiji from entering Delhi.

(b) Martial law was imposed.

(c) The Satyagrahis were forced to rub their nose on the ground, crawl on streets and do salute to all the Sahibs, people were beaten up and villages were bombed.

Question 39. Explain the circumstances under which Gandhiji decided to call off the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1931.

Answer : The circumstances which compelled Mahatma Gandhi to call off the NonCooperation Movement in 1930 were:

(a) The Non-Cooperation Movement was turning violent in many places.

(b) To train the Satyagrahis for mass struggle.

Question 40. How was history re-interpreted in creating a feeling of nationalism? Explain with examples.

Answer : The history was reinterpreted to create the feeling of nationalism and instill a sense of pride among the Indians. Through this the perspective of British towards India as backward, primitive and incapable of governing themselves was criticized.

The reinterpretation o f the Indian history revealed that India had a glorious achievements and developments in the past. India had contributed in the field of art, architecture, science, religion, culture, law, philosophy, crafts and trade.

Question 41. Explain any three facts about the new economic situation created in India by the First World War.

Answer : Three facts about the new economic situation created in India by the First World War were:

(a) The defence expenditure was financed by the war loans, the increased taxes, raising the custom duties and introducing the income tax and increased prices of the commodities which caused economic hardship for the common people.

(b) For the continuous supply of the soldiers the villages were called upon and recruitment was done forcefully.

(c) There was a period of crop failure in many parts of the country which caused acute food shortages and millions of people perished due to the famine and the epidemics.

Question 42. How did cultural processes help in creating a sense of collective belongingness in India? Explain.

Answer : The cultural processes helped in creating a sense of collective belongingness in India:

(a) Nationalism is a belief that all are a part of the same nation which binds the people together and make different communities, regions and language groups united.

(b) This came through the united struggles like the different Non-Cooperation Movements, Civil Disobedience movements, the wars like 1857, history, fiction, folklores, folk songs, prints, icons and symbols etc. all these helped in unifying the Indians and inspired a feeling of nationalism in them.

(c) The image of India was first visualized as Bharat Mata by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and also a hymn ‘Vande Mataram’ was written by him in 1870s. This hymn was later included in his novel Anandmath and sung in the swadeshi movement in Bengal. The image of Bharat Mata was portrayed as calm, composed, divine and spiritual which acquired different forms in different years by different artists. This image of India developed the ideas of nationalism in India.

(d) The Indian folklores were revived and the folk tales were recorded and sung by bards which gave a true picture of the traditional Indian culture and tells how it was ruined by the Britishers.

(e) A tricolor swadeshi flag, using red, green and yellow was designed during the swadeshi movement in Bengal which had 8 lotuses for the representation of the 8 provinces and a crescent moon for symbolizing the Hindus and the Muslims. (f) A tricolor Swaraj flag was designed by Gandhiji in the year 1921 using the colours red, green and white. A spinning wheel was in the Centre of the flag which represented the Gandhian ideal of selfhelp.

Question 43. Explain any three reasons for the lukewarm response of some Muslim Organisations to the Civil Disobedience Movement.

Answer : The three reasons for the lukewarm response of some Muslim Organisations to the Civil Disobedience Movement were:

(a) Due to the decline of the non-cooperation Khilafat movement.

(b) They felt alienated from Congress. They felt that Congress is linked with a Hindu Mahasabha and their propagandas are Hindu oriented. This thinking resulted to Hindu-Muslim communal clashes and riots in different parts of the country. Thus the distance between these two communities widened. Their main issue was over the representation in the future assemblies.

(c) In the All Parties Conference in 1928, the demands of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, for reserved seats in the central assembly and representation in proportion to population in the Muslim dominated provinces like Bengal and Punjab, was strongly opposed by M.R.Jayakar of Hindu Mahasabha. The Muslims were very much concerned about their status, culture and identity as a minority in India.

Question 44. Explain any three effects of the NonCooperation Movement on the economy of India. [All India 2011] OR Describe briefly any three economic effects of Non-Cooperation Movement.

Answer : The three effects of the Non-Cooperation Movement on the economy of India were:

(a) Foreign goods were boycotted, liquor shops were picketed, foreign clothes were burnt.

(b) Import of the foreign clothes reduced by half, the value of import dropped, merchants and traders refused the trade of foreign goods. (c) Production of Indian mills and handloom rose.

Question 45. Why did the industrialists participate in the Civil Disobedience Movement? Explain any three reasons.

Answer : The three reasons due to which the industrialists participated in the movement were:

(a) The Indian merchants and the industrialist became rich and powerful due to huge profits they made during the First World War.

(b) Thus they started opposing the colonial policies which restricted their business to expand. They had two demands – protection against the import of foreign goods and a favorable exchange ratio of rupee and sterling.

(c) According to the merchants and the industrialists the meaning of Swaraj was expansion of trade and business without restrictions by the colonial government. But they were disheartened due to the failure of the round table conference.

Question 46. How did Gandhiji try to integrate the depressed classes into society? Explain any three points.

Answer : Gandhiji tried to integrate the depressed classes into society because:

(a) Gandhiji was of the view that Swaraj would not come for hundred years if the problem of untouchability has not removed from the country. Gandhiji called them ‘harijan’ means the children of God.

(b) Gandhiji fought for their temple entry rights and others rights such as access to public wells, schools and other public places. Gandhiji himself cleaned the toilets in order to dignify the work of the sweepers and also urged the upper caste people to change their heart and thinking about these untouchables.

(c) In the Poona Pact, the depressed class people were given the reserved seats in the provincial and the central legislative council election but to be voted in by the general electorate.

Question 47. How did BR Ambedkar try to improve the conditions of the depressed classes? Explain any three points.

Answer : BR Ambedkar tried to improve the conditions of the depressed classes in the following ways:

(a) The Dalit leaders demanded reserved seats in the educational institutions and separate electorates so that would be getting seats in the legislative councils and thus politically empowered. The Dalits believed that these are the only ways through which they will be treated equally in the society.

(b) In the second Round Table Conference Dr. B.R.Ambedkar demanded separate electorates for the Dalits.

(c) Later on, Ambedkar accepted Gandhian view and in the Poona pact the depressed class people were given the reserved seats in the provincial and the central legislative council election but to be voted in by the general electorate.

Question 48. Explain any three causes that led the tribals to revolt in the Gudem Hills of Andhra Pradesh.

Answer : The three causes that led the tribals to revolt in the Gudem hills of Andhra Pradesh were:

(a) The colonial government closed large forest areas and prevented the people from entering the forest for the purposes like grazing the cattle, collection of fuelwood and fruits.

(b) The livelihood and the traditional rights of the local people were denied.

Question 49. “A Satyagrahi wins the battle through non-violence.” Explain with examples.

Answer : “A Satyagrahi wins the battle through non-violence.” Three examples of this statement are:

(a) In the year 1916, Champaran Satyagraha (in Bihar) was organized to inspire the peasants to fight against the oppressive domination of the plantation system.

(b) In the year 1917, Kheda Satyagraha was organized in Gujarat. Due to the crop failure and a plague epidemic the peasants were not able to pay the revenue.so they were demanding for the revenue collection to be relaxed.

Question 50. How did a variety of cultural processes play an important role in developing a sense of nationalism in India? Explain with examples.

Answer : The cultural processes helped in creating a sense of collective belongingness in India:

(a) Nationalism is a belief that all are a part of the same nation which binds the people together and make different communities, regions and language groups united.

(d) The Indian folklores were revived and the folk tales were recorded and sung by bards which gave a true picture of the traditional Indian culture and tells how it was ruined by the Britishers.

(e) A tricolor swadeshi flag, using red, green and yellow was designed during the swadeshi movement in Bengal which had 8 lotuses for the representation of the 8 provinces and a crescent moon for symbolizing the Hindus and the Muslims. (f) A tricolor Swaraj flag was designed by Gandhiji in the year 1921 using the colours red, green and white. A spinning wheel was in the Centre of the flag which represented the Gandhian ideal of selfhelp.

5 Marks Questions

Question 51. How did Non-Cooperation Movement start with participation of middle class people in the cities? Explain its impact on the economic front.

Answer : (a) In January 1921, the non-cooperation Khilafat movement was started in which different social groups participated with different aspirations from the Swaraj. This movement was started with the middle class people of the towns and cities. The students left the schools and colleges, the teachers and headmasters resigned and the lawyers gave up their practices.

(b) The council elections were also boycotted except in Madras. The Justice Party which was a party of the non-Brahmins in Madras felt that power can be acquired only through the council elections.

(c) Th e economic effects o f the NonCooperation Movement – foreign goods boycotted, liquor shops picketed, foreign clothes were burnt, import of the foreign clothes became half, the value of import dropped, merchants and traders refused the trade of foreign goods, production of Indian mills and handloom rose.

Question 52. Why was Congress reluctant to allow women to hold any position of authority within the organisation? How did women participate in Civil Disobedience Movement? Explain.

Answer : Women also participated in large scale in the Civil Disobedience Movement during the salt march by Gandhiji. They belonged to the high caste families from the urban areas and rich peasant households from the rural areas. For them it was a sacred duty to serve the nation. But the Congress was not willing to give them any position of authority in the organisation and that’s why Gandhiji said that women should look after the domestic chores and be good mothers and wives.

Question 53. Plantation workers had their own understanding of Mahatma Gandhi’s ideas and the notion of ‘Swaraj’. Support the statement.

Answer : According to the Inland Emigration Act 1859, the plantation workers in Assam were not allowed to leave the tea garden. Therefore they also joined the Swaraj movement. For the plantation workers in Assam the notion of Swaraj was to get the right of free movement in and out of the confined space, retaining a link with the village from which they belong to and also they believed that in the Gandhi Raj they would be given land.

Question 54. How did the colonial government repress the ‘Civil Disobedience Movement’? Explain.

Answer : The three measures taken by the British administration to repress the movement started against the Rowlatt Act were:

(a) To suppress the nationalists the British administration picked up the local leaders and barred Gandhiji from entering Delhi.

(b) Martial law was imposed.

(c) The Satyagrahis were forced to rub their nose on the ground, crawl on streets and do salute to all the Sahibs, people were beaten up and villages were bombed.

Question 55. Explain the importance of the ‘Salt March’ of Gandhiji as a symbol to unite the nation.

Answer : On 31st March 1930, Mahatma Gandhi sent a letter to Viceroy Irwin. Mahatma Gandhi had stated eleven demands in this letter out of which some were of general interest and some were specific demands of different classes. The demands were wide ranging in order to bring together everyone under a united campaign. The most important demand was to abolish the salt tax as it was the most important item in food that is consumed by both rich and poor.

Mahatma Gandhi started the march for over 240 miles with his 78 trusted volunteers from Sabarmati to Dandi. They walked for 10 miles a day for 24 days. He violated the salt law by manufacturing salt by boiling the sea water on 6th April 1930. Now Gandhiji wanted Indians to refuse all sort of cooperation with the British and also break the colonial rules. There after, people broke salt law, manufactured salt, showed demonstrations, boycotted the foreign clothes, picketed the liquor shops, peasants refused to pay the taxes and revenues and the forest people violated the forest laws.

Question 56. Why did Gandhiji decide to launch a nationwide Satyagraha against the proposed Rowlatt Act of 1919? How was it organized?

Answer : Gandhiji decided to launch a nationwide Satyagraha against the proposed Rowlatt Act 1919 due to the following three reasons:

(a) In the year 1919, Gandhiji organized a Satyagraha against the Rowlatt Act which was passed hurriedly by the imperial legislative council despite the opposition by the Indian members.

(b) The Rowlatt Act gave enormous power to the government for repressing the political activities.

Question 57. Why did Mahatma Gandhi find in ‘salt’ a powerful symbol that could unite the nation? Explain.

Question 58. Why did Mahatma Gandhi decide to call off the Civil Disobedience Movement? Explain.

Answer : The circumstances under which Gandhiji decided to call off the Civil Disobedience movement in 1931 were:

(a) The Non-Cooperation Movement was turning violent in many places.

(b) To train the Satyagrahis for mass struggle.

Question 59. Why did Mahatma Gandhi relaunch the Civil Disobedience Movement with great apprehension? Explain.

Answer : Gandhiji relaunched the Civil Disobedience Movement after the Second Round Table Conference due to the following reasons: When Mahatma Gandhi went for the round table conference in December 1931, he returned disappointed as the negotiations broke down. He discovered a new cycle of repression by the British. The important Congress leaders were in jail and meetings, demonstrations and boycotts were prevented.

Question 60. How did civil disobedience come into force in various parts of the country? Explain with examples.

Answer : Due to the worldwide economic depression the agricultural prices began to fall, demands for agricultural goods fell and the export declined. This resulted in a countryside turmoil because now it was difficult for the peasants to sell their harvest and pay the high revenue. Against this situation of countryside turmoil the Tory government in Britain set up a commission named Simon Commission after the name of Sir John Simon to look into the constitutional system in India and suggest the changes needed. There were no Indian members in this commission.

Question 61. How had Non-Cooperation Movement spread in cities? Explain.

Answer : (a) In January 1921, the Non-Cooperation Khilafat movement was started in which different social groups participated with different aspirations from the Swaraj. This movement was started with the middle class people of the towns and cities. The students left the schools and colleges, the teachers and headmasters resigned and the lawyers gave up their practices.

(b) The council elections were also boycotted except in Madras. The Justice Party which was a party of the non-Brahmins in Madras felt that power can be acquired only through the council elections.

(c) Th e economic effects o f the NonCooperation Movement – foreign goods were boycotted, liquor shops were picketed, foreign clothes were burnt, import of the foreign clothes came down by half, the value of import dropped, merchants and traders refused the trade of foreign goods, production of Indian mills and handloom rose.

(d) The Non-Cooperation Movement gradually slowed down in towns and cities because the khadi clothes were expensive which the poor people could not afford. There was need for Indian institutions for the teachers, students and the lawyers but these were very slow to come up. Thus once again people started using the mill made British clothes and the students, teachers and the lawyers rejoined their respective institutions.

Question 62. How did the First World War create a new economic and political situation in India? Explain with examples.

Answer : The First World War created a new economic situation in India. The three examples are:

(b) For the continuous supply of the soldiers the villages were called upon and recruitment was done forcefully.

(c) There was a period of crop failure in many parts of the country which caused acute food shortages and millions of people perished due to the famine and the epidemics.

Question 63. How had Non-Cooperation Movement spread in countryside? Explain.

Answer : (a) On 10th April 1919, fire was opened by the police in Amritsar on a peaceful procession and Martial law was imposed.

(b) On 13th April 1919, huge crowd had gathered in the Jallianwalla Bagh. The crowd had two different objectives. Some of them gathered to protestthe new repressive measures of the government whereas others gathered to attend the annual Baisakhi fair. Those who came from outside city were not aware of the martial law. General Dyer entered in the ground, closed the exit points and opened fire in which hundreds of innocent people were killed. This was basically done to create a feeling of terror in the minds of Satyagrahis.

(c) This infamous incident resulted in strikes, clashes with the police and the government buildings were attacked. This reaction of Indians was brutally suppressed by the government as the Satyagrahis were forced to rub their nose on the ground, crawl on streets and do salute to all the Sahibs. People were beaten up and villages were bombed.

Question 64. Explain the attitude o f the Indian merchants and the industrialists towards the ‘Civil Disobedience Movement’.

Question 65. Explain any five major problems posed by the First World War in India.

Answer : The national movement in India took a new shape after the end of the First World War. Here onwards the national movement incorporated different new social groups and also developed newer modes of struggle.

Due to the First World War the economic and political situation of India was altered. The defence expenditure was financed by the war loans, the increased taxes, raising the custom duties and introducing the income tax and increased prices of the commodities which caused economic hardship for the common people. For the continuous supply of the soldiers the villages were called upon and recruitment was done forcefully. There was a period of crop failure in many parts of the country which caused acute food shortages and millions of people perished due to the famine and the epidemics.

Question 66. How did the Non-Cooperation Movement spread in cities across the country? Explain its effect on the economic front.

(b) The council elections were also boycotted except in Madras. The Justice Party which was a party of the non-Brahmins in Madras felt that power can be acquired only through the council elections.

Question 67. Describe the incident and impact of the Jallianwalla Bagh.

Answer : Against the Rowlatt Act rallies were organized, the railway workshop workers went on strike and the shops were closed down. The British administration got alarmed and were scared about the disruption of the communication lines such as the railways and the telegraph.

To suppress the nationalists the British administration picked up the local leaders and barred Gandhiji from entering Delhi. On 10th April 1919, the police opened fire in Amritsar on a peaceful procession and Martial law was imposed.

On 13th April 1919, huge crowd had gathered in the Jallianwalla Bagh. The crowd had two different objectives. Some of them gathered to protest the new repressive measures of the government whereas others gathered to attend the annual Baisakhi fair. Those who came from outside city were not aware of the martial law. General Dyer entered in the ground, closed the exit points and opened fire in which hundreds of innocent people were killed. This was basically done to create a feeling of terror in the minds of Satyagrahis.

This infamous incident resulted in strikes, clashes with the police and the government buildings were attacked. This reaction of Indians was brutally suppressed by the government as the Satyagrahis were forced to rub their nose on the ground, crawl on streets and do salute to all the Sahibs, people were beaten up and villages were bombed.

Question 68. Describe the developments which led to the launching of the Non-Cooperation Movement.

Answer : In the year 1919, Gandhiji organized a Satyagraha against the Rowlatt Act which was passed hurriedly by the Imperial Legislative Council despite the opposition by the Indian members. He planned a nonviolent Civil Disobedience against this Act which would start with a hartals on 6th April 1919.

The Rowlatt Act gave enormous power to the government for repressing the political activities. According to this Act the government can detain the political prisoners without trial for a period of two years.

On 13th April 1919, huge crowd had gathered in the Jallianwalla Bagh. The crowd had two different objectives. Some of them gathered to protest the new repressive measures of the government whereas others gathered to attend the annual Baisakhi fair. Those who came from outside city were not aware of the martial law. General Dyer entered the ground, closed the exit points and opened fire in which hundreds of innocent people were killed. This was basically done to create a feeling of terror in the minds of Satyagrahis.

A harsh peace treaty was going to be imposed on the Khalifa of the Ottoman empire the defeat in the First World War. In March 1919, a Khilafat committee was set up in Bombay to defend the temporal powers of the Khalifa. Mohammad Ali and Shaukat Ali were the two brothers among the youth generation of the Muslim leaders who discussed the issue with Mahatma Gandhi. Finally, in September 1920 session of Congress in Calcutta it was decided to start a Non-Cooperation in support of Khilafat and also for the Swaraj. In the year 1909 Mahatma Gandhi wrote a book named ‘Hind Swaraj’ in which he wrote that the British survived in India only because of the cooperation of the Indians, otherwise they would have collapsed within a year.

Gandhiji planned to unfold the movement in stages. In the first stage the people surrendered the titles, boycotted civil services, army, police, schools, foreign goods, courts and legislative councils. The full Civil Disobedience Campaign was planned for the second phase, if the government try to repress the first phase. Many within the Congress were reluctant to boycott the council election which was scheduled for November 1920. Finally in December 1920, a compromise was made to adopt the non-cooperation.

Question 69. Describe the significance of the Civil Disobedience Movement in the freedom struggle of India.

Now Gandhiji wanted Indians to refuse all sort of cooperation with the British and also break the colonial rules. Thereafter, people broke salt law, manufactured salt, staged demonstrations, boycotted the foreign clothes, picketed up the liquor shops, peasants refused to pay the taxes and revenues and the forest people violated the forest laws.

When MahatmaGandhiwentfor the Round Table Conference in December 1931, he returned disappointed as the negotiations were broke down. He discovered this new cycle of repression by the British. The important Congress leaders were in jail and meetings, demonstrations and boycotts were prevented. As a result Gandhiji relaunched the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1932 which again lost its momentum by 1934.

These rich peasants were the main producers of the commercial crops. Due to the trade depression, falling prices and disappeared cash income they were not able to pay the revenue and also the government refused to reduce the revenue. Their notion for Swaraj struggle was basically a struggle against high revenue. For the poor peasantry groups, the meaning of Swaraj was lowering the revenue demand and also they wanted the unpaid rent to be remitted. But the Congress was reluctant to support to no rent and thus the relationship between the poor peasantry groups and Congress remained uncertain.

The Indian merchants and the industrialists became rich and powerful due to huge profits they made during the First World War. Thus they started opposing the colonial policies which restricted their business to expand. They had two demands – protection against the import of foreign goods and a favorable exchange ratio of rupee and sterling.

Some of the industrial workers who participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement were the Nagpur industrial workers who selectively adopted some of the Gandhian ideas such as boycott of the foreign goods. They participated in the movement as part of their own movement against the low wages and the poor working conditions in the industries.

Women also participated in large scale in the Civil Disobedience Movement during the Salt March by Gandhiji. They belonged to the high caste families from the urban areas and rich peasant households from the rural areas. For them it was a sacred duty to serve the nation.

The untouchables who called themselves Dalits or oppressed were not taking part in any such movements due to the ignorance of the Congress and the fear of offending the Sanatanis. But Gandhiji was of the view that Swaraj would not come for hundred years if the problem of untouchability is not removed from the country.

The Dalit organisations were quite strong in Maharashtra and Nagpur and therefore in these regions only they participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement.

Question 70. How could non-cooperation became a movement? Explain with examples.

Answer : Non-cooperation against the colonial policies was issue-specific and the movements also used to be issue-specific that seek to achieve the objectives within a certain time period.

Mahatma Gandhi called offthe non-violent Civil Disobedient Movement against the Rowlatt Act because the violence was spreading all over. Now he wanted to launch a much wider movement in India by joining the Hindus and the Muslims of the country. That’s why he took up the Khilafat issue.

In the year 1909 Mahatma Gandhi wrote a book named Hind Swaraj in which he wrote that the British survived in India only because of the cooperation of the Indians, otherwise they would have collapsed within a year.

Gandhiji planned to unfold the movement in stages. In the first stage the people surrendered the titles, boycotted civil services, army, police, schools, foreign goods, courts and legislative councils. The full Civil Disobedience Campaign was planned for the second phase if the governmenttried to repress the first phase. Many within the Congress were reluctant to boycott the council election which was scheduled for November 1920. Finally in December 1920, a compromise was made to adopt the non-cooperation.

In January 1921, the Non-Cooperation Khilafat Movement was started in which different social groups participated with different aspirations from the Swaraj. This movement was started with the middle class people of the towns and cities. The students left the schools and colleges, the teachers and headmasters resigned and the lawyers gave up their practices.

The council elections were also boycotted except in Madras. The Justice Party which was a party of the non-Brahmins in Madras felt that power can be acquired only through the council elections.

Question 71. How did different social groups participate in the Civil Disobedience Movement? Explain with examples.

Answer : The following were the different social groups who participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement with different objectives:

(a) The rich peasants were not able to pay the revenue due to the trade depression, falling prices and disappeared cash income and also the government refused to reduce the revenue. Their notion for Swaraj struggle was basically a struggle against high revenue.

(b) For the poor peasantry groups, the meaning of Swaraj was lowering the revenue demand and also they wanted the unpaid rent to be remitted.

(c) T h e Indian merchants and the industrialists started opposing the colonial policies which restricted their business to expand. They had two demands – protection against the import of foreign goods and a favorable exchange ratio of rupee and sterling.

(d) Some of the industrial workers participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement were the Nagpur industrial workers as part of their own movement against the low wages and the poor working conditions in the industries.

In the year 1930 and 1932, the railway workers and the dock workers went on strike. The Chhotanagpur tin mines workers also protested in rallies wearing Gandhian caps and boycotted the campaigns.

(f) Women also participated in large scale in the Civil Disobedience Movement during the Salt March by Gandhiji. They belonged to the high caste families from the urban areas and rich peasant households from the rural areas. For them it was a sacred duty to serve the nation.

Question 72. Explain with examples the role o f industrialists in the freedom struggle of India.

Question 73. How did different social groups conceive the idea of Non-Cooperation? Explain with examples.

Answer : The following were the different social groups who participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement with different objectives:

(b) For the poor peasantry groups, the meaning of Swaraj was lowering the revenue demand and also they wanted the unpaid rent to be remitted.

In the year 1930 and 1932, the railway workers and the dock workers went on strike. The Chhotanagpur tin mines workers also protested in rallies wearing Gandhian caps and boycotted the campaigns.

Question 74. How did people belonging to different communities, regions or languages develop a sense of collective belonging? Explain with examples.

Answer : The cultural processes helped in creating a sense of collective belongingness in India:

(a) Nationalism is a belief that all are a part of the same nation which binds the people together and make different communities, regions and language groups united.

(c) The image of India was first visualized as Bharat Mata by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and also a hymn ‘Vande Mataram’ was written by him in 1870s. This hymn was later included in his novel Anandmath and sung in the Swadeshi Movement in Bengal. The image of Bharat Mata was portrayed as calm, composed, divine and spiritual which acquired different forms in different years by different artists. This image of India developed the ideas of nationalism in India.

(d) The Indian folklores were revived and the folk tales were recorded and sung by bards which gave a true picture of the traditional Indian culture and tells how it was ruined by the Britishers.

(e) A tricolor swadeshi flag, using red, green and yellow was designed during the Swadeshi Movement in Bengal which had 8 lotuses for the representation of the 8 provinces and a crescent moon for symbolizing the Hindus and the Muslims.

(f) A tricolor Swaraj flag was designed by Gandhiji in the year 1921 using the colours red, green and white. A spinning wheel was in the Centre of the flag which represented the Gandhian ideal of self- help.

Question 75. Explain the impact of Jallianwalla Bagh incident on the people.

Answer : (a) On 10th April 1919, fire was opened by the police in Amritsar on a peaceful procession and Martial law was imposed.

Question 76. Explain the effects of Non-Cooperation Movement on the economic front.

Answer : The three effects of the Non-Cooperation Movement on the economy of India were:

(a) Foreign goods boycotted, liquor shops picketed, foreign clothes were burnt. (b) Import of the foreign clothes reduced by half, the value of import dropped, merchants and traders refused the trade of foreign goods.

Question 77. How did peasants of Awadh use different methods to achieve their goal? Explain.

Answer : The Non-Cooperation Movement spread to the countryside where the peasants and the tribals were taking part in this. Baba Ramachandra was a sanyasi who worked as an indentured labourer in Fiji. A movement was led by him leading the peasants against the talukdars and landlords because they demanded very high rents and other cesses from the peasants. The peasants were bound to work at the landlord’s farm without any payment. Peasants had to do Begar, no security of tenure and also they were evicted regularly so that they could not acquire right over the leased land.

The various demands of the peasants in Awadh were – reduction of revenue, abolition of Begar and social boycott o f oppressive landlords which was strengthened by the nai-dhobi bandhs organized by the Awadh panchayats to deprive the landlords from the services of the barbers and washermen.

In October 1920, Oudh Kisan Sabha was set up by Jawahar Lal Nehru, Baba Ramachandra and a few others. This is how the Awadh peasants were integrated in the process of upcoming wider Non-Cooperation Movement by the Congress. But the Awadh peasants invoked the name of Mahatma Gandhi to sanction all action and aspirations because during the movement they attacked the houses of the talukdars and merchants, looted the bazaars and took over the grain hoards. Some of the local leaders told the peasants that Gandhiji had declared not to pay taxes and also the land will be redistributed among the poor.

Question 78. ‘Dalit participation was limited in the Civil Disobedience Movement’. Examine the statement.

Answer : The untouchables who called themselves Dalits or oppressed were not taking part in any such movements due to the ignorance of the Congress and the fear of offending the Sanatanis. But Gandhiji was of the view that Swaraj would not come for hundred years if the problem of untouchability is not removed from the country. Gandhiji called them ‘harijan’– which means the children of God.

Gandhiji fought for their temple entry rights and other rights such as access to public wells, schools and other public places. Gandhiji himself cleaned the toilets in order to dignify the work of the sweepers and also urged the upper caste people to change their heart and thinking about these untouchables.

The Dalit leaders demanded reserved seats in the educational institutions and separate electorates so that would be getting seats in the legislative councils and thus become politically empowered. The Dalits believed that these are the only ways through which they will be treated equally in the society.

The Dalits organisations were quite strong in Maharashtra and Nagpur and therefore in these regions only they participated in the Civil Disobedience movement.

In the Second Round Table Conference Dr. B.R.Ambedkar demanded separate electorates for the Dalits. Against this Gandhiji began a fast unto death because he believed that separate electorates for the Dalits would slow down the process of national integration.

Later on Ambedkar accepted Gandhian view and in the Poona Pact the depressed class people were given the reserved seats in the provincial and the central legislative council election but to be voted in by the general electorate.

Question 79. Why did Gandhiji start the ‘Civil Disobedience Movement’? Explain any four features of Civil Disobedience Movement.

Answer : As the Non-Cooperation Movement was turning violent in many places it was called off by Mahatma Gandhi in February 1922 to train the Satyagrahis for mass struggle. Some of the Congress leaders were not willing to continue the non-cooperation because they were tired ofthe mass struggle, wanted to participate in the council elections and they wanted to criticize the British policies within the council.

The Swaraj Party was formed within the Congress Party by C.R.Das and Motilal Nehru. It was formed with purpose to argue for return to council elections.

Due to the worldwide economic depression the agricultural prices began to fall, demands for agricultural goods fell and the export declined. This resulted in a countryside turmoil because now it was difficult for the peasants to sell their harvest and pay the high revenue.

When Mahatma Gandhi went for the round table conference in December 1931, he returned disappointed as the negotiations broke down. He discovered this new cycle of repression by the British. The important Congress leaders were in jail and meetings, demonstrations and boycotts were prevented. As a result Gandhiji relaunched the Civil Disobedience movement in 1932 which again lost its momentum by 1934.

Question 80. Examine the dramatic effects of Non-Cooperation Movement on the economic front.

Answer : The three effects of the Non-Cooperation Movement on the economy of India were:

Question 81. How did the people and the colonial government react to the Civil Disobedience Movement? Explain.

Answer : As the Non-Cooperation Movement was turning violent in many places, it was called off by Mahatma Gandhi in February 1922 to train the Satyagrahis for mass struggle. Some of the Congress leaders were not willing to continue the noncooperation because they were tired of the mass struggle, wanted to participate in the council elections and they wanted to criticize the British policies within the council.

The Swaraj Party was formed within the Congress party by C.R.Das and Motilal Nehru. It was formed with purpose to argue for return to council elections.

Against this situation of countryside turmoil, the Tory government in Britain set up a commission named Simon Commission under Sir John Simon to look into the constitutional system in India and suggest the changes needed. There were no Indian members in this commission.

In the year 1928, Simon Commission arrived India and was greeted with the slogan ‘Simon, go back’.

On 31st March 1930, Mahatma Gandhi sent a letter to Viceroy Irwin. Mahatma Gandhi had stated eleven demands in this letter out of which some were of general interest and some were specific demands of different classes. The demands were wide ranging in order to bring together everyone under a united campaign. The most important demand was to abolish the salt tax as it was the most important item in food that is consumed by both rich and poor.

To suppress this movement the colonial government started arresting the Congress leaders. The arrest of Abdul Ghaffar Khan made the Indians angry and the crowd demonstrated in the streets of Peshawar. The arrest of Mahatma Gandhi made this demonstration more wide and worse as the industrial workers in Sholapur Maharashtra attacked the police posts, railway stations and other government buildings.

A brutal repression policy was adopted by the colonial government to suppress this and the police attacked the peaceful Satyagrahis, beat up the women and the children and arrested about 1 lakh people. This resulted in the call off ofthe movement by Gandhiji and Gandhi-Irwin Pact on 5th March 1931. He agreed for the round table conference and thus the political prisoners were released.

Question 82. How did the Non-Cooperation Movement start in cities? Explain its economic effects.

(b) The council elections were also boycotted except in Madras. The Justice Party which was a party of the non-Brahmins in Madras felt that power can be acquired only through the council elections.

Question 83. How did Non-Cooperation Movement spread to the countryside? Explain any four points.

Question 84. Explain the reactions of the Indian people against the Rowlatt Act passed through the Imperial Legislative Council in 1919.

Against the Rowlatt Act rallies were organized, the railway workshop workers went on strike and the shops were closed down. The British administration got alarmed and were scared about the disruption of the communication lines such as the railways and the telegraph. On 13th April 1919, a huge crowd was gathered in the Jallianwalla Bagh.

Question 85. Who was Alluri Sitaram Raju? Explain his role in inspiring the rebels with Gandhiji’s ideas.

Answer : In the early 1920s a militant guerrilla movement spread in the Gudem Hills of Andhra Pradesh. The Congress never approved such type of movements. This took place because the colonial government closed large forest areas and prevented the people from entering the forest for the purposes like grazing the cattle, collection of fuelwood and fruits.

The livelihood and the traditional rights of the local people were denied. The revolt began when the government forced the hill people to contribute Begar for the road building.

Alluri Sitaram Raju who was the leader of this revolt claimed that he had special powers like making correct astrological predictions, healing the people and could survive even bullet shots. Therefore the rebels proclaimed him the incarnation of God.

Though Raju favoured the Gandhian styles and greatness and urged people to wear khadi and give up drinking but at the same time he asserted the use of force and violence to get India liberated.

The police stations were attacked, British officials were killed and guerrilla warfare continued for Swaraj. As a result in the year 1924, Raju was arrested and executed and hence became a folk hero.

Question 86. Describe the actions taken by the British administration against the nationalists who opposed the Rowlatt Act.

Against the Rowlatt Act, rallies were organized, the railway workshop workers went on strike and the shops were closed down. The British administration got alarmed and were scared about the disruption of the communication lines such as the railways and the telegraph.

To suppress the nationalist the British administration picked up the local leaders and barred Gandhiji from entering Delhi. On 10th April 1919, the police opened fire in Amritsar on a peaceful procession and Martial law was imposed.

On 13th April 1919, huge was gathered in the Jallianwalla Bagh.

Question 87. Explain the role played by the tribal peasants in the Gudem hills of Andhra Pradesh during the Non-Cooperation Movement.

The livelihood and the traditional rights of the local people were denied. The revolt began when the government forced the hill people to contribute Begar for the road building.

Though Raju favoured the Gandhian styles and greatness and urged people to wear khadi and give up drinking but at the same time he asserted the use of force and violence to get India liberated.

The police stations were attacked, British officials were killed and guerrilla warfare continued for Swaraj. As a result in the year 1924, Raju was arrested and executed and hence became a folk hero.

Question 88. Examine the role of industrial working class in the Civil Disobedience Movement.

Answer : Most of the industrial workers did not participate in the Civil Disobedience movement as the industrialists were close to the Congress. Some of the industrial workers who participated in the Civil Disobedience movement were the Nagpur industrial workers who selectively adopted some ofthe Gandhian ideas such as boycott of the foreign goods. They participated in the movement as part of their own movement against the low wages and the poor working conditions in the industries. In the year 1930 and 1932, the railway workers and the dock workers went on strike. The Chotanagpur tin mines workers also protested in rallies wearing Gandhian caps and boycotted the campaigns. But the Congress was not willing to include their demands.

Question 89. Explain the role of women in the Civil Disobedience Movement.

Answer : Women also participated in large scale in the Civil Disobedience movement during the salt march by Gandhiji. They belonged to the high caste families from the urban areas and rich peasant households from the rural areas. For them it was a sacred duty to serve the nation. But the Congress was not willing to give them any position of authority in the organisation and that’s why Gandhiji said that women should look after the domestic chores and be good mothers and wives.

Question 90. Explain four points of Gandhiji’s idea of Satyagraha.

Question 91. Why did the rich peasants take part in the Civil Disobedience Movement? Give four reasons.

Answer : The rich peasant communities of Gujarat (Patidars) and Uttar Pradesh (Jats) participated actively in the relaunched Civil Disobedience movement but they were highly disappointed when Gandhiji called off the movement without revising the revenue rates.