1 - Factors Leading to Nationalism;
Colonial Exploitation: Economic drain and discriminatory policies united Indians against a common enemy.
Western Education: Exposure to ideas of liberty and democracy inspired leaders like Raja Ram Mohan Roy.
Infrastructure: Railways and telegraphs inadvertently connected different regions, fostering a unified identity.
Social Reform: Movements against caste and gender issues strengthened the internal The oppressive Rowlatt Act allowed detention without trial. Protests led to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, which horrified the nation and led to Gandhi organizing the Non-Cooperation Movement.
2- Rowlatt Act & Jallianwala Bagh (1919): The oppressive Rowlatt Act allowed detention without trial. Protests led to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, which horrified the nation and led to Gandhi organizing the Non-Cooperation Movement.
3-Non-Cooperation Movement (1920–1922): Combined with the Khilafat movement, it aimed to end British rule through non-violent non-cooperation. Key aspects:
Boycott of schools, colleges, courts, and foreign cloth.
Surrender of titles.
Suspended by Gandhi in 1922 after the violent Chauri Chaura incident.
4- Towards Civil Disobedience:
Simon Commission (1928): Boycotted because it had no Indian members.
Salt March (1930): Gandhi marched to Dandi to break the salt law, launching the Civil Disobedience Movement.
Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931): Gandhi agreed to attend the Round Table Conference and suspend civil disobedience.
5- Different Strands of the Movement:
Peasantry: Fought high revenue, led by figures like Baba Ramchandra.
Tribals: Fought forest laws, led by Alluri Sitaram Raju in Andhra Pradesh.
Plantation Workers: Demanded freedom of movement under the Inland Emigration Act.
6- Sense of Collective Belonging: National identity was forged through culture, literature, art, and symbols like the tricolor flag (first created by Gandhi), the Vande Mataram song, and the image of Bharat Mata.