Nationalist Movements in India
Encyclopedia
The Nationalist Movements in India were organised mass movements emphasising and raising questions concerning the interests of the people of India
. In most of these movements, people were themselves encouraged to take action. Due to several factors, these movements failed to win Independence for India
. However, they did promote a sense of nationalism and pride among the people of the country. The failure of these movements made many people poor, uneducated and illiterate due to withdrawal from Government offices, schools, factories and services. Though they did manage to get a few concessions such as the Salt March
in 1930, they did not help India much from the point of view of their objective.
from the early decades of 18th century allowed emerging powers to grow in the Indian subcontinent. These included the Sikh Confederacy
, the Maratha Confederacy, Nizamiyat, the local nawabs of Oudh
and Bengal
and other smaller powers. Each was a strong regional power influenced by its religious and ethnic identity. However, the East India Company
ultimately emerged as the predominant power. One of the results of the social, economic and political changes instituted in the country throughout the greater part of 18th century was the growth of the Indian middle class. Although from different backgrounds and different parts of India, this middle class and its varied political leaderships contributed to a growing "Indian" identity". The realisation and refinement of this concept of national identity fed a rising tide of nationalism in India in the last decades of the 1800s.
returned to India in 1915 from South Africa
after being a part of the Apartheid. After his return he faced similar conditions in India. His aim was clear : To gain Independence. But his method of Satyagraha
was a little complicated from the common man's point of view. As he went on giving speeches about the power of Ahimsa or Non-Violence, he was criticised for his weakness. His reply was,"Ahimsa is not the weapon of the weak. It is the weapon of the strong. Weak cannot practice Ahimsa. It involves active participation and presence of Mind." He also said that, "Non Violence is not a garment to be put on and off at will. Its seat is in the heart, and it must be an inseparable part of our very being." Though his views were met with praise, he did not achieve immediate national co-opertaion.
. People started using force. Due to such an incident, known as the Chauri-Chaura incident, the people burnt down a police station. This forced Gandhiji to withdraw the movement. Though he withdrew the movement and stopped an agitating nation from protesting, he was arrested for starting the movement in the first place. The withdrawal of the movement had nationwide effects. People who quit their jobs earlier became jobless. Several children who quit their education had to remain illiterate even though the efforts of leaders like Lala Lajpat Rai.Due to this Gandhi's popularity deteriorated in the public eyes since he had withdrwn the movement. On his partgandhi argued that the people needed to be better trained for Satyagrah than they were. This set the foundation for future Revolutionary groups who believed that Non Violence will not get Independence for India.
to 5 April till Dandi
where he manufactured Salt, broke the Salt Law and started a nationwide Civil disobedience
Campaign. Though the government did grant some concessions after the Salt March, not any major changes could be achieved. However, this March helped India in another important aspect. The March brought millions of Indians together. It also increased public support for Mahatma Gandhi. Also, due to large amount of Worldwide publicity it got, India's domestic situation was exposed worldwide.
1. Since the earlier two movements had not been able to achieve anything major, people had lost faith in Movements.
2. Mahatma Gandhi when called for a peace movement, withdrew it immediately on seeing any violence. This discouraged people from joining another movement of his organisation.
3. Quit India movement was also a Non - Cooperation movement. Afraid of becoming illiterate and jobless, many people withdrew their support.
4. Many prominent Congress leaders were arrested in these movements which made people lose faith in Congress and Gandhi.
Due to these reasons, Quit India movement faded in 1943.
and Unity among Indians that the British had to finally leave the country leaving behind a Muslim
Pakistan
and a Secular Democracy
of India
.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. In most of these movements, people were themselves encouraged to take action. Due to several factors, these movements failed to win Independence for India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. However, they did promote a sense of nationalism and pride among the people of the country. The failure of these movements made many people poor, uneducated and illiterate due to withdrawal from Government offices, schools, factories and services. Though they did manage to get a few concessions such as the Salt March
Salt Satyagraha
The Salt March, also known as the Salt Satyagrahah began with the Dandi March on March 12, 1930, and was an important part of the Indian independence movement. It was a campaign of tax resistance and nonviolent protest against the British salt monopoly in colonial India, and triggered the wider...
in 1930, they did not help India much from the point of view of their objective.
Early influences
The void arising from the precipitous decline of the Mughal EmpireMughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
from the early decades of 18th century allowed emerging powers to grow in the Indian subcontinent. These included the Sikh Confederacy
Sikh Confederacy
The Sikh Empire was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The empire, based around the Punjab region, existed from 1799 to 1849. It was forged, on the foundations of the Khalsa, under the leadership of Maharaja Ranjit Singh from a collection of autonomous Punjabi Misls...
, the Maratha Confederacy, Nizamiyat, the local nawabs of Oudh
Nawab of Awadh
The Nawab of Awadh is the title of rulers who governed the state of Awadh in India in the 18th and 19th century. The Nawabs of Awadh originated form Persia-Establishment:...
and Bengal
Nawab of Bengal
The Nawabs of Bengal were the hereditary nazims or subadars of the subah of Bengal during the Mughal rule and the de-facto rulers of the province.-History:...
and other smaller powers. Each was a strong regional power influenced by its religious and ethnic identity. However, the East India Company
Company rule in India
Company rule in India refers to the rule or dominion of the British East India Company on the Indian subcontinent...
ultimately emerged as the predominant power. One of the results of the social, economic and political changes instituted in the country throughout the greater part of 18th century was the growth of the Indian middle class. Although from different backgrounds and different parts of India, this middle class and its varied political leaderships contributed to a growing "Indian" identity". The realisation and refinement of this concept of national identity fed a rising tide of nationalism in India in the last decades of the 1800s.
Swadeshi movement
Swadeshi or boycott were the movements when Indians stopped using the British products and started using hier own hand made goods.The Coming of Gandhi
Mahatma GandhiMahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
returned to India in 1915 from South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
after being a part of the Apartheid. After his return he faced similar conditions in India. His aim was clear : To gain Independence. But his method of Satyagraha
Satyagraha
Satyagraha , loosely translated as "insistence on truth satya agraha soul force" or "truth force" is a particular philosophy and practice within the broader overall category generally known as nonviolent resistance or civil resistance. The term "satyagraha" was conceived and developed by Mahatma...
was a little complicated from the common man's point of view. As he went on giving speeches about the power of Ahimsa or Non-Violence, he was criticised for his weakness. His reply was,"Ahimsa is not the weapon of the weak. It is the weapon of the strong. Weak cannot practice Ahimsa. It involves active participation and presence of Mind." He also said that, "Non Violence is not a garment to be put on and off at will. Its seat is in the heart, and it must be an inseparable part of our very being." Though his views were met with praise, he did not achieve immediate national co-opertaion.
The Non Co-operation Movement
The Non Cooperation Movement in India was the first of the three major movements carried out by Gandhi. The movement was started with the thought in mind that the British rule had lasted in India only because of the cooperation by Indians. If Indians refused to cooperate then India would gain Independence. The Movement soon caught National attention and Millions joined the movement. People left their offices, jobs, factories or any other Business which Cooperated the British. People forced their Children out of the Government schools and Colleges. The name of Mahatma began spreading around. People started following him in all parts of the country. However, the movement could not continue as anticipated by Mahatma. He had hoped for a Nationwide peaceful and Non-Violent movement. But soon in the rallies and protests being carried out Nationwide, Violence crept in. This was mainly due to the anger of people nationwide at the British government due to the Jallianwala Bagh massacreJallianwala Bagh massacre
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre , also known as the Amritsar massacre, took place in the Jallianwala Bagh public garden in the northern Indian city of Amritsar, and was ordered by Brigadier-General Reginald E.H. Dyer...
. People started using force. Due to such an incident, known as the Chauri-Chaura incident, the people burnt down a police station. This forced Gandhiji to withdraw the movement. Though he withdrew the movement and stopped an agitating nation from protesting, he was arrested for starting the movement in the first place. The withdrawal of the movement had nationwide effects. People who quit their jobs earlier became jobless. Several children who quit their education had to remain illiterate even though the efforts of leaders like Lala Lajpat Rai.Due to this Gandhi's popularity deteriorated in the public eyes since he had withdrwn the movement. On his partgandhi argued that the people needed to be better trained for Satyagrah than they were. This set the foundation for future Revolutionary groups who believed that Non Violence will not get Independence for India.
The Dandi March or the Salt Satyagraha
The Salt Satyagrah was started by Mahatma Gandhi on 11 March 1930 from Sabarmati AshramSabarmati Ashram
Sabarmati Ashram is located in the Ahmedabad suburb of Sabarmati adjoining to famous Ashram Road, at the bank of River Sabarmati, 4 miles from the town hall. This was one of the residences of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi...
to 5 April till Dandi
Dandi
Dandi may refer to:places*Dandi, Gujarat, a village, scene of Gandhi's Salt Satyagraha*Dandi, Iran, a city in Zanjan Province*Dandi, Nigeria, a Local Government Area in Kebbi Stateother uses* Dandi Entertainment, a company...
where he manufactured Salt, broke the Salt Law and started a nationwide Civil disobedience
Civil disobedience
Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government, or of an occupying international power. Civil disobedience is commonly, though not always, defined as being nonviolent resistance. It is one form of civil resistance...
Campaign. Though the government did grant some concessions after the Salt March, not any major changes could be achieved. However, this March helped India in another important aspect. The March brought millions of Indians together. It also increased public support for Mahatma Gandhi. Also, due to large amount of Worldwide publicity it got, India's domestic situation was exposed worldwide.
The Quit India Movement
The Quit India movement was the final of the Three major Nationalist movements in India. It was started in August 1942 by MK Gandhi. This movement was not as successful as the Non-Cooperation Movement and the Salt Satyagraha because of a number of reasons :-1. Since the earlier two movements had not been able to achieve anything major, people had lost faith in Movements.
2. Mahatma Gandhi when called for a peace movement, withdrew it immediately on seeing any violence. This discouraged people from joining another movement of his organisation.
3. Quit India movement was also a Non - Cooperation movement. Afraid of becoming illiterate and jobless, many people withdrew their support.
4. Many prominent Congress leaders were arrested in these movements which made people lose faith in Congress and Gandhi.
Due to these reasons, Quit India movement faded in 1943.
Result
Though the Nationalist movements in India did not play a big part in bringing independence to the country. They did bring a sense of Nationalism among the people. It was because of this NationalismNationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
and Unity among Indians that the British had to finally leave the country leaving behind a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and a Secular Democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.