CBSE Class 10 SST History Ch 2 Nationalism in India Question Bank with Solutions

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Class 10 SST · History · Chapter 2 · Question Bank + Solutions

CBSE · NCERT

SOCIAL SCIENCE (HISTORY) – CHAPTER 2 : NATIONALISM IN INDIA

Chapter-wise Question Bank (CBSE Board + Competitive · Moderate to HOTS Level)

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Class : XSubject : Social Science (History)Name : ..................

Questions : 200Total Marks : 500

General Instructions

1. This question bank is based on NCERT Class X India and the Contemporary World – I (History), Chapter 2 (Nationalism in India), and follows the CBSE board pattern with competitive (HOTS) questions mixed in.
2. Section A: Q.1 to Q.50 are MCQs of 1 mark each (50 marks). Section B: Q.51 to Q.100 are Assertion–Reason questions of 1 mark each (50 marks).
3. Section C: Q.101 to Q.150, Short Answer, 3 marks each (150 marks), about 60–80 words. Section D: Q.151 to Q.200, Long Answer, 5 marks each (250 marks), about 120–150 words.
4. Complete solutions with marking points are given after the questions.

SECTION – A (Multiple Choice Questions · 1 Mark each)

Q.1 – Q.50 Choose the correct option.50 × 1 = 50

1. Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa in –

(a) January 1905(b) April 1919(c) January 1915(d) March 1930

2. The idea of satyagraha emphasised –

(a) the use of arms against oppression(b) the power of truth and the need to search for truth, without physical force(c) cooperation with the British(d) boycott of Indian traders

3. Gandhi’s first satyagraha in India (1917) was in –

(a) Kheda, Gujarat(b) Ahmedabad(c) Dandi(d) Champaran, Bihar

4. In Champaran, the peasants were forced by planters to –

(a) grow cotton(b) grow indigo(c) grow rice(d) grow tea

5. The Kheda satyagraha of 1917 was organised to support –

(a) cotton mill workers(b) peasants who could not pay the revenue because of crop failure and plague(c) plantation workers of Assam(d) the Khilafat movement

6. In 1918, Gandhi organised a satyagraha among –

(a) indigo planters(b) cotton mill workers in Ahmedabad(c) salt workers(d) tea garden labourers

7. The Rowlatt Act (1919) –

(a) gave Indians the right to vote(b) abolished the salt tax(c) allowed Indians to form political parties(d) gave the government enormous powers to repress political activities and allowed detention without trial for two years

8. Gandhi decided to launch a nationwide satyagraha against the Rowlatt Act on –

(a) 13 April 1919(b) 12 March 1930(c) 6 April 1919(d) 5 March 1931

9. The Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place on –

(a) 6 April 1919(b) 10 April 1919(c) 30 January 1948(d) 13 April 1919

10. Who ordered the firing on the people gathered at Jallianwala Bagh?

(a) Lord Irwin(b) General Dyer(c) Lord Curzon(d) Sir John Simon

11. Why had many villagers from outside come to Amritsar on 13 April 1919?

(a) To attend the annual Baisakhi fair(b) To attend a Congress session(c) To celebrate Diwali(d) To protest against the salt tax

12. The Khilafat Committee was formed in Bombay in –

(a) April 1920(b) March 1919(c) December 1929(d) January 1930

13. Gandhi supported the Khilafat movement because he –

(a) wanted a separate state for Muslims(b) wanted to fight the Hindu Mahasabha(c) wanted to bring Muslims under the umbrella of a unified national movement(d) wanted to oppose the Congress

14. The Non-Cooperation programme was adopted at the Congress session of –

(a) Calcutta, September 1920(b) Lahore, December 1929(c) Karachi, 1931(d) Nagpur, December 1920

15. Gandhi, in his book Hind Swaraj (1909), declared that –

(a) British rule was God’s gift(b) Indians should use arms(c) British rule was established in India with the cooperation of Indians and would collapse if Indians refused to cooperate(d) Indians should leave the country

16. Which of the following was NOT part of the Non-Cooperation proposals?

(a) Surrender of titles(b) Boycott of civil services, army and police(c) Payment of land revenue to the government(d) Boycott of foreign goods

17. Which party contested the council elections in Madras, ignoring the boycott in the Non-Cooperation Movement?

(a) The Swaraj Party(b) The Justice Party(c) The Muslim League(d) The Hindu Mahasabha

18. The Non-Cooperation Movement had a major economic impact. Between 1921 and 1922, the import of foreign cloth –

(a) halved, its value dropping from Rs 102 crore to Rs 57 crore(b) doubled(c) remained the same(d) increased by 10 per cent

19. In which year did the Prince of Wales visit India, when he was greeted with hartals?

(a) 1919(b) 1930(c) 1935(d) 1921

20. Which of the following leaders gave up their legal practice during the Non-Cooperation Movement?

(a) Motilal Nehru and C.R. Das(b) Shaukat Ali and Muhammad Ali(c) Baba Ramchandra and Raju(d) Dr Ambedkar and Jinnah

21. Who led the peasant movement in Awadh against talukdars and landlords?

(a) Alluri Sitaram Raju(b) Baba Ramchandra(c) Jawaharlal Nehru(d) Abdul Ghaffar Khan

22. The Oudh Kisan Sabha was set up in October 1920 by –

(a) Gandhi and Patel(b) Jawaharlal Nehru, Baba Ramchandra and others(c) Dr Ambedkar and Jinnah(d) Motilal Nehru and Raju

23. The peasants in Awadh were agitating against –

(a) the Rowlatt Act(b) foreign cloth(c) high revenue demand, begar and the lack of security of tenure(d) the salt tax

24. Who led the militant guerrilla movement in the Gudem Hills of Andhra Pradesh in the early 1920s?

(a) Baba Ramchandra(b) Abdul Ghaffar Khan(c) Ramprasad Bismil(d) Alluri Sitaram Raju

25. The Inland Emigration Act of 1859 –

(a) gave voting rights(b) abolished indigo(c) did not allow plantation workers to leave the tea gardens without permission(d) allowed free trade

26. Why did Gandhi call off the Non-Cooperation Movement in February 1922?

(a) Because the British accepted demands(b) A peaceful demonstration at Chauri Chaura turned violent(c) Because of the Rowlatt Act(d) Because the Congress split

27. Which party was formed by C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru within the Congress to argue for a return to council politics?

(a) The Swaraj Party(b) The Justice Party(c) The Muslim League(d) The Khilafat Committee

28. The Simon Commission was set up in 1927 to –

(a) look into the functioning of the constitutional system in India and suggest changes(b) draft the Indian constitution(c) investigate Jallianwala Bagh(d) give independence to India

29. The Simon Commission was greeted in India with the slogan –

(a) ‘Quit India’(b) ‘Jai Hind’(c) ‘Go back Simon’(d) ‘Do or Die’

30. Why was the Simon Commission boycotted by Indians?

(a) It had no Indian member; all members were British(b) It supported the Rowlatt Act(c) It banned the Congress(d) It imposed a salt tax

31. In October 1929, Lord Irwin announced –

(a) a vague offer of ‘dominion status’ for India in an unspecified future(b) complete independence(c) withdrawal of the salt tax(d) the end of British rule in 1930

32. The Lahore Congress session of December 1929 was presided over by –

(a) Mahatma Gandhi(b) Subhas Chandra Bose(c) Jawaharlal Nehru(d) Motilal Nehru

33. 26 January 1930 was declared as –

(a) Republic Day(b) Salt Day(c) Rowlatt Day(d) Independence Day

34. How many demands did Gandhi put before Viceroy Irwin in January 1930?

(a) Four(b) Fourteen(c) Twenty(d) Eleven

35. The Salt March began from –

(a) Dandi(b) Champaran(c) Bardoli(d) Sabarmati Ashram

36. The Salt March covered about –

(a) 240 miles in 24 days(b) 24 miles in 240 days(c) 100 miles in 10 days(d) 500 miles in 30 days

37. Why was salt chosen as a symbol of protest?

(a) Salt was a luxury item(b) Salt was consumed by all, rich and poor, and the tax on it was oppressive(c) Salt was exported by India(d) Salt was banned by Gandhi

38. When did Gandhi break the salt law at Dandi?

(a) 12 March 1930(b) 5 March 1931(c) 6 April 1930(d) 26 January 1930

39. Civil Disobedience Movement differed from Non-Cooperation in that –

(a) people were asked to pay all taxes(b) people were asked to support the British(c) it was limited to students(d) people were asked not only to refuse cooperation with the British but also to break colonial laws

40. Who was known as ‘Frontier Gandhi’ and was arrested during the Civil Disobedience Movement?

(a) Abdul Ghaffar Khan(b) Jinnah(c) Raju(d) Dr Ambedkar

41. The Gandhi–Irwin Pact was signed on –

(a) 12 March 1930(b) 24 September 1932(c) 6 April 1930(d) 5 March 1931

42. Which Round Table Conference was attended by Gandhi?

(a) The First, November 1930(b) The Third, 1932(c) None(d) The Second, in London (December 1931)

43. Which group of people in the countryside were active participants in the Civil Disobedience Movement, as they were hit by the trade depression and fall in prices?

(a) Poor tenant farmers(b) Rich peasant communities such as the Patidars of Gujarat and Jats of Uttar Pradesh(c) Zamindars(d) Moneylenders

44. The Federation of the Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) was formed in –

(a) 1927(b) 1905(c) 1920(d) 1935

45. The depressed classes were organised under Dr B.R. Ambedkar in 1930 as –

(a) the Depressed Classes Association(b) the Swaraj Party(c) the Justice Party(d) the Khilafat Committee

46. The Poona Pact (1932) gave –

(a) separate electorates to Muslims(b) independence to India(c) reserved seats to the Depressed Classes in provincial and central legislative councils, to be voted by the general electorate(d) voting rights to women

47. Who composed the hymn ‘Vande Mataram’ in the 1870s?

(a) Rabindranath Tagore(b) Natesa Sastri(c) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay(d) Abanindranath Tagore

48. Who painted the image of Bharat Mata as an ascetic figure, calm, composed, divine and spiritual?

(a) Raja Ravi Varma(b) Abanindranath Tagore(c) Rabindranath Tagore(d) Nandalal Bose

49. Which Madras scholar compiled a large four-volume collection of Tamil folk tales, The Folklore of Southern India?

(a) Natesa Sastri(b) Rabindranath Tagore(c) Bankim Chandra(d) Raja Ram Mohan Roy

50. The Swaraj flag designed by Gandhi in 1921 was a tricolour with –

(a) a spinning wheel in the centre(b) a lion(c) a lotus(d) a crescent moon

SECTION – B (Assertion (A) – Reason (R) · 1 Mark each)

Q.51 – Q.100 Choose: (a) Both A and R true, R explains A; (b) Both true, R does not explain A; (c) A true, R false; (d) A false, R true.50 × 1 = 50

51. Assertion (A): Gandhi launched satyagraha against the Rowlatt Act in 1919.
Reason (R): The Act gave detained persons the right to appeal in a court of law.

52. Assertion (A): The Rowlatt Act was passed in the Imperial Legislative Council.
Reason (R): All the Indian members of the Council supported it.

53. Assertion (A): Gandhi organised a hartal on 6 April 1919 against the Simon Commission.
Reason (R): Hartal means a peaceful nationwide strike and closure of shops as a protest.

54. Assertion (A): The Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place at Amritsar on 13 April 1919.
Reason (R): Gandhi was the president of the Congress at that time.

55. Assertion (A): General Dyer ordered his troops to fire on the crowd at Jallianwala Bagh.
Reason (R): Hundreds of people were killed in the firing.

56. Assertion (A): The crowd at Jallianwala Bagh included many villagers who had come for the Baisakhi fair.
Reason (R): Many of them were unaware of the martial law imposed in the city.

57. Assertion (A): Gandhi supported the Khilafat movement.
Reason (R): He wanted to start a separate Muslim state.

58. Assertion (A): The Khilafat issue was related to the Ottoman Emperor of Turkey.
Reason (R): Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali were prominent leaders of the Khilafat Committee.

59. Assertion (A): The Non-Cooperation Movement was launched in 1921 to demand the abolition of the salt tax.
Reason (R): Gandhi believed that British rule was established with the cooperation of Indians.

60. Assertion (A): The Non-Cooperation Movement was launched in 1921 on the issues of Khilafat and Swaraj.
Reason (R): The Congress accepted the programme at the Nagpur session of December 1920.

61. Assertion (A): The Justice Party took part in the council elections in Madras in 1920.
Reason (R): It was a party of the Brahmins who wanted to boycott the councils.

62. Assertion (A): The boycott of foreign cloth was an important part of the Non-Cooperation Movement.
Reason (R): Import of foreign cloth halved between 1921 and 1922.

63. Assertion (A): Khadi cloth was often costlier than mill cloth.
Reason (R): Poor people could not afford to buy it for long.

64. Assertion (A): Students and lawyers participated actively in the Non-Cooperation Movement.
Reason (R): Foreign goods could be boycotted only if Indian alternatives were available.

65. Assertion (A): The Awadh peasants’ movement was led by Alluri Sitaram Raju.
Reason (R): It was a movement against talukdars and landlords who demanded high rents and forced labour.

66. Assertion (A): The Awadh peasants were asked to boycott begar.
Reason (R): Begar was the practice of unpaid labour on landlords’ farms.

67. Assertion (A): In the Gudem Hills, tribal peasants rose in revolt in the late 1930s.
Reason (R): The government had closed large forest areas, preventing people from entering to graze cattle or collect fuelwood.

68. Assertion (A): Alluri Sitaram Raju followed the principle of non-violence like Gandhi.
Reason (R): He believed that India could be liberated only through force.

69. Assertion (A): Plantation workers in Assam had their own understanding of ‘Swaraj’.
Reason (R): They believed that Gandhi Raj was coming and everyone would be given land in their villages.

70. Assertion (A): Gandhi withdrew the Non-Cooperation Movement in February 1922.
Reason (R): The peaceful demonstration at Chauri Chaura passed off without any incident.

71. Assertion (A): The Swaraj Party was formed by Mahatma Gandhi within the Congress.
Reason (R): C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru wanted to return to council politics.

72. Assertion (A): The Simon Commission was greeted with ‘Go back Simon’ slogans.
Reason (R): It had no Indian member.

73. Assertion (A): The Simon Commission was set up in 1927 to give independence to India.
Reason (R): It was to suggest changes in the constitutional system.

74. Assertion (A): Lord Irwin’s offer of ‘dominion status’ in 1929 failed to satisfy the Congress.
Reason (R): Radicals like Nehru and Bose wanted full independence.

75. Assertion (A): At the Lahore session (1929), the Congress demanded Purna Swaraj.
Reason (R): The session was presided over by Subhas Chandra Bose.

76. Assertion (A): Salt was chosen as the symbol of protest by Gandhi.
Reason (R): Salt was consumed by all, and the salt tax and monopoly were seen as oppressive.

77. Assertion (A): Tea was chosen as the symbol of protest by Gandhi in 1930.
Reason (R): Gandhi hoped to negotiate before launching Civil Disobedience.

78. Assertion (A): The Salt March started from Sabarmati Ashram on 12 March 1930.
Reason (R): It ended at Dandi, where Gandhi broke the salt law on 6 April.

79. Assertion (A): Women participated in large numbers in the Civil Disobedience Movement.
Reason (R): The Congress readily gave women positions of authority in the organisation.

80. Assertion (A): Rich peasants such as the Patidars and Jats enthusiastically supported the Civil Disobedience Movement.
Reason (R): They were benefitted by a boom in prices.

81. Assertion (A): The poor peasants were not satisfied with the Civil Disobedience Movement.
Reason (R): The Congress was unwilling to support the ‘no rent’ campaign.

82. Assertion (A): Indian industrialists supported the Civil Disobedience Movement.
Reason (R): They wanted protection against imports of foreign goods.

83. Assertion (A): The industrialists formed FICCI in 1927.
Reason (R): Purshottamdas Thakurdas and G.D. Birla were prominent leaders.

84. Assertion (A): Industrial workers did not participate in large numbers in the Civil Disobedience Movement except in the Nagpur region.
Reason (R): The Congress was reluctant to include workers’ demands as it did not want to alienate the industrialists.

85. Assertion (A): Dr Ambedkar clashed with Gandhi at the Second Round Table Conference.
Reason (R): Ambedkar demanded separate electorates for Dalits.

86. Assertion (A): Gandhi opposed separate electorates for the Depressed Classes.
Reason (R): He believed that it would slow down their integration into society.

87. Assertion (A): The Poona Pact was signed in September 1932.
Reason (R): It gave Dalits reserved seats in provincial and central legislative councils, voted for by the general electorate.

88. Assertion (A): Muslim League leaders such as Jinnah were not enthusiastic about Civil Disobedience.
Reason (R): After the Non-Cooperation Movement, a large section of Muslims felt alienated from the Congress.

89. Assertion (A): The Congress and Muslim League could not reach an agreement on the question of representation in 1927–28.
Reason (R): Jinnah was willing to give up separate electorates in return for reserved seats in the Central Assembly.

90. Assertion (A): The Hindu Mahasabha opposed the compromise formula between the Congress and the Muslim League.
Reason (R): The Hindu Mahasabha supported separate electorates for Muslims.

91. Assertion (A): Bharat Mata was portrayed as an ascetic figure by Abanindranath Tagore.
Reason (R): The image became an icon of nationalism.

92. Assertion (A): ‘Vande Mataram’ was widely sung during the Swadeshi movement in Bengal.
Reason (R): It was written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in the 1870s and included in Anandamath.

93. Assertion (A): Rabindranath Tagore painted the famous image of Bharat Mata.
Reason (R): Abanindranath Tagore’s painting portrayed Bharat Mata as a calm, divine and spiritual ascetic figure.

94. Assertion (A): The Swaraj flag (1921) was designed by Gandhi.
Reason (R): It had a lotus in the centre representing self-help.

95. Assertion (A): Folklore revival helped the nationalists in India.
Reason (R): Nationalists believed that folk traditions gave a true picture of traditional culture that had been corrupted by outside forces.

96. Assertion (A): Reinterpretation of history helped in developing national feeling.
Reason (R): Indians were looking at the past to discover India’s great achievements in ancient times.

97. Assertion (A): The Civil Disobedience Movement lost momentum by 1934.
Reason (R): Gandhi’s first Round Table Conference attendance was unsuccessful.

98. Assertion (A): The Salt March made Gandhi popular all over India.
Reason (R): It forced the British to realise that their rule might not be stable for long.

99. Assertion (A): The Non-Cooperation Movement spread to towns, villages and tribal areas.
Reason (R): In each area, people interpreted Gandhi’s ideas in their own way.

100. Assertion (A): The Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place in Delhi.
Reason (R): It happened on the day of the Baisakhi fair in 1919.

SECTION – C (Short Answer · 3 Marks each)

101. What is satyagraha? Mention any two features of the idea.(3)

102. Describe the satyagrahas organised by Gandhi in Champaran, Kheda and Ahmedabad.(3)

103. What was the Rowlatt Act? Why was it opposed by Indians?(3)

104. Describe the events that followed the launch of the Rowlatt Satyagraha in April 1919.(3)

105. Describe the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.(3)

106. What was the effect of the Jallianwala Bagh incident on the people of India?(3)

107. What was the Khilafat issue? Why did Gandhi support it?(3)

108. Why did Gandhi feel that a Non-Cooperation Movement was necessary?(3)

109. Why did the Congress agree to launch the Non-Cooperation Movement at Nagpur?(3)

110. How did the Non-Cooperation Movement begin in the cities? Mention any three points.(3)

111. What was the economic impact of the Non-Cooperation Movement?(3)

112. Why did the Non-Cooperation Movement slow down in the cities?(3)

113. Describe the peasant movement in Awadh led by Baba Ramchandra.(3)

114. How did the tribal peasants of the Gudem Hills respond to the Non-Cooperation Movement?(3)

115. How did the plantation workers of Assam understand ‘Swaraj’?(3)

116. Why did Gandhi call off the Non-Cooperation Movement in February 1922?(3)

117. Why did some Congress leaders form the Swaraj Party?(3)

118. What was the Simon Commission? Why was it opposed?(3)

119. What was the significance of the Lahore Congress session of December 1929?(3)

120. Why did Gandhi choose salt as a symbol of protest against the British?(3)

121. Describe the Salt March of 1930.(3)

122. How did the Civil Disobedience Movement differ from the Non-Cooperation Movement?(3)

123. Describe how the Civil Disobedience Movement spread in different parts of India.(3)

124. Why did Gandhi sign the Gandhi–Irwin Pact? What were its terms?(3)

125. Why did Gandhi return disappointed from the Second Round Table Conference?(3)

126. Why did the rich peasants take active part in the Civil Disobedience Movement?(3)

127. Why were the poor peasants not satisfied with the Civil Disobedience Movement?(3)

128. Why did the business classes support the Civil Disobedience Movement?(3)

129. Describe the role of industrial workers in the Civil Disobedience Movement.(3)

130. How did women participate in the Civil Disobedience Movement?(3)

131. Why was the Congress reluctant to include the Dalits in the nationalist movement initially?(3)

132. What was Dr Ambedkar’s demand? How did it lead to the Poona Pact?(3)

133. Why did the Muslim League and many Muslims keep aloof from the Civil Disobedience Movement?(3)

134. Why did the compromise between the Congress and the Muslim League fail in 1927–28?(3)

135. How did the image of Bharat Mata help create a sense of collective belonging?(3)

136. What is the role of ‘Vande Mataram’ in the development of Indian nationalism?(3)

137. How did folklore and songs help in developing the feeling of nationalism in India?(3)

138. How did the tricolour flag help in developing nationalism in India?(3)

139. How did the reinterpretation of history contribute to the growth of nationalism?(3)

140. Why did the Congress not get full support of all social groups in the Civil Disobedience Movement?(3)

141. What did the Congress and Gandhi do for the upliftment of Dalits?(3)

142. Why was the Civil Disobedience Movement a mass movement? Give two reasons.(3)

143. What were the main demands of Gandhi’s Eleven Demands letter to Lord Irwin?(3)

144. What was the Indian response to the Simon Commission’s arrival in 1928?(3)

145. How was the Nationalist movement in India linked to the First World War?(3)

146. What was the Swadeshi movement’s role in the freedom struggle, as shown in this chapter?(3)

147. How did Gandhi’s ‘swaraj’ differ from the people’s understanding of the term in different regions?(3)

148. Explain why the Civil Disobedience Movement slowed down by 1934.(3)

149. How did the First World War help the Indian national movement?(3)

150. Why were some Congress leaders reluctant to start the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1920?(3)

SECTION – D (Long Answer · 5 Marks each)

151. Explain the impact of the First World War on the Indian national movement.(5)

152. Describe Gandhi’s early satyagrahas in India (1916–1918) and their significance.(5)

153. Describe the Rowlatt Satyagraha and the incidents that followed up to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.(5)

154. Explain why Gandhi launched the Non-Cooperation Movement. Describe its programme.(5)

155. Describe the various phases of the Non-Cooperation Movement in the cities.(5)

156. ‘The Non-Cooperation Movement spread to the countryside also.’ Explain with examples from Awadh and Gudem Hills.(5)

157. Why did Gandhi withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement? What was the effect of the withdrawal?(5)

158. Describe the factors that led to the Civil Disobedience Movement.(5)

159. Describe the Salt March and explain its importance.(5)

160. How was the Civil Disobedience Movement different from the Non-Cooperation Movement? How did it spread?(5)

161. Describe the Gandhi–Irwin Pact and the later phase of the Civil Disobedience Movement.(5)

162. Examine the participation of rich and poor peasants in the Civil Disobedience Movement.(5)

163. Explain the role of the business classes and industrial workers in the Civil Disobedience Movement.(5)

164. ‘Women participated in large numbers in the national movement but their position remained limited.’ Discuss.(5)

165. Explain the problem of the Dalits in the national movement. How did Gandhi and Ambedkar differ?(5)

166. Why did Muslims not participate in large numbers in the Civil Disobedience Movement? Explain.(5)

167. Describe the limits of the Civil Disobedience Movement.(5)

168. Explain how the sense of collective belonging developed in India through nationalism. Give five points.(5)

169. Describe the role of symbols, songs and flags in the development of Indian nationalism.(5)

170. What was the role of folklore and history in building nationalism? Explain with examples.(5)

171. How did Gandhi’s idea of satyagraha become a mass weapon in India? Explain with the movements of 1917–1930.(5)

172. Why was the Jallianwala Bagh massacre a turning point in the history of the Indian national movement?(5)

173. Explain the Khilafat movement and the Congress–Muslim cooperation of 1919–22.(5)

174. Describe how different social groups in India interpreted ‘swaraj’ during the Non-Cooperation Movement.(5)

175. Why was the Simon Commission boycotted? Describe the events that followed up to 1929.(5)

176. Examine the contribution of Mahatma Gandhi to the Indian national movement from 1915 to 1931.(5)

177. Explain how the colonial government responded to the national movements of 1919–1934.(5)

178. What was the Poona Pact? Why was it signed? Mention its significance.(5)

179. Explain the role of the Congress and the Muslim League in the national movement between 1927 and 1930.(5)

180. ‘Nationalism cannot be separated from culture.’ Justify the statement with examples from India.(5)

181. Compare the Non-Cooperation Movement and the Civil Disobedience Movement.(5)

182. Describe Gandhi’s Salt March and the response of the British government.(5)

183. Why did the Indian industrialists support the national movement but withdraw later?(5)

184. Explain the role of tribal people and peasants in the Non-Cooperation Movement with reference to their grievances.(5)

185. How did the economic hardships of the 1930s affect the Civil Disobedience Movement?(5)

186. Analyse the role of women in Gandhi’s national movement.(5)

187. Describe the nature of the Awadh peasants’ revolt and how it was linked to the national movement.(5)

188. Describe the changes brought in the Congress after the Non-Cooperation Movement.(5)

189. Explain how nationalism in India was influenced by colonial exploitation.(5)

190. Examine the achievements and failures of the Non-Cooperation Movement.(5)

191. Why was the ‘Purna Swaraj’ resolution of Lahore (1929) a landmark?(5)

192. Describe the role of the press, leaders and local associations in spreading the message of non-cooperation and civil disobedience.(5)

193. Compare the nationalist movements of the middle class and the peasants in India during 1920–1930.(5)

194. Explain why the national movement in India needed multiple leaders and strategies. Illustrate with Gandhi, Nehru, Ambedkar and Jinnah.(5)

195. Describe the first Round Table Conference and why the Congress boycotted it.(5)

196. Why is the Salt March considered a milestone in the nationalist struggle? Write five points.(5)

197. Describe the role of the Swadeshi movement and the Bengal partition in creating nationalist symbols that later became part of the freedom struggle.(5)

198. Describe the movement of the plantation workers of Assam during the Non-Cooperation Movement.(5)

199. Describe the role of students, lawyers and teachers in the Non-Cooperation Movement and the Prince of Wales’s visit.(5)

200. How did the Congress become a mass organisation between 1919 and 1934? Explain with examples.(5)

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CBSE · NCERT

SOCIAL SCIENCE (HISTORY) – CHAPTER 2 : COMPLETE SOLUTIONS

Nationalism in India · Answer Key with Solutions

www.careerinformationportal.in

Class : XSubject : Social Science (History)Total Marks : 500

SECTION – A (MCQ Solutions)

Quick Answer Key – MCQ (Q.1 – Q.50)

1. (c)	2. (b)	3. (d)	4. (b)	5. (b)	6. (b)	7. (d)	8. (c)	9. (d)	10. (b)
11. (a)	12. (b)	13. (c)	14. (d)	15. (c)	16. (c)	17. (b)	18. (a)	19. (d)	20. (a)
21. (b)	22. (b)	23. (c)	24. (d)	25. (c)	26. (b)	27. (a)	28. (a)	29. (c)	30. (a)
31. (a)	32. (c)	33. (d)	34. (d)	35. (d)	36. (a)	37. (b)	38. (c)	39. (d)	40. (a)
41. (d)	42. (d)	43. (b)	44. (a)	45. (a)	46. (c)	47. (c)	48. (b)	49. (a)	50. (a)

Quick Answer Key – Assertion–Reason (Q.51 – Q.100)

51. (c)	52. (c)	53. (d)	54. (b)	55. (b)	56. (a)	57. (c)	58. (b)	59. (d)	60. (b)
61. (c)	62. (a)	63. (a)	64. (b)	65. (d)	66. (a)	67. (d)	68. (d)	69. (a)	70. (c)
71. (d)	72. (a)	73. (d)	74. (a)	75. (c)	76. (a)	77. (d)	78. (b)	79. (c)	80. (c)
81. (a)	82. (a)	83. (b)	84. (a)	85. (a)	86. (a)	87. (b)	88. (a)	89. (b)	90. (c)
91. (b)	92. (a)	93. (d)	94. (c)	95. (a)	96. (a)	97. (c)	98. (a)	99. (a)	100. (d)

Solutions with Explanation

1. Ans. (c) January 1915

Gandhi came back to India in January 1915, after successfully fighting racist regimes in South Africa with the method of satyagraha.

2. Ans. (b) the power of truth and the need to search for truth, without physical force

Satyagraha was a novel method of mass agitation based on truth and non-violence; a satyagrahi could win the battle without violence.

3. Ans. (d) Champaran, Bihar

In 1917 Gandhi travelled to Champaran in Bihar to inspire the peasants to struggle against the oppressive plantation system.

4. Ans. (b) grow indigo

The peasants were forced by British planters to cultivate indigo.

5. Ans. (b) peasants who could not pay the revenue because of crop failure and plague

In Kheda (Gujarat), crops had failed and an epidemic had struck; peasants could not pay the revenue and demanded relaxation.

6. Ans. (b) cotton mill workers in Ahmedabad

Gandhi went to Ahmedabad in 1918 to organise a satyagraha movement amongst cotton mill workers.

7. Ans. (d) gave the government enormous powers to repress political activities and allowed detention without trial for two years

It was hurriedly passed through the Imperial Legislative Council despite the united opposition of the Indian members.

8. Ans. (c) 6 April 1919

The satyagraha began with a hartal on 6 April 1919; rallies were organised in various cities.

9. Ans. (d) 13 April 1919

On 13 April, the day of the Baisakhi fair, a crowd gathered in the enclosed ground of Jallianwala Bagh at Amritsar.

10. Ans. (b) General Dyer

General Dyer blocked the exit points and opened fire; his object was to produce a ‘moral effect’ and instil terror.

11. Ans. (a) To attend the annual Baisakhi fair

Many villagers had come to attend the Baisakhi fair and were unaware of the martial law imposed in the city.

12. Ans. (b) March 1919

A Khilafat Committee was formed in Bombay in March 1919; Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali were prominent young leaders.

13. Ans. (c) wanted to bring Muslims under the umbrella of a unified national movement

He saw it as an opportunity to bring Hindus and Muslims together in a united national movement.

14. Ans. (d) Nagpur, December 1920

After a special session at Calcutta in September 1920, the programme was adopted at the Nagpur session in December 1920.

15. Ans. (c) British rule was established in India with the cooperation of Indians and would collapse if Indians refused to cooperate

Hence the idea of non-cooperation: refusing to cooperate would make British rule collapse within a year.

16. Ans. (c) Payment of land revenue to the government

Non-cooperation meant boycott of schools, courts, councils and foreign goods; refusal to pay taxes was planned only in a later stage.

17. Ans. (b) The Justice Party

The Justice Party, a party of non-Brahmins, felt that entering the council was one way of gaining some power.

18. Ans. (a) halved, its value dropping from Rs 102 crore to Rs 57 crore

Foreign cloth was boycotted, liquor shops were picketed and foreign cloth was burnt in bonfires.

19. Ans. (d) 1921

The Prince of Wales visited India in November 1921 and was met with strikes in the cities.

20. Ans. (a) Motilal Nehru and C.R. Das

Lawyers like Motilal Nehru, C.R. Das, C. Rajagopalachari and Asaf Ali gave up practice.

21. Ans. (b) Baba Ramchandra

Baba Ramchandra, a sanyasi who had earlier been an indentured labourer in Fiji, led the movement.

22. Ans. (b) Jawaharlal Nehru, Baba Ramchandra and others

Within a month, 300 branches had been set up in the villages around Awadh.

23. Ans. (c) high revenue demand, begar and the lack of security of tenure

Peasants had to do begar (work without pay) on landlords’ farms and had no security of tenure; they demanded reduction of revenue.

24. Ans. (d) Alluri Sitaram Raju

Raju claimed special divine powers, admired Gandhi, but believed India could be liberated by force.

25. Ans. (c) did not allow plantation workers to leave the tea gardens without permission

Plantation workers in Assam demanded the right to move freely, but the Act forbade them to leave without permission.

26. Ans. (b) A peaceful demonstration at Chauri Chaura turned violent

In Chauri Chaura (Gorakhpur, UP), a clash with the police led to the burning of the police station; Gandhi felt satyagrahis needed training.

27. Ans. (a) The Swaraj Party

They wanted to participate in council elections and oppose British policies from within.

28. Ans. (a) look into the functioning of the constitutional system in India and suggest changes

It was set up in response to the nationalist movement; it was seen as unacceptable because it had no Indian member.

29. Ans. (c) ‘Go back Simon’

When the Commission arrived in 1928, it was greeted with the slogan ‘Go back Simon’; all parties participated in the demonstrations.

30. Ans. (a) It had no Indian member; all members were British

The Commission did not have a single Indian member.

31. Ans. (a) a vague offer of ‘dominion status’ for India in an unspecified future

The offer did not satisfy the Congress leaders; the radicals like Nehru and Bose pressed for full independence.

32. Ans. (c) Jawaharlal Nehru

Under Nehru’s presidency, the Congress formalised the demand of ‘Purna Swaraj’ – complete independence.

33. Ans. (d) Independence Day

It was to be celebrated by pledging to struggle for complete independence.

34. Ans. (d) Eleven

Gandhi sent a letter to Irwin on 31 January 1930 stating eleven demands, including the abolition of the salt tax.

35. Ans. (d) Sabarmati Ashram

On 12 March 1930 Gandhi started the march from Sabarmati Ashram to the coastal town of Dandi.

36. Ans. (a) 240 miles in 24 days

Gandhi and 78 volunteers walked about 240 miles from Sabarmati to Dandi in 24 days.

37. Ans. (b) Salt was consumed by all, rich and poor, and the tax on it was oppressive

Gandhi found in salt a powerful symbol that could unite the nation; the tax on salt and the government monopoly were oppressive.

38. Ans. (c) 6 April 1930

He ceremonially violated the law by manufacturing salt by boiling sea water.

39. Ans. (d) people were asked not only to refuse cooperation with the British but also to break colonial laws

In Civil Disobedience, people were asked to break colonial laws, e.g., making salt and boycotting foreign cloth.

40. Ans. (a) Abdul Ghaffar Khan

Abdul Ghaffar Khan, a close disciple of Gandhi from the North-West Frontier, was arrested in April 1930.

41. Ans. (d) 5 March 1931

By the pact, Gandhi consented to participate in a Round Table Conference in London, and the government agreed to release political prisoners.

42. Ans. (d) The Second, in London (December 1931)

Gandhi returned disappointed from the Second Round Table Conference and relaunched Civil Disobedience.

43. Ans. (b) Rich peasant communities such as the Patidars of Gujarat and Jats of Uttar Pradesh

Being producers of commercial crops, they were hit by the depression and demanded reduction of revenue.

44. Ans. (a) 1927

The industrialists formed the Indian Industrial and Commercial Congress (1920) and FICCI (1927); leaders were Purshottamdas Thakurdas and G.D. Birla.

45. Ans. (a) the Depressed Classes Association

Ambedkar demanded separate electorates for Dalits at the Second Round Table Conference.

46. Ans. (c) reserved seats to the Depressed Classes in provincial and central legislative councils, to be voted by the general electorate

It was signed between Gandhi and Ambedkar in September 1932, after Gandhi’s fast unto death against separate electorates.

47. Ans. (c) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay

He wrote it as a hymn to the motherland; it was included in his novel Anandamath.

48. Ans. (b) Abanindranath Tagore

Abanindranath Tagore’s painting portrayed Bharat Mata, and became an icon of nationalism.

49. Ans. (a) Natesa Sastri

Such folklore revival was part of the nationalist effort to discover the true traditional culture of India.

50. Ans. (a) a spinning wheel in the centre

The flag was red, green and white, and the spinning wheel represented the Gandhian ideal of self-help.

SECTION – B (Assertion – Reason)

51. Ans. (c) A is true but R is false.

A is true. R is false: the Act allowed detention without trial.

52. Ans. (c) A is true but R is false.

A is true. R is false: the Act was passed despite the united opposition of the Indian members.

53. Ans. (d) A is false but R is true.

A is false: the hartal of 6 April 1919 was against the Rowlatt Act; the Simon Commission came in 1927–28. R is true.

54. Ans. (b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.

Both are true statements, but R has no connection with A and does not explain it.

55. Ans. (b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.

Both true; R states the result of the firing, not the reason for the order.

56. Ans. (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

Both true; the visitors were unaware of the restrictions, so they gathered in the enclosed ground.

57. Ans. (c) A is true but R is false.

A is true. R is false: Gandhi wanted to bring Hindus and Muslims together in a unified national movement.

58. Ans. (b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.

Both true, but R does not explain why the Khilafat issue concerned the Ottoman emperor.

59. Ans. (d) A is false but R is true.

A is false: Non-Cooperation was launched for Khilafat and swaraj; the salt tax was the issue in 1930. R is true.

60. Ans. (b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.

Both true; but R is a fact of adoption and does not explain the choice of issues.

61. Ans. (c) A is true but R is false.

A is true: the Justice Party contested the council elections. R is false: it was a party of non-Brahmins who felt that entering the council was a way of gaining power.

62. Ans. (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

Both true; R shows the effect of the boycott.

63. Ans. (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

Both true; R explains why the boycott could not be sustained for long.

64. Ans. (b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.

Both true; R relates to the boycott of foreign cloth but does not explain the participation of students and lawyers.

65. Ans. (d) A is false but R is true.

A is false: it was led by Baba Ramchandra; Raju led the Gudem Hills movement. R is true.

66. Ans. (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

Both true; R explains A.

67. Ans. (d) A is false but R is true.

A is false: the revolt took place in the early 1920s. R is true.

68. Ans. (d) A is false but R is true.

A is false: Raju was inspired by Gandhi but believed that India could be liberated by force, not non-violence. R is true.

69. Ans. (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

Both true; R explains how they interpreted Swaraj.

70. Ans. (c) A is true but R is false.

A is true. R is false: the demonstration turned violent, and a police station was set on fire.

71. Ans. (d) A is false but R is true.

A is false: it was formed by C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru. R is true.

72. Ans. (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

Both true; R explains A.

73. Ans. (d) A is false but R is true.

A is false: it was set up to look into the working of the constitutional system and suggest reforms. R is true.

74. Ans. (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

Both true; R explains A.

75. Ans. (c) A is true but R is false.

A is true. R is false: the Lahore session was presided over by Jawaharlal Nehru.

76. Ans. (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

Both true; R explains A.

77. Ans. (d) A is false but R is true.

A is false: Gandhi chose salt. R is true: salt was consumed by all and the tax on it was oppressive.

78. Ans. (b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.

Both true; R is an additional fact about the end of the march and does not explain why it started on that date.

79. Ans. (c) A is true but R is false.

A is true. R is false: the Congress was reluctant to allow women to hold any position of authority.

80. Ans. (c) A is true but R is false.

A is true. R is false: they were hit by the trade depression and the fall in prices.

81. Ans. (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

Both true; R explains A – Congress feared offending the landlords.

82. Ans. (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

Both true; R explains A – they formed the FICCI in 1927.

83. Ans. (b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.

Both true; the names are additional facts, not an explanation of why it was formed.

84. Ans. (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

Both true; R explains A.

85. Ans. (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

Both true; R explains the clash.

86. Ans. (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

Both true; R explains A.

87. Ans. (b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.

Both true; R is the content of the Pact and does not explain the date.

88. Ans. (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

Both true; R explains A.

89. Ans. (b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.

Both true; R explains Jinnah’s stand and not the failure itself.

90. Ans. (c) A is true but R is false.

A is true: M.R. Jayakar of the Hindu Mahasabha strongly opposed the compromise efforts. R is false: the Mahasabha opposed concessions to Muslims.

91. Ans. (b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.

Both true; R is a consequence and does not explain A.

92. Ans. (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

Both true; R explains the origin of the song.

93. Ans. (d) A is false but R is true.

A is false: it was Abanindranath Tagore who painted Bharat Mata. R is true.

94. Ans. (c) A is true but R is false.

A is true. R is false: the flag had a spinning wheel, which represented self-help.

95. Ans. (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

Both true; R explains A.

96. Ans. (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

Both true; R explains A.

97. Ans. (c) A is true but R is false.

A is true. R is false: Gandhi attended the Second (not first) Round Table Conference; the Congress boycotted the first.

98. Ans. (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

Both true; R explains the significance of the Salt March.

99. Ans. (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

Both true; R explains A.

100. Ans. (d) A is false but R is true.

A is false: it took place at Amritsar. R is true: it was 13 April 1919, the day of the Baisakhi fair.

SECTION – C (Short Answer · 3 Marks each)

101. Ans.

• Satyagraha was a novel method of mass agitation suggested by Gandhi, based on the power of truth. [1]
• It emphasised the need to search for truth; physical force was not necessary to fight the oppressor. [1]
• A satyagrahi could win the battle through non-violence, by appealing to the conscience of the oppressor. [1]

102. Ans.

• In 1917 he went to Champaran in Bihar to inspire peasants against the oppressive plantation (indigo) system. [1]
• In 1917 he organised a satyagraha in Kheda, Gujarat, to support peasants who could not pay revenue due to crop failure and plague. [1]
• In 1918 he went to Ahmedabad to organise a satyagraha among cotton mill workers. [1]

103. Ans.

• The Rowlatt Act (1919) was hurriedly passed by the Imperial Legislative Council despite the unanimous opposition of the Indian members. [1]
• It gave the government enormous powers to repress political activities and allowed detention of political prisoners without trial for two years. [1]
• Gandhi called it unjust; he launched a nationwide satyagraha against the Act. [1]

104. Ans.

• A hartal was observed on 6 April 1919; rallies were organised in various cities and shops closed down. [1]
• The British administration responded with repression; local leaders were picked up in Amritsar and Gandhi was barred from entering Delhi. [1]
• On 10 April the police fired upon a peaceful procession in Amritsar; martial law was imposed and General Dyer took command. [1]

105. Ans.

• On 13 April 1919, the Baisakhi day, a large crowd gathered in the enclosed ground of Jallianwala Bagh at Amritsar. [1]
• Many villagers who had come for the fair were unaware of the martial law imposed in the city. [1]
• General Dyer blocked the exit points and opened fire; hundreds were killed, to produce a ‘moral effect’ and terrorise the satyagrahis. [1]

106. Ans.

• As the news spread, crowds took to the streets in many north Indian towns. [1]
• There were strikes, clashes with the police and attacks on government buildings. [1]
• The government responded with brutal repression, humiliating and terrorising people; Gandhi called off the movement as violence spread. [1]

107. Ans.

• The Ottoman emperor of Turkey was the spiritual head (Khalifa) of the Islamic world; after the First World War a harsh peace treaty was feared. [1]
• To defend the Khalifa’s temporal powers, a Khilafat Committee was formed in Bombay in March 1919. [1]
• Gandhi saw it as an opportunity to bring Muslims under the umbrella of a unified national movement. [1]

108. Ans.

• In Hind Swaraj (1909) he declared that British rule survived with the cooperation of Indians. [1]
• If Indians refused to cooperate, British rule in India would collapse within a year, and swaraj would come. [1]
• He proposed that the movement unfold in stages, beginning with surrender of titles and boycott of civil services, army, police, courts, councils and schools. [1]

109. Ans.

• The Congress leaders were initially hesitant because of fear of violence and boycott of council elections. [1]
• After a special session at Calcutta in September 1920, the opposition was overcome. [1]
• At Nagpur in December 1920, a compromise was worked out and the Non-Cooperation programme was adopted. [1]

110. Ans.

• The movement started in January 1921 with participation of the middle classes in the cities. [1]
• Thousands of students left government-controlled schools and colleges; teachers resigned; lawyers gave up legal practices. [1]
• Council elections were boycotted (except in Madras); foreign goods were boycotted and liquor shops picketed. [1]

111. Ans.

• Foreign goods were boycotted, liquor shops picketed and foreign cloth burnt in huge bonfires. [1]
• The import of foreign cloth halved between 1921 and 1922, its value dropping from Rs 102 crore to Rs 57 crore. [1]
• Indian textile mills and handlooms prospered as people began to wear Indian cloth. [1]

112. Ans.

• Khadi cloth was often more expensive than mass-produced mill cloth, and poor people could not afford it for long. [1]
• Alternative Indian institutions were slow to come up to replace British ones. [1]
• Students and teachers began trickling back to government schools, and lawyers joined back work in government courts. [1]

113. Ans.

• It was led by Baba Ramchandra, a sanyasi who had been an indentured labourer in Fiji, against talukdars and landlords. [1]
• Peasants demanded reduction of revenue, abolition of begar and social boycott of oppressive landlords. [1]
• In October 1920 the Oudh Kisan Sabha was set up by Jawaharlal Nehru, Baba Ramchandra and others; within a month 300 branches were set up. [1]

114. Ans.

• The colonial government had closed large forest areas, preventing tribals from grazing cattle or collecting fuelwood and fruits. [1]
• Alluri Sitaram Raju led a militant guerrilla movement; he claimed special powers and admired Gandhi. [1]
• The tribals attacked police stations and tried to kill British officials; Raju was captured and executed in 1924. [1]

115. Ans.

• For them, freedom meant the right to move freely in and out of the confined space in which they were enclosed. [1]
• They defied the Inland Emigration Act of 1859, which did not allow them to leave the tea gardens without permission. [1]
• They believed Gandhi Raj was coming and they would be given land in their villages; they left the plantations for home. [1]

116. Ans.

• In February 1922 a peaceful demonstration at Chauri Chaura (Gorakhpur) turned violent and clashed with the police. [1]
• A police station was set on fire. [1]
• Gandhi felt that the satyagrahis needed to be properly trained before they would be ready for mass struggle, so he withdrew the movement. [1]

117. Ans.

• Some leaders were tired of mass struggle and wanted to participate in elections to the provincial councils. [1]
• C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru formed the Swaraj Party within the Congress. [1]
• They argued that entering councils was essential to oppose British policies and demonstrate that the councils were not truly democratic. [1]

118. Ans.

• It was set up in Britain in 1927 to look into the functioning of the constitutional system in India and suggest changes. [1]
• It had no Indian member; all of them were British. [1]
• When it arrived in 1928, it was greeted with the slogan ‘Go back Simon’, and all parties participated in the demonstrations. [1]

119. Ans.

• It was presided over by Jawaharlal Nehru. [1]
• The Congress formalised the demand of ‘Purna Swaraj’ – full independence for India. [1]
• It was declared that 26 January 1930 would be celebrated as the Independence Day, which was observed with flag hoisting and patriotic songs. [1]

120. Ans.

• Salt was one of the most essential items of food, consumed by the rich and the poor. [1]
• The tax on salt and the government monopoly over its production were among the most oppressive features of British rule. [1]
• Gandhi felt that it could unite the nation, and the salt law was easy to break. [1]

121. Ans.

• On 12 March 1930 Gandhi started from Sabarmati Ashram with 78 volunteers. [1]
• They marched 240 miles (about 390 km) to the coastal town of Dandi in 24 days. [1]
• On 6 April 1930 Gandhi broke the salt law by manufacturing salt by boiling sea water; this marked the beginning of the Civil Disobedience Movement. [1]

122. Ans.

• In Non-Cooperation, people were asked to refuse cooperation with the British. [1]
• In Civil Disobedience, people were asked not only to refuse cooperation but also to break colonial laws. [1]
• People broke salt law, boycotted foreign cloth and liquor shops, refused to pay taxes and quit government jobs. [1]

123. Ans.

• Thousands in different parts of the country broke the salt law, manufactured salt and demonstrated in front of government salt factories. [1]
• As the movement spread, foreign cloth was boycotted and liquor shops picketed; peasants refused to pay revenue and chaukidari taxes. [1]
• Village officials resigned and in forest areas people violated forest laws. [1]

124. Ans.

• Gandhi wanted to end the repression and agreed to withdraw the movement. [1]
• On 5 March 1931 he consented to participate in a Round Table Conference in London. [1]
• The government agreed to release the political prisoners. [1]

125. Ans.

• The negotiations in London broke down at the Second Round Table Conference in December 1931. [1]
• Gandhi returned disappointed and relaunched the Civil Disobedience Movement. [1]
• The government had begun a new cycle of repression; Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Jawaharlal Nehru were in jail, and the Congress had been declared illegal. [1]

126. Ans.

• The rich peasant communities such as the Patidars of Gujarat and the Jats of Uttar Pradesh were producers of commercial crops. [1]
• They were hit hard by the trade depression and the fall in prices, and could not pay the government’s revenue demand. [1]
• They became enthusiastic supporters; their refusal of revenue made them demand its reduction, and they were disappointed when the movement was called off without revenue being reduced. [1]

127. Ans.

• The poor peasants were small tenants cultivating land of landlords and were unable to pay rent. [1]
• They wanted the unpaid rent to the landlord to be remitted. [1]
• The Congress was unwilling to support ‘no rent’ campaigns in order not to upset the rich landlords. [1]

128. Ans.

• During the First World War, Indian merchants and industrialists had made huge profits and became powerful. [1]
• They wanted protection against imports of foreign goods and a rupee–sterling exchange ratio that would discourage imports. [1]
• They organised the Indian Industrial and Commercial Congress (1920) and FICCI (1927). [1]

129. Ans.

• The industrial workers of Nagpur region participated in large numbers. [1]
• Railway workers and dock workers were also active in strikes. [1]
• In other areas, they stayed aloof as the industrialists were close to the Congress, and the Congress was reluctant to include workers’ demands. [1]

130. Ans.

• Large numbers of women participated in protest marches, manufactured salt and picketed foreign cloth and liquor shops. [1]
• Many went to jail; in urban areas they were from high-caste families and in rural areas from rich peasant households. [1]
• Gandhi’s call made them see service to the nation as a sacred duty; however, the Congress was reluctant to give them positions of authority. [1]

131. Ans.

• The Congress had ignored the Dalits (the ‘Untouchables’) for a long time for fear of offending the sanatanis, the conservative high-caste Hindus. [1]
• Gandhi declared that swaraj would not come for a hundred years if untouchability was not eliminated. [1]
• He called the Dalits ‘Harijan’, the children of God, organised satyagraha for temple entry and tried to persuade upper castes to change their heart. [1]

132. Ans.

• Dr B.R. Ambedkar organised the Depressed Classes Association in 1930 and demanded separate electorates for Dalits at the Second Round Table Conference. [1]
• Gandhi opposed it and began a fast unto death, believing it would slow down their integration into society. [1]
• Ambedkar accepted Gandhi’s position, and the Poona Pact (September 1932) gave reserved seats to the Depressed Classes in provincial and central councils, voted by the general electorate. [1]

133. Ans.

• After the decline of the Khilafat–Non-Cooperation movement, a large section of Muslims felt alienated from the Congress. [1]
• From the mid-1920s, the Congress was seen as visibly associated with Hindu religious nationalism (Hindu Mahasabha), and communal clashes erupted. [1]
• Both communities were organised into religious processions, music before mosques and Hindu–Muslim riots, which created distrust. [1]

134. Ans.

• Muhammad Ali Jinnah was willing to give up the demand for separate electorates if Muslims were assured reserved seats in the Central Assembly and representation in proportion to population in Muslim-dominated provinces (Bengal and Punjab). [1]
• Negotiations in the All Parties Conference in 1928 failed. [1]
• M.R. Jayakar of the Hindu Mahasabha strongly opposed efforts at a compromise. [1]

135. Ans.

• The identity of the nation was symbolised in a figure, an image of Bharat Mata, first created by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. [1]
• Abanindranath Tagore painted the famous image of Bharat Mata as an ascetic figure: calm, composed, divine and spiritual. [1]
• In subsequent years, the image of Bharat Mata acquired different forms, and the devotion to her became a mark of nationalism. [1]

136. Ans.

• Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote ‘Vande Mataram’ as a hymn to the motherland in the 1870s. [1]
• It was included in his novel Anandamath. [1]
• It was widely sung during the Swadeshi movement in Bengal and became a rallying cry of nationalism. [1]

137. Ans.

• Nationalists began recording folk tales sung by bards and toured villages to gather folk songs and legends. [1]
• They believed that folklore gave a true picture of traditional culture that had been corrupted by outside forces. [1]
• Rabindranath Tagore gathered ballads, nursery rhymes and myths and led the movement for folk revival in Bengal; Natesa Sastri published The Folklore of Southern India in Madras. [1]

138. Ans.

• During the Swadeshi movement in Bengal, a tricolour flag (red, green and yellow) was designed, with eight lotuses representing eight provinces and a crescent moon for Hindus and Muslims. [1]
• By 1921, Gandhi had designed the Swaraj flag, a tricolour (red, green and white) with a spinning wheel at the centre. [1]
• The spinning wheel represented the Gandhian ideal of self-help; carrying the flag in marches became a symbol of defiance. [1]

139. Ans.

• By the end of the nineteenth century, many Indians felt that history had to be re-thought to inspire pride. [1]
• Indians began looking into the past to discover India’s great achievements in ancient times, in art and architecture, science and mathematics, religion and culture, law and philosophy, crafts, trade. [1]
• Their writings glorified a time when India was great, in contrast to the poverty of British rule, and urged people to struggle to change the miserable conditions of life under British rule. [1]

140. Ans.

• The poor peasants wanted rent remission, which the Congress refused to support. [1]
• Industrial workers were largely not involved because the Congress was close to industrialists. [1]
• Dalits and Muslims felt alienated because of their own demands for separate electorates and political space. [1]

141. Ans.

• Gandhi called them ‘Harijan’ and fasted for their cause. [1]
• He organised satyagraha to secure their entry into temples and access to public wells, tanks, roads and schools. [1]
• He cleaned toilets himself to dignify the work of the sweepers and urged upper castes to change their heart. [1]

142. Ans.

• Different social groups – rich and poor peasants, business classes, workers, women and tribals – participated in it. [1]
• Salt, a common necessity, united people across classes. [1]
• It was spread across the country with different local forms: salt-making, forest satyagraha and boycott. [1]

143. Ans.

• It included the abolition of the salt tax, reduction of land revenue and reduction of military expenditure. [1]
• Other demands included release of political prisoners and a reduction of civil administration expenditure. [1]
• The demands were general, to be acceptable to all classes; Irwin refused to negotiate, and Gandhi began the Salt March. [1]

144. Ans.

• All parties, including the Congress and the Muslim League, participated in demonstrations. [1]
• The slogan ‘Go back Simon’ was raised. [1]
• Demonstrators were lathi-charged; the response of the Viceroy Irwin was a vague offer of dominion status in October 1929. [1]

145. Ans.

• The war created a new economic and political situation: huge increases in defence expenditure financed by war loans and increased taxes. [1]
• Customs duties were raised and income tax introduced; prices doubled between 1913 and 1918, causing extreme hardship to the common people. [1]
• Forced recruitment of soldiers in rural areas and crop failures, with an influenza epidemic, increased discontent. [1]

146. Ans.

• It produced the tricolour flag with eight lotuses and a crescent moon. [1]
• The song ‘Vande Mataram’ was sung widely during the movement. [1]
• It encouraged people to use Indian goods, and it laid the foundation for later boycott movements. [1]

147. Ans.

• For plantation workers in Assam, swaraj meant the right to move freely and to get land in their villages. [1]
• For tribal peasants of the Gudem Hills, it meant freedom from forest laws. [1]
• For peasants of Awadh, it meant freedom from begar and high rents; these groups linked Gandhi’s name to their own struggles. [1]

148. Ans.

• The Congress was declared illegal and leaders were arrested; the government resorted to brutal repression. [1]
• Thousands of people were jailed; women and children were beaten. [1]
• Because of this, popular enthusiasm declined, and the movement lost momentum. [1]

149. Ans.

• The war created a new economic situation in India; defence expenditure led to heavy taxes and rising prices. [1]
• The common people suffered hardship due to forced recruitment, crop failure and epidemics. [1]
• This increased discontent against British rule and prepared people for Gandhi’s mass movements after 1919. [1]

150. Ans.

• Within the Congress, some leaders were reluctant to boycott the council elections that were scheduled for November 1920. [1]
• They feared that the movement might lead to popular violence. [1]
• Between September and December 1920 there was an intense tussle; finally, a compromise was worked out at Nagpur. [1]

SECTION – D (Long Answer · 5 Marks each)

151. Ans.

• The war created a new economic and political situation: huge defence expenditure, financed by war loans and increased taxes. [1]
• Customs duties were raised and income tax was introduced; prices doubled between 1913 and 1918. [1]
• Villages were called upon to supply soldiers, and forced recruitment caused widespread anger in rural India. [1]
• In 1918–19 and 1920–21 crops failed in many parts of the country, resulting in acute shortages of food; an influenza epidemic followed. [1]
• People hoped that the hardships would end after the war, but they did not; this prepared the ground for Gandhi’s mass movements. [1]

152. Ans.

• After returning in January 1915, Gandhi travelled across India to understand the country. [1]
• In 1917 in Champaran, Bihar, he inspired peasants to struggle against the oppressive indigo plantation system. [1]
• In 1917 he organised a satyagraha in Kheda, Gujarat, to support peasants who could not pay revenue due to crop failure and plague. [1]
• In 1918 in Ahmedabad he organised a satyagraha among cotton mill workers. [1]
• These local movements gave Gandhi a mass base and showed the strength of satyagraha, which paved the way for the national movements of 1919 onwards. [1]

153. Ans.

• The Rowlatt Act (1919) gave the government the power to detain political prisoners without trial for two years; it was passed despite Indian opposition. [1]
• Gandhi launched a nationwide satyagraha; 6 April 1919 was observed as a hartal. [1]
• Rallies were held, shops closed, and the movement spread in many towns; Gandhi was barred from entering Delhi. [1]
• On 10 April the police in Amritsar fired upon a peaceful procession; banks, post offices and railway stations were attacked; martial law was imposed. [1]
• On 13 April (Baisakhi), General Dyer fired on a crowd in the enclosed ground of Jallianwala Bagh, killing hundreds. [1]

154. Ans.

• Gandhi saw in the Khilafat issue and the demand of Swaraj a chance to unite Hindus and Muslims against British rule. [1]
• In Hind Swaraj he argued that British rule was possible only with Indian cooperation, so withdrawing it would end British rule. [1]
• The programme proposed surrender of titles, boycott of civil services, army, police, courts and legislative councils, schools and foreign goods. [1]
• In case the government used repression, a full civil disobedience campaign would be launched. [1]
• The Congress adopted it at Nagpur in December 1920; the movement began in January 1921. [1]

155. Ans.

• The movement started with middle-class participation in the cities: thousands of students left government schools and colleges, headmasters and teachers resigned, and lawyers gave up their legal practices. [1]
• Council elections were boycotted in most provinces except Madras, where the Justice Party participated. [1]
• Foreign goods were boycotted, liquor shops picketed and foreign cloth burnt in bonfires. [1]
• The import of foreign cloth halved between 1921 and 1922, its value dropping from Rs 102 crore to Rs 57 crore. [1]
• The movement slowed down because khadi was costlier than mill cloth, alternative Indian institutions were few, and students and lawyers returned to government institutions. [1]

156. Ans.

• In Awadh, the peasant movement was led by Baba Ramchandra against talukdars and landlords who demanded high rents and begar. [1]
• Peasants demanded reduction of revenue, abolition of begar and social boycott of oppressive landlords; nai–dhobi bandhs were organised. [1]
• The Oudh Kisan Sabha was set up in October 1920 by Jawaharlal Nehru, Baba Ramchandra and others. [1]
• In the Gudem Hills of Andhra, tribal peasants, angered by forest laws, rose under Alluri Sitaram Raju, who led a guerrilla movement. [1]
• Raju admired Gandhi but believed liberation was possible by force; he was captured and executed in 1924; the peasants interpreted ‘swaraj’ in their own ways. [1]

157. Ans.

• In February 1922, a peaceful demonstration at Chauri Chaura (Gorakhpur) clashed with the police and a police station was set on fire. [1]
• Gandhi felt that the movement was turning violent in many places and that satyagrahis needed to be properly trained. [1]
• He called off the movement, to the disappointment of many leaders such as Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Bose. [1]
• Within the Congress, some leaders such as C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru formed the Swaraj Party to enter the councils. [1]
• Others like Nehru and Bose pressed for more radical mass agitation and complete independence. [1]

158. Ans.

• The Simon Commission, set up in 1927, had no Indian member; it was greeted with ‘Go back Simon’ slogans in 1928. [1]
• In October 1929, Lord Irwin announced a vague offer of ‘dominion status’, which did not satisfy the Congress. [1]
• The Congress at Lahore (December 1929), under Jawaharlal Nehru, formalised the demand for Purna Swaraj; 26 January 1930 was declared as Independence Day. [1]
• The world economic depression (1930 onwards) caused a fall in prices and hardship to the peasants. [1]
• Gandhi sent Irwin a letter with eleven demands, and when Irwin did not accept, he began the Salt March. [1]

159. Ans.

• The Salt March began on 12 March 1930 from Sabarmati Ashram; Gandhi walked with 78 volunteers. [1]
• They covered about 240 miles in 24 days to reach Dandi on the coast. [1]
• On 6 April 1930, Gandhi broke the salt law by boiling sea water to make salt, marking the beginning of the Civil Disobedience Movement. [1]
• Salt was chosen because it was consumed by all and the salt tax was oppressive. [1]
• The march awakened the whole country; thousands broke the salt law and the movement spread to many regions. [1]

160. Ans.

• In Non-Cooperation, people refused cooperation with the British; in Civil Disobedience, people also broke colonial laws. [1]
• Thousands broke the salt law and manufactured salt; foreign cloth was boycotted and liquor shops picketed. [1]
• Peasants refused to pay revenue and chaukidari taxes; village officials resigned; forest laws were violated. [1]
• The Congress was banned and leaders like Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Gandhi were arrested. [1]
• Violent clashes, as in Sholapur, took place; the government used brutal repression, but the movement spread widely. [1]

161. Ans.

• As the movement spread, Irwin decided to negotiate; on 5 March 1931 the Gandhi–Irwin Pact was signed. [1]
• Gandhi consented to participate in a Round Table Conference in London, and the government agreed to release political prisoners. [1]
• Gandhi attended the Second Round Table Conference in December 1931, but negotiations broke down. [1]
• He returned disappointed and relaunched the movement; by 1934 it lost momentum due to repression. [1]
• The Congress had boycotted the First Round Table Conference in November 1930. [1]

162. Ans.

• Rich peasants such as the Patidars of Gujarat and the Jats of Uttar Pradesh were producers of commercial crops. [1]
• They were hit by the trade depression and the fall in prices; they could not pay the government’s revenue demand. [1]
• For them, swaraj meant a struggle against high revenue; they were enthusiastic supporters. [1]
• They were deeply disappointed when the movement was called off without the revenue being reduced. [1]
• Poor peasants wanted unpaid rent to the landlord remitted, but the Congress was unwilling to support ‘no rent’ campaigns, so they remained indifferent. [1]

163. Ans.

• Indian merchants and industrialists had made huge profits during the war and became powerful; they wanted protection against imports. [1]
• They formed the Indian Industrial and Commercial Congress (1920) and FICCI (1927), led by Purshottamdas Thakurdas and G.D. Birla. [1]
• They gave financial assistance and refused to buy or sell imported goods. [1]
• Industrial workers of Nagpur participated, and railway and dock workers went on strike. [1]
• Elsewhere, workers stayed away since the Congress was reluctant to include workers’ demands for fear of alienating industrialists, and later industrialists withdrew their support as well. [1]

164. Ans.

• Women participated in large numbers in protest marches, manufactured salt and picketed foreign cloth and liquor shops. [1]
• Many went to jail; in urban areas, they were from high-caste families, and in rural areas from rich peasant families. [1]
• Moved by Gandhi’s call, they began to see service to the nation as a sacred duty of women. [1]
• However, this did not necessarily change the traditional view of women’s place in society; Gandhi believed that a woman’s duty was to be a good mother and a good wife. [1]
• The Congress was reluctant to allow women to hold any position of authority within the organisation. [1]

165. Ans.

• The Congress had ignored the Dalits for a long time for fear of offending the sanatanis; the Dalits themselves wanted a different political solution. [1]
• Gandhi called them Harijan, organised temple entry satyagrahas and tried to eliminate untouchability. [1]
• Dr Ambedkar organised the Depressed Classes Association in 1930 and demanded separate electorates for Dalits at the Second Round Table Conference. [1]
• Gandhi opposed it, believing that it would slow down their integration into society, and began a fast unto death. [1]
• Ambedkar accepted, and the Poona Pact (September 1932) gave reserved seats to the Depressed Classes in provincial and central councils, voted by the general electorate. [1]

166. Ans.

• After the Khilafat–Non-Cooperation movement, a large section of Muslims felt alienated from the Congress. [1]
• From the mid-1920s the Congress was seen as visibly associated with Hindu religious nationalism; the Hindu Mahasabha gained strength. [1]
• Communal tensions rose: riots in cities and religious processions with music before mosques deepened the divide. [1]
• Negotiations for a compromise between the Congress and the Muslim League in 1927 failed, as the Hindu Mahasabha opposed the formula for reserved seats. [1]
• Thus, when the Civil Disobedience Movement began, there was an atmosphere of suspicion and many Muslim organisations responded with lukewarm enthusiasm. [1]

167. Ans.

• Not all social groups were moved by the abstract concept of swaraj. [1]
• The poor peasants remained aloof, as the Congress did not support ‘no rent’. [1]
• The industrial working classes were not active, as the Congress feared alienating the industrialists. [1]
• Dalits, led by Ambedkar, felt that separate electorates were necessary, and Muslims felt alienated. [1]
• Thus, though the movement was huge, it did not mobilise all sections equally; the Congress and the movement lost momentum by 1934. [1]

168. Ans.

• The sense of collective belonging came partly through the experience of united struggles against colonial rule. [1]
• Cultural processes captured the imagination of people: history, fiction, folklore, songs, popular prints and symbols all played a part. [1]
• The image of Bharat Mata was created, first by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and later painted by Abanindranath Tagore. [1]
• Folklore was revived; the tricolour flag and the Swaraj flag with the spinning wheel gave a symbol of the movement. [1]
• Reinterpretation of history encouraged pride in India’s past and a desire to struggle against British rule. [1]

169. Ans.

• Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote ‘Vande Mataram’ in the 1870s as a hymn to the motherland; it became a rallying cry in the Swadeshi movement. [1]
• Abanindranath Tagore painted Bharat Mata as an ascetic figure: calm, composed, divine and spiritual. [1]
• In the Swadeshi movement in Bengal, a tricolour flag with eight lotuses and a crescent moon was designed. [1]
• By 1921, Gandhi had designed the Swaraj flag: a tricolour of red, green and white with a spinning wheel representing self-help. [1]
• Carrying the flag during marches became a symbol of defiance, and people began to identify with it. [1]

170. Ans.

• In the late nineteenth century, nationalists began recording folk tales sung by bards and toured villages to gather folk songs and legends. [1]
• They believed that folk tales gave a true picture of traditional culture, which had been corrupted by outside forces. [1]
• In Bengal, Rabindranath Tagore led the movement for folk revival, gathering ballads, nursery rhymes and myths. [1]
• In Madras, Natesa Sastri published a four-volume collection of Tamil folk tales, The Folklore of Southern India. [1]
• Reinterpretation of history led Indians to discover the glory of the ancient past, in science, mathematics, art and architecture, creating pride and inspiring them to struggle against British rule. [1]

171. Ans.

• Satyagraha emphasised truth and non-violence and appealed to the conscience of the oppressor. [1]
• In Champaran, Kheda and Ahmedabad, it gave peasants and workers a means to resist. [1]
• In 1919, the Rowlatt Satyagraha made it a nationwide weapon. [1]
• In 1920–22, Non-Cooperation extended it to boycott and withdrawing cooperation from British institutions. [1]
• In 1930, the Salt March and Civil Disobedience made it a mass movement of breaking colonial laws. [1]

172. Ans.

• On 13 April 1919 General Dyer fired on an unarmed crowd in an enclosed ground at Amritsar, killing hundreds. [1]
• It revealed the brutality of British rule; Dyer’s aim was to produce a ‘moral effect’ of terror. [1]
• The news led to strikes, clashes and attacks on government buildings in many north Indian towns. [1]
• The government’s repression, such as flogging and crawling orders, angered the people. [1]
• It convinced Indians that cooperation with the British was futile, and set the stage for the Non-Cooperation Movement. [1]

173. Ans.

• The Khilafat issue arose from the fear of a harsh peace treaty on the Ottoman emperor of Turkey, the Khalifa. [1]
• A Khilafat Committee was formed at Bombay in March 1919; Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali took the lead. [1]
• Gandhi saw it as an opportunity to unite Hindus and Muslims in the national movement. [1]
• At the Calcutta session of September 1920 the Congress supported the Khilafat cause and the Non-Cooperation Movement. [1]
• The unity of Hindus and Muslims in this period was historic, but it weakened after the movement ended. [1]

174. Ans.

• For the peasants of Awadh, swaraj meant freedom from begar and high rents of the talukdars. [1]
• For tribal peasants in the Gudem Hills, it meant the freedom to use the forests. [1]
• For plantation workers in Assam, it meant the right to move freely and get land in villages. [1]
• These groups linked their local grievances with the Gandhian call; they shouted ‘Gandhi Raj’ and believed Gandhi would deliver them. [1]
• In their own ways, they went beyond Congress programmes, and sometimes violently, which worried the Congress leaders. [1]

175. Ans.

• The Commission, set up in 1927 in Britain to review the constitutional system, had no Indian member. [1]
• It was greeted with ‘Go back Simon’ slogans when it arrived in 1928; all parties took part in demonstrations. [1]
• In October 1929, Lord Irwin announced a vague offer of dominion status in an unspecified future. [1]
• At Lahore (December 1929), the Congress under Jawaharlal Nehru demanded Purna Swaraj. [1]
• It decided to observe 26 January 1930 as Independence Day and launched civil disobedience. [1]

176. Ans.

• He introduced satyagraha and mobilised peasants, workers and the middle classes through local satyagrahas (1917–18). [1]
• He led the Rowlatt Satyagraha (1919) and the Non-Cooperation–Khilafat Movement (1920–22). [1]
• He launched the Civil Disobedience Movement with the Salt March (1930), uniting people across classes. [1]
• He worked for Hindu–Muslim unity and removal of untouchability. [1]
• He signed the Gandhi–Irwin Pact (1931) and attended the Second Round Table Conference. [1]

177. Ans.

• It passed repressive laws such as the Rowlatt Act and imposed martial law in Punjab (1919). [1]
• It fired on the unarmed crowd at Jallianwala Bagh. [1]
• During Non-Cooperation it arrested leaders, and the Prince of Wales’s visit was boycotted. [1]
• During Civil Disobedience it arrested Gandhi, Abdul Ghaffar Khan and others, banned the Congress and used lathi charges. [1]
• It also negotiated (Gandhi–Irwin Pact) and organised Round Table Conferences to divide Indian opinion. [1]

178. Ans.

• The Poona Pact was signed in September 1932 between Gandhi and Dr B.R. Ambedkar. [1]
• The British had granted separate electorates to the Depressed Classes (Communal Award), and Gandhi began a fast unto death in protest. [1]
• Ambedkar accepted Gandhi’s position, and the Pact gave reserved seats to the Depressed Classes in provincial and central legislative councils. [1]
• These seats were to be voted for by the general electorate, not by Dalits alone. [1]
• The Pact ended the fast but showed the complexity of the issue; Dalits still felt they were not adequately represented. [1]

179. Ans.

• Both parties opposed the Simon Commission, and in 1927 they negotiated a compromise. [1]
• Jinnah was willing to give up the demand for separate electorates if Muslims were assured reserved seats in the Central Assembly and proportional representation in Bengal and Punjab. [1]
• The compromise failed because the Hindu Mahasabha’s M.R. Jayakar strongly opposed it. [1]
• Muslims felt alienated by communal riots and the Congress’s close ties to Hindu religious nationalism. [1]
• In 1930, many Muslim leaders did not support the Civil Disobedience Movement. [1]

180. Ans.

• Nationalism spreads through cultural symbols, not only politics. [1]
• Bharat Mata imagery and Bankim Chandra’s Vande Mataram invested the nation with emotion. [1]
• Folklore collection by Tagore and Natesa Sastri revived the traditional culture. [1]
• The Swaraj flag with the spinning wheel became a symbol of self-help and defiance. [1]
• Reinterpretation of Indian history showed ancient glory and produced pride, motivating the national struggle. [1]

181. Ans.

• Non-Cooperation (1921–22) aimed at withdrawing cooperation from British institutions; Civil Disobedience (1930–34) also asked people to break laws. [1]
• Non-Cooperation was linked to the Khilafat issue and supported by Muslims; in Civil Disobedience, many Muslims stayed away. [1]
• Non-Cooperation began with middle-class participation in cities; Civil Disobedience saw more participation of rich peasants, business classes and women. [1]
• The Salt March was the symbol of Civil Disobedience, while the boycott of schools and councils marked Non-Cooperation. [1]
• Non-Cooperation was withdrawn after Chauri Chaura; Civil Disobedience was suspended after the Gandhi–Irwin Pact and relaunched, losing momentum by 1934. [1]

182. Ans.

• Gandhi sent Irwin an ultimatum with eleven demands; when it was ignored, the march began on 12 March 1930. [1]
• The march attracted a huge following; salt laws were broken in many places. [1]
• The government arrested Gandhi, Abdul Ghaffar Khan and many Congress leaders and declared the Congress illegal. [1]
• In Sholapur, workers’ protest led to a violent confrontation after the arrest of local leaders. [1]
• Finally, Irwin decided to negotiate, leading to the Gandhi–Irwin Pact of 1931. [1]

183. Ans.

• They had made large profits during the First World War and wanted protection from imports of British goods. [1]
• They wanted a rupee–sterling exchange ratio to discourage imports, which the colonial government refused to accept. [1]
• They supported Civil Disobedience with funds and by refusing to buy or sell imported goods. [1]
• They feared prolonged disruptions of business and the spread of socialism among workers. [1]
• After the Gandhi–Irwin Pact, they began to lose enthusiasm because of the unrest and the rising power of the militant young Congress men. [1]

184. Ans.

• Peasants in Awadh protested against talukdars’ high rents, begar and lack of security of tenure. [1]
• Tribal peasants in the Gudem Hills protested against the closure of forests, which restricted grazing and collection of forest produce. [1]
• Plantation workers in Assam protested against the Inland Emigration Act, which kept them in the tea gardens. [1]
• They linked their grievances to Gandhi’s ideas and called it ‘Gandhi Raj’. [1]
• The Congress could not control some of these militant actions, and withdrew the movement later. [1]

185. Ans.

• The Great Depression of 1930 affected agricultural prices; the demand for agricultural goods fell and exports declined. [1]
• Peasants found it difficult to sell their harvests and pay revenue. [1]
• Rich peasants producing commercial crops were hit hardest and joined the movement enthusiastically. [1]
• The government refused to reduce the revenue demand, leading to widespread revolts. [1]
• The movement drew support from the rural masses, but poorer peasants’ demands for rent relief were not adequately answered. [1]

186. Ans.

• Women participated in large numbers in the Salt March and in picketing. [1]
• Thousands came out of their homes to listen to Gandhi and manufacture salt. [1]
• They picketed foreign cloth and liquor shops, and many went to jail. [1]
• Gandhi raised their moral status by asking them to take part, though their traditional roles continued. [1]
• The Congress did not give them positions of authority; their rights were left for the future. [1]

187. Ans.

• The movement began in 1920 against talukdars and landlords who demanded high rents and begar. [1]
• Peasants had to work free on landlords’ farms and had no security of tenure. [1]
• Baba Ramchandra, who had been an indentured labourer in Fiji, led the movement; the Oudh Kisan Sabha was formed in October 1920. [1]
• The Congress tried to keep it within the Non-Cooperation Movement, but by 1921 it turned violent with looting of bazaars and attacks on landlords’ houses. [1]
• The peasants declared that Gandhi had ordered that no taxes be paid; thus they linked their struggle to the Mahatma’s name. [1]

188. Ans.

• After the withdrawal, many leaders turned to council politics; C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru formed the Swaraj Party. [1]
• Younger leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose pressed for more radical mass agitation and full independence. [1]
• The Congress, in the late 1920s, was affected by the Simon Commission and the Nehru Report. [1]
• The Lahore session (1929) adopted Purna Swaraj as the goal. [1]
• Thus the Congress moved from the demand of self-government to complete independence. [1]

189. Ans.

• The colonial government increased taxes and imposed heavy burdens during the First World War. [1]
• Peasants were forced to grow indigo and other cash crops and pay high revenues. [1]
• Workers in plantations were confined and denied movement; the forests were closed to tribals. [1]
• Indian industry was denied protection against imports of British goods. [1]
• Different groups, united by a common hatred of colonial exploitation, joined the national movement. [1]

190. Ans.

• Achievements: it brought Hindus and Muslims together and spread nationalism to the villages and tribal areas. [1]
• Foreign cloth was boycotted and imports fell; Indian industry received some stimulus. [1]
• Thousands of students, teachers and lawyers participated, and the Congress became a mass organisation. [1]
• Failures: khadi was costly and the boycott of institutions slowed down; the movement turned violent at places. [1]
• It was called off after Chauri Chaura without achieving swaraj, but it showed that British rule was shaky. [1]

191. Ans.

• It formalised the demand of full independence rather than dominion status. [1]
• It was adopted under the presidency of Jawaharlal Nehru, a radical young leader. [1]
• 26 January 1930 was observed as Independence Day by hoisting the flag and taking a pledge. [1]
• It prepared the platform for the Civil Disobedience Movement. [1]
• It later inspired the date chosen for the Republic Day in 1950. [1]

192. Ans.

• Nationalist leaders addressed large gatherings and toured villages to spread the message. [1]
• Newspapers carried reports of satyagraha and the boycott. [1]
• Local associations such as the Oudh Kisan Sabha organised peasants. [1]
• Songs and flags helped create unity. [1]
• This enabled the movements to reach a mass base across classes and regions. [1]

193. Ans.

• The middle classes (lawyers, students, teachers) took part in boycotts of schools, courts and councils in cities. [1]
• Peasants fought against high rents, revenues and begar in the countryside. [1]
• The middle classes valued constitutional goals, such as swaraj; peasants linked ‘swaraj’ with their local grievances. [1]
• The Congress channelled the middle-class agitation but was wary of radical peasant movements. [1]
• Both contributed to the growth of a pan-Indian nationalism. [1]

194. Ans.

• Gandhi mobilised the masses through satyagraha and non-violence. [1]
• Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Bose represented the radical wing demanding full independence. [1]
• Ambedkar represented the Dalits and demanded separate electorates and rights. [1]
• Jinnah represented Muslim interests and negotiated the political representation of Muslims. [1]
• These different voices show India’s social diversity and the complexity of building a united nation. [1]

195. Ans.

• The first Round Table Conference was held in London in November 1930 to discuss India’s constitutional future. [1]
• The Congress boycotted it because Gandhi and many leaders were in jail, and the Civil Disobedience Movement was on. [1]
• Leaders of the Muslim League, Princes and Dalits attended. [1]
• Without the Congress, the conference could not achieve results. [1]
• This led to the Gandhi–Irwin Pact in 1931 and the Second Round Table Conference. [1]

196. Ans.

• It used a simple symbol, salt, which touched every household. [1]
• Gandhi’s 24-day march gave publicity and drew crowds to every stop. [1]
• It showed the world that non-violent resistance could challenge an empire. [1]
• It made people from all classes break colonial laws and gave a new confidence to the movement. [1]
• It forced the British to negotiate with Gandhi as an equal in the Gandhi–Irwin Pact. [1]

197. Ans.

• During the Swadeshi movement in Bengal, ‘Vande Mataram’ became a popular song. [1]
• A tricolour flag (red, green and yellow) with eight lotuses and a crescent moon was designed. [1]
• Abanindranath Tagore painted Bharat Mata in this period. [1]
• Tagore’s folk revival and boycott of British goods linked culture with politics. [1]
• These symbols were later reinterpreted in Gandhi’s Swaraj flag and in the Congress movements. [1]

198. Ans.

• Under the Inland Emigration Act of 1859, plantation workers were not permitted to leave the tea gardens without permission, and such permission was rarely given. [1]
• When they heard of the Non-Cooperation Movement, thousands of workers defied the authorities, left the plantations and headed home. [1]
• They believed that Gandhi Raj was coming and everyone would be given land in their own villages. [1]
• For them, freedom meant the right to move freely in and out of the confined space in which they were enclosed. [1]
• They never reached their destination: they were caught by the police and brutally beaten up; thus their understanding of swaraj differed from the Congress programme. [1]

199. Ans.

• Thousands of students left government-controlled schools and colleges, and headmasters and teachers resigned. [1]
• Lawyers such as Motilal Nehru, C.R. Das, C. Rajagopalachari and Asaf Ali gave up their legal practices. [1]
• Council elections were boycotted in most provinces except Madras, where the non-Brahmin Justice Party contested. [1]
• When the Prince of Wales visited India in November 1921, he was greeted with hartals and strikes. [1]
• However, the movement slowed down in the cities as alternative institutions were few and khadi was expensive. [1]

200. Ans.

• Gandhi’s satyagrahas of 1917–19 gave him a mass base among peasants and workers. [1]
• The Non-Cooperation–Khilafat Movement brought Hindus and Muslims, students, lawyers, peasants, tribals and plantation workers into the nationalist fold. [1]
• The Civil Disobedience Movement mobilised rich peasants, business classes and women across regions. [1]
• Symbols such as the Swaraj flag, Vande Mataram and Bharat Mata created a sense of collective belonging. [1]
• However, Dalits, Muslims and poorer groups had reservations, so the Congress’s mass base remained incomplete. [1]

QUICK REVISION · KEY POINTS (CBSE / COMPETITIVE)

1. Gandhi returned 1915; satyagraha – Champaran (1917, indigo), Kheda (1917), Ahmedabad mill workers (1918). Rowlatt Act 1919: detention without trial for two years; hartal 6 April 1919.
2. Jallianwala Bagh: 13 April 1919, Baisakhi, General Dyer, Amritsar. Khilafat: Ottoman Khalifa; Khilafat Committee, Bombay, March 1919; Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali.
3. Non-Cooperation: Calcutta (Sept 1920), Nagpur (Dec 1920); started January 1921; boycott of schools, courts, councils, foreign goods; foreign cloth imports fell from Rs 102 crore to Rs 57 crore.
4. Awadh: Baba Ramchandra, Oudh Kisan Sabha (Oct 1920). Gudem Hills: Alluri Sitaram Raju. Assam plantation workers: Inland Emigration Act 1859, ‘Gandhi Raj’. Chauri Chaura, Feb 1922: movement withdrawn.
5. Swaraj Party (C.R. Das, Motilal Nehru). Simon Commission 1927: ‘Go back Simon’. Irwin’s dominion status offer, Oct 1929. Lahore session Dec 1929 (Nehru): Purna Swaraj; 26 January 1930 Independence Day.
6. Salt March: 12 March 1930, Sabarmati to Dandi, 78 volunteers, 240 miles, 24 days; salt law broken 6 April 1930. Gandhi–Irwin Pact 5 March 1931; Second Round Table Conference Dec 1931; movement lost momentum by 1934.
7. Participation: rich peasants (Patidars, Jats), business classes (FICCI 1927), workers (Nagpur), women. Limits: poor peasants, Dalits (Ambedkar, Depressed Classes Association 1930), Muslims.
8. Poona Pact Sept 1932: reserved seats for Depressed Classes in councils. Compromise of 1927–28 failed (Jinnah, M.R. Jayakar).
9. Collective belonging: Bharat Mata (Abanindranath Tagore), Vande Mataram (Bankim Chandra), folklore (Tagore, Natesa Sastri), Swaraj flag with spinning wheel (1921), reinterpretation of history.

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