Page 46 - Sst Class - X

2. Nationalism in India
2. Nationalism in India

Memory Points
Memory Points
Indian National Movement

• The idea of Nationalism emerged in India during the British rule.
• The First World War paved the way for the rise of nationalist ideology.

• Mahatma Gandhi and leaders like Lala Lajpat Rai, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
played a significant role in the nationalist movement against British rule.

• Mahatma Gandhi started non-violent movement to get freedom from the Britishers. He began by
introducing the Non-Co-operation Movement known as Satyagraha.

• The British government passed the Rowlatt Act in 1919. This Act gave them the power to control any
political activity and authorise the detention of political prisoners without trials for up to 2 years.
• The brutal Jallianwala Bagh Massacre enraged Indian citizens against British oppression. There were
riots, attacks on government structures, and widespread protests.

• On 12th March 1930, Mahatma Gandhi along with satyagrahis, led the Salt March from Sabarmati
Ashram to Dandi. Here, Gandhiji, along with his followers, defied British policy by making salt from
sea-water.

• The Poona Pact was an agreement between Mahatma Gandhi and B.R. Ambedkar on behalf of Dalits,
Depressed classes, and the upper-caste leaders.

Sense of Nationalism
• Nationalism spread when people began believing that they were all part of the same nation.

• Nationalism in India was further encouraged by utilising patriotic and historical fiction, folklore,
songs, etc.

• In the 20th century, the identity of India became visually associated with the image of Bharat Mata.

• Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote “Vande Mataram” in the 1870s as a patriotic song, which was
further included in his novel “Anand Math” in 1882.
• Gandhiji designed the Swaraj flag in 1921. It was a tricolour (red, green, and white) with a spinning
wheel in the middle. The spinning wheel represented the Gandhian ideal of self-help.

Famous revolutionaries and nationalists:

• Mahatma Gandhi
• Jawaharlal Nehru
• Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

• Lala Lajpat Rai

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