Question 1

Question 6What were the two methods adopted by the Assertive Nationalists in the freedom struggle?

Accepted Answer

The two methods adopted by the Assertive Nationalists in the freedom struggle were-Swadeshi and boycott — Economic boycott of British goods and use of Swadeshi was designed to encourage Indian industries and provide the people with more opportunities for employment.National Education — The national leaders advocated national universities that were free from government control. A large number of national schools were established in East Bengal.

Question 2

Question 7Mention any one reason for the rise of Assertive Nationalism. Why did the educated Indians turn against the British?

Accepted Answer

One reason for the rise of Assertive Nationalism was the recognition of the true nature of the British Rule. The Assertive Nationalists felt that the British rule was responsible for the economic ruin of India and her growing poverty.The educated Indians turned against the British because a large number of educated Indians were employed in the administration on low salaries, while many others faced unemployment. Their grievances made them look critically at the nature of the British rule. These educated low paid or unemployed Indians became the followers of Assertive Nationalism.

Question 3

Question 8List any two international events that shattered the myth of European superiority.

Accepted Answer

Two international events that shattered the myth of European superiority are-For the first time, Japan, an Asian country, defeated Russia.Italian forces were defeated by the Abyssinians in Ethiopia.

Question 4

Question 9Mention any two measures that show that Lord Curzon's policies were repressive.

Accepted Answer

Two measures that show that Lord Curzon's policies were repressive are-The Act of 1898 which made it an offence to provoke people against the British.The Calcutta Corporation Act (1899) which reduced the strength of elected members from India, thereby giving the British a majority.

Question 5

Question 10Name the two books written by Bal Gangadhar Tilak.

Accepted Answer

Two books written by Bal Gangadhar Tilak are-The Gita RahasyaThe Arctic Home of the Vedas

Question 6

Question 11When and why did Tilak leave the Indian National Congress?

Accepted Answer

Bal Gangadhar Tilak left the Indian National Congress in 1907 after there was a split in the Congress.Tilak left the Indian National Congress because he did not agree with the methods and ideology of the Early Nationalist leaders. He stood for complete Swaraj to be achieved by more self-reliant methods. He also wanted to have a mass-base for their movement. He condemned the British rule in India and held it responsible for the country's downfall.

Question 7

Question 12Why did Tilak revive Ganapati and Shivaji festivals?

Accepted Answer

In 1893, Bal Gangadhar Tilak started using the traditional religious Ganapati festival to propagate nationalist ideas through songs and speeches. In 1895, he glorified Shivaji and started the Shivaji festival to encourage young Maharashtrians.

Question 8

Question 13Mention any two contributions of Bipin Chandra Pal.

Accepted Answer

Two contributions of Bipin Chandra Pal are:As a journalist, he worked for 'Bengal Public Opinion', 'The Tribune' and 'New India' to propagate his brand of nationalism.He wanted to bring about social reforms and opposed caste system and other rigid rules concerning inter-dining and inter-mixing.

Question 9

Question 14Mention any two achievements of the Assertive Nationalists.

Accepted Answer

Two achievements of the Assertive Nationalists were-These leaders were able to inculcate national pride by extolling India's past. Tilak revived the Ganapati and Shivaji festivals to arouse national sentiments. Through his writings in Mahratta and the Kesari, Tilak preached nationalism.They gave new slogans to the Indian nationalist movement like 'non-cooperation, passive resistance, mass agitation, and self-reliance'.

Question 10

Question 1Read the excerpt given below and answer the questions that follow:Rabindranath Tagore endorsed the Swadeshi movement through his songs and poems. There was a change in his attitude as noted by Sumit Sarkar in his book, Swadeshi Movement in Bengal. He says: "[From] trying in vain to placate the foreign ruler and talking big in a foreign tongue, he (Tagore) urges volunteers to the villages instead, spreading social and political enlightment in the melas and through magic lantern lectures, and, above all to revive our traditional samaj, channelling all constructive work through it once again."(a) What was the impact of the Anti-Partition Movement?(b) How did the people react to the Partition of Bengal?(c) What was Lord Curzon's argument in favour of the Partition of Bengal? How did the nationalists interpret Lord Curzon's motives?

Accepted Answer

(a) The Anti-Partition Movement had the following impact:The Partition of Bengal along with the Anti-Partition Movement accelerated the Nationalist Movement by spreading it among the general masses. The people rose in unity to resist, to suffer and to sacrifice.Swadeshi and Boycott were used as weapons of political agitation and a training in self-sufficiency for the attainment of Swaraj. British goods were burnt at public places and shops selling them were picketed. The spirit of Swadeshi spread to almost every walk of life — industries, education, culture, literature, etc.The people lost their faith in the fair play and justice of the British. Lord Curzon refused to concede to the demands of annulling the partition.The Anti-Partition agitation backfired the plans of Lord Curzon. It gave added strength to the National Movement. The methods adopted by the Early Nationalists lost their appeal and gave an opportunity to the Assertive Nationalists to lead the National Movement.The Partition of Bengal was revoked in 1911. A new scheme of partition of Bengal was implemented on linguistic rather than on religious grounds. Hindi, Oriya and Assamese speaking areas were separated from Bengal to form separate administrative units. The administrative capital of British India was shifted from Kolkata to Delhi in 1911.(b) People started a strong movement against the partition, known as the Anti-partition Movement.The Partition of Bengal led to a mighty upsurge which brought people and political leaders together.The Indian National Congress and the nationalists of Bengal opposed the partition. Within Bengal, different sections of the population — zamindars, merchants, lawyers, students and women — rose up in opposition to the partition of their province.Many protest meetings were held by eminent leaders like Surendranath Banerjee, Krishna Kumar Mitra, P.C. Ray, B.C. Pal and Ananda Mohan Bose.The Early Nationalists and the Assertive Nationalists cooperated with one another during the course of the movement.The leaders condemned partition through newspapers like Bengali, Hitabadi and Sanjibani. They declared it a day of national mourning throughout Bengal.There was strike in Kolkata.The streets of Kolkata were full of the cries of 'Bande Mataram' which became the theme song of the national movement.Rabindranath Tagore composed the patriotic song, 'Amar Sonar Bangla' (My Golden Bengal), for the occasion which was sung by huge crowds parading the streets.The ceremony of Raksha Bandhan was celebrated in a new way. Hindus and Muslims tied rakhis on one another's wrists as the symbol of unbreakable unity of the Bengalis and the two halves of Bengal.In the afternoon, there was a great demonstration when the veteran leader Ananda Mohan Bose laid the foundation of a Federation Hall to mark the indestructible unity of Bengal. All gathered there took the vow to follow Swadeshi.(c) Lord Curzon stated that the main motive for the Partition of Bengal, was administrative necessity. The government said that the province of Bengal was too big to be efficiently administered by a single provincial government.The Indian nationalists clearly saw the design behind the Partition and condemned it.They saw that it was a deliberate attempt to divide the Bengalis on religious and territorial grounds and thereby, disrupt and weaken nationalism in Bengal.They felt that administrative efficiency could have been better secured by separating Hindi-speaking Bihar and the Odiya-speaking Odisha from the Bengali-speaking part of the province.Moreover, the manner in which the announcement of partition was made without any regard for the public opinion, hurt the sentiments of sensitive Bengalis.

Question 11

Question 2With reference to the Surat Split of 1907, answer the following questions:(a) What were the issues on which the two wings of the Congress had differences of opinion? How did the British exploit the differences between the Early Nationalists and the Assertive Nationalists?(b) What was the effect of the split between the two wings of the Congress on the National Movement?(c) Why did the Assertive Nationalists adopt the policy of non-cooperation with the British Government? Name the Assertive Nationalist leader who organised akharas and lathi clubs. Why were these organised?

Accepted Answer

(a) The issues on which the two wings of the Congress had differences of opinion were-The Assertive Nationalists wanted to extend the Swadeshi and boycott to the rest of India and make it a vehicle for a full-fledged political mass struggle leading to Swaraj. The Early Nationalists, however, did not approve it for the whole of India and wanted it to be confined to Bengal only.There was also a disagreement over the candidature of the next President. The Assertive Nationalists proposed the name of Lala Lajpat Rai as President of the Surat Session. The Early Nationalists proposed the name of Rashbehari Ghosh. When the session at Surat began in December 1907 there was utter confusion.The British exploited the differences between the Early Nationalists and the Assertive Nationalists. The British adopted a policy of 'concession and repression' — concession for the Early Nationalists as well as the Muslims and repression to the Assertive Nationalists.(b) The split in the Congress was unfortunate because it gave an opportunity to the British to exploit the situation to their advantage.They adopted a policy of 'concession and repression' — concession for the Early Nationalists as well as the Muslims and repression to the Assertive Nationalists.The Surat Split weakened the national movement.The Early Nationalists, however, were largely able to capture the Congress organisation and in the Allahabad convention, held in April 1908, the split was formalised.(c) The Assertive Nationalists adopted the policy of non-cooperation with the British Government due to the following reasons:The main focus of the Assertive Nationalists was to get a larger share for Indians in the administration of their country and to end Britain's economic exploitation of India.They believed that these objectives could not be realised without pressure tactics and some sort of direct action.Hence, they adopted the policy of non-cooperation and resistance to unjust acts of the British government.Bal Gangadhar Tilak was the first nationalist leader who sought close contact with the masses. With this objective and to inculcate courage, self-defence and patriotism, he organised many akharas and lathi clubs where physical training was imparted.

Question 12

Question 3In the second phase of the national movement, there emerged a new younger group of leaders within the Congress who did not agree with the old leadership. In this context, answer the following questions:(a) Explain how the repressive policies of Lord Curzon and influence of International events led to the Assertive nationalism.(b) Name the Assertive Nationalist leader who was wounded when he was leading a protest against Simon Commission. How were his words, when he was wounded, prophetic?(c) Differentiate between the Early Nationalists and the Assertive Nationalists in their objectives and achievements, stating one objective and two achievements of each wing of the Congress.

Accepted Answer

(a) Lord Curzon refused to recognise India as a nation. He was not in favour of giving freedom to India because he believed that the English were destined to rule over India. Therefore, he took several repressive measures to crush Indian Nationalism. These measures included —The Act of 1898 which made it an offence to provoke people against the BritishThe Calcutta Corporation Act (1899) which reduced the strength of elected members from India, thereby giving the British a majorityThe Official Secrets ActThe Indian Universities Act of 1904 which imposed strict official control over the Indian universities because Curzon considered them as the centres of nationalism.All these measures created resentment in India.Assertive nationalism was inspired by the examples of international events.For the first time, Japan, an Asian country, defeated Russia.Italian forces were defeated by the Abyssinians in Ethiopia.In South Africa, the Boers fought for three years (1899-1902) against the British Empire.In Ireland people were waging a full-scale Home Rule agitation.These events broke the myth of the invincibility of the Europeans. The Assertive Nationalists felt that the united masses could throw out the British yoke.(b) The Assertive Nationalist leader who was wounded when he was leading a protest against Simon Commission was Lala Lajpat Rai.On the day he was wounded, he said, 'Lathi blows inflicted on me would prove some day as nails in the coffin of the British empire.' His words, when he was wounded, turned out to be prophetic. This statement turned out to be significant, as it reflected the growing sentiment and determination of Indians to free themselves from British colonial rule. His words became symbolic of the resistance movement and inspired many to join the struggle for independence. His sacrifice galvanized the Indian nationalist movement and intensified the call for self-governance.(c) The difference between the Early Nationalists and the Assertive Nationalists in their objectives is as follows-Early NationalistsAssertive NationalistsTheir main objective was to attain a self-government like the British occupied colonies did. They did not want British to leave India.Their main objective was the immediate attainment of 'Swaraj' through more self-reliant methods. They wanted British to leave India.The difference between the Early Nationalists and the Assertive Nationalists regarding their achievements is as follows-Early NationalistsAssertive NationalistsThey trained Indians in the art of political work.They inculcated national pride among the Indians by extolling India's past.They pressurized the British Government to introduce certain reforms like the appointment of Public Service Commission, 1886, holding ICS examination simultaneously in London and India and appointment of the Welby Commission on Indian Expenditure.They promoted self-reliance through Swadeshi and Boycott movements.

Question 13

Question 4Read the excerpt given below and answer the questions that follow:"You will have observed the word 'boycott' attached to the word 'movement'. It means that it shall move, move from point to point, move from city to city, move from division to division, move from province to province till we realise the highest destiny of our people as a nation in the comity of nations. I mean swaraj."—Bipin Chandra Pal, 1906 Calcutta Session of the Congress(a) Mention Bipin Chandra Pal's political aims.(b) State his ideas on National Education.(c) What remedies did he propose to eradicate India's poverty and unemployment?

Accepted Answer

(a) Bipin Chandra Pal started his political career as a social reformer attached to the Brahmo Samaj, visited a number of European countries and the United States of America.It was during these visits that he observed how people resisted foreign domination.In 1886 he joined the Indian National Congress.He belonged to the Assertive Nationalist group.He wanted complete independence from the British.As a journalist he worked for Bengal Public Opinion, The Tribune and New India to propagate his brand of nationalism.(b) Bipin Chandra Pal wanted National Education to be the basis of the freedom movement.It would arouse nationalistic passions and become an effective instrument of social progress.Educating women, he believed, was the most effective way of elevating their position.(c) Bipin Chandra Pal proposed the following remedies to eradicate India's poverty and unemployment-He stressed the need to develop indigenous industries in the country.He preached the use of Swadeshi and the Boycott of foreign goods to eradicate poverty and unemployment.To establish equality in society, he wanted to tax the rich more heavily than the poorHe demanded forty-eight hours of work in a week and an increase in the wages.

Question 14

Question 5Read the excerpt given below and answer the questions that follow:It is a mistake to suppose that the Swadeshi movement requires sacrifice from poor people. We, the middle classes are the greatest offenders in this respect. The poor Kumbi villagers, require not many foreign articles at all, — probably none at all. It is we, the middle classes, who are the consumers of foreign goods; and since this Government is not going to stop the drain by imposing a protective duty it becomes imperatively necessary to adopt a measure by which we can do ourselves what the Government is bound to do and what the government ought to have done long ago. That one point was self-help and another point was determination; and the third sacrifice. You will find that all this included in this resolution, joined with the declaration made in the Presidential address that Swadeshism is a forced necessity in India owing to unnatural economic conditions in India, makes up a complete case for you. I trust that resolution of self-help adopted this year will form the basis of other resolutions of self-help in years to come.’— Bal Gangadhar Tilak (At the 1906 session of Indian National Congress, where the resolution on Swadeshi was moved.)(a) What was the main aim of Swadeshi' as referred to in the extract? How does, it relate to 'boycott'?(b) What are the reasons for focussing on Swadeshi?(c) In what ways is the speaker of this extract the forerunner of Gandhiji?

Accepted Answer

(a) The main aim of the Swadeshi movement, as referred to in the excerpt, was to promote self-reliance, economic independence, and reduce dependence on British goods. It encouraged Indians to use Indian-made goods and actively boycott foreign products. The British government continued drain by imposing a protective duty and there was a need to start self-help.The Swadeshi movement and the concept of ‘boycott’ were closely intertwined. Indians actively boycotted British-manufactured goods. The movement emphasized using Khadi (hand-spun cloth) and other Indian-made or swadeshi products. The boycott of foreign goods gave an economical jolt to the government and Indian goods were there to fulfill the demand generated by the boycott.(b) The primary aim of the Swadeshi movement was to promote self-reliance and reduce dependence on British goods. Indians wanted to create an indigenous economy by supporting Indian-made products. Swadeshi aimed to revive traditional crafts and promote local industries. By supporting Indian products, people could strengthen their own economy. Also, the movement fostered a sense of national identity and unity.(c) Tilak was the forerunner of Mahatma Gandhi in following ways:Tilak’s idea of Swaraj was akin to Mahatma Gandhi’s idea of complete independence.Tilak sought close contact with the masses as Mahatma Gandhi did.Tilak preached the idea of Swadeshi, Boycott and Prohibition. These ideas were preached and followed by Mahatma Gandhi later on.Tilak had to suffer several terms of imprisonment for the sake of the country, an example followed by Mahatma Gandhi and other nationalist leaders.

Second Phase of the Indian National Movement

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