Making of the National Movement : 1870s–1947 | Class 8th | Easy Notes

What if India is its people, not just a place on the map? In this chapter, you’ll see how that idea grew: people formed groups, held meetings, wrote in newspapers, and spoke up for public rights. You’ll learn how different regions began to think together, how unity spread, and how demands for self-rule became stronger. In short, we’ll know about the feelings which turned into organised action. And the way a national movement took shape.

The Emergence of Nationalism:

Indians saw that the British controlled resources and daily life. They felt India would be truly for Indians only when this control ended. People became conscious and many political associations started spreading this consciousness among the people of the country.

Political associations in the 1870s to 1880s

• Educated Indians, mainly lawyers, formed public bodies that spoke for the nation.
• Key groups were:- Poona Sarvajanik Sabha, Indian Association, Madras Mahajan Sabha, and Bombay Presidency Association.
  • Sarvajanik means ‘for all the people’.

Rising dissatisfaction in the 1870s to 1880s

(Why dissatisfaction arose among the Indian people?)

• Arms Act 1878 : It barred Indians from keeping arms.
• Vernacular Press Act 1878 : It allowed the government to seize presses for writings it called objectionable.
• Ilbert Bill 1883 : It proposed that Indian judges could try Europeans. White opposition led to its withdrawal. This revealed racial attitudes and angered Indians.

Formation of Indian National Congress (1885)

• The Ilbert Bill dispute increased the demand for an all India organisation.
• Seventy two delegates met in Bombay in December 1885 and formed the Indian National Congress.
• Early leaders included Dadabhai Naoroji, Pherozeshah Mehta, Badruddin Tyabji, W C Bonnerji, Surendranath Banerji, Romesh Chandra Dutt, and S Subramania Iyer.
  • Dadabhai Naoroji , a businessman and publicist, lived in London for many years and also served as a British MP. He guided younger nationalists. Moreover, Naoroji wrote Poverty and Un-British Rule in India.
  • A O Hume, a retired British official, helped Indian leaders come together.
  • Badruddin Tyabji presided in 1887. Tyabji said the Congress represented all communities. He stressed unity and inclusion. He became the first Muslim President in INC.

Early Congress leaders tried to turn India’s people into one political nation through calm and lawful action.

Note: Initially there were majority members in INC who believed in constitutional methods and legitimate gradual reforms. These members were called Moderates.

Belief of Moderates:

• The Moderates believed in peaceful and legal methods.
• They used petitions, speeches, and resolutions, and some of them also wrote books and articles to shape public opinion.
  • For Example:- Dadabhai Naoroji wrote Poverty and Un-British Rule in India to explain the economic harm of British rule.

Demands of moderates in I.N.C.

• Political representation : Early Nationalists asked for larger and more powerful councils. They wanted Indians in high posts too. Also, they wanted civil service exams to be conducted in India.
• Indianisation: They opposed racist hiring and demanded to appoint Indians also in their top posts.
• Rights and fair law: They sought a separate judiciary, repeal of the Arms Act, and freedom of speech.
• Economic Relief: They said British rule caused poverty and famines. They asked to cut land revenue and military spending and to increase funds for irrigation. Furthermore, they also raised topics such as the salt tax, the condition of Indian workers abroad, and the hardships of forest dwellers.

Leaders published books and newspapers, spoke, and toured to unite people. They linked local problems to national aims and believed just demands would be heard.

Belief of Radicals:

• By the 1890s many questioned Congress methods.
• Bipin Chandra Pal (from Bengal), Bal Gangadhar Tilak (from Maharashtra) and Lala Lajpat Rai (from Punjab); all these leaders criticised the Moderates for their “politics of prayers”.
  • Note: All these leaders started ‘Lal Bal Pal’ trio in 1905 (in response to partition of Bengal).
• These leaders believed in radical methods.
• They urged self reliance and constructive work.
• Radical leaders called for swaraj (Self-Rule).
  • In this attempt, Bal Gangadhar Tilak gave a slogan, “Freedom is my birthright and I shall have it.”

Partition of Bengal

• Bengal was the largest Province under British Rule. It covered Bihar, parts of Odisha, and the regions that later became West Bengal and Bangladesh.
• It was difficult to administer Bengal province.
• As a result, in 1905 a British Viceroy, Curzon divided Bengal into two provinces.
  • But, the plan actually served British interests.
  • They did not remove non-Bengali areas from Bengal. Instead, they carved out East Bengal and merged it with Assam.
  • This weakened Bengali leaders and split the Bengali people.

Result of the partition

• Anger spread across India.
• Moderates and radicals opposed it together.
• People held large meetings and organised new kinds of protest.
• This grew into the Swadeshi movement.
  • Note: Tilak strongly criticised British rule in his Marathi newspaper, Kesari.
• It was strongest in Bengal and echoed elsewhere.
• In deltaic Andhra it was called the Vandemataram Movement.

All India Muslim league

• In 1906, a group of Muslim landlords and nawabs met at Dacca (now Dhaka) and formed the All India Muslim League.
• Interestingly, the league supported the partition of Bengal.
• Also, they wanted separate electorates for Muslims.
  • Separate electorate : Electors vote only for their own community’s representative.
• Later, the British accepted it (demand) in the Indian Councils Act, 1909.
  • Note: The Indian Councils Act, 1909 is also known as Morley-Minto Reforms.

Split of Congress:-

• The Congress broke into two groups at Surat in 1907.
  • Moderates and Radicals
• However, these two group reunited in December 1915.

Lucknow Pact:

• In 1916, Congress and Muslim league decided to work together for self-rule and common political demands.
• They signed a pact at Lucknow in 1916, known as the Lucknow Pact.

The Growth of Mass Nationalism

• The first world war (1914-1918) changed the economic and political situation in India.
• War had negative as well as positive impacts on India.
  • Negative Impact:
    • Defence and military expenditure rose.
    • Demand of war supplies also rose.
    • The government raised customs duties and started income tax.
    • The state forced recruitment in many rural areas.
    • Shortages of food and goods appeared.
    • The influenza of 1918 and crop failures caused many deaths.
  • Positive Impact:
    • Indian industry grew to meet war demand.
    • New factories came up and old mills ran longer hours.
    • Indian business profits rose.
    • Cities saw more jobs.
    • Political unity increased.
    • Hopes for self rule became stronger.

The Advent of Mahatma Gandhi

• Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, already known for non-violent campaigns against racial discrimination in South Africa, returned to India in 1915 at Gopal Krishna Gokhale’s invitation.
• He travelled across India for about a year to get an overall view of conditions and people.
• Later, he led three local Satyagrahas.
  • at Champaran in 1917,
  • Kheda in 1918, and
  • Ahmedabad in 1918.
• In 1919, he started a nation wide Satyagraha against Rowlatt Act.
  

The Rowlatt Satyagraha

Rowlatt Act:- It allowed the government to arrest people without a warrant and hold them without trial for up to two years.

• M.K. Gandhi, Mohammad Ali Jinnah and some other leaders opposed this act.
• They called it ‘devilish’ and ‘tyrannical’.
• Many people from Cities joined the Satyagraha against Rowlatt Act.

Punjab Wrongs :

• On 13 April 1919, many people gathered at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar for Baisakhi and a peaceful meeting against the Rowlatt Act.
• General Dyer entered with soldiers, blocked the main exit, and ordered firing without any warning.
• The firing went on for several minutes, and people could not escape.
• Hundreds were killed and many were wounded; some jumped into a well to save their lives.
• After this, anger spread across India. Rabindranath Tagore returned his knighthood, and trust in British rule collapsed.

Khilafat Agitation and Non-Cooperation Movement:

• After World War I, Indian Muslims started the Khilafat protest to support the Caliph. Gandhi joined with them to build unity against unfair rule.
• There were two important Khilafat leaders; Mohammad Ali and Shaukat Ali.
• Eventually, the call for swaraj and support for Khilafat came together and led to the Non-Cooperation Movement

Khilafat Non-Cooperation Alliance:

• Congress approved the plan in 1920 and launched Non-Cooperation.
• People boycotted government schools, law courts, councils, and foreign cloth.
• They spun and wore khadi, held peaceful meetings, and picketed liquor and foreign cloth shops.
• Moreover, tribals and poor peasants also conducted ‘forest Satyagrahas’.
• The movement spread widely and raised unity, but after violence at Chauri Chaura in 1922, Gandhi called it off.

Note: People believed “Gandhi Raj” would come soon and British rule would end.

The People’s Mahatma:

• Many people came to believe that M. K. Gandhi was their saviour who would end poverty and misery.
• Some tribals and peasants also took actions that were not in line with Gandhian ideals.

The happenings of 1922-1929

• In February 1922, Chauri-Chaura incident took place and Gandhi had to call of the N.C.M.
• Three main parties formed in 1920s.
  • Swaraj Party (1922): It was led by C. R. Das and Motilal Nehru. It entered councils to press for self rule from inside.
  • Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (1925): It was founded by K. B. Hedgewar. It worked to organise Hindus.
  • Communist Party of India (1925): It had leaders like M. N. Roy and S. A. Dange. It spoke for workers and peasants.

Simon Commission:-

• It was a British committee to suggest new constitutional reforms for India.
• This commission was appointed in 1927 and arrived in India in 1928.
• Sir John Simon headed the Simon Commission.
• It had seven British members and no Indian member.
• Consequently, enraged people demonstrated against the commission with the slogan “Simon Go Back.”

Police lathi-charged a protest (against Simon Commission) led by Lala Lajpat Rai in Lahore, he was badly hurt and died on 17 November 1928.

Purna Swaraj:

• In December 1929, at the Lahore Session, Jawaharlal Nehru became President of the Indian National Congress.
• Congress passed the Purna Swaraj resolution.
• Also, they asked people to celebrate 26 January 1930 as Independence Day.

The March to Dandi:

• In 1930, Gandhi wrote a letter to Viceroy Irwin. He stated 11 demands in it.
• One of the demands was about the abolition of the Salt tax.
• After Irwin refused their demands, Gandhi launched the Salt Satyagraha in 1930.
• The Salt March became the symbol of the Civil Disobedience Movement’s beginning.

Salt March:

• It was Gandhi’s peaceful march from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi to break salt law.
• Gandhi marched with 78 volunteers, covering about 385 km (240 miles) from 12 March to 6 April 1930.
• After reaching Dandi, they boiled sea water and produced salt.
• This event started the CDM.
• Women largely participated in this movement.
  • Remember: Sarojini Naidu was the first Indian woman to become President of the Indian National Congress (I.N.C – 1925).

Government of India Act 1935:

• This Act of 1935 ended dyarchy (dual government) in provinces and gave provincial autonomy.
• Elections in 1937 were held under this Act.
• Congress formed ministries in many provinces (7 out of 11).

Quit India and later:

• In 1942, Quit India Movement started.
• M.K. Gandhi said ‘do or die’ in order to demand independence.
• Many peasants and students joined the movement.
• In many places, enraged people destroyed symbols of British rule around them.

Muslims’ fear and Partition:

• Many Muslims feared rule by a permanent Hindu majority.
• They asked for strong safeguards for jobs, language, and culture.
• In 1946, the British held elections for the Central and Provincial Assemblies under the 1935 Act.
• The Congress won large majorities and formed ministries in several provinces. (in the General Constituencies)
• The Muslim League won most Muslim seats and claimed to represent all Muslims. (in separate electorates)
• Consequently, it showed a deep divide and pushed power-sharing talks.

Failure of Cabinet Mission:

• The Cabinet Mission (1946) was a three-man British delegation sent to India to plan the transfer of power.
• It came to propose how to transfer power to Indians while keeping India united, by setting up a small central government, giving provinces more control, and creating a body to write the Constitution with a temporary government to run things.
• It failed because Congress wanted a strong central government, while the Muslim League wanted more power for the provinces, so they could not agree and the plan collapsed.

Direct Action Day:

On 16 August 1946, the Muslim League called Direct Action Day to show support for Pakistan after cabinet mission failed.

• Strikes and rallies in Calcutta turned violent, riots spread, and thousands died.

Interim Government:

• An Interim Government took office in September 1946 with Jawaharlal Nehru as head.
• A Constituent Assembly met in December 1946 to draft the Constitution.

By March 1947 violence spread to different parts of northern India.

Within a few months, this led to Partition, and in August 1947 two nations were formed — India and Pakistan.

Two nation Theory:

• The leaders who supported two nation theory were : Sir Muhammad Iqbal, Muhammad Ali Jinnah and some others.
• And the leaders who opposed two nation theory were: Maulana Azad, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and many more.