Note: This comprehensive Study Module with Revision Notes is designed strictly as per the NCERT syllabus, making it ideal for CBSE Class 10 Social Science board examination preparation.

1. Introduction – Understanding Nationalism in India

Nationalism is the feeling of unity and shared identity among the people of a country. In the Indian context, nationalism grew as different social groups began to realise that colonial rule was exploiting them and that freedom from British rule was essential for their progress. The chapter “Nationalism in India” in History – India and the Contemporary World – II explains how various events between the First World War and the Civil Disobedience Movement transformed Indian politics and brought ordinary people into the national movement.

Under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, the freedom struggle took a new direction. Non-violent methods like Satyagraha, mass protests, boycotts and civil disobedience became powerful tools. At the same time, nationalism in India was not a simple or uniform process. Different regions and social groups – peasants, tribals, plantation workers, industrialists, women, and religious communities – had their own experiences, demands and expectations from the movement.

2. The First World War and Its Impact on India

The First World War (1914–1918) created a completely new political and economic situation in India. Although the war was mainly fought in Europe, India had to provide soldiers, money and resources to support the British. Around 13 lakh Indian soldiers were sent to fight overseas. This war brought great hardships for common people in India and indirectly prepared the ground for the rise of nationalism.

2.1 Economic and Social Effects of the War

• Huge military expenditure: The British government increased taxes on customs, introduced new taxes, and raised existing ones to finance the war.
• Price rise and hardships: The prices of essential goods increased sharply, leading to severe hardship for workers, peasants and the middle class.
• Forced recruitment: In rural areas, people were forced to join the army. This caused anger and resentment against the colonial government.
• Shortage of essential goods: Shortages of food and other items, along with an influenza epidemic, led to high mortality and suffering.

These conditions created widespread discontent. People began to feel that British rule was responsible for their misery. This discontent was an important background for the later mass movements led by Gandhiji.

3. Khilafat Movement and the Non-Cooperation Movement

After returning to India in 1915, Mahatma Gandhi travelled across the country, observing the conditions of the people. He successfully experimented with Satyagraha in local struggles such as Champaran, Kheda and Ahmedabad. However, it was only after 1919 that he transformed Indian politics into a truly mass movement, especially in response to events like the Rowlatt Act and the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

3.1 Rowlatt Act and Jallianwala Bagh

• Rowlatt Act (1919): Allowed the government to imprison people without trial. Gandhiji called it a “black law”.
• Nationwide Hartal: Gandhi launched a nationwide hartal in protest. Although it was meant to be non-violent, some places saw clashes.
• Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (1919): In Amritsar, General Dyer ordered firing on a peaceful gathering, killing hundreds. This brutal event shocked the entire nation and destroyed the moral image of British rule.

After Jallianwala Bagh, people lost faith in the “justice” of British rule. There was a clear need for a powerful, united national movement.

3.2 Khilafat Movement

The Khilafat issue related to the Caliph of Turkey, who was considered the spiritual head of the Muslims. After the First World War, the harsh terms imposed on Turkey angered Muslims worldwide. In India, Ali brothers – Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali – started the Khilafat Movement to protect the position of the Caliph.

Mahatma Gandhi saw this as an opportunity to unite Hindus and Muslims in a common struggle against the British. He urged the Congress to support the Khilafat cause. As a result, the Khilafat leaders and the Congress decided to launch a joint movement.

3.3 Launch of the Non-Cooperation Movement (1920)

Gandhi proposed that the British rule could be shaken if Indians withdrew their cooperation from the government. Non-cooperation meant refusing to follow unjust laws and boycotting British institutions and goods in a peaceful manner. The Non-Cooperation Programme included:

• Surrendering titles and honours given by the British.
• Boycotting legislative councils, law courts and government schools.
• Boycotting foreign cloth and promoting the use of khadi.
• Refusing to attend government functions.

At the Nagpur Session of the Congress (1920), the Non-Cooperation Programme was adopted. This movement soon spread from cities to villages and involved students, teachers, lawyers, peasants, tribals and workers.

4. Differing Strands within the Non-Cooperation Movement

Although the Non-Cooperation Movement was led by the Congress and Gandhiji, it was not uniform throughout the country. Different social groups joined the movement with their own specific grievances and goals. This created “differing strands” within the movement.

4.1 Non-Cooperation in the Towns

In cities and towns, the movement was initially led by the middle class – students, teachers, lawyers and professionals. Students left government schools and colleges, and new national institutions such as Kashi Vidyapeeth, Jamia Millia Islamia and Gujarat Vidyapith were set up. Many lawyers, including Motilal Nehru and C.R. Das, gave up their legal practice.

Foreign cloth shops were picketed, and people burnt imported clothes in bonfires. As a result, the import of foreign cloth from Britain reduced sharply. However, after some time, the movement in cities slowed down due to lack of funds and the difficulty of running alternative institutions.

4.2 Peasant Movements in the Countryside

In rural areas, peasants interpreted Non-Cooperation in their own ways. In Awadh (Oudh), peasants were struggling with high rents, unpaid labour (begar) and other oppressive demands of landlords. Under the leadership of Baba Ramchandra, they demanded reduction of rent, abolition of begar and social boycott of oppressive landlords. Many peasants saw Gandhi as a leader who would end their problems, even though the Congress was more cautious about peasant radicalism.

4.3 Tribal and Plantation Workers

In Andhra Pradesh, tribal peasants in the Gudem Hills, led by Alluri Sitarama Raju, took inspiration from the Non-Cooperation Movement but adopted violent methods. They attacked police stations and tried to establish guerrilla warfare against the British, which was not what Gandhi had intended.

Plantation workers in Assam, bound by the Inland Emigration Act, believed that Gandhi’s movement would give them the freedom to return to their villages. They went on strike and left plantations, but many were caught and beaten by the police. Their expectations were different from the moderate, non-violent Non-Cooperation proposed by the Congress leadership.

4.4 Chauri Chaura and Withdrawal of the Movement

In February 1922, in a small town called Chauri Chaura in Uttar Pradesh, a peaceful protest turned violent. Protesters set fire to a police station, killing several policemen. Gandhiji was deeply disturbed by this violence, as it went against his principle of non-violence (ahimsa). He decided to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement.

Many leaders, including Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose, were unhappy with this decision. However, Gandhiji believed that the country was not yet ready for a full-scale non-violent struggle. The withdrawal of the movement led to a period of relative calm, during which the Congress focused on constructive work, such as promoting khadi and village industries.

5. Towards Civil Disobedience – New Developments in the Late 1920s

By the late 1920s, political developments again created a new atmosphere for mass struggle. The British government sent the Simon Commission to India in 1928 to suggest constitutional reforms. However, the Commission did not include any Indian members. This angered political leaders and people all over the country.

5.1 Simon Commission and the Demand for Purna Swaraj

• Simon Commission (1928): Boycotted with the slogan “Simon Go Back”. Demonstrations took place all over India.
• Nehru Report (1928): An all-party committee prepared a draft constitution for India, demanding dominion status within the British Empire.
• Rejection of Dominion Status: The British government was not ready to accept the Nehru Report fully. Younger leaders in the Congress, including Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose, demanded complete independence.

At the Lahore Session of the Congress in December 1929, under the presidency of Jawaharlal Nehru, the demand for Purna Swaraj (complete independence) was adopted. 26 January 1930 was declared as the Independence Day, and people all over the country were asked to pledge to struggle for complete freedom.

5.2 The Salt March and Launch of Civil Disobedience

Gandhiji decided to use salt as the central symbol of protest. Salt was a basic necessity of life, and the British had imposed a tax on it, which affected even the poorest Indians. On 12 March 1930, Gandhiji began his famous Salt March from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi, a coastal village in Gujarat, covering around 240 miles with 78 volunteers.

On reaching Dandi, he broke the salt law by making salt from sea water. This simple act marked the beginning of the Civil Disobedience Movement. Unlike Non-Cooperation, which mainly involved “non-use” of British goods and institutions, Civil Disobedience involved actively breaking specific colonial laws in a non-violent manner.

Main forms of participation in the Civil Disobedience Movement included:

• Defying the salt laws and making salt illegally.
• Boycotting foreign cloth and liquor shops.
• Refusing to pay revenue and taxes in some areas.
• Resigning from government posts and withdrawing from government institutions.
• Participating in peaceful demonstrations and processions.

5.3 Gandhi-Irwin Pact and Round Table Conferences

The government responded to the Civil Disobedience Movement with repression, arresting thousands of leaders and activists. Despite this, the movement spread widely. In 1931, the British government wanted to hold talks with Indian leaders. As a result, the Gandhi-Irwin Pact was signed, under which the government agreed to release political prisoners and allow peaceful picketing, while Gandhiji agreed to suspend the movement and participate in the Second Round Table Conference in London.

However, the Conference did not bring any major achievement for the national movement. When Gandhiji returned, he restarted the Civil Disobedience Movement, but its intensity was weaker this time due to government repression and internal differences.

6. Different Social Groups and the National Movement

The Civil Disobedience Movement saw participation from a wide range of social groups, but each had its own reasons for joining and its own expectations from the movement. This again shows that Indian nationalism was not simple or uniform.

6.1 Business Classes, Rich and Poor Peasants

• Business classes: Indian industrialists and merchants supported the national movement because they wanted protection from foreign competition and favourable economic policies. Organisations like the Federation of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) supported Civil Disobedience.
• Rich peasants: In many regions, rich peasants were unhappy with high land revenue. They saw the movement as an opportunity to pressurise the government to reduce revenue.
• Poor peasants: Poor peasants struggled with debts and poverty. They wanted remissions of rent and relief from moneylenders. However, the Congress was careful and did not fully support refusal to pay rent, fearing that it might lead to radicalism.

6.2 Women in the National Movement

Women from different communities came out of their homes and participated in processions, picketing of foreign cloth and liquor shops, and other activities. They faced police lathis and arrests, showing great courage. However, despite their active role, women were still not given equal political rights within the Congress, and most male leaders believed that their main role was still within the household.

6.3 Limits of Civil Disobedience – Dalits and Muslims

Not all communities felt fully included in the national movement. Many Dalit leaders, including Dr B.R. Ambedkar, believed that political freedom alone would not solve the deep social inequalities faced by the “Depressed Classes”. They demanded separate electorates so that Dalits could choose their own representatives.

Similarly, many Muslim leaders were worried that in a future independent India, they might be dominated by the Hindu majority. The failure of Congress to fully address minority concerns and the growth of communal tensions limited the reach of nationalism.

7. The Sense of Collective Belonging

For nationalism to grow, people must feel that they belong to the same nation. This feeling of collective belonging did not arise automatically; it was carefully created through cultural symbols, shared history and common experiences.

7.1 National Symbols and Images

• Bharat Mata: The figure of Bharat Mata (Mother India) was painted and drawn in different ways by artists like Abanindranath Tagore. She was often shown as a calm, spiritual figure, symbolising the nation.
• Vande Mataram: The song “Vande Mataram” from Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s novel Anandamath became a powerful national song, sung in political meetings and processions.

7.2 Folklore, Folk Songs and Reinterpretation of History

Nationalist leaders and writers collected folk tales, folk songs and legends from different regions to show that Indian culture was rich and ancient. This helped people in villages and towns connect their local traditions with the larger idea of the Indian nation.

At the same time, Indian historians and writers began to reinterpret history from an Indian perspective. They highlighted the achievements of ancient India in fields like science, art, philosophy and architecture to show that Indians were not backward or inferior, as colonial rulers often claimed. This boosted self-confidence and pride among Indians.

However, sometimes this glorification of the past also led to the idea that Hindus and Muslims had completely separate histories, which encouraged communal thinking. Thus, even as nationalism united people, it also created new divisions which later became serious problems.

8. Quick Revision Pointers for CBSE Class 10 Board Exams

• Learn the chronological order of major events – Rowlatt Act, Jallianwala Bagh, Khilafat, Non-Cooperation, Chauri Chaura, Simon Commission, Lahore Session, Salt March, Civil Disobedience.
• Be able to explain at least 3–4 causes and 3–4 impacts for any major movement.
• Practise map-based questions – important centres of the Non-Cooperation and Civil Disobedience Movements.
• For “differing strands” questions, always cover towns, peasants, tribals/plantation workers and business classes.
• Use key terms like Satyagraha, Purna Swaraj, Civil Disobedience, Khilafat, collective belonging correctly in your answers.

These revision notes on “History – India and the Contemporary World – II, Chapter 2: Nationalism in India” follow the NCERT textbook closely and are aligned with the latest CBSE Class 10 Social Science board examination pattern. Regular reading and answer-writing practice using these points will help you secure higher marks in both short and long answer questions.