Q1.What is meant by nationalism?

Nationalism is a feeling of unity and shared identity among people who consider themselves part of the same nation.

Q2.How did the First World War create a new political situation in India?

The war led to huge military expenditure, price rise, shortages and forced recruitment, creating widespread discontent against British rule.

Q3.What was forced recruitment during the First World War?

Forced recruitment was the practice of compelling rural people to join the army against their will to meet war needs.

Q4.Which epidemic spread in India during the war, causing many deaths?

An influenza epidemic spread during the war, killing a very large number of people in India.

Q5.What was Mahatma Gandhi’s idea of Satyagraha?

Satyagraha was a non-violent method of resisting injustice based on truth and the power of the opponent’s conscience.

Q6.Name any two early Satyagraha movements of Gandhiji in India.

Champaran Satyagraha (Bihar, 1917) and Kheda Satyagraha (Gujarat, 1917–18).

Q7.Why did Gandhiji oppose the Rowlatt Act (1919)?

He opposed it because it allowed detention without trial, which he considered a denial of basic civil rights.

Q8.Where did the Jallianwala Bagh massacre take place and who ordered the firing?

It took place at Amritsar, and General Dyer ordered the firing on the peaceful gathering.

Q9.What was the immediate impact of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre on Indian people?

People were shocked and angered, lost faith in British justice and became more determined to oppose colonial rule.

Q10.Who were the Ali brothers in the Khilafat Movement?

Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali were the Ali brothers who led the Khilafat Movement in India.

Q11.What was the main demand of the Khilafat Movement?

The main demand was to protect the powers and position of the Turkish Caliph, the spiritual head of the Muslims.

Q12.Why did Gandhiji support the Khilafat issue?

He supported it to unite Hindus and Muslims in a common struggle against British rule and widen the national movement.

Q13.In which year and at which session was the Non-Cooperation Programme adopted by the Congress?

It was adopted in 1920 at the Nagpur Session of the Indian National Congress.

Q14.What did non-cooperation with the British government mean for Gandhiji?

It meant Indians should peacefully refuse to obey unjust laws and withdraw cooperation from British institutions and goods.

Q15.Give any two main features of the Non-Cooperation Movement.

Boycott of foreign cloth and government schools, and surrender of titles and honours given by the British.

Q16.Name any one national educational institution set up during the Non-Cooperation Movement.

Kashi Vidyapeeth (or Jamia Millia Islamia / Gujarat Vidyapith – any one).

Q17.Which slogan was used to promote the use of Indian cloth during Non-Cooperation?

People were urged to wear khadi and boycott foreign cloth, often symbolised by burning imported clothes in bonfires.

Q18.Why was the Non-Cooperation Movement called a mass movement?

Because it involved large numbers of people from different classes and regions, not just a few political leaders.

Q19.What is meant by “differing strands” within the national movement?

It means different social groups joined the movement with varied aims, methods and expectations from British rule.

Q20.Which social group led the Non-Cooperation Movement in towns and cities?

The educated middle class, including students, teachers, lawyers and professionals, led it in towns and cities.

Q21.Why did many lawyers give up their practice during Non-Cooperation?

They gave up practice to boycott British law courts and show their refusal to cooperate with colonial institutions.

Q22.Why did the Non-Cooperation Movement slow down in towns after some time?

Because alternative Indian institutions were difficult to run and people needed government schools and jobs to survive.

Q23.Who led the peasant movement in Awadh during Non-Cooperation?

Baba Ramchandra, a sanyasi, led the peasant movement in Awadh.

Q24.Mention any two demands of Awadh peasants.

Reduction of high rents and abolition of begar (unpaid labour).

Q25.How did Awadh peasants show their anger against landlords?

They organised nai-dhobi bandhs, refusing the services of barbers and washermen, and sometimes social boycotts of landlords.

Q26.Who led the tribal movement in the Gudem Hills of Andhra Pradesh?

Alluri Sitarama Raju led the tribal movement in the Gudem Hills.

Q27.What did the Gudem rebels want to achieve?

They wanted to remove restrictions on forest use and drive away the British, restoring their traditional rights.

Q28.How was the movement in Gudem Hills different from Gandhian Satyagraha?

It was violent, involving attacks on police stations and guerrilla warfare, unlike Gandhi’s strictly non-violent methods.

Q29.Why were plantation workers in Assam unhappy with British rule?

They were bound by harsh laws like the Inland Emigration Act and were not free to leave plantations or return home.

Q30.What did plantation workers in Assam think Non-Cooperation meant for them?

They believed Gandhi’s Raj would give them freedom to leave plantations and return to their villages.

Q31.What happened at Chauri Chaura in 1922?

A peaceful protest turned violent; protesters burnt a police station, killing several policemen.

Q32.Why did Gandhiji withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement after the Chauri Chaura incident?

He withdrew it because the violence at Chauri Chaura violated his principle of non-violence (ahimsa).

Q33.Why was the Simon Commission of 1928 opposed by Indians?

It was opposed because it had no Indian members; all were British, which insulted Indian opinion.

Q34.What slogan was raised against the Simon Commission?

The slogan “Simon Go Back” was raised all over the country against the Commission.

Q35.Who presided over the Lahore Session of the Congress in 1929?

Jawaharlal Nehru presided over the Lahore Session of the Congress in 1929.

Q36.What important resolution was passed at the Lahore Congress Session in 1929?

The resolution demanding Purna Swaraj, or complete independence, was passed at Lahore in 1929.

Q37.Which day was observed as Independence Day after the Lahore Session?

26 January 1930 was observed as Independence Day, with people taking the pledge of freedom.

Q38.Why did Gandhiji choose salt as the symbol of protest in 1930?

Because salt was a basic necessity, and the salt tax affected rich and poor alike, making it an ideal symbol of injustice.

Q39.From where to where did Gandhiji undertake the Salt March?

He marched from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi, a coastal village in Gujarat, to break the salt law.

Q40.What was the Civil Disobedience Movement?

It was a mass movement in which people peacefully broke unjust colonial laws and refused to obey them.

Q41.Mention any two ways in which people participated in Civil Disobedience.

By breaking salt laws and boycotting foreign cloth and liquor shops; in some areas, by refusing to pay revenue.

Q42.What was the Gandhi–Irwin Pact (1931)?

It was an agreement where the government released political prisoners and Gandhi agreed to suspend Civil Disobedience and attend talks.

Q43.Why were many Dalit leaders dissatisfied with the Congress?

They felt the Congress did not do enough to remove caste inequalities or secure separate political safeguards for Dalits.

Q44.Who represented the “Depressed Classes” and demanded separate electorates for them?

Dr B.R. Ambedkar represented the Depressed Classes and demanded separate electorates for them.

Q45.What is meant by a sense of collective belonging?

It is the feeling among people that they are part of the same nation and share a common identity and future.

Q46.Name the famous national song that inspired Indian nationalists.

The song “Vande Mataram” from Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s novel Anandamath inspired nationalists.

Q47.Who painted the well-known image of Bharat Mata?

Abanindranath Tagore painted one of the most famous images of Bharat Mata.

Q48.Why did nationalists collect folk tales and folk songs?

They collected them to show the rich cultural heritage of India and connect people’s local traditions with the idea of a nation.

Q49.How did the reinterpretation of history promote Indian nationalism?

It highlighted India’s ancient achievements, giving people pride and confidence and countering colonial claims of Indian backwardness.

Q50.How could glorifying the past sometimes create new problems?

It sometimes encouraged the idea that Hindus and Muslims had separate histories, which increased communal tensions.