CBSE Class 10 Social Science Nationalism in India VBQs

Question. Jallianwala Bagh incident took place on :
(a) 13 April 1919
(b) 13 April 1909
(c) 6 April 1930
(d) 5 March 1931

Answer : (a) 13 April 1919

Question. Who among the following wrote the Vande Mataram ? 
(a) Rabindranath Tagore
(b) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
(c) Abanindranath Tagore
(d) Dwarkanath Tagore

Answer : (b) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay

Question. The Congress Session at Nagpur was held in :
(a) September 1920
(b) April 1919
(c) November 1920
(d) December 1920

Answer : (d) December 1920

Question. What was the effect of the Non-Cooperation Movement on the plantation workers in Assam?
(a) They left the plantations and headed home.
(b) They went on strike.
(c) They destroyed the plantations.
(d) None of the above 

Answer : (a) They left the plantations and headed home 

Question. Identify the act and choose the correct option :
(i) The Act was passed by the Imperial Legislative Council.
(ii) It gave power to the government to repress political activities.
(iii) It empowered the government to detain the political prisoner without trial.
Options:
(a) Rowlatt Act
(b) Vernacular Press Act
(c) Government of India Act
(d) Inland Emigration Act 

Answer : (a) Rowlatt Act 

Question. Which year among the following is associated with return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to India?
(a) February, 1915
(b) January, 191
(c) December, 1915
(d) January, 1915 

Answer : (d) January, 1915 

Question. Gandhiji organised Satyagraha to support the peasants in Kheda district of Gujarat :
(a) 1913
(b) 1916
(c) 1917
(d) 1918

Answer : (c) 1917 

Question. When Simon Commission arrived in India, it was greeted with the slogan :
(a) Go back Simon!
(b) Come again Simon!
(c) Welcome Simon!
(d) Hello! Simon 

Answer : (a) Go back Simon! 

Question. Demand of ‘Purna Swaraj’ was formalised by Nehru at :
(a) Calcutta Congress Session
(b) Madras Congress Session
(c) Lahore Congress Session
(d) Nagpur Congress Session 

Answer : (c) Lahore Congress Session 

Question : Which was the main cause for boycotting foreign goods during Non- Cooperation Movement? 
(a) A symbol of foreign rule
(b) A symbol of western economic and cultural dominations
(c) A symbol of oppressive rule
(d) A symbol of western political domination

Answer : (b) A symbol of western economic and cultural dominations

Question : ______cloth was often more expensive than mass produced mill cloth. 
(a) Cotton
(b) jute
(c) Khadi
(d) silk 

Answer : (c) Khadi

Question : Which one of the following is not true regarding the Jallianwala Bagh incident? 
(a) Its aim was to create a feeling of terror
(b) Its aim was to create a ‘moral effect’ in the minds of the satyagrahis
(c) It took place on 13th April, 1918
(d) The martial law had been imposed by Dyer

Answer : (c) It took place on 13th April, 1918

Question. Jallianwalla Bagh incident took place on :
(a) 13 April, 1919
(b) 13 April, 1909
(c) 6 April, 1930
(d) 5 March, 1931 

Answer : (a) 13 April 1919 

Question. Which of the following formed the Khilafat Committee in Bombay?
(a) Muhammad Ali Jinnah
(b) Ali Brothers
(c) Abdul Ghaffar Khan
(d) Surendra Nath Banerjee 

Answer : (b) Ali Brothers 

Question. Identify the Memorial built for the people who were killed at this place in an incident.

(a) Chauri Chaura
(b) Satyagraha
(c) Jallianwalla Bagh
(d) Non-Cooperation 

Answer : (c) Jallianwala Bagh 

Question. Following image is of a march by Indian workers in South Africa. Mahatma Gandhi was led the workers when he was arrested. This march was from New Castle to Transvaal. Identify the year in which this march took place among the following options.

Options:
(a) November, 1913
(b) December, 1913
(c) November, 1914
(d) December, 1914 

Answer : (a) November, 1913 

Question. Mahatma Gandhi organised Satyagraha movement amongst cotton mill workers in Ahmedabad in :
(a) 1913
(b) 1918
(c) 1919
(d) 1920 

Answer : (b) 1918 

Question. In which year among the following Indian workers in South Africa marched through Volksrust?
(a) 6 Nov, 1917
(b) 12 Nov, 1912
(c) 6 Nov, 1913
(d) 5 Nov, 1914 

Answer : (c) 6 Nov, 1913 

Question. Following image is of a very famous event of India's National Movement that took place in Chauri Chaura in 1922, where a peaceful demonstration turned into a violent clash with the police.
Hearing of the incident Mahatma Gandhi called a halt to the Non-Cooperation Movement. Identify, the district where this event took place among the following options.

Options:
(a) Hoshiarpur
(b) Gorakhpur
(c) Meerut
(d) Delhi 

Answer : (b) Gorakhpur 

Question. Identify the place where demand of Purna Sawaraj was formalized by Congress session in 1829:
(a) Calcutta
(b) Bombay
(c) Lahore
(d) Nagpur 

Answer : (a) Calcutta

Question. When Simon Commission arrived in India, it was greeted with the slogan :
(a) Go back Simon!
(b) Come again Simon!
(c) Welcome Simon!
(d) Simon go back!

Answer : (a) Go back Simon!

Question. Mahatma Gandhi organised Satyagraha movement amongst Cotton mill workers in Ahmedabad in :
(a) 1913
(b) 1918
(c) 1919
(d) 1920

Answer : (b) 1918

Question. Demand of ‘Purna Swaraj’ was formalised by Nehru at :
(a) Calcutta Congress Session
(b) Madras Congress Session
(c) Lahore Congress Session
(d) Nagpur Congress Session

Answer : (c) Lahore Congress Session

Question. Arrange the following events in the correct sequence-
(i) Lahore Congress Session
(ii) Chauri Chaura Incident
(iii) Second Round Table Conference
(iv) Khilafat Movement
Options -
(a) (i)-(ii)-(iii)-(iv)
(b) (ii)-(iii)-(iv)-(i)
(c) (iv)-(ii)-(i)-(iii)
(d) (iv)-(ii)-(iii)-(i)

Answer : (c) (iv)-(ii)-(i)-(iii)

Question. In India, devotion to the figure of Bharat Mata came to be seen as evidence of one’s nationalism.
Answer : True

Question. In the year 1921, Jawaharlal Nehru had designed the Swaraj Flag. 
Answer : False

Question. The Civil Disobedience Movement started with the breaking of the Salt Law. (True/False)
Answer : True

Assertion and Reasoning Based Questions

Mark the option which is most suitable :
(a) If both assertion and reason are true and reason is the correct explanation of assertion.
(b) If both assertion and reason are true and reason is not the correct explanation of assertion.
(c) If assertion is true but reason is false.
(d) If both assertion and reason are false.

Question. Assertion : In 1917, Gandhiji organised a satyagraha to support the peasants of the Kheda district of Gujarat.
Reason : The peasants were affected by crop failure and plague epidemic. They could not pay the revenue and were demanding that revenue collection be relaxed.
Answer : (a) 

Question. Assertion : The council elections were boycotted in most provinces except Madras.
Reason : In many places, merchants and traders refused to trade in foreign goods or finance foreign trade.
Answer :  (b) 

Question. Assertion : The Non-Cooperation Movement gradually slowed down for a variety of reasons in the cities.
Reason : As the boycott movement spread, and people began discarding imported clothes and wearing only Indian ones, production of Indian textile mills and handlooms went up.
Answer : (b) 

Question. Assertion : In Awadh, the peasants were led by Alluri Sitaram Raju.
Reason : The movement here was against Oudh Kisan Sabha.
Answer : (d) 

One Word Answer Type Questions

Question : By whom was the first image of Bharat Mata painted ?
Answer : Abanindranath Tagore.

Question : How many miles were covered in Gandhi ji's Salt March ?
Answer : 240 miles.

Question : When did Mahatma Gandhi ji return to India from South Africa ?
Answer : 1915

Question : What does 'Idea of Satyagraha' mean ?
Answer : Power of truth.

Question : When was the Federation of the Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries set-up ?
Answer : 1927 

Question : In which year Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa?
Answer : In January, 1915 Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa. 

Question : In which movement did the women participate in large numbers for the first time ?
Answer : Civil Disobedience Movement. 

Question : By what name were the Dalits referred by Gandhi ji ?
Answer : Harijans. 

Question : Who were organised into Depressed Classes Association ?
Answer : Dalits. 

Question : In which city Mahatma Gandhi ji launched Satyagraha in 1918 ?
Answer : Kheda district, Gujarat

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question. Name the writer of the book ‘Hind Swaraj‘.
Answer : The book ‘Hind Swaraj was written by Mahatma Gandhi.

Question. Why was Simon Commission rejected in India ?
Answer : The Simon Commission was rejected in India because it did not have a single Indian member.

Question. What were Gandhiji’s apprehensions regarding the grant of separate electorates to the dalits?
Answer : Gandhiji believed that the grant of separate electorates would weaken the national movement and slow down the process of integration of dalits into the mainstream of society.

Question. Why did the business classes in India participate in the Civil Disobedience Movement?
Answer : They participated in this movement because they wanted protection against imprints of foreign goods and a rupee sterling foreign exchange ratio that would discourage imports.

Question. What do you know about the Rowlatt Act of 1919?
Answer : This Act had been passed through the imperial legislative council despite the united opposition of the Indian members. It gave the British government enormous powers to repress political activities and allowed detention of political prisoners.

Question. What did Mahatma Gandhi do to launch a more broad-based movement in India.
Answer : He brought Hindus and Muslims closer together.

Question : Why did the militant guerrilla movement in Andhra Pradesh start?
Answer : In Gudem Hills, the colonial government had blocked large forest areas, preventing people from entering the forests. This enraged the hill people and they revolted against the British.

Question : Why people gathered in Jallianwala Bagh on 13th April, 1919 ?
Answer : In order to attend Vaisakhi festival, a crowd of villagers assembled at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar on 13th April, 1919.

Question : Why many Congress leaders were reluctant to boycott council elections ?
Answer : The Congress leaders were willing to boycott council elections scheduled for November 1920, as they feared if they joined Non-Cooperation Movement; it might lead to popular violence.

Question : How can battles be fought with Satyagraha ?
Answer : The notion of Satyagraha underscored that if the cause was true, then the physical might was not indispensable to fight the oppressor.

Question : Which was the third early Satyagrahi Movement?
Answer : In 1918, Mahatma Gandhi ji travelled to Ahmedabad to organise Satyagraha Movement amongst cotton mill workers.

Question : Why people in rural areas were angry on Britishers?
Answer : There was a prevalence of conscription system or forced recruitment of soldiers in rural areas, culminating in acute dearth of food, accompanied by influenza epidemic.

Question : Correct the following statement and rewrite it:
Gandhiji in 1919 decided to launch a nationwide Satyagraha against the proposed Morley-Minto Reforms (1919).
Answer : Gandhiji in 1919 decided to launch a nationwide Satyagraha against the proposed Rowlatt Act (1919).

Question : What is meant by Satyagraha ?
Answer : Satyagraha is the non-violent way of mass agitation against the oppressor. The notion of Satyagraha underscored the power of truth.

Question : How did Gandhi ji apply the method of Satyagraha in India?
Answer : Initially, Gandhi ji applied the method of Satyagraha in the Champaran district of Bihar. He aimed to help the exploited peasants from the clutch of torturous plantation owners.

Question : What was Mahatma Gandhi’s reaction on Rowlatt Act?
Answer : Mahatma Gandhi aimed to start a non-violent Civil Disobedience Movement against such unjust laws that could initiate with a strike on 6th April, 1919.

Question : Name two prominent industrialists of the early-twentieth century.
Answer : Purshottamdas Thakur and G.D. Birla were the two prominent industrialists of the early-twentiethcentury.

Question. Why was the Simon Commission boycotted in India?
Answer : It was boycotted because there was no Indian member in the Simon Commission.

Question. The Simon Commission was greeted on its arrival in India with a famous slogan. What is it?
Answer : The Slogan was — Go back Simon.

Question. What was Gandhiji’s conviction regarding the starting of the Non-cooperation movement that he expressed in his book Hind Swaraj?
Answer : He declared that British rule was established in India with the co-operation of Indians and had survived only because of this cooperation. If Indians refused to cooperate, British rule in India would collapse within a year, and Swaraj would come.

Question. In February 1922, Mahatama Gandhi decided to withdraw the Non-co-operation movement. Why did they do that?
Answer : The Chauri-Chaura incident disheartened Mahatma Gandhi. He felt that the movement was turning violent in many places and Satyagrahies needed to be properly trained before they would be ready for mass struggles.

Question. Correct the following statement and rewrite.
On 13th April, 1919, a large crowd gathered in the enclosed ground of Assembly hall in Amritsar.
Answer : On 13th April, 1919, a large crowd gathered in the enclosed ground of Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar.

Question. What did the peasants of Kheda demand?
Answer : They demanded relaxation in revenue collection.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question. Describe any three major problems faced by the peasants of Awadh in the days of Non-Cooperation Movement.
Answer : During the Non-Cooperation Movement, the peasants of Awadh suffered tremendous problems. These problems are enumerated as follows :
(i) Talukdars and Landlords demanded excessive high rents and an array of other taxes from the peasants.
(ii) Peasants were involved in begar (labour without payment). They worked at the farms of landlords.
(iii) As tenants, the peasants barely had any security of tenure. Therefore, the peasant movement in Awadh demanded lowering of revenue load, elimination of begar and social boycott of dominating landlords.

Question. What were the circumstances which led to Jallianwala Bagh incident ? Describe in brief the reaction of the people immediately after the incident.
Answer : The Rowlatt Act (1919) was passed by the British government despite the unified opposition of the Indian members. This Act empowered the government to subdue political activities and detain any person without trial for two years. Gandhiji launched nonviolent civil disobedience against unjust laws. Rallies were organised in varied cities. Enraged by the popular revolt, British administration imposed martial law in Amritsar. On 13th April, 1919, General Dyer killed innocent people who assembled in Jallianwala Bagh. The news spread like a wildfire. As a matter of fact, hundreds and thousands of people took to the streets and there were strikes, clashes and mass protest.

Question. How did the business classes participate in the Civil Disobedience Movement?
Or
Analyse the role of merchants and the industrialists in the Civil Disobedience Movement.
Answer : (i) The business classes supported the Civil Disobedience Movement when it was first launched.
(ii) They gave financial assistance and refused to buy or sell imported goods.
(iii) Most businessmen came to see Swaraj at a time when colonial restrictions on business would no longer exist and trade and industry would flourish without constraints.
(iv) But after the failure of the Round Table Conference, business groups were no longer uniformly enthusiastic. So, when the movement was re-launched by Gandhiji, most of them withdrew their support.
(v) They were apprehensive of the spread of militant activities, and worried about prolonged disruption of business.

Question. Write a short note on the Rowlatt Act. How did Indians act in response to it and what were its consequences?
Or
Why did Mahatma Gandhiji decide to launch a nationwide ‘Satyagraha’ against the proposed Rowlatt Act? Explain any three reasons.
Answer : (i) The Rowlatt Act was passed in 1919 by the British government despite the united opposition of the Indian members.
(ii) It gave enormous powers to the government.
(iii) Now, the British government could suppress the political activities, and allow detention of political prisoners without trial for two years.
Indian people reacted to it stoutly. Under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, they decided to launch a nationwide Satyagraha against the proposed Rowlatt Act (1919).
(i) Rallies were organised in various cities.
(ii) Workers went on strike in railway workshops.
(iii) Shops closed down.
To suppress the nationalists the British administration
(i) Put the local leaders in jail.
(ii) Debarred Mahatma Gandhi from entering Delhi.
(iii) On 10 April, the police in Amritsar fired upon a peaceful procession.
(iv) On 13 April, the Jallianwalla Bagh incident took place.

Question. When and why Gandhiji went on fast unto death? What was its outcome?
Answer : Many dalit leaders stressed on demanding reserved seats in educational institutions, and a separate electorate that would choose dalit members for legislative councils. Dr B.R. Ambedkar organised the dalits into the Depressed Classes Association in 1930 and supported dalit’s demands. When the British government conceded Ambedkar’s demand, Gandhiji began a fast unto death. He believed that separate electorates for dalits would slow down the process of their integration into society.
Ambedkar ultimately accepted Gandhiji’s point and it resulted in the Poona Pact of September 1932. It gave the Depressed Classes (later to be known as the Scheduled Castes) reserved seats in provincial and central legislative councils, but they were to be voted in by the general electorate.

Question. “The Congress was reluctant to include the demands of industrial workers in its programme of struggle.” Analyse the reasons.
Answer : The Congress was reluctant to include the demands of industrial workers in its programme of struggle because:
(i) The industrial working classes did not participate in the Civil Disobedience Movement in large numbers, except in the Nappur region.
(ii) As the industrialists came closer to the Congress, workers stayed aloof.
(iii) The Congress felt that by including workers’ demands as part of its programme of struggle it would alienate industrialists and divide the anti-imperial forces.

Question. An important feature of the Civil Disobedience Movement was the large-scale participation of women. Explain.
Answer : (i) Women joined the Civil Disobedience Movement on a large-scale.
(ii) During Gandhiji’s salt march, thousands of women came out of their homes to listen to him.
(iii) They participated in protest marches and manufactured salt.
(iv) They picketed foreign cloth and liquor shops. Many went to jail.
(v) In urban areas, these women were from high-caste families and in rural areas they came from rich peasant households.
(vi) Moved by Gandhiji’s call, they began to see service to the nation as a sacred duty of women.

Question. Under what circumstances did Gandhiji re-launch the Civil Disobedience Movement?
Answer : In December, Gandhiji went to London for the second Round Table Conference, but the negotiations broke down and he returned disappointed. Back in India, he found that the government had begun a new cycle of repression. Ghaffar Khan and Jawaharlal Nehru were in jail. The Congress had been declared illegal, and a series of measures had been imposed to prevent meetings, demonstrations and boycotts. Gandhi became very apprehensive, and without any further delay, he re-launched the Civil Disobedience Movement.

Question. How did the business classes relate to the Civil Disobedience Movement?
Or
Who led the business community during the Civil Disobedience Movement?
How did the community provide a big boost to the Movement?
Answer : (i) The business class was led by prominent industrialists like Purushottamdas Thakurdas and G.D. Birla.
(ii) These industrialists attacked colonial control over the Indian economy and supported the Civil Disobedience Movement. They gave financial assistance and refused to buy or sell imported goods.
(iii) Most business men came to see Swaraj as a time when colonial restrictions on business would no longer exist and trade and industry would flourish without constraints.
In this way, the business class gave a big boost the civil Disobedience Movement.

Question. Describe any three features of Civil Disobedience Movement of 1930.
Answer : The Civil Disobedience Movement was started under the leadership of M.K. Gandhi, in the year 1930. It was an important milestone in the history of Indian Nationalism. The main ideology behind the Civil Disobedience Movement was to defy the laws made by the British.
Gandhiji started his famous Salt March (Dandi March) from his ashram in Sabarmati to the Gujarati coastal town of Dandi. On 6 April, he reached Dandi, and openly violating the law, manufactured salt by boiling sea water. Three features of this movement were.
(i) Peasants refused to pay revenue and chaukidari taxes.
(ii) In many places forest people violated forest laws—going into Reserved Forests to collect wood and graze cattle.
(iii) Women participated in the movement on a large scale.

Question. Who launched the Khilafat Movement ? Why was the movement launched ? 
Answer : The Khilafat Movement was initiated by Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali. Gandhiji treated this as an opportunity to bring Muslims under a unified umbrella. At the Calcutta Session of Congress in September 1920, Mahatma Gandhi pleaded with other leaders to start a Non-Cooperation Movement in support of Khilafat Movement. The Khilafat Movement (1919- 24) was a pan-Islamic, political protest movement initiated by Muslims in British India. It influenced the British government and shielded the Ottoman Empire during the post First World War. The First World War ended with the discomfiture of Ottoman Turkey. There was a fear that the power of the spiritual head of the Islamic world (Khalifa) would be subdued. A Khilafat Committee was established in Bombay in 1919. The Khilafat leaders imposed pressure on the British Government to treat Turkey in better ways.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question. Describe briefly the ‘Salt March’ undertaken by Mahatma Gandhi.
Answer : The tax on salt and the government monopoly over its production made Mahatma Gandhi very much disturbed. In his opinion, it was a gross atrocity on the part of the British government. Salt was something consumed by the rich and the poor alike, and it was one of the most essential items of food. Hence, it must be exempted from any tax.
He sent a letter to Viceroy Lord Irwin on 31 January, 1930 with eleven demands. These demands were concerned with interests of all sections of the Indian people. The most stirring of all was the demand to make salt tax-free. But Irwin showed reluctance. Now, Mahatma Gandhi had no time to wait. He started his 240 miles long Dandi March from his Ashram at Sabarmati to the Gujarati coastal town of Dandi. He was accompanied by 78 of his followers. On 6 April, he reached Dandi and openly violated the law, manufacturing salt by boiling sea water. People were now asked not only to refuse cooperation with the British, but also to break colonial laws.
Gandhiji’s salt march proved to be a milestone in the history of Indian national movement. People from all walks of life participated in this historic march.

Question. Explain the contributions of folklore, folk song and paintings in strengthening nationalism during the 1870s.
Or
How did a variety of cultural processes play an important role in developing a sense of nationalism in India? Explain with examples.
Or
How did the image of Bharat Mata acquiring forms as it was painted by different artists help in arousing the feeling of nationalism among the Indians? Explain.
Answer : (i) Image of Bharat Mata: The identity of nation was symbolised in an image. Rabindranath painted the famous image of Bharat-Mata. Devotion to this mother figure came to be seen as an evidence of one’s nationalism.
(ii) Folklore: Nationalists toured villages to gather folk tales. These tales gave a true picture of one’s national identity and helped in restoring a sense of pride in one’s past.
(iii) Icon and Symbols: Nationalist leaders used icons and symbols to unite the people and create in them a feeling of nationalism.
(iv) Reinterpretation of History: Another means of creating a feeling of nationalism was through reinterpretation of history. By the end of the 19th century many Indians began feeling that to instill a sense of pride in the nation, Indian history had to be thought about differently. The British saw Indians as backward and primitive, incapable of governing themselves. In response, Indians began looking into the past to discover India’s great achievements. They wrote about the glorious developments in ancient times when art and Architecture, Science and Mathematics, religions and culture, law and philosophy, crafts and trade had flourished. Thus glorious period, in their view, was followed by a history of decline, when India was colonised. These nationalist histories urged the readers to take pride in India’s great achievements in the past and struggle to change the miserable conditions of life under the British rule.
Examples:
• During the Swedeshi movement a tri colour flag was designed.
• In 1921, Gandhiji designed the Swaraj flag carrying the flag during protest marches became a symbol of defiance.

Question. Explain:
(a) Why growth of nationalism in the colonies is linked to an anti-colonial movement?
(b) How the First World War helped in the growth of the National Movement in India?
(c) Why Indians were outraged by the Rowlatt Act?
(d) Why Gandhiji decided to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement?
Answer : (a) In several colonies including India the growth of modern nationalism is intimately connected to the anti-colonial movement. People began discovering their unity in the process of their struggle with colonialism. The sense of being oppressed under colonialism provided a shared bond that tied many different groups together.
(b) The First World War created a new economic and political situation. It led to a huge increase in defence expenditure which was financed by war loans and increasing taxes. Custom duties were raised and income tax was introduced. Through the war years prices increased leading to extreme hardships for the common mass. Villages were called upon for supply of soldiers. Forced recruitment in rural areas caused widespread anger. Acute shortages of food due to failure of crops in several parts of India in 1918-19 and 1920-21 made the life of the common people miserable. People hoped that their hardships would end after the war was over. But that did not happen. All this helped in the growth of the national movement in the country.
(c) The Rowlatt Act gave the government enormous powers to repress political activities, and allowed detention of political prisoners without trial for two years. This enraged Indians.
(d) In February 1922, at Chauri Chaura in Gorakhpur, a peaceful demonstration in a bazaar turned into a violent clash with the police. In this incident several British police officers were killed. Hearing of this incident, Mahatma Gandhi called off the Non-Cooperation Movement. He thought the movement was turning violent which he never approved in any circumstances.

Question. What were the reasons for the launching of the Non-Cooperation Movement? What was Gandhiji’s idea behind launching it as stated in his book ‘Hind Swaraj’?
Or
Why did Mahatma Gandhi feel the need to launch a broad-based movement in 1920? Give reasons.
Answer : Reasons for the launching of the Non-Cooperation Movement:
(i) Indians were very hopeful that their hardships would end after the First World War was over. But that did not happen.
(ii) The enforcement of Rowlatt Act in 1919: The Act gave the government enormous powers to repress political activities and allowed detention of political prisoners without trial for two years. Mahatma Gandhi launched a movement against these unjust laws. But seeing the violence spread, he called off the movement. This had been a widespread movement no doubt but was limited to cities and towns. Gandhiji now wanted to launch a more broad-based movement in India.
(iii) The Khilafat issue: The First World War had ended with the defeat of Ottoman Turkey. As a result, a harsh peace treaty was imposed on the Ottoman emperor—the spiritual head of the Islamic world (the Khalifa). Mahatma Gandhi decided to start a Non-Cooperation Movement in support of Khilafat as well as for Swaraj.
In his famous book Hind Swaraj he declared that British rule was established in India with the cooperation of Indians, and had survived only because of this cooperation. He was sure that if Indians refused to cooperate, British rule in India would collapse and swaraj would come.
Hence, he started Non-Cooperation Movement with full vigour.

Question. “Nationalism spreads when people begin to believe that they are all part of the same nation.” Support the statement.
Answer : Nationalism spreads when people begin to believe that they are all part of the same nation, when they discover some unity that binds them together. The sense of collective belonging came partly through the experience of united struggles. But there were also a variety of cultural processes through which nationalism captured people’s imagination. History, fiction, folklore and songs, popular prints and symbols, all played a part in the making of nationalism. The identity of the nation is most often symbolised in a figure or image. It was
the 20th century, with the growth of nationalism, that the identity of India came to be visually associated with the image of Bharat Mata. Ideas of nationalism also developed through a movement to revive Indian folklore. It was essential to preserve folk tradition in order to discover one’s national identity and restore a sense of pride in one’s past.
Another means of creating a feeling of nationalism was through reinterpretation of history. Indians wrote about glorious developments in ancient times when art and architecture, science and mathematics, religion and culture, law and philosophy, crafts and trade had flourished. This glorious time was followed by a history of decline, when India was colonised. These nationalist histories urged the readers to take pride in India’s great achievements in the past and struggle to change the miserable conditions of life under British rule.

Question. Why did political leaders differ sharply over the question of separate electorates?
Answer : (i) The Indian political leaders differed sharply over the question of separate electorates because they believed that separate electorates would slow down the process of their integration into society.
(ii) In 1930, Sir Muhammad Iqbal, President of the Muslim League, re-stated the importance of separate electorates for the Muslims as an important safeguard for their minority political interests.
(iii) Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, who organised the dalits into the Depressed Classes Association in 1930, clashed with Gandhi at the second Round Table Conference by demanding separate electorates for dalits. When the British government conceded Ambedkar’s demand, Gandhiji began a fast unto death. Ambedkar ultimately accepted Gandhi’s position.

Question. Explain the term ‘Satyagraha’. Describe three movements of Satyagraha successfully organsied by Mahatma Gandhi soon after his arrival in India.
Or
What was Satyagraha? Explain some of the Satyagrahas launched by Gandhiji.
Or
“A Satyagraha was the battle through non-violence”. Explain with examples.
Answer : Satyagraha was a novel method of mass struggle introduced by Mahatma Gandhi. Satyagraha is a synthesis of ‘Satya’ meaning truth and ‘Agraha’ means to persuade. It encompassed non-violent modes of protest against the majestic policies of the British.
It represented not physical force but pure soul force. Soul which is informed with knowledge and burns the flame of love. A Satyagrahi could win a battle through soul force by appealing to the conscience of the oppressor.
Mahatma Gandhi organised three Satyagraha movements:
(i) In 1916, he travelled to Champaran to inspire the peasants to struggle against the oppressive plantation system. Finally, the colonial government passed an Act for the welfare of the poor peasants of Champaran in 1918.
(ii) In 1917, he organised a Satyagraha to support the peasants of Kheda in Gujarat. Gandhiji asked the peasants not to pay taxes due to crop failure. This time also the government had to bow and the payment of taxes was deferred to the next year.
(iii) In 1918, Satyagraha movement was organised among the cotton mill-workers in Ahmedabad. As a result their pay was raised.

Question. Give a brief description of Gandhiji’s contribution to the Indian freedom struggle.
Answer : When Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from Africa in January 1915 he started a Satyagraha Movement in India in various places.
(i) In 1916 he travelled to Champaran in Bihar to inspire the peasants to struggle against the oppressive plantation system.
(ii) In 1917, he organised a satyagraha to support the peasants of the Kheda district of Gujarat.
(iii) In 1918, Mahatma Gandhi went to Ahmedabad to organise a Satyagraha Movement amongst cotton mill workers.
(iv) In 1919, he decided to launch a nationwide satyagraha against the proposed Rowlatt Act (1919).
(v) To unite Hindus and Muslims Gandhiji started Non-Cooperation Movement in support of Khilafat as well as for swaraj.
(vi) In 1930, Gandhiji started his famous Salt March (Dandi March) accompanied by 78 followers, from his ashram in Sabarmati to the Gujarati coastal town of Dandi. On 6 April, he reached Dandi, and openly violated the law and manufactured salt by boiling sea water.
(vii) During Gandhiji’s salt march, thousands of women came out of their homes to listen to him. They participated in protest marches, manufactured salt, picketed foreign cloth and liquor shops.
(viii) He did a lot for the upliftment of the untouchables. He called the ‘untouchables’ Harijans, and organised Satyagraha to secure their entry into temples and access to public wells, tanks, roads and schools. He himself cleaned toilets to dignify the work of the bhangi (the sweepers). He convinced upper castes to change their heart and give up the sin of untouchability.

SOURCE-BASED QUESTIONS

Question. Study the given extract (Source E) taken from NCERT Textbook page 72 carefully and answer the questions that follow:

‘In earlier times, foreign travellers in India marvelled at the courage, truthfulness and modesty of the people of the Arya Vamsa, now they remark mainly on the absence of those qualities. In those days Hindus would set out on conquest and hoist their flags in Tatas, China and other countries; now a few soldiers from a tiny island far away are lording it over the land of India.’ Tarni Charan Chattopadhyay, Bharathasher Itihas. (The History of Bharatvarsh) Vol. 1.1858.

(i) Mention the qualities of ‘Arya Vamsa’ that were admired by the foreign travellers in earlier times.
Ans. The foreign travellers in earlier times admired the qualities like courage, truthfulness and modesty of the people of the ‘Arya Vamsa’.

(ii) How did folklore help in the spread of nationalism amongst the Indian? Explain.
Ans. In the late-nineteenth-century India, nationalists began recording folk tales sung by bards and they toured villages to gather folk songs and legends. These tales, they believed, gave a true picture of traditional culture that had been corrupted by outside forces. It was essential to preserve this folk tradition in order to discover one’s national identity. In Bengal, Rabindranath Tagore led the movement for folk revival. In Madras, Natesa Sastri published a four-volume collection of Tamil Folk tales, The Folklore of Southern India.

PICTURE-BASED QUESTIONS

Question. Observe the picture below taken from NCERT Textbook page 71 and answer the questions that follow:

(i) How is Bharat Mata portrayed in the above picture?
Ans. Bharat Mata is portrayed as an ascetic figure. She is calm, composed, divine and spiritual.

(ii) Who has painted this image?
Ans. Abanindranath Tagore has painted this image.

(iii) What does the mala in one hand emphasise?
Ans. The mala in one hand emphasises her ascetic quality.

VALUE BASED QUESTIONS

Question. Look at the following figure carefully:

Bal Gangadhar Tilak was a famous freedom fighter who fought with the British rulers for the sake of his motherland. In the above picture, he is shown surrounded by symbols of unity. The sacred institutions of different faiths such as temple, church, masjid frame the central figure. Now, give any three values that are reflected from the above picture.
Ans. (i) Unity (ii) Secularism (iii) Nationalism (iv) Sacrifice (v) Tolerance

Read the text given below and answer the questions that follows :

In February 1922, Mahatma Gandhi decided to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement. He felt the movement was turning violent in many places and satyagrahis needed to be properly trained before they would be ready for mass struggles. Within the Congress, some leaders were by now tired of mass struggles and wanted to participate in elections to the provincial councils that had been set up by the Government of India Act of 1919. They felt that it was important to oppose British policies within the councils, argue for reform and also demonstrate that these councils were not truly democratic. C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru formed the Swaraj Party within the Congress to argue for a return to council politics. But younger leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose pressed for more radical mass agitation and for full independence. On 31 January 1930, he sent a letter to Viceroy Irwin stating eleven demands. Some of these were of general interest; others were specific demands of different classes, from industrialists to peasants. The idea was to make the demands wide-ranging, so that all classes within Indian society could identify with them and everyone could be brought together in a united campaign. The most stirring of all was the demand to abolish the salt tax. Salt was something consumed by the rich and the poor alike, and it was one of the most essential items of food. The tax on salt and the government monopoly over its production, Mahatma Gandhi declare, revealed the most oppressive face of British rule.

Answer the following MCQs by choosing the most appropriate option

Question. Which of the following options was the reason for suspension of the Non-Cooperation Movement?
(a) Chauri Chaura incident
(b) Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
(c) Kakori conspiracy case
(d) All of the above

Answer : A

Question. This marked the beginning of the Civil Disobedience Movement :
(a) Simon Commission
(b) Lahore Congress
(c) Rowlatt Satyagraha
(d) Dandi March

Answer : D

Question. In which of the following years the Swaraj Party was formed?
(a) 1929
(b) 1923
(c) 1931
(d) 1932

Answer : B

Question. ________ and the government monopoly over its production, Mahatma Gandhi declare, revealed the most oppressive face of British rule.
(a) Tax on cotton
(b) Tax on salt
(c) Tax on crop
(d) Tax on property

Answer : B

Read the text given below and answer the questions that follows :

The idea of satyagraha emphasised the power of truth and the need to search for truth. It suggested that if the cause was true, if the struggle was against injustice, then physical force was not necessary to fight the oppressor. Without seeking vengeance or being aggressive, a satyagrahi could win the battle through nonviolence. This could be done by appealing to the conscience of the oppressor. People – including the oppressors – had to be persuaded to see the truth, instead of being forced to accept truth through the use of violence. By this struggle, truth was bound to ultimately triumph. Mahatma Gandhi believed that this dharma of nonviolence could unite all Indians. After arriving in India, Mahatma Gandhi successfully organised satyagraha movements in various places. In 1917 he travelled to Champaran in Bihar to inspire the peasants to struggle against the oppressive plantation system. Then in 1917, he organised a satyagraha to support the peasants of the Kheda district of Gujarat. Affected by crop failure and a plague epidemic, the peasants of Kheda could not pay the revenue, and were demanding that revenue collection be relaxed. In 1918, Mahatma Gandhi went to Ahmedabad to organise a satyagraha movement amongst cotton mill workers. Answer the following MCQs by choosing the most appropriate option.

Question. Gandhiji organised Satyagraha to support the peasants in Kheda district of Gujarat :
(a) 1913
(b) 1916
(c) 1917
(d) 1918

Answer : C

Question. Mahatma Gandhi organised Satyagraha movement amongst Cotton mill workers in Ahmedabad in :
(a) 1913
(b) 1918
(c) 1919
(d) 1920

Answer : C

Question. Which one of the following was the first nationwide satyagraha movement?
(a) Non-Cooperation Movement
(b) Rowlatt Satyagraha
(c) Civil Disobedience Movement
(d) None of the above

Answer : B

Question. _______ was the successful movement launched by Gandhiji?
(a) Non-Cooperation Movement
(b) Rowlatt Satyagraha
(c) Civil Disobedience Movement
(d) Satyagraha movement in Kheda district in Gujarat.

Answer : D