Nationalism in India Class 10: Notes, Concepts and Answers

What Nationalism in India is about

Weightage: History carries 20 of the 80 theory marks; this chapter shares them with The Rise of Nationalism in Europe, The Making of a Global World and Print Culture and the Modern World.Source: CBSE Social Science syllabus 2026-27, History

In real board papers: asked in 21 of the 21 board papers we hold (2023 to 2026), on average 9.4 marks per paper. See the questions

Key concepts

The First World War and its effects on India

NCERT section 1 The First World War, Khilafat and Non-Cooperation

Nationalism in India grew out of the struggle against colonial rule. Being oppressed together gave very different groups a shared bond, even though each group felt colonialism differently. The First World War sharpened this feeling in three ways.

• Money: defence spending rose hugely. The British paid for it with war loans and higher taxes: customs duties went up and income tax was introduced.
• Prices: prices doubled between 1913 and 1918, so ordinary families suffered badly.
• People: villages had to supply soldiers, and forced recruitment in rural areas made people angry.

Then crops failed in 1918-19 and 1920-21, food ran short and an influenza epidemic spread. The 1921 census counted 12 to 13 million deaths from famines and the epidemic. People expected their hardships to end after the war, but they did not. This frustration explains why, after 1919, the movement spread to new areas, drew in new social groups and tried new methods of struggle. In answers, always link the war to both economic hardship and political anger.

Worked example

Explain how the First World War changed India's money matters and politics in ways that helped the national movement grow. (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Defence expenditure rose sharply. It was paid for through war loans and higher taxes: customs duties were raised and income tax was introduced. (1)
2. Prices doubled between 1913 and 1918, causing extreme hardship for common people. (1)
3. Forced recruitment of soldiers in villages caused widespread anger. Crop failures and an influenza epidemic killed 12 to 13 million people. Hardships did not end after the war, so discontent turned against British rule. (1)

Answer: - Defence spending rose and was met by war loans, higher customs duties and a new income tax.
- Prices doubled between 1913 and 1918, causing hardship.
- Forced recruitment in villages angered people, and crop failures and influenza killed 12 to 13 million.

Relief did not come after the war, so this anger strengthened the national movement.

The Idea of Satyagraha

NCERT section 1.1 The Idea of Satyagraha

Satyagraha was the method of mass agitation Gandhiji had used successfully against the racist regime in South Africa. He returned to India in January 1915. Satyagraha rests on the power of truth. If your cause is true and you are fighting injustice, you do not need physical force. A satyagrahi does not seek revenge and is not aggressive. Instead, he appeals to the conscience of the oppressor, so that even the oppressor is persuaded to see the truth. Gandhiji believed truth must finally win. He thought non-violence was a duty that every Indian could share, and so it could bring them all together.

Satyagraha is not 'doing nothing'. Gandhiji said it was not passive resistance: it called for intense activity and could be used only by the strong.

He tested it locally before going national:

• 1917, Champaran (Bihar): peasants against the oppressive plantation system.
• 1918, Ahmedabad: cotton mill workers.
• 1918, Kheda district (Gujarat): peasants hit by crop failure and plague, who could not pay revenue, asked for revenue collection to be relaxed.

These successes gave him the confidence for a nationwide satyagraha in 1919.

Worked example

A classmate says, 'Satyagraha was only for people who were too weak to fight.' Using Gandhiji's idea of satyagraha and his early movements in India, show why this view is wrong. (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Gandhiji said satyagraha was not passive resistance. It called for intense activity and could be used only by the strong. (1)
2. It rested on truth and non-violence. The satyagrahi did not seek revenge but appealed to the oppressor's conscience to win him over. This needs courage, not weakness. (1)
3. Its strength was proved in action: peasants of Champaran (1917), cotton mill workers of Ahmedabad (1918) and peasants of Kheda (1918) were mobilised successfully. (1)

Answer: The view is wrong.
- Gandhiji called satyagraha active, not passive. It needed intense activity and only the strong could use it.
- It used truth and non-violence to appeal to the oppressor's conscience, without revenge.
- It successfully mobilised Champaran peasants (1917), Ahmedabad mill workers (1918) and Kheda peasants (1918).

The Rowlatt Act and Jallianwala Bagh

NCERT section 1.2 The Rowlatt Act

The Rowlatt Act of 1919 was pushed through the Imperial Legislative Council in a hurry, although every Indian member opposed it. Under it, the government could crush political activity and keep political prisoners locked up for two years without a trial. Indians saw it as an unjust law. Gandhiji called for non-violent civil disobedience, starting with a hartal on 6 April 1919.

The response was big: rallies in cities, strikes in railway workshops, shops shut. The British feared that railways and telegraph lines would be disrupted. So they picked up local leaders in Amritsar and barred Gandhiji from entering Delhi. On 10 April, police in Amritsar fired on a peaceful procession. Angry crowds then attacked banks, post offices and railway stations, martial law followed and General Dyer was put in charge.

On 13 April, at Jallianwala Bagh, Dyer sealed the way out and fired on a crowd of protesters and Baisakhi fair visitors, killing hundreds. He said he wanted to 'produce a moral effect' of terror. The government answered the protests that followed with brutal, humiliating punishments. When the violence kept spreading, Gandhiji stopped the satyagraha. Remember: the Rowlatt satyagraha was widespread but stayed mostly in cities and towns.

Worked example

Explain how the British response turned the peaceful Rowlatt satyagraha into widespread unrest, and why this led Gandhiji to call it off. (5 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. The Act (1919) let the government repress political activity and hold political prisoners for two years without trial. Gandhiji began a peaceful protest with a hartal on 6 April: rallies, railway workshop strikes and closed shops. (1)
2. Fearing that railways and telegraph would be disrupted, the British arrested local leaders in Amritsar and barred Gandhiji from Delhi. This repression provoked people further. (1)
3. On 10 April police fired on a peaceful procession in Amritsar. Crowds attacked banks, post offices and railway stations, and martial law was imposed under General Dyer. (1)
4. On 13 April Dyer fired on the crowd at Jallianwala Bagh, killing hundreds, to create terror. The news set off strikes, clashes and attacks on government buildings in north Indian towns. (1)
5. The government replied with humiliating repression: crawling orders, flogging and bombing of villages around Gujranwala. Since satyagraha had to stay non-violent and violence was spreading, Gandhiji called it off. (1)

Answer: - The Act allowed repression and detention without trial for two years, so Gandhiji began a peaceful hartal on 6 April.
- Fearing disruption of railways and telegraph, the British arrested Amritsar leaders and barred Gandhiji from Delhi, which inflamed people.
- Firing on a peaceful procession on 10 April led to attacks on banks, post offices and stations, and martial law under Dyer.
- The Jallianwala Bagh firing of 13 April killed hundreds and set off strikes and clashes in north Indian towns.
- Crawling orders, flogging and bombing near Gujranwala deepened the anger. As violence spread against the spirit of satyagraha, Gandhiji called the movement off.

Khilafat and the logic of Non-Cooperation

NCERT section 1.3 Why Non-cooperation?

After the Rowlatt satyagraha, Gandhiji wanted a more broad-based movement. He was sure this could not happen unless Hindus and Muslims came closer together. The Khilafat issue gave him that chance.

Ottoman Turkey had been defeated in the First World War. There were rumours of a harsh peace treaty on the Ottoman emperor, the Khalifa, who was the spiritual head of the Islamic world. A Khilafat Committee was formed in Bombay in March 1919 to defend his temporal powers. Young leaders like the brothers Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali discussed united mass action with Gandhiji.

Why non-cooperation? In Hind Swaraj (1909), Gandhiji argued that British rule survived only because Indians cooperated. If they stopped, it would collapse within a year and swaraj would come.

The movement was to unfold in stages. First came surrender of government titles, then a boycott of civil services, army, police, courts, legislative councils, schools and foreign goods. If the government used repression, full civil disobedience would follow.

Many in the Congress hesitated. They did not want to boycott the November 1920 council elections and feared violence. Gandhiji convinced leaders at Calcutta (September 1920), and the programme was adopted after a compromise at Nagpur (December 1920).

Worked example

Read the statements and choose the correct option.
Assertion (A): Gandhiji decided to take up the Khilafat issue after the Rowlatt satyagraha.
Reason (R): He believed that no broad-based movement could be organised without bringing Hindus and Muslims closer together.
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is true but R is false.
(d) A is false but R is true. (1 mark)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. A is true: after the Rowlatt satyagraha, which was mostly urban, Gandhiji took up the Khilafat issue.
2. R is true: he felt a broad-based movement needed Hindu-Muslim unity, and Khilafat could bring Muslims into a unified national movement. R explains why he did A. (1)

Answer: (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

Non-Cooperation in the Towns

NCERT section 2.1 The Movement in the Towns

The Non-Cooperation-Khilafat Movement began in January 1921. In the cities, the middle class led the way. Many students quit government-run schools and colleges, teachers and headmasters resigned, and lawyers stopped practising in courts. Most provinces boycotted the council elections. Madras was the exception. There the Justice Party, which spoke for non-Brahmans, contested because a council seat offered power that had usually stayed with Brahmans.

The boldest results came in the economy. People refused foreign goods, protesters blocked the entrances of liquor shops, and piles of foreign cloth were set on fire. Foreign cloth imports roughly halved from 1921 to 1922: from Rs 102 crore to Rs 57 crore. Many merchants would not deal in foreign goods or lend money for foreign trade. As more people switched to Indian cloth, Indian mills and handlooms produced more.

But the city movement lost speed. Khadi usually cost more than factory-made mill cloth, so poor buyers could not stick with it. A boycott of British institutions also needs Indian replacements, and these were slow to appear. So students, teachers and lawyers gradually went back. A good answer gives both sides: the success and the reasons for slowing down.

Worked example

Assess the effects of the Non-Cooperation Movement on the economic front in the towns, and explain why the movement in the cities gradually slowed down. (5 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. People refused foreign goods, picketed liquor shops and set foreign cloth on fire in public bonfires. (1)
2. Foreign cloth imports roughly halved between 1921 and 1922: from Rs 102 crore to Rs 57 crore. (1)
3. Many merchants would not deal in or finance foreign goods, and Indian mills and handlooms raised their output. (1)
4. Slowdown: khadi usually cost more than mill cloth, so poor people could not keep up the boycott for long. (1)
5. Slowdown: Indian replacements for British schools and courts came up slowly, so students, teachers and lawyers went back. (1)

Answer: Economic effects:
- People refused foreign goods, picketed liquor shops and burnt foreign cloth in public.
- Foreign cloth imports roughly halved between 1921 and 1922, from Rs 102 crore to Rs 57 crore.
- Many merchants stopped dealing in or financing foreign goods, and Indian mills and handlooms produced more.

Why it slowed:
- Khadi usually cost more than mill cloth, so the poor could not stay away from mill cloth for long.
- Indian replacements for British institutions were slow to appear, so students, teachers and lawyers returned to government schools and courts.

Swaraj in the Countryside and Plantations

NCERT section 2.2 Rebellion in the Countryside

From the towns, the movement spread to villages and forests. Each group joined for its own reasons, so swaraj meant something different to each.

• Awadh peasants: they were led by Baba Ramchandra, a sanyasi who had been an indentured labourer in Fiji. Talukdars and landlords squeezed them with very high rents and extra cesses, made them work unpaid (begar) and kept evicting tenants. The peasants wanted revenue cut, forced labour ended and harsh landlords shunned by the village. Panchayats organised nai-dhobi bandhs so that landlords lost even the services of barbers and washermen. Jawaharlal Nehru began touring Awadh villages in June 1920 to hear their grievances. By October the Oudh Kisan Sabha was set up, headed by Nehru, Baba Ramchandra and others, and within a month it had over 300 branches in the villages. The Congress then tried to fold this struggle into Non-Cooperation. On 6 January 1921 police fired at peasants near Rae Bareli. Nehru later wrote that his anger nearly made him forget non-violence, but the calm peasants and the thought of Gandhiji steadied him, and the crowd dispersed peacefully. Elsewhere in 1921, however, talukdars' houses were attacked, bazaars looted and grain hoards seized, and local leaders used Gandhiji's name to justify it. The Congress leadership was unhappy with this.
• Gudem Hills tribals (Andhra Pradesh): the government closed forests and forced begar for road building. Alluri Sitaram Raju praised Gandhiji but said India could be freed only by force, and he led guerrilla warfare. He was executed in 1924.
• Assam plantation workers: under the Inland Emigration Act of 1859, they could not leave the tea gardens without permission. To them swaraj meant freedom to move and to keep links with their villages.

By acting in Gandhiji's name, all these groups linked local struggles to an all-India movement.

Worked example

Explain how the peasants of Awadh, the tribals of the Gudem Hills and the plantation workers of Assam each understood swaraj in their own way during the Non-Cooperation Movement. (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Awadh peasants under Baba Ramchandra saw swaraj as relief from talukdars and landlords. They wanted revenue cut, forced labour ended and oppressive landlords shunned. (1)
2. Gudem tribals saw it as restoring forest rights and ending forced begar. Led by Alluri Sitaram Raju, they believed India could be liberated only by force and waged guerrilla warfare. (1)
3. Assam plantation workers saw swaraj as the right to move freely out of the tea gardens and keep links with their villages. They left the plantations, believing Gandhi Raj would give them land. (1)

Answer: - Awadh peasants: swaraj meant freedom from landlords: lower revenue, no unpaid labour, harsh landlords shunned.
- Gudem tribals: swaraj meant forest rights and no forced begar. Under Alluri Sitaram Raju they used guerrilla force.
- Assam plantation workers: swaraj meant freedom to leave tea gardens and return to their villages, expecting land under Gandhi Raj.

Towards Civil Disobedience and the Salt March

NCERT section 3.1 The Salt March and the Civil Disobedience Movement

In February 1922, after a violent clash at Chauri Chaura, Gandhiji withdrew Non-Cooperation. He thought the volunteers were not yet trained for mass action. C. R. Das and Motilal Nehru formed the Swaraj Party to return to council politics. Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose wanted radical mass agitation and full independence.

Two factors revived the struggle. Farm prices began sliding in 1926 and crashed after 1930, so peasants could not sell their crops or pay revenue. And the Simon Commission, which had no Indian member at all, reached India in 1928 and met protests with the slogan 'Go back Simon'. In December 1929, the Lahore Congress under Nehru demanded Purna Swaraj, and 26 January 1930 was celebrated as Independence Day.

That idea felt abstract, so Gandhiji chose salt. Rich and poor both ate it, and the government taxed it and held a monopoly over its production. His letter of 31 January 1930 with eleven demands was ignored. He then walked with 78 volunteers over 240 miles from Sabarmati to Dandi in 24 days, and made salt on 6 April. People were now asked to break colonial laws, not just refuse cooperation. The Gandhi-Irwin Pact (5 March 1931) paused the movement. It was relaunched in 1932 and had lost momentum by 1934.

Worked example

Distinguish between the Non-Cooperation Movement and the Civil Disobedience Movement on any three points. (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Method: in Non-Cooperation, people refused to cooperate with the British (titles, schools, courts, councils, foreign goods). In Civil Disobedience, they also broke colonial laws, such as the salt law and forest laws. (1)
2. Launch and aim: Non-Cooperation began in January 1921 in support of Khilafat and swaraj. Civil Disobedience began with the Salt March to Dandi in 1930, after the Lahore Congress demanded Purna Swaraj. (1)
3. End: Non-Cooperation was withdrawn in February 1922 after Chauri Chaura. Civil Disobedience was called off with the Gandhi-Irwin Pact in March 1931, relaunched in 1932 and had lost momentum by 1934. (1)

Answer: - Method: Non-Cooperation meant refusing cooperation. Civil Disobedience also meant breaking colonial laws, such as the salt law.
- Aim: Non-Cooperation (1921) backed Khilafat and swaraj. Civil Disobedience (1930) followed the Purna Swaraj demand.
- End: Non-Cooperation was withdrawn after Chauri Chaura (1922). Civil Disobedience paused with the Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931), was relaunched in 1932 and faded by 1934.

How Groups saw Civil Disobedience and its Limits

NCERT section 3.3 The Limits of Civil Disobedience

Each group joined Civil Disobedience for its own reasons.

• Rich peasants (Patidars of Gujarat, Jats of Uttar Pradesh): they grew commercial crops and were hit by falling prices. They could not pay revenue, so swaraj meant lower revenue. When the movement ended in 1931 without revised rates, many refused to rejoin in 1932.
• Poor peasants: these small tenants wanted unpaid rent remitted. The Congress avoided 'no rent' campaigns for fear of upsetting rich peasants and landlords.
• Business classes: they wanted protection from imports and a rupee-sterling ratio that discouraged imports, and formed FICCI in 1927. They gave money and refused imported goods, but cooled after the Round Table Conference failed.
• Industrial workers: they joined in small numbers, mostly in the Nagpur region. The Congress kept their demands out to avoid alienating industrialists.
• Women: they joined in large numbers, but the Congress gave them little authority.

There were also limits. Dalit leaders such as Dr B.R. Ambedkar wanted separate electorates. The Poona Pact (September 1932) instead gave reserved seats elected by the general electorate.

Many Muslims felt alienated after Khilafat declined, as the Congress seemed close to the Hindu Mahasabha and riots widened the gap. In 1927 unity with the Muslim League looked possible. The sticking point was representation in future assemblies. Muhammad Ali Jinnah offered to drop the demand for separate electorates if Muslims were given reserved seats in the Central Assembly and seats in proportion to their population in Bengal and Punjab. Hope collapsed at the All Parties Conference of 1928, when M.R. Jayakar of the Hindu Mahasabha strongly opposed a compromise. So when Civil Disobedience began, distrust was high and many Muslims feared domination by a Hindu majority.

Worked example

'The Civil Disobedience Movement could not unite all Indians.' Examine the statement with reference to dalits and Muslims. (5 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. The Congress had long ignored dalits for fear of offending the sanatanis (conservative high-caste Hindus). Many dalit leaders wanted a political solution: reserved seats in education and a separate electorate. (1)
2. Dr B.R. Ambedkar organised the Depressed Classes Association in 1930 and demanded separate electorates at the second Round Table Conference. Gandhiji's fast unto death led to the Poona Pact (1932): reserved seats, but voted in by the general electorate. Dalit participation stayed limited, especially in Maharashtra and Nagpur. (1)
3. After the Non-Cooperation-Khilafat Movement declined, many Muslims felt alienated from the Congress. It was seen as close to Hindu religious nationalist groups like the Hindu Mahasabha. (1)
4. Communal riots deepened the distance. Unity talks of 1927 failed over representation when M.R. Jayakar of the Hindu Mahasabha opposed compromise at the All Parties Conference of 1928. (1)
5. Muslims feared that minority culture and identity would be submerged under a Hindu majority, so large sections did not respond to the call for united struggle. (1)

Answer: - The Congress had long ignored dalits to avoid offending the sanatanis. Dalit leaders sought political empowerment through reserved seats and separate electorates.
- Ambedkar demanded separate electorates at the second Round Table Conference. After Gandhiji's fast, the Poona Pact (1932) gave reserved seats elected by the general electorate. Dalit participation stayed limited, especially in Maharashtra and Nagpur.
- After Khilafat declined, many Muslims felt alienated as the Congress seemed linked to the Hindu Mahasabha.
- Riots widened the gap, and unity talks collapsed at the 1928 All Parties Conference when M.R. Jayakar opposed compromise.
- Muslims feared domination by a Hindu majority, so many stayed away.

The Sense of Collective Belonging

NCERT section 4 The Sense of Collective Belonging

Nationalism spreads when people believe they belong to one nation. United struggles helped, but culture did too.

• Bharat Mata: Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay created the image. He wrote 'Vande Mataram' in the 1870s, later included it in his novel Anandamath, and it was sung in the Swadeshi movement. Abanindranath Tagore painted Bharat Mata as calm, composed, divine and spiritual. Devotion to her came to be seen as proof of nationalism.
• Folklore: nationalists collected folk tales and songs, believing they showed true traditional culture damaged by outside forces. Rabindranath Tagore collected ballads and nursery rhymes in Bengal. Natesa Sastri published The Folklore of Southern India, a collection of Tamil folk tales.
• Flags: the Swadeshi tricolour (red, green, yellow) had eight lotuses for eight provinces and a crescent moon. Gandhiji's Swaraj flag (1921: red, green, white) had a spinning wheel for self-help. Holding it aloft became an act of defiance.
• History: Indians rewrote history to show glorious ancient achievements, answering the British claim that Indians were backward.

The weakness: when the past and the images were Hindu, other communities felt left out.

Worked example

Two images of Bharat Mata are described. Image 1 shows a calm, ascetic mother holding a mala and giving learning, food and clothing. Image 2 shows her with a trishul, standing beside a lion and an elephant. Explain how each image could build nationalism, and why such images might not appeal to all communities. (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Image 1 (Abanindranath Tagore) shows the nation as calm, divine and spiritual, a caring mother who provides for her children. It inspires devotion to the motherland. (1)
2. Image 2 uses the lion and elephant as symbols of power and authority. It presents the nation as strong and inspires courage and sacrifice. (1)
3. Both draw on Hindu iconography. When images celebrated were drawn from Hindu traditions, people of other communities felt left out, which weakened unity. (1)

Answer: - Image 1 shows a calm, spiritual mother giving learning, food and clothing. It inspires devotion to the motherland.
- Image 2, with a trishul, lion and elephant, shows power and authority. It inspires strength and sacrifice.
- Both use Hindu iconography, so people of other communities could feel left out, limiting unity.

Boxes in the chapter: Bardoli, the HSRA and Quit India

NCERT section 3 Towards Civil Disobedience

Three boxes in the chapter add to the main story. Learn their facts, because source passages can be built on them.

• Bardoli Satyagraha (1928): Vallabhbhai Patel led the peasants of Bardoli, a taluka in Gujarat, against an increase in land revenue. The struggle succeeded, was widely publicised and won sympathy in many parts of India.
• HSRA (1928): some nationalists did not believe non-violence could defeat the British. In 1928 the Hindustan Socialist Republican Army was founded at a meeting at Ferozeshah Kotla ground in Delhi. Its leaders included Bhagat Singh, Jatin Das and Ajoy Ghosh. It staged bold attacks on things that stood for British rule. In April 1929, Bhagat Singh and Batukeswar Dutta hurled a bomb inside the Legislative Assembly; later that year there was also an attempt to blow up Lord Irwin's train. Bhagat Singh was tried and executed by the colonial government when he was 23. At his trial he said he did not want to glorify 'the cult of the bomb and pistol'. He wanted a revolution in society, and he called the labourer the real support of society.
• Quit India (1942): the failure of the Cripps Mission and the effects of the Second World War caused deep discontent. On 14 July 1942 the Congress Working Committee, meeting at Wardha, passed the 'Quit India' resolution demanding the immediate transfer of power to Indians. On 8 August 1942 the All India Congress Committee endorsed it in Bombay and called for a non-violent mass struggle across the country. On this occasion Gandhiji gave his 'Do or Die' speech. Students, workers and peasants joined hartals, demonstrations and processions. Its leaders included Jayprakash Narayan, Aruna Asaf Ali and Ram Manohar Lohia. Women took part too: Matangini Hazra (Bengal), Kanaklata Barua (Assam) and Rama Devi (Odisha) are among those named. The British used great force, but it still took them more than a year to suppress it.

Together these boxes show that the struggle had many methods and many voices, not one.

Worked example

At his trial, Bhagat Singh said he did not wish to glorify 'the cult of the bomb and pistol'. Using this statement and the HSRA's actions, explain how the HSRA's methods and aims differed from Gandhian satyagraha. (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Method: the HSRA believed the British could not be defeated by non-violence, so it struck at symbols of British power, for example the Assembly bomb of April 1929 and the attempt on Lord Irwin's train. Satyagraha rejected physical force and appealed to the oppressor's conscience. (1)
2. Aim: Bhagat Singh said he was not glorifying violence for its own sake. He wanted a revolution in society in which the labourer, the real support of society, would matter. (1)
3. Comparison: both aimed to end British rule, but satyagraha tried to win over the oppressor through truth, while the HSRA saw attacks on British power as necessary. (1)

Answer: - The HSRA doubted non-violence and attacked symbols of British power, such as the Assembly bomb (1929). Satyagraha rejected force and appealed to the oppressor's conscience.
- Bhagat Singh did not glorify violence; he wanted a revolution in society that valued the labourer.
- Both opposed British rule, but satyagraha sought to persuade, while the HSRA saw force as necessary.

Nationalism in India in real life

Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Topics in this chapter

• First World War and Khilafat Movement
• Satyagraha and the Rowlatt Act
• Non-Cooperation Movement
• Civil Disobedience Movement and Dandi March
• The Sense of Collective Belonging

Nationalism in India: key facts

Gandhiji's early satyagrahas

1917 Champaran (Bihar), plantation system; 1918 Ahmedabad, cotton mill workers; 1918 Kheda (Gujarat), revenue relief

Use for map questions and for 'how did Gandhiji test satyagraha' answers.

Rowlatt Act, 1919

Powers to repress political activity; detention of political prisoners without trial for two years; hartal on 6 April 1919

Use when asked why Indians were outraged or how the Rowlatt satyagraha began.

Jallianwala Bagh

13 April 1919, Amritsar: General Dyer blocked the exits and fired, killing hundreds, to 'produce a moral effect'

Map item. Also used in sequence and MCQ questions.

Khilafat Committee

Formed in Bombay, March 1919, to defend the Khalifa's temporal powers; Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali

Use to explain why Gandhiji linked Khilafat to Non-Cooperation: Hindu-Muslim unity.

Calcutta and Nagpur sessions, 1920

Calcutta, September 1920: leaders convinced to start Non-Cooperation; Nagpur, December 1920: programme adopted after compromise

Map items. Do not swap the two.

Hind Swaraj (1909)

British rule survived on Indian cooperation; if Indians refused, it would collapse within a year

The core reasoning behind 'Why Non-cooperation?'

Non-Cooperation timeline

Launched January 1921; withdrawn February 1922 after Chauri Chaura (Gorakhpur) turned violent

Use for 'why was the movement withdrawn' and comparison questions.

Economic effect in towns

Foreign cloth imports halved 1921-22: Rs 102 crore to Rs 57 crore

Know these figures exactly and use them as evidence in any answer on the economic effects of Non-Cooperation.

Key terms

Begar	unpaid forced labour
Picket	blocking entry to a shop, factory or office
Boycott	refusing to deal with, buy or use
Forced recruitment	compulsory army enlistment

1- and 2-mark definition questions. Use the term inside longer answers too.

Inland Emigration Act, 1859

Plantation workers in Assam could not leave tea gardens without permission

Explains what swaraj meant to plantation workers.

Simon Commission, 1928

Name	Statutory Commission under Sir John Simon
Set up by	the Tory government
Indian members	none
Response	'Go back Simon'

Use as a cause of Civil Disobedience along with the economic depression.

Lahore Congress, December 1929

Under Jawaharlal Nehru, demanded Purna Swaraj; 26 January 1930 celebrated as Independence Day

Separates the aim of Civil Disobedience from that of Non-Cooperation.

Dandi March

78 volunteers, over 240 miles, Sabarmati to Dandi (Gujarati coastal town), 24 days; salt made on 6 April 1930

Map item. Know these numbers exactly; MCQ options may mix them up.

Gandhi-Irwin Pact and after

5 March 1931	Gandhiji agreed to attend the Round Table Conference, prisoners released
December 1931	second Round Table Conference
1932	relaunch
By 1934	lost momentum

Use for the end of Civil Disobedience and for why rich peasants felt let down.

Poona Pact, September 1932

Depressed Classes got reserved seats in provincial and central councils, voted in by the general electorate

Limits of Civil Disobedience. Do not confuse separate electorates with reserved seats.

Flags as symbols

Swadeshi flag: red, green, yellow, eight lotuses, crescent moon; Swaraj flag (1921): red, green, white, spinning wheel

Collective belonging questions and MCQs on symbols.

Oudh Kisan Sabha

Set up by October 1920, headed by Jawaharlal Nehru, Baba Ramchandra and others; over 300 village branches within a month

Shows how the Congress tried to bring the Awadh peasants into the wider struggle.

Rae Bareli firing

Date	6 January 1921
Event	police in the United Provinces fired at peasants near Rae Bareli
Nehru	spoke of non-violence, peasants dispersed peacefully

Source on how a leader kept peasant anger non-violent.

Bardoli Satyagraha

1928, Bardoli taluka (Gujarat): Vallabhbhai Patel led peasants against an increase in land revenue; it succeeded

Do not confuse with Kheda (1918), where Gandhiji backed peasants seeking relaxed revenue collection.

HSRA

Hindustan Socialist Republican Army, founded 1928 at Ferozeshah Kotla ground, Delhi; leaders Bhagat Singh, Jatin Das, Ajoy Ghosh

Shows that some nationalists rejected non-violence.

Assembly bomb, April 1929

Who	Bhagat Singh and Batukeswar Dutta
What	bomb in the Legislative Assembly
Same year	attempt to blow up Lord Irwin's train

Bhagat Singh, executed at 23, said he wanted a revolution in society, not to glorify violence.

Congress-League talks, 1927-28

Jinnah's offer	drop separate electorates
In return	reserved seats in the Central Assembly, population-based seats in Bengal and Punjab
1928 All Parties Conference	M.R. Jayakar's opposition ended hope

Explains why many Muslims stayed away from Civil Disobedience.

Quit India, 1942

14 July 1942	Wardha resolution
8 August 1942	endorsed in Bombay, Gandhiji's 'Do or Die' speech
Suppression	took the British more than a year

Know the participants: Jayprakash Narayan, Aruna Asaf Ali, Ram Manohar Lohia; Matangini Hazra, Kanaklata Barua, Rama Devi.

Nationalism in India: map work

The places on the official CBSE map list for this chapter. Find each one on an outline map of India and practise marking it.

How the board asks Nationalism in India

The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.

Tricks to remember Nationalism in India

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

• CAK order for early satyagrahas

  'Come And Know': Champaran 1917, then Ahmedabad 1918 and Kheda 1918. C is the only one in 1917 and the only one in Bihar.

  Use it when: Map questions and MCQs on Gandhiji's first movements in India.

• C before N: Calcutta convinces, Nagpur nods

  Alphabet order matches time order. Calcutta (September 1920) is where Gandhiji convinced leaders; Nagpur (December 1920) is where they nodded yes and adopted the programme.

  Use it when: Avoid swapping the two 1920 sessions in MCQs and map items.

• Dandi numbers: 78-240-24-6

  78 people, 240 miles, 24 days, salt on 6 April. The people number is the smallest in your head, the miles the biggest.

  Use it when: MCQs that mix up volunteers, miles and days.

• Refuse vs Break

  Non-Cooperation = Refuse (to cooperate). Civil Disobedience = Refuse + Break (colonial laws). The longer name does more.

  Use it when: The opening line of any Non-Cooperation vs Civil Disobedience comparison.

• Who joined Civil Disobedience: RP-PP-B-W-W

  Rich Peasants, Poor Peasants, Business, Workers, Women. Then the two 'limits': Dalits and Muslims.

  Use it when: Planning a 5-mark 'how different groups saw the movement' answer in seconds.

• Flag colour check

  Swadeshi flag has Yellow (and lotuses); Swaraj flag has White (and the spinning wheel). Think 'W for wheel, W for white'.

  Use it when: MCQs on symbols in the collective belonging section.

Nationalism in India: board-level solved questions

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.

Case-study practice (Section E style)

Read the situation, then answer every part. In the board paper this is a 4-mark question split into 1 + 1 + 2 marks.

Where the marks are

How a typical answer is split into step marks. Show every step: a right final answer alone rarely earns full marks.

Where students lose marks in Nationalism in India

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

• ✗Mistake: Swapping the Calcutta and Nagpur sessions

  Both are in 1920 and both are about Non-Cooperation, so students blur them.

  Wrong working

  The Non-Cooperation programme was adopted at the Calcutta session of September 1920.

  Right working

  At Calcutta (September 1920), Gandhiji convinced leaders to start Non-Cooperation. The programme was adopted at Nagpur (December 1920) after a compromise.

  ✓Do this: Learn each session as a pair: place, month and what happened. Use the 'C before N' trick.

  Usually costs: 1 mark in an MCQ or map item, and the accuracy point in a 3-mark answer.

• ✗Mistake: Treating Civil Disobedience as a repeat of Non-Cooperation

  Both used boycotts and picketing, so students miss the new element.

  Wrong working

  In the Civil Disobedience Movement, people again boycotted foreign goods and refused to cooperate with the British.

  Right working

  In Civil Disobedience, people were asked not only to refuse cooperation but also to break colonial laws, for example by making salt and entering Reserved Forests.

  ✓Do this: Always open a comparison with 'refuse vs break', then add aim and ending.

  Usually costs: 1 to 2 marks in a 3-mark comparison.

• ✗Mistake: Saying the Poona Pact gave dalits separate electorates

  Ambedkar demanded separate electorates, so students assume he got them.

  Wrong working

  Under the Poona Pact, dalits got separate electorates.

  Right working

  The Poona Pact (September 1932) gave the Depressed Classes reserved seats in provincial and central councils, but they were elected by the general electorate.

  ✓Do this: Remember the sequence: demand (separate electorate), then Gandhiji's fast, then compromise (reserved seats with a general electorate).

  Usually costs: 1 mark in an MCQ and 1 to 2 marks in a 5-mark limits answer.

• ✗Mistake: Mixing up the Dandi March numbers

  Three numbers (78, 240, 24) appear close together.

  Wrong working

  Gandhiji walked 78 miles with 240 volunteers to Dandi.

  Right working

  Gandhiji walked over 240 miles from Sabarmati to Dandi with 78 volunteers, taking 24 days, and made salt on 6 April.

  ✓Do this: Use the 78-240-24-6 trick and say the units aloud: people, miles, days, date.

  Usually costs: 1 mark in an MCQ, half to 1 mark in a descriptive answer.

• ✗Mistake: Saying Alluri Sitaram Raju followed non-violence

  He praised Gandhiji and promoted khadi, so students assume he was a satyagrahi.

  Wrong working

  Alluri Sitaram Raju led the Gudem tribals in a non-violent satyagraha.

  Right working

  Raju was inspired by Non-Cooperation and persuaded people to wear khadi, but he said India could be freed only by force. He led guerrilla warfare, which the Congress could not approve.

  ✓Do this: Note the contrast in one line: admired Gandhiji, rejected non-violence.

  Usually costs: 1 mark in an MCQ or the value point in a 3-mark answer.

• ✗Mistake: Writing a story instead of value points in long answers

  Students narrate events in order and run past the word limit without clear points.

  Wrong working

  A 200-word paragraph telling the Jallianwala Bagh story with emotion but only two clear facts.

  Right working

  Five short points: Rowlatt Act provisions, hartal of 6 April, arrests and martial law, firing on 13 April, repression and withdrawal. Within 120 words.

  ✓Do this: Plan five points before writing. Start each with a key word (cause, event, response, result).

  Usually costs: 1 to 2 marks in a 5-mark question.

NCERT exercise guide: Nationalism in India

What each exercise in the NCERT chapter tests, how to approach it, and a question of the same kind solved step by step. Questions here are written in our own words.

Nationalism in India: previous year questions

• Asked in 21 of the 21 board papers we hold (2023 to 2026), on average 9.4 marks per paper; 80 questions in all, counting OR alternatives. In 4 of 4 sample papers.

Counted from the real papers on our previous year papers page, not estimated. Average marks are over every board paper we hold, with an OR pair counted once. Chapter tags are ours.

Solved board questions from Nationalism in India

Real questions from recent papers. Try each one first, then open our step-by-step solution with marks per step.

Every Nationalism in India question, by year

Practice questions on Nationalism in India

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

1. Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

   A picture from July 1922 shows people throwing heaps of imported cloth into a fire. Which movement does it relate to?
   (a) The Rowlatt satyagraha
   (b) The Non-Cooperation Movement
   (c) The Quit India Movement
   (d) The Kheda satyagraha

   Hint

   Which movement made boycott of foreign goods and bonfires of foreign cloth a main weapon in 1921-22?

   Answer

   (b) The Non-Cooperation Movement. Foreign cloth was burnt in bonfires as a symbol of Western economic and cultural domination.

2. Q2 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

   Gandhiji's Swaraj flag, designed by 1921, had which feature at its centre?
   (a) Eight lotuses
   (b) A crescent moon
   (c) A spinning wheel
   (d) A trishul

   Hint

   Do not confuse it with the red, green and yellow Swadeshi flag of Bengal.

   Answer

   (c) A spinning wheel, showing the Gandhian ideal of self-help. The lotuses and crescent moon belonged to the Swadeshi tricolour.

3. Q3 · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level

   What was the Poona Pact? (2 marks)

   Hint

   Think of what came after Gandhiji's fast unto death.

   Answer

   It was the agreement of September 1932 after Ambedkar accepted Gandhiji's position on separate electorates. It gave the Depressed Classes reserved seats in the provincial and central legislative councils, but they were to be elected by the general electorate.

4. Q4 · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level

   How did the effects of the First World War lead to the Khilafat and Non-Cooperation Movements? (3 marks)

   Hint

   Link economic hardship to the Ottoman defeat, then to the Calcutta session.

   Answer

   • War costs brought higher taxes, prices doubled between 1913 and 1918, forced recruitment angered villages, and crop failures and influenza followed.
   • Turkey's defeat raised fears of a harsh treaty on the Khalifa, and a Khilafat Committee was formed in Bombay in 1919.
   • Gandhiji used this anger and the Khilafat issue to unite Hindus and Muslims. Non-cooperation was approved at Calcutta (1920) and adopted at Nagpur.

5. Q5 · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonBoard level

   Read the statements and choose the correct option.
   Assertion (A): Gandhiji withdrew the Non-Cooperation Movement in February 1922.
   Reason (R): He felt that the movement was turning violent and satyagrahis needed proper training before mass struggles.
   (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
   (b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
   (c) A is true but R is false.
   (d) A is false but R is true.

   Hint

   Recall what happened at Chauri Chaura.

   Answer

   (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. After the violent clash at Chauri Chaura, Gandhiji withdrew the movement for exactly this reason.

6. Q6 · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level

   Why did the industrial working classes not join the Civil Disobedience Movement in large numbers, and how did some workers still take part? (3 marks)

   Hint

   Think about who was coming closer to the Congress.

   Answer

   • As industrialists came closer to the Congress, workers stayed aloof, except in the Nagpur region. The Congress also kept workers' demands out of its programme.
   • Some workers adopted ideas like the boycott of foreign goods in their own fight against low wages and poor conditions.
   • Examples: railway strikes (1930), dockworkers (1932), and Chotanagpur tin miners wearing Gandhi caps (1930).

7. Q7 · 5 marks · Long answerHarder board level

   'History, folklore and symbols helped create a sense of collective belonging in India.' Explain with four examples, and evaluate how far these efforts united all communities. (5 marks)

   Hint

   Use folklore, flags, the Bharat Mata image and the reinterpretation of history, then judge who felt included and who felt left out.

   Answer

   • Bharat Mata: Bankim's 'Vande Mataram' and Abanindranath Tagore's painting gave the nation a figure to love and serve.
   • Folklore: Rabindranath Tagore collected ballads and myths, and Natesa Sastri published Tamil folk tales, to restore pride in tradition.
   • Flags: the Swadeshi tricolour, and Gandhiji's Swaraj flag with a spinning wheel, carried in marches as a sign of defiance.
   • History: Indians wrote of ancient achievements to answer British claims that they were backward.
   • Evaluation: these built pride and a shared identity for many, but when the glorified past and images were Hindu, other communities felt left out, so the unity was only partial.

8. Q8 · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level

   Describe the main features of the Quit India Movement. (3 marks)

   Hint

   Cover the cause, the resolution and speech, and who took part.

   Answer

   • The failure of the Cripps Mission and the effects of World War II caused discontent. The Wardha resolution (14 July 1942), endorsed in Bombay on 8 August, demanded immediate British withdrawal, and Gandhiji gave the 'Do or Die' call.
   • It was a mass movement of students, workers and peasants, with hartals and processions.
   • Leaders like Jayprakash Narayan and Aruna Asaf Ali, and women like Matangini Hazra, took part. It took the British more than a year to suppress it.

9. Q9 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

   Imagine a Patidar farmer of Gujarat in 1932 explaining to a Congress volunteer why he will not join the relaunched Civil Disobedience Movement. Write three reasons he would give, based on the chapter. (3 marks)

   Hint

   What did swaraj mean to rich peasants, and what did they get in 1931?

   Answer

   • 'I joined because falling prices in the Depression wiped out my cash income and I could not pay revenue.'
   • 'For me, swaraj meant lower revenue.'
   • 'But the movement was called off in 1931 without any change in revenue rates, so I feel let down and will not join again.'

10. Q10 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

    The import of foreign cloth fell from Rs 102 crore to Rs 57 crore between 1921 and 1922. What does this data show about the Non-Cooperation Movement, and why could this effect not last in the towns? (3 marks)

    Hint

    Read the numbers first (about halved), then think about khadi prices and alternative institutions.

    Answer

    • The data shows the boycott hit British trade hard: imports nearly halved. Indian mills and handlooms produced more.
    • It could not last because khadi often cost more than mill cloth, so poor people could not keep up the boycott.
    • Alternative Indian institutions were slow to come up, so students and lawyers drifted back to government schools and courts.

11. Q11 · 5 marks · Long answerHarder board level

    Compare the peasant movement in Awadh with the tribal revolt in the Gudem Hills during the Non-Cooperation Movement, on grievances, leadership, methods and relationship with the Congress. (5 marks)

    Hint

    Make a point for each heading, then end with what both had in common.

    Answer

    • Grievances: Awadh peasants faced very high rents, cesses, begar and eviction by talukdars and landlords. Gudem tribals lost forest access for grazing, fuelwood and fruit, and were forced into begar for road building.
    • Leadership: Awadh had Baba Ramchandra, with Nehru in the Oudh Kisan Sabha (1920). Gudem had Alluri Sitaram Raju, seen as an incarnation of God.
    • Methods: Awadh used social boycott through nai-dhobi bandhs, later attacks on talukdars' houses and looting of bazaars. Gudem rebels fought a guerrilla war and attacked police stations.
    • Congress: it tried to fold the Awadh struggle into Non-Cooperation but disliked its violence; it could not approve the Gudem armed struggle.
    • Common: both invoked Gandhiji and linked local grievances to an all-India movement.

12. Q12 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

    Why did the efforts of the Congress and the Muslim League to forge unity in 1927-28 fail, and how did this affect the Muslim response to the Civil Disobedience Movement? (3 marks)

    Hint

    Start with the question of representation, then name who blocked compromise.

    Answer

    • The dispute was over representation. Jinnah offered to drop separate electorates if Muslims got reserved seats in the Central Assembly and population-based seats in Bengal and Punjab.
    • Hope ended at the 1928 All Parties Conference when M.R. Jayakar of the Hindu Mahasabha opposed compromise.
    • So distrust ran high, and many Muslims, fearing a Hindu majority, stayed away from Civil Disobedience.

13. Q13 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

    'The Rowlatt satyagraha taught Gandhiji lessons that shaped the Non-Cooperation Movement.' Justify the statement. (3 marks)

    Hint

    Think about where the Rowlatt protest happened and who was missing from it.

    Answer

    • The Rowlatt satyagraha was widespread but stayed mostly in cities and towns, so Gandhiji wanted a more broad-based movement.
    • He felt this needed Hindu-Muslim unity, so he took up the Khilafat issue alongside swaraj.
    • Non-Cooperation, planned in stages, then spread from towns to villages, forests and plantations, far beyond the Rowlatt protest.

14. Q14 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

    After 1922 the Congress was divided between the Swaraj Party and younger radicals. Compare their positions and explain how events of 1926 to 1929 strengthened the radicals. (3 marks)

    Hint

    Name the leaders of each side, then use the Depression, the Simon Commission and Irwin's offer.

    Answer

    • Swaraj Party (C.R. Das, Motilal Nehru): enter the provincial councils, oppose British policies there and show they were not truly democratic.
    • Radicals (Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose): mass agitation and full independence.
    • Falling prices from 1926, the all-British Simon Commission and Irwin's vague dominion-status offer weakened moderates; Lahore (1929) demanded Purna Swaraj.

15. Q15 · 5 marks · Long answerHarder board level

    Explain why the Civil Disobedience Movement had lost momentum by 1934. Link the events after 1930 with the attitudes of rich peasants, business groups and other sections. (5 marks)

    Hint

    Combine government action, the failed talks and each group's disappointment.

    Answer

    • Repression: leaders were arrested, peaceful satyagrahis attacked and about 100,000 people arrested; Gandhiji called the movement off with the Gandhi-Irwin Pact (March 1931).
    • The second Round Table Conference (December 1931) failed. On his return the Congress was declared illegal, Nehru and Ghaffar Khan were in jail and meetings were banned.
    • Rich peasants felt let down because revenue rates were not revised, so many refused to rejoin in 1932.
    • Business groups, worried about militancy, disruption and socialism, were no longer uniformly enthusiastic.
    • Workers joined in small numbers, and dalits and many Muslims largely stayed away. Relaunched in 1932, it had faded by 1934.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1. 1.Who led the peasants of Awadh against talukdars and landlords?Show answer

   Baba Ramchandra, a sanyasi who had earlier been an indentured labourer in Fiji.

2. 2.What is begar?Show answer

   Labour that villagers were forced to give without any payment.

3. 3.What did the Inland Emigration Act of 1859 do?Show answer

   It stopped plantation workers from leaving the tea gardens without permission.

4. 4.Why was the Simon Commission opposed in India?Show answer

   It did not have a single Indian member. All its members were British.

5. 5.What did the Lahore Congress of December 1929 decide?Show answer

   Under Jawaharlal Nehru, it demanded Purna Swaraj and fixed 26 January 1930 as Independence Day.

6. 6.Who formed the Swaraj Party, and why?Show answer

   C. R. Das and Motilal Nehru, to return to council politics after Non-Cooperation was withdrawn.

7. 7.What did the Swaraj flag of 1921 look like?Show answer

   A tricolour of red, green and white with a spinning wheel in the centre, representing self-help.

8. 8.Who wrote 'Vande Mataram', and in which novel was it included?Show answer

   Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, in the 1870s. It was later included in his novel Anandamath.

Quick revision checklist

The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?

• ☐Can you list three economic effects of the First World War on India, with the price fact?
• ☐Can you define satyagraha and name its three early movements, with places and years?
• ☐Can you give the sequence from the Rowlatt Act (1919) to the Rowlatt satyagraha being called off?
• ☐Can you explain why Gandhiji took up the Khilafat issue and what Hind Swaraj argued?
• ☐Can you state the stages of Non-Cooperation and which session adopted the programme?
• ☐Can you give the foreign cloth import figures and two reasons the town movement slowed?
• ☐Can you say what swaraj meant to Awadh peasants, Gudem tribals and Assam plantation workers?
• ☐Can you distinguish Non-Cooperation from Civil Disobedience on method, aim and ending?
• ☐Can you explain why rich peasants, business groups and workers joined or held back, and what the Poona Pact gave?
• ☐Can you mark Calcutta, Nagpur, Madras, Champaran, Kheda, Ahmedabad, Jallianwala Bagh and Dandi on an outline map?

Nationalism in India: frequently asked questions