Previous Year Questions: Nationalism in India - Social Studies (SST) Class 10

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Q.1. Mention any two causes that led to the Civil Disobedience Movement.   [Term-ll, 2021-22 C]

Ans: The Civil Disobedience Movement was triggered by several causes. Two of these causes are:

• The constitution of the Simon Commission with no Indian representation. This was seen as a direct insult to the Indian people and their demands for self-governance.
• The death of Lala Lajpat Rai, who was brutally beaten by the police while protesting against the Simon Commission, further inflamed the nationalist sentiment and led to a call for mass civil disobedience.

Q.2. Mention any two impacts of the First World War on Indian Economy.   [Term-ll, 2021-22]

Ans: The First World War had several impacts on the Indian economy. Two of these impacts are:

• The war led to a surge in demand for Indian goods, especially raw materials and food products. This resulted in a boost to the Indian economy, as industries and agricultural sectors saw increased production and trade.
• However, the war also led to inflation and price rise in India, as the demand for goods outstripped supply. This had a negative impact on the common people, particularly the poor, who struggled to afford basic necessities.

Q.3. Why did Mahatma Gandhi decide to call off the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1931?   [Term-ll, 2021-22]
Ans: Mahatma Gandhi decided to call off the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1931 because he reached a pact, known as the Gandhi-Irwin Pact, with the British Viceroy, Lord Irwin. As part of this pact, the British agreed to release political prisoners, allow the participation of Congress in the Second Round Table Conference, and lift the ban on the salt satyagraha. Gandhi believed that this was a significant step forward and decided to suspend the movement to give negotiations a chance.

Q.4. Why did Gandhiji support the ‘Khilafat’ issue ? Write main reason.   [2020]
Ans: Gandhiji supported the 'Khilafat' issue as he saw it as an opportunity to bring Muslims under the umbrella of a unified national movement. He believed that by supporting the Khilafat cause, which aimed to protect the political and territorial rights of the Ottoman Caliphate, he could build a strong alliance between Hindus and Muslims and strengthen the fight for India's independence.

Q.5. Name the two main leaders of ‘Khilafat Committee’ formed in the year 1919.   [2020]
Ans: The two main leaders of the 'Khilafat Committee' formed in 1919 were Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali.

Q.6. Why was the Inland Emigration Act of 1859 troublesome for plantation workers?   [2020]
Ans: The Inland Emigration Act of 1859 was troublesome for plantation workers because it severely restricted their freedom of movement. Under this act, plantation workers were required to obtain a pass or permission from their employers to leave the tea gardens. This made it difficult for them to visit their families or find alternate employment, effectively trapping them in exploitative working conditions.

Q.7. Name the association formed by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar for Dalits in 1930.   [2020]
Ans: The association formed by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar for Dalits in 1930 is the Depressed Class Association.

Q.8. Name the author of the novel 'Anandamath.    [2020, Delhi 2017]
Ans: The author of the novel 'Anandamath' is Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.

Q.9. Trace the reason because of which Gandhiji started Satyagraha in 1919.    [2016]
Ans: Gandhiji started Satyagraha in 1919 to protest against the Rowlatt Act. The Rowlatt Act was a repressive law passed by the British colonial government, which allowed for the arrest and detention of individuals without trial. Gandhiji saw this act as a violation of civil liberties and launched the Satyagraha movement to peacefully resist and protest against it.

Q.10. What did British do to repress the Rowlatt Satyagrahis?   [2016]
Ans: In order to repress the Rowlatt Satyagrahis, the British colonial government resorted to brutal measures. They arrested and detained many satyagrahis, including Mahatma Gandhi, and deployed armed forces to suppress the protests. The British authorities also resorted to violence, including firing on peaceful protesters, leading to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar.

Short Answer Type Questions

Q.1. Analyse the role of folklore and symbols in the revival of nationalism in India during late 19th century.     [2023]
Ans: The role of folklore and symbols played a significant role in the revival of nationalism in India during the late 19th century. Folklore, songs, popular prints, and symbols served as powerful tools to mobilize and unite the Indian masses against British colonial rule. They helped in creating a sense of collective identity, pride, and resistance among the people.
Folklore, which includes folk tales, legends, and myths, played a crucial role in shaping the nationalist sentiment. These stories often highlighted the valor, bravery, and sacrifice of Indian heroes and warriors, instilling a sense of pride and nationalism among the people. They also emphasized the rich cultural heritage and history of India, reinforcing the idea of an independent and glorious past.
Songs and ballads, another form of folklore, were widely used to spread nationalist ideas and mobilize the masses. Nationalist poets and musicians composed songs that expressed the aspirations and struggles of the Indian people. These songs not only served as a medium of protest but also helped in creating a sense of unity and solidarity among the diverse Indian population.
Popular prints, such as posters and images, also played a significant role in shaping nationalist sentiment. These prints depicted iconic figures like Rani Lakshmibai, Bhagat Singh, and Mahatma Gandhi, who became symbols of resistance and inspiration for the people. They were widely circulated and displayed, serving as visual reminders of the nationalist struggle and invoking a sense of pride and determination.
Symbols, such as the national flag, the spinning wheel, and the slogan "Vande Mataram," became powerful representations of the nationalist movement. They were used to rally support and create a sense of collective identity among the people. The national flag, with its tricolor and the charkha, became a symbol of unity and freedom, while "Vande Mataram" became a rallying cry for the nationalist cause.
In conclusion, folklore and symbols played a crucial role in the revival of nationalism in India during the late 19th century. They helped in creating a sense of collective identity, pride, and resistance among the Indian masses, mobilizing them against British colonial rule. Folklore, songs, popular prints, and symbols served as powerful tools to spread nationalist ideas and inspire the people to fight for their independence.

Q.2. "Mahatma Gandhi launched a more broad-based movement in India by joining Khilafat Andolan" Explain the statement with any three arguments in the context of Non-Cooperation Movement.    [Term-ll, 2021-22]
Ans: Mahatma Gandhi's decision to join the Khilafat Andolan played a crucial role in broadening the scope and appeal of the Non-Cooperation Movement in India. Here are three arguments explaining this statement:

• Unity among different religious communities: The Khilafat Andolan was launched by Indian Muslims to protest against the British government's treatment of the Caliphate in Turkey. By supporting this movement, Gandhi aimed to create a united front of Hindus and Muslims against British rule. This helped in fostering communal harmony and strengthening the non-cooperation movement.
• Expansion of the movement to rural areas: The Khilafat Andolan had a significant impact in rural areas, where the influence of religious leaders was strong. By aligning with the Khilafat cause, Gandhi was able to mobilize support and participation from the rural population, thus expanding the reach of the non-cooperation movement beyond urban centers.
• Increased participation of youth and students: The Khilafat Andolan resonated strongly with the youth and students of India, who were deeply concerned about the fate of their fellow Muslims in Turkey. Gandhi's association with the Khilafat cause attracted a large number of young people to join the non-cooperation movement, bringing fresh energy and enthusiasm to the protests.

Q.3. "The effects of Non-Cooperation Movement on the economic front were more dramatic’’. Support the statement with examples.  [Term-ll, 2021-22]
Ans: The Non-Cooperation Movement had significant effects on the economic front in India. The statement that the effects were more dramatic can be supported with the following examples:

• Boycott of foreign goods: As part of the non-cooperation movement, there was a widespread boycott of foreign goods. This led to a significant decrease in the import of foreign clothes between 1921 and 1922. The value of imported foreign clothes dropped from ?102 crores to ?57 crores during this period.
• Picketing of liquor shops: The movement also involved the picketing of liquor shops, which were seen as symbols of British influence and exploitation. This led to a decrease in the consumption of foreign liquor, affecting the revenue generated from its sales.
• Promotion of Indian textiles and handlooms: As people boycotted foreign clothes, there was a shift towards the use of Indian textiles and handloom products. The production of Indian textiles and handlooms increased, providing a boost to the domestic economy and empowering local artisans.

These examples demonstrate that the Non-Cooperation Movement had a significant impact on the economic front, leading to a reduction in the consumption of foreign goods and the promotion of Indian industries.

Q.4. How could Non-Cooperation become a movement? Give your opinion.    [Term-ll, 2021-22 C, Foreign 2015]
Ans: Non-Cooperation could become a movement through a combination of factors and strategies. In my opinion, the following elements were crucial in transforming Non-Cooperation into a full-fledged movement:

• Leadership: Effective leadership played a vital role in mobilizing people and transforming Non-Cooperation into a movement. Mahatma Gandhi's charismatic personality, principles of non-violence, and ability to articulate the grievances of the masses provided the necessary guidance and inspiration to the people.
• Mass participation: For Non-Cooperation to become a movement, it required the active participation of a large number of people from different sections of society. The movement appealed to various social groups, including students, lawyers, peasants, and workers, by addressing their specific grievances and aspirations.
• Organizational structure: A well-organized and hierarchical structure was essential for the movement to function effectively. The establishment of the Congress organization at various levels, with dedicated leaders and volunteers, helped coordinate and mobilize resources for the movement.
• Tactics and strategies: Non-Cooperation as a movement relied on various tactics and strategies, such as boycotts, strikes, picketing, and civil disobedience. These methods were aimed at disrupting the functioning of the British administration and creating public awareness about the injustices of colonial rule.
• Broad-based support: Non-Cooperation became a movement by garnering support from different sections of society, including Hindus, Muslims, and other religious communities. The movement's ability to address the concerns of various groups and foster unity among them was crucial in its transformation into a broader movement.

Overall, the success of Non-Cooperation as a movement was dependent on effective leadership, mass participation, organizational structure, tactical approaches, and broad-based support from diverse sections of society.

Q.5. Read the following source carefully and answer the questions that follow.   [Term-ll, 2021-22]
Nationalism in India
Modern nationalism in Europe came to be associated with the formation of nation-states. It also meant a change in people’s understanding of who they were and what defined their identity and sense of belonging. New symbols and icons, new songs and ideas forged new links and redefined the boundaries of communities. In most countries, the making of this new national identity was a long process. How did this consciousness emerge in India?
In India and as in many other colonies, the growth of modern nationalism is intimately connected to the anti-colonial movement. People began discovering their unity in the process of their struggles with colonialism. The sense of being oppressed under colonialism provided a shared bond that tied many different groups together. But each class and group felt the effects of colonialism differently, their experiences were varied, and their notions of freedom were not always the same. The Congress under Mahatma Gandhi tried to forge these groups together within one movement. But the unity did not emerge without conflict.
(i) What was people's understanding of nation?
Ans: People's understanding of nation was of modern states, having centralized powers exercising sovereign control over their own territory.
(ii) How was the growth of modern nationalism intimately connected to the anti-colonial movement?
Ans: The growth of modern nationalism in India was intimately connected to the anti-colonial movement. The sense of being oppressed under colonialism provided a shared bond that tied different groups together. The Congress under Mahatma Gandhi tried to unite these groups within one movement.
(iii) How did people in India develop a sense of collective belonging? Explain.
Ans: People in India developed a sense of collective belonging through their shared experiences and struggles with colonialism. The anti-colonial movement brought different groups together, despite their varied experiences and notions of freedom. The Congress under Mahatma Gandhi played a crucial role in forging these groups together within one movement, although there were conflicts along the way. Additionally, history, folklore, and new symbols and icons helped redefine the boundaries of communities and create a sense of collective belonging. 

Q.6. Describe the spread of Non-Cooperation Movement in the countryside. (Term-ll, 2021-22 C, 2015)
Ans: The spread of the Non-Cooperation Movement in the countryside involved various aspects. In Awadh, Baba Ramchandra led the peasants against talukdars and landlords who imposed exorbitantly high rents and other cesses on them. Peasants were also subjected to begar (forced labor) and had no security of tenure as tenants. The movement demanded a reduction in revenue, abolition of begar, and social boycott of oppressive landlords. Jawaharlal Nehru traveled to villages in Awadh to support the movement. However, the Congress leadership was not entirely satisfied with the forms the peasant movement took.

Q.7. Why did the Non-Cooperation Movement gradually slow down in the cities? Explain. (Term-ll, 2021-22 C, 2015, Foreign 2014)
Ans: The Non-Cooperation Movement gradually slowed down in the cities due to several factors. Firstly, Khadi clothes promoted by the movement were more expensive than mill clothes, making them unaffordable for the poor. Secondly, the boycott of British institutions posed a problem as there were no alternative arrangements in place. Thirdly, students and teachers began returning to government schools, and lawyers resumed their work in government courts. These factors contributed to the gradual decline of the movement in urban areas. 

Q.8. Read the given source below carefully and answer the questions that follow:    [Term-II,  2021-22]
The Independence Day Pledge, 26 January, 1930 ‘We believe that it is the inalienable right of the Indian people, as of any other people, to have freedom and to enjoy the fruits of their toil and have the necessities of life, so that they may have full opportunities of growth. We believe also that if any government deprives people of these rights and oppresses them, the people have a further right to alter it or to abolish it. The British Government in India has not only deprived the Indian people of their freedom but has based itself on the exploitation of the masses, and has ruined India economically, politically, culturally and spiritually. We believe, therefore, that India must sever the British connection and attain Purna Swaraj or Complete Independence.’
(i) Why was freedom considered an inalienable right of the Indian people?
Ans: Freedom was considered an inalienable right of the Indian people because like any other people, they believed they had the right to enjoy the fruits of their labor, have the necessities of life, and have full opportunities for growth. They believed that if any government deprived them of these rights and oppressed them, they had the right to alter or abolish it.

(ii) Why was Purna Swaraj considered essential by the people of India?
Ans: Purna Swaraj, or Complete Independence, was considered essential by the people of India because they believed that the British government in India had not only deprived them of their freedom but also based itself on the exploitation of the masses. They saw complete independence as the only way to free themselves from economic, political, cultural, and spiritual ruin caused by British rule.

(iii) Explain the significance of the Lahore Session of Congress (1930).
Ans: The Lahore Session of Congress (1930) was significant because during this session, the Congress decided to observe 26th January 1930 as the Purna Swaraj Day or the day of Complete Independence. This declaration marked a significant milestone in the Indian freedom struggle and set the stage for the future demand for complete independence from British rule.

Q.9. Read the case given below carefully and answer the questions that follow:   [Term-ll, 2021-22]
The Sense of Collective Belonging
This 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 and fiction, folklore and songs, popular prints and symbols, all played a part in the making of nationalism. The identity of the nation, as you know, is most often symbolised in a figure or image. This helps create an image with which people can identify the nation. It was in the twentieth century, with the growth of nationalism, that the identity of India came to be visually associated with the image of Bharat Mata. The image was first created by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. In the 1870s he wrote 'Vande Mataram' as a hymn to the motherland. Later it was included in his novel Anandamath and widely sung during the Swadeshi movement in Bengal. Moved by the Swadeshi movement, Abanindranath Togore Painted his famous image fo Bharat Mata. In this painting. Bharat Mata is portrayed as an ascetic figure; she is calm, composed, diving and spiritual. In subsequentyears.theimageof Bharat Mata acquired many different forms, as it circulated in popular prints, and was painted by different artists. Devotion to this mother figure cam to be seen as evidence of one's nationalism.
(i) How did the 'nation' become a reality in the minds of people?
Ans: The 'nation' became a reality in the minds of people through united struggles and various cultural processes. The experience of united struggles helped people develop a sense of collective belonging and identify themselves as part of a nation. Additionally, history, fiction, folklore, songs, popular prints, and symbols played a significant role in shaping the idea of the nation and capturing people's imagination.

(ii) How did nationalism capture the people's imagination?
Ans: Nationalism captured the people's imagination through cultural processes such as history, fiction, folklore, songs, popular prints, and symbols. These cultural elements created a sense of identity and pride in one's nation. Nationalist leaders used these cultural tools to evoke emotions, inspire unity, and mobilize people for the cause of nationalism.

(iii) How did people belonging to different groups develop a sense of collective belonging?
Ans: People belonging to different groups developed a sense of collective belonging through shared experiences of united struggles and cultural processes. The use of folklore, songs, popular prints, symbols, and other cultural elements helped bridge the gaps between different groups and create a sense of unity and belonging. These cultural expressions provided a common ground for people from diverse backgrounds to connect and identify themselves as part of a larger collective.

Q.10. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:   [2020]
Source - Swaraj in the Plantations 
Workers too had their own understanding of Mahatma Gandhi and the notion of Swaraj. For plantation workers in Assam, freedom meant the right to move freely in and out of the confined space in which they were enclosed, and it meant retaining a link with the village from which they had come. Under the Inland Emigration Act of 1859, plantation workers were not permitted to leave the tea gardens without permission, and in fact, they were rarely given such permission. When they heard of the Non-Cooperation Movement, thousands of workers defied the authorities, left the plantations, and headed home. They believed that Gandhi Raj was coming, and everyone would be given land in their own villages. They, however, never reached their destination. Stranded on the way by a railway and steamer strike, they were caught by the police and brutally beaten up.

(i) Explain the understanding of Swaraj for plantation workers in Assam.
Ans: For plantation workers in Assam, Swaraj (freedom) meant the right to move freely in and out of the confined space of the tea gardens where they were enclosed. It also meant retaining a link with their native village. These workers were restricted by the Inland Emigration Act of 1859, which prohibited them from leaving the tea gardens without permission. However, upon hearing about the Non-Cooperation Movement, thousands of workers defied the authorities, left the plantations, and headed home with the belief that Gandhi Raj (rule) was coming and everyone would be given land in their own villages.
(ii) Explain the Inland Emigration Act of 1859 as a barrier to the freedom of plantation workers.
Ans: The Inland Emigration Act of 1859 served as a barrier to the freedom of plantation workers in Assam. This act prohibited them from leaving the tea gardens without permission, which was rarely granted. It confined the workers to the plantations and restricted their movement, denying them the freedom to return to their native villages or explore opportunities outside the gardens.
(iii) Explain the main outcome of the participation of workers in the Non-Cooperation Movement. 
Ans: The participation of workers in the Non-Cooperation Movement had a significant outcome. Thousands of plantation workers in Assam defied the authorities, left the tea gardens, and headed home with the belief that Gandhi Raj was coming and they would be given land in their own villages. However, their journey was disrupted by a railway and steamer strike, leading to their arrest by the police and brutal beatings. Despite not reaching their destination, their participation showcased their defiance against the oppressive colonial rule and their aspirations for a better future.

Q.11. Read the source given below and answer the questions that follow:    [2020]
The movement in the towns 
The movement started with middle-class participation in the cities. Thousands of students left government-controlled schools and colleges, headmasters and teachers resigned, and lawyers gave up their legal practices. The council elections were boycotted in most provinces except Madras, where the Justice Party, the party of the non-Brahmans, felt that entering the council was one way of gaining some power-something that usually only Brahmans had access to.
The effects of non-cooperation on the economic front were more dramatic. Foreign goods were boycotted, liquor shops picketed, and foreign cloth burnt in huge bonfires. The import of foreign cloth halved between 1921 and 1922, its value dropping from ? 102 crore to ? 57 crore. In many places, merchants and traders refused to trade in foreign goods or finance foreign trade. 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.
(i) Explain the role of 'Justice Party' in boycotting council elections.
Ans: The 'Justice Party,' representing the non-Brahmans, decided to participate in the council elections in Madras while most other provinces boycotted them. The party believed that entering the council was a means of gaining some power, which was usually accessible only to the Brahmans. Their decision to participate in the elections was driven by the aspiration to challenge the existing power dynamics and gain representation for their community.
(ii) How were the effects of 'Non-Cooperation on the economic front' dramatic?
Ans: The effects of the Non-Cooperation Movement on the economic front were dramatic. Foreign goods were boycotted, liquor shops were picketed, and foreign cloth was burnt in huge bonfires. The import of foreign cloth decreased significantly between 1921 and 1922, with its value dropping from ? 102 crore to ? 57 crore. Merchants and traders in many places refused to trade in foreign goods or finance foreign trade. As a result, the production of Indian textile mills and handlooms increased as people discarded imported clothes and embraced Indian ones.
(iii) Explain the effect of the 'Boycott' movement on 'foreign textile trade'.
Ans: The 'Boycott' movement had a significant impact on foreign textile trade. The import of foreign cloth halved between 1921 and 1922, with its value decreasing from ? 102 crore to ? 57 crore. This decline was a direct consequence of the movement's boycott of foreign goods. As people discarded imported clothes and opted for Indian textiles, the production of Indian textile mills and handlooms witnessed an increase. The movement aimed to promote indigenous industries and self-reliance, and the boycott of foreign textiles played a crucial role in achieving this objective.

Q.12. Read the sources given below and answer the questions that follow:    [2020]
A. The Salt March and The Civil Disobedience Movement Mahatma Gandhi found in salt a powerful symbol that could unite the nation. On 315t January, 1930, he sent a letter to Viceroy Irwin stating eleven demands. Some of these were of general interest; while others were specific demands of different classes, from industrialists to peasants.
B. How Participants saw the Movement In the countryside, rich peasant communities - like the Patidars of Gujarat and Jats of Uttar Pradesh - were active in the movement. Being producers of commercial crops, they were very hard hit by trade depression and falling prices.
C. The limits of Civil Disobedience Movement When the Civil Disobedience Movement started there was an atmosphere of suspicion and distrust between communities. 

(i) How did Gandhiji react to the Salt Law?
Ans: Gandhiji opposed the British salt tax and their monopoly over its production. He demanded the abolition of the salt tax. To protest against this unjust law, he organized the famous Dandi March, where he and his followers marched to the Arabian Sea and made their own salt by evaporating seawater.

(ii) Why did the rich peasants become supporters of the Civil Disobedience Movement?
Ans: The rich peasants became supporters of the Civil Disobedience Movement because they were severely affected by the trade depression and falling prices of commercial crops. As producers of these crops, they faced economic hardships and saw the movement as a means to fight against the exploitation and oppression they faced.

(iii) Examine the limits of the Civil Disobedience Movement.
Ans: The Civil Disobedience Movement had certain limitations, including:
(a) Lack of industrialists' participation: The industrialists did not actively participate in the movement, which affected its economic impact.
(b) Limited demands of workers: The Congress was reluctant to include the demands of workers as part of its program of struggle, which limited the scope of the movement.

Q.13. Read the source given below and answer the questions that follow:   [2020]
Why Non-cooperation? 
In his famous book Hind Swaraj (1909), Mahatma Gandhi declared that British rule was established in India with the cooperation 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.
How could non-cooperation become a movement? Gandhiji proposed that the movement should unfold in stages. It should begin with the surrender of titles that the government awarded and a boycott of civil services, army, police, courts and legislative councils, schools, and foreign goods.
Then, in case the government used repression, a full civil disobedience campaign would be launched. Through the summer of 1920, Mahatma Gandhi and Shaukat Ali toured extensively, mobilizing popular support for the movement.
(i) What was the weapon of Gandhiji to fight against British Empire in India?
Ans: Satyagraha was the weapon of Gandhiji to fight peacefully against the British Empire in India.

(ii) How did the British survive in India?
Ans: According to Mahatma Gandhi's book Hind Swaraj, British rule in India was established with the cooperation of Indians and had survived only because of this cooperation.

(iii) Explain Gandhiji's idea for making non-cooperation a movement.
Ans: Gandhiji proposed that non-cooperation should unfold in stages. It should start with the surrender of titles awarded by the government and a boycott of civil services, army, police, courts, legislative councils, schools, and foreign goods. If the government responded with repression, a full civil disobedience campaign would be launched. This idea aimed to mobilize popular support and escalate the movement gradually.

Q.14. Why was Congress reluctant to allow women to hold any position of authority within the organisation ? How did women participate in Civil Disobedience Movement ? Explain.    [CBSE 2018]
Ans: (a) (i) For a long time the Congress was reluctant to allow women because Gandhiji was convinced that it was the duty of women to look after home and hearth, be good mothers and good wives.
(ii) It was keen only on their symbolic presence.
(b) (i) During salt march, thousands of women came out of their homes to listen him (Gandhiji).
(ii) Women participated in protest marches, manufactured salt and picketed foreign cloth and liquor shops.

Q.15. What is the meaning of ‘Begar’?    [CBSE (AT) 2017]
Ans: Labour that villager was forced to contribute without any payment.

Q.16. Name the writer of the novel ‘Anandamath’    [CBSE Delhi 2017]
Ans: Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay

Q.17. What is meant by Satyagraha?    [CBSE (AI) 2017]
Ans: The idea of Satyagraha emphasised the power of truth and the need to search for the truth.

Q.18. Name the famous book written by Mahatma Gandhi.    [CBSE (AI) 2017]
Ans: 'Hind Swaraj'.Q.19. Under which agreement the Indian ‘Depressed Classes’ got reserved seats in the Provincial and Central Legislative Councils in 1932?    [CBSE Delhi 2017]
Ans: Poona pact

Q.20. Who wrote the song ‘Vande Mataram?    [CBSE (F) 2017]
Ans: Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.

Q.21. By what means does hand spun khadi provide large scale employment to weavers?    [CBSE Sample Question 2017]
Ans: It provides large scale employment to weavers as it is a cottage industry, can be set up at home.

Q.22. How did the First World War create a new economic situation in India? Explain with examples.    [CBSE (F) 2017]
Ans: First World war created a new economic situation:
(i) It led to a huge increase in defense expenditure.
(ii) Increase in taxes.
(iii) Custom duties were raised.
(iv) Introduction of income tax.
(v) Villages were called upon to supply soldiers and forced recruitment in rural area.

Q.23. Why was Non-Cooperation Movement launched by Gandhiji ? Explain any three reasons.    [CBSE (Comp.) 2017]
Ans: Reasons for the launching of Non Cooperation Movement:
(i) To support Khilafat agitation.
(ii) To protest against Rowlatt Act.
(iii) To redress the wrong done in Punjab.
(iv) The dissatisfaction from the government of India act of 1919.
(v) Demand for Swaraj

Q.24. “Gandhiji’s idea of Satyagraha emphasized the Power of truth and the need to search for truth.” In the light of this statement assess the contribution of Gandhiji towards Satyagraha.    [CBSE (Comp.) 2017]
Ans: Contribution of Gandhiji towards Satyagraha:
The idea of satyagraha emphasized 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 non violence. This could be done by appealing to the consciousness 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 non violence could unite all Indians. Based on the above principle Gandhiji started non-cooperation movement and later civil disobedience movement.

Q.25. How was the sense of collective belonging developed during the freedom movement? Explain.    [CBSE (AI) 2017]
Ans: Sense of collective belonging was developed during the freedom movement:
(i) It came partly through the experience of united struggles.
(ii) Variety of cultural process through which nationalism captured people’s imagination.
(iii) History and fiction, folk lore and songs, popular prints and symbols all played a part in the making of nationalism.
(iv) The identity of the nation was symbolized in a figure image ‘Bharat Mata’.
(v) Vande Matram was widely sung during the Swadesh movement in Bengal.
(vi) Icons and symbols helped in unifying people and inspiring in them a feeling of nationalism.
(vii) Ideas of nationalism also developed through a movement to revive Indian folk lore. (viii) Folk tales were sung by bards in the villages to give a true picture of traditional culture.
(ix) Re interpretation of history created a feeling of nationalism.
(x) The nationalist histories urged the readers to take pride in Indian great achievement in the past and struggle to change the miserable conditions of life under British rule.

Q.26. Why did Gandhiji decide to launch a nationwide Satyagraha against the proposed Rowlatt Act 1919 ? Explain any three reasons.    [CBSE (Delhi) 2017, 2016]
Ans: Nationwide Satyagraha was decided to be launched against the proposed Rowlatt Act 1919 because:
(i) This act had been hurriedly passed through the Imperial Legislative Council despite the united opposition of the Indian members.
(ii) It gave the government enormous powers to repress political activities.
(iii) Allowed detention of political prisoners without trial for two years.

Q.27. How had the First World War created economic problems in India ? Explain.    [CBSE (Comp.) 2017]
Ans: The First World War created a new political and economic situation.
(i) It led to huge increase in defence expenditure which was financed by war loans and increasing taxes.
(ii) Through the war years prices increased-doubling between 1913 and 1918-leading to extreme hardship for common people.
(iii) Villages were called upon to supply soldiers and the forced recruitment in rural areas caused widespread anger.
(iv) In 1918-1920 and 1920-21, crops failed in many parts of India resulting in acute shortages of food. This was accompanied by influenza epidemic.

Q.28. Why did Gandhiji relaunch the Civil Disobedience Movement after the Second Round Table Conference ? Explain any three reasons.    [CBSE (F) 2017]
Ans: Reasons for Gandhiji relaunching of Civil Disobedience Movement
(i) The negotiations with regard to India’s freedom broke down in the Second Round Table Conference held at London.
(ii) Back in India, he discovered that the government had begun a new cycle of repression. (iii) Ghaffar Khan and Jawaharlal Nehru were put to jail.
(iv) The Congress had been declared illegal.
(v) A series of measures had been imposed to prevent meetings, demonstrations and boycotts. In such a situation he decided to relaunch the Civil Disobedience Movement.

Q.29. Evaluate the ‘Satyagraha Movement’ of Gandhiji against the proposed Rowlatt Act, 1919.    [CBSE (F) 2017}
Ans: Satyagraha Movement Against The Rowlatt Act
(i) Gandhiji in 1919 decided to launch a nationwide satyagraha against the proposed Rowlatt Act (1919).
(ii) Mahatma Gandhi wanted non-violent civil disobedience against such unjust laws, which would start with a hartal on 6 April.
(iii) Rallies were organised in various cities.
(iv) Workers went on strike in railway workshops, and shops closed down.
(v) lines of communication such as the railways and telegraph would be disrupted.
(vi) The British administration decided to clamp down on nadonalists.
(vii) Local leaders were put to jail.
(viii) On 13 April the Jallianwalla Bagh incident took place.
(ix) Crowd took to streets in many towns.
(x) Government started brutal repression.
(xi) At the Calcutta session of the Congress in September 1920, he felt the need to start a Non- Cooperation Movement in support of Khilafat as well as for swaraj.

Q.30. Evaluate the contribution of folklore, songs, popular prints etc., in shaping the nationalism during freedom struggle.    [CBSE Delhi 2017]
Ans: Role of folklore:
(i) History and fiction, folklore and songs, popular prints and symbols, all played a part in the making of Nationalism.
(ii) Identity of India came to be visually associated with the image of Bharat Mata.
(iii) In the 187Os, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote’Vande Malarum’ as a hymn to the motherland.
(iv) Idea of Nationalism also developed through a movement to revive Indian folklore.

Q.31. How did the salt Satyagraha become an effective tool of resistance against British colonialism in India during 1930? Explain.    [CBSE Sample Question 2017]
Ans: (i) Salt was something consumed by the rich and poor alike, and it was one of the most essential items of food.
(ii) So Mahatama Gandhi started his farmers Salt March accompanied by his 78 trusted volunteers.
(iii) On 6^th April, he reached Dandi and ceremonially violated the law, manufacturing salt by boiling sea water.
(iv) Thousands in different parts of country broke the salt law, manufactured salt and demonstrated in front of government salt factories.
(v) As the movement spread, foreign cloth as boycotted, and liquor shops were picketed.
(vi) Worried by developments, the colonial government began arresting the congress leaders one by one.
(vii) In May 1930, even Mahatama Gandhi was arrested.
(viii) A frightened government responded with a policy of brutal repression.
(ix) This shows the success of Salt Satyagraha as an effective tool of resistance against British Colonialism.

Q.32. Evaluate the role of business classes in the ‘Civil Disobedience Movement’.    [ CBSE (AI) 2017]
Ans: Role of business classes in the ‘Civil Disobedience Movement’ :
(i) The business classes reacted against colonial policies that restricted business activities.
(ii) They wanted protection against imports of foreign goods and a rupee sterling foreign exchange ratio that would discourage imports.
(iii) In order to organise business interest, they formed the Indian Industrial and Commercial Congress in 1920 and the Federation of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) in 1927.
(iv) They gave financial assistance for the movement.
(v) They refused to buy and sell imported goods.

Q.33. Who had designed the ‘Swaraj Flag’ by 1921? Explain the main features of this ‘swaraj flag’ ?    [CBSE Delhi 2016]
Ans: Mahatma Gandhiji designed the “Swaraj Flag” by 1921.
Features:
(i) It had tricolours-Red, Green and White
(ii) It had a spinning wheel in the center.
(iii) It represents the Gandhian idea of self-help.
(iv) It had become a symbol of defiance.

Q.34. “The Civil Disobedience Movement was different from the Non-Cooperation Movement.” Support the statement with examples.    [CBSE Delhi 2016]
Ans: The Civil Disobedience Movement was different from the Non-Cooperation Movement:
Non-Cooperation Movement:
(i) The people were asked not to cooperate with the government.
(ii) Foreign goods were boycotted.
(iii) Liquor shops were picketed.
(iv) Foreign cloth burnt in huge bonfires.
(v) In many places merchants and traders refused to trade on foreign goods or finance foreign traders.
(vi) Students left the government owned schools and colleges.
(vii) Lawyers gave up legal practices.
Civil Disobedience Movement:
(i) People were asked to break colonial laws.
(ii) The countrymen broke the salt law.
(iii) Peasants refused to pay revenue and chaukidari tax.
(iv ) Village officials resigned from their jobs.
(v) Forest people violated forest rules and laws.

Q.35. What type of flag was designed during the ‘Swadeshi Movement’ in Bengal? Explain its main features.    [CBSE (AI) 2016]
Ans: During the Swadeshi Movement in Bengal the flag designed was Tricolour flag.
The three features of the flag were:
(i) The colour of the flag was — Red, Green and Yellow.
(ii) It represented eight provinces in British India.
(iii) It had crescent moon representing Hindus and Muslim.

Q.36. Describe the participation of industrial working class in the Civil Disobedience Movement.
Or “The Congress was reluctant to include the demands of industrial workers in its programme of struggle.” Analayse.    [CBSE 2016]
Ans: (A) (i) They did not participate in the movement in large numbers except in the Nagpur region.
(ii) As the industrialists came closer to Congress, the workers stayed aloof.
(iii) Some workers did participate in the Civil Disobedience Movement in the following activities :
(а) Boycott of foreign goods as part of their own movements against low wages and poor working conditions.
(b) Railway strikes in 1930.
(c) Dock workers strikes in 1932.

Q.37. “The plantation workers in Assam had their own understanding of Mahatma Gandhi and the notion of Swaraj”. Support the statement with arguments.    [CBSE (AI) 2016]
Ans: The plantation workers in Assam had their own understanding of Mahatma Gandhi and notion of Swaraj.
(i) For plantation workers in Assam, freedom meant the right to move freely in and out of the confined space in which they were enclosed.
(ii) Swaraj meant relating a link with the village from which they had come.
(iii) Under the Inland Emigration Act of 1859 plantation workers were not permitted to leave the Tea Gardens without permission.
(iv) When they heard of the Non-Cooperation movement thousands of workers defined the authorities, left planations and headed home.
(v) They believed that Gandhi Raj was coming and everyone would be given land in their own village.

Long Answer Type Questions

Q1. “Mahatma Gandhi found in salt a powerful symbol that could unite the nation.” Examine the statement in the context of the Civil Disobedience Movement.      [2023]
Ans:

• Mahatma Gandhi found salt a powerful symbol that could unite the nation. On 31st January 1930, he sent a letter to Viceroy Irwin stating wide-ranging eleven demands.
• All classes of the Indian society identified with the broad-ranging demands. 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 revealed the most oppressive face of British rule.
• In the Dandi march, the volunteers walked for 24 days, about 10 miles a day. Thousands came to hear Mahatma Gandhi wherever he stopped, and he told them what he meant by swaraj and urged them to peacefully defy the British.
• On 6th April, he reached Dandi and ceremonially violated the law by manufacturing salt from boiling sea water. This marked the beginning of the Civil Disobedience Movement.
• People were now asked not only to refuse cooperation with the British, as they had done in 1921-22, but also to break colonial laws.
• Thousands of people broke the salt law in different parts of the country, manufactured salt, and demonstrated in front of government salt factories.
• As the movement spread, foreign cloth was boycotted, and liquor shops were picketed. Peasants refused to pay revenue and chaukidari taxes, village officials resigned, and in many places, forest people violated forest laws.
  
  

Q.2. Explain the implications of the 'First World War’ on the economic and political situation of India.    [2023, Al 2019]
Ans: The following were the effects of the First World War on the economic and political situation of India:
(i) More defense budget forcing countries to take war loans.
(ii) Shortages leading to prices doubling between 1913-18.
(iii) The custom duties and taxes were raised leading to price rise.
(iv) Forced recruitment into the army led to discontent among the people.
(v) Acute shortage of food items because of crop failures.
(vi) Spread of epidemic leading to the death of many people.

Q.3. Describe any two Satyagraha movements launched by Gandhiji just after his return to India from South Africa.    [2021C]
Ans: After arriving in India, Mahatma Gandhi successfully organized satyagraha movements in various places. In 1917, he traveled to Champaran in Bihar to inspire the peasants to struggle against the oppressive plantation system. Then in 1917, he organized 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 organize a satyagraha movement amongst cotton mill workers.

Q.4. Describe the participation of the rich and poor peasant communities in the Civil Disobedience Movement,    [CBSE (Delhi) 2019]
Ans: (i) Rich peasants were hit hard by the trade depression and falling prices, whereas the poor peasants' cash income dwindled and they could not pay their rents.
(ii) Refusal of the government to reduce the revenue demand led to widespread resentment among the rich peasants, whereas the poor peasants wanted the unpaid rent to the landlords to be remitted.
(iii) For the rich peasants, fight for swaraj was a struggle against high revenues and for the poor peasants, their ‘no rent’ campaign.
(iv) Rich peasants were disappointed since revenue was not reduced and the poor peasants were disappointed with the Congress as it was unwilling to support them.

Q.5. Who had organised the dalits into depressed classes association in 1930? Describe his achievements.    [CBSE Delhi 2019]
Ans: It was B.R Ambedkar who played an important role in raising the spirits of the depi'essed class. He belonged to the Mahar caste, one of the untouchable/Dalit castes in India. Amedkar became a staunch anti-oppression advocate for Dalits through his politics and writing. One of his critical works is ‘The Annihilation of Caste, which was an undelivered speech he wrote in 1936.Gandhi was a caste Hindu, a Vaishya. Ambedkar was a Mahar Dalit and knew discrimination firsthand. Gandhi never repudiated the varna theory of four major groups, although he fought against the idea of a group below the varnas and he held all varnas to be equal. Ambedkar repudiated the entire caste hierarchy, dismissing what was a current effort among untouchables to “sanskritize,” that is, adopt upper-class customs in order to raise their status. Gandhi did not believe in political battles for untouchables’ rights or approve their attempts to enter temples unless the temple authorities agreed. Ambedkar felt political power was part of the solution to untouchability. Basically, Gandhi’s faith was in change of heart; Ambedkar’s trust was in law, political power, and education. Dr. BR Ambedkar after joining politics in 1930 organised an association namely the Depressed Classes Association for uplifting the dalits. The role of Ambedker in uplifting dalits was as follows:
(i) Dr. BR Ambedkar joined active polities in 1930 and organised the Depressed Classes Association to uplift the dalits.
(ii) He demanded separate electorates for dalits and reservation of seats in educational institutions for them.
(iii) He signed the Poona Pact that gave reserved seats to the depressed classes in provincial and central legislative councils to ensure that the upliftment occurs at a faster rate.

Q.6. How had a variety of cultural processes developed a sense of collective belongingness in India during the 19th century? Explain with example.    [CBSE 2019]
OR
“Nationalism spreads when people begin to believe that they are all part of the same nation.” Support the statement.
Ans: It means that people began to believe that they were all a part of the same nation and discovered some unity, which bound them together.
(i) Main cultural processes:
1. Figures or images helped create an image with which people could identify the nation.
Devotion to this mother figure came to be seen as evidence of one’s nationalism.
(a) It was with the growth of nationalism that the identity of India was associated with the image of Bharat Mata.
(b) This image was first created by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, who wrote the song lVande Mataram’ in his novel Anandamath.
(c) Then Abanindranath Tagore painted the famous image of Bharat Mata. He was moved by the Swadeshi movement.
(d) In this painting, Bharat Mata is portrayed as an ascetic figure; she is calm, composed divine and spiritual.
(e) In subsequent years, the image of Bharat Mata acquired many different forms as it circulated in popular prints and was painted by different artists.
(f) Devotion to this mother figure came to be seen as evidence of one’s nationalism.
(ii) Indian folklore:
(a) Ideas of nationalism also developed through a movement to revive Indian folklore.
(b) Folk tales were sung by bards in the villages to give a true picture of the traditional culture, which was corrupted and damaged by outside forces.
(c) In Bengal, Rabindranath Tagore himself began collecting ballads, nursery rhymes and myths to revive the folk culture.
(d) In Madras, Natesa Sastri published a four-volume collection of Tamil folk tales, The Folklore of Southern India.
(iii) Icons and symbols (flag):
(a) During the Swadeshi Movement in Bengal, a tricolour flag (red, green and yellow) was designed.
(b) It had eight lotuses, representing eight provinces of British India and a crescent moon, representing Hindus and Muslims.
(c) By 1921, Mahatma Gandhi designed the swaraj flag.
(d) It was also again a tricolour (red, green, white) flag and had a spinning wheel in the centre, representing the Gandhian ideal of self-help.
(e) Carrying the flag, holding it aloft, during marches became a symbol of defiance.

(iv) Reinterpretation of history:
(a) The British saw Indians as backward, primitive and incapable of governing themselves.
(b) In response, Indians began looking into the past to discover India’s great achievement.
(c) They (Indians) wrote about glorious developments in ancient India in arts and architecture, science and maths, religion and culture, law and philosophy, etc.
(d) This glorious time was followed by a history of decline, when India was colonised.

Q.7. How did the Non-Cooperation Movement spread to the countryside and drew into its fold the struggles of peasants and tribal communities ? Elaborate.    [CBSE 2018]
Ans: (a) Peasants of Awadh:
(i) They participated under the leadership of Baba Ramchandra - a Sanyasi.
(ii) Their demands were reduction of revenue, abolition of begar.
(iii) Activities: Nai-dhobi bandhs were organised. Oudh Kisan Sabha was formed.
(iv) Results: As the struggle became violent, the Congress was unhappy
(b) Tribals in Gudem Hills of Andhra Pradesh :
(i) The causes were closure of forest areas, restrictions on livelihoods, begar.
(ii) Activities : They attacked police stations and killed British officials. They carried guerrilla warfare.
(iii) Their leader was Alluri Sitaram Raju. He was captured and executed in 1924.
(iv) Importance : Tribal people could not achieve their objectives as their violent activities were disapproved by Congress.

Q.8. How did Non-Cooperation Movement start with participation of middle class people in the cities ? Explain its impact on the economic front.    [CBSE 2018]
Ans: (a) In the towns, middle classes participated in the movement in the following ways :
(i) Students left the schools and colleges. Headmasters and teachers resigned. Lawyers gave up their practice.
(ii) Elections were boycotted except in Madras.
(iii) Foreign goods were boycotted.
(iv) Liquor shops were picketed.
(v) Foreign clothes were burnt in huge bonfires.
(vi) Many traders refused to import foreign cloth or trade in foreign goods.
(b) Economic effects of Non-Cooperation Movement are given below :
(i) The import of foreign cloth decreased from Rs. 102 crore to Rs. 57 crore between 1921 and 1922.

(ii) Merchants and traders refused to trade in foreign goods. (Hi) People started wearing only Indian clothes. This led to increased production by the Indian textile mills and handlooms.

Q.9. What action did the British government take after the famous Dandi March?
OR

How did the Colonial Government repress the ‘Civil Disobedience Movement’ ? Explain.    [CBSE (AI) 2017]
Ans: (i) Worried by the developments, the colonial government began arresting the Congress leaders one by one.
(ii) This led to violent dashes in many places.
(iii) Amonth later when Mahatma Gandhi himself was arrested, industrial workers in Sholapur attacked police posts, municipal buildings, law courts and railway stations—all structures that symbolised British rule.
(iv) A frightened government responded with a policy of brutal suppression.
(v) Peaceful satyagrahis were attacked, women and children were beaten, and about 1,00,000 people were arrested.
(vi) Abdul Ghaffar Khan, a devout disciple of Mahatma Gandhi was arrested (April 1930).
(vii) Angry crowds demonstrated in the streets of Peshawar facing armored cars and police firing, many were killed.

Q.10. Explain the importance of the ‘Salt March’ of Gandhiji as a symbol to unite the nation.    [CBSE (F) 2017]
Ans: Gandhiji’s salt march was undoubtedly a symbol to unite the nation because:
(i) All classes of Indian society came together as a united campaign.
(ii) Mahatma Gandhi broke the salt law with the march from Sabarmati to Dandi.
(iii) Thousands others in different parts of the country broke the salt law, manufactured salt and demonstrated in front of government salt factories.
(iv) As the movement spread, foreign clothes were boycotted, and liquor shops were picketed.
(v) Peasants refused to pay revenue and chaukidari taxes.
(vi) Village officials resigned.
(vii) In many places, forest people violated forest laws - going into Reserved Forests to collect wood and graze cattle.
(viii) The different social groups participated.
(ix) In the countryside, rich peasants and poor peasants were active in the movement.
(x) The business class workers of Nagpur and women also joined the Movement.

Q.11. Why did Gandhiji launch the Civil Disobedience Movement? Explain any three reasons.    [CBSE (Comp) 2017]
Ans: Reasons to launching Civil Disobedience Movement:
(i) Economic depression of 1930.
(ii) Arrival of Simon Commission without any Indian representative
(iii) Vague offer of Dominion status by the British , failed to satisfy Indians.
(iv) Decisions taken in Lahore session of the Congress in 1929.
(v) Tax on salt by Britishers.

Q.12. What were the effects of Non-cooperation Movement on the economic front?    [CBSE Delhi 2017]
Ans: (i) Foreign goods were boycotted, liquor shops picketed and foreign cloth burnt in huge bonfire.
(ii) The import of foreign cloth halved between 1921 and 1922, its value dropping from ? 102 crore to ? 57 crore.
(iii) In many places, merchants and traders refused to trade.
(iv) 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.

Q.13. How did people belonging to different communities, regions or language groups develop a sense of collective belonging?    [CBSE Sample Question 2016]
Ans: (i) This sense of collective belonging came partly through the experience of united struggles and growing anger among people against the colonial government.
(ii) But there were also a variety of cultural processes through which nationalism captured people’s imagination:
(a) The identity of the nation symbolised in a figure or image of Bharat Mata created through literature, songs, paintings, etc.
(b) Movement to revive Indian folklore to enhance nationalist sentiments.
(c) Role of icons and symbols in unifying people and inspiring in them a feeling of nationalism.
(d) Creating a feeling of nationalism was through reinterpretation of history.

Q.14. Why did Gandhiji decide to launch a nationwide satyagraha against the proposed Rowlatt Act 1919? How was it organised? Explain.    [CBSE Delhi 2016]
Ans: Satyagrah against the proposed Rowlatt Act 1919:
(i) The Rowlatt Act was hurriedly passed through the Imperial Legislative Council.
(ii) Indian members unitedly opposed it.
(iii) It gave government enormous powers to repress political activities.
(iv) It allowed detention of political prisoners without trials for two years.
Organization of Satyagrah:
(i) Mahatma Gandhi wanted non-violent civil disobedience against such unjust laws.
(ii) It was started with a ‘Hartal’ on 6th April.
(iii) Rallies were organized in various cities.
(iv) Workers went on strike in railway workshops.
(v) Shops closed down.

Q.15. Why did Mahatma Gandhi find in ’salt’ a powerful symbol that could unite the nation? Explain.    [CBSE Delhi 2016]
Ans: Mahatma Gandhi found ‘salt’ a powerful symbol; Gandhiji sent a letter to Viceroy Irwin stating eleven demands on 31st January 1930. The most stirring of all was to abolish the salt tax. Salt was one of the most essential items of food. Irwin was unwilling to negotiate. So, Gandhiji started famous salt march. The march was over 240 miles, from Sabarmati to Dandi. Thousands came to hear Gandhiji wherever he stopped. He urged them to peacefully defy the British. On 6th April, he reached Dandi and ceremonially, violated the law, manufacturing salt by boiling sea water.

Q.16. How did a variety of cultural processes play an important role in making of nationalism in India? Explain with examples.    [CBSE Delhi 2016]
Ans: Role of cultural processes in making of nationalism in India;
(i) The sense of collective belonging came partly through the experience of united struggles.
(ii) There were also a variety of cultural processes through which nationalism captured peoples5 imagination.
(iii) History, fiction, folklore and songs, popular prints and symbols played a part in the making of nationalism.
(iv) The identity of the nation is most often symbolised in a figure or an image.
(v) This helped to create an image with which people can identify the nation.

Q.17. Why did Mahatma Gandhi decide to call off the Civil Disobedience Movement? Explain.    [CBSE (Al) 2016]
Ans: Mahatma Gandhi decided to call off civil Disobedience Movement because:
(i) Worried by the development of civil Disobedience movement the colonial government began arresting the congress leaders one by one.
(ii) This led to violent clashes in many places.
(iii) When Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, a devoted disciple of Mahatma Gandhi was arrested (April 1930) angry crowds demonstrated in the street of Peshawar, facing armoured cars and police firing. Many were killed.
(iv) A month later, when Mahatma Gandhi was arrested, industrial workers in Sholapur attacked police force municipal building, law courts, railway stations and all other structures that symbolised British rule.
(v) A frightened government responded with the policy of brutal repression.
(vi) The peaceful satyagrahi were attacked, women and children were beaten and about 1 lakh people were arrested.
Under these circumstances, Mahatma Gandhi called off the Civil Disobedience Movement.

Q.18. Why did Mahatma Gandhi relaunch the Civil Disobedience Movement with great apprehension? Explain.    [CBSE (Al) 2016]
Ans: Mahatma Gandhi relaunched the Civil Disobedience Movement with great apprehension:
(i) In December 1931, Gandhiji went to London for the Round table conference, but the negotiations broke down and he returned disappointed.
(ii) In India, he discovered that the government had begun a new cycle of repression.
(iii) Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Jawahar Lai Nehru were both in jail.
(iv) The Congress had been declared illegal.
(v) A series of measures had been imposed to prevent meetings, demonstrations and boycotts.

Q.19. How had Non-cooperation Movement spread in cities? Explain.    [CBSE (F) 2016]
Ans: Non-cooperation movement in cities:
(i) The movement started with middle-class participation in the cities.
(ii) Thousands of students left government-controlled schools and colleges, headmasters and teachers resigned, and lawyers gave up their legal practices.
(iii) The council elections were boycotted in most provinces except Madras.
(iv) Foreign goods were boycotted, liquor shops picketed, and foreign cloth burnt in huge bonfires. The import of foreign cloth halved.
(v) In many places, merchants and traders refused to trade in foreign goods or finance foreign trade.
(vi) 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.

Q.20. How did the ‘First World War’ create a new economic and political situations in India? Explain with examples.    [CBSE (F) 2016]
OR
How had the ‘First World War’ created economic problems in India? Explain with examples.
Ans: First world war created new economic and political situation in India
(i) It led to huge increases in defense expenditure which was financed by war loans and increasing taxes.
(ii) Custom duties were raised
(iii) Income tax introduced.
(iv) Through the war years prices increased-doubling between 1913 and 1918 - leading to extreme hardship for the common people.
(v) Villagers were called upon to supply soldiers.
(vi) Forced recruitment in rural areas caused widespread anger.
(vii) Crops failed in many parts of India resulting in acute shortage of food. This was accompanied by influenced evidences.

Q.21. “The plantation workers in Assam had their own understanding of Mahatma Gandhi and the nation of Swaraj.” Support the statement with arguments.    [CBSE 2016]
Or
How did the plantation workers of Assam interpret Mahatma Gandhi’s notion of Swaraj ?

Or
Why did plantation workers join the Non-Cooperation Movement ? What were its results ?
Ans: (a) Reasons:
(i) Under the Inland Emigration Act of 1859, plantation workers in Assam were not permitted to leave the tea gardens without permission. So they wanted freedom to move freely.
(ii) To retain a link with their village.
(iii) To own land in their own village.
(b) Events:
(i) During the Non co-operation movement, thousands of workers defied the authorities. They left the plantations and headed home.
(ii) They, however, never reached their destination. Stranded on the way by a railway and steamer strike, they were caught by the police and brutally beaten up.
(c) (i) The workers of Assam interpreted Swaraj in their own manner for them it was to break the ties of British bondage.
(ii) For them it also meant, freedom of movement from plantation areas of their own villages.

Q.22. Simon Commission was greeted with slogan “Go Back Simon” at arrival in India. Support this reaction of Indians with arguments.    [CBSE 2016]
Ans: (a) In 1928, Simon Commission under Sir John Simon was constituted by the Tory government in Britain in response to the nationalist movement.
(b) The main aim of the Commission was to look into the functioning of the constitutional system in India and suggest changes.
(c) Arguments in favour of Indian reaction :
(i) The commission did not have a single Indian member.
(ii) All members were British.
(iii) Not to include an Indian was against the spirit of nationalists in India. Hence demonstration against the commission was justified.

Q.23. Describe the various activities that took place during the first phase o f the Civil Disobedience Movement. Why was it withdrawn in March 1931 ?     [CBSE 2016]
Ans: (a) The various activities that took place during the first phase of the movement were as mentioned below:
(i) Violation of salt laws by manufacturing salt.
(ii) Boycott of foreign cloth.
(iii) Picketing of liquor shops.
(iv) Refusal of peasants to pay revenue and chaukidari taxes.
(v) Resignation of village officials.
(vi) Violation of forest laws and going to Reserved forests to collect wood and grazing cattle.
(b) Policy of the government:
(i) The government adopted a repressive policy.
(ii) It arrested the Congress leaders.
(iii) Abdul Gaffar Khan, a devout disciple of Gandhiji, was arrested in April 1930.
(iv) In police firing many people were killed.
(v) In Sholapur, people attacked lawcourts, railway stations and the structures that symbolised the British rule.
(vi) About 100,000 people were arrested.
(c) As a result of government’s repressive policy, Gandhiji once again decided to call off the movement. Gandhi-Irwin Pact was signed on 5th March 1931.

Q.24. Why did the different social groups join the Civil Disobedience Movement ?    [CBSE2016]
Ans: (A) Rich peasants:
(i) The rich communities like the Fatidars of Gujarat and the Jats of Uttar Pradesh were producers of commercial crops. They were very hard hit by the trade depression and falling prices.
(ii) They were not in a position to pay revenue to the government. They joint the movement in order to get the revenue reduced,
(B) Poor peasantry: Poor peasantry joint the movement in the hope that their unpaid rent to the landlord would be remitted because due to Depression they were not in a position to pay the rent.
(c) Business classes:
(i) They wanted protection against imports of foreign goods and a rupee-sterling foreign exchange ratio that would discourage imports.
(ii) They formed the Indian Industrial and Commercial Congress in 1920 and the Federation of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) in 1927.
(iii) They refused to sell or buy imported goods.
(D) Workers:
(i) The participation by the workers in Civil Disobedience was limited. They participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement against low wages and deplorable working conditions.
(ii) There were strikes by railway workers, dock workers and mine workers of Chota Nagpur regions.
(iii) Women: They participated in Protest Marches, manufactured salt and picketed foreign cloth and liquor shops.

Q.25. “Nationalism spreads when people begin to believe that they are all part of the same nation.” Support the statement.    [CBSE 2015]
Or
How did people belonging to different communities, regions or languages groups in India develop a sense of collective belonging ? Elucidate.
Ans: It is true to say that 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. In India sense of collective belonging came through the experience of united struggles. Cultural processes history, fiction, folklore and songs, popular prints and symbols all played a part in the making of nationalism as mentioned below:
(i) Symbol of a figure or image:
(a) The identity of India was visualised with the image of Bharat Mata.
(b) The image was first created by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.
(c) Abinindranath Tagore painted his famous image of Bharat Mata.
(ii) Revival of Indian folklore: In the late nineteenth century, revival of folklore helped in the development of nationalism. Folk songs and legends, gave a true picture of traditional culture. It helped in discovering national identity and restoring a sense of pride. Rabindra Nath Tagore collected ballads, nursery rhymes and Myths. Similarly Natesha Shastri wrote folklore of Southern India.
(iii) Icons and symbols : The designing of a tricolour flag during swadeshi, swaraj flag by Gandhiji in 1921 helped in unifying people and inspiring a feeling of nationalism. During demonstrations the carrying of a swaraj flag became a symbol of defiance.
(iv) Interpretation of history: The interpretation of history also helped in raising the sense of nationalism among the Indians. Nationalist history drew the attention of the Indians to the great achievements of the past as was done by the extremists like Lok Manya Tilak.