Assignment Code: BHIC-113/AST/TMA/2022-2023

Course Code: BHIC-113

Assignment Name: History of India VIII (C. 1857-1950)

Year: 2022-2023

Verification Status: Verified by Professor

Assignment – I

Answer the following questions in about 500 words each.

Q1) Discuss the various phases of the Civil Disobedience Movement. 20

Ans) After celebrating Independence Day in 1930, Gandhi started the Civil Disobedience Movement. It started with Gandhi's famous Dandi March. Gandhi and 78 other members of the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmadabad left on foot for Dandi, a village on the west coast of India about 385 km from Ahmadabad, on March 12, 1930. They got there on April 6, 1930. Gandhi broke the law about salt there. Salt making was against the law because the government had a monopoly on it. Gandhi disobeyed the government by taking a handful of salt that had formed when the sea dried up.

After people broke the salt law, the Civil Disobedience Movement grew and spread to every part of the country. During the first stage of the civil disobedience movement, people all over the country started making salt. This became a symbol of how the people were going against the government.

In Tamil Nadu, C. Rajgopalchari led a march from Trichinopoly to Vedaranyam that was like the Dandi march. Sarojini Naidu, a famous poetess who was an important congress leader and had been president of the congress, led a group of nonviolent satyagrahis on a march to government salt depots in Dharsana, Gujarat.

In November 1930, the British government held the first roundtable meeting in London to talk about the Simon commission's suggestions for changes. The congress, which was trying to get the country to be independent, didn't go. But people from Indian princes, the Muslim League, the Hindu Mahasabha, and other groups were there. But it didn't work out. The British government knew that the Indian people would not agree to any changes to India's constitution that were made without the congress's help.

Viceroy Irwin tried to get the congress to join the second-round table conference at the beginning of 1931. Gandhi and Irwin came to an agreement in which the government agreed to free all political prisoners who had not been charged with violence. The civil disobedience movement was supposed to be put on hold by the congress. Many leaders of nationalist groups didn't like this deal. But at a meeting in Karachi in March 1931, led by Vallabhbhai Patel, the congress decided to accept the agreement and send representatives to the second-round table conference. Gandhi was chosen to go to the conference in September 1931 and represent the congress.

During the congress meeting in Karachi, an important resolution about basic rights and economic policy was passed. It told what the nationalist movement was going to do about social and economic problems in the country. It talked about the basic rights that everyone, no matter their caste or religion, would have. It also supported nationalising some industries, promoting Indian industries, and making plans for the well-being of workers and peasants. This resolution showed how socialist ideas are becoming more and more important to the nationalist movement. Gandhi was the only person from the congress who went to this conference.

India's freedom was not important to either the princes or the religious leaders. So, no one could agree on anything, and the second-round table meeting was a failure. Gandhi went back to India, which brought back the Civil Disobedience Movement. Even though the conference was going on, the government kept up its repression, which is now getting worse. Gandhi and other important people were put in jail. In about a year, 120,00 people were sent to jail, which shows how hard the government tried to stop the movement. In 1934, the movement stopped. In 1934, the congress passed a very important bill. It asked for a constituent assembly to be put together, which would be made up of people who were old enough to vote.

Q2) Analyse the factors that led to the partition of India. 20

Ans) The main reasons for the Partition of India are the British policy of "divide and rule" based on religion, race, caste, and creed, the relationship between the Muslim League and the Indian National Congress, and the Muslim League's demand for a separate country for the Muslims who lived in India. The division of India not only changed the geography of the subcontinent, but it also left a deep mark on the hearts of people who had fought for years to see a new India bring peace.

India was split into two parts because of several things. As time went on, a number of problems came up in Indian politics. India's political scene was recently dominated by things like the rise of communalism, the formation of new political parties and their growing political awareness, the question of the safety of India's minority groups, and the conflict between the parties that already existed. As a foreign power, the British government did everything it could to learn about these differences, which helped them build a strong base in India. Only during and after the Second World War was the British government forced from the inside and the outside to give India its freedom. The rise of communalism was the most worrying of these factors, and it was also the one that led to separation in the long run. The new All India Muslim League, which was led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, was the group most affected by this.

The most important thing that led to the Partition of India was the rise of communalism, which was mostly caused by three things. First, there was a common belief that people from the same community and the same religion would have the same secular interests (political, social, and cultural). In a multi-cultural society like India, however, the secular interests of each community are different from those of the other communities. Finally, communalism happens when the secular interests of different religions are seen as conflicting, incompatible, and hostile to each other. Since these ideas were the basis for the new parties, they had to stay away from each other.

On the other hand, the fact that India was ruled by the British for the last 200 years made this growing difference even worse. The news of Communal awards made this even more likely to happen. The British government's support could be traced back to the time of the Partition of Bengal. With this, the British government brought up the issue of differences between the Muslim and Hindu communities for the first time. This led to the division of India as a whole, even though many people protested.

The British rulers had already planted the seeds of communalism, which in the long run became the basis for a new party called the All-India Muslim League. Muhammad Ali Jinnah started the party. He was a member of the Indian National Congress at first, but he left because he didn't agree with Mahatma Gandhi. The fight for Pakistan stayed a point of contention until the end of the fight, when its goal was finally reached.

Along with the fact that people were already unhappy with the Muslim League, Indian politics went through some more changes. In the 1940s, some of the old parties got stronger, and their new generation of politicians, like the Akalis of Punjab and Hindu Mahasabha, added to the already strong sense of community. The most important thing in politics today was to look out for one's own safety and the survival of one's own community, which brought the issue of communalism in Indian politics to the fore.

Assignment – II

Answer the following questions in about 250 words each.

Q3) Write a note on the Non-Cooperation movement. 10

Ans) From 1920 to 1922, Mahatma Gandhi led the Non-Cooperation Movement to get the British government of India to give India Swaraj, or self-government. It was one of Gandhi's first plans for a large-scale act of civil disobedience (Satyagraha). People say that the Non-Cooperation Movement took place from September 1920 to February 1922. It marked the start of a new part of the fight for Indian independence.

The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre led to the start of the Non-Cooperation Movement, which ended when the Chauri Chaura Incident happened in 1922. The Non-Cooperation Movement was basically a peaceful protest against the British government in India. Indians were asked to give up their titles and quit their jobs in the local bodies as a way to protest. People were told to quit their jobs with the government and take their kids out of schools that the government ran or that got money from the government. People were told not to buy goods made in other countries, to only use products made in India, not to vote in legislative council elections, and not to join the British army.

It was also hoped that if the previous steps didn't work, people would stop paying taxes. The INC also wanted Swarajya, which means "self-government" (Indian National Congress). To meet the demands, only methods that don't involve violence would be used.

The Non-Cooperation Movement was a key moment in the fight for independence because it was the first time the INC was willing to give up constitutional measures to get self-rule. Gandhi had promised that Swaraj would be won in a year if this campaign was carried out to the end.

The Indian Non-Cooperation Movement protested the British government peacefully. To protest, Indians were requested to resign from local government. People were instructed to leave government jobs and remove their children from government-funded schools. People were told to only utilise Indian items, not vote in legislative council elections, and not join the British army.

Q4) Describe the world of Indian Literature in the first half of twentieth century. 10

Ans) Indian literature changed a lot in the first half of the 20th century. There were more literary movements and new types of writing. During this time, modern Indian literature in languages like Hindi, Bengali, Urdu, Marathi, and English began to develop.

The Chhayavad movement was very important in Hindi literature. It focused on romantic and idealised descriptions of nature and the past. Some of the most important people in this movement were poets like Sumitranandan Pant, Mahadevi Verma, and Suryakant Tripathi "Nirala."

The Kallol movement had a big impact on Bengali literature. It pushed for the use of everyday language and the portrayal of social and political realities. One of the most important people in this movement was Rabindranath Tagore, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. Some of his works, like the novel "The Home and the World" and the poem "Gitanjali," are considered masterpieces of Indian literature. Tagore's writings were well-known not only in India, but also around the world, where they were translated into many languages.

Indian writers like R.K. Narayan, Mulk Raj Anand, Raja Rao, and Premchand had an impact on the English language. These authors wrote novels and short stories about the lives and struggles of ordinary Indians and the effects of colonialism on Indian society. Some people called them the "Indian Renaissance in English Literature." "The Guide" by R.K. Narayan and "Untouchable" by Mulk Raj Anand are considered to be two of the best Indian English novels ever written.

The "Navodaya" movement was important to Marathi literature. It was the start of modern Marathi literature. This movement was marked by a tendency to show society and its problems in a realistic way. Some of the most important writers during this time were P.L. Deshpande, D.N. Mirasdar, and B.S. Mardhekar.

Q5) Discuss the non-Brahman movements in western and southern India. 10

Ans) The Non-Brahman Movement was started by those who were not Brahman but had gained access to education, wealth, and power. The movement was planned to challenge the power of the Brahmins and the lies of the rank system. The people who were not Brahmins were worried about how the Brahmins were the descendants of the Aryans who had attacked north India.

Later, they moved to south India and put down the Dravidians, who were the first people to live there. During the time of the British frontier, there were many things going on in the country that were not related to the Brahman people group.

Maharashtra was the most stable place for non-Brahman growth in Western India. Jyotirao Phule, who was a member of the Mali tribe, was the smartest person in this group. This change started with his songs and the Satyashodhak Samaj he founded. Shahu Maharaj, the Maratha lord of Kolhapur, also betrayed the Brahmans after that. In the 1920s, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar's plan for the Dalit development grew stronger. Keshavrao Jedhe, Dinkarrao Javalkar, and others tested the social power of the Brahmans in the city of Pune. They also stopped the Communist movement from growing in Bombay, which was ruled by the Brahmans.

The non-Brahmin development in South India was called the Self-regard development. Most Brahmins in Tamil Nadu were educated, so they could quickly adapt to the culture of the British. This made it hard for the Brahmin class and the other classes to get along. In Madras city, the non-Brahman change turned into a political change in 1916. This caused people from the Muslim religion, the Christian religion, and the Shudras to form the Justice Party. Eventually, though, there were fights going on behind the scenes in the Justice party, and a public project was started that brought in most of the non-Brahman workers. E.V. Ramasami Naicker, otherwise called “Periyar”, was a significant scholarly behind this development. He started a Satyagraha in Vaikom, Kerala, following Gandhi's steps. He also stood up for the Harijans.

Assignment - III

Answer the following questions in about 100 words each.

Q6) Azad Hind Fauj. 6

Ans) The "Azad Hind Fauj" Indian National Army (INA) strengthened the national struggle. Rash Behari Bose's Indian Independence League was one of the first to try. General Mohan Singh was a key army leader. This army included 45,000 soldiers, including Indians who had moved to Southeast Asia. "Netaji" Subhas Chandra Bose became Azad Hind Fauj leader in 1943. He led youth well. He declared the Provisional Government of Independent India in Singapore on October 21, 1943. He raised the Indian flag in the Andaman Islands. The Azad Hind Fauj attacked north-eastern India in 1944, when India was still under British administration. Japan helped Netaji organise a British uprising. "Delhi Chalo" and "Jai Hind" attracted many supporters. Many women entered the army. Rani Jhansi Regiment ladies served alone. Lakshmi Swaminathan oversaw it.

Q7) Nehru Report (1928). 6

Ans) The All-Parties Conference in Delhi on February 12, 1928, followed Lord Birkenhead's challenge and the Simon Commission's appointment. 29 groups were represented. M.A. Ansari oversaw it. The All-Parties Conference appointed Motilal Nehru to head a new committee on May 19, 1928, in Bombay. The objective was to consider and choose India's Constitutional principles.

The Nehru Report made some suggestions:

1. India should be given Dominion Status with a Parliamentary form of government and a House of Representatives and Senate.

2. India should have a federal government, with the rest of the powers going to the centre. There won't be a separate electorate for minorities because it stirs up community feelings. Instead, there should be a single electorate for everyone.

3. No seats will be set aside for groups in Punjab and Bengal. But Muslim seats could be saved in provinces where at least 10% of the people are Muslim.

4. The Judicial Branch should be separate from the Executive Branch.

5. Muslims should make up a quarter of the Center.

6. Sind should be split off from Bombay as long as it can support itself financially.

Q8) Reform Movements in nineteenth-century India. 6

Ans) India had a number of social and religious reform movements in the 1800s and 1900s. These movements tried to change things like discrimination based on caste, religious superstitions, and the low status of women. Among the most important reform movements are:

1. Brahmo Samaj: This movement was started by Raja Ram Mohan Roy to modernise and change Hinduism. It did this by rejecting idol worship and caste differences and encouraging women to get an education.

2. Theosophical Society: Led by Madame H.P. Blavatsky and Colonel H.S. Olcott, this movement tried to bring all religions closer together spiritually and encouraged people in the West to learn about Eastern religions and philosophy.

3. Arya Samaj: This movement was started by Swami Dayananda Saraswati. Its goal was to bring back the pure form of Hinduism by rejecting caste differences and idol worship and encouraging women and people from lower castes to get an education.

4. Prarthana Samaj: Led by Justice Mahadeo Govind Ranade, this group worked to change the caste system, promote education, and encourage marriages between people of different castes.

Q9) Drain of Wealth. 6

Ans) Dadabhai Naoroji was the first to argue that India's poverty was external. He blamed colonial control, which stole India's wealth and prosperity. Dadabhai Naoroji proposed the "drain of wealth" theory in 1867. He claimed Britain stole India's wealth. He discussed this in Poverty and Un-British Rule in India. Dadabhai Naoroji listed six causes of external drain. They are:

1. India is ruled and managed from the outside.

2. Immigrants brought in the money and labour that helped the economy grow, but they did not come to India.

3. India paid for everything Britain needed for its government and army.

4. India had to take care of building territory both inside and outside of India.

5. By letting people trade freely, India was used even more.

6. In British India, foreigners made most of the money. Their earnings were never spent. They fled India with that money.

Dadabhai Naoroji was revered in Britain and India for his loyalty to the British and assistance to Indians. Because of this, he was elected Indian National Congress president three times: 1886, 1893, and 1906.

Q10) Revolutionary Nationalists in Bengal. 6

Ans) Bengali revolutionary nationalists regrouped after 1922. They resumed large-scale press propaganda and increased underground activity. They worked for the Congress from village to province.

J.M. Sengupta and Subhas Chandra Bose led their respective groups. Revolutionaries split too. Yugantar and Anushilan joined Bose and Sengupta wings, respectively.

By 1924, the most notable revolutionary nationalists realised that heroic deeds by one individual were not enough. However, they committed small-scale "actions" like robberies and government official murders. Gopinath Saha attempted to murder Calcutta's hated Police Commissioner Charles Tegart in January 1924. One of many "activities." Despite opposition, Gopinath Saha was caught, tried, and hung on March 1, 1924, even though the scheme failed. After being released in 1926, many younger revolutionaries who disagreed with the older leaders formed "Revolt Groups."