Tag: civics

Assertive Nationalism was inspired by the following international events:

• For the first time, Japan, an Asian country, defeated Russia.
• Italian forces were defeated by the Abyssinians in Ethiopia.
• In South Africa, the Boers fought for three years (1899-1902) against the British Empire.
• In Ireland people were waging a full scale Home Rule agitation.
• These myths broke the invincibility of the Europeans. The assertive nationalists felt that a united people could throw out the British yoke.

The Early Nationalists leaders who led the Congress and the National Movement from 1885 to 1905 were staunch believers in open minded and moderate politics. They believed in loyalty to the British Crown. B.C. Pal, then a moderate leader, said in 1887, “I am loyal to theBritish Government because with me loyalty to the British Government is identical with loyalty to my own people and my own country… I am loyal to the British Government, because I love self – government.

• Swadeshi: Swadeshi means producing necessary items in one’s own country and using them for one’s use without being dependent on imported goods. The Swadeshi idea was popularised by occasional bonfires of foreign cloth, salt and sugar.
• Boycott: Economic boycott of British goods and the use of Swadeshi was designed to encourage Indian Industries and provide people with more opportunities for employment.
• Passive Resistance: They asked the people to refuse to cooperate with the government and to boycott government service, courts, schools and colleges. They advocated courage, self-confidence and a spirit of sacrifice to achieve their goal of Swaraj.

Self-reliance was promoted by setting up Swadeshi stores that sold Indian made goods. Jamshedji Tata established Iron and Steel industry despite the fact that the industry had a long gestation period. Bengal Chemical Workes was set up during this phase. Even Rabindranath Tagore set up a Swadeshi Bhandar.

Lord Curzon's seven year rule in India was full of repressive measures. He refused to recognise India as a nation. He was not in favour of giving freedom to India because he believed that the English were destined to rule over India. Therefore, he took several repressive measures to crush India Nationalism. These measures included;

• The Act of 1898 which made it an offence to provoke people against the English
• The Calcutta Corporation act (1899) which reduced the strength of elected members from India, thereby giving British a majority
• The Official Secrets Act
• The Indian Universities Act of 1904 which imposed strict official control over the Indian universities because Curzon considered them as the centres of nationalism.

Many new educational institutions were set up during the Swadeshi Movement. The National Council of Education was set up in 1906. It later developed into Jadavpur University. Similarly Natioanl Collage was set up at Kolkata with Sri Aurobindo Ghosh as it Principal.

Lokmanya Tilak was born on 23 July 1856 at Ratnagiri in Maharashtra. He was an Indian nationalist, teacher, social reformer, lawyer and an independence activist. Home Rule League was formed by Indian him and British social reformer and Indian independence leader Annie Besant on the lines of Irish Home Rule movement and other home rule movements. He also started the newspaper Kesari to spread political education among the common people which played an important role in the national movement.

Sikhs and Hindu Punjabis in USA started Ghadr movement to free India from British rule in early 1900's. It took the name from a weekly paper Ghadar published in commemoration of the Revolt of 1857. It was founded by Sohan Singh Bhakna and Lala Hardayal. Its aim was to get rid of the colonial super-power by means of an armed struggle and to set up a national democratic government on the sub-continent. 

The Calcutta Corporation Act and the Indian Universities Act were actually passed by Lord Curzon, not repealed by the Extremists. The other options describe legitimate impacts or goals of the Extremist movement.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak was the first major nationalist leader to be repeatedly prosecuted and imprisoned by the British for his writings and political activities.