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Nationalism in India Class 10 Important Questions and Answers - CBSE Guidance
Nationalism in India Class 10 Important Questions and Answers - CBSE Guidance
Weightage 8 marks
i. Against which of the following forms of discrimination did Mahatma Gandhi launch a
satyagraha in South Africa?
a. Racism
b. Sexism
c. Ageism
d. Casteism
a. Amritsar
b. Meerut
c. Lahore
d. Lucknow
iv. Which of the following is NOT true regarding the Khilafat Movement?
v. Fill in the blank by choosing the correct answer from the options given below:
a. Abanindranath Tagore
b. Rabindranath Tagore
c. Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
a. Rabindranath Tagore
c. Abanindranath Tagore
d. Dwarkanath Tagore
vii. Name the leader who led the peasant revolt in Awadh?
a. Baba Ramchandra
b. Sitaram Raju
d. John Simon
viii. Which of the following was the reason for calling off the ‘Non-Cooperation
Movement ’ by Gandhiji?
c. Gandhiji’s arrest
d. Chauri-Chaura incident
1. General Dyer opened fire at the large crowd gathered in the enclosed ground of
Jallianwala Bagh.
2. “Forced recruitment” carried out by the British government and the economic
hardships faced by the people during the first world war.
3. The defeat of the Ottoman Emperor of Turkey led to the formation of the
Khilafat movement.
4. Gandhiji launched a nationwide satyagraha against the Rowlatt act.
Options:
a. 4, 3, 2, 1
b. 2, 1, 4, 3
c. 1, 4, 3, 2
d. 1, 2, 3, 4
x. Identify the appropriate reason for the boycott of the Simon Commission by the
Indians from the options given below:
a. Simon commission had been formed to banish the Indian National Congress
c. Simon commission had been formed without taking permission from the Indian
National Congress
xi. Identify the appropriate reason for Dandi March by Mahatma Gandhi:
a. Tax on salt
xii. Identify the appropriate reason for the formation of the Swaraj party from the
options given below.
1. Poona Pact
2. Rowlatt Act
3. Salt March
4. Simon Commission
a. 4, 3, 2, 1
b. 4, 3, 1, 2
c. 3, 4, 1, 2
d. 2, 4, 3, 1
Ans. Opt ion (d) [Poona Pact : Sept ember 1932, Rowlat t Act : 1919, Salt March: 1930, Simon
Commission: 1928]
xv. In which congress session the demand of ‘Purna Swaraj’ was formalized in 1929?
a. Calcutta
b. Bombay
c. Lahore
d. Nagpur
Options
a. 3, 2, 4, 1
b. 4, 2, 4, 1
c. 2, 3, 1, 4
d. 4, 3, 1, 2
xviii. Identify the appropriate reason from the following options, for the non-
participation of industrial workers in the Civil Disobedience Movement.
d. Growth of socialism
Q. No. 2) Why did Mahatma Gandhi organize Satyagraha in the Kheda district of Gujarat
in 1917?
Ans. The peasant s of t he Kheda dist rict of Gujarat were affect ed by crop failure and a
plague epidemic. So, t hey could not pay t he revenue and were demanding relaxat ion in
revenue collect ion.
Q. No, 3) How was the social and political situation of India affected by the First World
War? Explain.
Or,
How did the First World War help in the growth of the nationalist movement in India?
Ans.
The war creat ed a new economic and polit ical sit uat ion.
It led t o an increase in defense expendit ure which was financed by war loans and
increasing t axes (cust oms dut ies were raised and income t ax int roduced).
The war led t o a price rise and hardship for common people.
War led t o t he forced recruit ment of people.
Acut e short age of food led t o famine and misery.
This was accompanied by an influenza epidemic. Millions of people perished as a result
of famines and epidemics.
Indians began t o realize t hat t hey were drawn int o t he war unnecessarily. This feeling
unit ed Indians against t he Brit ish.
Ans. Non-Cooperat ion Movement was st art ed in India because of t he following reasons:
Q. N0. 5) Gandhiji was vehemently against the Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act
of 1919, popularly known as the Rowlatt Act. Elaborate.
Or,
Explain any two provisions of the Rowlatt Act. How was Rowlatt Act opposed by the
people in India? Explain with examples.
Ans. Gandhiji, in 1919, decided t o launch a nat ionwide sat yagraha against t he proposed
Rowlat t Act of 1919.
It gave t he government t he power t o repress any polit ical act ivit y or demonst rat ion.
It allowed t he det ent ion of polit ical prisoners wit hout t rial for t wo years.
The Brit ish government could arrest anyone and search any place wit hout a warrant .
Q. No. 7) What were the reasons for starting the Khilafat Movement?
Or,
How did the Khilafat issue become part of the National Movement?
Ans.
Wit h t he defeat of Ot t oman Turkey in t he First World War, t here were rumors t hat a
harsh peace t reat y was going t o be imposed on t he Ot t oman emperor (t he Khalifa).
Muslims all over t he world began t o support t he t emporal powers of t he Khalifa. In
India t oo Khilafat Commit t ee was formed under t he leadership of Muhammad Ali and
Shaukat Ali.
At t he Calcut t a session of t he Congress in Sept ember 1920 he convinced ot her
leaders of t he need t o st art a non-cooperat ion movement in support of Khilafat and
Swaraj.
Ans. Gandhiji adopt ed nonviolence as a philosophy and an ideal way of life. According t o him,
t he philosophy of nonviolence is not a weapon of t he weak; it is a weapon t hat can be t ried
by all.
b. How was Gandhian satyagraha taken by the people who believed in his philosophy?
Ans. A sat yagrahi does not inflict pain on t he adversary; he does not seek his dest ruct ion. In
t he use of sat yagraha, t here is no ill will.
Ans. Gandhian Sat yagraha was considered a novel way t o resist injust ice because:
Q. No. 9) How did the Non-Cooperation Movement unfold in the cities and towns of
India?
Or,
The middle classes played an important role in the Non-Cooperation Movement in the
cities. Explain.
Ans.
The movement st art ed wit h middle-class part icipat ion in t he cit ies.
Thousands of st udent s left government -cont rolled schools and colleges
Headmast ers and t eachers resigned.
Lawyers gave up t heir legal pract ices.
The council elect ions were boycot t ed in most provinces except Madras.
Foreign goods were boycot t ed, liquor shops picket ed, and foreign clot h burnt in huge
bonfires.
Merchant s and t raders refused t o t rade in foreign goods.
Product ion of Indian t ext ile mills and handlooms went up.
Q. No. 10) ‘The Non-Cooperation Movement in the cities gradually slowed down for a
variety of reasons’. Examine the reasons.
Ans. The Non-Cooperat ion Movement in t he cit ies gradually slowed down because:
Khadi clot h was more expensive t han mass-produced mill clot h and poor people could
not afford t o buy it .
The boycot t of Brit ish inst it ut ions failed because Indian inst it ut ions could not be set
up in place of t he Brit ish ones.
St udent s and t eachers began t rickling back t o government schools.
The lawyers t oo joined back work in government court s.
Q. No. 11) How did the peasants of Awadh use different methods to achieve their goal?
Explain with examples.
Ans.
Peasant s of Awadh were led by Baba Ramchandra, a sanyasi. The movement was
against t alukdars and landlords. The landlords and t alukdars demanded exorbit ant ly
high rent s and ot her cesses.
Peasant s had t o do beggar (unpaid work) and work at landlords’ farms wit hout any
payment .
As t enant s t hey had no securit y of t enure, being regularly evict ed.
The peasant movement demanded a reduct ion of revenue, t he abolit ion of beggar, and
a social boycot t of oppressive landlords.
In many places, nai-dhobi bandhs were organized by panchayat s t o deprive landlords of
t he services of barbers and wat ermen.
Oudh Kisan Sabha was set up and headed by Jawaharlal Nehru, Baba Ramchandra, and a
few ot hers.
In 1921, t he houses of t alukdars and merchant s were at t acked, bazaars were loot ed
and grain hoards were t aken over.
Q. No. 12) Explain any three causes that led the tribals to revolt in the Gudem Hills of
Andhra Pradesh.
Ans. The causes t hat led t he t ribals t o revolt in t he Gudem Hills of Andhra Pradesh were:
The colonial government had closed large forest areas prevent ing people from
ent ering t he forest s t o graze t heir cat t le, or t o collect fuelwood and fruit s. This
enraged t he hill people.
Not only were t heir livelihoods affect ed but t hey felt t hat t heir t radit ional right s were
being denied.
When t he government began forcing t hem t o cont ribut e beggar (work wit hout
payment ) for road building, t he hill people revolt ed.
Q. No. 13) Explain the role played by tribal peasants in the Gudem Hills of Andhra
Pradesh during the Non-Cooperation movement.
Or,
Who was Alluri Sitaram Raju? Explain his role in inspiring the rebels with Gandhiji's
ideas.
Or,
“Tribal peasants interpreted the message of Mahatma Gandhi and the idea of swaraj in
another way and participated in the Non-Cooperation differently.” Justify the
statement.
Or,
Describe the role of Alluri Sitaram Raju in Andhra Pradesh during the 1920s.
Ans. Alluri Sit aram Raju was a t ribal leader in t he Gudem hills of Andhra Pradesh.
He st art ed a milit ant guerrilla movement in t he Gudem Hills of Andhra Pradesh.
The t ribal people were against colonial policies. Their livelihood was affect ed and t heir
t radit ional right s were denied.
Their leader Alluri Sit aram Raju was inspired by Gandhiji’s Non-Cooperat ion movement
and persuaded people t o wear khadi and give up drinking.
He claimed t hat he had a variet y of special powers like making ast rological
predict ions, healing people, and surviving bullet shot s.
He persuaded people t o wear khadi and give up drinking.
But at t he same t ime, he assert ed t hat India could be liberat ed only by t he use of
force, not non-violence.
Q. No. 14) What did the Inland Emigrating Act of 1859 declare?
Ans. Plant at ion workers would not leave t ea gardens wit hout permission.
Q. No. 15) Explain the meaning and notion of swaraj as perceived by the plantation
workers. How did they respond to the call of the Non-Cooperation movement?
Ans. Meaning of Swaraj for Plant at ion workers: For plant at ion workers in Assam, Swaraj
meant t he right t o move freely in and out of t he confined space in which t hey were enclosed,
and it meant ret aining a link wit h t he village from which t hey had come.
Under t he Inland Emigrat ion Act of 1859, plant at ion workers were not permit t ed t o
leave t he t ea gardens wit hout permission, and in fact , t hey were rarely given such
permission.
When t hey heard of t he Non-Cooperat ion movement , t housands of workers defied t he
aut horit ies, left t he plant at ions, and headed home.
They believed t hat Gandhi Raj was coming, and everyone would be given land in t heir
own villages.
They, however, never reached t heir dest inat ion. St randed on t he way by a railway and
st eamer st rike, t hey were caught by t he police and brut ally beat en up.
Q. No. 16) Why did Gandhiji decide to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement in
February 1922?
Ans. Gandhiji decided t o wit hdraw t he Non-Cooperat ion Movement in February 1922 because:
Q. No. 17) ‘Salt is something that is consumed by the rich and the poor alike across
India.’ Which step by Viceroy Irwin enraged Gandhi to launch a nationwide protest
movement using this essential item as a symbol?
Ans.
Q. No. 18) Write down the features of the Civil Disobedience Movement. How was this
different from Non-Cooperation Movement?
People were now asked not only t o refuse cooperat ion wit h t he Brit ish but also t o break
colonial laws.
Q. No. 19) The Civil Disobedience Movement saw the participation of different social
classes and groups. Give reasons for the participation of the following:
1. Rich peasants
2. Poor peasants
3. Business classes
4. Industrial working classes
5. Women
Ans. The reasons for t he part icipat ion of various social classes and groups in t he Civil
Disobedience Movement are as follows:
1. Rich peasant s: Rich peasant communit ies like t he Pat idars of Gujarat & t he Jat s of
Ut t ar Pradesh joined t he movement because being producers of commercial crops
t hey were hard hit by t he t rade depression and falling prices. The refusal of t he
government t o reduce t he revenue demand made t hem fight against high revenues.
2. Poor peasant s: Joined t he movement because t hey found it difficult t o pay rent . They
want ed t he unpaid rent t o t he landlord t o be remit t ed.
3. Business class: They react ed against colonial policies t hat rest rict ed act ivit ies
because t hey were keen on expanding t heir business and for t his, t hey want ed
prot ect ion against import s of foreign goods. They t hought t hat Swaraj would cancel
colonial rest rict ions and t hat t rade would flourish wit hout rest rict ions. They also
want ed prot ect ion against t he rupee-st erling foreign exchange rat io. They formed t he
Indian Indust rial and Commercial Congress in 1920 and t he Federat ion of t he Indian
Chamber of Commerce and Indust ries (FICCI) in 1927.
4. Indust rial working class: They did not part icipat e in large numbers except in t he
Nagpur region. Some workers did part icipat e, select ively adopt ing some of t he
Gandhian programs, like boycot t s of foreign goods, as a part of t heir own movement s
against low wages and poor working condit ions.
5. Women: There was large-scale part icipat ion of women in t he movement . They
part icipat ed in prot est marches, manufact ured salt , and picket ed foreign clot h and
liquor shops. Many went t o jail.
Q. No. 20) How did the Indian merchants and industrialists relate themselves to the
Civil Disobedience Movement? Explain.
Ans.
Indian merchant s and indust rialist s were keen on expanding t heir businesses and
react ed against colonial policies t hat rest rict ed business act ivit ies.
They want ed prot ect ion against import s of foreign goods, and a rupee-st erling foreign
exchange rat io t hat would discourage import s.
To organize business int erest s, t hey formed t he Indian Indust rial and Commercial
Congress in 1920 and t he Federat ion of t he Indian Chamber of Commerce and
Indust ries (FICCI) in 1927.
Led by prominent indust rialist s like Purshot t amdas Thakurdas and G. D. Birla, t he
indust rialist s at t acked colonial cont rol over t he Indian economy and support ed t he
Civil Disobedience Movement .
They gave financial assist ance and refused t o buy or sell import ed goods.
Most businessmen want ed t o flourish in t rade wit hout const raint s.
Q. No. 21) Why did Gandhiji relaunch the Civil Disobedience Movement after the Second
Round Table Conference?
Or,
Why did Mahatma Gandhi relaunch the Civil Disobedience Movement with great
apprehension? Explain.
Ans. Gandhiji relaunched t he Civil Disobedience Movement aft er t he Second Round Table
Conference because:
1. When Mahat ma Gandhiji went t o t he Round Table Conference in December 1931, he
ret urned disappoint ed as t he negot iat ions were broken down.
2. Back in India, he discovered t hat t he government had begun a new cycle of repression.
3. Ghaffar Khan and Jawaharlal Nehru were bot h in jail
4. The Congress had been declared illegal.
5. A series of measures had been imposed t o prevent meet ings, demonst rat ions, and
boycot t s.
Half-heart ed part icipat ion of unt ouchables. Congress had ignored t he Dalit s for fear
of offending t he sanat anis, t he conservat ive high-cast e Hindus.
Aft er t he decline of t he Non-Cooperat ion-Khilafat movement , a large sect ion of
Muslims felt alienat ed from Congress.
As relat ions bet ween Hindus and Muslims worsened, each communit y organized
religious processions wit h milit ant fervor. This provoked Hindu-Muslim communal
clashes and riot s in various cit ies.
Q. No. 23) Describe the views of Mahatma Gandhi on untouchability and the efforts
made by him to get Harijans their rights.
Ans.
Mahat ma Gandhi was against unt ouchabilit y. He declared t hat Swaraj would not come
for a hundred years if unt ouchabilit y was not eliminat ed. He called t he ‘Unt ouchables’
harijan or t he children of God.
He organized sat yagraha t o secure t heir ent ry int o t emples, and access t o t he public
wells, t anks, roads, and schools.
He himself cleaned t oilet s t o dignify t he work of t he sweepers.
He persuaded t he upper cast e t o change t heir heart and give up ‘t he sin of
unt ouchabilit y’.
Ans. The Poona Pact of Sept ember 1932 gave t he Depressed Classes (Schedule Cast es)
reserved seat s in provincial and cent ral legislat ive councils, but t hey were t o be vot ed in by
t he general elect orat e.
Q. No. 25) “Some of the Muslims political organizations in India were lukewarm in their
response to the Civil Disobedience Movement.” Examine the statement.
Ans.
Large sect ions of Muslims were lukewarm in t heir response t o t he Civil Disobedience
movement .
The decline of Khilafat and Non-Cooperat ion movement s led t o t he alienat ion of
Muslims from Congress.
From t he mid-1920s, t he Congress was seen t o be visibly associat ed wit h Hindu
nat ionalist groups like t he Hindu Mahasabha.
Relat ions bet ween Hindus and Muslims worsened and communal riot s t ook place.
The Muslim League gained prominence wit h it s claim of represent ing Muslims and
demanding a separat e elect orat e for t hem.
Q. No. 26) “The sense of collective belonging came partly through the experience of
united struggles, the role of folklore, songs, icons, & images.” Analyze the statement.
Or,
Ans.
The ident it y of t he nat ion is most oft en symbolized by t he image of Bharat Mat a.
Bankim Chandra Chat t opadhyay wrot e ‘Vande Mat aram’ as a hymn t o t he mot herland.
Moved by t he Swadeshi movement , Abanindranat h Tagore paint ed Bharat Mat a and
port rayed it as an ascet ic figure. She is shown as calm, composed, divine, and spirit ual.
Ideas of nat ionalism also developed t hrough a movement t o revive Indian folklore.
Icons and symbols in unifying people and inspire in t hem a feeling of nat ionalism.
During t he Swadeshi movement in Bengal, a t ricolor flag (red, green, and yellow) was
designed.
Reint erpret at ion of hist ory t o inst ill a sense of pride in t he nat ion.
Q. No. 27) Who painted the picture of Bharat Mata given below? Mention some of its
features.
Ans. Abanindranat h Tagore paint ed t he image given.
In t his paint ing Bharat Mat a is port rayed as an ascet ic figure; she is calm, composed, divine,
and spirit ual.
Ans.
By t he end of t he ninet eent h cent ury many Indians began feeling t hat t o inst ill a sense
of pride in t he nat ion, Indian hist ory had t o be t hought about different ly.
The Brit ish saw Indians as backward and primit ive, incapable of governing t hemselves.
In response, Indians began looking int o t he past t o discover India’s great
achievement s. They wrot e about t he glorious development s in ancient t imes when art
and archit ect ure, science and mat hemat ics, religion and cult ure, law and philosophy,
and craft s and t rade flourished.
These nat ionalist hist ories urged t he readers t o t ake pride in India’s great
achievement s in t he past and st ruggle t o change t he miserable condit ions of life
under Brit ish rule.
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