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Chapter 3 First Phase of The Indian National Movement

Chapter 3 discusses the Early Nationalists in the Indian National Movement from 1885 to 1907, highlighting key leaders like W.C. Bonnerjee and Dadabhai Naoroji. It outlines their faith in British justice, methods of peaceful protest, and demands for self-governance, while also noting their achievements and shortcomings. The chapter emphasizes the role of Early Nationalists in fostering political awareness and challenging British rule through constitutional means.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
60 views9 pages

Chapter 3 First Phase of The Indian National Movement

Chapter 3 discusses the Early Nationalists in the Indian National Movement from 1885 to 1907, highlighting key leaders like W.C. Bonnerjee and Dadabhai Naoroji. It outlines their faith in British justice, methods of peaceful protest, and demands for self-governance, while also noting their achievements and shortcomings. The chapter emphasizes the role of Early Nationalists in fostering political awareness and challenging British rule through constitutional means.

Uploaded by

NAVEEN KUMAR.N
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Chapter 3

First Phase of the Indian National Movement

Question 1
Which period of the national movement is known as the period of the 'Early
Nationalists'. Name any two leaders of the Congress who are known as 'Early
Nationalists'.
Answer
The period of the national movement from the year 1885 to 1907 is known as the
period of the 'Early Nationalists'.
Two leaders of the Congress who are known as 'Early Nationalists' are-

1. W.C. Bonnerjee
2. Dadabhai Naoroji

Question 2
Mention two reasons for the Early Nationalists' faith in the British sense of justice.
Answer
Two reasons for the Early Nationalists' faith in the British sense of justice were-

1. They were of the opinion that the British would help Indians govern themselves according to
western standards.
2. They believed that continuation of the British connection with India was in the interest of
both England and India.

Question 3
What were the two methods adopted by the Early Nationalists in the freedom
struggle?
Answer
The two methods adopted by the Early Nationalists in the freedom struggle were:

1. Constitutional and peaceful methods


2. Three P's - Petitions, Prayers and Protests

Question 4
What was the belief of the Early Nationalists regarding the British rule in India?
Answer
The Early Nationalists believed the following regarding the British rule in India:
1. The Early Nationalists had faith in the sense of justice, fair play, honesty and integrity of the
British.
2. It was their hope that the British would grant 'Home Rule' to Indians. They relied on the
solemn pledges made by the British government.
3. They believed that the British rule had many benefits. For example, it aided in cleansing
social ills like sati, untouchability and child marriage.
4. They were of the opinion that Britain would help Indians govern themselves according to
western standards.

Question 5
What according to the Early Nationalists was an obstacle in India's progress? What
kind of self government did the Early Nationalists demand?
Answer
According to the Early Nationalists, the main obstacle in India's progress was social
and economic backwardness of Indians and not the British colonial rule.
The Early Nationalists demanded Self-government or Swaraj within the British
empire like the self-governing colonies of Canada and Australia.

Question 6
State any two issues opposed by the Early Nationalists in the field of civil liberties.
Answer
Two issues opposed by the Early Nationalists in the field of civil liberties were-

1. Removal of the restrictions imposed by the British Government on the freedom of speech,
and the freedom of the press.
2. Abolition of the Preventive Detention Act and restoration of individual liberties.

Question 7
Mention any two demands of the Early Nationalists that aimed at improving the lot of
the peasants.
Answer
Two demands of the Early Nationalists that aimed at improving the lot of the peasants
were-

1. Reduction in land revenue and protection of peasants against unjust demands of the
zamindars.
2. Reduction in expenditure on the army and the money thus saved to be spent on welfare
activities such as health and education.

Question 8
Mention any two constitutional demands made by the Early Nationalists.
Answer
Two constitutional demands made by the Early Nationalists were-

1. Abolition of India Council.


2. Expansion of the Legislative Council and Legislative Assemblies — both at the Centre and in
the Provinces.

Question 9
Name any two economic issues raised by the Early Nationalists.
Answer
Two economic issues raised by the Early Nationalists were-

1. Reduction in land revenue and protection of peasants against unjust demands of the
zamindars.
2. Reduction in expenditure on the army and the money thus saved to be spent on welfare
activities such as health and education.

Question 10
What did the Early Nationalists demand for the industrial growth of India?
Answer
The Early Nationalists demanded industrial growth through trade protection. That
means that a heavy tax should be imposed on imported goods and the government
should give loans for the development of iron, coal, paper and sugar industries in
India.

Question 11
Mention any two achievements of the Early Nationalists.
Answer
Two achievements of the Early Nationalists were-

1. The Early Nationalists trained people in politics by popularising the ideas of democracy, civil
liberties, secularism and nationalism.
2. The Early Nationalists did pioneering work by exposing the true nature of the British rule in
India. They made people realise the economic content and character of British imperialism.
By doing so, they weakened the foundations of the British rule in India.

Question 12
Mention any two shortcomings of the Early Nationalists.
Answer
Two shortcomings of the Early Nationalists were-
1. The methods used by the Early Nationalists of passing resolutions and sending petitions were
criticised as inadequate. They depended on the generosity of the British instead of relying on
their own strength and challenging the imperialist might.
2. They failed to realise that British and Indian interests clashed with each other. Britain was
using India's resources to increase its wealth.

Question 13
Who is known as India's unofficial ambassador and why?
Answer
Dadabhai Naoroji is known as India's unofficial ambassador because during his stay
in England, he fought for the cause of his country.

Question 14
Who is the author of 'Poverty and Un-British Rule in India'? Name the first Indian
who passed the Indian Civil Service Examination.
Answer
Dadabhai Naoroji is the author of 'Poverty and Un-British Rule in India'.
Surendranath Banerjee was the first Indian who passed the Indian Civil Service
Examination.

Question 15
Against which two Acts did Surendranath Banerjee start an agitation?
Answer
Surendranath Banerjee started an agitation against the Licence Act and the Vernacular
Press Act.

Question 16
List briefly any two causes that Gopal Krishna Gokhale supported.
Answer
Two causes that Gopal Krishna Gokhale supported were-

1. Reduction in salt duty and the abolition of excise duty on cotton goods.
2. Reduction in land revenue.

Structured Questions
Question 1
The period from 1885 to 1905 was dominated by the Early Nationalists. In this
context, answer the following questions:
(a) To which segment of society they belonged? What were their demands?
(b) What methods did they adopt?
(c) How did the Early Nationalists help in the growth of nationalism in India?
Answer
(a) The members of the early nationalists were drawn from the educated middle class
consisting of professionals like lawyers, barristers, teachers and officials, who drew
inspiration from Western thought. Many of them were educated in England and felt
that the British intended to be just to Indians but they were unaware of the true state
of affairs in India.
The demands of the Early Nationalists were as follows:

1. A larger share of Indians in the governance of the country


2. Reduction in taxes and government expenditure
3. Economic growth through trade protection
4. Indianisation of services
5. Complete separation of the executive and the judiciary
6. Employment of Indians in higher grades
7. Protection of civil rights

(b) The methods adopted by Early Nationalists were as follows:

1. The Early Nationalists believed in the policy of constitutional agitation within the legal
framework, and slow orderly political progress.
2. To educate people in India in modern politics, to arouse national political consciousness and
to create a united public opinion, they relied on the following methods:

i. They held meetings where speeches were made and resolutions for popular
demands were passed.
ii. They made use of the press to criticise government policies.
iii. They sent memorandums and petitions to government officials and the British
Parliament. These petitions were carefully drafted with facts and arguments.
Though these petitions were addressed to the government, their real aim was to
educate the Indian people.

3. To influence the British government and the British public, they followed the following
methods:

i. They made use of three P's i.e. Petitions, Prayers and Protests. They sent petitions,
requests and letters of protest to the British government to look into the problems
of the Indians.
ii. A British Committee of the Indian National Congress was set up in London in 1889,
which published a weekly journal, India, to present India's case before the British
public.
iii. Deputations of Indian leaders were sent to Britain. These political leaders carried on
active propaganda in Britain.
(c) The Early Nationalists helped in the growth of nationalism in India in the
following ways-

1. Nationalists created national awakening among people that they belonged to one common
country — India. This made Indians conscious of the bonds of common political, economic
and cultural interests that united them.
2. They trained people in politics by popularising the ideas of democracy, civil liberties,
secularism and nationalism.
3. They did pioneering work by exposing the true nature of the British rule in India. They made
people realise the economic content and character of British imperialism. By doing so, they
weakened the foundations of the British rule in India.
4. Their political and economic programmes established the truth that India must be ruled in
the interest of the Indians.
5. The efforts of the Early Nationalists led to the following reforms:

i. The appointment of a Public Service Commission in 1886


ii. A resolution of the House of Commons (1893) for simultaneous examination for the
I.C.S. in London and India
iii. Appointment of the Welby Commission on Indian Expenditure (1895)
iv. The Indian Councils Act of 1892.

These achievements of the Early Nationalists served as a base for the national
movement in later years.

Question 2
The Early Nationalists were practical and wanted to win freedom by a gradual
process. In this context, answer the following:
(a) How did they expose the true nature of British rule in India?
(b) What was the attitude of the Early Nationalists towards the British? Why did they
develop such an attitude?
(c) What were the reasons for the partial failure of their methods.
Answer
(a) The Early Nationalists played an important role in exposing the true nature of
British rule in India. They did so in the following ways-

1. Dadabhai Naoroji's views on Indian economy are given in his work entitled 'Poverty and Un-
British Rule in India'. His famous 'Drain Theory' explained how India's wealth was being
'drained' to England through various ways.
2. Resolutions on Self-government, Boycott, Swadeshi and National Education were passed by
the Congress under Dadabhai's Presidentship.
3. The Early nationalists criticised the British rule in newspapers, journals and magazines. They
wrote and edited newspapers criticising the unjust policies of British.
4. Surendranath Banerjee started agitation against the License Act, Arms Act and the
Vernacular Press Act which aimed at curbing the nationalist activities of the people. Through
these works, he made people aware of the colonial mindset of the British.
(b) The Early Nationalist leaders who led the Congress and the National Movement in
its initial years were staunch believers in open-minded and 'moderate' politics. They
believed in loyalty to the British Crown. They had the following attitude towards the
British rule-

1. The Early Nationalists had faith in the sense of justice, fair play, honesty and integrity of the
British.
2. It was their hope that the British would grant 'Home Rule' to Indians. They relied on the
solemn pledges made by the British government.
3. They believed that the British rule had many benefits. For example, it aided in cleansing
social ills like sati, untouchability and child marriage.
4. They were of the opinion that Britain would help Indians govern themselves according to
western standards.
5. They said that the main obstacle in India's progress was social and economic backwardness
of Indians and not the British colonial rule.
6. They relied on constitutional and peaceful methods to achieve their aims. They believed in
patience and reconciliation rather than in violence and confrontation.

The Early Nationalists had such an attitude because they believed that continuation of
the British connection with India was in the interest of both England and India.
(c) The reasons for the partial failure of the methods followed by the Early
Nationalists were-

1. The methods used by the Early Nationalists of passing resolutions and sending petitions
depended on the generosity of the British instead of relying on their own strength and
challenging the imperialist might.
2. They failed to realise that British and Indian interests clashed with each other. Britain was
using India's resources to increase its wealth.
3. The Early Nationalists failed to draw the masses into the mainstream of the national
movement. Their area of influence was limited to the urban educated Indians. In particular,
their leadership was confined to professional groups such as lawyers, doctors, journalists and
teachers.

Question 3
Surendranath Banerjee was popularly known as father of Indian Nationalism. In this
context answer the following questions:
(a) Trace his contribution towards the formation of the Indian National Congress.
(b) What was India's political goal according to him? What were the methods he
advocated to attain it?
(c) What was his contribution to India's freedom struggle?
Answer
(a) Surendranath Banerjee advocated the use of constitutional methods to attain
India's goals and his contribution towards the formation of the Indian National
Congress is quite significant.
1. He established the Indian Association in 1876 to fight against the wrong policies of the
British.
2. In order to create an all India-political organisation Surendranath convened the Indian
National Conference in 1883 at Kolkata.
3. His Indian National Conference merged with the Indian National Congress in 1886 as both
organisations had similar objectives. He presided over two sessions of the Congress in 1895
and 1902.

(b) India's political goal according to Surendranath Banerjee was self-government.


He advocated the use of constitutional methods for the attainment of India's goals. His
famous saying was, "Opposition where necessary, co-operation when possible." He
used the following methods to attain India's political goal-

1. To fight against the wrong policies of the British, he founded the Indian Association in 1876.
2. In order to create an all-India political organisation, Surendranath convened the Indian
National Conference in 1883 at Kolkata. Surendranath Banerjee's Indian National Conference
merged with the Indian National Congress in 1886 as both organisations had similar
objectives.
3. Banerjee edited a newspaper, Bengalee, which served as a powerful medium for mobilising
public opinion. His book, Nation in the Making, gives an account of his political concern and
his views about self-government.

(c) Surendranath Banerjee's contribution to India's freedom struggle is quite


significant. He contributed to the Indian National Movement in the following ways-

1. To fight against the wrong policies of the British, he founded the Indian Association in 1876.
2. In order to create an all-India political organisation, Surendranath convened the Indian
National Conference in 1883 at Kolkata. Surendranath Banerjee's Indian National Conference
merged with the Indian National Congress in 1886 as both organisations had similar
objectives.
3. Banerjee edited a newspaper, Bengalee, which served as a powerful medium for mobilising
public opinion. His book, Nation in the Making, gives an account of his political concern and
his views about self-government.
4. Banerjee started agitation against the Licence Act, Arms Act, Vernacular Press Act and
against lowering the age from 21 to 19 years to appear in the I.C.S. Examination.
5. He opposed the Morley-Minto Reforms of 1909 which introduced separate electorates for
the Hindus and the Muslims.
6. He also opposed the division of Bengal by Lord Curzon in 1905.

Question 4
Gopal Krishna Gokhale, the political mentor of Gandhiji, was one of the most popular
Early Nationalist leaders. In this context, answer the following:
(a) State three policies of the imperial regime which were opposed by Gokhale.
(b) What role did he play as a member of Imperial Legislative Council?
(c) How did he try to arouse national awakening?
Answer
(a) Three policies of the imperial regime which were opposed by Gokhale were-

1. Incurring huge expenditure on the British army


2. Adopting the policy of racial discrimination in appointments to high posts
3. Imposing production tax on cotton

(b) Gopal Krishna Gokhale's role as a member of Imperial Legislative Council-

1. In 1902 Gokhale became the member of the Imperial Legislative Council. He pleaded in the
Council for reduction in Salt Duty and the abolition of excise duty on cotton goods.
2. His relentless efforts led to reduction in toll tax.
3. He tried to introduce a bill with a view to make primary education compulsory but he could
not achieve much success in it.
4. Being an economist, he demanded radical changes in the fiscal policy and better jobs for the
educated middle class.
5. He impressed upon the government to reduce the land revenue.

(c) Gopal Krishna Gokhale tried to arouse national awakening in India in the
following ways-

1. He criticised the Government on issues such as incurring huge expenditure on the British
army, adopting the policy of racial discrimination in appointments to high posts and imposing
production tax on cotton.
2. During his visit to England he tried to persuade the British statesmen not to give effect to the
Partition of Bengal.
3. Gokhale set up the Servants of India Society in 1905. The main aim of the Society was to train
national leaders who would dedicate themselves to the service of India.
4. He impressed upon the government to reduce the land revenue.

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