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Factors for the Rise in Nationalism - Coggle Diagram
Factors for the Rise in Nationalism
Communication and Connectivity
Lord Dalhousie made a lasting contribution of railways. Although this was made to serve imperial purposes, it allowed better transport for Indians too.
Better transport meant better communication and all the Indians realized that they had one main cause to fight for.
There was one common railway compartment for all Indians and All persons, from North to South and East to West, rich and poor and master and servant – all were found inside it. It narrowed down gap among them and gave them the feeling that they all belonged to this vast India which was under the grip the British Raj.
Rediscovering of India's glorious Past
It was during the 19th century that several
Western scholars, living in India, translated innumerable Sanskrit texts and highlighted their full value and potential.
Western scholars and archeologists who did this included Max Muller, Sir William Jones, Alexander Cunningham
Inspired by them, the Indian scholars like R.D. Banerjee, Hara Prasad Sastry, Bal Gangadhara Tilak, etc. rediscovered India’s past glory from the history of this land, and they along with several other reformers educated Indians about this.
This encouraged the people of India who felt that they were the ancestors of grand monarchs of this country and were currently ruled by foreigners. This flared up the fire of nationalism.
Western Education and increase in literacy
As more and more Indians were educated by Wester and European standards, they were indirectly taught about various topics of identity, patriotism, exploitation, gender liberty, and equality. Many educated Indians took this forward and this flared their patriotism.
More Indians were educated in the fields of art, music, literature and theater. They went on to spread patriotism to their fellow Indians through this means.
They aimed at arousing the mass to oppose British rule being surcharged by the spirit of nationalism. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's ‘Anand Math’ (which contained the song Vande Mataram) impacted the people greatly and created anti-British feelings among them.
Racial Antagonism
The Englishmen considered themselves as superior in all respects than the Indians. They never wanted to offer the Indians higher jobs even though they were qualified and intelligent. The age limit for Indian Civil Service Examination was kept at twenty one and the examination was held at England.
Aurobinda Ghosh was declared disqualified in horse-riding and could not get through that examination, even if he had qualified the written examination.
It is very difficult to imagine today the tone of racial superiority the British practiced, particularly after 1857 in India. In fact, the British rulers treated their Indian subjects as subhuman.
The British people living in different parts of the country developed exclusive societies for themselves. The British people also lived in places particularly demarcated for the white-skinned people where no ‘native’ were allowed to enter.
Indians were not allowed to visit parks, gardens, schools, public spaces which were separately demarcated for 'white' communities.
Overall, the public habilitation faced with other racial atrocities fueled a rise in nationalism.
Exploitative policies
The administration of Lord Lytton discharged venom in the minds of the Indian people. He celebrated a ceremony at Delhi Durbar when Queen Victoria assumed the title the Empress of India when the country was famine-stricken.
He imposed heavy tax on the people of India and spent a large chunk of money in the Afghan war. During his time, the Arms Act was passed which prohibited the Indians from keeping arms without license. This was mainly to avoid the spread of riots.
His Vernacular Press Act infuriated Indians. This act did not allow the Indian Press to publish articles that were 'objectionable' to the Britishers.
Illbert bill controversy agitated the Indians. It created a cry amongst the Europeans and their pressure led to reform the bill inserting a clause that an Indian would try a European in the presence of a European witness. This clearly exposed the malevolent intentions of the British authority.
The revolt of 1857
When nationalism was flaring up in the minds of Indian people, the memory of the Great Revolt of 1857 flashed back before them. The heroic action of Nana Saheb, Tatya Tope, Rani Laxmi Bai, and other leaders of the Revolt became fresh in their minds. It inspired the people to cherish with their memory and to give a fight to the British.
Birth of Indian National Congress and other such associations.
The political associations that were formed after 1870s included: The Indian Association, the Indian national congress, and the Bombay and madras presidency.
They all worked together to unite the Indians and establish a sovereign. (The capacity to act independently without any external influence)
The birth of the Indian National Congress in 1885 gave a final spark to the growth of national consciousness among the Indians. Soon, the National Congress gained momentum in the nook and comer of India. It expressed the desires of the people before the British authorities. Through many mass movements and their important leaders, they were able to give an ideological fight to the British Raj and bring freedom to India.
WW1 and External Influence
The Russian Revolution and the French Revolution spread and became a global event. Indians who were facing abysmal conditions were also inspired by this.
There was a peasants and workers struggle in France and Russia.
Mahatma Gandhi
He reunited the country
He travelled around India understanding the grievances of the people.
Satyagraha movement united the Indians. Mohammed Ali also demanded people's rights and freedom. It was the first all -India struggle.
Jallianwala bagh incident infuriated the Indians.