Nationalism In India

Option A is correct because the first printing press started in 1800 A.D. in Rampur, Calcutta

Option C is correct because Vir Savarkar referred to the Battle of 1857 as the ‘First battle of Independence’

Option B is correct because he was a Political Agent of the British in Kota who was killed along with his sons by the revolutionaries.

Option C is correct because he was the head of Auwa, where he defeated the Jodhpur force and was vehemently against the British.

Bengal Gazette was among the first newspapers of India that was started in 1780 A.D. It became widely circulated.

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee wrote the song Vande Matram, which had a profound impact on the political spirit and roused nationalistic feelings.

The 1857 Revolt was led in the name of Bahadur Shah Zafar, however there was no visible leader.

The revolt was pre-planned to be executed on 31^st May, 1857. However, due to the the immediate effect of the greased cartridges, the revolt was jumped upon and started from 10^th May, 1857.

A government political agent, Major Burton and his two sons were killed in Kota by the revolutionaries.

Derived from our ancient texts like Yajurveda and Atharveda, nationalism arises from having great respect and patriotism towards their country. Modern nationalism constitutes the feeling of patriotism, love, sacrifice and devotion towards the nation. It arises from the concept of ‘We’ before ‘I’, that means whole-hearted devotion towards nation and culture. As opposed to the western concept of nationalism as a form of state.

Britishers exercised harsh economic policies which ruined India’s cottage industries and textile industry. They purchased fine raw material at low cost which was sent to Britain at Liverpool and Manchester. After the cloth was manufactured, the finished cloth was exported sold at high cost in India. They wanted to exploit Indian economy by restricting them to be an agricultural country for supply of raw material and promote Industrial Development in England. There was a great difference on export and import duties on Indian goods. Further, Indians were burdened with taxes to compensate for British government’s expenditure, which drained the wealth of India. This led to a total destruction of Indian cottage industries and exploitation of farmers.

India’s independence is credited to brave revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru, Chapekar Brothers, Ashfaqulla Khan, Ram Prasad Bismil, Vasudev, Rajendra Lahiri, Khudiram Bose, Veer Savarkar, Subhash Chandra Bose, Lala Lajpat Rai, Vipin Chandra Pal, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Gopal Krishna Gokhle, Arvind Ghosh, Mahatama Gandhi, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel among countless others who gave up their lives for the betterment of the country.

The immediate cause of the 1857 revolt was due to the outrage on the use of cartridges made of pork or beef fat. This, spurred with the social, administrative and economic policies led the people to rise up in revolt of the British. These revolutionaries set fire to the buildings and property of the British and declared war against them. Originating from Meerut, the revolt spread to different parts of India like Delhi, Agra, Punjab and even Rajasthan. The revolution in Rajasthan gained momentum and spread widely to places like Nasirabad, Neemach, Kota, Jhalawar, etc. Commoners and soldiers together were determined to end the British rule, with recurrent occasions of looting, burning and destruction of British property being held. However, this did not last long with the British curbing the revolt with the help of their superior military force, recapturing their lands and establishing an even harsher regime.

The Revolt of 1857 is termed as the First War of Independence, that truly shook the roots of Britishers. The immediate cause of the struggle was the greased cartridge led by Mangal Pandey. On 11 May, 1857 the revolutionaries from Meerut reached Delhi and took control over it, under the leadership of Bahadur Shah Zafar. Prominent leaders that emerged from this were Rani Laxmi Bai of Jhansi, Nana Sahib of Kanpur, Azimullah and Tantya Tope, Kunwar Singh of Bihar, Rangoli Babu from South India and Begum Hazrat Mahal from Awadh. Khushal Singh provided military help. Rawat Kesari Singh sheltered Khushal Singh. Thakur Jodh Singh of Kothariya looted British property and gave shelter to Neemji Charan.
These leaders played an important role in asserting the 1857 Revolt and garnered strength that shook the notion of incompetence of Indians among Brithish.

Nationalism in India emerged in the 19^th century as a united reaction against political, economic and cultural oppression of British. The causes of nationalism are as under:
a. Impact of India’s glorious past:
Due to great knowledge India was called World Guru in ancient time due to the limitless knowledge we possessed. Our illustrious kings made efforts to unite India as one. This was explored by European and Indian historians who explored India’s glorious past. This inspired self-confidence and nationalism amongst Indians to put up against the oppressions of the British.

b. Impact of British Rule:
Imperialistic policies of Britishers exploited Indians economically and culturally. Multiple revolts occurred against the British Government spanning from 1837 AD to 1857 AD which included tribal revolts. However, they soon realised that this would not cause any major impact. They needed to enforce a larger movement, which led to the start of India’s national movement of 1857. This was also spawned due to the short-sightedness and rushed harsh decisions of Lord Lytton.

c. Impact of English Education:
Although Macaulay wanted to mentally enslave Indians by imposing English language on them, it soon became a commonly used form of communication that opened opportunities of Indians towards Western education and philosophies. This in the long term led Indian youth taking interest in higher education which eventually encouraged national awareness.
d. Influence of Western Philosophies and Thinkers:
With the introduction of English education Indians now could transmit and inculcate new ideas. Indian youth came in the contact with thinkers and philosophers like, Burke, Bentham, Mill, Rousseau, Milton and Spencer, etc. They took inspiration and developed upon their revolutionary and nationalist thinking, paving the way for India’s nationalism.

e. Contribution of Indian Scholars:
Indian poets and authors developed literature that was deeply rooted in the idea of nation and nationalism. Imminent dramas like Anand Math and Neel Darpan scripted the feeling of nationalism in people. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s Anand Math became synonymous with patriotism. He also developed our national song Vande Matram, which became a prominent source of inspiration for activists. Literati like Hemchandra Banerjee, Navin Chandra Sen, R.C. Dutt, Rabindranath Tagore, among others provided immense contribution in awakening the feeling of nationalism through their literary creations.

f. Printing Press and Newspapers:
Newspapers and magazines are the readily available means of communication. The first printing press of India was started in 1800 A.D at Rampur, Kolkata which provided stimulus to publication of newspapers. In 1774 AD, the first newspaper India Gazette and in 1780 AD, Bengal Gazette were published. Raja Ram Mohan Roy published ‘Samvad Kaumudi’ and Miratul newspaper. In 1826 AD, the first Hindi newspaper ‘Uddant Martand’ was published. Majorly, they explored the exploitation policies of colonialism of East India Company and were criticised. They attempted to reform social and political ideologies through written word. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar published ‘Som Prakash’ and Harish Chandra Mukherjee published ‘Hindu Patriot’. Tilak published ‘Kesri’ in Marathi and ‘Martha’ in English. This movement built an atmosphere of sacrifice and nationalism in India.
g. Discriminatory Policy of British against Indians:
Indians were barred from being posted at higher ranks of authority at defence and administration even as they had the potential. Post the Revolt of 1857, British imposed atrocities upon Indian employees. They were routinely insulted and discriminated which created an unrest among Indians against their discriminatory policies.
h. Impact of Movement of Religious and Social Reforms:
Pre- Revolt saw the emergence of religious philosophical schools like Brahmo Samaj, Arya Samaj and Ramakrishna Mission played an important role in the elimination of social evils. Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Swami Dayanand Saraswati tried to remove the social evils and awaken the nationalism among people. Thoughts like service towards motherland, preservation of social equality and personal freedom and the elimination of sati, purdah system amongst others aided the movement.

i. Economic exploitation of India:
Britishers exercised harsh economic policies which ruined India’s cottage industries and textile industry. They purchased raw material at low cost which was sent to Britain at Liverpool and Manchester. Post manufacture, the finished cloth was exported sold at high cost in India. They wanted to exploit Indian economy by restricting them to be an agricultural country. There was a great difference on export and import duties on Indian goods. Indians were burdened with taxes which drained the wealth of India.

These causes played a prominent role in raising nationalistic feelings among Indians, which led to vehement opposition against the oppressive policies of British.

The Freedom struggle of 1857 had its roots in various systematic administrative, social and political causes triggered by the British.
a. Administrative causes:
Lord Dalhousie led an ambitious annexation of the Princely States of Jhansi, Nagpur, Satara and Awadh as a part of the British empire. He forcefully captured the lands of Indian zamindars. They also angered the Muslims by insulting Mughal king Bahadur Shah Zafar. Indians were not appointed to high posts in government services and were discriminated against unfairly by the judicial system established by the British.
b. Social Causes:
The British looked down upon Indian traditions and customs, thinking they were outdated and inferior to theirs. Indians were constantly prejudiced and segregated from the British, deprived of privileges and rankings. Discrimination based upon race and colour was prevalent. Restrictions on adoption, property were enforced by the British that were vehemently opposed by the British. Indians saw this as an invasion upon the Indian rituals and customs.
c. Religious Causes:
The East India Company allowed the Christian missionaries to work in its territories. They established laws which made conversion to Christianity easier and a more attractive option. Any person who had converted to Christianity could inherit his ancestral property and could get opportunities to government jobs and other facilities. People felt that their religion and social customs were in danger. Hindu traditions and customs were severely attacked with discrimination between races, need to salute Englishmen and invasion of culture by appropriation of railways, telegraph and post.
d. Military Cause:
Mainly military discontent spurred the revolt. Indian soldiers were discriminated on the issues of salary, posts, promotion, allowances. Newly introduced laws took a major hit at the religious sentiments of Indians. Underpaid and humiliated, this gave them an impetus to revolt against the British. During the Second Burma War, Indians were ordered to go across the oceans but religion forbade foreign travel. This further angered the Indian militia.

e. Economic Cause:
Britishers pursued a severe economic policy that focused upon exploiting Indian resources to satisfy the Britain interests. This led to a complete destruction of the rural economic system of India, causing the poor to become poorer and the rich richer. Their stringent policies did not exempt farmers and zamindars who had to pay fine and tax dues even during recurrent famines. They tortured and exploited them, increasing discontent among Indians.
f. Immediate Cause:
Indian soldiers were newly provided with Enfield Rifles, which involved breaking open the cartridge with their mouths. Suspecting the cartridges to contain pork and beef fat which is seen against religion, the soldiers stood against the decision. Mangal Pandey took a strong resolve and refused to open the cartridge, killing the British officer who ordered it on 29th March 1857. He was arrested and hanged. A month after his execution, soldiers in Meerut too refused to use the new cartridges. About 85 sepoys were arrested and sentenced to jail, sparking off the revolt. On 10th May 1857, other sepoys freed the imprisoned soldiers and killed British officers. They set fire to the buildings and property of the British and declared war. The revolt soon spread all across North India from Meerut to Delhi, Kanpur, Bihar, Rajasthan and South India.

While the revolution of 1857 was held in full gusto, it still resulted in defeat of the revolutionaries. While initially the British could not fend off the revolutionaries, they eventually regained control of the Indian subcontinent. This is attributed a variety of causes.

a. Lack of fixed planning caused communication lags which eventually caused the downfall.

b. Revolutionaries did not have superior weaponry that the British possessed with limited sources.

c. The revolutionaries were not supported by the local estates causing scattered unity. There was no strong leadership who commanded the revolt and no defined aim.

d. The revolt was planned haphazardly. While initially the revolt was planned to start on the 31^st of May 1857 however Mangal Pandey’s death caused the revolt upheaval to start on 10^th May 1857.

e. Lord Canning diplomatically gained favour over Rajasthan royalties which allowed them to gain control over the revolutionaries. Many landowners, zamindars etc who gained favour from the British showed loyalty towards the British.

Even as the revolt of 1857 might have ended in defeat of the revolutionaries, it was an important event that for the first time challenged the authority of the British and shook them awake to the injustices and issues of the Indians and their collective strength.

Even as the 1857 revolution did not succeed, it caused the British to take notice of the Indian population from being more than an agricultural and submissive population and make great administrative changes. The importance of the Revolt of 1857 is noted as under:

a. East India Company lost its administration over India to the British government.

b. The Revolt inspired the Indian National Movement and hundreds of patriots who fought to gain freedom from the British in 1947.

c. British made administerial changes in the estates, with restoration of local kings’ glory and rights but would not be allowed to adopt of a son as their heir.

d. British realised the power of unity amongst the Indians. They sought to divide the people based upon their religion (by creating sharp divide between Hindus and Muslims) called the Divide and Rule policy. This would allow them to rule India for longer.

e. The Britishers also introduced changes in the army, increasing the British soldiers population and concentrating the artillery in their charge. This was done to limit the powers in the Indian soldiers.

Indians, thus were crushed into submission and defeat with administerial changes that sought to divide them to continue the British rule for a longer time.

The Revolt of 1857 began in Meerut in 1857, however it soon spread all over North India. With the primary cause being the Royal Enfield cartridges that were rumoured to contain the fat of cow and pork. Revolutionaries soon spread all across in rage, setting fire to the assets and property of the British and declared war against them. Initiating from Meerut, the revolt spread to different parts of India including Rajasthan.

Rajasthan was a prime centre of revolutionary turbulence. Locals and soldiers of Rajasthan, especially Jodhpur wanted to oust British control. The soldiers of Jodhpur encouraged the people to revolt against the British. A massive revolt took place in Auwa where Thakur Kushal Singh openly cut off a British citizen’s head.

Meanwhile, soldiers of Nasirabad forcibly occupied and looted treasures, killing a Britisher. The British army realised the rage and thus fled to save their lives. But the soldiers continued their revolt taking it to Delhi. The news of the revolt reached Neemach where soldiers plundered and British officers fled to Udaipur. The Maharana of Udaipur gave them shelter in the palace.

The revolt took a serious turn in Kota, where the commoners and soldiers fought against their King who had been an aide to the Britishers. Jaidayal, Mehrab Khan, Ratan Lai and Jialal played a crucial role in awakening revolutionary spirit. Eventually, the revolutionaries held a decisive hold of Kota’s administration and restrained the King in his palace for 6 months. Major Burton, the British political agent in Kota was killed off by the revolutionaries. Entrance gates of Tonk and Shahpura were sealed off.

However, this victory was short lived as Britishers soon recaptured the area due to lack of proper and universally accepted leadership. Tatya Tope took control over the Jhalawar area of Rajasthan creating a new wave of spirit in the revolutionaries. He was strongly supported by the Samant of Kothari Jodh Singh and Rawte Kesari Singh of Salumbar. Man Singh, the ruler of Marwar however betrayed and had Tantiya Tope arrested by Britishers and leading to his hanged in 1859 AD.

Concluding this, the revolt slowly died off in Rajasthan, with the Britishers regaining their lost lands.