Anti-Colonial Movements and the Birth of Nationalism Exercise Solutions | KalviGavani

How to Use This Page

This page covers all exercise questions for Chapter 7 — Anti-Colonial Movements and the Birth of Nationalism from the Samacheer Kalvi 10th Social Science History textbook. Work through each section in order:

1. Key Concepts — quick recap of every important topic before answering questions 2. MCQs, Fill in the Blanks, True or False, Match the Following — one-mark practice 3. Short Answers — two-mark style answers 4. Detailed Answers — five-mark style answers with subheadings 5. Common Mistakes — avoid losing marks 6. Exam Checklist — final revision before the exam

Write answers in your own words after reading this guide. Memorise dates, names, and definitions exactly.

Key Concepts (Quick Recap)

• Colonialism: Political and economic control by one country over another, exploiting its resources and people for the coloniser's benefit.
• Drain of Wealth: Dadabhai Naoroji's theory that British policies systematically transferred India's wealth to Britain through taxes, trade imbalances, and salaries to British officials.
• Land Revenue Systems: Permanent Settlement (1793 — zamindars collected fixed revenue from peasants), Ryotwari System (direct collection from cultivators), and Mahalwari System (village-based collective assessment).
• Impact on Peasants and Artisans: High taxes forced peasants into debt; British machine-made goods destroyed Indian handicraft industries, especially textiles.
• Political Associations Before INC: Bengal British Indian Society, Bombay Association, Madras Native Association, and the East India Association (founded by Dadabhai Naoroji in 1866 in London).
• Formation of INC (1885): Founded by A.O. Hume; first session held at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College, Bombay (now Mumbai); W.C. Bonnerjee was the first president.
• Moderates (1885-1905): Used constitutional methods — prayers, petitions, and protests (the "3 Ps"); leaders included Dadabhai Naoroji, Ferozeshah Mehta, W.C. Bonnerjee, and Surendranath Banerjee.
• Extremists (1905-1919): Advocated Swadeshi (use Indian goods), Boycott (refuse British goods), and National Education; leaders were Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, and Lala Lajpat Rai — the trio known as "Lal-Bal-Pal."
• Partition of Bengal (1905): Lord Curzon divided Bengal into two provinces — East Bengal and Assam, and West Bengal; the real motive was divide and rule along communal lines; triggered the Swadeshi and Boycott Movement.
• Swadeshi and Boycott Movement: Indians boycotted British goods, burnt foreign cloth, promoted khadi and Indian industries, and set up national schools and colleges.
• Surat Split (1907): The Congress split at its Surat session into Moderates and Extremists due to ideological differences over methods and goals.
• Role of the Press: Newspapers like Kesari (Tilak), Amrita Bazar Patrika, The Hindu, and The Bengalee played a crucial role in spreading nationalist ideas and political awareness.
• Muslim League (1906): Formed in Dhaka to protect Muslim interests; supported the Partition of Bengal and later demanded separate electorates.
• Western Education and Nationalist Consciousness: English education introduced Indians to ideas of liberty, democracy, nationalism, and rationalism from European thinkers, which fuelled the demand for self-rule.

I. Choose the Correct Answer (MCQs)

II. Fill in the Blanks

1. The Indian National Congress was founded in the year 1885. 2. The first session of the INC was held at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College, Bombay. 3. The Moderate leaders followed the method of prayers, petitions, and protests. 4. Dadabhai Naoroji wrote the book "Poverty and Un-British Rule in India." 5. The Partition of Bengal was carried out by Lord Curzon in 1905. 6. The Swadeshi Movement encouraged the use of Indian-made goods and the boycott of British products. 7. The Extremist trio of the national movement was popularly known as Lal-Bal-Pal. 8. The East India Association was founded by Dadabhai Naoroji in London in 1866. 9. The newspaper Kesari was published by Bal Gangadhar Tilak. 10. The All India Muslim League was formed at Dhaka in 1906.

III. True or False

IV. Match the Following

Set 1

Set 2

V. Short Answers

VI. Detailed Answers

1. Explain the causes for the birth of Indian nationalism.

Economic Exploitation by the British:

The British imposed heavy land revenue demands through systems like the Permanent Settlement, Ryotwari, and Mahalwari that impoverished peasants. Indian handicraft industries were destroyed by the influx of cheap British manufactured goods, while raw materials were exported at low prices. Dadabhai Naoroji's Drain of Wealth theory explained how British policies systematically transferred India's wealth to Britain through excessive taxation, unfair trade, and salaries paid to British officials.

Western Education:

The introduction of English education under Macaulay's policy created a class of educated Indians who were exposed to the ideas of liberty, democracy, nationalism, and rationalism from European thinkers. English became a link language that enabled communication across regions, fostering a shared political consciousness.

Role of the Press:

Newspapers like Kesari, Amrita Bazar Patrika, The Hindu, and The Bengalee played a crucial role in spreading political awareness. They criticised British policies, reported on exploitation and discrimination, and created a sense of shared grievances that united Indians across regions.

Modern Transport and Communication:

The railways, telegraph, and postal system — though built to serve British interests — physically linked different parts of India. This enabled people to travel, trade, and communicate more easily, breaking down regional isolation and creating a sense of national unity.

Socio-Religious Reform Movements:

Reformers like Raja Ram Mohan Roy (Brahmo Samaj), Dayananda Saraswati (Arya Samaj), and others challenged social evils and created a spirit of reform. This reform consciousness naturally extended to political reform and demands for self-governance.

Racial Discrimination:

The British treated Indians as racially inferior. Indians were excluded from higher administrative positions, discriminated against in courts, and subjected to racist attitudes. This common experience of humiliation united Indians across class and regional lines.

Political Associations:

Organisations like the Bengal British Indian Society, Bombay Association, Madras Native Association, and East India Association provided platforms for political expression and prepared the ground for a national-level organisation — the Indian National Congress.

2. Describe the Moderate phase of the Indian National Congress (1885-1905).

Formation and Leadership:

The INC was founded in 1885 by A.O. Hume. Its first session was held at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College, Bombay, with W.C. Bonnerjee as president. Moderate leaders included Dadabhai Naoroji, Ferozeshah Mehta, W.C. Bonnerjee, and Surendranath Banerjee.

Methods — The "Three Ps":

The Moderates believed in constitutional methods and followed the approach of:

• Prayers: Appealing to the British sense of justice and fairness.
• Petitions: Submitting memoranda and resolutions to the British government and Parliament requesting reforms.
• Protests: Organising peaceful public meetings and passing resolutions criticising British policies.

They believed that the British would gradually grant Indians greater political rights through dialogue and persuasion.

Achievements of the Moderates:

• They created a national political platform (the INC) that brought together leaders from different regions.
• Dadabhai Naoroji exposed the Drain of Wealth through his book "Poverty and Un-British Rule in India."
• They raised important economic issues like poverty, famine, and the exploitation of Indian resources.
• They demanded Indian representation in legislative councils and the civil services (the Indianisation of services).
• They passed resolutions on civil liberties, freedom of the press, and reduction of military expenditure.

Limitations:

• Their methods were too mild to compel the British to make significant concessions.
• They lacked mass support and remained confined to the urban educated elite.
• Their faith in British sense of justice was increasingly seen as naive.
• The younger generation of nationalists grew disillusioned with the pace of reform.

3. Explain the Extremist phase and the Partition of Bengal.

Rise of the Extremists:

By the early 1900s, a new group of leaders emerged within the Congress who believed that Moderate methods were ineffective. They came to be known as Extremists because they advocated more assertive and direct action. The key Extremist leaders were:

• Bal Gangadhar Tilak — declared "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it"; used his newspaper Kesari to spread nationalist ideas.
• Bipin Chandra Pal — a powerful orator from Bengal who championed Swadeshi and boycott.
• Lala Lajpat Rai — known as the "Lion of Punjab"; led the movement in northern India.

Together they were called the Lal-Bal-Pal trio.

Methods of the Extremists:

• Swadeshi: Use only Indian-made goods and promote Indian industries.
• Boycott: Refuse to buy British goods, especially British textiles; burn foreign cloth.
• National Education: Establish schools and colleges that imparted education rooted in Indian culture and values, free from British control.

Partition of Bengal (1905):

Lord Curzon partitioned Bengal in October 1905 into two provinces: East Bengal and Assam (with a Muslim majority) and West Bengal (with a Hindu majority). The official reason was administrative convenience — Bengal was too large to govern efficiently. The real motive was divide and rule: to create a communal divide between Hindus and Muslims and weaken the growing nationalist movement centred in Bengal.

Swadeshi and Boycott Movement:

In response to the partition, Indians launched the Swadeshi and Boycott Movement:

• People boycotted British goods, especially textiles, and burnt foreign cloth publicly.
• Indian industries and handicrafts were promoted; swadeshi stores and enterprises were set up.
• National educational institutions like the National Council of Education were established.
• The movement spread from Bengal to other parts of India, becoming the first mass movement of its kind.
• Cultural expressions like rakhi-tying and folk songs (by Rabindranath Tagore) were used to foster unity.

Surat Split (1907):

Differences between Moderates and Extremists came to a head at the Surat session of the INC in 1907. The Moderates wanted to confine the movement to constitutional methods, while the Extremists wanted more aggressive action. The Congress split into two factions, temporarily weakening the national movement.

4. Discuss the impact of British colonial policies on different sections of Indian society.

Impact on Peasants:

The British land revenue systems — Permanent Settlement, Ryotwari, and Mahalwari — placed an enormous burden on peasants. Under the Permanent Settlement, zamindars extracted high rents from peasants to pay the fixed revenue to the British and make a profit. Under the Ryotwari system, the British directly collected high revenue from cultivators, leaving them with little for survival. Peasants were forced into debt, lost their land, and often faced famine. The emphasis on cash crops like indigo and cotton for British industries further reduced food availability.

Impact on Artisans and Handicraft Workers:

British policies systematically destroyed India's handicraft industries. Cheap machine-made British goods flooded the Indian market, undercutting local artisans. The export of Indian raw materials (cotton, silk, indigo) to British factories and the import of finished British textiles back to India meant that Indian weavers and craftsmen lost both their raw materials and their market. The once-thriving textile centres of Bengal, Varanasi, and Madras fell into ruin.

Impact on Zamindars:

Under the Permanent Settlement, zamindars were made landowners but their position was precarious. If they failed to pay the fixed revenue to the British, their land was auctioned off. This forced zamindars to squeeze peasants for maximum rent, creating a cycle of exploitation. Many traditional zamindars lost their land to new purchasers from urban backgrounds.

Impact on Tribal Communities:

British forest laws restricted tribal access to forests that were their traditional source of livelihood. The expansion of railways, plantations, and mining displaced tribals from their lands. The British criminalised many tribal practices and ways of life, leading to tribal revolts like the Santhal Rebellion and the Munda Ulgulan.

Impact on Educated Middle Class:

Western education created a new middle class, but British racial discrimination denied them equal opportunity in government services. Despite being qualified, Indians were excluded from higher positions, paid less than British counterparts, and subjected to racist attitudes. This discrimination turned the educated middle class — whom the British had themselves created — into leaders of the nationalist movement.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Confusing Moderate and Extremist methods: Moderates used prayers, petitions, and protests (constitutional methods). Extremists used Swadeshi, boycott, and national education (assertive methods). Do not mix them up in answers.

2. Wrong attribution of "Swaraj is my birthright": This slogan was coined by Bal Gangadhar Tilak, not Gandhi or any other leader. Always attribute it to Tilak.

3. Confusing land revenue systems: Permanent Settlement = zamindars as intermediaries (Bengal); Ryotwari = direct collection from cultivators (Madras, Bombay); Mahalwari = village-based assessment (North-West Provinces). Know which system belongs where.

4. Saying the INC was founded by an Indian: A.O. Hume was a retired British civil servant, not an Indian leader. He founded the INC, though Indians led it from the start.

5. Thinking the Partition of Bengal was only about administration: Always mention the divide-and-rule motive alongside the administrative pretext. The exam expects you to state the real reason.

6. Omitting the Surat Split's significance: The 1907 Surat Split temporarily weakened the Congress by dividing it into Moderates and Extremists. This is a key consequence to mention.

7. Confusing the East India Association with the INC: The East India Association (1866, London, by Dadabhai Naoroji) was a pre-Congress political organisation, not the INC itself.

8. Forgetting the role of the press: Many students focus only on political associations and forget that newspapers like Kesari, Amrita Bazar Patrika, and The Hindu were crucial in spreading nationalist ideas.

Exam Checklist

• [ ] I can define colonialism, nationalism, Swadeshi, and Boycott accurately
• [ ] I know the three land revenue systems and where each was implemented
• [ ] I can name the political associations that existed before the INC
• [ ] I know the INC was founded in 1885 by A.O. Hume; first session at Bombay; first president W.C. Bonnerjee
• [ ] I can list the Moderate leaders and their "Three Ps" method
• [ ] I can list the Extremist leaders (Lal-Bal-Pal) and their methods (Swadeshi, Boycott, National Education)
• [ ] I can explain the Partition of Bengal — both the official reason and the real motive
• [ ] I know the key dates: 1885 (INC), 1905 (Partition of Bengal), 1906 (Muslim League), 1907 (Surat Split)
• [ ] I can explain the Drain of Wealth theory and name Dadabhai Naoroji as its author
• [ ] I can discuss the role of the press, western education, and transport in creating nationalist consciousness