the making of nationalist movements

Exercise Questions chapter the making of nationalist movement class 8th

Q1.Why were people dissatisfied with British rule in the 1870s and 1880s?
 Ans; The dissatisfaction with British rule intensified in the 1870s and 1880s.

a) The Arms Act was passed in 1878, disallowing Indians from possessing arms.

b) In 1878 the Vernacular Press Act was put ban on Indian press The Act allowed the government to confiscate the assets of newspapers including their printing presses if the newspapers published anything that was found “objectionable”.

 c) In 1883, government to introduce the Albert Bill. The bill provided for the trial of British or European persons by Indians, and sought equality between British and Indian judges in the country.

Q2. Who did the Indian National Congress wish to speak for?

Ands; Indian National Congress wished to speak for all the people of India, irrespective of class, color caste, creed, language, or gender. It stated that India, its resources and systems were not of any one class or community of India, but of all the different communities of India.

Q3. What economic impact did the First World War have on India?

 Ands; a) It led to a huge rise in the defence expenditure of the Government of India.

  b) The government   increased taxes on individual incomes and business profits.

Increased military expenditure and the demands for war supplies rise in prices which created great difficulties for the common people.

C) On the other hand, business groups  got more profits from the war.

d) The war created a demand for industrial goods (jute bags, cloth, rails) and caused a decline of imports from other countries into India.

Q4. What did the Muslim League resolution of 1940 ask for?

Ands; The Muslim League passed a resolution for "Independent States" for Muslims in the North-Western and Eastern areas of the country.

Q5. Who were the Moderates? How did they propose to struggle against British rule?

Ands; The first 20 years of congress leaders known as moderates.

a) They raised their demands in the form of petition and prayers.

b) They published newspapers, wrote articles, and showed how the British rule was leading to the economic ruin of the country.

 c) They criticized British rule in their speeches and sent representatives to different parts of the country to mobilize public opinion.

Q6. How was the politics of the Radicals within the Congress different from that of the Moderates?

Ands; a) The Radicals were opposed to the “politics of prayers” followed by the Moderates.

 b)  They emphasized the importance of self reliance and constructive work. They argued that people must rely on their own strength, not on the “good” intentions of the government. They believed that people must fight for swaraj.

Q7. Discuss the various forms that the Non-Cooperation Movement took in different parts of India. How did the people understand Gandhiji?

Ans; During 1921 and 1922 the Non-Cooperation Movement gained popularity.
→ Thousands of students left government-controlled schools and colleges
→ Many lawyers gave up their practices
→ British titles were surrendered
→ Legislatures were boycotted
→ People lit public bonfires of foreign cloth.

In most cases, the calls for non-cooperation were related to local grievances.
a)  In Kheda, Gujrat, Patidar peasants organised non-violent campaigns against the high land revenue demand of the British.
b) In coastal Andhra and interior Tamil Nadu, liquor shops were picketed.
 c)  In Punjab, the Akali agitation of the Sikhs sought to remove corrupt mahants - supported by the British - from their gurudwaras.
d)  In Assam, tea garden labourers demanded a big increase in their wages. When the demands were not met, they left the British-owned plantations.

People thought Gandhiji as messiah, someone who could help them overcome their misery and poverty. Peasants believed that he would help them in their fight against zamindars, while agricultural labourers felt that he would provide them with land.

Q8. Why did Gandhiji choose to break the salt law?
Ans; Gandhiji choosed to break the salt law as British government had a monopoly on the manufacture and sale of salt.

It also imposed a tax on the sale of salt. 

Gandhiji believed that it was sinful to tax salt as it was an essential part of food.

He led a march to the coastal town of Dandi, where he broke the salt law by gathering natural salt found on the seashore, and boiling sea water to produce salt.

This march related the general desire of freedom to a specific grievance shared by everybody, and thus, did not divide the rich and the poor.

Q9.  Discuss those developments of the 1937-47 period that led to the creation of Pakistan.

Answer: a) After the 1937 provincial elections, Congress refused to form a coalition government with the League in United Provinces.   b)The Muslim League passed a resolution in 1940 to demand independent states for the Muslims in the north-west and eastern India. 
c)The Cabinet Mission came to Delhi in 1946. Its aim was suggesting some framework for the independent nation. It suggested loose confederation and some degree of autonomy for the Muslim-majority areas. But negotiations between the Congress and the League failed. 
d)After that, Muslim League persisted with its demand for Pakistan. Large scale violence occurred throughout the northern part of the peninsula. 
e)The country was finally partitioned in August 1947.