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History & Civics

In the second phase of the national movement, there emerged a new younger group of leaders within the Congress who did not agree with the old leadership. In this context, answer the following questions:

(a) Differentiate between the Early Nationalists and the Assertive Nationalists in their objectives and achievements, stating one objective and two achievements of each wing of the Congress.

(b) Name the Assertive leader known as the forerunner of Gandhiji. Why is the person known as the forerunner of Gandhiji?

(c) Explain how the repressive policies of Lord Curzon and influence of International events led to the Assertive nationalism.

2ⁿᵈ Phase of INM

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Answer

(a) The difference between the Early Nationalists and the Assertive Nationalists in their objectives is as follows-

Early NationalistsAssertive Nationalists
Their main objective was to attain a self-government like the British occupied colonies did. They did not want British to leave India.Their main objective was the immediate attainment of 'Swaraj' through more self-reliant methods. They wanted British to leave India.

The difference between the Early Nationalists and the Assertive Nationalists regarding their achievements is as follows-

Early NationalistsAssertive Nationalists
They trained Indians in the art of political work.They inculcated national pride among the Indians by extolling India's past.
They pressurized the British Government to introduce certain reforms like the appointment of Public Service Commission, 1886, holding ICS examination simultaneously in London and India and appointment of the Welby Commission on Indian Expenditure.They promoted self-reliance through Swadeshi and Boycott movements.

(b) Bal Gangadhar Tilak is known as the forerunner of Mahatma Gandhi in a number of ways.

  1. Tilak's idea of Swaraj was akin to Mahatma Gandhi's idea of complete independence.
  2. Tilak sought close contact with the masses as Mahatma Gandhi did.
  3. Tilak preached the idea of Swadeshi, Boycott and Prohibition. These ideas were preached and followed by Mahatma Gandhi later on.
  4. Tilak had to suffer several terms of imprisonment for the sake of the country, an example followed by Mahatma Gandhi and other nationalist leaders.

(c) Lord Curzon refused to recognise India as a nation. He was not in favour of giving freedom to India because he believed that the English were destined to rule over India. Therefore, he took several repressive measures to crush Indian Nationalism. These measures included —

  1. The Act of 1898 which made it an offence to provoke people against the British
  2. The Calcutta Corporation Act (1899) which reduced the strength of elected members from India, thereby giving the British a majority
  3. The Official Secrets Act
  4. The Indian Universities Act of 1904 which imposed strict official control over the Indian universities because Curzon considered them as the centres of nationalism.

All these measures created resentment in India.

Assertive nationalism was inspired by the examples of international events.

  1. For the first time, Japan, an Asian country, defeated Russia.
  2. Italian forces were defeated by the Abyssinians in Ethiopia.
  3. In South Africa, the Boers fought for three years (1899-1902) against the British Empire.
  4. In Ireland people were waging a full-scale Home Rule agitation.

These events broke the myth of the invincibility of the Europeans. The Assertive Nationalists felt that the united masses could throw out the British yoke.

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