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Summary
The chapter discusses the first phase of the Indian National Movement, led by the Early Nationalists, spanning from 1885 to 1907. The Early Nationalists were a group of educated Indians who believed in working within the British system to achieve their goals. They were mainly professionals such as lawyers and teachers, and many were influenced by Western education and ideas. The Early Nationalists trusted in the British sense of justice and aimed for reforms rather than complete independence.
Their demands focused on constitutional reforms, economic relief, and administrative changes. They sought a greater Indian role in governance, reduction in taxes, and protection of civil rights. They believed that India’s progress was hindered not by British rule but by the social and economic backwardness of Indians themselves. Therefore, they aimed for gradual progress through constitutional means, avoiding confrontation.
The Early Nationalists used methods such as petitions, prayers, and protests to appeal to the British government and educate the Indian public about political issues. They held meetings, wrote articles, and sent delegations to Britain to present their demands. They believed in peaceful and legal means, hoping that the British government would eventually grant India self-government.
Among the prominent Early Nationalist leaders were Dadabhai Naoroji, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, and Surendranath Banerjee. Dadabhai Naoroji, known as the “Grand Old Man of India,” was instrumental in exposing the economic exploitation of India by the British through his Drain Theory. Gopal Krishna Gokhale was a strong advocate for reform and influenced many, including Mahatma Gandhi. Surendranath Banerjee was known for his efforts in educating the masses and forming political associations to oppose British policies.
The Early Nationalists laid the foundation for later phases of the Indian National Movement by creating a sense of national identity and unity among Indians. Their moderate approach, however, was later criticized for being too cautious and limited in its reach, focusing primarily on the urban educated class and not involving the broader population. Despite this, their contributions were significant in setting the stage for future demands for independence.
Textbook (Total History) solutions
Multiple-Choice Questions
1. Dadabhai Naoroji presented which famous theory in his paper ‘Poverty and Un-British Rule in India’?
A. Deficit Theory
B. Drain Theory
C. Deprivation Theory
D. Detriment Theory
Answer: B. Drain Theory
2. Methods used by Early Nationalists were―
A. Assertive in their approach.
B. Constitutional within the framework of law.
C. Non-violent but uncooperative to authority.
D. Assertive in approach but within the framework of law.
Answer: B. Constitutional within the framework of law.
3. What were the 3P’s of the Early Nationalists?
A. Petition, Protests and Passion
B. Purpose, Persistence and Prayers
C. Petition, Prayers and Protests
D. Protests, Petition and Process
Answer: C. Petition, Prayers and Protests
4. Which of the following was the aim of the Early Nationalists?
A. Eradication of British rule in India.
B. Promotion of equality among the workers for the cause of India.
C. Formulation of popular demands to be presented before the government.
D. Organisation of a violent struggle for the political emancipation of India.
Answer: C. Formulation of popular demands to be presented before the government.
5. Which of the following was a demand of the Early Nationalists?
A. Reduction in taxes and increase in government expenditure
B. A larger share of Indians in the governance of the country
C. Complete fusion of legislature and executive
D. Employment of Indians at all posts in the administrative services
Answer: B. A larger share of Indians in the governance of the country
6. Which of the following administrative demands were made by the Early Nationalists?
A. Increase in the powers of local bodies
B. Increase in official control over local bodies
C. Increase in the British officers in the civil services
D. Transfer of police service to local bodies
Answer: A. Increase in the powers of local bodies
7. Which of the following reforms was a result of the efforts made by Early Nationalists?
A. Withdrawal of the Partition of Bengal
B. Simultaneous ICS exams in India and England
C. Appointment of Lord Curzon as Viceroy
D. Irish Home Rule Agitation
Answer: B. Simultaneous ICS exams in India and England
8. Which of the following was achieved by Gopal Krishna Gokhale, as a Member of the Imperial Legislative Council?
A. Reduction in land revenue
B. Abolition of salt tax
C. Primary education made compulsory
D. Reduction in toll tax
Answer: D. Reduction in toll tax
9. The Early Nationalists initially believed that the British wanted to be just to India but were unaware of the real state of affairs. In this context which of the following statements are true?
(i) They believed that the British rule had many benefits.
(ii) They believed that the main obstacle in India’s progress was not the British Colonial rule but India’s own social and economic backwardness.
(iii) They provided elaborate statistical data to prove that the British rule was responsible for India’s poverty.
A. (i) and (ii)
B. (ii) and (iii)
C. (i) and (iii)
D. (i), (ii) and (iii)
Answer: D. (i), (ii) and (iii)
10. Dadabhai Naoroji: London India Society:: Gopal Krishna Gokhale:
A. Servants of India Society
B. East India Association
C. Indian Association
D. Indian National Conference
Answer: A. Servants of India Society
Select the correct relationship
1. (A) The Early Nationalists believed in moderate politics.
(B) They asked for constitutional and other reforms within the framework of British rule.
(a) (B) contradicts (A)
(b) (A) is the reason for (B)
(c) (A) is true but (B) is false
(d) (A) and (B) are independent of each other.
Answer: B. (A) is the reason for (B)
Explanation: The Early Nationalists adopted moderate political strategies, which means they aimed to achieve their goals through gradual reforms and dialogue rather than through radical or confrontational methods. Their belief in moderate politics led them to request constitutional and other reforms while still operating within the structure of British rule, as they believed this approach would be more effective in achieving their objectives.
2. (A) The Early Nationalists created national awakening among people that they belonged to one common country-India.
(B) The Early Nationalists drew the masses into the mainstream of the national movement.
(a) (B) contradicts (A)
(b) (B) is the reason for (A)
(c) (A) is true but (B) is false
(d) (A) and (B) are independent of each other.
Answer: C. (A) is true but (B) is false
Explanation: The Early Nationalists did succeed in creating a sense of national consciousness among the Indian people, making them aware of their collective identity as Indians. However, they were largely unsuccessful in drawing the broader masses into the national movement. Their influence was mostly confined to the educated, urban middle class, and they did not manage to engage the larger rural population in their political activities.
3. (A) A few government officials attended the First session of the Congress and took part in its deliberations.
(B) British officials later on criticised the Congress and branded its leaders as ‘disloyal babus’ and ‘violent villains’.
(a) (B) contradicts (A)
(b) (B) is the reason for (A)
(c) (A) is true but (B) is false
(d) (A) and (B) are independent of each other.
Answer: D. (A) and (B) are independent of each other
Explanation: The fact that government officials attended the first session of Congress was an initial gesture of engagement with the Congress, which was seen as a moderate and non-threatening body at that time. However, as the Congress grew in influence and began to articulate demands that challenged British authority, British officials became more hostile, leading to their later criticisms. The two statements describe different phases in the relationship between the Congress and the British officials, but one does not directly cause the other.
4. (A) The British followed a policy of granting minor concessions to put down the growth of nationalism.
(B) The British realised that the growing unity of the Indians posed a major threat to their rule.
(a) (B) contradicts (A)
(b) (B) is the reason for (A)
(c) (A) is true but (B) is false
(d) (A) and (B) are independent of each other.
Answer: B. (B) is the reason for (A)
Explanation: The British government recognized that the increasing unity and nationalistic sentiments among Indians could potentially challenge their control over the country. To counteract this growing threat, they adopted a strategy of granting minor concessions, hoping to placate Indian demands and prevent the rise of more radical and unified opposition movements. Therefore, the realization of the threat posed by Indian unity (B) was the reason behind the policy of minor concessions (A).
Short Answer Questions
1. Which period of the National Movement is known as the period of the Early Nationalists’? Name any two leaders of the Congress who are known as Early Nationalists’.
Answer: The period from 1885 to 1907 is known as the period of the Early Nationalists. Two leaders of the Congress who are known as Early Nationalists are Dadabhai Naoroji and Gopal Krishna Gokhale.
2. Mention two reasons for the Early Nationalists’ faith in the British sense of justice.
Answer: The Early Nationalists had faith in the British sense of justice because they believed in the integrity and fairness of British rule and because they hoped that the British would grant ‘Home Rule’ to Indians.
3. What was the belief of the Early Nationalists regarding the British rule in India?
Answer: The Early Nationalists believed that the British rule had many benefits, such as aiding in cleansing social ills like sati, untouchability, and child marriage.
4. What, according to the Early Nationalists, was an obstacle in India’s progress? What kind of self-government did the Early Nationalists demand?
Answer: According to the Early Nationalists, the main obstacle in India’s progress was the social and economic backwardness of Indians, not the British colonial rule. They demanded self-government within the British Empire, like the self-governing colonies of Canada and Australia.
5. State any two issues opposed by the Early Nationalists in the field of civil liberties.
Answer: The Early Nationalists opposed the restrictions imposed by the British government on the freedom of speech and the freedom of the press.
6. Mention any two demands of the Early Nationalists that aimed at improving the lot of the peasants.
Answer: The Early Nationalists demanded the reduction in land revenue and protection of peasants against unjust demands of the zamindars. They also advocated for the availability of cheap credit to peasants through agricultural banks.
7. Mention any two constitutional demands made by the Early Nationalists.
Answer: The Early Nationalists demanded the expansion of the Legislative Council and Legislative Assemblies and the increase in the membership of Indians in these Councils by including some members elected by local bodies like Chambers of Commerce and Universities.
8. Name any two economic issues raised by the Early Nationalists.
Answer: Reduction in land revenue and protection of peasants against unjust demands of the zamindars.
9. What did the Early Nationalists demand for the industrial growth of India?
Answer: The Early Nationalists demanded industrial growth through trade protection, which included the imposition of a heavy tax on imported goods and government loans for the development of industries like iron, coal, paper, and sugar.
10. Mention any two achievements of the Early Nationalists.
Answer: The Early Nationalists aroused national awakening among people that they belonged to one common country, India, and trained people in politics by popularising the ideas of democracy, civil liberties, secularism, and nationalism.
11. Who is known as India’s unofficial ambassador and why?
Answer: Dadabhai Naoroji is known as India’s unofficial ambassador because of his efforts in England to advocate for the cause of India, including founding the London India Society and being the first Indian member of the British House of Commons.
12. Name the author of (i) Poverty and Un-British Rule in India and (ii) A Nation in the Making.
Answer: (i) Dadabhai Naoroji is the author of Poverty and Un-British Rule in India, and (ii) Surendranath Banerjee is the author of A Nation in the Making.
13. Name the two Acts that Surendranath Banerjee agitated against.
Answer: Surendranath Banerjee agitated against the Vernacular Press Act and the lowering of the age limit for the Indian Civil Service Examination from 21 to 19 years.
14. List briefly any two causes that Gopal Krishna Gokhale supported.
Answer: Gopal Krishna Gokhale supported the reduction of land revenue and the abolition of excise duty on cotton goods.
Structured Questions
1. The period from 1885 to 1905 was dominated by the Early Nationalists. In this context, answer the following questions:
(a) To which section of society did they belong? What were their demands?
Answer: They belonged to the educated middle class, consisting of professionals like lawyers, barristers, teachers, and officials. Their demands included constitutional reforms, economic reforms, administrative demands, and the defence of civil rights.
(b) What methods did they adopt?
Answer: The Early Nationalists adopted constitutional agitation methods, which included holding meetings, passing resolutions, making use of the press to criticize government policies, sending memorandums and petitions to government officials, and using the three P’s: Petitions, Prayers, and Protests.
(c) How did the Early Nationalists help in the growth of nationalism in India?
Answer: The Early Nationalists helped in the growth of nationalism in India by creating national awakening among the people, training them in politics, exposing the true nature of British rule, and establishing the truth that India must be ruled in the interest of Indians.
2. The Early Nationalists were practical and wanted to win freedom by a gradual process. In this context, answer the following:
(a) How did they expose the true nature of British rule in India?
Answer: They exposed the true nature of British rule in India by making people realize the economic content and character of British imperialism, which included the exploitation of Indian resources and the impoverishment of the Indian people.
(b) What was the attitude of the Early Nationalists towards the British? Why did they develop such an attitude?
Answer: The Early Nationalists had an attitude of loyalty towards the British Crown because they believed in the British sense of justice, fair play, honesty, and integrity. They developed this attitude due to their faith in the British promises and the hope that the British would grant self-government to Indians.
(c) What were the reasons for the partial failure of their methods?
Answer: The reasons for the partial failure of their methods included their reliance on the British sense of justice rather than their own strength, their inability to involve the masses in the national movement, and their methods being limited to urban educated Indians and professional groups.
3. Surendranath Banerjee’s was popularly known as the father of Indian Nationalism. In this context answer the following questions:
(a) Trace his contribution towards the formation of the Indian National Congress.
Answer: Surendranath Banerjee contributed to the formation of the Indian National Congress by founding the Indian Association in 1876, which aimed to educate people and create political consciousness. He also convened the Indian National Conference in 1883, which later merged with the Indian National Congress in 1886.
(b) What was India’s political goal according to him? What were the methods he advocated to attain it?
Answer: According to Surendranath Banerjee, India’s political goal was self-government within the British Empire. He advocated constitutional methods, including opposition where necessary and cooperation where possible, to attain this goal.
(c) What was his contribution to India’s freedom struggle?
Answer: His contributions to India’s freedom struggle included founding the Indian Association, editing the newspaper Bengalee, agitating against the Licence Act, Arms Act, and Vernacular Press Act, and opposing the Morley-Minto Reforms and the Partition of Bengal.
4. Read the excerpt given below and answer the questions that follow:
(a) Who was Dadabhai Naoroji? According to Dadabhai Naoroji, in what sense ‘security of life and property’ prevails in India?
Answer: Dadabhai Naoroji was a prominent nationalist leader and one of the early leaders of the Indian National Congress. According to him, ‘security of life and property’ in India prevailed in the sense that people were secure from violence from each other or from native despots, but there was no security from the exploitation by the British.
(b) How is England ‘perfectly safe and secure’, as described in the excerpt by Naoroji?
Answer: England was ‘perfectly safe and secure’ because it could exploit India’s resources and wealth without any resistance, carrying away vast amounts of money from India every year.
(c) Dadabhai Naoroji propounded a theory to describe the exploitative nature of British rule in India. Name it. Explain briefly the last line of the excerpt given above.
Answer: Dadabhai Naoroji propounded the ‘Drain Theory’ to describe the exploitative nature of British rule. The last line of the excerpt explains that millions in India were living in conditions of half-feeding, starvation, famine, and disease because of the exploitation and draining of Indian wealth by the British.
Picture Study
(a) Identify the person in the given picture. State three policies of the imperial regime which were opposed by this person.
Answer: The person in the given picture is Gopal Krishna Gokhale. He opposed the following three policies of the imperial regime:
- The huge expenditure on the British army.
- The policy of racial discrimination in appointments to high posts.
- The imposition of production tax on cotton.
(b) What role did he play as a member of the Imperial Legislative Council?
Answer: As a member of the Imperial Legislative Council, Gopal Krishna Gokhale played a significant role by:
- Pleading for the reduction in Salt Duty.
- Advocating for the abolition of excise duty on cotton goods.
- Relentlessly working towards the reduction of toll tax.
(c) How did he try to arouse national awakening?
Answer: Gopal Krishna Gokhale tried to arouse national awakening by:
- Establishing the Servants of India Society in 1905 to train leaders dedicated to the service of the nation.
- Criticizing the British government’s policies and urging reforms, thus creating awareness about India’s political and economic issues.
- Using his position in the Imperial Legislative Council to advocate for the interests of Indians, thereby educating the public on their rights and duties.
Thinking Skills
1. Imagine that you got a chance to interview one of the Early Nationalist leaders. On the basis of interview, express your views on the Early Nationalist leader’s beliefs as well as the methods used by him.
Answer: The Early Nationalist leader I interviewed expressed a strong belief in the sense of justice and fair play of the British government. He believed that the British had introduced several positive reforms in India and hoped that, over time, they would grant more rights and self-governance to Indians. His belief was rooted in loyalty to the British Crown, as he felt that a gradual approach to gaining rights would be more effective than any form of direct confrontation.
He highlighted that the methods used by the Early Nationalists were primarily constitutional and peaceful. They focused on raising awareness among the Indian populace about their rights and the need for reforms. To achieve their goals, they employed methods such as holding public meetings to pass resolutions, using the press to criticize government policies, and sending memorandums and petitions to government officials and the British Parliament. These petitions were meticulously drafted with facts and logical arguments to appeal to the sense of justice in the British authorities. Additionally, he mentioned the use of the “three P’s” approach—Petitions, Prayers, and Protests—aiming to gradually persuade the British government to address the grievances of the Indian people. Overall, the leader’s strategy was to work within the legal framework, avoiding any form of violent or confrontational actions, believing that this would lead to a slow but steady political progress towards self-governance.
2. Suppose you want to present the demands of the people of your area to the MLA of your area. State which method followed by the Early Nationalists you would choose and why?
Answer: I would choose the method of submitting a well-prepared petition to the MLA, similar to how the Early Nationalists presented their demands to the British authorities. This method is effective because it allows for a clear and formal communication of the community’s concerns and demands. The Early Nationalists believed in addressing the authorities with respect and adhering to legal procedures, which helped them gain a reputation for being reasonable and constructive.
In preparing the petition, I would gather all relevant data and arguments to support the demands, ensuring that the document is comprehensive and persuasive. Additionally, just as the Early Nationalists did, I would seek to build a coalition of supporters from the community to back the petition, demonstrating that the demands are not just individual concerns but reflect the collective will of the people.
This method is preferable because it not only respects the democratic process but also engages the MLA in a dialogue, providing an opportunity to negotiate and work together towards a solution. It aligns with the Early Nationalists’ belief in gradual progress through lawful and peaceful means, which is particularly effective in a democratic setup where the elected representatives are accountable to the people.
Extra/additional MCQs
1. During which period did the Gandhian Era in the Indian National Movement take place?
A. 1907-1916
B. 1915-1947
C. 1885-1907
D. 1920-1947
Answer: B. 1915-1947
28. Who founded the Indian Association in 1876?
A. Dadabhai Naoroji
B. Surendranath Banerjee
C. Gopal Krishna Gokhale
D. Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Answer: B. Surendranath Banerjee
Extra/additional questions and answers
1. From which class were the Early Nationalists primarily drawn?
Answer: Educated middle class.
51. Describe the economic demands of the Early Nationalists and their significance in the Indian freedom struggle.
Answer: The economic demands of the Early Nationalists were focused on addressing the economic exploitation and hardships faced by Indians under British rule. These demands included:
- Reduction in land revenue: They sought to ease the burden on peasants who were subjected to heavy taxes by the colonial government. The Early Nationalists advocated for reducing land revenue and protecting peasants from the unjust demands of zamindars, which was crucial in addressing rural poverty.
- Reduction in military expenditure: The Early Nationalists argued that the British government spent excessively on the military at the expense of welfare activities. They demanded that the money saved from reducing military expenditure be spent on health, education, and other welfare activities that would benefit the Indian population.
- Enquiry into poverty and famines: The Early Nationalists called for an inquiry into the growing poverty and frequent famines in India. They believed that the British policies were responsible for these issues and demanded an investigation to find solutions.
- Availability of cheap credit: Recognizing the importance of credit for agricultural activities, they demanded the availability of cheap credit to peasants through agricultural banks. This would help farmers invest in their lands and improve agricultural productivity.
- Industrial growth: The Early Nationalists advocated for industrial growth through trade protection, meaning that a heavy tax should be imposed on imported goods to protect Indian industries. They also called for government loans to support the development of iron, coal, paper, and sugar industries in India.
- Abolition of the Salt Tax and sugar duty: The Early Nationalists demanded the total abolition of the Salt Tax, which affected the common people, and the duty on sugar to make these essential commodities affordable.
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