Question

What were the methods adopted by the Assertive Nationalists?
(A) Swadeshi
(B) Boycott
(C) National Education
(D) All of the above

Answer 1

Hint: The assertive nationalists were radical in the demands. They favored mass movements to pressurize the British government to consider demands of Indians. They were also known as extremists.

Complete answer:
Lal Bal Pal, the famous trio of the Indian nationalist movement, is considered as the pioneer of Assertive nationalism.

Assertive nationalism gained the support of the people belonging to the middle class, students, workers, and farmers.

Assertive nationalism openly criticized British rule for the economic condition of India at that time. It supported the adoption of aggressive movements that encouraged the Indians to claim their rights and refuse to cooperate with the British government.

The Assertive nationalists supported Swadeshi and encouraged the mass to produce essential products within the country itself, and use them without reliance on imported goods.

This Swadeshi approach was accepted by the majority of people in the country. People began to wear clothes made in India. Foreign clothes were burned. Goods imported from England were boycotted by the masses. This encouraged the growth of domestic industries and generation of employment within them.

Since people began to realize the growth of employment in domestic industries and cheaper rates of goods made in India, they started boycotting foreign goods and any other services provided by the British

On the other hand, assertive leaders successfully won the support of the students who later on participated in the nationalist movement on a mass level. They started boycotting the British Educational institutes and supported the establishment of national universities.

Under the influence of such assertive nationalism, many educational institutions were established in the country and efforts were made to provide education with national interest.

Hence, we can say that all the suggested options i.e. Swadeshi, Boycott, and National education, were the methods followed by Assertive nationalists.

So, Option (D) will be the correct choice as an answer to this question.

Note:
Period from 1905 to 1916, was the period of assertive nationalism in India. The assertive nationalists branched out from the early nationalists or the moderates. They also believed in nonviolence but they followed aggressive methods like swadeshi, boycott etc. instead of peaceful methods that involved prayer petition and protests. They believed in mass agitation to force the ruling government to fulfill the demands of Indians.