Question

Various factors led to the rise and growth of nationalism in India in the 19th century. In this context, explain the role of each of the following:
A)Socio-religious reform movements
B)The Press
C)Repressive Colonial Policies.

Answer 1

Hint: Colonial rule means the practice of fully or partially acquiring control over another country. In the nineteenth and early twentieth century, the British controlled one-quarter of the world’s area. Many countries like India, Australia, Africa were under their control.

Complete answer: (A)The different Socio-religious reform movements in British India were a declaration of the rising of the national movement and retaliation against the spread of liberal thoughts. Raja Ram Mohan Roy is also known as the father of Indian Renaissance. He supported the widow remarriage Law passed in 1856. He was a spontaneous supporter of women rights, protested against polygamy and raised awareness about the degraded state of widows. Along with all this, he successfully persuaded Lord William Bentinck to pass the Sati Prohibition Law. In 1873, satyashodhak Samaj was founded by Jyotirao Phule, which aimed at eliminating the caste system and the practice of untouchability. These ideas of brotherhood, harmony and equality assimilated the lower caste to the nationalist movement.
(B)The Press was originally introduced to Indians by the Europeans only. Indians took a step ahead, by publishing various books and newspapers in various Indian dialects. They used the printed material for bringing the political consciousness among the Indian masses as the topics of the printed material was pertaining to Indians only in their Indian Languages to gain mass support.
(C)Repressive Colonial Policies, like the Indian Arms Act in 1879, which was not applicable to the British as under it was a criminal offence for Indians to carry out arms without a license. There were heavy duties imposed on agrarian peasants, textile mill workers. The most important of all the policies was The Vernacular Press Act, which prohibited the vernacular papers to publish anything that could dissatisfy or is against the British Government. These policies were the major barrier to Indian development but on the contrary, this led to political, social and economic awareness among the people and evoked a strong feeling of nationalism.

Note: Mahatma Gandhi is known as the father of Indian nationalism. It is a concept under which India as a collective nation without any differences of caste, creed or gender campaigned for Independence from the British.