NCERT Solutions Class 8 History: The Making of the National Movement 1870s-1947

 

Question 1: Why were people dissatisfied with British rule in the 1870s and 1880s?

Solution: The dissatisfaction with British rule intensified in the 1870s and 1880s. The main reason was the two Acts passed by the British.

1. The Arms Act, 1878

2. The Vernacular Press Act, 1878

The Arms Act disallowed Indians from possessing arms and the Vernacular Press Act allowed the government to confiscate the assets of newspapers including their printing presses if the newspapers published anything that was found objectionable.

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Question 2: Who did the Indian National Congress wish to speak for?

Solution: Indian National Congress wished to speak for all the people of India, irrespective of class, colour, 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.

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Question 3: What economic impact did the First World War have on India?

Solution: The First World War changed the economic and political situation in India. There was a huge rise in the defence expenditure of the Government of India. The government increased taxes on individuals and businesses. The price of all commodities increased putting the common man into a lot of hardship. There was a great demand for industrial goods due to the war and this resulted in the decline of European goods being imported into India. This in turn gave the Indian industrialists a chance to expand their production.

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Question 4: What did the Muslim League resolution of 1940 ask for?

Solution: In 1940 the Muslim League passed a resolution demanding Independent States for Muslims in the north-western and eastern areas of the country. The resolution did not mention partition or Pakistan.

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Question 5: Who were the Moderates? How did they propose to struggle against British rule?

Solution: During the first 20 years after it was formed, the Congress was moderate in its objectives and methods. Some of the Moderate leaders were Dadabhai Naoroji, Pherozeshah Mehta, Badruddin Tyabji, W.C. Bonnerji, Surendranath Banerji, Romesh Chandra Dutt and S. Subramania Iyer.

They proposed to struggle against the British in a non-violent manner, which the Radicals called the politics of prayers. The Moderate leaders wanted to develop public awareness about the unjust nature of British rule. They published newspapers, wrote articles, and showed how British rule was leading to the economic ruin of the country. They criticised British rule in their speeches and sent representatives to different parts of the country to mobilise public opinion. They felt that the British had respect for the ideals of freedom and justice, and so they would accept the just demands of Indians. What was necessary, therefore, was to express these demands and make the government aware of the feelings of Indians.

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Question 6: How was the politics of the Radicals within the Congress different from that of the Moderates?

Solution: In Bengal, Maharashtra and Punjab, many leaders adapted more radical means to gain freedom from the British. They were Bepin Chandra Pal, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Lala Lajpat Rai.

These three were known as the Triumvirate or the three militant patriots of the Congress – Lal Bal Pal. The trio was responsible for initiating the first popular upsurge against British colonial policy in the 1905 partition of Bengal, before the advent of Gandhi into Indian politics. Bepin Chandra Pal was also the founder of the nationalistic journal Bande Mataram.

They argued that people must rely on their own strength, not on the good intentions of the government. They felt that the people must fight for Swaraj.

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Question 7: Discuss the various forms that the Non-Cooperation Movement took in different parts of India. How did the people understand Gandhiji?

Solution: During 1921 and 1922 the Non-Cooperation Movement gained impetus. Thousands of students left government controlled schools and colleges and lawyers gave up their practices. Many Indians surrendered their British titles and Legislatures were boycotted. People publicly burnt foreign cloth.

Slowly people from all walks of life joined in the movement for Swaraj. The Patidar peasants of Gujarat organised non-violent campaigns against high land revenue. In Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, liquor shops were attacked. Tribals in Guntur staged forest satyagrahas because the British restricted grazing rights. In Sind and Bengal, the Khilafat-Non-Cooperation alliance gave communal unity to the movement. In Punjab, the Akali agitation sought to remove corrupt mahants. In Assam, tea garden labourers demanded wage increases and left plantations.

Many Indians regarded Gandhiji as a saviour who would free India from misery and poverty. Peasants hoped he would help against zamindars, and labourers believed he would provide land. Sometimes, people used Gandhi’s name to justify activities that did not align with his non-violent ideals.

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Question 8: Why did Gandhiji choose to break the salt law?

Solution: The British introduced a law giving the Government control over the manufacture and sale of salt, while also imposing a tax on it. Mahatma Gandhi and other leaders felt it was wrong to tax an essential commodity like salt.

In 1930, Gandhiji started the Salt March. He and his followers marched over 240 miles from Sabarmati to Dandi. There, they broke the law by gathering natural salt from the seashore and boiling sea water to produce salt. This movement united the rich and poor in a shared desire for freedom.

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Question 9: Discuss those developments of the 1937-47 period that led to the creation of Pakistan.

Solution: In 1937, elections were held and Congress formed governments in 7 out of 11 provinces. In 1940, the Muslim League demanded Independent States for Muslims in the north-western and eastern areas. A social divide grew as the League feared Muslim suppression by the Hindu majority.

After World War II in 1945, talks between the British, Congress, and the League failed because the League claimed to be the sole spokesperson for Muslims. In the 1946 elections, the League won heavily in seats reserved for Muslims, strengthening their demand for Pakistan.

The 1946 British Cabinet Mission suggested a united India with autonomy for Muslim-majority areas, but the parties could not agree. Following this failure, the League announced August 16, 1946, as Direct Action Day, leading to riots and thousands of deaths. Violence spread across northern India by March 1947, forcing millions to flee and leading to the final partition and the birth of Pakistan.

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