Rise Of The National Movement In India

The history of the Indians is extremely rich. The Nationalist Movement of India was an event that played a significant role in the country’s independence. The Nationalist Movement did not emerge anywhere. It was a lengthy process that began in 1947 and continued for several years. Several factors played a role in the formation of India’s national movement. Let us go over a few of them here. India’s national consciousness emerged in the latter half of the nineteenth century.

The Beginning of Indian Nationalism

In the latter half of the nineteenth century, India experienced increased nationalistic movement. There had been a few minor battles here and there, but nothing major on a national scale. This country encountered a flood of positive energy and a longing to battle against the abuse of British rule on the whole and through coordinated implies with the arrangement of the Indian National Congress.

The Nationalist Movement’s Root Causes

Several causes lead to the final culmination point for any movement to take root. Similarly, the formation of the National Movement resulted from several events that culminated in the formation of the Indian National Congress. Some of these reasons are outlined briefly below.

Lord Lytton’s policies

Lord Lytton, the viceroy of India from 1876 to 1880, is blamed for one of the worst famines in South India, which killed over ten million people. In 1877, when India was reeling from a food shortage and dying of hunger, held Dilli Durbar, lavishing lavishly on such luxuries.

He is also credited with enacting the Vernacular Press Act of 1878, which prohibited the publication of’ seditious material’ in the press. He was also in charge of enacting the Arms Act, which prohibited Indians from carrying firearms. These arbitrary laws inflamed Indians to such an extent that they sparked a national movement.

The Controversy Over Ilbert Bill

The Ilbert Bill, passed in 1883, granted Indian judges the authority to try Europeans in Indian courts. The British were outraged, and it revealed their deep prejudice against Indians.

An Introduction to the Press. 

With the advent of the press, Indians discovered a means of expressing their displeasure with the British Monarch by publishing nationalistic journals in vernacular languages and disseminating them.

• Infrastructure construction

The British built infrastructure such as roads, railways, and a telegraph system to improve trade. This, however, aided in the nation’s connection. People could easily move from one location to another and communicate via telegraph, which aided in spreading the idea of nationalism far and wide.

• Economic Policies in Great Britain

The British economic policies caused widespread poverty and hunger in India. Famines were common, resulting in the deaths of thousands. This instilled a deep resentment of the British, resulting in the national movement.

• Movements of Socio-Religious People

Some revolutionary thinkers, such as Raja Ram Mohan Roy, challenged society’s conventional and biassed orders and educated people about the various social ills plaguing our country. The nation witnessed the evolution of a new generation of revolutionaries as knowledge in this field increased.

Interestingly, unlike in the United States, France, and other developed countries, Indian women were never required to initiate a suffragette campaign independently. The struggle for women’s equality was a component of the liberation struggle. Many prominent Indian women participated in the freedom movement and served as role models for empowered women.

• Language Unification

Because India’s educated elite came from all over the country, language could be a barrier. Still, with the introduction of English, thinkers from all over the country found a common language to communicate their ideas, overcoming language barriers.

• Western education

Macaulay had founded a western schooling system in India with the sole point of making a class of instructed Indians who could serve their provincial bosses in the organisation of the ‘locals’. This thought blew up because it made a class of Indians who became presented to the liberal and extremist considerations of European essayists who explained freedom, fairness, a majority rules system and reasonableness. Likewise, the English language joined Indians from different locales and religions.

Conclusion:

Only in the latter half of the nineteenth century did India’s nationalist movement begin to emerge. There had been struggles and battles against British colonialism before that. Still, they were all confined to smaller areas and, in any case, did not encompass the entire country of India. Indeed, some scholars did not consider India a country at the time. The political union had occurred in the past under great kings such as Ashoka and Akbar and to a lesser extent under the Marathas, but it was not permanent.