8.1 Factors Leading to the Birth of Indian Nationalism

Factors Leading to the Birth of Indian Nationalism

2020-04-26 19:38:18


**Partha Chatterjee** : nationalism in IN was diff but a derivative discourse of west

**Ashish Nandy** : response to western imperialism

**CA Bayly** : built on pre-existing sense of territoriality traditional patriotism rationalised by indigenous ideas of public morality and ethical govt

Schools of Thought

Nationalist School

  • National consciousness subsumed all other forms,
  • common antipathy towards colonial rule,
  • ignore inner conflicts

Neo-traditionalist School

  • politicisation dev along traditional social formations like linguistic regions, castes, religious community.
  • Catalyst for change were western ed and political rep

Cambridge School

  • series of local movt, weak,
  • interest groups who wanted favour of colonisers,
  • leaders were self-seeking,
  • patron-client relationship,
  • competition-collaboration syndrome

Marxist

  • explain terms of economic dev,
  • rise of industrial capitalism, market society, bourgeois leadership neglected interest of masses
  • ex RP Dutt, VI Pavlov, SN Mukherjee, Sumit Sarkar, Bipan Chandra

    • Sumit Sarkar - 2 level of struggle elite and populist

Subaltern

  • Ranajit Guha, contribution of people real nationalism,
**Benedict Anderson**: Nationalism in dev world of Asia Africa followed one or other model dev in west

**Partha C disagrees** : IN society imagining its nation in private cultural sphere, imagined their own domain of sovereignty, constructed on IN modernity

**CA Bayly** : roots in pre-colonial days from traditional patriotism, sentiment of attachment to land, language cult, manifested through indigenous critique of foreign rule

Factors that Led to Dev of Indian Nationalism

  • Western Edu made public critical, uneven social impact, more in upper caste - were more politically articulate

**AR Desai** : exposed IN to rationalist and democratic thoughts of modern west

**Dipesh C** : political modernity set in concepts of citizenship, state, civil society, public sphere, human rights, equality before law etc
  • Newspapers 150,000 subscribers late 1875 and Modern Press
    > SR Mehrotra : NP broke down internal barriers, encourages inter regional solidarity
  • Gov regulation viz Lex loci act, Income tax 1860, Councils Act 1861 led to administrative unification.
    • limited inclusion of IN, 1870 cut funding Eng edu in Bengal led to unified protests.
      • 1876 lower age to sit in civil service exam
      • 1876 Vernacular press act gag press by Lytton
      • Arms act 1878
      • Ilbert bill controversy
      • Age of consent act 1891
  • Organisation like Indian Asso, Bombay Asso, Poona Sarvajanik Sabha, Madras Native Asso, Madras Mahajan Sabha
    • SN Mukherjee - Dals led by Dalapatis/ absentee landlords effective in countryside for social contol
    • Caste, communal asso
  • Educated professional leadership - mostly upper caste/class.
  • Asso w/ defence of Hindu religion.
  • Impact of British rule : modernisation that was brought by them -> growth of IN nationalism.
  • Political Unity of India caused due to conquest of carried by Br. Common laws, institutions, subjection imposed political unity.
  • Dev of rapid transport and communication viz Railways, Post Offices etc.
  • Influence of historical research by scholars like Max Muller, Monier William, Roth Session. Excavation by Cunnigham, Marshall -> gave psychological boost.
  • Impact of contemporary European movt against Spanish and Portugues empire. Greece, Italy, Ireland stirred emotion of Indians.
  • Lord Lyttons Reactionary Policies.
  • Economic Exploitation and Racialism

Ilbert Bill Controversy 1883-1884 :

  • Aimed to remove judicial disqualification based on race distinction
  • Before 1857 there was the Dual system Mohammadan law in rural acreas under Authority of Mughal Emperor and English Law in Presidencies. Except in Presidency towns Indian Judges could not try Europeans in criminal cases but in Civil Cases where Europeans were a part they could do so.
  • The Dual system was abolished in 1861 in favour of the Indian Penal Code but the racial discrimnation remained.
  • Ilbert Bill wanted to give equal power to IN and European judges. It allowed senion judges of sessions court to try European subjects.
  • English planters were the most oppressive of the lot ill treating and beating their servants to death. Were often let go w/o with very light punishment.
  • Demonstrations were carried out by Europeans who seeked to recall the Viceroy, Conspiracy to kidnay the Viceroy was also hatched by them.
  • The provision was recalled and a compromise reached. According the compromise the British subject could claim a jury half of which were to be Europeans.
  • Mysore was returned to Maharaja since it was annexed on the charge of misgovernment which was grossly exaggerated.
  • Gladstone sanctioned to finance occupation of Egypt partly from the Indian exchequer. This was protested by him and he resigned.

Tagore's Nationalism :