Rise of nationalism (1860-1916)

Factors in the Growth of Modern Nationalism

• Indian nationalism grew partly as a result of colonial policies and partly as a reaction to colonial policies.
1. Worldwide upsurge of the concepts of nationalism, self-determination by French Revolution.
2. Indian Renaissance.
3. Offshoot of Modernisation.
4. Strong reaction to British imperialist policies

Understanding of Contradictions in Indian and Colonial Interests

• People realise that colonial rule major cause of India’s economic backwardness.
• Nationalist movement - Challenge of these contradictions inherent in the character and policies of colonial rule

Political, Administrative and Economic Unification of the Country

• Under Mauryas, Mughals - British created a larger state than that of the Mauryas or the great Mughals.
• Indian provinces were under ‘direct’ British rule.
• Princely states were under ‘indirect’ British rule.
• British sword imposed political unity.
• Professional civil service, a unified judiciary and codified civil and criminal laws - necessities of administrative convenience.
• Urge for economic penetration and commercial exploitation (all in British interests).
• Development of modern means of transport and communication - railways, roads, electricity and telegraph.
• Economic fate, got linked together, failure of crops in one region affected the prices and supply in another region.
• Modern means of transport and communication, Use to exchange of political ideas and for mobilisation and organisation of public opinion on political and economic issues.

Western Thought and Education

• English language helped nationalist leaders from different linguistic regions to communicate with each other.
• Liberal professions visit England for Higher education.
• Saw the working of modern political institutions in a free country and compared that system with the Indian situation where even basic rights were denied to the citizens.

Role of Press and Literature

• Nineteenth century, growth of Indian-owned English and vernacular newspapers.
• 1877, 169 newspapers published, reached the neighbourhood of 1,00,000.
• Criticising official policies & urged the people to unite, on the other spread modern ideas of self-government, democracy, civil rights and industrialisation.

Rediscovery of India’s Past

• European scholars & Indian scholars, created an entirely new picture of India’s past.
• Picture was characterised by well-developed political, economic and social institutions.
• Flourishing trade with the outside world, a rich heritage in arts and culture and numerous cities.
• Self-respect and confidence so gained helped the nationalists to demolish colonial myths that India had a long history of servility to foreign rulers.

Progressive Character of Socio-religious Reform Movements

• Remove social evils which divided the Indian society.
• Bringing different sections together.

Rise of Middle Class Intelligentsia

• Rise to a new urban middle class in towns.
• The new middle class was a well-integrated all-India class with varied background but a common foreground of knowledge, ideas and values.... It was a minority of Indian society, but a dynamic minority.... It had a sense of unity of purpose and of hope.

Impact of Contemporary Movements in the World

• Ruins of the Spanish and Portuguese empires in South America.
• Liberation movements of Greece and Italy, influenced the nationalist ranks.

Reactionary Policies and Racial Arrogance of Rulers

• Lytton’s reactionary policies, reduction of maximum age limit for the I.C.S. examination from 21 years to 19 years (1876)
• Delhi Durbar of 1877, Vernacular Press Act (1878) & Arms Act (1878), storm of opposition in the country.
• Ripon's Government abolish “judicial disqualification based on race distinctions”