Struggling with the lengthy “Nationalism in India” chapter? You’re not alone. For Class 10 students, this chapter can feel overwhelming — packed with dates, movements, and names that seem to blur together.
Worse, it’s easily confused with the rise of nationalism in Europe, making it tough to differentiate concepts for your board exams. And let’s be honest — Non-Cooperation vs Civil Disobedience? They sound similar, but they’re different in goal, method, and impact.
Without clear notes, mixing them up is just one exam question away.
Add to that the challenge of memorizing key events, leaders, and social groups — and it’s no surprise students feel stressed.
That’s why we’ve created crisp, mobile-friendly, keyword-rich short notes on Nationalism In India Class 10 History Short notes — designed to cut the clutter, highlight differences, and simplify complex ideas.
✅ No fluff
✅ No confusion
✅ Just exam-focused clarity — perfect for last-minute revision
From Rowlatt Act to Salt March, Khilafat to Swaraj, and peasants to Dalits — every topic is broken into scannable, easy-to-memorize points so you can understand faster, recall better, and score higher.
Say goodbye to long textbooks and hello to smart, structured, and simple revision.
Introduction : Nationalism In India
Nationalism Europe vs India
| Europe Nationalism | Indian Nationalism |
|---|---|
| Nation-states formed | Anti-colonial struggle |
| New identity, symbols, songs | Unity from oppression |
| Long identity building | Long process, diverse groups |
Key Points
- Indian nationalism = result of anti-colonial movement
- Colonialism → shared oppression → unity across groups
- But classes experienced it differently
- Freedom meant different things to different people
- Gandhi + Congress → tried to unite all
- Unity came with conflict
- 1920s focus: Non-Cooperation and Civil Disobedience
- Movements grew nationalism
- Different groups joined
- Nationalism spread widely
Flow
Colonialism → oppression → unity → struggle → movements → nationalism
The First World War, Khilafat and Non-Cooperation
Post-1919 Changes
- National movement spread
- Reached new areas
- Included new social groups
- New modes of struggle developed
Impact of First World War
| Effect | Outcome |
|---|---|
| ↑ Defence spending | War loans + taxes |
| ↑ Taxes | Custom duties raised, income tax introduced |
| ↑ Prices (1913–1918) | Doubled → hardship |
| Forced recruitment | Anger in villages |
| Crop failures (1918–19, 1920–21) | Food shortage |
| Influenza epidemic | Combined with famine |
| Death toll (1921 census) | 12–13 million died |
After the War
- People hoped for relief
- No improvement
- Hardships continued
New Phase
- New leader emerged
- Suggested new mode of struggle
👉 Sets stage for Non-Cooperation Movement
The Idea of Satyagraha
Gandhi Returns – 1915
- Came from South Africa
- Used satyagraha against racism
- Believed in truth + nonviolence
What is Satyagraha?
- Power of truth
- No need for physical force
- Fight injustice without violence
- Win by appealing to oppressor’s conscience
- Persuade people to see truth
- No vengeance, no aggression
- Truth will ultimately triumph
- Gandhi: this dharma can unite all Indians
Early Satyagrahas in India
| Year | Place | Cause |
|---|---|---|
| 1917 | Champaran, Bihar | Against oppressive plantation system |
| 1917 | Kheda, Gujarat | Peasants demand relaxation of revenue due to crop failure + plague |
| 1918 | Ahmedabad | Support to cotton mill workers |
Key Flow
Gandhi returns → spreads satyagraha → fights injustice through truth + nonviolence → unites people → starts local movements
The Rowlatt Act
Rowlatt Act – 1919
- Passed by Imperial Legislative Council
- Indian members unitedly opposed
- Gave govt huge powers to crush political activity
- Allowed detention without trial for 2 years
Gandhi’s Response
- Launch nationwide satyagraha
- Use non-violent civil disobedience
- Start with hartal on 6 April
Public Reaction
- Rallies in cities
- Strikes in railway workshops
- Shops closed
- Mass uprising
British Crackdown
- Scared of disruption (rail, telegraph)
- Arrested leaders in Amritsar
- Banned Gandhi from Delhi
- 10 April: Police fired on peaceful protest → anger
- Attacks on banks, post offices, stations
Jallianwala Bagh – 13 April 1919
- Crowd gathered: some to protest, others for Baisakhi fair
- Many unaware of martial law
- General Dyer blocked exits, opened fire
- Hundreds killed
- Aim: “produce a moral effect” – spread fear and terror
Aftermath
- News spread → protests across north India
- Strikes, attacks on govt buildings
- British response: brutal repression
- Forced to crawl, rub nose, salute sahibs
- Flogging, villages bombed (e.g. Gujranwala)
Gandhi Calls Off Movement
- Due to rising violence
- Satyagraha was urban-based
- Needed wider support from rural areas
Next Step: Hindu-Muslim Unity
- Gandhi wanted broad-based movement
- Saw Khilafat issue as bridge
- Ottoman Turkey defeated in WW1
- Khalifa (spiritual head of Muslims) under threat
- Khilafat Committee formed – Bombay, March 1919
- Leaders: Muhammad Ali, Shaukat Ali
- Gandhi joined Khilafat cause to unite Muslims
- Calcutta, Sept 1920: Congress agreed
- Launch Non-Cooperation Movement for Khilafat + Swaraj
Why Non-cooperation?
Gandhi’s Idea – Hind Swaraj (1909)
- British rule exists because Indians cooperate
- If Indians refuse to cooperate → British rule collapses in a year
- Then swaraj (self-rule) will come
Plan of Action
Movement in stages:
- Surrender government titles
- Boycott:
- Civil services
- Army, police
- Courts
- Legislative councils
- Government schools
- Foreign goods
- If govt uses repression → start civil disobedience
Mobilization – 1920
- Gandhi + Shaukat Ali toured country
- Built mass support
Congress Debate
- Many leaders worried
- Did not want to boycott Nov 1920 council elections
- Feared violence
- Big conflict Sept–Dec 1920
Nagpur Session – Dec 1920
- Compromise reached
- Non-Cooperation programme adopted
Differing Strands within the Movement
(Non Cooperation Movement)
Movement Starts – Jan 1921
- Non-Cooperation-Khilafat Movement begins:
- Many social groups join
- Each has own goal
- All respond to Swaraj
- But Swaraj means different things to different people
The Movement in the Towns
Started in Cities
- Led by middle class
- Students left govt schools
- Teachers & headmasters resigned
- Lawyers gave up practices
Elections Boycotted
- Most provinces refused to participate
- Except Madras → Justice Party joined (non-Brahmans seeking power)
Economic Impact
- Foreign goods boycotted
- Liquor shops picketed
- Foreign cloth burnt in big fires
- Import of foreign cloth halved (1921–22)
- Value: ₹102 cr → ₹57 cr
- Merchants refused to trade/finance foreign goods
- Demand for Indian cloth rose → production up in mills & handlooms
Why It Slowed Down
- Khadi was expensive
- Poor couldn’t afford it
- Hard to boycott cheap mill cloth
- No alternative Indian institutions
- Schools, courts not ready
- Students, teachers, lawyers returned to govt institutions
Key Point
Urban movement strong at first, but faded due to cost and lack of alternatives
Rebellion in the Countryside
From Cities to Villages
- Non-Cooperation spreads to peasants & tribals
- Mixes with local struggles
- Different groups see swaraj differently
Awadh – Peasant Revolt
- Leader: Baba Ramchandra (sanyasi, ex-indentured worker)
- Target: Talukdars & landlords
- High rents, extra taxes
- Begar (forced unpaid work)
- No land security → frequent evictions
- Demands:
- Lower revenue
- End begar
- Boycott oppressive landlords
- Nai–dhobi bandh: Barbers, washermen stop serving landlords
- Jawaharlal Nehru visits villages (June 1920)
- Oudh Kisan Sabha formed (Oct 1920)
- Led by Nehru, Baba Ramchandra
- 300+ branches in a month
- During 1921:
- Peasants attack landlord homes, bazaars, grain hoards
- Rumours: Gandhi said no taxes, land for poor
- Congress unhappy with violence
Gudem Hills – Tribal Uprising
- Andhra Pradesh
- Forest laws: banned from grazing, collecting wood, fruits
- Forced begar for road work
- Livelihoods hit, rights denied
- Leader: Alluri Sitaram Raju
- Said to have powers: heal, predict, survive bullets
- Followers believed he was God’s incarnation
- Inspired by Gandhi:
- Promoted khadi, no alcohol
- But believed in armed struggle
- Said freedom needs force, not non-violence
- Led guerrilla attacks on police, British officials
- Raju executed (1924) → became folk hero
Key Takeaway
- Rural people joined movement with own goals
- Used Gandhi’s name to support local actions
- Actions often violent → Congress uncomfortable
- Swaraj meant justice, land, rights – not just political freedom
Swaraj in the Plantations
Plantation Workers – Assam
- Saw swaraj differently
- Freedom =
- Move in/out freely from plantations
- Keep link to home village
Inland Emigration Act, 1859
- Workers not allowed to leave tea gardens
- Permission rarely given
Reaction to Non-Cooperation Movement
- Heard about Gandhi → believed Gandhi Raj coming
- Thought they’d get land in villages
- Thousands left plantations without permission
- Headed home
What Happened?
- Railway & steamer strike → stranded on way
- Caught by police
- Brutally beaten
Key Points
- Their idea of swaraj not part of Congress plan
- But linked struggle to Gandhi & national movement
- Chanted “Swatantra Bharat”
- Felt part of larger fight – beyond their locality
- Showed emotional unity with national struggle
Towards Civil Disobedience
Gandhi Withdraws Non-Cooperation – Feb 1922
- Reason: Movement turned violent
- Satyagrahis not trained enough
- Need time for preparation
Split in Congress
- Some leaders tired of mass struggle
- Wanted to enter provincial councils (1919 Act)
- C. R. Das & Motilal Nehru → formed Swaraj Party
- Fight from within councils
- Show they’re undemocratic
- Younger leaders (Nehru, Bose) → wanted full independence
- Pushed for radical mass agitation
Late 1920s – New Pressures
Worldwide economic depression
- Farm prices ↓ from 1926
- Collapsed after 1930
- Peasants:
- Could not sell harvest
- Could not pay revenue
- Result: Countryside in turmoil
Simon Commission (1928)
- All-British members
- No Indian included
- Welcomed with ‘Go back Simon’
- Congress + Muslim League both protested
Irwin’s Offer – Oct 1929
- Vague promise of ‘dominion status’ (no timeline)
- Proposed Round Table Conference
- Congress not satisfied
Lahore Congress – Dec 1929
- Jawaharlal Nehru – President
- Declared ‘Purna Swaraj’ → full independence
- 26 Jan 1930 = Independence Day
- People to take pledge
- But: Low public response
Gandhi’s Next Move
- Need to link freedom to daily life issues
- Plan: Launch Civil Disobedience Movement
- Concrete struggle
- Mass connect
The Salt March and the Civil Disobedience Movement
Gandhi’s 11 Demands – Jan 1930
- Sent to Viceroy Irwin
- Mix of general + specific demands
- For industrialists, peasants, workers, etc.
- Goal: Unite all classes in one campaign
- Salt tax abolition = most powerful demand
- Salt eaten by rich & poor
- Govt monopoly + tax = symbol of oppression
Ultimatum
- If demands not met by 11 March 1930 → start Civil Disobedience
- Irwin refused to negotiate
Salt March – Key Facts
- Start: 12 March 1930
- From: Sabarmati Ashram
- To: Dandi, Gujarat (240 miles)
- Duration: 24 days, 10 miles/day
- With: 78 volunteers
- Crowds gathered at stops
- Gandhi explained swaraj and peaceful defiance
- 6 April 1930:
- Gandhi Reached Dandi
- Boiled seawater → made salt
- Broke salt law → launched movement
Civil Disobedience vs Non-Cooperation
| Non-Cooperation (1920) | Civil Disobedience (1930) |
|---|---|
| Boycott institutions | Break laws |
| No violence | Peaceful law breaking |
| Surrender titles | Wider mass action |
What People Did
- Broke salt law → made salt everywhere
- Picketed liquor shops
- Boycotted foreign cloth
- Peasants: refused to pay revenue, chaukidari tax
- Village officials resigned
- Forest people: entered Reserved Forests → collected wood, grazed cattle
Government Response
- Began arresting Congress leaders
- April 1930: Ghaffar Khan arrested → protests in Peshawar
- Police fired → many killed
- Gandhi arrested → protests in Sholapur
- Workers attacked: police posts, courts, railway stations
- Govt used brutal force
- Beat peaceful satyagrahis, women, children
- 100,000+ arrested
Gandhi-Irwin Pact – 5 March 1931
- Gandhi calls off movement
- Pact terms:
- Gandhi: attend Round Table Conference (London)
- Govt: release political prisoners
After the Pact
- Dec 1931: Gandhi goes to London → talks fail → returns disappointed
- Back in India:
- Govt starts new repression
- Nehru, Ghaffar Khan in jail
- Congress declared illegal
- Bans on meetings, protests, boycotts
- Gandhi relaunches Civil Disobedience
End of Movement
- Continued over a year
- Lost momentum by 1934
Key Takeaway
- Salt = unifying symbol
- Movement = mass law breaking
- Connected freedom to daily life
- Strong govt crackdown
- Cycle of protest → pact → repression → protest
How Participants saw the Movement
Rich Peasants
- Groups: Patidars (Gujarat), Jats (UP)
- Why joined:
- Grow commercial crops
- Hit by trade depression + falling prices
- Can’t pay high revenue
- Saw swaraj = fight against high taxes
- Actively organised boycotts
- Angry when movement called off (1931) → no tax cut
- Refused to join after 1932
Poor Peasants
- Small tenants → rent to landlords
- Want rent remission (cancel unpaid rent)
- Join radical movements (Socialists, Communists)
- Congress did not support “no rent” → fear rich peasants/landlords
- Uncertain link with Congress
Business Classes
- Leaders: Purshottamdas Thakurdas, G. D. Birla
- Organizations: Indian Industrial & Commercial Congress (1920), FICCI (1927)
- Against:
- Colonial trade rules
- High imports
- Bad exchange rate (rupee-sterling)
- Want: protection for Indian business
- Supported movement early:
- Gave money
- Boycotted foreign goods
- Saw swaraj = end of colonial trade limits → free business
- Lost interest after Round Table Conference failed
- Fear: militancy, socialism, business disruption
Industrial Workers
- Low participation overall
- Exception: Nagpur, Chotanagpur
- Join strikes: railway (1930), dockworkers (1932)
- Tin mine workers: wore Gandhi caps, joined rallies, boycotts
- Fight for: higher wages, better conditions
- Use Gandhian methods selectively
- Congress avoided worker demands → don’t upset industrialists
Women
- Mass participation
- Joined marches
- Made salt
- Picketed shops (cloth, liquor)
- Went to jail
- Mostly: urban high-caste, rural rich peasants
- Inspired by Gandhi → saw nation service as duty
- Gandhi: women’ Main role = mothers, wives, caretakers
- Congress: wanted symbolic presence
- No key roles for women
- No authority positions
- No major change in gender roles
Key Idea
Same movement, different hopes, goals, meanings
Each group saw swaraj in their own way
The Limits of Civil Disobedience
Dalits (‘Untouchables’)
- Called themselves dalit (oppressed)
- Congress ignored them → fear high-caste Hindus
- Gandhi:
- Said no swaraj if untouchability continues
- Called them Harijan (children of God)
- Fought for temple, well, school access
- Cleaned toilets to honor sweepers (bhangi)
- Wanted moral change in upper castes
- Dalit leaders wanted political power
- Demanded: reserved seats, separate electorate
- Believed: rights come from political power, not goodwill
- Ambedkar
- Formed Depressed Classes Association (1930)
- Demanded separate electorate at Round Table Conference
- British agreed → Gandhi fasted in protest
- Result: Poona Pact (1932)
- Reserved seats for Depressed Classes
- But elected by general electorate (not separate vote)
- Dalit participation in movement → limited
- Especially low in Maharashtra, Nagpur
- Distrust of Congress remained
Muslims
- Response to movement → lukewarm
- After Khilafat movement ended → Muslims felt alienated from Congress
- 1920s: Congress linked with Hindu Mahasabha → seen as pro-Hindu
- Hindu-Muslim clashes increased → religious processions turned violent
- Distance grew with each riot
- Congress & Muslim League tried unity (1927)
- Jinnah willing to drop separate electorates if:
- Muslims get reserved seats in Central Assembly
- Proportional representation in Bengal, Punjab
- Failed in 1928 → Hindu Mahasabha (Jayakar) opposed compromise
- During Civil Disobedience:
- Suspicion between communities
- Many Muslims did not join
- Fear: minority culture will be lost in Hindu-majority rule
Key Point
Not everyone joined
- Dalits → wanted political rights
- Muslims → feared marginalisation
- Both felt excluded from Congress-led movement
The Sense of Collective Belonging
What is Collective Belonging?
- Feeling that all are part of one nation
- Unity across communities, regions, languages
- Built through:
- Shared struggles
- Cultural processes
Symbols & Icons
- Bharat Mata = key symbol of nation
- First imagined by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
- Wrote ‘Vande Mataram’ (1870s) → hymn to motherland
- Later in novel Anandamath
- Sang widely in Swadeshi movement
- Abanindranath Tagore painted Bharat Mata
- Calm, spiritual, divine figure
- Image spread in prints, art
- Devotion to her = sign of nationalism
Folklore & Revival
- Nationalists collected folk tales, songs, legends
- Believed: true culture lies in folk traditions
- Said outside forces damaged it
- Rabindranath Tagore – collected ballads, rhymes, myths (Bengal)
- Natesa Sastri – published Folklore of Southern India (4 vols)
- Called folklore “national literature”
- Saw it as true reflection of people’s thoughts
National Flags
- Swadeshi movement:
- Tricolour flag (red, green, yellow)
- 8 lotuses = 8 provinces
- Crescent moon = Hindu-Muslim unity
- Tricolour flag (red, green, yellow)
- 1921: Gandhi designed Swaraj flag
- Tricolour (red, green, white)
- Spinning wheel in centre = self-help
- Carrying flag = act of defiance
Reinterpreting History
- British said Indians were backward, primitive
- Indians responded:
- showed glorious past
- Flourishing: art, science, math, trade, philosophy, law
- Said colonial rule = decline
- Goal: pride in past → inspire struggle for freedom
Problem
- When past glorified was Hindu past
- When symbols were from Hindu imagery
- Then other communities felt left out
Key Idea
Nationalism grew through shared struggle + culture
But unity had limits when symbols excluded some groups
Also Read | [2025] Explained!-Nationalism In India
Conclusion: Nationalism In India Class 10 History
Anger Against British
- Growing across India
- United different groups & classes
- Common goal: freedom
Congress & Gandhi’s Role
- Channeled anger into organised movements
- Aim: build national unity
But – Different Hopes
- Each group had own grievances
- Swaraj meant different things :
| Group | Meaning of Swaraj |
|---|---|
| Peasants | Lower taxes |
| Workers | Better wages |
| Business | End trade limits |
| Dalits | Political rights |
| Muslims | Protect identit |
Unity Was Fragile
- Congress tried to balance demands
- Feared alienating any group
- Still, conflicts arose
- Unity often broke down
Pattern
- High unity → mass movements
- Followed by disunity, conflict
Final Idea
- Not one voice
- But a nation with many voices
- All wanted freedom – in their own way
FAQs : Nationalism In India Class 10 History Short Notes
Q1. What is the difference between Nationalism in Europe and Nationalism in India Class 10?
A:
While both deal with the rise of national identity, Nationalism in Europe was about forming independent nation-states (like Germany or Italy) and redefining identity through shared language, culture, and symbols. In contrast, Nationalism in India Class 10 focuses on anti-colonial struggle — unity developed against British rule, not for state formation. Indian nationalism emerged through mass movements like Non-Cooperation and Civil Disobedience, uniting diverse groups under one cause: freedom.
Q2. Why are these short notes on Nationalism in India Class 10 helpful for board exams?
A:
These Nationalism in India Class 10 History short notes are:
✅ Exam-focused – only what’s in NCERT
✅ Mobile-friendly & scannable – easy last-minute revision
✅ Keyword-rich – covers all terms asked in MCQs and 3/5-mark questions
✅ Structured by theme – towns, countryside, workers, Dalits, Muslims
✅ Avoids confusion – clearly separates similar concepts
Ideal for students who want fast revision without missing key points.
Q3. What are the most important topics from Nationalism in India for Class 10 Board Exams?
A: Top 5 must-prepare topics:
- Rowlatt Act & Jallianwala Bagh (cause-effect)
- Non-Cooperation Movement (stages, reasons for withdrawal)
- Civil Disobedience Movement (Salt March, participation, repression)
- Different social groups (peasants, workers, Dalits, women, business)
- Limits of nationalism (Dalits, Muslims, lack of unity)
📌 These cover 90% of 3, 4, and 5-mark questions in CBSE board papers.
Q4. Are these short notes based on NCERT?
A: Yes! These Nationalism in India Class 10 History short notes are 100% based on the NCERT textbook (India and the Contemporary World-II). No extra information added. Every point comes directly from the chapter — perfect for staying exam-relevant and avoiding over-study.
Q5. How long should I take to revise this chapter using these short notes?
A: Just 20–30 minutes!
- 10 mins: Read the short notes
- 10 mins: Review tables (movements, groups, differences)
- 10 mins: Go through FAQs & keywords
✅ Ideal for last-day revision, quick recall, and confidence boost before the exam.
Q6. Can I use these notes for MCQs and assertion-reason questions?
A: Absolutely! These notes include:
✔️ Clear definitions (great for MCQs)
✔️ Cause-effect links (perfect for assertion-reason)
✔️ Contrasts (e.g., Non-Cooperation vs Civil Disobedience)
✔️ Keyword emphasis (e.g., Swaraj, Satyagraha, Begar)
🎯 Practice with these, and you’ll ace objective-type questions with ease.
