Nationalism in India – Key Vocabulary

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, events, organisations and personalities essential to understanding the rise of nationalism and the freedom struggle in India from 1915 to 1942.

Nationalism

A feeling of collective identity that binds people together as a nation, often expressed through common symbols, history and struggles.

Anti-colonial movement

Political and social struggles aimed at ending foreign rule and achieving self-government.

Satyagraha

Mahatma Gandhi’s doctrine of ‘truth-force’ or non-violent resistance to injustice, relying on moral persuasion rather than physical force.

Hartal

A mass strike or shutdown of shops and offices as a form of political protest.

Rowlatt Act (1919)

Law giving the colonial government power to jail political activists without trial for up to two years.

Jallianwala Bagh massacre

The 13 April 1919 shooting in Amritsar where General Dyer’s troops killed hundreds of unarmed protesters.

Khilafat Movement

Pan-Islamic protest (1919-24) to protect the Ottoman Caliph’s authority after World War I; later linked with Congress politics.

Non-Cooperation Movement

Mass campaign (1920-22) led by Gandhi to boycott British institutions, titles, goods and elections.

Boycott

Refusal to buy, use or engage with something as a protest tactic.

Swaraj

Self-rule or complete independence from British authority.

Khadi

Hand-spun, hand-woven cloth promoted by Gandhi as a symbol of self-reliance.

Begar

Unpaid compulsory labour imposed by landlords or the state.

Picket

Blocking the entrance of a shop, factory or office to discourage use or sale, often during protests.

Awadh Kisan Sabha

Peasant union formed in 1920 in Uttar Pradesh to fight high rents and forced labour.

Talukdar

Large landlord in north India who collected rent and taxes from peasants.

Alluri Sitaram Raju

Leader of the 1922 tribal guerrilla revolt in the Gudem Hills of Andhra Pradesh.

Gudem Rebellion

Militant tribal uprising (early 1920s) in Andhra Pradesh against forest restrictions and forced labour.

Inland Emigration Act (1859)

Law that restricted Indian plantation workers from leaving estates without permission.

Simon Commission (1928)

British committee set up to review Indian constitutional progress; boycotted for lacking Indian members.

‘Go Back Simon’

Slogan raised across India to protest the Simon Commission.

Dominion Status

Promise of limited self-government within the British Empire, short of full independence.

Purna Swaraj

Congress demand for complete independence, formalised at Lahore Session in December 1929.

Independence Day (26 Jan 1930)

Date chosen by Congress for a nationwide pledge to fight for full freedom.

Salt March (Dandi March)

Gandhi’s 240-mile walk (March-April 1930) to break the government salt monopoly and launch Civil Disobedience.

Civil Disobedience Movement

1930-34 campaign urging Indians to break colonial laws, refuse taxes and boycott British goods.

Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931)

Agreement ending the first phase of Civil Disobedience; released prisoners and secured Gandhi’s participation in talks.

Round Table Conferences

Three London meetings (1930-32) to discuss India’s constitutional future with British and Indian representatives.

Swaraj Party

Congress faction (1923) led by C.R. Das & Motilal Nehru to enter legislatures and obstruct colonial policies from within.

Economic Depression (1930s)

Global slump that caused collapsing crop prices, hurting Indian peasants and fueling protest.

Patidars

Prosperous land-owning peasant community of Gujarat active in Civil Disobedience against high revenue.

Jats

Rich farming community of Uttar Pradesh that joined protests against revenue demands.

Depressed Classes Association

Organisation founded by B.R. Ambedkar in 1930 to demand political safeguards for Dalits.

Dalit

Self-chosen term meaning ‘oppressed’; used by formerly ‘untouchable’ communities.

Poona Pact (1932)

Settlement between Gandhi and Ambedkar granting reserved legislative seats to Dalits within a joint electorate.

Harijan

Term used by Gandhi for Dalits, meaning ‘children of God’.

Hindu Mahasabha

Right-wing Hindu organisation opposing concessions to minorities; critical in communal negotiations.

Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI)

Body founded in 1927 to represent Indian business interests and support nationalist economic demands.

HSRA (Hindustan Socialist Republican Army)

Revolutionary group formed in 1928; included Bhagat Singh and sought overthrow of British rule by force.

Quit India Movement (1942)

Gandhi’s ‘Do or Die’ mass upsurge demanding immediate British withdrawal during World War II.

Bharat Mata

Personified image of India as a mother goddess, popularised in art and political iconography.

Vande Mataram

Bankim Chandra’s hymn to the motherland; rallying song of the Swadeshi and later movements.

Swadeshi Movement

1905 boycott of foreign goods and promotion of Indian products, especially after Bengal’s partition.

Tricolour Flag (1921)

Gandhi-designed flag of red, white, green with a spinning wheel, symbolising communal unity and self-help.

Communalism

Political allegiance based primarily on religious community, often leading to inter-community tensions.

Sir Muhammad Iqbal

Poet-philosopher who argued for separate Muslim political identity; influenced later Pakistan demand.

General Dyer

British officer responsible for ordering the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

Martial Law

Military rule imposed to suppress civil unrest, as in Punjab after Jallianwala Bagh.