Nationalism in India - Vocabulary & Key Concepts

Vocabulary and key concepts flashcards covering Class 10 History Chapter 2: Nationalism in India.

Satyagraha

A non-violent method of mass agitation meaning 'holding fast to truth' or 'truth-force', introduced by Mahatma Gandhi, which emphasizes the power of truth and non-violent resistance without inflicting pain or ill-will on the adversary.

Champaran Satyagraha

A 1917 movement led by Mahatma Gandhi in Bihar to inspire peasants to struggle against the oppressive indigo plantation system.

Kheda Satyagraha

A satyagraha movement in Gujarat (1917/1918) organized by Mahatma Gandhi to support peasants affected by crop failure and a plague epidemic who were unable to pay revenue and demanded revenue relaxation.

Ahmedabad Mill Strike

A 1918 satyagraha movement organized by Mahatma Gandhi in Gujarat among cotton mill workers demanding better wages and working conditions.

Rowlatt Act (1919)

An act passed hurriedly through the Imperial Legislative Council that gave the British government enormous powers to repress political activities and allowed detention of political prisoners without trial for up to two years.

Hartal of 6 April 1919

A nationwide strike called by Mahatma Gandhi as part of the Rowlatt Satyagraha, marked by rallies, strikes in railway workshops, and closure of shops.

Jallianwala Bagh Incident

A tragic event on 13 April 1919 in Amritsar, Punjab, where General Dyer blocked the exits of a ground and ordered troops to open fire on an unarmed crowd attending a fair and protest, killing hundreds.

Martial Law (1919)

Temporary direct military control imposed in Amritsar on 11 April 1919 under Brigadier-General Dyer following public anger over the arrest of Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew and Dr. Satyapal, banning public gatherings and suspending civil liberties.

Khilafat Committee

A committee formed in India by Indian Muslims under Mohammad Ali and Shaukat Ali to defend the temporal and spiritual powers of the Ottoman Sultan (Caliph) following World War I.

Hind Swaraj (1909)

A book written by Mahatma Gandhi declaring that British rule was established in India with the cooperation of Indians and would collapse within a year if Indians refused to cooperate.

Inland Emigration Act of 1859

A colonial law under which tea plantation workers in Assam were not permitted to leave tea gardens without official permission.

Begar

A system of forced labor that peasants were compelled to perform on the farms of landlords without any payment.

Baba Ramchandra

A sanyasi who led peasants in Awadh against talukdars demanding high rents and begar, and co-founded the Oudh Kisan Sabha alongside Jawaharlal Nehru.

Alluri Sitarama Raju

Leader of a militant guerrilla movement in the Gudem Hills of Andhra Pradesh who inspired tribals against colonial forest restrictions.

Chauri Chaura Incident

An event on 5 February 1922 in Gorakhpur district, Uttar Pradesh, where a demonstration turned violent and a crowd set a police station on fire, killing 22 policemen, leading Gandhi to call off the Non-Cooperation Movement.

Simon Commission (1928)

A statutory commission set up by the British Tory government under Sir John Simon to look into the functioning of the constitutional system in India, boycotted by Indian parties because it contained no Indian members.

Lala Lajpat Rai

A prominent nationalist leader who was severely lathi-charged during a peaceful protest against the Simon Commission in Lahore and succumbed to his injuries.

Dandi March

A 320 km (240 miles) march from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi undertaken by Mahatma Gandhi and 78 trusted volunteers over 24 days, starting on 12 March 1930, to defy the British salt monopoly.

Civil Disobedience Movement

A mass movement formally launched on 6 April 1930 when Gandhi manufactured salt at Dandi, calling on people not only to refuse cooperation but also to actively break colonial laws.

FICCI

Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, formed in 1927 by Indian business leaders like Purshottamdas Thakurdas and G.D. Birla to protect business interests against colonial restrictions.

Depressed Classes Association

An organization founded by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in 1930 to organize Dalits and demand separate electorates and political rights.

Poona Pact (September 1932)

An agreement between Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi that abandoned separate electorates and gave Depressed Classes reserved seats in legislative councils to be voted on by a general electorate.

Calcutta Congress Session (Sept 1920)

A special session of the Indian National Congress where Mahatma Gandhi convinced leaders to launch a Non-Cooperation Movement in support of Khilafat and Swaraj.

Nagpur Congress Session (Dec 1920)

The Indian National Congress session where a compromise was reached and the Non-Cooperation program was formally adopted and endorsed.

Lahore Congress Session (Dec 1929)

A historic Congress session presided over by Jawaharlal Nehru that passed the resolution for Purna Swaraj (Complete Independence) and declared 26 January 1930 as Independence Day.

Karachi Congress Session (Dec 1931)

A Congress session that endorsed the Gandhi-Irwin Pact and passed resolutions on Fundamental Rights and the National Economic Programme.