Mahatma Gandhi and the Nationalist Movement question answer: Ncert Solutions For Class 12 History Chapter 11 Mahatma Gandhi and the Nationalist Movement
| Textbook | NCERT |
| Class | Class 12 |
| Subject | History |
| Chapter | Chapter 11 |
| Chapter Name | Mahatma Gandhi and the Nationalist Movement class 12 ncert solutions |
| Category | Ncert Solutions |
| Medium | English |
Are you looking for History Class 12 Chapter 11 question answer in english? Now you can download Ncert Solutions For Class 12 History Chapter 11 Mahatma Gandhi and the Nationalist Movement pdf from here.
note: All these questions and answers are based on the new syllabus. So the chapter numbers may seem different to you.
[ Answer in 100-150 words ] Class 12 History chapter 11 questions and answers in English
Question 1: How did Mahatma Gandhi seek to identify with the common people?
Answer 1: Mahatma Gandhi sought to identify with the common people in the following ways:
- (i) He wore simple clothes like the common people, with the dhoti being his distinct attire.
- (ii) He spun the charkha daily, honoring the labor of the common people.
- (iii) He lived among the common people and empathized with their sufferings.
- (iv) He led a simple life similar to that of the common people.
- (v) He spoke the language of the common people.
- (vi) He showed genuine concern for the interests of the Harijans and women, treating them with respect and sympathy.
- (vii) He attacked the sentiment of the feeling of classifying people into low and high.
Question 2: How was Mahatma Gandhi perceived by the peasants?
Answer 2: Mahatma Gandhi was deeply revered by the peasants. They saw him as their sympathetic ally and believed he possessed a miraculous personality. For the peasants, Gandhi was a savior who could protect them from high taxes and the oppression of authorities. They trusted that Gandhi could free them from all forms of exploitation and resolve their issues. Gandhi was a staunch supporter of rural problems and the cottage industries of the peasants. The peasants believed that Gandhi would liberate them from British servitude, the exploitation of landlords, and the clutches of moneylenders through non-violent movements and peaceful resistance.
Question 3: Why did the salt laws become an important issue of struggle?
Answer 3: The salt laws became an important issue of struggle in the Indian freedom movement for several reasons. According to these laws, the state had a monopoly over the production and sale of salt. Mahatma Gandhi vehemently opposed this and declared that salt is a basic necessity used by everyone, yet the British government had a monopoly over it. Breaking this monopoly was essential.
Salt was used in every Indian household, but people were prohibited from making salt even for domestic use. As a result, they were forced to buy salt from shops at high prices. This caused widespread resentment among the people. Gandhi wanted to break this law to unify the public discontent against British rule. To achieve this, he undertook the Dandi March and broke the salt law.
Question 4: Why are newspapers an important source for the study of the national movement?
Answer 4: Contemporary newspapers are an important source for studying the national movement, particularly the Indian Freedom Movement, for several reasons:
(a) Primary Involvement: Many contemporary newspapers were published by individuals directly involved in the freedom struggle. For example, the National Herald was issued by Motilal Nehru, and Dawn was issued by Muhammad Ali Jinnah. These newspapers served as mouthpieces for the movement and represented significant voices within it. Hence, they made important source of information regarding providing invaluable insights and firsthand accounts of the struggle.
(b) Detailed Reporting: Newspapers offer daily reporting, which tends to be more detailed than many other historical sources. Since they report on recent events, the likelihood of misreporting is reduced. Reading different nespapers further makes our reading balanced and free from bias.
(c) Local Perspectives: Many newspapers were published in local Indian languages, or vernaculars, and had limited circulation. These publications often provided a local perspective that other historical sources might lack, offering a more nuanced understanding of regional sentiments and events.
(d) Reflecting Public Sentiment: Newspapers of the time not only reported events but also shaped public opinion. They reflected the mood of the people and the nationalist fervor of the period. For example, reports in Indian nationalist newspapers would differ significantly from those in London-based publications, highlighting the differing perspectives and sentiments prevalent during the movement.
Question 5: Why was the charkha chosen as a symbol of nationalism?
Answer 5: The charkha, or spinning wheel, was chosen as a symbol of nationalism because leaders, especially Mahatma Gandhi, believed that machines had enslaved humans and taken away work and employment from laborers. In this context, the charkha was seen as a means to revitalize the nation. Gandhi believed that it would restore dignity to manual labor and make people self-reliant. According to him, India was a poor country, and the charkha would provide the poor with supplementary income, enabling them to become self-sufficient and escape poverty and unemployment.
Gandhi thought that the use of machines was leading to the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few. The charkha, on the other hand, would help in preventing this concentration of wealth. Therefore, he personally spent some time each day spinning the charkha, demonstrating its importance and promoting its use as a tool for economic and social empowerment.
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Question 6: How was non-cooperation a form of protest?
Answer 6: Non-cooperation was a significant form of protest led by Mahatma Gandhi against British rule in India. Gandhi believed that the British Empire’s survival in India depended heavily on the cooperation of the local people. By refusing to cooperate with the British government, Indians aimed to weaken its hold and express their dissent. Here are some key points that explain how non-cooperation functioned as a protest:
(i) Unity through Movements: The Non-Cooperation Movement was launched in conjunction with the Khilafat Movement. This alliance brought unprecedented Hindu-Muslim unity, presenting a unified front that the British had never seen before. The protest transcended religious and community boundaries, showcasing the widespread and large-scale discontent among Indians.
(ii) Boycott of British Institutions: People actively boycotted British institutions, which were seen as pillars and symbols of British rule. This included:
- Courts and Legal System: Lawyers stopped attending courts, undermining the legal authority of the British.
- Educational Institutions: Students boycotted government colleges, and new institutions were established by freedom fighters. Notable among these is the Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi, which remains a prestigious institution today.
- Government Offices: Many people refused to work in government offices, disrupting the administrative machinery of the British.
(iii) Tax Resistance: Another crucial aspect of non-cooperation was the boycott of tax payments. People refused to pay taxes, directly challenging the economic foundation of British rule. This act of civil disobedience was a powerful statement against the exploitation and control exerted by the British.
By employing these methods, the Non-Cooperation Movement effectively mobilized the masses, demonstrated widespread dissent, and significantly disrupted the functioning of British governance in India. Thus, non-cooperation was not only a refusal to support the British but also a powerful form of protest that galvanized the Indian independence movement.
Question 7: Why were the dialogues at the Round Table Conference inconclusive?
Answer 7: The British Government has had the policy to review the progress of self-rule in India and bring reforms after the gap of ten years. This began in 1910 with Morley Minto Reform and was followed in 1920 with Montague Chemsford Report. Ten years later British government invited Round Table Conference in London for the way forward. The First Round Table Conference took place in November, 1930. The Conference failed as the most important stake holder of Indian Freedom Movement, the Indian National Congress was absent in the conference. The leaders of the Congress were behind bars due to civil disobedience movement.
The Second Table Conference took pace in February 1931. One month earlier Mahatma Gandhi was released from the jail. Hence, he participated in the conference. Gandhi Irwin pact was signed and the British government agreed to withdraw salt law partly. But the agreement came under criticism as it did not talk about complete independence of India.
Third and the most important Round Table Conference took place in the later part of 1931. The new constitutional developments were not agreed upon. The main reason was that the other participants of the conference described Congress as representative of small group of Indians and not the entire population. The major voice of dissent were, the Moslem League that claimed itself the sole representative of the Moslems in India, Dr B.R. Ambedkar claimed himself the sole representative of the low castes in India and the native rulers also claimed they would deal with the British independently and Congress could not have any say in that.
To conclude divisive politics of Moslem League, Dr Ambedkar and the attitude of the princely states are the main reasons for the failure of the round table conferences.
Question 8: In what way did Mahatma Gandhi transform the nature of the national movement?
Answer 8: Mahatma Gandhi fundamentally transformed the nature of the national movement in India. Now this movement was not just limited to businessmen and intellectuals, but thousands of farmers, workers and artisans also started participating in it. Many of these people began referring to Gandhiji as ‘Mahatma’ to show their respect. They felt proud that Gandhi dressed like them, lived like them, and spoke their language. Unlike other leaders who seemed distant from the masses, Gandhi empathized with them and formed close bonds.
Gandhi spun the charkha (spinning wheel) daily and encouraged others to do the same. This practice helped break down the mental divide between manual and intellectual labor entrenched in the traditional caste system. Gandhi made significant efforts to alleviate the suffering of farmers and the poor. Rumors about his miraculous abilities further boosted his popularity, bringing more people into the national movement.
Gandhi emphasized spreading the nationalist message in local languages rather than English, making it more accessible to the common people. He also worked to strengthen the movement’s foundation by promoting Hindu-Muslim unity. Gandhi experimented with new methods of conducting the national movement, which proved successful. His core principles included non-violence, peace, satyagraha (truth force), genuine sympathy for the poor, women’s empowerment, promotion of cottage industries, the use of the charkha and khadi (handspun cloth), opposition to racial and caste discrimination, communal harmony, and the fight against untouchability.
Through these approaches, Gandhi significantly broadened the base of the national movement, making it more inclusive and deeply rooted in the Indian populace.
Question 9: What do private letters and autobiographies tell us about an individual? How are these sources different from official accounts?
Answer 9: Private letters and autobiographies are important source of individual’s life and views. Many of our freedom struggle leaders wrote autobiographies and letters and today they are our great record about them and history too.
The autobiographies and letters tell us the following things about an individual.
1. Autobiographies and letters throw light on the interests of an individual. Let us take an example, Nehru wrote letters to his daughter Indira describing the events of world history, today it is known as the book, ” Glimpses of the World History”. These letters show that Nehru had great interest in history. These letters show also the views of the author. For example, Nehru talks highly of the socilaist government of USSR in his autobiography.
2. These autobiographies and letters are a good source of information of the social life of those days in India. Dr Rajendra Prasad has given vivid description of the village life that he saw as a child in his village.
3. Above all these autobiographies and letters are great source of history too. Nehru in his autobiography has explained in details about the obstinate approach of Moslem League towards solving the minority problem in India.
These sources were diffferent from the official accounts. This is manifested in the following points:
1.The official accounts are done by individuals but they work under the guidelines of the government. Thus, views that run against the government remain stifled. In addition, the author would not have the freedom of focused area. He would be required to write only on topics already defined. However, in autobiographies and letters one can choose anything of personal interest. Dr Rajendra Prasad gives a vivid description of his school and college days in his autobiography. This is not possible in any government account.
2. The autographic letters throw light on the personal life of individual leaders and show these events shaped the thought process of these leaders in future life. Mahatma Gandhi described how he was thrown out of the first class compartment of the train in South Africa because he was not a white man. He describes the struggle inside on how to protest and later how he took to non -violent means of protest.
Question 10: Find out about the route of the Dandi March. On a map of Gujarat plot the line of the march and mark the major towns and villages that it passed along the route.
Answer 10: Dandi March was started from Sabarmati Ashram. This Ashram is in Ahmedabad (Gujarat). The route followed from Ahmedabad to Vadodara and from there to Surat. We have used triangle A, B, and C to mark the Dandi expedition route.