Question 1.
How did Mahatma Gandhi seek to identify with the common people?
Answer:
Mahatma Gandhi was appreciated by the people because he dressed like them, lived like them, and spoke their languages. He tried to identify with them in the following ways:
- Gandhiji dressed himself in simple dhoti or loin cloth.
- He spent part of each day working on the charkha (spinning wheel) and encouraged other nationalists to do likewise.
- His new appearance i.e., shaved head and wearing a loincloth, came to symbolize asceticism and abstinence – the qualities he had in opposition to the consumerist culture of the modem world.
Question 2.
How was Mahatma Gandhi perceived by the peasants?
Answer:
- India is a country of villagers and vast number of Indians are engaged in farming. Mahatma Gandhi knew that during freedom struggle his focus was to address the issues of farmers.
- He dressed like farmers. His involvement in Indian politics began in Champaran when he successfully resolved the issues of farmers. He stood for farmers against excesses of the British government like high taxes and oppressive tax collections.
- Apart from all the above, mystery also surrounded the personality of Mahatma Gandhi. Many believed he was endowed with supernatural powers. Stories spread that those who spoke ill of Mahatma Gandhi suffered natural calamities.
Thus, farmers perceived Mahatma Gandhi as their saviour and still many believed he was bestowed with the power to perform miracles.
Question 3.
Why did the salt laws become an important issue of struggle?
Answer:
Poorest of poor Indian consume food that has salt as one of its prime ingredients. British government brought tax on salt and making salt indigenously was forbidden. It was to become a big burden on the poor people of India. Some important points regarding salt law are as follows.
- Salt law was to lead to monopoly of salt production and distribution. It was to fuel prices, and added to this was the tax levied by the government.
- People were denied access to natural salt and tons of the same were destroyed.
- Salt law was an attack on the local industry in the villages too. Hence salt law was extremely unpopular and it became an important issue of the struggle.
Question 4.
Why are newspapers an important source for the study of the national i movement?
Answer:
- Newspapers, published in English as well as in the different Indian languages are important contemporary sources because they tell us about daily movements of leaders. They report on their activities and their views.
- Newspapers publish the views of the ordinary people in different parts of the country and the ways in which they participate in the various movements. The newspapers tell us about the objectives of the people and them expectations from their leaders.
- The newspapers publish all types of views which are generally different from each other. For example, a newspaper published in London gave the view point and reaction of the British public while an Indian newspaper gave the reaction of the people of India. Thus, newspapers are an important source for the study of the national movement.
Question 5.
Why were the charkha chosen as a symbol of nationalism?
Answer:
Gandhiji used to work on charkha. He made it a symbol of our freedom movement. Following are the reasons for making it the symbol of our freedom struggle.
- Charkha symbolized manual labour.
- Gandhiji wanted to attach respect to manual labour. On charkha people worked with them own hand.
- Charkha was a low investment product hence anyone can afford it. It was a boost to the small-scale industries.
- Charkha as it dignified manual labour. It also promoted the culture of doing one’s own work. It would also strike at the root of caste system.
- Charkha was used as tool to keep British imported clothes. Thus, Charkha became a symbol of Indian nationalism.
Question 6.
How was non-cooperation a form of protest?
Answer:
Non-cooperation was a form of protest in the following ways:
- Indians were asked to adhere to a “renunciation of all voluntary association with the government to end colonialism”.
- Gandhiji had joined hands with the Khilafat Movement to restore the Caliphate, a symbol of Pan-Islamism which had been abolished. It was also hoped that Britain would impose a harsh treaty on Turkey after its defeat in World War I.
Thus, it was a protest against the British policies in India and towards Turkey. Gandhiji hoped that if non-cooperation was effectively carried out, India would win Swaraj within a year.
Question 7.
Why were the dialogues at the Round Table Conference inconclusive?
Answer:
The dialogues at the Round Table Conference were inconclusive due to the following factors:
- The First Conference was held in November 1930 when the Civil Disobedience Movement was being organized by the Congress. So, none of its leaders was present in the conference and without Congress participation it could not succeed.
- Second Round Table Conference was held in the latter part of 1931. Gandhiji represented as the sole representative of Congress. But his representation was challenged by the Muslim League, the Princes, and B.R. Ambedkar. Under these circumstances, the Conference was inconclusive and could not take any decision.
Question 8.
In what way did Mahatma Gandhi transform the nature of the national movement?
Answer:
- Before Gandhiji came to India, the national movement was limited to few sections of society. During the Swadeshi Movement of 1905-07, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal and Lala Lajpat Rai tried to make it an all-India phenomenon but even then, the participation of ordinary people remained limited.
- In his speech at Banaras in February, 1916, even Gandhi said that Indian nationalism was an elite phenomenon – a creation of lawyers, doctors and landlords. He reminded that the peasants and workers were not represented there. He desired to make Indian nationalism more properly representative of the Indian people as a whole. And thereafter whenever he got a chance, he tried to implement his desire into action.
- Thus, in 1917 and 1918, he took initiatives at Champaran, Ahmedabad and Kheda which marked Gandhiji as a nationalist with a deep sympathy for poor. In 1919, he called for a countrywide campaign against the “Rowlatt Act”. The campaign in the Punjab led to Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
- This satyagraha made Gandhiji a truly nationalist leader. Gandhiji was encouraged by the success of these satyagrahas and decided to start “noncooperation” movement which totally changed the nature of the national movement because it was the first mass movement in which all classes of people — students, lawyers, peasants, etc. took part.
- Thus, by 1922 he had transformed Indian nationalism, thereby redeeming the promise, he made in his BHU speech of February 1916. It was no longer a movement of professionals and intellectuals but of hundreds of thousands of peasants, workers and artisans.
Question 9.
What do private letters and autobiographies tell us about an individual? How are these sources different from official accounts?
Answer:
- Private letters give us a glimpse of individual’s thoughts.
- In letters, a person expresses his anger and pain, his dismay and anxiety, his hopes and frustrations in ways in which he may not express himself in public statements.
- Sometimes an individual cannot express his opinion in letters due to fear that a letter may be printed in future.
- Autobiographies give us an account of the past of the individual. It is often rich in human detail.
- Autobiographies tell us what an individual recollect from his memory. It could be important from the point of view of an individual.
- These sources – private letters and autobiographies – are different from official accounts because private letters and autobiographies are written according to the wishes of an individual. On the other hand, official accounts are written while performing official duty.
- These represents the view point of the government. For example, the fortnightly reports that were prepared by the Home Department were based on police information and expressed what the higher officials saw or wanted to believe.
📚 Why NCERT Solutions for Class 11th history ✨
History is not just about learning story or writing essays—it’s about developing an appreciation for stories, poems, and ideas. 🌈 Our solutions help students understand moral lessons, improve reading comprehension, and build their vocabulary. 📖 Each chapter’s summary and answers are explained in a way that’s easy to follow, making exam preparation a breeze! 🌟
Clear Your Doubts with CBSEJanta.com 🔍
Visit CBSEJanta.com to access detailed solutions for every chapter in your Class 6 English textbook! 📚 These solutions not only help you answer questions but also enhance your overall understanding of stories and grammar concepts. 💡
Download Our App for Easy Access 📱
Want to study on the go? 🚀 Download our app for instant access to Class 6 English NCERT solutions, practice questions, and much more! Whether at home or traveling, you can easily prepare for your exams and boost your English skills with CBSEJanta.com. 🌍
Always Thinks for Students ❤️
“Excel in Class 11th history with CBSEJanta.com! 🌟 Get FREE NCERT solutions for Honeysuckle and A Pact with the Sun. Visit CBSEJanta.com now or download our app for instant access to solutions and extra practice!” 📲