Rise of Nationalism in India
Introduction
The
political and economic centralisation of India achieved by the British for the
better exploitation and control of India inevitably led to the growth of
national consciousness and the birth of the national movement. The history of
nationalism in India begins with the campaigns and struggles for social reforms
in the nineteenth century followed by the Western-educated Indians’ prayers and
petitions for political liberties. With the return of Mohandas Karamchand
Gandhi from South Africa in 1915, and his leadership of the Indian nationalist
movement in 1919 Indian nationalism entered a mass phase.
Nationalism: Broadly, nationalism means
loyalty and devotion to a nation. It is a consciousness or tendency to
exalt and place one nation above all others, emphasising promotion of its
culture and interests as opposed to those of other nations.
Prior to Gandhi, prominent leaders like
Dadabhai Naoroji, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Bipin Chandra Pal, Lala Lajpat Rai,
Bal Gangadhar Tilak, and others took the early initiative to educate the
Indians about their national identity and colonial exploitation. In this
chapter, while tracing the origin and growth of Indian Nationalism, we focus on
the contribution of these leaders who are known as the early nationalists.
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