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2. Factors Promoting Growth of Nationalism in India

Nationalism refers to the feelings of oneness and common consciousness that emerges when people living in a common territory share the same historical, political, and cultural background, having the same language, cultural values and consider themselves as one nation. Following are the factors that led to the Growth of Nationalism in India.
Economic Exploitation
1. The primary objective of the British rule in India was the economic exploitation. They took away raw materials from India and brought here their manufactured goods. 2. The policy of economic exploitation ruined the Indian industries. Indian industries failed to compete with those of the British because the British had all the advantages and privileges on their side. 3. Moreover, the British officials working in India had become a drain on the Indian resources.
Reactionary policies of Lord Lytton
The period from 1870 to 1884 was extremely tumultuous and was seen as the beginning time of Indian nationalism. The several acts of omission and commission in the time of Lord Lytton acceler¬ated the nationalist movement. 1. Lord Lytton held his famous Delhi Darbar in 1877 in which Queen Victoria was proclaimed with the title Kaisar-i-Hind at a time when the people of South India were suffering from the effects of terrible famine. 2. In 1878, the Arms Act was passed. Accordingly Indians could not keep arms without a license. 3. In 1878 Vernacular Press Act was passed. Vernacular papers were not allowed to write any things against the government. 4. In 1878, the government announced new regulations reducing the maximum age limit for sitting in the Indian Civil Service Examination from 21 years to 19. All these measures created a widespread discontentment among the Indians. Anti-Indian administration of Lord Lytton helped to intensify discontent against foreign rule.
Ilbert Bill Controversy
1. During the viceroyalty of Lord Rippon, a controversy arose concerning the Ilbert Bill. 2. Rippon tried to pass a law to enable the Indian district magistrates and sessions judges to try the Europeans in criminal cases. 3. The Europeans in India organized a strong agitation against the bill, which was drafted by Ilbert, the law member of Rippon’s government. 4. Lord Rippon became the target of agitation. The Europeans declared that even the most highly educated among the Indians were unfit to try the Europeans. 5. In the end, the government bowed before the Europeans. 6. The Indians became conscious of the degradation to which foreign rule had reduced them. It increased racial bitterness, and led to the growth of national discontent.
Socio-religious reform movements Contribution of Raja Rammohan Roy
Raja Rammohan Roy was one of the greatest social and religious reformers of the 19th century. He wanted to do away with the religious and social evils prevalent in Bengal at that time. a) He founded the Brahmo Samaj in 1928 and emphasized the fundamental unity among all religious and condemned idol worship and various superstitions prevalent our society. b) He started a campaign for the abolition of sati, condemned polygamy, discouraged child marriage and advocated the rights of widows to remarry. It was because of his efforts that in 1821 a law was passed by William Bentick, making the practice of Sati illegal and punishable by law.
Contribution of Jyotiba Phule
a) In 1854, he established a school for untouchables and started a private orphanage for the widows. b) He wanted to liberate the depressed classes and make them aware of their rights by educating them. He founded the Satya Shodhak Samaj in 1873 with the aim of securing social justice for the weaker sections of society. c) He pioneered the widow remarriage movement in Maharashtra and worked for the education of women. Role of Indian Press and Literature: 1. The Indian Press and literature both English and vernacular also used national conscious among the people of the country. 2. Newspapers like the “Indian Mirror”, “Bombay Samachar” “The Hindu Patriot”, “The Amrit Bazar Patrika”, “The Hindu”, “The Kesari”, “The Bengalee”, etc., tremendously influenced the people of India and thus, left a permanent mark on the political life of the country. 3. The writings of Din Bandhu Mitra, Hem Chandra Banerjee, Navin Chandra Sen, Bankim Chandra Chaterjee, R.C. Dutta and Rabindra Nath Tagore also affected the minds of the people. 4. The “Anand Math” of Bankim Chandra Chaterjee has rightly been regarded as the “Bible” of modern Bengalee patriotism. 5. Thus, the writings of the patriots and scholars brought about a revolution in the minds of the Indians. It is these revolutionary minds that were responsible for the growth of Indian nationalism.

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