Question

Read the given source carefully and answer the questions that follow:

The sense of collective belonging As the national movement developed, nationalist leaders became more and more aware of such icons and symbols in unifying people and inspiring in them a feeling of nationalism. Another means of creating a feeling of nationalism was through reinterpretation of history. By the end of the nineteenth century many Indians began feeling that to instill a sense of pride in the nation, Indian history had to be thought about differently. The British saw Indians as backward and primitive, incapable of governing themselves. In response, Indians began looking into the past to discover India’s great achievements. They wrote about the glorious developments in ancient times when art and architecture, science and mathematics, religion and culture, law and philosophy, crafts and trade had flourished. This glorious time, in their view, was followed by a history of decline, when India was colonised. These nationalist histories urged the readers to take pride in India’s great achievements in the past and struggle to change the miserable conditions of life under British rule.

1. How did icons help to unite Indians during the freedom struggle? (1)
2. Why did nationalists feel the need to rewrite Indian history? (1)
3. How did nationalist histories portray India’s past and present? (2)

Answer 1

1. Icons and symbols helped in unifying people from various backgrounds and instilling a shared sense of nationality and collective belonging.
2. Nationalists felt this need to instil a feeling of pride in the nation and to challenge the British notion of Indians as “backward and primitive” people who were incapable of governing themselves.
3. • The Past: It was portrayed as a wonderful time when art, science, mathematics, and trade flourished, showing India’s great achievements.
   • The Present: It was portrayed as a history of decay and misery caused by colonisation, which readers were encouraged to alter by rebelling against British control.