Question

Various factors led to the rise and growth of nationalism in India in the 19^th century. In this context, explain the role of the following:

1. Economic Exploitation.
2. Repressive Colonial Policies.
3. The Press.

Answer 1

1. Economic exploitation:
   • Deindustrialisation and drain of wealth: British policies turned India into a supplier of raw materials and a market for British manufactures, destroying indigenous handicrafts and artisans and impoverishing large sections of the population.
   • Burden on peasants and zamindari pressures: High land‑revenue demands, heavy taxes and exploitative land‑tenure arrangements left peasants vulnerable and hostile to colonial rule.
   • Unemployment and discontent among the educated and working classes: Many educated Indians found only low‑paid government work or no employment; industrial workers faced exploitation in new factories, all of which produced a class of people with grievances ready to rally for change.
   • Famines and visible mis-prioritisation: Recurrent famines (late 19th century) and government indifference, while large sums were spent on imperial ceremonies, exposed the economic suffering under British rule and helped convert economic distress into anti‑British political sentiment.
2.  Repressive colonial policies:
   • Discriminatory legal and administrative measures: Measures such as restriction of entry into higher posts (e.g., tougher rules for the Indian Civil Service), the Indian Arms Act and other laws signalled racial discrimination and political exclusion, producing anger among the educated and political classes.
   • Vernacular Press Act and other censorship: Laws that sought to muzzle Indian vernacular opinion made the population aware that constitutional or legal channels were biased, pushing leaders and the public toward organised political protest.
   • High‑profile instances of official callousness or favouritism: Events such as extravagant imperial celebrations (Delhi Durbar) during famines, the Ilbert Bill controversy and tariff changes that favoured British industry illustrated both economic and political injustice and demonstrated to Indians that the colonial state protected European privilege. Such incidents galvanised political agitation and helped knit diverse grievances into a national movement.
3. The press:
   • Spread of political ideas and information: Vernacular and English newspapers and journals carried news, criticism and nationalist arguments across regions and social classes; they made people aware of common grievances and connected local complaints to a national narrative.
   • Creating leaders and mobilising opinion: Editors and journalists (for example, the papers and writers mentioned in the 19th century press tradition) became leaders and teachers of public opinion, articulating demands, exposing abuses and educating readers about rights and self‑rule.
   • Agitation and organisation: The press publicised campaigns, trials, government acts and injustices (and also reported international events), helping to build networks of informed citizens and enabling coordinated political action across regions.