Roadmap for Answer Writing

1. Introduction

• Brief Context: Introduce the First World War, its participants, and its global implications.
• Focus on India: State how the war’s effects were particularly felt in India due to British colonial policies.

2. Socio-Economic Disruptions in India

Break down the socio-economic impacts of the war on various sections of Indian society.

• Rise in National Debt and Economic Hardships:
  • The British government raised substantial loans to finance the war effort. By 1923, national debt increased by over Rs. 3 million.
  • Consequence: Rising taxes and war loans burdened the Indian populace, leading to increased economic distress.
• Food Shortages and Famine:
  • The export of food grains to feed the British Army, combined with crop failures in 1918-19, led to famines and food shortages in India.
  • Impact: Vulnerable sections, including women and children, suffered the most.
• Distress Among Peasants:
  • The price of industrial goods and food crops rose significantly due to the war. However, the prices of Indian agricultural raw materials did not rise proportionally, leading to severe hardship for farmers.
  • Example: The Kisan Sabha Movement (1918) in Uttar Pradesh was one such protest by farmers against the economic policies.
• Spread of Spanish Flu:
  • The return of Indian soldiers from Europe led to the spread of the Spanish flu pandemic (1918-1919), which claimed millions of lives.
  • Consequence: The pandemic added to the strain on India’s healthcare system and deepened the socio-economic crisis.
• Discontent Among Workers:
  • Workers faced low wages, long hours, and poor conditions. To meet the demands of war production, workers were often forced into overtime.
  • Impact: This led to widespread unrest in industrial areas.

3. Contribution to Mass Mobilization for the Independence Movement

Explain how these socio-economic disruptions contributed to the growth of nationalist sentiments and mass mobilization.

• Increased Political Awareness:
  • Many Indian soldiers, after experiencing the war and its injustices, returned with heightened political awareness, influencing others.
  • Impact: They spread ideas of liberty and equality, fueling nationalist sentiments.
• Home Rule Movement:
  • Led by Annie Besant and Bal Gangadhar Tilak, the movement aimed for self-governance and became a response to the economic and social disruptions caused by the war.
  • Consequence: It mobilized the masses against the British colonial rule.
• Repressive British Measures:
  • To suppress growing dissent, the British implemented repressive measures like martial law and the Rowlatt Act (1919).
  • Impact: These measures further united the Indian populace, leading to Gandhiji’s Rowlatt Satyagraha.
• Khilafat-Non-Cooperation Movement:
  • The harsh Treaty of Sevres and the mistreatment of the Turkish Sultan (Khalifa) triggered the Khilafat Movement, which Gandhiji combined with the Non-Cooperation Movement.
  • Impact: It mobilized peasants, workers, and women across India, strengthening the freedom struggle.

4. Conclusion

• Summarize how the socio-economic disruptions caused by WW-I helped unite various sections of Indian society against British rule.
• Mention how these events laid the foundation for larger-scale mobilization under leaders like Gandhiji, culminating in the mass movements for independence.

Relevant Facts to Include in the Answer:

1. Economic Hardships and National Debt:
   • The British government increased its defense expenditure to fund the war, leading to a rise in India’s national debt by over Rs. 3 million from 1914 to 1923. This was followed by heavy war loans and tax burdens on the Indian population.
2. Food Shortages and Famine:
   • The British government’s exportation of food grains to feed the army, coupled with crop failures in 1918-19, caused severe food shortages in India, especially impacting vulnerable groups like women and children.
3. Peasant Distress:
   • Price hikes for industrial goods and food crops without a proportional rise in the prices for Indian agricultural raw materials led to protests such as the Kisan Sabha movement in Uttar Pradesh.
4. Spread of Spanish Flu:
   • Indian soldiers returning from the Western Front in Europe facilitated the spread of the Spanish flu, which claimed millions of lives and put additional strain on India’s healthcare system.
5. Home Rule Movement:
   • The movement, led by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Annie Besant, demanded self-rule and sought to mobilize the public against the economic hardships exacerbated by British colonial policies.
6. British Repression:
   • The British government implemented martial law and the Rowlatt Act (1919) to suppress dissent. These measures galvanized the Indian population and led to Gandhiji’s Rowlatt Satyagraha.
7. Khilafat-Non-Cooperation Movement:
   • The Khilafat Movement, alongside Gandhiji’s Non-Cooperation Movement, mobilized various sections of Indian society, including peasants, workers, and women, against British rule.