Roadmap for Answer Writing

1. Introduction

• Contextualize the Question: Begin by briefly explaining the role of the capitalist class in India during the early stages of the nationalist movement.
• State the Shift: Highlight the shift in the stance of the early capitalist class from opposition to support in the 1940s.
• Thesis Statement: Introduce the key themes for your analysis: economic self-interest, political dynamics, and changing perceptions about the future of India.

2. Early Opposition of Capitalists to the National Movement

• Economic Interests: Explain why the early capitalist class was opposed to the Indian national movement. Capitalists were heavily invested in maintaining the status quo under British rule, which offered them economic advantages.
• Key Factors:
  • Fear of Losing Economic Privileges: British capitalists had substantial investments in Indian industries. Indian capitalists were often seen as beneficiaries of the colonial system, fearing nationalization of industries.
  • Example: Jamsetji Tata believed British rule was necessary for economic growth and opposed early nationalist movements.
  • Political Stability: Capitalists valued the political stability brought by British rule for business continuity. Nationalist movements threatened to disrupt this order.
  • Example: Purshottamdas Thakurdas, a major industrialist, opposed the non-cooperation movement and supported British measures against it in 1922.
  • Western Modernization: Many industrialists supported Western-style modernization under British guidance, seeing it as a more reliable path to economic growth than the nationalist agenda.

3. The Shift in the 1940s

• Realization of New Economic Opportunities: Explain how the capitalist class began to see independence as a route to greater economic autonomy, control over the domestic market, and potential for industrial growth.
  • Example: Ardeshir Dalal, a prominent industrialist and a member of the Indian National Congress, supported the Quit India Movement in 1942, recognizing the potential for a self-sustained Indian economy post-independence.
• Necessity of Aligning with the Masses: As the movement gained massive support from the Indian populace, capitalists realized that opposing the nationalist cause would harm their legitimacy in the eyes of the public.
  • Example: In the 1940s, many industrialists, including those from the Indian National Congress, moved to support the Quit India Movement.
• Political Competition: The rise of socialist and communist movements in India posed a significant threat to capitalist interests. Supporting the Congress and the nationalist movement became a way to prevent the left-wing forces from gaining ground.
  • Example: The communist party and socialist organizations like the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association had started attracting mass support, making the capitalists wary of a socialist revolution.
• British Imperialism: Growing resentment against British economic policies, such as the Ottawa Conference (1932), where British preferences were given to British industries at the expense of Indian ones, led many industrialists to reconsider their allegiance to the colonial government.
  • Example: The Ottawa Conference set discriminatory tariffs that favored British goods, leaving Indian entrepreneurs with little scope for growth.

4. Role of Social Movements and Changing Economic Landscape

• Socialist Movements and the Rising Challenge: The spread of socialist ideologies and movements posed an existential challenge to capitalist interests, which pushed industrialists to support the national movement to preserve their privileges.
• Emerging Industrialist Groups: New groups of industrialists and businessmen, particularly those from the merchant classes, began to show support for the Congress Party in the 1930s and 1940s, moving away from the pro-British stance of earlier years.
• Example: Seth Gokaldas Lakhani, a prominent businessman, supported Congress policies due to the growing influence of socialists and the need to avoid left-wing revolutions.

5. Conclusion

• Synthesis of Key Points: Recap the factors that led to the shift in the capitalist class’s stance—economic self-interest, political necessity, and a changing relationship with the British colonial regime.
• Overall Impact: Conclude by emphasizing that the capitalist class’s involvement in the nationalist movement was a combination of opportunism, strategic necessity, and patriotic sentiment, which contributed significantly to India’s independence movement.

Relevant Facts and Sources

1. Jamsetji Tata – Initially opposed nationalist movements, believing British rule was crucial for industrial development. His views evolved over time, especially after witnessing the potential for industrial expansion post-independence.
2. Purshottamdas Thakurdas – Supported British suppression of the non-cooperation movement, reflecting the early capitalist reluctance to embrace nationalism. He feared that instability could harm business interests.
3. Ardeshir Dalal – A member of the Indian National Congress, Dalal supported the Quit India Movement in 1942, symbolizing the changing stance of industrialists toward independence.
4. Ottawa Conference (1932) – The British-imposed tariffs at this conference favored British imports, which sparked resentment among Indian capitalists, encouraging them to seek independence as a means to control their economic destiny.
5. Socialist Movements – The rise of socialist and communist factions led to the growing realization among capitalists that supporting the Congress and the national movement was a way to counter left-wing ideologies.