The Importance of the INC in facilitating the rise of Indian Nationalism

“The Indian National Congress was the most important factor in the rise of Indian nationalism in the years 1858 - 1918” How far do you agree with this statement?

The most important factor in the rise of Indian nationalism is the one that contributed the greatest to the creation of a united Indian identity. This ideological shift can be measured by economic, political and cultural changes. By this metric, Indian nationalism was achieved most effectively through the Swadeshi movement, and the promotion of Tilak, which was facilitated by the Indian National Congress (INC). Although other factors such as the resentment caused by British imperialism were significant, they did not give individuals clear mechanisms to achieve their goals, something the INC did successfully.

The INC gave key individuals like Tilak a platform to spread their views. Tilak was a leader of the ‘extremist’ wing of the INC and advocated for Home Rule, a policy where Indians rule themselves and the Queen is a ceremonial figurehead. Due to Tilak and Besant’s efforts, over 60000 people joined the Home Rule Leagues. Tilak inspired political action and appealed to India’s diverse social classes. Home Rule garnered over a million signatures from workers and peasants, showing that the INC was able to unite Indians. Tilak also inspired a mindset change; Indians believed they could effectively govern themselves without British intervention. The sociopolitical impact of the Home Rule movement demonstrates the INC’s contribution in the rise of Indian nationalism.

In addition to Home Rule, the Swadeshi movement in Calcutta was incredibly successful in creating bottom up change and galvanising citizens. Tilak advocated for Swadeshi, and the policy was endorsed by the INC. Swadeshi urged boycotting British goods and using local products instead. This dealt a devastating blow to the British economy and revived indigenious industries by uniting Indians under a feasible and easy to understand cause: Indians buying Indian goods. Everyday citizens were able to see the direct impact of their choices, encouraging political action. The strengthening of local industries proved the power of self-sufficiency to Indians. They didn’t need the British economically, something further shown through the diversification of the economy during World War 1. Buying local goods also meant seeing a change in the process of production. This put an emphasis on the culture in Calcutta, as production was now done with respect to Indian values and traditions. People throughout India were able to see how Calcutta united against the British, and as the movement spread across India, they replicated this unity. Through its strengthening of the local Indian economy, the Swadeshi movement was successful in creating a sense of Indian identity, and an effective strategy employed by the INC.

However, a limitation of the INC was its ability to advocate for all Indians, particularly dalits and non-hindus. This is shown through the later creation of a separate Muslim League and criticisms of the INC for ignoring the issues faced by India’s poor. Upon its inception in 1885, the INC represented the wealthy middle class who often spoke English, with their main objective being greater representation of educated Indians in government. The INC did not represent the wider Indian population, and their goals did not address the day-to-day issues faced by working class Indians. After all, wouldn’t a farmer care more about having to pay taxes than the hand that gives them out? As a result, even if the INC did create policy reforms, leadership was not diverse, which meant the exclusion of many Indians who may not have felt represented. This means the INC failed to strike a chord in the hearts of certain Indians, as they did not identify with the INC’s vision of Indian nationalism.

An argument that can be made for British imperialism being the most important factor is that it is the underlying cause of all other factors and united Indians through the shared experience of colonial rule. The British mindset towards Indians was ‘us’ vs ‘them’, and they believed in the inherent superiority of western values. Despite ruling over India, the British chose to isolate themselves from Indian life. This undoubtedly created some feelings of resentment amongst Indians because they were being governed by people who didn’t respect them or even try to understand them. This means that colonialism was a necessary step in the building of a national identity. Although people were still figuring out what being Indian meant, they knew exactly what it did not: being British. Without British imperialism, the INC would have never been founded because Indians would have already had representation. However, even if anger towards British rule was a catalyst in the nationalism movement, it is not the most important factor. This is because dissatisfaction towards the British did not instil a sense of nationalism in of itself as people still identified with their individual states and languages. Indian nationalism was still an abstract concept that needed to be elucidated, and it took organised effort, like the INC, to make sure everyone adopted this identity.

The INC undoubtedly played a significant role in shaping a common Indian identity. Through the Swadeshi movement and the involvement of key individuals like Tilak, economic, political and cultural changes were brought about. Although the INC had limitations, they were successful in galvanising and uniting everyday citizens under a common cause. However, one cannot ignore the impact of other factors, notably the discontent caused by British imperialism. Regardless, what makes the INC different from other factors is that it gave individuals clear mechanisms to achieve their goals, such as boycotting British goods, and advocated for legislative reform. It is due to the tangible economical, political and cultural changes it created that the INC is arguably the most important factor in the rise of Indian nationalism.

Note: This essay was written for school as part of our study of Indian independence in History.