1

Gandhi

and Indian Nationalism

Module number HI 161

2012-13
Gandhi and Indian Nationalism

(Code: HI 161)

Lecturer: David Hardiman

Room 308. Tel: 72584

email:

Tutor: Malik Hammad Ahmad

email:

All the details in this handout can be found also on the Internet on:

This is updated constantly and will contain additions made since the start of the year.

Timetable

There will be a one-hour lecture by David Hardiman each week for the duration of this course, on Thursdays 10-11 in room S 0.11 (Social Studies). There will be weekly one-hour seminars after the lecture in room H 1.02 taken by Hammad Malik. There will be two separate groups, from 12-1 and from 1-2. The groups will be arranged after the introductory session in Week 1, and will be announced at the first lecture in Week 2. Seminars are compulsory, and students are expected to come to the seminars well prepared to contribute to the discussion. Unavoidable absence should be explained before the seminar, or as soon as possible afterwards.

Weekly lectures topics:

Term One

  1. Introductory session –15 minuteson Friday 5 Oct. at 11.0 am in room H 303
  2. Introduction: British conquest of India and consolidation of rule. (Lecture at 10 a.m. in room S 0.11 on Wednesdays for this and all other lectures)
  3. British Attitudes to India.
  4. Indian nationalism and popular protest, 1885-1914.
  5. Gandhi’s early life 1869-1890: upbringing in the Indian princely states, training in London, return to India, South Africa.
  6. Reading week
  7. Gandhi’s nationalism, Hind Swaraj and the critique of ‘modern civilization’
  8. Gandhi’s return to India, Champaran, Kheda and Ahmedabad 1915-18
  9. From Amritsar to Non-cooperation 1919-22
  10. The Peasantry and Indian Nationalism

Term Two

  1. The 1920s, the Salt March and Civil Disobedience 1930-31
  2. Gandhi, Ambedkar and the Untouchables.
  3. Gandhi, Capitalists, and the Working Classes.
  4. Gandhi and Women.
  5. The Emergence of Hindu Nationalism and Muslim Separatism in India
  6. Reading week.
  7. 1932-1945
  8. The Muslim League and the Run-up to Partition
  9. The Partition and Gandhi’s Final Year.
  10. Gandhi beyond India

Term Three

No lectures or seminars, except for one exam preparation session (in Room SO11).

Seminars

You are required to attend all seminars. If unable to attend for a legitimate reason, you should send an email to your tutor with an explanation. You should carry out all the listed seminar reading and come prepared to participate in the discussion. For certain seminars, you will be given a reading from a primary source (a ‘gobbet’) and asked to comment on this. The reading and interpretation of such primary sources is one essential skill required of historians, so that this will provide training and practice in this skill. All of the gobbets that might be used are on the module website, and you should read through gobbets relating to the weekly seminar in advance. Some points to consider in reading and commenting on gobbets are listed below.

Gobbets

Some points to consider (they may not be relevant in every case).

What is the social position, role etc of the person who has produced this document?

What sort of document is it? E.g. is it an official report, a speech, a commentary in the press or a journal, a book, a song etc.?

In what circumstances was it produced? Was it at the time of an event, soon after it, or long after? (On this: see RanajitGuha, ‘The Prose of Counter Insurgency,’ in Subaltern Studies II.)

From what ideological standpoint was it produced?

What sort of appeal is made? Is it to reason, emotion, patriotism, honour etc.?

How is the point argued?

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the argument?

What sense of history is revealed?

What sort of future does it anticipate?

Weekly seminar programmes and reading

(Note: further reading on all these topics is found under topic headings in the full reading list.)

Week 2: Introducing the Module

No set reading this week, but use the opportunity to start reading the two main textbooks by Stein and Arnold, as well as Gandhi’s autobiography.

Week 3: British Rule in India

Reading: B. Stein, A History of India, Chapter 6: ‘The Crown Replaces the Company,’ pp.239-83. Chapter 7, ‘Towards Freedom,’ pp.284-98.

Leading questions:

  • Was British rule beneficial for India? (For example, in terms of economic progress, education, religion, administration, the environment, for human rights, women’s rights etc.)
  • What was the British colonial understanding of (a) Indian people, (b) British themselves? Were there certain Indian groups that were categorised differently? Were there justifications for these views?

Week 4: Early Nationalism

Reading:

B. Stein, A History of India, Chapter 7, ‘Towards Freedom,’ pp.284-98.

P. Chatterjee, ‘The Nation and Its Fragments, ‘ Chapter 4, ‘The Nation and Its Pasts,’ pp. 76-94.

Leading questions:

  • To what extent was India a ‘nation’ in the precolonial period? Or, was the ‘Indian nation’ a construction of British rule?
  • How did nationalist tactics change between 1885 and 1914?
  • Was the Swadeshi movement in Bengal more than just a regional movement?

Week 5: Gandhi: Early Career

Reading: D. Arnold, Gandhi, Chapters 2 and 34, pp.15-72

Leading questions:

  • In what ways did Gandhi’s upbringing affect his later career?
  • What was Gandhi’s experience in South Africa?
  • Was Gandhi’s protest in South Africa a nationalist one?

Week 7: Gandhi’s nationalism, Hind Swaraj and the critique of ‘modern civilization’

Reading: Gandhi, Hind Swaraj (Full text is available online at

Leading questions:

  • Was Gandhi’s thinking – as seen in Hind Swaraj – essentially backward-looking?
  • Is Gandhi’s criticism of constitutional democracy and system of decentralised power practicable?
  • What was the significance of the concept of satyagraha?
  • How effective is satyagraha? Can it work on its own, or does it require something else (e.g. the threat of violence)?
  • Can ruthlessly autocratic governments, such as that of Nazi Germany, be fought using satyagraha?

Week 8: Gandhi’s return to India, Champaran, Kheda and Ahmedabad

Reading: D. Arnold, Gandhi,Chapter 4, ‘Peasant Power’, pp. 73-103

Leading questions:

  • How did Gandhi put his concept of satyagraha into practice between 1917 and 1919?
  • Was Gandhi the chief architect of the peasant’s victory over the indigo planters of Bihar in 1917?
  • When and why did Gandhi become an out and out opponent of British rule in India?

Week 9: From Amritsar to Non-Cooperation 1919-22

Reading:

D. Arnold, Gandhi, Chapter 5, ‘Power to the Nation’, pp.104-35

Leading questions:

  • Why did Gandhi judge the Rowlatt Satyagraha to be a ‘Himalayan Miscalculation’?
  • Why were the events in Amritsar in April 1919 so important in modern Indian History?
  • What was Khilafat all about? Was Gandhi right to champion the Khilafat cause?
  • Why was Gandhi so reluctant to launch Civil Disobedience in 1921-22?
  • Was he right to call the movement off after ChauriChaura?

Week 10: Gandhi and the Peasantry

Reading:

Shahid Amin, ‘Gandhi as Mahatma,’ in RanajitGuha (ed.), Subaltern Studies III (also in SLC).

Leading questions:

  • How accurate was Gandhi’s understanding of Indian peasant society? Was his argument that there was a sharp rural-urban divide in India justified? (You may reflect that such arguments for a rural-urban divide were put forward in Britain by the Countryside Alliance during the debate over fox hunting. Was this also warranted?)
  • To what extent did the peasantry completely misjudge Gandhi? Were there aspects of their understanding that were justified?
  • Did Gandhi really stand for the interests of the peasants, or was he perhaps the great betrayer of the peasants?

Week 11: The 1920s, the Salt March and Civil Disobedience 1930-31

Reading:

  1. D. Arnold, Gandhi,Chapter 6, ‘Half-Naked Fakir’, pp.136-62.
  2. B. Stein, A History of India, pp.311-15, 322-24, 336, 343-47.
  3. SumitSarkar, ‘The Logic of Gandhian Nationalism: Civil Disobedience and the Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1930-1931)’, The Indian Historical Review, volume 3, number 1, July 1976 (in SLC).

Leading questions:

  • What was there about Bardoli in 1928 that made it a model Gandhian satyagraha? Was its reputation in this respect justified? Could the model be replicated elsewhere and at other times?
  • Why did the Salt March become such an iconic event in the history of India?
  • Did Gandhi have more control over the Civil Disobedience Movement of 1930-31 than he had had over the nationalist protests of 1919 to 1922?
  • Did Gandhi make a mistake in calling off the movement in early 1931, and what, if anything, did the Gandhi-Irwin pact achieve?

Week 12: Ambedkar and Untouchability

Reading:

  1. D. Arnold, Gandhi, Chapter 7, pp. 169-816.
  2. B.R. Ambedkar, ‘What Congress and Gandhi have done to the Untouchables,’ and T.K.N. Unnithan, ‘Gandhi’s Views on Caste and Untouchability,’ both in M.Lewis, Gandhi: Maker of Modern India? (handout will be given of these texts)

Discussion: There will be a debate on Gandhi’s and Ambedkar’s respective positions over the issue of separate seats in legislative councils for untouchables. The seminar will be split into two groups, one of which will represent Gandhi, and one Ambedkar.

Week 13: Gandhi, Capitalists, and the Working Classes

Reading:

  1. David Hardiman, Gandhi in His Time and Ours, pp. 81-85
  2. Rajni Palme Dutt, India Today, pp. 516-17 (see extracts on module website)

Leading questions:

  • Why were Indian capitalists so important for the Indian National Congress?
  • What exactly did Gandhi’s doctrine of trusteeship entail? How realistic was it?
  • What was Gandhi’s relationship with the Indian working class and its trade unions?
  • Was Gandhi the ‘mascot of the bourgeoisie’?

Week 14: Gandhi and Women

Reading: David Arnold, Gandhi, chapter 7, section on women, pp. 185-91

Discussion: There will be a discussion between those who advocate the Gandhian approach to ‘the women’s question’ and his feminist opponents. The seminar will be split into two groups, one of which will represent Gandhi, and one the feminist critics.

Week 15: Hindu Nationalism and Muslim Separatism

Reading:

B.Stein, A History of India, pp. 285-6, 288-9, 300-01, 329-32, 340-41, 409-13.

Leading questions:

  • What were the beliefs that underlay the formation of the Muslim League in 1905?
  • Why did the Congress and Muslim League generally work together in the period 1916-28?
  • What was the impact of the rise of Hindu nationalism on relations between Congress nationalists and Muslims?
  • Why did so many Indian Muslims reject Gandhi’s appeal?
  • Were there Muslims who were sympathetic to Gandhi and the Congress, and why were they so?

Week 17: 1932-45

Reading:

David Arnold, Gandhi, Chapter 8, ‘Gandhi in Old Age,’ pp.196-215.

Leading questions:

  • Why was the second wave of civil disobedience in 1932-34 such a failure?
  • Was it a mistake for the Congress to fight the election of 1937?
  • Was Gandhi right to oppose the British during World War II?

Week 18:Film on Partition

A film titled The Day India Burned will be shown this week on Partition. It lasts for 1½ hours, and so both seminar groups will see this together. If unable to attend both sessions, please talk to tutor.

Week 19: The Muslim League and the Partition of India

Reading:

  1. David Arnold, Gandhi, Chapter 8, ‘Gandhi in Old Age,’ pp.220-27.
  2. B. Stein, A History of India, pp.346-66.

Leading questions:

  • Why did Jinnah call for Pakistan in 1940?
  • Was partition inevitable in 1947?
  • Account for the great violence of 1947.
  • How successfully did Gandhi counter this violence?
  • Why was Gandhi assassinated in January 1948?

Week 20: Gandhi beyond India

Reading:

David Hardiman, Gandhi in His Time and Ours, pp. 237-55

Leading questions:

  • Why did Gandhi receive so much attention in the West from 1930 onwards?
  • What sort of people in the West admired Gandhi?
  • What were the main criticisms of Gandhi voiced in the West?
  • Were people right to see him as a great pacifist?
  • When and how was his technique of nonviolent resistance employed outside India?

Assessment

2nd year options are weighted as 1 unit of 30 CATS in Finals.

EITHER: three non-assessed assignments of 2000 words + one three-hour, three- question exam (1 unit).

OR: three non-assessed assignments of 2000 words + one 4500-word assessed assignment (the ‘long essay’) (½ a unit) + one two-hour, two-question exam ( ½ a unit).

Those writing a long essay must submit it to the History office (not to DH) by the required time (see the History undergraduate webpage). Use only your student number for identification (if you put your name on it, it will be cut out or deleted by the secretary). If a long essay is submitted late, 5% of the mark awarded will be deducted for each working day it is late (e.g. weekends not counted). 4,500 words is the maximum number of word, and marks will be deducted at the rate of 1 mark each 50 words, or part thereof, over the limit. Footnotes are included in this word-count, but the bibliography is not.

Other categories of students (e.g. Erasmus) to be discussed with David Hardiman individually.

Essays: deadlines

Deadlines for short essays to be handed in:

  • Essay 1. Thursday, term 1, week 7.
  • Essay 2. Thursday, term 2, week 2
  • Essay 3. Thursday, term 2, week 7

Both of the three short essays and the long essay may be chosen from the list below. More reading and more in-depth treatment of the topic will be required for the long essay. The short essays can provide a good basis for the questions you will answer in the exam. You are not however allowed to answer an exam question on the same topic as your long essay. If you want to choose a topic different from the ones listed below – either for short or long essays – you are welcome to do so, but clear the question with your lecturer or tutor first.

Marking scales

Marks are awarded on a 17 point marking scale as follows:

Class / scale / Mark / descriptor
First / Excellent 1st / 96 / Exceptional work of the highest quality, demonstrating excellent knowledge and understanding, analysis, organisation, accuracy, relevance, presentation and appropriate skills. At final-year level: work may achieve or be close to publishable standard.
High 1st / 89 / Very high quality work demonstrating excellent knowledge and understanding, analysis, organisation, accuracy, relevance, presentation and appropriate skills. Work which may extend existing debates or interpretations.
Mid 1st / 81
Low 1st / 74
Upper Second (2.1) / High 2.1 / 68 / High quality work demonstrating good knowledge and understanding, analysis, organisation, accuracy, relevance, presentation and appropriate skills.
Mid 2.1 / 65
Low 2.1 / 62
Lower Second / High 2.2 / 58 / Competent work, demonstrating reasonable knowledge and understanding, some analysis, organisation, accuracy, relevance, presentation and appropriate skills.
Mid 2.2 / 55
Low 2.2 / 52
Third / High 3rd / 48 / Work of limited quality, demonstrating some relevant knowledge and understanding.
Mid 3rd / 45
Low 3rd / 42
Fail / High Fail (sub Honours) / 38 / Work does not meet standards required for the appropriate stage of an Honours degree. There may be evidence of some basic understanding of relevant concepts and techniques.
Fail / 25 / Poor quality work well below the standards required for the appropriate stage of an Honours degree.
Low Fail / 12
Zero / Zero / 0 / Work of no merit OR Absent, work not submitted, penalty in some misconduct cases.

Essay titles

These titles are for both the short and long essays – though titles may be amended in the case of long essays after consultation with your tutor. Reading is given after the title, pointing you towards the appropriate section of the reading list to be consulted for this essay.

Examine the ways in which the British in India claimed to be superior to Indians, and the ways in which Indian nationalists responded to these claims in the period 1880-1914.

Reading: ‘Ideologies of the Raj: Racism, Social Darwinism, Orientalism,’ ‘Colonial masculinities’ and ‘Indian nationalism and popular protest, 1885-1914,’ particularly works by Nandy and Sinha.

To what extent could India be described as a ‘ nation’ in the period 1880-1914?

Reading: see ‘Indian nationalism – origins and interpretations.’ Works by Chatterjee, Guha and Kaviraj are particularly important. You will need to refer to the work of Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. To what extent was the Indian nation ‘imagined’ in this way?

Answer one of the following:

To what extent were Gandhi’s ideas shaped by his childhood and family background?

How important were Gandhi’s years in London, 1888-91?

Why did satyagraha originate in South Africa?

Reading: Most of the standard histories and biographies of Gandhi cover theseyears in his life, but see ‘Gandhi’s ideas and techniques’.

What do you see to be the significance of the arguments set out by Gandhi in Hind Swaraj?

Reading:Hind Swaraj (see especially commentary by Parel): ‘Gandhi’s Ideas and techniques.’ This essay calls for an assessment of why Hind Swaraj became such an important text, and the importance and practicality of Gandhi’s critique of western civilisation.

‘In Champaran in 1917, Gandhi was given the credit for the success of a longstanding campaign against indigo planters that had already almost achieved its goals.’ Discuss.

Reading: ‘Regional and local studies of the Indian nationalist movement – Champaran.’

To what extent was the Rowlatt Satyagraha – in Gandhi’s own words – ‘a Himalayan Miscalculation’?

Reading: Gandhi, Autobiography, chapters 29-35. Indian nationalist movement 1915-22 - general,’ in particular R. Kumar, Gandhian Politics.

When in his career did Gandhi become an out-and-out opponent of British rule in India?

Reading: Gandhi, Autobiography and Hind Swaraj, essay by Van den Dungen in R.Kumar, Gandhian Politics; ‘Indian nationalist movement 1915-22 – general.’

What made Gandhi into a ‘Mahatma’ between 1908 and 1922?

Reading: Biographies of Gandhi; The Indian Nationalist Movement 1915-22; Regional Studies, in particular. S. Amin, ‘Gandhi as Mahatma’.

To what extent can Gandhi be called a ‘peasant leader’?

Reading: ‘The peasantry and nationalism,’ in particular Amin ‘Gandhi as Mahatma’, and Hardiman, Coming of the Devi, Ch. 10. For richer peasants see ‘Gujarat’, pieces by Bhatt, Charlesworth, Hardiman, and Shah. For a ‘Cambridge School’ interpretation see ‘Gandhi and the Nationalist Movement 1918-1922’, article by Baker. See also ‘Indian nationalism – conflicting interpretations’.

How did Gandhi go about forging a new sense of nationhood in the period 1917-22?