Page 103 - SST Class 05

17 Struggle for

Freedom

Struggle and I

When you have a high goal before you, you have to struggle to achieve it. During the British period, the
Indians had a high goal before them, that was the freedom of the country. In 1857, they had been crushed
badly, but they knew that without struggle, they could not become free. So, once again they made an
effort to struggle for freedom from the foreign rule.

Rise of Nationalism

During the First War of Independence in 1857, the Indians had seen the merciless face
of the British. The British had indiscriminately killed people, burnt down villages and
imposed heavy taxes. This type of atrocities awakened the spirit of nationalism in
people. ‘Nationalism’ means ‘love and loyalty for the country’.
The following factors contributed to the rise of nationalism :

u The British treated the Indians very badly and discriminated against them in every
possible way.

u The British destroyed Indian trade, crafts and agriculture only to earn as much
profit as they could.

u The British laid the means of transport and communication; this increased contact
between Indian people.

u The British started English education in India so that the Indians could be employed
as clerks in their offices. This helped the Indians know about new ideas and
revolutions taking place in the world.

u The Indians were curious to know how a small country like Britain could control a
country many times its size.

In the ancient times, the rate of literacy was high in India. When the Muslims came to
India, they destroyed Indian universities, libraries and schools. With this, the rate of
literacy had gone down pitiably. Many Indians realized India’s past glory; they
studied the past, and analysed the causes of its being backward, illiterate and

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