Read the following source and answer the questions that follow:
On 6 January 1921, the police in United Provinces fired at peasants near Rae Bareli. Jawaharlal Nehru, prevented from reaching the site, addressed the gathered peasants: 'They behaved as brave men, calm and unruffled in the face of danger. I do not know how they felt but I know what my feelings were. For a moment my blood was up, non-violence was almost forgotten – but for a moment only. The thought of the great leader … came to me, and I saw the kisans seated and standing near me, less excited, more peaceful than I was – and the moment of weakness passed. I spoke to them in all humility on non-violence – I needed the lesson more than they – and they heeded me and peacefully dispersed.'
— Quoted in Sarvapalli Gopal, Jawaharlal Nehru: A Biography, Vol. I.
(i) What does Nehru's account reveal about the emotional challenge of maintaining non-violence in the face of colonial repression? (1 mark)
(ii) Nehru says 'I needed the lesson more than they.' What does this suggest about the peasants' commitment to the movement compared to their leaders at that moment? (1 mark)
(iii) The peasant movement in Awadh developed in forms that the Congress leadership was often unhappy with. Explain the kinds of actions that concerned the Congress and why. (2 marks)
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 13:38 · grounding rag
Model Answer
(i) Nehru's account reveals that even committed leaders found it extremely difficult to stay non-violent when faced with colonial violence and repression. His admission that "for a moment my blood was up, non-violence was almost forgotten" shows the immense emotional challenge of adhering to Gandhian principles under provocation.
(ii) It suggests that the peasants were, at that moment, more deeply committed to non-violence than their educated leader. The kisans were "less excited, more peaceful" than Nehru, showing that ordinary people had genuinely internalised the discipline of the movement, not merely accepted it intellectually.
(iii) As the movement spread in 1921, Awadh peasants attacked houses of talukdars and merchants, looted bazaars, and seized grain hoards. Local leaders also told peasants that Gandhi had ordered no taxes to be paid and land would be redistributed. Congress was unhappy because these actions were violent and went beyond the Congress programme — they threatened to discredit the non-violent character of the Non-Cooperation Movement.
Source: Chapter 2 — Nationalism in India, Section 2.2 Rebellion in the Countryside / Source B
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Explanation
- (i) Focus on Nehru's personal emotional struggle — the phrase "blood was up" is key evidence.
- (ii) The contrast between Nehru's agitation and the peasants' calm is the examiner's target here. Don't generalise; stay close to the text.
- (iii) This is 2 marks — give two specific actions (attacking talukdars' houses, looting bazaars, seizing grain, false claims about Gandhi's orders) AND the reason Congress disapproved (violence contradicted non-violent movement principles). Both parts are needed for full marks.