CBSE · Class 10 · Social Science · History: Nationalism in IndiaHow did a sense of collective belonging develop in India during the freedom struggle? Explain the various cultural, historical, and visual processes through which nationalism captured people's imagination.

Introduction

Nationalism spreads when people begin to believe that they are all part of the same nation, when they discover some unity that binds them together. In India, a sense of collective belonging was forged through a variety of cultural processes, drawing on history, folklore, icons, and symbols.

The Role of Cultural Processes and Symbols

1. Image of Bharat Mata: The identity of the nation was most often symbolized in a figure or image. The identity of Bharat Mata came to be visually associated with the iconic image created by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in the 1870s when he wrote 'Vande Mataram' for his novel Anandamath. Later, Abanindranath Tagore painted his famous image of Bharat Mata portraying her as an ascetic figure—calm, divine, and spiritual.
2. Revival of Indian Folklore: In late-nineteenth-century India, nationalists began recording folk tales sung by bards and toured villages to gather folk songs and legends. In Bengal, Rabindranath Tagore began collecting ballads, nursery rhymes, and myths, and led the movement for folk revival. In Madras, Natesa Sastri published a massive four-volume collection of Tamil folk tales, The Folklore of Southern India.
3. Redrawing History and Reinterpreting the Past: Another means of creating a feeling of nationalism was through the reinterpretation of history. The British saw Indians as backward and incapable of governing themselves. In response, Indians began looking into the past to discover India's great achievements. They wrote about the glorious developments in art, architecture, science, mathematics, and religion in ancient times, urging Indians to take pride in their past.
4. Flags as Symbols of Nationalism: During the Swadeshi movement in Bengal, a tricolour flag (red, green, and yellow) was designed. It had eight lotuses representing eight provinces of British India, and a crescent moon, representing Hindus and Muslims. By 1921, Gandhiji had designed the Swaraj flag—a tricolour (red, green, and white) carrying a spinning wheel in the centre, representing the Gandhian ideal of self-help.

Conclusion

Through all these diverse cultural and historical symbols, songs, icons, and reinterpreted histories, the nationalist leaders successfully united diverse communities across India, instilling in them a deep sense of shared identity and collective belonging against British colonial rule.