Mains Practice Questions

Approach:

• Briefly define economic nationalism and political nationalism.
• Discuss the key features of economic nationalism.
• Explain that economic nationalism intellectually prepared the ground for political nationalism.
• Conclude with a scholarly remark.

Introduction:

Economic nationalism refers to the ideological and intellectual resistance against the colonial economic policies of the British Raj that led to exploitation, poverty, and underdevelopment in India. The rise of economic nationalism during the late 19th century laid a critical foundation for political nationalism, as it exposed the exploitative nature of colonial rule and mobilized public opinion towards the demand for self-governance.

Body:

Key Features of Economic Nationalism

• Early Nationalist Leadership:
  • Pioneered by moderate leaders such as Dadabhai Naoroji, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, and R.C. Dutt, economic nationalism emerged through well-reasoned critiques of British economic policies.
• Focus on Drain Theory:
  • Dadabhai Naoroji’s ‘Drain Theory’ (highlighted in his book Poverty and Un-British Rule in India) argued that Britain was draining India's wealth without any fair return.
• Protection of Indigenous Industry:
  • Leaders criticized the unfair tariff structure, which promoted British goods at the cost of Indian handicrafts.
  • They called for protective tariffs, promotion of Swadeshi goods, and state support for Indian entrepreneurs.
• Demand for Fiscal Autonomy:
  • Gokhale and others emphasized Indian control over revenue, expenditure, and economic policymaking.
  • They opposed excessive military expenditure and the use of Indian revenue for British imperial interests.

Transition from Economic to Political Nationalism

• Exposure of Colonial Economic Intent:
  • Economic critiques highlighted the inherent conflict between Indian welfare and British interests.
  • The realization grew that economic relief was impossible without political freedom.
• Growth of Political Movements:
  • The Swadeshi Movement (1905), initially an economic boycott of British goods after the Bengal partition, evolved into a mass political movement demanding Swaraj (self-rule).
  • Economic slogans like "Boycott British goods" became tools of mass mobilization and political assertion.
• Demands for Administrative and Constitutional Reforms:
  • Nationalists demanded the Indianisation of the civil services, asserting that only Indians would prioritize national interest.
  • This was coupled with demands for constitutional reforms, including greater Indian participation in legislatures, control over budgets, and responsible government.
  • Movements like the Home Rule League (1916) and the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms debate further reflected the growing demand for institutional political change driven by underlying economic dissatisfaction.

Conclusion:

Thus, historian Bipan Chandra rightly underscores that "the entire critique of colonialism found its focal point in the Drain of Wealth theory," and that this "understanding of the complex economic mechanisms of modern imperialism" laid the intellectual foundation for both anti-colonial and subsequently anti-imperialist politics in India.