Mains Practice Questions

Introduction:

The Swadeshi Movement began in 1905 as a response to the Partition of Bengal, aiming to resist British economic domination through the promotion of indigenous goods. It marked a shift from political protest to economic self-reliance. The movement laid the foundation for economic nationalism in colonial India.

Role in Promoting Economic Nationalism

• Boycott of Foreign Goods:The Swadeshi Movement actively encouraged Indians to reject British-manufactured goods, especially textiles, which had flooded Indian markets after the decline of indigenous industries.
  • Public bonfires of foreign cloth became symbolic acts of resistance, reducing dependence on colonial imports and challenging the economic foundations of British rule.
    • Buying Indian goods became a "patriotic duty."
• Swadeshi as a National Duty: The idea of Swadeshi went beyond economics and became a moral and patriotic obligation.
  • Leaders like Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Aurobindo Ghosh, and Rabindranath Tagore linked the use of indigenous goods with national self-respect, transforming everyday consumption into an act of political participation.
• Awareness of Colonial Economic Exploitation: The movement helped popularise the understanding of colonial exploitation, particularly the drain of wealth theory highlighted by Dadabhai Naoroji.
  • Through newspapers, pamphlets, and public meetings, people became aware of how British policies impoverished India by extracting raw materials and suppressing local industries.
• Mass Mobilisation and Social Participation: Swadeshi mobilised wide sections of society, including women, students, and urban middle classes, in economic resistance.
  • Women participated by spinning khadi, promoting indigenous goods at home, and organising picketing of foreign shops, while students boycotted government institutions, making economic nationalism a mass-based movement rather than an elite idea.

Role in Promoting Indigenous Industries

• Revival of Handloom, Khadi, and Small-Scale Industries: The Swadeshi Movement revitalised traditional crafts and village industries that had declined under colonial industrial policies.
  • Khadi became both an economic and symbolic tool, providing rural employment and restoring dignity to indigenous labour.
    • This revival helped sustain rural livelihoods and reduced dependence on imported manufactured goods.
  • National Handloom Day (August 7) is celebrated to commemorate the launch of this movement.
• Growth of Indigenous Enterprises and Institutions: The movement inspired the establishment of Indian-owned enterprises such as Bengal Chemicals, Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company, and several indigenous banks and insurance firms.
  • Also, Jamshedji Tata founded the Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO) in 1907. It became a symbol of Indian industrial prowess and technical capability.
  • These institutions aimed to build self-reliant industrial capacity and challenge British economic dominance by retaining capital within the country.
• Promotion of Technical Education and Entrepreneurship: Emphasis was laid on technical and vocational education to nurture skilled manpower capable of running indigenous industries.
  • Educational institutions encouraged scientific learning, entrepreneurship, and innovation, laying the groundwork for a modern industrial economy independent of colonial control.
  • For example, the National Council of Education (1906), established during the Swadeshi Movement, sought to provide national, technical, and industrial education, laying the foundation for a self-reliant and modern industrial economy.
• Foundation for Future Industrial Policy: The ideals of Swadeshi deeply influenced later economic thinking during the freedom struggle.
  • Leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru drew upon its principles to shape post-independence industrial policies focused on self-reliance, state-led development, and balanced industrial growth.

Limitations of The Movement

• Price Disparity: Swadeshi goods (like Khadi) were often more expensive and coarser than mass-produced British goods, making them difficult for the poorest peasants to afford.
• Lack of State Support: Unlike European nations, the colonial government did not provide protective tariffs for Indian industries, leaving them vulnerable to competition.

Conclusion:

The Swadeshi Movement transformed economic resistance into a mass nationalist force by promoting self-reliance and indigenous enterprise. It laid the ideological and institutional foundations for India’s future economic nationalism and industrial development.