NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science Chapter 9 India’s Long Road to Independence (PDF) – 2027

India came together because British rule hurt people everywhere in the same ways, and because Indians slowly built the tools of a common struggle.

• Common grievances: heavy land taxes and famines, ruined local industries, and racial humiliation — lower pay for Indians, the Arms Act and the Vernacular Press Act (1878).
• Common organisations and newspapers: the Indian National Congress (1885) met in a different city every year; papers such as Kesari and Bande Mataram spread the same ideas.
• Common symbols: Vande Mataram, Bharat Mata, rakhis tied in Bengal in 1905.
• Methods anyone could join: Swadeshi, boycott, khadi, satyagraha, the Salt March.
• Shocks such as the Partition of Bengal, Jallianwala Bagh and the Simon Commission united people further.

Finally, Quit India, the mutinies of 1946 and Britain’s weakness after World War II made British rule impossible to continue.

The struggle moved through five broad phases:

1. 1858–1900: the Crown takes direct control; reform movements (Brahmo Samaj, Arya Samaj); the Indian National Congress founded in 1885 (A.O. Hume, Dadabhai Naoroji, W.C. Bonnerjee).
2. 1905–1915: Partition of Bengal; Swadeshi and boycott; Surat split (1907); the revolutionaries — Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bipin Chandra Pal, Aurobindo Ghose, Khudiram Bose, Bagha Jatin.
3. 1915–1922: Gandhi’s satyagraha; Home Rule (Tilak, Annie Besant); Jallianwala Bagh (1919); Khilafat and Non-Cooperation.
4. 1925–1935: Simon Commission; Purna Swaraj (1929); Salt March (1930); Bhagat Singh; Sardar Patel; Sarojini Naidu; B.R. Ambedkar.
5. 1939–1947: Quit India (1942); Subhas Chandra Bose’s INA; the naval mutiny; Independence and Partition (Nehru, Patel, Jinnah).

All of them agreed that British rule was unjust and exploitative and that Indians must govern themselves. They disagreed about how:

• How much to demand: Moderates wanted self-government within the Empire; Nationalists wanted full independence — hence the Surat split (1907).
• Nonviolence or force: Gandhi’s satyagraha versus revolutionaries such as Bhagat Singh, and Subhas Chandra Bose’s armed INA.
• Calling off Non-Cooperation after Chauri Chaura (1922): the Nehrus, C.R. Das and Bose disapproved.
• Religion in politics: the Khilafat alliance was criticised; Jinnah left the Congress in 1920.
• Separate electorates: Ambedkar for, Gandhi against — settled by the Poona Pact.
• One nation or two: most Congress leaders rejected the Two-Nation idea; Jinnah backed Pakistan.

“I spoke to my grandmother, Kamla Devi (84), whose family lived near Ballia in eastern Uttar Pradesh. Her father told her that during Quit India (1942) young men of the village cut down telegraph poles and the police came and beat people. Her father supported the Congress and kept a charkha; her uncle admired Subhas Chandra Bose and said ‘spinning will not send them home’. On 15 August 1947 sweets were given out at school.”

Class discussion: families supported different leaders and methods — Gandhi’s nonviolence, Bose’s armed struggle, local leaders — yet all wanted freedom. Differing on the method did not mean differing on the goal.

The map shows two kinds of territory under one empire:

• Red and pink — British India: the presidencies and provinces ruled directly by the Crown, through the Secretary of State in London and the Viceroy in India.
• Yellow — the princely states (about 560, e.g. Kashmir, Hyderabad, Mysore, the Rajputana states): ruled by Indian princes under British ‘paramountcy’, with a British Resident or Political Agent who often interfered.

British India holds most of the coasts, ports and fertile river plains; the princely states lie mainly in the interior.

Yes. The song praises the motherland as a mother. Its meaning is roughly:

“I bow to you, Mother! You are rich in water and in fruit, cooled by the southern breeze, dark green with crops. Your nights are bright with moonlight and full of joy; you are beautiful with flowering trees; you smile sweetly and speak sweetly; you give happiness and blessings. I bow to you, Mother!”

Every image — rivers, fruit, crops, trees, moonlight — is of the land itself, which is why the song became a rallying cry for loving and defending the country.

Swami Vivekananda’s values are still relevant today because they are about the kind of person one must become:

• “Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached” — persistence; do not give up halfway.
• Inner strength — overcome fear, weakness and self-doubt.
• Science and research — he advised Jamsetji Tata to found what became the Indian Institute of Science.
• Pride in one’s roots without blind imitation — learn from the past, then “march forward”.
• Service to others — the Ramakrishna Mission joined spiritual practice with social service.

Sample answer (my goal): “Self-confidence and persistence can help me: when a subject feels hard, I can keep practising instead of deciding that it is not for me.”

The daily avoided the word ‘independence’ for two main reasons:

1. Fear of sedition charges. Writing openly for independence could be punished as sedition. Tilak was jailed for his articles, and Bande Mataram itself was later suppressed. Milder words helped the paper survive and keep spreading its ideas.
2. Wider appeal. Words such as ‘Swaraj’ or ‘absolute national autonomy’ could be accepted both by Moderates, who wanted self-rule within the Empire, and by Nationalists, who wanted full freedom.

Its words still meant complete freedom from British control.

‘Absolute national autonomy’ means complete self-rule for India as a nation, with no British control at all.

• Autonomy — self-government.
• National — for the whole Indian nation, not just one province such as Bengal.
• Absolute — total; not partial reforms, not self-rule within the British Empire.

The article says that cancelling the Partition of Bengal would not end the agitation; only complete autonomy would. So the phrase shows that the Nationalists’ real goal was freedom, put in careful words.

The two boxes announce the paper’s politics right beside its name:

• Left box — “Swadeshi PAPER of India.” The paper calls itself a Swadeshi (Indian-made, Indian-run) product, so it practises the boycott it preaches.
• Right box — “Our Policy: INDIA for Indians.” Its aim is that India should belong to, and be ruled by, Indians — that is, Swaraj.

Together they show Swadeshi and Swaraj, the Nationalist programme of 1906. The line under the title, “A Daily Organ of Indian Nationalism”, confirms that the paper openly stood for the Nationalist cause.

Similarities: both show India as a mother-goddess (Bharat Mata); both were made in the Swadeshi years; both come from the idea of India as a divine motherland, inspired by Bankim’s Anandamath; and both call on Indians to love and serve the nation.

Differences:

• Fig. 2.14 is a soft, coloured painting; Fig. 2.15 is a black-and-white printed magazine cover, made to reach many readers.
• In Fig. 2.14 she is calm and gentle, holding gifts (cloth, paddy, a book, a rosary); in Fig. 2.15 she is drawn over the map of India, with people and flags below her.
• Fig. 2.14 has no words; Fig. 2.15 carries ‘Bharat Mata’ and ‘Vande Mataram’.

Details on the cover of Vijaya:

• The title விஜயா (Vijaya, ‘victory’) in large Tamil letters, with a palm-like ornament above it and a Tamil line below saying that it is published every day.
• A framed picture with a banner at the top reading भारतमाता (Bharat Mata).
• Mother India, with flowing hair, drawn over an outline map of India, with Sri Lanka at the bottom.
• The words वन्देमातरम् (Vande Mataram) beside her.
• Two small groups of people under flags in the bottom corners, and two large birds facing each other at the foot of the picture.
• Lines of small Tamil print below the picture and down its side.

The North-East took part in the freedom struggle from very early on:

• Tirot Sing led the Khasi Revolt (1829–1833) in present-day Meghalaya.
• The Singpho Rebellion (1830s–1840s) was a tribal revolt in eastern Assam.
• Maniram Dewan and Piyali Baruah were publicly hanged in Assam during the 1857 revolt.
• Kanaklata Barua (17) was shot while leading a flag procession at Gohpur in 1942; Kushal Konwar was also martyred during Quit India.
• Rani Gaidinliu of Manipur began resisting the British at 13, urging people not to pay taxes or work for them.

More names to explore: Bhogesvari Phukanani and Gopinath Bordoloi of Assam.

Tilak meant that his punishment would help the freedom movement more than his writing and speeches had done.

• He did not beg for mercy; he calmly accepted the sentence.
• He stood for a cause — Swaraj — which could not be jailed along with him.
• His unjust imprisonment would anger people and inspire them to join the struggle, so his suffering would spread the message further than his “pen and tongue”.

It shows his faith in a higher power, his courage, and his belief that sacrifice strengthens a cause.

The statement shows that Tilak was bold, self-confident and determined.

• Self-respect: by calling Swaraj a “birthright”, he refused to beg the British for freedom as a favour.
• Determination: “I shall have it” is a firm promise, not a hope.
• Courage: he said it even after being jailed for sedition, so he was not afraid of punishment.
• A leader of the people: the short, simple slogan could be understood and repeated by everyone.

Tagore means that the British rulers did not feel sorry for the massacre. Instead they were pleased with themselves, believing they had taught Indians a “salutary” (useful) lesson that would frighten them into obedience.

He bitterly criticises them for ignoring the grief and anger of the whole country. Dyer’s proud defence of his action, and O’Dwyer’s support for it, show that Tagore was right. In protest, Tagore returned his knighthood.

The main elements of the Lahore resolution:

1. Freedom is a right: Indians, like any other people, have an “inalienable right” to freedom.
2. Economic needs: people must enjoy the fruits of their toil, have the necessities of life and full opportunities of growth.
3. Right to change an oppressive government: people may alter or abolish a government that denies these rights.
4. Charges against British rule: it exploited the masses and ruined India economically, politically, culturally and spiritually.
5. The demand: India must cut the British connection and attain Purna Swaraj (complete independence).

Comparison: earlier demands — reforms (1885), undefined Swaraj (1906), Home Rule (1916), dominion status (1928) — asked for less. This was the first time the whole Congress demanded complete independence.

The figures show that India’s freedom was won through a huge collective sacrifice:

• Over two lakh people (40,000 + 60,000 + 40,000 + 1,00,000) were jailed in these four movements alone, and nearly 10,000 were killed during Quit India.
• The numbers grew with each movement: more and more ordinary people joined despite the risk.
• Each arrest meant suffering for a family — lost earnings, lost schooling, police beatings.
• Mass arrests could not stop the movement; people’s willingness to suffer made British rule unworkable.

Yes. Some freedom fighters who can be added (all of them appear in this chapter):

• Birsa Munda — led the Ulgulaan (1899–1900) against the British.
• Khudiram Bose — hanged at 18 after the 1908 attack meant for Judge Kingsford.
• Bagha Jatin — Anushilan Samiti leader, killed at Balasore in 1915.
• Bhagat Singh and Chandrashekhar Azad — HSRA revolutionaries.
• Aruna Asaf Ali — hoisted the national flag at Gowalia Tank Maidan in 1942.
• Sarojini Naidu — first Indian woman president of the Congress (1925).
• Kanaklata Barua — shot at 17 at Gohpur in 1942.

The women of freedom fighters’ families also sacrificed a great deal: they ran the homes, raised the children and faced the police while the men were in jail.

Free India chose to build a sovereign, democratic republic:

• a democracy in which every adult has the vote and the people choose their government;
• a republic with an Indian head of state;
• a united country — Sardar Patel integrated over 560 princely states;
• a nation for all its people, whatever their religion, caste, language or region, after the pain of Partition;
• a country that would rebuild itself and fight poverty, untouchability and inequality.

These choices were written into the Constitution of India.

Answers:

Freedom needed many kinds of sacrifice:

• Life — Khudiram Bose, Bhagat Singh, Kanaklata Barua; the dead of Jallianwala Bagh and Quit India.
• Liberty — over two lakh people jailed; prisoners in the Cellular Jail.
• Careers and comfort — lawyers, students and officials gave up jobs, studies and honours (Tagore returned his knighthood).
• Home and family — exile, life underground, and the millions uprooted by Partition.
• War and famine — Indian soldiers killed in World War II and the victims of the Bengal famine of 1943.

Sample answer (personal): “Yes, I would have joined, mainly in peaceful ways — boycotting foreign cloth, wearing khadi and joining processions. I would have given up comforts and even time at school, though I admit that facing jail or violence would have been very hard.”

Values reflected:

• Self-respect and dignity — freedom is a birthright, not a favour from rulers.
• Equality — it belongs to every Indian.
• Determination and courage — “I shall have it”, even at the cost of jail.
• Responsibility — each person must act to win and protect freedom.

Yes, these values are meaningful for young people today. We too have rights — education, equality, free speech and, later, the vote — and we must value them, use them responsibly and stand up for them. Determination and self-confidence also help us reach our own goals, while respecting the rights of others.

Political leaders gave the movement its demands, organisation and negotiations; these groups gave it mass strength:

• Peasants — the Champaran, Kheda and Bardoli satyagrahas; refusing to pay taxes hit the government’s revenue.
• Workers — the Ahmedabad mill workers’ satyagraha; strikes during Quit India; the Royal Indian Navy mutiny (1946) showed that the British could no longer rely on Indian forces.
• Tribals — Birsa Munda’s Ulgulaan, the Singpho rebellion, Rani Gaidinliu; they fought early and directly for land, forests and dignity.
• Students — joined the processions of 1905, left government schools during the boycotts and in 1942; some, like Bina Das, took up arms.

They acted on their own local grievances and kept movements alive even when the leaders were jailed, as in Quit India.

“Redeem our pledge” means to keep the promise India had made — the Congress’s pledge of Purna Swaraj (complete independence), taken at Lahore in 1929. On 15 August 1947 that promise was being fulfilled, though “not wholly” — Partition and poverty remained.

The ‘soul of a nation’ is what a people share beyond its government and borders — its languages, culture, memories, values and hopes. India’s soul survived long foreign rule; at independence it could at last express itself freely.

a) Sample answer: “I support Gandhi’s method of nonviolent satyagraha. Anyone could join it without weapons or education, as in the Salt Satyagraha of 1930, when over 60,000 people were jailed for breaking the salt law. Mass nonviolent action made British rule look unjust and unworkable. Its weakness was that it was slow and needed strict discipline — Gandhi called off Non-Cooperation after Chauri Chaura.”

b) Classmates may support the Moderate, the Nationalist (Swadeshi and boycott) or the revolutionary method. Listen, and state their strongest point fairly before disagreeing.

c) The debate teaches that people can share one goal and still disagree about methods. Respectful disagreement keeps unity; the freedom movement drew strength from many methods.

a) Headline: GANDHI BREAKS SALT LAW AT DANDI

Dandi, 6 April 1930: After a 380-km march from Sabarmati, Mahatma Gandhi this morning picked up a handful of salt on the shore, breaking the British salt law. The government holds a monopoly on salt and taxes it heavily.

b) Public reaction: A salt-maker from a nearby village said, “Salt is needed in every poor man’s kitchen. If Gandhiji can break this law, so can we.”

c) Why it was important: The Salt March began the Civil Disobedience Movement for Purna Swaraj. Salt marches, boycotts and refusal to pay taxes spread across India; thousands, including many women, joined and were arrested.

a) Title: Ordinary Things, Extraordinary Choices

b) Three objects:

• A charkha with khadi cloth — Swadeshi and self-reliance; work for poor villagers and a challenge to British cloth.
• A copy of the Bande Mataram daily — the Nationalist press that spread the idea of freedom, and whose editors were prosecuted for it.
• A lump of salt — Gandhi’s Salt March (1930), when an everyday item became a symbol of defiance.

c) Note for visitors: Freedom was won not only by famous leaders but by millions of ordinary people who used ordinary things to resist, and who accepted jail and suffering. Visitors should feel grateful and ask how they can protect that freedom.

Sample plan — “A Village Breaks the Salt Law” (1930), about 10 minutes:

• Characters: a farmer and his wife, their son Ramesh (18), their daughter Kamla (15), a police constable, a narrator.
• Scene 1: News comes that Gandhi’s salt marchers are near. Ramesh wants to join; his father worries about jail and the harvest.
• Scene 2: The mother counts the cost of a jail term but decides that the salt tax hurts every family; Kamla plans to picket the foreign-cloth shop.
• Scene 3: Villagers make salt on the shore; the constable arrests Ramesh; the family stands firm. The narrator ends: over 60,000 people were jailed in 1930.

Use simple props (a charkha, a newspaper, a bench) and do not put made-up words into the mouths of real leaders.

India’s freedom was won through the sacrifice of lakhs of people, so every citizen must protect it. We should respect the Constitution and obey just laws. We should vote wisely when we become adults, because democracy depends on informed voters. We must protect the rights of others, including people we disagree with, and refuse discrimination based on caste, religion, language or gender. We should question wrongs peacefully, through debate, the press and lawful means. We must keep unity and harmony and never spread rumours or hatred. Students can study well, help others and take care of public property. Freedom was won together, and it can only be kept together.