How did the Indian merchants and industrialists relate themselves to the Civil Disobedience Movement? Explain.
Answer:
Points to remember :
- Merchants made profits in WW1 and now wanted to retain them.
- Merchants wanted growth in business.
- Merchants wanted protection from import of goods.
- Notable industrialists like : G.D. Birla and Purushottamdas Thakurdas started FICCI.
- Merchants supported civil disobedience movement.
- Merchants gave financial assistance.
Answer to be written in exam :
- In the countryside, rich peasant communities- like PATIDARS of Gujarat and JATS of Uttar Pradesh were active in the movement.
- During the First World war, Indian merchants and industrialists had made huge profits and become powerful.
- Now, keen on expanding their businesses they reacted against colonial laws that restricted business activities.
- They wanted protection against import of foreign goods and a rupee sterling foreign exchange ratio that would discourage imports.
- To organise business interests, they formed the Indian Industrial and Commercial Congress in 1920 and the Federation of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) in 1927.
- It was led by Prominent Industrialists Like Purshottamdas Thakurdas And G.D.Birla.
- The industrialists attacked colonial control over the Indian economy, and supported the Civil Disobedience Movement .
- They gave financial assistance and refused to buy or sell imported goods.
- Most businessmen wanted to flourish trade without constraints.
- ( ANY 3 POINTS )
