(i) Nationalism in India developed primarily as a response to British rule. The arrival of the British as rulers was resented by many of the native rulers, and people also. They all wanted to oppose and fight against the British presence in India. But initially they did not do it together or as one person.

(ii) Different groups had their specific grievances against the British and therefore, they fought for the redressal of their specific grievances. For example, the native rulers did not want the British to take over their territories.

(iii) Similarly peasants, artisans and tribals suffered at the hands of the British rulers and often stood up in revolt against them. But merely the opposition to British rule or a fight against them did not bring about a feeling of nationalism in India.

(iv) Although different sections of the population got united because of common exploitation at the hands of the British, a feeling of identification with the entire country and its people did not come about. Even the great Revolt of 1857, in which many sections of the population fought together did not produce a feeling of nationalism or an all-India unity.

(v) The idea that the people of India, in spite of many differences among themselves, had many things in common amongst them had not, as yet, taken roots.

(vi) Similarly the realisation that the British rule was foreign and an alien rule which wanted to subjugate the entire people and bring them under its control, had also not occurred.

(vii) The essence of nationalism in India, or Indian nationalism, was the realisation that all the Indian people had a common nationality and that it was in their collective interests to resist British rule. To put it simply, a combined opposition to British rule and a desire to achieve national unity lay at the heart of Indian nationalism.