History Class XI

Chapter Five - Gandhian Nationalism1

Aims of the Chapter:
To study the significance of the role of Gandhiji and the movements he led in the Indian
nationalism and freedom struggle.

Contents of the Chapter

5.1 The Launching of the Passive Resistance Movement by Gandhi: Background and Main Features
5.2 Agitation against Rowlatt Act: 1919
5.3 Simon Commission, 1927: Its Boycott and the Demand for Dominion Status by 1929; Lahore
Session and Declaration of ‗Poorna Swaraj‘ as Congress objective.
5.4 The Civil Disobedience Movement (1930 – 34): Main Features, The Round Table Conference in
London, Deliberations and Outcome.

Detailed Contents
Gandhian Nationalism (1916 – 1922)
5.1 The Launching of the Passive Resistance Movement by Gandhi: Background and
Main Features

Ganghiji’s Emergence and Passive Resistance

 Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi‘s Passive Resistance was successful in South Africa

 He stayed in South Africa from 1893 to 1914 and fought against the racial discrimination of
whites.
 The word ‗Satyagraha‘ was later substituted for Passive Resistance.
 Passive Resistance was for the weak through violent means, but Satyagraha was for the strongest
without any use of violence.
 Movement at Champaran by Indigo farmers.
 Movement at Kheda.
 Movement at Ahmedabad.
 Moderates in Congress were obsolete
 Extremists were clueless.
 Bal Gangadhar Tilak had passed away and there was a vacuum in leadership.
 Gandhi proved himself as mass leader by including Muslims, low caste Hindu and commercial
men.
 Rowlatt Act in 1917 gave Government the power to search any place and arrest any person.
 Gandhiji formed a Satyagraha Sabha in Bombay on 24 Feb. 1919 to protest the bill.
 Gandhiji was arrested on 10th April, 1919 along with Dr. Kichlew and Dr. Satyapal.

1
The content of this file has been assorted from various sources and used either as it is or modified
as per need.
5.2 Agitation Against Rowlatt Act: March 1919

Introduction of the Rowlatt Act

 Committee under Justice Sydney Rowlatt in 1917 to investigate revolutionary crime.

 Proposed two bills to make war time restrictions permanent,
 Power to search any place and arrest any person without a warrant and hold in detention for a
maximum period of two years.

Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

 General Dyer openly fired on people assembled in Jallianwala Bagh on 13th April, 1919 to
protest the arrest of Gandhi, Kichlew and Satyapal.
 According to official accounts, 379 people were killed and several thousand were wounded.
 Rabindranath Tagore renounced the title of Knighthood.

Reasons behind the Non-Cooperation Movement

 Indians helped the British in the First World War by money and army but received humiliation
and betrayal in return.
 Excessive price rise after the First World War.
 Impact of the Bolshevik Revolution.
 The Rowlatt Act was Repressive.
 Muslim discontentment due to removal of Khalifa - Khilafat.

Non-Cooperation and Boycott (1921 onwards)

 First Phase (Jan-March 1921).

 Second Phase (April 1921).
 Third Phase (July 1921).
 Fourth Phase (November 1921).
 The Non-Cooperation movement was withdrawn in February 1922 after the Chauri Chaura mob
violence.

Failure of the first Non-Cooperation Movement

 Agitation was disorganised.

 Whole India was not involved in the agitation.
 Only Bombay and Gujarat were affected.
 Protests were accompanied by violence and disorder.
 Gandhiji confessed of making miscalculation by involving insufficiently prepared people.

Impact of the first Non-Cooperation Movement

There was much opposition against calling off of the Non-Cooperation Movement by prominent
leaders including some allegations. But one thing is clear that Gandhiji never advocated any violence
any anytime. The real impact of the Movements were:
 People from all walks of life took part in the movement including Hindus and Muslims.
Common people like peasants, workers, artisans, shopkeepers, traders, professionals and white-
collor employees became part of the movement for the first time.
 The movement created a feeling of self-confidence and boosted the morale of the people.
 The Economic boycott of British goods had more effect on British import into India. Indian
industries benefitted.
 The character of the Congress (INC) changed. It became genuine revolutionary organisation. It
managed to have mass appeal.
 Gandhiji used this movement to address some social evils like caste barrier and untouchability.

Gandhian Nationalism (1927-1934)

5.3 Simon Commission, 1927: Its Boycott and the Demand for Dominion Status by
1929; Lahore Session and Declaration of „Poorna Swaraj‟ as Congress objective.

After Gandhi‟s Arrest

 Political Vacuum after Gandhiji‘s Arrest.

 Lead was taken by Chittaranjan Das and Motilal Nehru.
 Congress divided into pro-changers and no-changers.
 Pro-changers formed Swarajya Party.
 Communal riots.
 Revival of terrorist activities in Punjab, U.P. and Bengal.

Simon Commission

 It was all-white commission headed by Sir John Simon.

 Formed to review the political situation in India.
 In protest, the moribund Indian nationalism began to revive.
 After successful protests by Congress and other organizations, the commission induced the
Indians leaders to draft a constitution acceptable to all.
 A committee headed by Motilal Nehru was formed to prepare a draft constitution, known as
Nehru Report.
 Nehru Report demanded Dominion Status2 for India.

Features of the Nehru Report

 A responsible form of Government. Executive responsible to the elected Legislature.

 There were to be two houses, Senate with 200 members elected from Provincial Councils on
proportional representation and House of representatives with 500 members elected on the basis
of Adult Franchise.
 Power of the Parliament to be analogous to the Dominions.
 Regulated Communal representation.

2
Dominion Status = Autonomous communities within the British Empire, equal in status, in no way
subordinate one to another in any aspect of their domestic or external affairs, though united by a common
allegiance to the crown and freely associated as members of the commonwealth of nations.
Objection and Demands M.A. Jinnah to the Nehru Report

 Frustration of Jinnah as he wanted new provinces and one-third seats at the centre, separate
electorate for Muslims.
 Even other minorities like Sikhs, Non-Brahmins, Backward and Depressed Communities did not
fully approve the Nehru Report.
 ‗Fourteen Points‘ of M.A. Jinnah.

Impact of the Nehru Report

 Dominion Status not acceptable to many Congress leaders like Subash Chandra Bose and
Jawaharlal Nehru.
 Viceroy Lord Irwin asked for a round table conference after the publication of Simon
Commission Report.
 Gandhiji along with Motilal Nehru met Lord Irwin asked for his assurance that India will be
given Dominion Status.
 Gandhi-Irwin meeting proved futile as Irwin could not assure Dominion Status.
 In the Lahore session of Congress, the demand for Poorna Swaraj or complete independence was
raised.
 26th January, 1930 was declared India‘s First Independence Day.

5.4 The Civil Disobedience Movement (1930 – 34): Main Features, The Round Table
Conference in London, Deliberations and Outcome.

Civil Disobedience Movement (1930-34)

 Congress Working Committee authorised Gandhiji to start Civil Disobedience.

 Government‘s reaction to Gandhiji‘s Eleven Points was negative.
 The Programme of the Civil Disobedience Movement as follows:
o Salt Law to be violated everywhere.
o Students were asked to leave schools and colleges.
o Government servants were asked to resign.
o Foreign goods were burnt.
o No taxes to the government.
o Women were to sit on dharna infront of the liquor and foreign goods‘ shops.
 Gandhiji started his famous Dandi March on 12th March 1930 from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi
beach. Reached Dandi on 6th April, 1930.
 The Salt Law was violated as it had secured government‘s monopoly over production of salt and
extracting revenue.
 The movement spread as far as North-West Frontier Province, Manipur and Nagaland.
 Large number of women were part of the movement.
 Widespread government oppression.

Gandhi-Irwin Pact (5th March 1931)

 Gandhiji‘s negotiation with Lord Irwin started on 17 February and ended on 4 March, 1931.
 Congress agreed to participate in the Second Round Table Conference.
 Withdrawal of Civil Disobedience Movement.
 Withdrawal of boycott of British goods.
 Withdrawal of ordinances promulgated in relation to the Civil Disobedience movement.
 Right to make salt for consumption only.
 However, the clause of releasing Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev was not accepted.

Results of the Pact

 Controversy over the significance of the Pact.

 Congress divided – Many hailed it as victory as the Viceroy had to negotiate.
 Young and Left wing were unhappy
 Nehru – ―…Not with bang but with a whimper.‖ Patel and Peasants were also unhappy
 Gandhiji was greeted with black flag in many places, especially after the execution of Bhagat
Singh and co.
 Gandhiji also had given up the demands of holding enquiries into police atrocities and the return
of confiscated lands sold to third party.
 Allan Campbell Johnson – Gandhiji‘s gains were ‗consolation prizes‘, Irwin‘s only surrender
was ‗agreeing to enter into negotiation.‘

Opinion of Sumit Sarkar

 Viceroy was forced to treat Indian leaders on equal footing.

 The agreement greatly increased prestige of the Congress.
 The Congress became an authoritative body to be consulted for future political negotiations.
 The released rural Congress workers created mass awakening of political consciousness creating
high moral inspiration and courage.
 Unlike the decision of Bardoli Session to suspend Non cooperation movement in 1922 where
Congress nearly collapsed, the Pact of 1931 considerably increased party activities and extension
of party machinery.
 A combination of factors like economic pressure, heightened morale of the average Congress
workers, reluctance of the Congress to take up radical programmes, all produced pressures on
the central leadership.

Factors responsible for the Gandhi-Irwin Pact

 From the autumn of 1930 movement became unmanageable.

 Peasants were losing energy, decline in enthusiasm and support of the mill owners and urban
merchants.
 Muslim league opposed the movement.
 Tej Bahadur Sapru, M.R. Jayakar and others pressurised for settlement.
 There was a huge pressure from businessmen.
 Communal tensions were provoked.
 Government terrorised the people through Police atrocities.

Importance of Civil Disobedience movement

 It reflected the power of Indian people to fight with the British.

 Made it an international matter and exposed the British.
 Moral regeneration of Indian Freedom Fighters.
 Received massive support from the Business class.
 Mobilized great political support.
After the Pact

 Second Round Table Conference resulted in bitterness as Muslims wanted a separate electorate.
 Gandhiji was again arrested as British apprehended another agitation, followed by brutal and
repressive measures. (P.92)
 Ramsay McDonald‘s Communal Award of separate electorate for Muslims, Sikhs and
European voters.
 Poona Pact of 25 September 1932 that accommodate the depressed class – Mixed reactions
 Civil Disobedience was temporarily suspended in May 1933 and formally withdrawn in April
1934. An honourable retreat.
 Gandhiji‘s more attachment with the Harijan cause weakened the Civil Disobedience Movement
gradually.

Timeline
nd
1869 Birth of Mahatma Gandhi (2 October)
1893-1914 Mahatma Gandhi in South Africa
1915 Mahatma Gandhi returns from South Africa
1917 Champaran Movement
1918 Peasant movement in Kheda (Gujarat), and workers‘ movement in Ahmedabad
1919 Rowlatt Satyagraha (March-April)
1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre (19th April)
1921 Non-Cooperation and Khilafat Movements
1929 ‗Purna Swaraj‘ accepted as Congress goal at the Lahore session of the Congress (December)
1930 Civil Disobedience Movement begins; Dandi March (March-April)
1931 Gandhi-Irwin Pact (March); Second Round Table Conference ((7 Sept. to 1 Dec. 1931)
1934 Final Withdrawal of the Civil Disobedience Movement (April 1934)

Questions (Some of the questions have been Answered for convenience)

Short Answer type Questions:

1. State the meaning of the word ‗Satyagraha.‘ OR What is the meaning of ‗Satyagraha‘? or Define
‗Satyagraha‘ according to Mahatma Gandhi.
Gandhian Satyagraha meant the triumph of the soul-force over the brute force. It is a path
of non-violence aimed at converting the wrongdoers to honest path.
2. Who introduced Satyagraha idea in Indian politics?
Mahatma Gandhi introduced Satyagraha idea in Indian politics.
3. Here did Mahatma Gandhi first organise Satyagraha before he came to India?
South Africa.
4. Where did Mahatma Gandhi organise his first Satyagraha in India?
Champaran, in Bihar.
5. Why did Mahatma Gandhi found the Satyagraha Ashram?
Mahatma Gandhi founded the Satyagraha Ashram to teach the Indians about the idea of
Satyagraha.
6. What was Gandhiji‘s concept of the ‗Doctrine of Trusteeship‘?
Gandhiji‟s concept of the „Doctrine of Trusteeship‟was part of his idea for the fair
distribution of wealth and its management. With an aim to reform and check capitalistic
tendencies, he advocated that rich people should come forward to use their property and
wealth for the betterment of the society. The state should intervene by regulating this fair
distribution of the wealth. All this should be done in a peaceful and non-violent manner.
7. Which Act introduced by the British called Black Act? Why?
Rowlatt Act passed in March 1919 is called as the Black Act because this Act gave the
government the power to search any place and arrest any person without any warrant. It
further allowed the government to detain any person without any trial for a maximum
period of two years.
8. Give one reason why the British Authorities found it necessary to pass the Rowlatt Act?
The British Authorities found it necessary to pass the Rowlatt Act to suppress revolutionary
activities and thereby check any activities regarding freedom movement.
9. When did Gandhiji get his first chance to start a movement of national issue?
The Rowlatt act (passed in March 1919) gave Gandhiji his first chance to start a movement
of national issue.
10. What was the name of the organization founded by Mahatma Gandhi to resist Rowlatt Act?
Satyagraha Sabha.
11. Which provision of the Rowlatt Act aroused widespread popular indignation? OR Which
provision of the Rowlatt Act became a reason for popular unrest? OR Why did the Rowlatt Act
arouse widespread protest?
The provision of granting the Government the power to search any place, arrest any
person without warrant, and detain without trial for a maximum of two years was the
reason for popular unrest against the Rowlatt Act in 1919.
OR
Rowlatt Act aroused widespread protest because the Act granted the Government the
power to search any place, arrest any person without warrant, and detain without trial for
a maximum of two years.
12. Who remarked about the Rowlatt Act ‗No appeal, no vakil and no law‖?
Gandhiji remarked about the Rowlatt Act „No appeal, no vakil and no law”.
13. Which Moderate leaders opposed Gandhiji‘s Satyagraha Movement on Rowlatt Act issue?
Moderate leaders like D.F. Wacha, Surendranath Banerjee, Tej Bahadur Sapru and
Srinivas Sastri opposed Gandhiji‟s Satyagraha Movement on Rowlatt Act issue Which two
powers were given to the government by Rowlatt Act of 1919.
The power to search any place and arrest any person without any warrant.
To detain any person without any trial for a maximum period of two years.
14. What was the significance of the Rowlatt Act agitation?
The Most significant result of Rowlatt Act agitation was the emergence of Gandhiji as an
all India leader.
15. Why was the Jallianwala Bagh meeting organized?
The Jallianwala Bagh meeting was organized to protest against the arrest of Gandhiji and
two local leaders Dr. Kichlew and Dr. Satyapal who were agitating against the Rowlatt
Act.
16. When was the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre take place?
Jallianwala Bag massacre took place on 13th April, 1919.
17. Who was responsible for Jallianwala Bagh Massacre?
General Vivian Dyer was responsible for the Massacre of Jallianwala Bag
18. Who branded the British government as the ‗Satanic Government‖?
Mahatma Gandhi.
19. Who returned the title of ‗Knighthood‘ and on what issue?
Rabindranath Tagore returned the title of „Knighthood‟. He renounced his „Knighthood‟
in protest against the Jallianwalla Bagh massacre. He resented the unjust treatment meted
out to the innocent unarmed population of Punjab who had gathered at the Jallianwalla
Bagh for a peaceful protest.
20. What was the major change introduced in the Government of India Act of 1919 (Montague-
Chelmsford Reforms or Mont-Ford Reforms)?
Through the introduction of the Government of India Act of 1919, the British Government
introduced Dyarchy at the level of Provincial Government. However, at the Central
Government a form of responsible government was still lacking investing most of the
executive powers in the Viceroy.
21. What revolutionary changes were introduced in the Congress at the Nagpur Session of 1920?
The organisational revolutionary changes were introduced in the Congress at the Nagpur Session
of 1920 were:
o A working committee of 15 members.
o An all India Committee of 350 members.
o Formation of Congress committees in towns and villages.
o To reduce membership fees to 4 annas to enable the rural and urban people to become
its members.
22. What were the factors responsible for the reunification of the Moderates and the Radicals at
Lucknow?

23. What was the Khilafat issue?

After the loss of the Central Powers in the First World War to the Allied powers the
Ottoman Ruler‟s, (also called as Kalifa) powers and territories that he held were
drastically reduced, as a result he also lost Muslim Sacred places and his sphere of
influence. To pressurise the British in favour of Kalifa the Indian Muslims started the
Khilafat Movement.
24. What were the main demands of the Khilafat agitation?
Khilafat movement started in 1919, in solidarity with the Muslims of India for the
restoration of Khalifa‟s position and his territory, lost after the First World War. The
main demands were; a) Khalifa‟s control should be retained over Muslim sacred places,
and b) that the Khalifa be left with sufficient territories.
25. Who were Ali brothers?
Ali brothers were Mohammad Ali and his brother Shaukat Ali who were at the forefront
of the Khilafat Movement and a Khilafat Committee was formed under their leadership in
early 1919.
26. Why did Mahatma Gandhi feel it necessary to support the Khilafat Movement? OR Why was
Khilafat movement started?
Khilafat movement started in 1919, in solidarity with the Muslims of India for the restoration of
Khalifa‟s position and his territory, lost after the First World War.
The main demands were; a) Khalifa‟s control should be retained over Muslim sacred places, and b)
that the Khalifa‟s be left with sufficient territories.
27. Mention two reasons why did Gandhiji support the Khilafat Movement.
The two reasons were to cement Hindu-Muslim unity in the country and to jointly oppose
Rowlatt Act, 1919.
28. In which Conference was the Non-Cooperation Resolution proposed by Gandhiji and why?
At the All-India Khilafat Conference in Delhi, November 23, 1919, the Non-Cooperation
Resolution was proposed by Gandhiji, to pressurise the British government i) to respect
the Muslim sentiments by restoring Kalifa‟s position in Turkey, and ii) by repealing the
Rowlatt Act in India.
29. When was the Non-Cooperation Movement launched?
Non-Cooperation Movement was launched in January 1921.
30. What were the programmes of the Non-Cooperation Movement?
The programmes of the Non-Cooperation Movement included:
 Boycott of schools and colleges and the law courts,
 Boycott of the British goods and picketing,
 The popularization and the use of the Charkas and khadi,
 Boycott of the forthcoming visit of the Prince of Wales in November 1921,
 Courting voluntary arrest by the Congress workers (Jail Bharo).
31. Who opposed the Non-Cooperation proposal in support of the Khilafat Movement?
C.R. das, Annie Basant, Madan Mohan Malaviya and others in the Congress opposed the
Non-Cooperation proposal in support of the Khilafat Movement on the argumaent that
Congress always was secular and Khilafat Movement was religious in character.
32. Why did Gandhiji decide to suspend (call off) the Non-Cooperation movement?
Gandhiji called off the Non-Cooperation Movement because the movement had got out of
hand and had become violent which resulted in Chauri Chaura incident where 22
policemen were burnt to death on 5th Feb. 1922.
33. Why did Gandhiji decide to call off the Non-Cooperation Movement after the Chauri-Chaura
incident? OR Why did Gandhi suspend the Non-Cooperation after the Chauri Chaura incident?
Gandhi suspended the Non-Cooperation Movement after the Chauri Chaura incident
because with this incident the movement had become violent which was against Gandhian
idea of Nonviolence and Satyagraha.
34. What remark did Gandhiji make in support of his decision after the Chauri-Chaura incident?
Gandhiji in support of his decision after the Chauri-Chaura incident remarked that “The
movement had unconsciously drifted from the right path. We have to come back to our
moorings, and we can again go straight ahead.”
35. Why did the Khilafat Movement lose its importance after 1922?
The Khilafat Movement lost its importance after 1922 because Kemal Pasha captured
power in Turkey. With the intention of modernising Turkey he abolished the caliphate and
introduced a number of reforms.
36. When did the British Government appoint the Simon Commission? OR When was the Simon
Commission sent to India?
Simon Commission was appointed in November 1927 and was sent to India in 1928 (3rd
Feb. 1928).
37. Why did the Indian leaders decide to boycott the Simon Commission?
The Indian leaders decide to boycott the Simon Commission because there were no Indian
members in the commission and so this „all white‟ commission was boycotted by almost all
the political parties of India.
38. Mention two recommendations of the Simon Commission.
 Simon Commission recommended a federal form of government for India.
  The Federation must embrace all India, and therefore, independent Indian States
be expected to unite with British India.
39. Who drafted the Nehru Report and when?
Nehru Report was drafted by a committee headed by Motilal Nehru in August 1928 as part
of the draft Constitution.
40. State one provision of the Nehru Report.
 A responsible form of Government. Executive responsible to the elected Legislature.
 There were to be two houses, Senate with 200 members elected from Provincial
Councils on proportional representation and House of representatives with 500
members elected on the basis of Adult Franchise.
 Power of the Parliament to be analogous to the Dominions.
 Regulated Communal representation.
41. What was the demand of the Nehru Report?
The Nehru Report demanded “Dominion Status” for India.
42. What were the two major resolutions passed by the Congress at its Lahore Session in 1929?
The Lahore Session of 1929 had authorised the Working Committee to launch a
programme of Civil Disobedience movement including non-payment of taxes. It had called
upon all members of legislatures to resign their seats.
43. Why was the Lahore Session of December, 1929 so important in Indian history?
Same as above. Add also; The „Poorna Swaraj‟ resolution adopted in the Lahore session of
the Congress in December 1929.
44. In which session of the Congress was adopted the Purna Swaraj resolution?
The „Poorna Swaraj‟ resolution adopted in the Lahore session of the Congress in
December 1929.
45. Which day was to be observed as the Purna Swaraj Day all over India? OR When was ―Purna
Swaraj‖ observed all over India?
―Purna Swaraj‖ observed all over India on 26th January 1930.
46. On which date Gandhiji stated his historic march from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi?
Gandhiji stated his historic march from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi on 12th March 1930.
47. Why did Gandhiji select Salt Law as his target for the Civil Disobedience Movement?
Gandhiji selected Salt Law as his target for the Civil Disobedience Movement because the
law was the symbol of imperial exploitation to which all Indians could respond.
48. Who was the leader of the Civil Disobedience Movement in the N.W. Frontier Province?
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan led the Civil Disobedience Movement in the North-West
Frontier Province.
49. State one concession made by Lord Irwin in his pact with Mahatma Gandhi in 1931.
Lord Irwin conceded the right to make salt for consumption only.
50. By which pact the Civil Disobedience Movement was postponed and Gandhiji joined the Round
Table Conference?
By Gandhi-Irwin Pact of March 1931, the Civil Disobedience Movement was postponed
and Gandhiji joined the Round Table Conference.
51. Who said that Civil Disobedience Movement had died a sudden death ending ‗not with a bang
but a whimper‘?
Jawaharlal Nehru said that Civil Disobedience Movement had died a sudden death ending
„not with a bang but a whimper‟.
52. Why did Gandhiji finally suspend the Civil Disobedience Movement in April, 1934?
Gandhiji suspended the Civil Disobedience Movement in April, 1934 because the
movement had lost the initial enthusiasm and the intensity had declined in the face of
 ruthless repression. It was suspended temporarily in in May 1933 and formally in April
1934. Doing so was also a honourable retreat for Gandhiji.
53. Why was Gandhiji able to attend the meetings of the Second Round Table Conference?
Gandhiji was able to attend the meetings of the Second Round Table Conference because
he was the sole representative of the Congress.
54. Why were the British authorities keen for the Congress to attend the Second Round Table
Conference?
The British authorities insisted on the Congress attending the 2nd Round Table Conference
(Sep. 1931), because it had realized without the presence of the Congress nothing could be
achieved.
55. Which Governor-General promised to grant Dominion Status to India?
Lord Irwin promised to grant „Dominion Status‟ to India.
56. Why did the Second Round Table Conference fail?
The Second Round Table Conference failed because various groups could not agree upon
the representation each group would have (on communal question).

Additional Questions:
57. What is meant by ‗Tinkathia System‘?
Tinkhatia system is where a peasant had to cultivate indigo in the best 3/20 portion of the land.
58. What was the main objective of the Rowlatt Act (1919)?
The main objective of the Rowlatt Act was to suppress the nationalist movement and resistance to
British rule by giving the government the power to search any place and arrest any person without
any warrant.
59. In what way did the Non-Cooperation movement change the character of the Indian Freedom Movement?
The Non-Cooperation movement changed the character of the Indian Freedom Movement from
being a deliberative assembly and a passive resistance movement, to a genuine revolutionary
Organisation and an organised fighting movement.
60. What were the two major resolutions passed by the Congress during its Lahore Session in 1929?
The two resolutions were to attain complete independence or Purna Swaraj and to boycott the
Round Table Conference.
61. Why did the First Round Table Conference fail?
The First Round Table Conference failed because the issues of reserved seats for the Depressed
classes raised by B.R. Ambedkar and the „Adequate safeguard‟ raised by the Muslim League
delegates could not be resolved. Besides, the Congress did not take part in it which also added to its
failure.

Long Answer Type Questions:

1. Trace the growth of the Rowlatt Satyagraha headed by Mahatma Gandhi. How did this
movement represent a new stage in the growth of National Movement?
2. In the Context of Gandhian philosophy, discuss:
a) The concept of Satyagraha.
b) The Application of Satyagraha with reference to Ahmedabad Mill strike.
3. Discuss the ideal of Satyagraha as explained by Mahatma Gandhi.
4. What was the meaning and significance of Khilafat?
5. Describe the events leading to the Non-cooperation Movement in 1920-21?
6. Discuss the different phases of the Non-cooperation Movement.
7. Discuss the programme of the Non-cooperation Movement started by Mahatma Gandhi.
8. Evaluate the importance of the movement (the Non-cooperation Movement).
9. Did Gandhiji act wisely in calling off the Non-cooperation Movement in February 1922?
10. Why did the British government decide to send Simon Commission to India? Give an account of
the agitation against the Simon Commission in the years 1928 and 1929.
11. Briefly mention the reasons for the Simon Commission‘s visit to India in 1927. Describe the
agitation against the Simon Commission by the people of India.
12. What was the significance of the Lahore Session of December 1929 in the context of the
National Movement?
13. Briefly explain the major developments in the National Movement from 1920 to the Lahore
Session of the Indian National Congress in 1929.
14. Explain in detail the development of events since 1929 which led to the Gandhi-Irwin Pact of
1931.
15. Describe the courses of the National Movement from the Lahore Session of the Congress until
the withdrawl of the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1934.
16. What led to the outbreak of the Civil Disobedience Movement?
17. Trace the course of the Civil Disobedience Movement from 1930-1934 under the leadership of
Mahatma Gandhi.
18. Evaluate the importance of the Civil Disobedience Movement.
19. What were the clauses of the famous Gandhi-Irwin Pact of March, 1931? Mention its
significance.

Model Answers- Long Answer Type Questions:

Question No. 1
Write a detailed note on Kheda Movement. (12)

Answer:

The Kheda peasant struggle is also known as no-tax peasant struggle. It was a satyagraha launched in
March 1919, under the leadership of Gandhiji, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Indulal Yajnik, N.M. Joshi,
Shankerlal Pareekh and several others.
It was again an experiment, quite like that of Champaran, made on non-violence. It was also
participated by intelligentsia. Incidentally, the movement provided an opportunity to the educated
public workers to establish contact with the actual life of the peasantry. The educated workers learnt
to identify themselves with the peasantry and made themselves available for sacrifices.
The Kheda peasantry mainly consisted of the Patidar peasants. The Patidars have always been known
for their skills in agriculture. The land of Kheda , a part of central Gujarat, is quite fertile for the
cultivation of tobacco and cotton crops. Educationally also, the Patel cultivators are well-off. The
struggle of the peasants was organised for several causes.
However, a few important causes are given below:
(a) The government reassessed the Kheda land and the cultivated crops. On the basis of land data
collected in this way, the tax was increased. This was unacceptable to the peasants.
(b) The peasants had suffered a famine and this had resulted in a large-scale failure of crops. The
government, however, did not accept the failure of crops and insisted on the full realisation of land
tax. The peasantry, on the other hand, made its own inquires and emphasised persistently that the
government was not justified in demanding the full land tax.
The Gujarat Sabha consisting of the peasants, submitted petitions and telegrams to the highest
governing authorities of the province requesting for the suspension of the revenue assessment for the
year 1919. But the officials maintained and rejected the popular demand for non-payment of tax.
When the government refused to consider the demands of the Kheda peasants for non-payment of
land tax, Gandhiji exhorted the peasants to resort to satyagraba.
In some cases, the government removed the opium crop by alleging that it was without permission.
This was considered to be a mischievous technique adopted by the government. The Patidar peasants
and the intelligentsia developed its faith in satyagraha.
Gandhiji observed that the beginning of an awakening among the peasants of Gujarat had come. The
non-payment of land tax led the government officials to auction the peasants‘ cattle, confiscate their
houses, and take away their movable property. The peasants were given notices of fines and
penalties. The Kheda movement was terminated owing to the acceptance of some of the prime
demands of the peasants.
Some of the achievements of the struggles were as under:
(a) It was settled that the well-to-do Patidar peasants would pay up the land rent and the poorer ones
would be granted remissions. The bulk of the peasant mass who constituted the small farmers, were
by and large, satisfied.
(b) What is important about the movement is that it created an awakening among peasants about their
demands. On the other hand, they sought their involvement in the struggle for independence. The
impact of the success was also realized among the peasants of Gujarat and the neighbouring states.
(c) Writing about the wider success of Kheda movement, Sujajat Choudhary observes: The
acceptance of the peasants‘ demand brought a new awakening among the peasantry. The struggle
made them realise that their complete emancipation from injustice and exploitation would not happen
so long as their country did not achieve complete independence. The bureaucracy no longer appeared
to these people as their well-wishers but only agents of the alien regime.

Question No. 2
In the context of Gandhian philosophy, discuss:
a) The concept of Satyagraha. (6)
b) The application of Satyagraha with reference to the Ahmedabad Mill Strike. (6)

Answer:
a) Satyagraha means fighting injustice by voluntary submitting oneself to suffering. It is loosely translated as
―insistence on truth‖ or holding onto truth or truth forcé. It is a particular philosophy and practice within
the broader overall category generally known as non-violent resistance or civil resistance. The term
satyagraha was coined and developed by Mahatma Gandhi. He developed Satyagraha in the Indian
Independence movement and also during his earlier struggles in South Africa for Indian rights. Satyagraha
theory influenced Nelson Mandela‘s struggle in South Africa against Apartheid, Martin Luther King
Junior‘s and James Bevel‘s campaigns during Civil Rights movement in the United States and many other
social movements. Gandhi called anyone practicing satyagraha as satyagrahi.
In the context of satyagraha, truth includes:
i) Truth in speech, as opposed to falsehood.
ii) What is real, as opposed to non-existent.
iii) Good, as opposed to evil or bad.

b) In Ahmedabad, here were many textile mills. Prices had gone up and the mil workers wer demanding
higher wages. The mil owners would not agree. Gandhi sympathised with the workers and took up their
 cause. He launched a struggle and resorted to peaceful resistance. The workers proudly followed Gandhi
and pledged their full support to him. They paraded the streets with large banners, and said that they would
not go back to work until a settlement hade en reached. Days passed. The mil owners were adamant. The
strikers were getting impatient for they were facing starvation. Their discipline became weak. Gandhi
feared that some workers would break their pledge and go back to work. That would be a great moral
defeat.
One morning, he called the workers and said, ‗unless the strikers rally and continue to strike till a
settlement is reached, I will not touch any food.‘ The workers were shocked. ‗Not you, but we shall fast,‘
they said. ‗Please forgive us for our lapse; we shall remain faithful for our pledge.‘ Gandhi did not want
anybody else to fats. His fast was not against the mil owners, but against the lack of coordination and unity
among the workers. The fats lasted only for three days. It influenced the mil owners so much that they
came to an agreement with the workers.

Question No. 3
Trace the growth of the Rowlatt Satyagraha headed by Mahatma Gandhi. How did this movement
represent a new stage in the growth of National Movement? (12)

While trying to appease Indians on the one hand, the Government of India (the British) on the other hand was
also repressive. Throughout the war, repression of nationalists had continued. The terrorists and
revolutionaries had been hunted down, hanged and imprisoned. Many other nationalists such as Abul Kalam
Azam had also been kept behind bars. The government now decided to arm itself with more far-reaching
powers, which went against the accepted principles of rule of law, to be able to suppress those nationalists
who would refuse to be satisfied with the local reforms. In March 1919, it passed Rowlatt Act even though
every single Indian member of the Central Legislative Council opposed it. This act authorized the Government
to imprison any person without trial and conviction in a court of law. The Act would thus also enable the
government to suspend the right of Habeas Corpus which had been the foundation of civil liberties in Britain.
Along with other nationalists, Gandhiji was also upset by the Rowlatt Act. In February 1919, he founded the
Satyagraha Sabha whose members took a pledge to disobey the Act and thus, to court arrest and
imprisonment. Here was a new method of struggle. The nationalist movement, whether under moderate or
extremist leadership, had hitherto confined its struggle to agitation. Big meetings and demonstrations, refusal
to cooperate with the government, boycott of foreign clothes and schools, or individual acts of terrorism were
the only forms of political work known to the nationalists. Satyagraha immediately raised the movement to a
new, higher level. Nationalists could now act, instead of merely agitating and giving only verbal expression to
their dissatisfaction and anger. The movement moreover, was supposed to rely increasingly on the political
support of the peasants, artisans and the urban poor. Gandhiji asked the nationalist workers to go to the
villages. That is where India lives, he said. He increasingly turned the face of nationalism towards the
common man and the symbol of this transformation was to be khadi, or hand-spun and hand-woven cloth,
which soon became the uniform of the nationalists. He spun daily to emphasise the dignity of labour and the
value of self-reliance. India‘s salvation could come, he said, when the masses were wakened from their sleep
and became active in politics. And the people responded magnificently to Gandhi‘s call. March and April
1919 witnessed a remarkable political awakening in India. Almost the entire country came to life. There were
hartals, strikes, processions and demonstrations. The slogans of Hindu-Muslim unity filled the air. The entire
country was electrified. The Indian people were no longer willing to submit to the degradation of foreign rule.

Question No. 4
Discuss the different phases of the Non-Cooperation Movement. (6)
The Non-Cooperation Movement started as an extension to the Khilafat movement. The campaign for
Non-Cooperation and Boycott started with great enthusiasm all over India from early 1921. There were
many phases of this movement.
  In the first phase (Jan.-Mar.,1921), emphasis was given to the boycott of schools, colleges, law courts
and the use of Charka. The students took an active part and top lawyers like C.R. Das, Motilal Nehru,
Rajendra Prasad, Sardar Patel, Saifuddin Kitchlew and others gave up their legal practice.
 In the second phase (April, 1921) a move to collect Rupees one Crore was made for the Tilak Swaraj
fund, enrolling one Crore Congress members and installing 20 lakh charkas.
 In the third phase (July, 1921) boycott of British goods, boycott of the forth-coming visit of the
Prince of Wales in November 1921, popularization of Charka and Khadi and Jail Bharo were encouraged
by the Congress volunteers.
 In the last phase (November, 1921), the Congress volunteers led the people and the country on the
verge of revolt. Gandhiji had decided to start a no tax campaign in Bardoli (Gujarat) along with a mass
civil disobedience movement. Before mass civil disobedience started at Bardoli, a case of mob violence
at Chauri Chaura in U.P. took place. In reply to a police firing, some angry peasants set fire to police
station and twenty two policemen were burnt to death (5 Feb. 1922). Gandhiji was greatly shocked at this
incident and the Working Committee was summoned to Bardoli. At Gandhiji‘s insistence, the Non-
Cooperation movement was withdrawn on 12 Feb. 1922.

Question No. 5
In reference to the Non-Cooperation Movement, explain:
a) Importance of the Movement. (6)
b) Was it wise decision to call it off? (6)

Answer:
a) The Non-Cooperation Movement was a significant phase of the Indian Independence movement against
British rule. It was led by Mahatma Gandhi after the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. It aimed to resist British
rule in India through non-violent means, or ‗Ahimsa‘. Rotestors would refuse to buy British goods, adopt
the use of local handicrafts and picket liquor shops. The ideas of Ahimsa and non-violence, and Gandhi‘s
ability to rally hundreds of thousands of common citizens towards the cause of Indian independence, were
first seen on a large scale in this movement through the summer of 1920. The Non-Cooperation movement
was launched on 1st August, 1920.
b) The Non-Cooperation movement was started because of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. This was called
off because of the Chauri-Chaura incident.
When the Non-Cooperation Movement was still going on, a large mob gathered in a market place at
Chauri-Chaura to protest against the high meat prices. The protesters were beaten by the local police which
angered them. To scare off the large number of people, the local police started firing in the air but this only
angered them more. The protestors started shouting anti-government slogans and throwing stones at the
police station. So the police started firing at the people which killed three civilians and got many injured.
The protestors put the police station on fire killing 22 local Indian police.
Mahatma Gandhi who was strictly against himsa (violence), called off the Non-cooperation Movement
nationwide due to this. Gandhi feared that the movement might lead to popular unrest. It was a wise
decision to call the movement off as it might have led to nationwide militancy and violence which might
have resulted in the loss of many innocent lives including that of women and children, not to mention the
irreparable loss it would have caused to Indian infrastructure.

Question No. 6
What were the reasons for Civil Disobedience Movement? (6)
Gandhiji along with Motilal Nehru met the Viceroy Lord Irwin on December 23, 1929 and demanded definite
assurance that Dominion Status would be granted to India. But the Viceroy was unable to give such an
assurance. So the Gandhi-Irwin meeting proved futile. In the Lahore Session of the Congress (December 29,
1929 presided by Jawaharlal Nehru a resolution was adopted that complete independence or Poorna Swaraj
was the objective Congress wanted to secure. It was also decided to boycott the Round Table Conference and
on 31 December, 1929, Jawaharlal Nehru hoisted the tri-color national flag of India. 26th January, 1930,
was fixed as the First Independence day and on this date civil disobedience was supposed to commence.
The Congress Working Committee authorized Gandhiji to start Civil Disobedience as and when he thought
proper. But Gandhiji was not sure of his plan of action. He once again tried for compromise with the
government. He then placed ‗Eleven Points of Administrative Reform‘ and stated that if Lord Irwin
accepted them, there would be no need for agitation. The government response to Gandhiji‘s proposal was
negative. So Gandhiji decided to start the movement. On 12 March, 1930, Gandhiji started his historic march
from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi.
In conclusion we can say that Civil Disobedience movement was started in demand of self-governing status
for the Indians.

Question No. 7
With reference to the Non-Cooperation Movement discuss:
(a) Events that led to the Movement. [6]
Following are three important events that led to the Non-cooperation Movement:
(i) Khilafat Movement - The treatment meted out by the British government to the Caliph of Turkey
disturbed the Indian Muslims as he was seen as their religious head. As a result, they started the Khilafat
Movement under the leadership of the Ali brothers, Maulana Azad, Hasrat Mohani, etc. Gandhiji saw this as
an opportunity to achieve the much desired Hindu-Muslim unity and made efforts to make common cause
with the Khilafat leaders. He was elected as the President of the All-India Khilafat Conference in 1919 and
advised the Khilafat Committee to adopt a policy of non-cooperation with the British government. The
Khilafat leaders agreed and campaigned accordingly. Thus, the Khilafat Movement furthered the cause of the
Non-cooperation Movement.
(ii) Rowlatt Act - The Rowlatt Act of 1919 authorised the British government to arrest and imprison any
person without trial and convict him in a court. The authorities could arrest an Indian without a warrant and
could conduct his trial in seclusion. Also, the Act implied severe restrictions on movements of individuals and
suspension of the Right of Habeas Corpus. This was seen as a major breach of trust by Indians who were
expecting the British to deliver on their promise of providing self-government. Gandhiji appealed to the
Viceroy to withhold his consent to the Act but his plea fell on deaf ears.
(iii) Jallianwala Bagh Tragedy - The Jallianwala Bagh massacre and the subsequent British reaction to it was
a watershed event in the Indian freedom struggle. It led to a huge furor all over the country and hardened the
Congress resolve to attain self-government.
(b) Programme of the Movement as designed by Mahatma Gandhi. [6]
By offering a new programme of action based on non-violence, Gandhi instilled new faith and hope in the
minds of the people. People were asked to:
(i) Surrender all the titles and resign from nominated seats in local bodies.
(ii) Refuse to attend government and semi-government functions.
(iii) Boycott schools and colleges, aided or controlled by the government.
(iv) Boycott the British courts.
(v) Refuse to serve in Mesopotamia either in the military, clerical and labour class engagement.
(vi) Boycott the elections to be held for the Councils as suggested by the Reforms Act of 1919.
(vii) Boycott foreign goods.

Apart from these measures of non-cooperation with the government, people were asked to take up some
positive steps of national reconstruction. The different elements of this programme were:
 (i) Establishment of national educational institutions.
(ii) Setting up of Nyaya Panchayats.
(iii) Popularisation of ‗Swadeshi‘ with ‗Charakha‘ and yarn spinning.
(iv) Promotion of harmony between the Hindus and the Muslims.
(v) Removal of untouchability.
(vi) Steps for the emancipation of women.

The Jamia Milia and the National Muslim University etc. were also established. Khadi became the symbol of
liberation movement. Foreign cloth shops and liquor shops were boycotted. People voluntarily contributed to
the ‗Tilak Swarajya Fund‘, which was constituted to finance the noncooperation movement. Within a period
of six months, over a crore of rupees were collected. People observed complete ‗Hartal‘ and boycotted the
visit of the Prince of Wales.

Question No. 8
With reference to the Civil Disobedience Movement discuss the following:
(a) The Gandhi-Irwin Pact. [6]
(b) The Communal Award and The Poona Pact. [6]

(a) The Gandhi-Irwin Pact.

Gandhi Irwin Pact was signed on 5th March, 1931. Gandhiji who was imprisoned was released
unconditionally. The salient features of the Pact were:
i) The Congress agreed to participate in the Second Round Table Conference
ii) The Congress agreed to withdraw Civil Disobedience Movement.
iii) The boycott of British goods was withdrawn.
iv) The government agreed to withdraw ordinances promulgated in relation to Civil Disobedience Movement.
The political prisoners against whom there were no allegations were to be released and indemnities would be
paid to those who suffered in the movement.
v) The government conceded the right to make salt for consumption purpose only.

The Pact gave importance to the Congress and its leaders. The British authorities seemed to have understood
the importance of Gandhiji as the National leader and the role of many other leaders in the Freedom
movement.

(b) The Communal Award and The Poona Pact.

On 16th August 1932, Ramsay MacDonald announced his ‗Communal Award‘ accommodating separate
electorate for the Muslims, Sikhs and European voters. The recommendations were:
i) To double the existing seats in provincial legislatures.
ii) To retain the system of separate electorate for the minorities.
iii)To grant weightage top Muslim in provinces where they are minority.
iv) To reserve three percent seats for women in all provincial legislatures except in N.W. Frontier Province.
v) To recognise Depressed classes as minority and to make them entitled to the right to separate electorate,
and
vi) To allot seats to Labour, Landlords, Traders and Industrialists.

Protesting against this Gandhiji reacted by starting a fast unto death in Yervada jail. A timely compromise was
made by B.R. Ambedkar resulted in Poona Pact of 25 September, 1932. The reserved seats for the ‗Depressed
Classes‘ were still remained and depressed classes benefitted all the same.
Question No. 9
a) What were the different phases of Non Cooperation Movement 1920-21?
The Nob) n-Cooperation Movement started as an extension to the Khilafat movement. The campaign for
Non-Cooperation and Boycott started with great enthusiasm all over India from early 1921. There were
many phases of this movement.

 In the first phase (Jan.-Mar.,1921), emphasis was given to the boycott of schools, colleges, law courts
and the use of Charka. The students took an active part and top lawyers like C.R. Das, Motilal Nehru,
Rajendra Prasad, Sardar Patel, Saifuddin Kitchlew and others gave up their legal practice.
 In the second phase (April, 19210) a move to collect Rupees one Crore was made for the Tilak
Swaraj fund, enrolling one Crore Congress members and installing 20 lakh charkas.
 In the third phase (July, 1921) boycott of British goods, boycott of the forth-coming visit of the
Prince of Wales in November 1921, popularization of Charka and Khadi and Jail Bharo were
encouraged by the Congress volunteers.
 In the last phase (November, 1921), the Congress volunteers led the people and the country on the
verge of revolt. Gandhiji had decided to start a no tax campaign in Bardoli (Gujarat) along with a
mass civil disobedience movement. Before mass civil disobedience started at Bardoli, a case of mob
violence at Chauri Chaura in [Link] place. In reply to a police firing, some angry peasants set fire to
police station and twenty two policemen were burnt to death (5 Feb. 1022). Gandhiji was greatly
shocked at this incident and the Working Committee was summoned to Bardoli. At Gandhiji‘s
insistence, the Non-Cooperation movement was withdrawn on 12 Feb. 1922.
b) Why was Civil Disobedience Movement (1930-34) started?
Gandhiji along with Motilal Nehru met the Viceroy Lord Irwin on December 23, 1929 and demanded
definite assurance that Dominion Status would be granted to India. But the Viceroy was unable to give
such an assurance. So the Gandhi-Irwin meeting proved futile. In the Lahore Session of the Congress
(December 29, 1929 presided by Jawaharlal Nehru a resolution was adopted that complete independence or
Poorna Swaraj was the objective Congress wanted to secure. It was also decided to boycott the Round
Table Conference and on 31 December, 1029, Jawaharlal Nehru hoisted the tri-color national flag of
India. 26th January, 1930, was fixed as the First Independence day and on this date civil disobedience
was supposed to commence.
The Congress Working Committee authorized Gandhiji to start Civil Disobedience as and when he thought
proper. But Gandhiji was not sure of his plan of action. He once again tried for compromise with the
government. He then placed ‗Eleven Points of Administrative Reform‘ and stated that if Lord Irwin
accepted them, there would be no need for agitation. The government response to Gandhiji‘s proposal was
negative. So Gandhiji decided to start the movement. On 12 march, 1930, Gandhiji started his historic
march from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi.
In conclusion we can say that Civil Disobedience movement was started in demand of self-governing
status for the Indians.

Question No. 10
The era of Gandhian nationalism witnessed the introduction and development of passive movements. In
this context discuss:
(a) The circumstance and events that led to the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1920. [6]
Following are three important events that led to the Non-cooperation Movement:
(i) Khilafat Movement - The treatment meted out by the British government to the Caliph of Turkey
disturbed the Indian Muslims as he was seen as their religious head. As a result, they started the Khilafat
Movement under the leadership of the Ali brothers, Maulana Azad, Hasrat Mohani, etc. Gandhiji saw this as
an opportunity to achieve the much desired Hindu-Muslim unity and made efforts to make common cause
with the Khilafat leaders. He was elected as the President of the All-India Khilafat Conference in 1919 and
advised the Khilafat Committee to adopt a policy of non-cooperation with the British government. The
Khilafat leaders agreed and campaigned accordingly. Thus, the Khilafat Movement furthered the cause of the
Non-cooperation Movement.
(ii) Rowlatt Act - The Rowlatt Act of 1919 authorised the British government to arrest and imprison any
person without trial and convict him in a court. The authorities could arrest an Indian without a warrant and
could conduct his trial in seclusion. Also, the Act implied severe restrictions on movements of individuals and
suspension of the Right of Habeas Corpus. This was seen as a major breach of trust by Indians who were
expecting the British to deliver on their promise of providing self-government. Gandhiji appealed to the
Viceroy to withhold his consent to the Act but his plea fell on deaf ears.
(iii) Jallianwala Bagh Tragedy - The Jallianwala Bagh massacre and the subsequent British reaction to it was
a watershed event in the Indian freedom struggle. It led to a huge furor all over the country and hardened the
Congress resolve to attain self-government.
By offering a new programme of action based on non-violence, Gandhi instilled new faith and hope in the
minds of the people. People were asked to:
(i) Surrender all the titles and resign from nominated seats in local bodies.
(ii) Refuse to attend government and semi-government functions.
(iii) Boycott schools and colleges, aided or controlled by the government.
(iv) Boycott the British courts.
(v) Refuse to serve in Mesopotamia either in the military, clerical and labour class engagement.
(vi) Boycott the elections to be held for the Councils as suggested by the Reforms Act of 1919.
(vii) Boycott foreign goods

Apart from these measures of non-cooperation with the government, people were asked to take up some
positive steps of national reconstruction. The different elements of this programme were:
(i) Establishment of national educational institutions.
(ii) Setting up of Nyaya Panchayats.
(iii) Popularisation of ‗Swadeshi‘ with ‗Charakha‘ and yarn spinning.
(iv) Promotion of harmony between the Hindus and the Muslims.
(v) Removal of untouchability.
(vi) Steps for the emancipation of women.

The Jamia Milia and the National Muslim University etc. were also established. Khadi became the symbol of
liberation movement. Foreign cloth shops and liquor shops were boycotted. People voluntarily contributed to
the ‗Tilak Swarajya Fund‘, which was constituted to finance the noncooperation movement. Within a period
of six months, over a crore of rupees were collected. People observed complete ‗Hartal‘ and boycotted the
visit of the Prince of Wales.

(b) The Salt Satyagraha during the period 12th March to 16th April 1930. [6]
As the British Government did not show any interest in providing meaningful political concessions to Indians,
Gandhiji decided to start the Civil Disobedience Movement. On 2th March 1930, Gandhiji wrote his famous
letter to Lord Irwin, the Viceroy of India, narrating the evils of the British rule. He also communicated the
decision to launch the ‗Satyagraha‘ campaign by manufacturing salt at Dandi, a village on the sea coast of
Gujarat, in case his eleven point demands were turned down by the Government.
Some of these demands were, abolition of salt tax, reduction of the land revenue, reduction of military
expenditure and expenditure on civil administration, imposition of custom duty on foreign cloth, release of all
political prisoners, and prohibition of intoxicants. When Lord Irwin did not pay any attention to his demands
and warned him of the consequences of his action, Gandhiji was left with no alternative but to start the Civil
Disobedience Movement.
On March 12, 1930, Gandhiji led a march from his Sabarmati Ashram with his 78 followers and reached the
sea at Dandi on 5th April 1930. The distance covered was 241 miles. There was tremendous enthusiasm
among the people during the march. On the morning of 6th April Gandhiji and other ‗Satyagrahis‘ prepared
salt as an instance of breaking the Salt Law. In response to Gandhiji‘s call for Civil Disobedience, the people
of India took part in the movement in large number.
Mostly, the activities of the ‗Satyagrahis‘ were taking out processions, holding of meetings, boycotting of
foreign goods, withholding payment of and revenue, picketing in front of the liquor shops, violating restraint
orders, distributing leaflets among the people, celebrating national weeks etc.. Thousands of women also came
out of their homes to participate in the movement and even did not fear imprisonment. The imperialistic
government was alarmed. The people who first doubted the very approach of Gandhi that a small object like
salt could not be an issue of a national movement, now were forced to change their opinion.
Government resorted to severe repression. Mass arrests, torture, firing, lathi charges and police excesses
became common incidents. The Congress was outlawed and nearly, 90000 people were put behind the bar. On
5th May 1930, Gandhiji and other top leaders of Congress were imprisoned. Meanwhile, the British
Government summoned the First Round Table Conference at London on 12 November 1930 to discuss the
Simon Commission Report. But when Congress boycotted it, the conference was adjourned to die.
Gandhiji and other important leaders of the Congress were released from jails in the last week of January
1931. The situation forced the British Government to negotiate with the Congress for a reapproachment. As a
result of a long negotiation, on 5th March 1931, the Gandhi-Irwin Pact was signed. The government agreed to
remove all the repressive ordinances, to restore the confiscated property, to set free all the prisoners except
those who were guilty of having committed any violence.
The government also allowed the manufacture of salt by the people and for peaceful picketing before the
liquor shops and foreign goods shops. In return, the Congress agreed to suspend the Civil Disobedience
Movement and to attend the Second Round Table Conference. With this pact, the government indirectly
accepted the Congress as the representative organisation of the Indians.

Question No. 11
Why did the British Government decide to send Simon Commission to India? Give an account of the
agitation against the Simon Commission in the years 1928-29. (12)
Answer:

To expand the participation of Indians in government affairs, the Parliament of the United Kingdom
had passed an Act called ‗The Government of India Act 1919.‘ The Act introduced the system of
diarchy in British India, which was opposed by the Indian nationalist leaders, who demanded the
administration to review the system. The act envisaged a system of review of reforms after ten years
to study and analyse the constitutional progress and to bring in more reforms. Though, the review
was due in the year 1929, the Conservative government, which was in power back then, decided to
form the Commission that would study the constitutional progress of India in the late 1920s. The
reason behind forming the Commission earlier was the Conservative government‘s fear of losing to
the ‗Labour Party‘ in the upcoming elections. Since the Conservative government did not want the
‗Labour Party‘ to take over British India, it constituted a commission consisting of seven British MPs
to study the constitutional progress in British India as promised earlier.
People in India were infuriated and felt insulted, for the Commission, which had been constituted to
analyse and recommend constitutional reforms for India, did not have a single Indian member. The
Simon Commission was strongly opposed by the Congress and other nationalist leaders and common
people. Many protests were carried out individually as well as in groups, urging the British
administration to review the constitution of the Commission. In December 1927, the Indian National
Congress, in its meeting in Madras, resolved to boycott the Commission. It also challenged the
Secretary of State for India, Lord Birkenhead, to draft a constitution that would please the Indians.
Led by Mohammed Ali Jinnah, some of the members of the ‗Muslim League‘ too, had made up their
minds to boycott the Commission. The Commission, headed by Sir John Allsebrook Simon, left
England in January 1928 and reached India on February 3, 1928. As soon as the Commission‘s
arrived in Bombay, it was greeted by thousands of protestors, who demanded the Commission to go
back. Many were seen holding placards and other sign boards that had the words "Go Back Simon"
written on them. There were nation-wide strikes and people greeted the Commission with black
flags. Wherever the commission went, it received the same response. On October 30, 1928, the
Commission decided to visit Lahore. Just like other places, the people of Lahore decided to protest
against the Commission. Led by one of the most prominent Indian nationalist leaders Lala Lajpat
Rai, a group of people was protesting against the Commission‘s Lahore visit. The protest was
peaceful and violence was reported, but in an act of retaliation. James A. Scott, the then
superintendent of police, ordered a ‗lathi charge‘ (baton charge) against the protestors. Many claimed
that Scott had personally assaulted Lala Lajpat Rai, injuring him severely in the process. In spite of
being subjected to brutal blows at the hands of James A. Scott and his team of policemen, Lala
Lajpat Rai addressed the crowd even before the arrival of medical help and stated that the ‗blows
struck at him were the final set of nails in British India‘s coffin.‘ Lala Lajpat Rai never completely
recovered from the injuries. On November 17, 1928, the fiery nationalist leader died of cardiac
arrest. Though the doctors believed that his death could have been catalyzed by the injuries caused
by the baton charge, the British government denied its role in Lajpat Rai‘s death. Lala Lajpat Rai‘s
untimely demise saddened the entire country and Bhagat Singh, who did not share Lala Lajpat Rai‘s
methods of attaining independence, but respected the elderly leader for his efforts in the freedom
movement, vowed to take revenge on James A. Scott. This led to the murder of the then assistant
superintendent of police, John P. Saunders, who was killed by Bhagat Singh and Rajguru in a classic
case of mistaken identity.
In its May 1930 report, the Commission proposed the eradication of diarchy system and suggested
the establishment of representative government in various provinces. Much before the Simon
Commission‘s report, Motilal Nehru submitted his ‗Nehru Report‘ in September 1928 to counter the
Commission‘s charges, which suggested that Indians still lacked constitutional consensus. The
‗Nehru Report‘ pushed for dominion status for India with complete internal self-government. The
British government had seen the opposition the Simon Commission faced in India. While the report
was still to be published, the British government tried to calm down people by saying that the
opinion of Indians will be taken into account in any such future exercise and that the natural outcome
of the constitutional reforms will be a dominion status for India.

Question No. 12
In the context of the Lahore Session of December 1929, discuss:
(a) Significance of the session. [6]
(b) Major Developments in the National Movement till the Lahore Session. [6]
Answer:

(a) There is a lot of importance attached to the Lahore session of the Indian National Congress which
was held on December 31, 1929 – January 1, 1930. Following are some of the main points:
(i) It was during this session when the tricolor was unfurled for the first time by nationalists.
(ii) A pledge was taken that January 26 will be celebrated as the ―Independence Day‖ every year.
(iii) The people would unceasingly strive for the establishment of a Sovereign Democratic Republic
of India.
(iv) The session was presided over by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, which showed the growing strength of
the Leftists in the Congress.
(v) The signs of the imminent Civil Disobedience Movement were visible in this Congress session
only.
(vi) A new interpretation of ‗Swaraj‘ was accepted, which now meant ‗complete independence‘. (vii)
The Congress decided not to participate in the Round Table Conference.
(viii)The Nehru Report was declared to be null and void in the Lahore Congress.

(b) In mid-February 1930, the working committee of Congress entrusted Gandhiji with the
responsibility to launch the Civil Disobedience movement at a time and place of his choice. The
movement was started with the famous Dandi March. On March 12, 1930, Gandhiji, along with
78 of his followers began his foot march from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi, a village on the sea
shore in Surat district, about 375 km away from Sabarmati Ashram. On 6 April 1930, by picking
up a handful of salt, Gandhiji inaugurated the Civil Disobedience movement.
The movement now spread rapidly, with the violation of salt laws all over the country. This was
soon followed by defiance of forest laws in Maharashtra, Karnataka and the Central Provinces.
Everywhere in the country people joined hartals, demonstrations and the campaigns to boycott
foreign goods and refused to pay taxes. In many parts of the country, the peasants refused to pay
land revenue and rent and their lands were confiscated. There was wide participation of women
in the agitations. Thousands of them took active part in picketing in front of shops selling
foreign clothes and liquor. The movement reached the extreme north-western corner of India.
The Pathans of north- west frontier under Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, popularly known as the
Frontier Gandhi, made a remarkable contribution to the movement with the organization known
as Khudai Khidmadgarh. In Peshawar, Garhwali soldiers refused to fire at non-violent agitators.
Similarly, the movement spread to the eastern-most corner of India. The Manipuris took an
active part in it and Nagaland produced brave heroine in Rani Gaidilieu. The young Rani was
captured in 1932 and sentenced to life imprisonment. She was released only in 1947 by the
Government of free India. The Government adopted ruthless measures to crush the movement
through lathi charges and firing on unarmed crowds. Over 90,000 Satyagrahis, including
Gandhiji and other Congress leaders, were imprisoned. The Congress was declared illegal. The
nationalist press was prevented from speaking freely through strict censorship of news.

Question No. 13
Trace the course of Civil Disobedience Movement during 1930 to 1934 under the leadership of
Mahatma Gandhi. (12)

Answer:
As the British Government did not show any interest in providing meaningful political concessions
to Indians, Gandhiji decided to start the Civil Disobedience [Link] 2th March 1930, Gandhiji
wrote his famous letter to Lord Irwin, the Viceroy of India, narrating the evils of the British rule. He
also communicated the decision to launch the ‗Satyagraha‘ campaign by manufacturing salt at Dandi,
a village on the sea coast of Gujarat, in case his eleven point demands were turned down by the
Government.
Some of these demands were, abolition of salt tax, reduction of the land revenue, reduction of
military expenditure and expenditure on civil administration, imposition of custom duty on foreign
cloth, release of all political prisoners, and prohibition of intoxicants. When Lord Irwin did not pay
any attention to his demands and warned him of the consequences of his action, Gandhiji was left
with no alternative but to start the Civil Disobedience Movement.
On March 12, 1930, Gandhiji led a march from his Sabarmati Ashram with his 78 followers and
reached the sea at Dandi on 5th April 1930. The distance covered was 241 miles. There was
tremendous enthusiasm among the people during the march. On the morning of 6th April Gandhiji
and other ‗Satyagrahis‘ prepared salt as an instance of breaking the Salt Law. In response to
Gandhiji‘s call for Civil Disobedience, the people of India took part in the movement in large
number.
Mostly, the activities of the ‗Satyagrahis‘ were taking out processions, holding of meetings,
boycotting of foreign goods, withholding payment of and revenue, picketing in front of the liquor
shops, violating restraint orders, distributing leaflets among the people, celebrating national weeks
etc.. Thousands of women also came out of their homes to participate in the movement and even did
not fear imprisonment. The imperialistic government was alarmed. The people who first doubted the
very approach of Gandhi that a small object like salt could not be an issue of a national movement,
now were forced to change their opinion.
Government resorted to severe repression. Mass arrests, torture, firing, lathi charges and police
excesses became common incidents. The Congress was outlawed and nearly, 90000 people were put
behind the bar. On 5th May 1930, Gandhiji and other top leaders of Congress were imprisoned.
Meanwhile, the British Government summoned the First Round Table Conference at London on 12
November 1930 to discuss the Simon Commission Report. But when Congress boycotted it, the
conference was adjourned to die.
Gandhiji and other important leaders of the Congress were released from jails in the last week of
January 1931. The situation forced the British Government to negotiate with the Congress for a
reapproachment. As a result of a long negotiation, on 5th March 1931, the Gandhi-Irwin Pact was
signed. The government agreed to remove all the repressive ordinances, to restore the confiscated
property, to set free all the prisoners except those who were guilty of having committed any violence.
The government also allowed the manufacture of salt by the people and for peaceful picketing before
the liquor shops and foreign goods shops. In return, the Congress agreed to suspend the Civil
Disobedience Movement and to attend the Second Round Table Conference. With this pact, the
government indirectly accepted the Congress as the representative organisation of the Indians.
Since the British Government did not accept any important demands of the Congress, the pact was
subjected to criticism. The Congress ratified the pact at the Karachi Session of March 1931. But
there was protest against it. Even Gandhi was shown black flags when he arrived to attend the
session.
It was due to his failure to get the release of Bhagat Singh and two of his comrades who had been
given death sentence and were executed only two days before the Karachi session of the Congress.
However, the Congress suspended the Civil Disobedience Movement and deputed Gandhiji as the
sole representative of the Congress to participate in the Second Round Table Conference.
In the Second Round Table Conference, Gandhiji made it clear that India would think of Dominion
status, if it was to be given at once and in full and also, India would be made equal with Britain. But
the Conservative Party which came to power in the general elections of November 1931, refused to
concede the demands of Gandhiji. So, Gandhiji could not achieve any practical success and returned
empty handed. Lord Irwin was replaced by Lord Willingdon as the Viceroy of India and he again
revived the repressive policy of the government.
The new Viceroy regarded the Gandhi—Irwin Pact as dead and gone. The moment Gandhiji reached
India, he was arrested along with many other leaders. A reign of terror was let loose. In this
circumstance, Gandhi decided to revive the Civil Disobedience Movement and it was again started in
January 1932. The Viceroy was determined to crush the movement. All important Congress leaders
were arrested, their properties were confiscated, the Congress was declared illegal. Despite the police
atrocities, the movement continued for more than six months.
In August 1932, British Prime Minister Ramsay Macdonald announced the ―Communal Award‖ by
providing separate electorate to Muslims, Sikhs, Europeans and the other depressed class. Gandhiji
started his fast till death which created a deep emotion among the leaders of all sections of the
people. An agreement known as Poona Pact was signed with the leaders of the oppressed classes.
The Pact provided representation to depressed classes along with the caste Hindus and their seats
were to be reserved on the basis of their population. However, it is alleged that the Poona Pact
shifted the attention of the Indian leaders from the central motive of the movement. When Gandhiji
became concerned with the Harijan movement, his lion became weak on the Civil Disobedience
Movement. Hence, the movement lost its vigor and vitality. The Congress officially suspended the
movement in May 1933 and withdrew it in April 1934.