Back to: MBOSE Social Science Class 10
What is meant by the idea of Satyagraha?
Mahatma Gandhi Started a mass agitation called Satyagraha. It emphasized the force of truth and the need to search for truth. It says if cause was true, there is no need to use physical force, it could be won with non-violence.
Mahatma Gandhi believed that dharma of non-violence could unite all Indians and organized following Satyagraha movements.
- 1916 Champaran Movement of Peasants for plantation system
- 1917 Kheda Movement to support peasants of Kheda.
- 1918 Ahmedabad Movement for cotton mill workers.
How the First World War helped in the growth of the National Movement in India. or Impact of First World war in India.
- The war created a new economic and political situation which was due to huge huge increase in defense expenditure which was financed by war loans and increasing taxes. Custom duties were raised and income tax introduced.
- Through the war years prices increased –doubling between 1913 and 1918 leading to extreme hardship for the common people.
- Villagers were called upon to supply soldiers and the forced recruitment in rural areas caused widespread anger.
- Then in 1918-19 and 1920-21, crops failed in many parts in India, resulting in acute shortage of food.
- This was accomplished by an influenza epidemic. According to the census of 1921, 12 to 13 million people perished as a result of famines and the epidemic.
- People hoped that their hardships would end after the war was over. But that did not happen.
- This spread of anger against the British strengthened the national movement.
Why did Gandhiji decide to launch a nationwide Satyagraha against the proposed Rowlatt Act of 1919? How was it organized?
- Rowlatt Act was passed through the Imperial Legislative Council on a report of the Sedition Committee, headed by Justice Rowlatt.
- Through this Act, the Government gave vast power to the police to search a place and arrest any person without a warrant, and hold the trial witout jury.
- This Act was passed despite the united opposition of the Indian members of the Council.
- The Act deprived the Indians of their civil rights.
This Act became one of the factors due to which Gandhiji launched Non-Cooperation Movement. It was organised in the following ways:
- Gandhiji wanted a non-violent civil disobedience against such unjust laws.
- It started with hartal on 6th April 1919.
- Rallies were organised in various cities in India.
- Workers in the railway work shop went on strike.
- Shops were closed down in protest.
Gandhiji decided to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement due to the following reasons:
- The movement was turning violent at few places. In 1922, at Chauri-Chaura in Gorakhpur, a group volunteers picketing a liquor shop were beaten up by a police officer.
- In protest a group of peasants went to the police station, bolted the door and set fire to the police station killing 22 Police men.
- This incident shocked Gandhiji and he immediately withdrew the movement. Gandhiji felt that the Safyagrahis needed to be properly trained before they would be ready for mass struggle.
- Within the Congress, some leaders were tired of mass struggles and wanted to participate in elections to the provincial councils.
Why did Mahatma Gandhi find in ‘salt’ a powerful symbol that could unite the nation? Explain.
Gandhiji wrote a letter to Viceroy Irwin against the background of some demands which were specific and general in nature. Of all, the demand for abolition of salt tax was the most important one. So, Gandhiji thought to raise the demand for the abolition of Salt tax with which the society could be brought together. He saw in the act a powerful message that would unite Indians for a mass struggle. Salt was one such commodity that was used by every section of the society. The British government had imposed tax and acquired monopoly rights to produce salt. It resulted in increase in its price.
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre
A large peaceful crowd gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar on April 13, 1919 to protest against the arrest of leaders Dr Saifuddin Kitchlu and Dr. Satya Pal. The Government had already proclaimed a ban on any kind of mass gathering, meetings, and processions. The Public meeting so called at Jallianwala Bagh Violated government’s so called prologue motion.
Jalliawala Bagh had only one exit; its other three sires were enclosed by buildings. General Dyer, the military commander surrounded the bagh (garden) with his soldiers. After closing the exit his troops, he ordered them to shoot at the crowd. The troops kept on firing till their ammunition was exhausted. About 1000 innocent demonstrators were killed and many more wounded. The massacre stunned the whole country. The government imposed martial law in Punjab. Under martial law , people were tortured, newspapers were banned and mails were censored.
Simon Commission
The Indian People were agitated and the movement for freedom grew stronger and stronger day by day. The Sion Commission was constituted by the Tory Government in Britain, under sir John Simon. The objective of the commission was to look into the functioning of the constitutional system in India and suggest some constitutional changes. But nationalists in India opposed the Commission because it had not a single Indian member. Therefore, when the Simon Commission came to Lahore, Lala Lajpat Rai and some other people greeted them with black flags and the slogans “Simon Go back” . The British police gave severe lathi blows to Lala Lajpat Rai and the others. Lalaji was badly wounded and later died.
Why did political leaders differ sharply over the question of separate electorates?
- The Indian political leaders differ sharply over the question of separate electorates because they believed that separate electorates would slow down the process of their integration into society.
- In 1930, Sir Muhammad Iqbal, the President of Muslim League, re-stated the importance of separate electrodes for the Muslims as an important safeguard for their minority political interests. After the Non-Cooperation, Khilafat Movement was called off, as a result of which the Muslims felt alienated. Eventually, Congress came to be associated with more Hindu religious groups and the rift between Hindus and Muslims grew deeper. Riots and clashes among the two groups increased. Negotiations were tried to be made. Jinnah demanded that Muslims should be given assurance for the fact that seats are reserved for them in the Central assembly and proportional representation of Muslim-dominated regions were carried out. However, all the attempts for negotiations went in vain.
- Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, who organized the dalits into the Depressed Classes Association in 1930, clashed with Gandhi at the Second Round Table Conference by demanding separate electorates for dalits. When the British Government conceded Ambedkar’s demand, Gandhiji began a fast unto death. Ambedkar ultimately accepted Gandhi’s position.
Non Cooperation Movement and Civil Disobedience Movement
| Non Cooperation Movement | Civil Disobedience Movement |
| It means to refuse to co-operate govt | It means to refuse to obey the laws formed by the British. |
| This movement was launched to unify Hindus and Muslims. | This movement was launched to attain purna swaraj. |
| This movement began in the year of 1921. | This movement began in 1930. |
| Women didn’t participate in this movement on a large scale. | A woman’s participated in this movement on large scale. |
| The main cause for this movement include massacre at the Jallianwalla Bagh and the Rowlett act. | The main cause for this movement includes the unjust laws of the British govt, the failure of Simon Commission. |
Describe the Salt March Undertaken by Mahatma Gandhi
In 1920, Gandhiji declared that he would lead a march to break the salt law.
- According to this law, the state had a monopoly on the manufacture and sale of salt.
- Mahatma Gandhi along with other nationalists reasoned that it is an essential item of our food, and Salt Tax to be abolished.
- Gandhiji and his followers marched for over 240 miles from Sabarmati to the Coastal town of Dandi, where they broke the government law by gathering natural salt found on the seashore & boiling sea water to produce salt.
Khilafat Movement: The first word war had ended with the defeat of Ottoman Empire in Turkey. There were rumours that a harsh peace treaty was going to be imposed on the Ottoman Empire.
- The Ottoman King was considered as the spiritual head of the Islamic World (Khalifa). Thus, there was huge anger among all the Muslims all over the world. This is known as Khilafat Issue.
- In India, to oppose that treaty Muhammad Ali and Saukat Ali formed Khilafat Committee in Bombay in March 1919. This is known as Khilafat movement.
- The Khilafat movement however did not last long owing to some violent incidents in the country which resulted in the deaths of many Indian and British people, Mahatma Gandhi called off his Non Cooperation Movement.
- This was a major jolt to the Khilafat Movement.
- The Movement received its final blow in March 1924, when the original Khilafat movement in Turkey was abolished following the Islamic country’s conversion from a Sultanate empire to a Republic.
How did Non Cooperative Movement Start with participation of middle class people in the Cities? Explain its impact on the economic front.
Non Cooperation Movement started with participation of middle class people in the cities. Their participation were as under.
- They boycotted schools and colleges run by the government.
- They resigned from their official posts.
- They picketed shops selling foreign goods.
- They put foreign goods in bonfire.
Its impact on the economic front was as follows:
- Foreign goods were boycotted, liquor shops picketed and foreign cloth burnt in huge bonfires.
- The import of foreign clothes halved between 1921 and 1922. Its value dropped from Rs 102 crore to Rs 57 crore.
- In many places merchants and traders refused to trade in foreign goods or finance foreign trade.
Peasants and Tribal with Non Cooperation Movement: The Gudem Rebellion spread in response to Gandhiji’s Non Cooperation Movement. Some of the features of this rebellion are:
- In the Gudem hills of Andhra Pradesh, a militant guerrilla movement spread in the early 1920s under the leadership of Alluri Sitaram Raju.
- The hill people got enraged when the colonial government prevented them from entering the forest tp graze their cattle, or to collect fuel wood & fruits.
- This considered Sitaram Raju as an incarnation of God inspired by Gandhiji’s Non Cooperation Movement. Raju persuaded the Gudem rebels to wear Khadi and give up drinking. But at the same time he asserted that India could be liberated only by the use of force, non by non-violence.
- The Gudem rebels attacked police stations attempted to kill British Officials & carried on guerilla warfare for achieving swaraj.
Plantation Workers and Non Cooperation Movement: These workers who plant cash crops like indigo, rubber, tea coffee etc. In Assam most of the workers were engaged in tea production. According to Inland Emigration Act 1859, the planters had to work as a bonded labour and cannot move freely. They had to immigrate (move) in the land, they were working. They were rarely permitted to move throughout the year to go home. The Plantation workers demanded right to move freely in and out in confined space in which they are enclosed. They wanted freedom and meant a link with the village from which they had come.