1. Introduction

The Indian National Movement was one of the greatest mass movements in modern history. This chapter traces the growth of nationalism in India from the 1920s and examines the Non-Cooperation and Civil Disobedience Movements led by Mahatma Gandhi.

We will explore how the Congress sought to develop a unified national movement, how different social groups participated, and how nationalism captured the imagination of millions of Indians through symbols, songs, and a sense of collective identity.

2. First World War and Indian Nationalism

World War I (1914-1918) created a new economic and political situation in India that fueled nationalist sentiments.

Economic Impact of the War

• Defence expenditure increased massively, financed by war loans and increased taxes

• Customs duties were raised and income tax was introduced

• Prices doubled between 1913 and 1918, causing extreme hardship

• Forced recruitment in rural areas caused widespread anger

• Crop failures in 1918-19 led to acute food shortage

• Influenza epidemic killed 12-13 million people

3. The Idea of Satyagraha

Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa in January 1915. He had already developed a novel method of mass agitation called Satyagraha.

What is Satyagraha?

Satyagraha literally means "truth force" or "holding onto truth". Its key features were:

• Emphasizes the power of truth and the need to search for truth

• Uses non-violent methods to resist injustice

• Does not seek to destroy the oppressor but to appeal to their conscience

• A Satyagrahi could win the battle through non-aggression

• Physical force was not necessary to fight the oppressor

Gandhi's Early Satyagrahas in India

Year	Place	Issue	Outcome
1917	Champaran (Bihar)	Indigo planters exploitation	Success - oppressive system ended
1917	Kheda (Gujarat)	Peasants could not pay revenue due to crop failure	Revenue collection relaxed
1918	Ahmedabad	Cotton mill workers wages dispute	Workers got 35% wage increase

4. Rowlatt Act and Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

The Rowlatt Act (1919)

In 1919, the Imperial Legislative Council passed the Rowlatt Act, despite unanimous opposition from Indian members:

• Gave the government enormous powers to repress political activities

• Allowed detention of political prisoners for up to 2 years without trial

• Indians called it the "Black Act"

• Gandhi launched a nationwide Satyagraha against it on 6 April 1919

• Called for a hartal (strike) across the country

Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (13 April 1919)

Aftermath of the Massacre

• Martial law was imposed in Punjab

• People were humiliated and forced to crawl on streets

• People were forced to salute all British persons

• Villages were bombed

• Rabindranath Tagore renounced his knighthood in protest

• The Hunter Commission was set up to investigate

• The massacre permanently scarred Indo-British relations

5. Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-1922)

Why Non-Cooperation?

Gandhi believed that British rule in India survived only because of the cooperation of Indians. If Indians refused to cooperate, British rule would collapse within a year.

The Khilafat Issue

The Khilafat Movement (1919-1924) provided an opportunity to unite Hindus and Muslims:

• After WWI, the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) was defeated

• The Ottoman Khalifa was the spiritual head of Muslims worldwide

• There were rumors the British would impose a harsh treaty on Turkey

• Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali (Ali Brothers) led the Khilafat Movement

• Gandhi supported Khilafat to bring Hindu-Muslim unity

Programme of the Movement

At the Calcutta session of Congress (September 1920), the Non-Cooperation Movement was launched with the following programme:

Category	Actions Proposed
Titles and Honours	Surrender titles, honours, and government awards
Government Services	Boycott civil services, army, police, courts, and legislative councils
Education	Boycott government schools and colleges
Foreign Goods	Boycott foreign cloth and goods; promote Swadeshi
Alternative	Establish national schools, colleges, and arbitration courts

Spread of the Movement

• The movement spread to towns and countryside

• Thousands of students left government schools

• Many lawyers, including Motilal Nehru, C.R. Das, C. Rajagopalachari, gave up practice

• Foreign cloth was boycotted; bonfires of foreign cloth were held

• Import of foreign cloth fell from Rs 102 crore (1920-21) to Rs 57 crore (1921-22)

• Production of Indian cloth (Khadi) increased

Chauri Chaura Incident (February 1922)

6. Civil Disobedience Movement (1930-1934)

Background

After the withdrawal of Non-Cooperation Movement:

• C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru formed the Swaraj Party in 1923

• In 1928, the Simon Commission came to India (all-British, no Indian members)

• It was greeted with the slogan "Simon Go Back"

• In December 1929, the Lahore Congress under Jawaharlal Nehru declared Purna Swaraj (Complete Independence)

• 26 January 1930 was celebrated as Independence Day

Gandhi's Eleven Demands

On 31 January 1930, Gandhi sent a letter to Viceroy Irwin with eleven demands:

• Reduce land revenue by 50%

• Abolish the salt tax

• Reduce military expenditure

• Impose protective duty on foreign cloth

• Release political prisoners

• Reform the CID (Criminal Investigation Department)

When Irwin refused to negotiate, Gandhi launched the Civil Disobedience Movement.

7. Salt March / Dandi March (1930)

Why Salt?

Gandhi chose salt as a powerful symbol because:

• Salt was consumed by everyone - rich and poor

• It was an essential item of food

• The salt tax and British monopoly over its production was highly oppressive

• Breaking the salt law would unite people of all classes

Key Facts About Dandi March

Spread of Civil Disobedience

• Salt laws were broken in different parts of the country

• Foreign cloth was boycotted

• Liquor shops were picketed

• Peasants refused to pay revenue and chowkidar taxes

• Village officials resigned

• People violated forest laws by entering Reserved Forests

Gandhi-Irwin Pact (5 March 1931)

• Abdul Ghaffar Khan was arrested in April 1930

• Gandhi was arrested in May 1930

• Over 100,000 people were arrested

• Gandhi-Irwin Pact signed on 5 March 1931

• Gandhi agreed to participate in the Second Round Table Conference

• The government agreed to release political prisoners

• The conference failed; movement relaunched in December 1931

• Movement lost momentum by 1934

8. Different Social Groups in the Movement

Rich Peasants (Patidars, Jats)

• Patidars of Gujarat and Jats of UP were enthusiastic supporters

• As producers of commercial crops, they were hit by falling prices

• Demanded reduction of revenue

• Disappointed when movement was called off in 1931

Poor Peasants

• Wanted unpaid rent to be remitted

• Wanted the land they had lost to be returned

• Congress was reluctant to support their demands

Business Classes

• Formed FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce) in 1920

• Supported Swaraj to end colonial restrictions on trade

• Gave financial assistance to the movement

Industrial Working Class

• Did not participate in large numbers

• Some workers selectively adopted boycott of foreign goods

• Railway workers struck in 1930; dock workers in 1932

Women

• Participated in large numbers for the first time

• Participated in protest marches, making salt, picketing shops

• Many were arrested

• Gandhi saw their role as bringing moral influence

Dalits (Untouchables)

• Dr. B.R. Ambedkar organized Dalits into Depressed Classes Association (1930)

• Demanded separate electorates for Dalits

• Gandhi called Dalits "Harijans" (Children of God)

• Gandhi fasted unto death against separate electorates

• Poona Pact (September 1932) - Dalits got reserved seats but voted within general electorate

Muslims

• Some Muslim organizations were lukewarm to Civil Disobedience

• After Non-Cooperation-Khilafat, many felt alienated from Congress

• Hindu-Muslim riots occurred in many cities

• Muhammad Ali Jinnah wanted reserved seats for Muslims

9. Sense of Collective Belonging

Nationalism spreads when people begin to believe they are part of the same nation. This sense of belonging was created through:

Bharat Mata (Mother India)

• Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote Vande Mataram (novel: Anandamath, 1882)

• Later set to music by Rabindranath Tagore

• Abanindranath Tagore painted the famous image of Bharat Mata

• Portrayed as an ascetic figure - calm, composed, divine, spiritual

• Shown giving learning, food, and clothing

The National Flag

• During Swadeshi Movement: tricolour (red, green, yellow) with eight lotuses and crescent moon

• 1921: Gandhi designed Swaraj flag - tricolour (red, green, white) with spinning wheel (charkha) in the centre

• Carrying the flag became a symbol of defiance

Folk Songs and Reinterpretation of History

• Nationalists collected folk tales, songs, and legends

• Rabindranath Tagore collected ballads, nursery rhymes, myths in Bengal

• Natesa Sastri collected folklore from Tamil region

• Indians began to write their own history highlighting India's great past

10. Important Dates at a Glance

Year/Date	Event
1915	Gandhi returns to India from South Africa
1917	Champaran Satyagraha (Bihar)
1918	Kheda Satyagraha; Ahmedabad Mill Strike
March 1919	Rowlatt Act passed
13 April 1919	Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
1920	Non-Cooperation and Khilafat Movement launched
Feb 1922	Chauri Chaura incident; Movement withdrawn
1928	Simon Commission arrives; Simon Go Back
Dec 1929	Lahore Congress; Purna Swaraj declared
26 Jan 1930	First Independence Day celebrated
12 Mar 1930	Dandi March begins
6 Apr 1930	Gandhi breaks salt law at Dandi
Mar 1931	Gandhi-Irwin Pact signed
Sep 1932	Poona Pact (Gandhi-Ambedkar)
1934	Civil Disobedience Movement ends

11. Key Historical Figures

Person	Contribution
🙏 Mahatma Gandhi	Father of the Nation; Led all major movements
🌹 Jawaharlal Nehru	Declared Purna Swaraj; First PM of India
📜 Dr. B.R. Ambedkar	Leader of Dalits; Poona Pact signatory
🏴 Abdul Ghaffar Khan	Frontier Gandhi; Led Khudai Khidmatgar
👬 Ali Brothers	Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali; Khilafat leaders
🎨 Abanindranath Tagore	Painted Bharat Mata image
✍️ Bankim Chandra	Wrote Vande Mataram (Anandamath)
⚔️ Alluri Sitarama Raju	Tribal leader; Gudem Hills uprising

12. Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

Salt became a symbol of unity across all classes

• It received worldwide attention and exposed British oppression

• Over 100,000 people were arrested during the movement