Civil disobedience movement - Class 10 PDF Download

Breaking of Salt Act gave rise to Civil Disobedience Movements. Major difference between Civil Disobedience Movement and Non cooperation movement was, non cooperation movement refused to cooperate with British but Civil Disobedience Movement refuses to cooperate and also to break the British law.

Effect of Civil Disobedience Movement

All over the country salt laws were broken. Moreover, demonstration were held in front of government, salt factories. Foreign clothes were boycotted. People were stopped from entering in the liquor shops. Also, peasants refuse to pay revenue and taxes. People gave resignation from government jobs. Moreover, forest laws were violated by forest people.

Reaction of British Government on Civil Disobedience Movement

Increasing success of the movement, caused a sort of fright among the British government. Hence, they started arresting congress leaders , thereby, leading to violent clashes. After arrest of Abdul Ghaffar Khan in 1930, angry people held demonstrations in streets of Peshawar, even in presence of armed police. After arrest of Mahatma Gandhi, people of Sholapur attacked on all structures having symbol of british rule like police post, municipal buildings, etc. in response to this, government showed harsh behaviour by beating and keeping people in jail.

Round Table Conference in London

In this situation, Gandhiji called off the movement and signed agreement with Irwin on 5 March 1931. Hence, this agreement was known as Gandhi Irwin Pact. in agreement Gandhiji, agreed to participate in Round Table Conference in London and British Government agreed to to release political prisoners. After returning from the conference, Gandhiji found that Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Jawaharlal Nehru were still in jail. Also, meetings, demonstrations were strictly banned. Civil disobedience movement was relaunched. Till 1934, movement again lost its momentum.

Participants and the movement

Each and everyone had different reasons to participate in movement. Government rejected the request of rich peasant to reduce the revenue demand. As rich peasants were producers of commercial crops, hence they participated in various boycott programmes. When movement was called off they were forced to pay revenue, thereby, creating disappointments. Poor peasants participated in movement led by communist and socialist. Main reason to join the movement was , they wanted landlords to excuse rents for rented lands they were using for cultivation.


Merchants and industrialist participated in the movement because, they wanted to get relaxation in government policies so as to expand their business. They formed Indian Industrial and Commercial Congress in 1920 and the Federation of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) in 1927. These were led by top industrialists such as Purushottamdas Thakurdas and G. D. Birla. They supported movement and also boycotted the imported goods. Industrial workers of Nagpur region took part in movement, and majority of didn’t. This was because their demands were against industrialists. Civil disobedience movement had large participation of womens. In urban areas womens from high caste participated in protest marches. In rural areas, womens from rich families participated in movement. They participated in protest marches, stopped people from going in liquor shops and foreign cloth.

Limits of Civil Disobedience

Congress did not involved Dalits or Oppressed peoples in movement due to fear of high caste Hindus. Later, Mahatma Gandhi declared that it is impossible achieve swaraj without untouchables. He organised satyagraha to provide access of public wells, roads , schools to untouchables. But Dalit leaders wanted Reservation, Access to Education, and Separate Region for Dalit from where they can choose member for Legislative Assembly. Thus dalit participation in the movement was limited.