TN History Textbook: The Indian National Movement (1917-1947) | Old & New NCERTs for IAS Preparation (Must Read) - UPSC PDF Download

 Page 1


159 158
1891. In April 1893 he went to South Africa and involved himself in
the struggle against apartheid (Racial discrimination against the
Blacks) for twenty years. Finally, he came to India in 1915.
Thereafter, he fully involved himself in the Indian National Movement.
Mahatma Gandhi began his experiments with Satyagraha
against the oppressive European indigo planters at Champaran in
Bihar in 1917. In the next year he launched another Satyagraha at
Kheda in Gujarat in support of the peasants who were not able to
pay the land tax due to failure of crops. During this struggle, Sardar
Vallabhai Patel emerged as one of the trusted followers of Gandhi.
In 1918, Gandhi undertook a fast unto death for the cause of
Ahmedabad Mill Workers and finally the mill owners conceded
the just demands of the workers.
On the whole, the local movements at Champaran, Kheda and
Ahmedabad brought Mahatma Gandhi closer to the life of the people
and their problems at the grass roots level.  Consequently, he became
the leader of the masses.
Rowlatt Act (1919)
In 1917, a committee was set up under the presidentship of Sir
Sydney Rowlatt to look into the militant Nationalist activities. On the
basis of its report the Rowlatt Act was passed in March 1919 by the
Central Legislative Council. As per this Act, any person could be
arrested on the basis of suspicion. No appeal or petition could be
filed against such arrests. This Act was called the Black Act and it
was widely opposed. An all-India hartal was organized on 6 April
1919. Meetings were held all over the country. Mahatma Gandhi
was arrested near Delhi. Two prominent leaders of Punjab, Dr Satya
Pal and      Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew, were arrested in Amritsar.
Advent of Gandhi
The third and final phase of the
Nationalist Movement [1917-1947] is known as
the Gandhian era. During this period Mahatma
Gandhi became the undisputed leader of the
National Movement. His principles of non-
violence and Satyagraha were employed
against the British Government. Gandhi made
the nationalist movement a mass movement.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born
at Porbandar in Gujarat on 2 October 1869. He
studied law in England. He returned to India in
LESSON 16
THE INDIAN NATIONAL MOVEMENT (1917-1947)
Learning Objectives
Students will acquire knowledge about
1. The life of Mahatma Gandhi and his involvement in Indian
freedom struggle.
2. The impact of Jallianwala Bagh massacre on the national
movement.
3. The Khilafat and Non-Cooperation Movement.
4. The Civil-Disobedience Movement and Salt Satyagraha.
5. The Quit India Movement and its impact on the Freedom
Struggle.
6. The Cabinet Mission Plan.
MAHATMA GANDHI
Page 2


159 158
1891. In April 1893 he went to South Africa and involved himself in
the struggle against apartheid (Racial discrimination against the
Blacks) for twenty years. Finally, he came to India in 1915.
Thereafter, he fully involved himself in the Indian National Movement.
Mahatma Gandhi began his experiments with Satyagraha
against the oppressive European indigo planters at Champaran in
Bihar in 1917. In the next year he launched another Satyagraha at
Kheda in Gujarat in support of the peasants who were not able to
pay the land tax due to failure of crops. During this struggle, Sardar
Vallabhai Patel emerged as one of the trusted followers of Gandhi.
In 1918, Gandhi undertook a fast unto death for the cause of
Ahmedabad Mill Workers and finally the mill owners conceded
the just demands of the workers.
On the whole, the local movements at Champaran, Kheda and
Ahmedabad brought Mahatma Gandhi closer to the life of the people
and their problems at the grass roots level.  Consequently, he became
the leader of the masses.
Rowlatt Act (1919)
In 1917, a committee was set up under the presidentship of Sir
Sydney Rowlatt to look into the militant Nationalist activities. On the
basis of its report the Rowlatt Act was passed in March 1919 by the
Central Legislative Council. As per this Act, any person could be
arrested on the basis of suspicion. No appeal or petition could be
filed against such arrests. This Act was called the Black Act and it
was widely opposed. An all-India hartal was organized on 6 April
1919. Meetings were held all over the country. Mahatma Gandhi
was arrested near Delhi. Two prominent leaders of Punjab, Dr Satya
Pal and      Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew, were arrested in Amritsar.
Advent of Gandhi
The third and final phase of the
Nationalist Movement [1917-1947] is known as
the Gandhian era. During this period Mahatma
Gandhi became the undisputed leader of the
National Movement. His principles of non-
violence and Satyagraha were employed
against the British Government. Gandhi made
the nationalist movement a mass movement.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born
at Porbandar in Gujarat on 2 October 1869. He
studied law in England. He returned to India in
LESSON 16
THE INDIAN NATIONAL MOVEMENT (1917-1947)
Learning Objectives
Students will acquire knowledge about
1. The life of Mahatma Gandhi and his involvement in Indian
freedom struggle.
2. The impact of Jallianwala Bagh massacre on the national
movement.
3. The Khilafat and Non-Cooperation Movement.
4. The Civil-Disobedience Movement and Salt Satyagraha.
5. The Quit India Movement and its impact on the Freedom
Struggle.
6. The Cabinet Mission Plan.
MAHATMA GANDHI
161 160
 Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, M.A. Ansari, Saifuddin Kitchlew
and the Ali  brothers were the prominent leaders of this movement.
A Khilafat Committee had been formed and on 19
th
 October 1919,
the whole country had observed the Khilafat day. On 23 November,
a joint conference of the Hindus and the Muslims had also been held
under the chairmanship of Mahatma Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi was
particularly interested in bringing the Hindus and the Muslims together
to achieve the country’s independence. Subsequently, the Khilafat
Movement merged with the Non-Cooperation Movement launched
by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920.
Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-1922)
Mahatma Gandhi announced his plan to begin Non-Cooperation
with the government as a sequel to the Rowlatt Act, Jallianwala Bagh
massacre and the Khilafat Movement. It was approved by the Indian
National Congress at the Nagpur session in December, 1920.
Programmes
The programmes of the Non-Cooperation Movement were:
" Surrender of titles and honorary positions.
" Resignation of membership from the local bodies.
" Boycott of elections held under the provisions of the 1919
Act.
" Boycott of government functions.
" Boycott of courts, government schools and colleges.
" Boycott of foreign goods.
" Establishment of national schools, colleges and private
panchayat courts.
" Popularizing swadeshi goods and khadi.
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (13 April, 1919)
The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre took place on 13 April 1919
and it remained a turning point in the history of India’s freedom
movement. In Punjab, there was an unprecedented support to the
Rowlatt Satyagraha. Facing a
violent situation, the Government
of Punjab handed over the
administration to the military
authorities under General Dyer.
He banned all public meetings and
detained the political leaders. On
13
th
 April, the Baisakhi day
(harvest festival), a public
meeting was organized at the Jallianwala Bagh (garden). Dyer
marched in and without any warning opened fire on the crowd. The
firing continued for about 10 to 15 minutes and it stopped only after
the ammunition exhausted. According to official report 379 people
were killed and 1137 wounded in the incident. There was a nation-
wide protest against this massacre and Rabindranath Tagore
renounced his knighthood as a protest. The Jallianwala Bagh massacre
gave a tremendous impetus to the freedom struggle.
Khilafat Movement
The chief cause of the Khilafat Movement was the defeat of
Turkey in the First World War. The harsh terms of the Treaty of
Sevres (1920) was felt by the Muslims as a great insult to them.
The whole movement was based on the Muslim belief that the Caliph
(the Sultan of Turkey) was the religious head of the Muslims all over
the world. The Muslims in India were upset over the British attitude
against Turkey and launched the Khilafat Movement.
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
Page 3


159 158
1891. In April 1893 he went to South Africa and involved himself in
the struggle against apartheid (Racial discrimination against the
Blacks) for twenty years. Finally, he came to India in 1915.
Thereafter, he fully involved himself in the Indian National Movement.
Mahatma Gandhi began his experiments with Satyagraha
against the oppressive European indigo planters at Champaran in
Bihar in 1917. In the next year he launched another Satyagraha at
Kheda in Gujarat in support of the peasants who were not able to
pay the land tax due to failure of crops. During this struggle, Sardar
Vallabhai Patel emerged as one of the trusted followers of Gandhi.
In 1918, Gandhi undertook a fast unto death for the cause of
Ahmedabad Mill Workers and finally the mill owners conceded
the just demands of the workers.
On the whole, the local movements at Champaran, Kheda and
Ahmedabad brought Mahatma Gandhi closer to the life of the people
and their problems at the grass roots level.  Consequently, he became
the leader of the masses.
Rowlatt Act (1919)
In 1917, a committee was set up under the presidentship of Sir
Sydney Rowlatt to look into the militant Nationalist activities. On the
basis of its report the Rowlatt Act was passed in March 1919 by the
Central Legislative Council. As per this Act, any person could be
arrested on the basis of suspicion. No appeal or petition could be
filed against such arrests. This Act was called the Black Act and it
was widely opposed. An all-India hartal was organized on 6 April
1919. Meetings were held all over the country. Mahatma Gandhi
was arrested near Delhi. Two prominent leaders of Punjab, Dr Satya
Pal and      Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew, were arrested in Amritsar.
Advent of Gandhi
The third and final phase of the
Nationalist Movement [1917-1947] is known as
the Gandhian era. During this period Mahatma
Gandhi became the undisputed leader of the
National Movement. His principles of non-
violence and Satyagraha were employed
against the British Government. Gandhi made
the nationalist movement a mass movement.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born
at Porbandar in Gujarat on 2 October 1869. He
studied law in England. He returned to India in
LESSON 16
THE INDIAN NATIONAL MOVEMENT (1917-1947)
Learning Objectives
Students will acquire knowledge about
1. The life of Mahatma Gandhi and his involvement in Indian
freedom struggle.
2. The impact of Jallianwala Bagh massacre on the national
movement.
3. The Khilafat and Non-Cooperation Movement.
4. The Civil-Disobedience Movement and Salt Satyagraha.
5. The Quit India Movement and its impact on the Freedom
Struggle.
6. The Cabinet Mission Plan.
MAHATMA GANDHI
161 160
 Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, M.A. Ansari, Saifuddin Kitchlew
and the Ali  brothers were the prominent leaders of this movement.
A Khilafat Committee had been formed and on 19
th
 October 1919,
the whole country had observed the Khilafat day. On 23 November,
a joint conference of the Hindus and the Muslims had also been held
under the chairmanship of Mahatma Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi was
particularly interested in bringing the Hindus and the Muslims together
to achieve the country’s independence. Subsequently, the Khilafat
Movement merged with the Non-Cooperation Movement launched
by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920.
Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-1922)
Mahatma Gandhi announced his plan to begin Non-Cooperation
with the government as a sequel to the Rowlatt Act, Jallianwala Bagh
massacre and the Khilafat Movement. It was approved by the Indian
National Congress at the Nagpur session in December, 1920.
Programmes
The programmes of the Non-Cooperation Movement were:
" Surrender of titles and honorary positions.
" Resignation of membership from the local bodies.
" Boycott of elections held under the provisions of the 1919
Act.
" Boycott of government functions.
" Boycott of courts, government schools and colleges.
" Boycott of foreign goods.
" Establishment of national schools, colleges and private
panchayat courts.
" Popularizing swadeshi goods and khadi.
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (13 April, 1919)
The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre took place on 13 April 1919
and it remained a turning point in the history of India’s freedom
movement. In Punjab, there was an unprecedented support to the
Rowlatt Satyagraha. Facing a
violent situation, the Government
of Punjab handed over the
administration to the military
authorities under General Dyer.
He banned all public meetings and
detained the political leaders. On
13
th
 April, the Baisakhi day
(harvest festival), a public
meeting was organized at the Jallianwala Bagh (garden). Dyer
marched in and without any warning opened fire on the crowd. The
firing continued for about 10 to 15 minutes and it stopped only after
the ammunition exhausted. According to official report 379 people
were killed and 1137 wounded in the incident. There was a nation-
wide protest against this massacre and Rabindranath Tagore
renounced his knighthood as a protest. The Jallianwala Bagh massacre
gave a tremendous impetus to the freedom struggle.
Khilafat Movement
The chief cause of the Khilafat Movement was the defeat of
Turkey in the First World War. The harsh terms of the Treaty of
Sevres (1920) was felt by the Muslims as a great insult to them.
The whole movement was based on the Muslim belief that the Caliph
(the Sultan of Turkey) was the religious head of the Muslims all over
the world. The Muslims in India were upset over the British attitude
against Turkey and launched the Khilafat Movement.
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
163 162
3. It also marked the height of Hindu-Muslim unity as a result of
the merger of Khilafat movement.
4. It demonstrated the willingness and ability of the masses to
endure hardships and make sacrifices.
Swaraj Party
The suspension of the Non-Cooperation Movement led to a
split within Congress in the Gaya session of the Congress in
December 1922. Leaders like Motilal Nehru and  Chittranjan Das
formed a separate group within the Congress
known as the Swaraj Party on 1 January 1923.
The Swarajists wanted to contest the council
elections and wreck the government from within.
Elections to Legislative Councils were held in
November 1923.  In this, the Swaraj Party gained
impressive successes. In the Central Legislative
Council Motilal Nehru became the leader of the
party whereas in Bengal the party was headed by C.R. Das.
The Swaraj Party did several significant things in the Legislative
Council. It demanded the setting up of responsible government in
India with the necessary changes in the Government of India Act of
1919. The party could pass important resolutions against the repressive
laws of the government. When a Committee chaired by the Home
Member, Alexander Muddiman considered the system of Dyarchy
as proper, a resolution was passed against it in the Central Legislative
Council. After the passing away of C.R. Das in June 1925, the Swarj
Party started weakening.
Simon Commission (1927)
The Act of 1919 included a provision for its review after a
lapse of ten years.  However, the review commission was appointed
MOTILAL NEHRU 
The movement began with Mahatma Gandhi renouncing the
titles, which were given by the British. Other leaders and influential
persons also followed him by surrendering their honorary posts and
titles.  Students came out of the government educational institutions.
National schools such as the Kashi Vidyapeeth, the Bihar Vidyapeeth
and the Jamia Millia Islamia were set up. All the prominent leaders
of the country gave up their lucrative legal practice. Legislatures
were boycotted. No leader of the Congress came forward to contest
the elections for the Legislatures.
In 1921, mass demonstrations were held against the Prince of
Wales during his tour of India. The government resorted to strong
measures of repression. Many leaders were arrested. The Congress
and the Khilafat Committees were proclaimed as illegal. At several
places, bonfires of foreign clothes were organised. The message of
Swadeshi spread everywhere. Most of the households took to
weaving cloths with the help of charkhas.
But the whole movement was abruptly called off on 11
th
February 1922 by Gandhi following the Churi Chaura incident in
the Gorakpur district of U.P. Earlier on 5
th
 February an angry mob
set fire to the police station at Churi Chaura and twenty two police
men were burnt to death. Many top leaders of the country were
stunned at this sudden suspension of the Non-Cooperation Movement.
Mahatma Gandhi was arrested on 10 March 1922.
Significance of the Non-Cooperation Movement
1. It was the real mass movement with the participation of
different sections of Indian society such as peasants, workers,
students, teachers and women.
2. It witnessed the spread of nationalism to the remote corners of
India.
Page 4


159 158
1891. In April 1893 he went to South Africa and involved himself in
the struggle against apartheid (Racial discrimination against the
Blacks) for twenty years. Finally, he came to India in 1915.
Thereafter, he fully involved himself in the Indian National Movement.
Mahatma Gandhi began his experiments with Satyagraha
against the oppressive European indigo planters at Champaran in
Bihar in 1917. In the next year he launched another Satyagraha at
Kheda in Gujarat in support of the peasants who were not able to
pay the land tax due to failure of crops. During this struggle, Sardar
Vallabhai Patel emerged as one of the trusted followers of Gandhi.
In 1918, Gandhi undertook a fast unto death for the cause of
Ahmedabad Mill Workers and finally the mill owners conceded
the just demands of the workers.
On the whole, the local movements at Champaran, Kheda and
Ahmedabad brought Mahatma Gandhi closer to the life of the people
and their problems at the grass roots level.  Consequently, he became
the leader of the masses.
Rowlatt Act (1919)
In 1917, a committee was set up under the presidentship of Sir
Sydney Rowlatt to look into the militant Nationalist activities. On the
basis of its report the Rowlatt Act was passed in March 1919 by the
Central Legislative Council. As per this Act, any person could be
arrested on the basis of suspicion. No appeal or petition could be
filed against such arrests. This Act was called the Black Act and it
was widely opposed. An all-India hartal was organized on 6 April
1919. Meetings were held all over the country. Mahatma Gandhi
was arrested near Delhi. Two prominent leaders of Punjab, Dr Satya
Pal and      Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew, were arrested in Amritsar.
Advent of Gandhi
The third and final phase of the
Nationalist Movement [1917-1947] is known as
the Gandhian era. During this period Mahatma
Gandhi became the undisputed leader of the
National Movement. His principles of non-
violence and Satyagraha were employed
against the British Government. Gandhi made
the nationalist movement a mass movement.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born
at Porbandar in Gujarat on 2 October 1869. He
studied law in England. He returned to India in
LESSON 16
THE INDIAN NATIONAL MOVEMENT (1917-1947)
Learning Objectives
Students will acquire knowledge about
1. The life of Mahatma Gandhi and his involvement in Indian
freedom struggle.
2. The impact of Jallianwala Bagh massacre on the national
movement.
3. The Khilafat and Non-Cooperation Movement.
4. The Civil-Disobedience Movement and Salt Satyagraha.
5. The Quit India Movement and its impact on the Freedom
Struggle.
6. The Cabinet Mission Plan.
MAHATMA GANDHI
161 160
 Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, M.A. Ansari, Saifuddin Kitchlew
and the Ali  brothers were the prominent leaders of this movement.
A Khilafat Committee had been formed and on 19
th
 October 1919,
the whole country had observed the Khilafat day. On 23 November,
a joint conference of the Hindus and the Muslims had also been held
under the chairmanship of Mahatma Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi was
particularly interested in bringing the Hindus and the Muslims together
to achieve the country’s independence. Subsequently, the Khilafat
Movement merged with the Non-Cooperation Movement launched
by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920.
Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-1922)
Mahatma Gandhi announced his plan to begin Non-Cooperation
with the government as a sequel to the Rowlatt Act, Jallianwala Bagh
massacre and the Khilafat Movement. It was approved by the Indian
National Congress at the Nagpur session in December, 1920.
Programmes
The programmes of the Non-Cooperation Movement were:
" Surrender of titles and honorary positions.
" Resignation of membership from the local bodies.
" Boycott of elections held under the provisions of the 1919
Act.
" Boycott of government functions.
" Boycott of courts, government schools and colleges.
" Boycott of foreign goods.
" Establishment of national schools, colleges and private
panchayat courts.
" Popularizing swadeshi goods and khadi.
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (13 April, 1919)
The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre took place on 13 April 1919
and it remained a turning point in the history of India’s freedom
movement. In Punjab, there was an unprecedented support to the
Rowlatt Satyagraha. Facing a
violent situation, the Government
of Punjab handed over the
administration to the military
authorities under General Dyer.
He banned all public meetings and
detained the political leaders. On
13
th
 April, the Baisakhi day
(harvest festival), a public
meeting was organized at the Jallianwala Bagh (garden). Dyer
marched in and without any warning opened fire on the crowd. The
firing continued for about 10 to 15 minutes and it stopped only after
the ammunition exhausted. According to official report 379 people
were killed and 1137 wounded in the incident. There was a nation-
wide protest against this massacre and Rabindranath Tagore
renounced his knighthood as a protest. The Jallianwala Bagh massacre
gave a tremendous impetus to the freedom struggle.
Khilafat Movement
The chief cause of the Khilafat Movement was the defeat of
Turkey in the First World War. The harsh terms of the Treaty of
Sevres (1920) was felt by the Muslims as a great insult to them.
The whole movement was based on the Muslim belief that the Caliph
(the Sultan of Turkey) was the religious head of the Muslims all over
the world. The Muslims in India were upset over the British attitude
against Turkey and launched the Khilafat Movement.
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
163 162
3. It also marked the height of Hindu-Muslim unity as a result of
the merger of Khilafat movement.
4. It demonstrated the willingness and ability of the masses to
endure hardships and make sacrifices.
Swaraj Party
The suspension of the Non-Cooperation Movement led to a
split within Congress in the Gaya session of the Congress in
December 1922. Leaders like Motilal Nehru and  Chittranjan Das
formed a separate group within the Congress
known as the Swaraj Party on 1 January 1923.
The Swarajists wanted to contest the council
elections and wreck the government from within.
Elections to Legislative Councils were held in
November 1923.  In this, the Swaraj Party gained
impressive successes. In the Central Legislative
Council Motilal Nehru became the leader of the
party whereas in Bengal the party was headed by C.R. Das.
The Swaraj Party did several significant things in the Legislative
Council. It demanded the setting up of responsible government in
India with the necessary changes in the Government of India Act of
1919. The party could pass important resolutions against the repressive
laws of the government. When a Committee chaired by the Home
Member, Alexander Muddiman considered the system of Dyarchy
as proper, a resolution was passed against it in the Central Legislative
Council. After the passing away of C.R. Das in June 1925, the Swarj
Party started weakening.
Simon Commission (1927)
The Act of 1919 included a provision for its review after a
lapse of ten years.  However, the review commission was appointed
MOTILAL NEHRU 
The movement began with Mahatma Gandhi renouncing the
titles, which were given by the British. Other leaders and influential
persons also followed him by surrendering their honorary posts and
titles.  Students came out of the government educational institutions.
National schools such as the Kashi Vidyapeeth, the Bihar Vidyapeeth
and the Jamia Millia Islamia were set up. All the prominent leaders
of the country gave up their lucrative legal practice. Legislatures
were boycotted. No leader of the Congress came forward to contest
the elections for the Legislatures.
In 1921, mass demonstrations were held against the Prince of
Wales during his tour of India. The government resorted to strong
measures of repression. Many leaders were arrested. The Congress
and the Khilafat Committees were proclaimed as illegal. At several
places, bonfires of foreign clothes were organised. The message of
Swadeshi spread everywhere. Most of the households took to
weaving cloths with the help of charkhas.
But the whole movement was abruptly called off on 11
th
February 1922 by Gandhi following the Churi Chaura incident in
the Gorakpur district of U.P. Earlier on 5
th
 February an angry mob
set fire to the police station at Churi Chaura and twenty two police
men were burnt to death. Many top leaders of the country were
stunned at this sudden suspension of the Non-Cooperation Movement.
Mahatma Gandhi was arrested on 10 March 1922.
Significance of the Non-Cooperation Movement
1. It was the real mass movement with the participation of
different sections of Indian society such as peasants, workers,
students, teachers and women.
2. It witnessed the spread of nationalism to the remote corners of
India.
165 164
· Full responsible government at the centre.
· Autonomy to the provinces.
· Clear cut division of power between the centre and the
provinces.
· A bicameral legislature at the centre.
However, the leader of the Muslim League, Mohammad Ali
Jinnah regarded it as detrimental to the interests of the Muslims.
Jinnah convened an All India Conference of the Muslims where he
drew up a list of Fourteen Points as Muslim League demand.
Civil Disobedience Movement (1930-1934)
In the prevailing atmosphere of restlessness, the annual session of the
Congress was held at Lahore in December 1929. During this session presided
over by Jawaharlal Nehru the Congress passed the Poorna Swaraj resolution.
Moreover, as the government failed to accept the Nehru Report, the Congress
gave a call to launch the Civil Disobedience Movement. The Congress had
also observed January 26, 1930 as the Day of Independence. Since then
January 26
th
 had been observed as a day of independence every year. The
same date later became the Republic Day when the Indian Constitution was
enforced in 1950.
The Dandi March
 Thus, the stage was set for the
second major struggle led by the
Congress. On 12
th
 March 1930,
Gandhi began his famous March to
Dandi with his chosen 79 followers to
break the salt laws. He reached the
coast of Dandi on 5 April 1930 after
marching a distance of 200 miles and on 6 April formally launched
the Civil Disobedience Movement by breaking the salt laws.
Dandi March
by the British Government two years earlier of its schedule in 1927.
It came to be known as Simon Commission after the name of its
chairman, Sir John Simon. All its seven members were Englishmen.
As there was no Indian member in it, the Commission faced a lot of
criticism even before its landing in India. Almost all the political parties
including the Congress decided to oppose the Commission.
On the fateful day of 3 February 1928 when the Commission
reached Bombay, a general hartal was observed all over the country.
Everywhere it was greeted with black flags and the cries of ‘Simon
go back’. At Lahore, the students took out a large anti-Simon
Commission demonstration on 30 October 1928 under the leadership
of Lala Lajpat Rai.  In this demonstration, Lala Lajpat Rai was
seriously injured in the police lathi charge and he passed away after
one month.
The report of the Simon Commission was published in May
1930. It was stated that the constitutional experiment with Dyarchy
was unsuccessful and in its place the report recommended the
establishment of autonomous government. There is no doubt that the
Simon Commission’s Report became the basis for enacting the
Government of India Act of 1935.
Nehru Report (1928)
In the meanwhile, the Secretary of State, Lord Birkenhead,
challenged the Indians to produce a Constitution that would be
acceptable to all. The challenge was accepted by the Congress, which
convened an all party meeting on 28 February 1928. A committee
consisting of eight was constituted to draw up a blueprint for the
future Constitution of India. It was headed by Motilal Nehru. The
Report published by this Committee came to be known as the Nehru
Report. The Report favoured:
· Dominion Status as the next immediate step.
Page 5


159 158
1891. In April 1893 he went to South Africa and involved himself in
the struggle against apartheid (Racial discrimination against the
Blacks) for twenty years. Finally, he came to India in 1915.
Thereafter, he fully involved himself in the Indian National Movement.
Mahatma Gandhi began his experiments with Satyagraha
against the oppressive European indigo planters at Champaran in
Bihar in 1917. In the next year he launched another Satyagraha at
Kheda in Gujarat in support of the peasants who were not able to
pay the land tax due to failure of crops. During this struggle, Sardar
Vallabhai Patel emerged as one of the trusted followers of Gandhi.
In 1918, Gandhi undertook a fast unto death for the cause of
Ahmedabad Mill Workers and finally the mill owners conceded
the just demands of the workers.
On the whole, the local movements at Champaran, Kheda and
Ahmedabad brought Mahatma Gandhi closer to the life of the people
and their problems at the grass roots level.  Consequently, he became
the leader of the masses.
Rowlatt Act (1919)
In 1917, a committee was set up under the presidentship of Sir
Sydney Rowlatt to look into the militant Nationalist activities. On the
basis of its report the Rowlatt Act was passed in March 1919 by the
Central Legislative Council. As per this Act, any person could be
arrested on the basis of suspicion. No appeal or petition could be
filed against such arrests. This Act was called the Black Act and it
was widely opposed. An all-India hartal was organized on 6 April
1919. Meetings were held all over the country. Mahatma Gandhi
was arrested near Delhi. Two prominent leaders of Punjab, Dr Satya
Pal and      Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew, were arrested in Amritsar.
Advent of Gandhi
The third and final phase of the
Nationalist Movement [1917-1947] is known as
the Gandhian era. During this period Mahatma
Gandhi became the undisputed leader of the
National Movement. His principles of non-
violence and Satyagraha were employed
against the British Government. Gandhi made
the nationalist movement a mass movement.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born
at Porbandar in Gujarat on 2 October 1869. He
studied law in England. He returned to India in
LESSON 16
THE INDIAN NATIONAL MOVEMENT (1917-1947)
Learning Objectives
Students will acquire knowledge about
1. The life of Mahatma Gandhi and his involvement in Indian
freedom struggle.
2. The impact of Jallianwala Bagh massacre on the national
movement.
3. The Khilafat and Non-Cooperation Movement.
4. The Civil-Disobedience Movement and Salt Satyagraha.
5. The Quit India Movement and its impact on the Freedom
Struggle.
6. The Cabinet Mission Plan.
MAHATMA GANDHI
161 160
 Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, M.A. Ansari, Saifuddin Kitchlew
and the Ali  brothers were the prominent leaders of this movement.
A Khilafat Committee had been formed and on 19
th
 October 1919,
the whole country had observed the Khilafat day. On 23 November,
a joint conference of the Hindus and the Muslims had also been held
under the chairmanship of Mahatma Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi was
particularly interested in bringing the Hindus and the Muslims together
to achieve the country’s independence. Subsequently, the Khilafat
Movement merged with the Non-Cooperation Movement launched
by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920.
Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-1922)
Mahatma Gandhi announced his plan to begin Non-Cooperation
with the government as a sequel to the Rowlatt Act, Jallianwala Bagh
massacre and the Khilafat Movement. It was approved by the Indian
National Congress at the Nagpur session in December, 1920.
Programmes
The programmes of the Non-Cooperation Movement were:
" Surrender of titles and honorary positions.
" Resignation of membership from the local bodies.
" Boycott of elections held under the provisions of the 1919
Act.
" Boycott of government functions.
" Boycott of courts, government schools and colleges.
" Boycott of foreign goods.
" Establishment of national schools, colleges and private
panchayat courts.
" Popularizing swadeshi goods and khadi.
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (13 April, 1919)
The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre took place on 13 April 1919
and it remained a turning point in the history of India’s freedom
movement. In Punjab, there was an unprecedented support to the
Rowlatt Satyagraha. Facing a
violent situation, the Government
of Punjab handed over the
administration to the military
authorities under General Dyer.
He banned all public meetings and
detained the political leaders. On
13
th
 April, the Baisakhi day
(harvest festival), a public
meeting was organized at the Jallianwala Bagh (garden). Dyer
marched in and without any warning opened fire on the crowd. The
firing continued for about 10 to 15 minutes and it stopped only after
the ammunition exhausted. According to official report 379 people
were killed and 1137 wounded in the incident. There was a nation-
wide protest against this massacre and Rabindranath Tagore
renounced his knighthood as a protest. The Jallianwala Bagh massacre
gave a tremendous impetus to the freedom struggle.
Khilafat Movement
The chief cause of the Khilafat Movement was the defeat of
Turkey in the First World War. The harsh terms of the Treaty of
Sevres (1920) was felt by the Muslims as a great insult to them.
The whole movement was based on the Muslim belief that the Caliph
(the Sultan of Turkey) was the religious head of the Muslims all over
the world. The Muslims in India were upset over the British attitude
against Turkey and launched the Khilafat Movement.
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
163 162
3. It also marked the height of Hindu-Muslim unity as a result of
the merger of Khilafat movement.
4. It demonstrated the willingness and ability of the masses to
endure hardships and make sacrifices.
Swaraj Party
The suspension of the Non-Cooperation Movement led to a
split within Congress in the Gaya session of the Congress in
December 1922. Leaders like Motilal Nehru and  Chittranjan Das
formed a separate group within the Congress
known as the Swaraj Party on 1 January 1923.
The Swarajists wanted to contest the council
elections and wreck the government from within.
Elections to Legislative Councils were held in
November 1923.  In this, the Swaraj Party gained
impressive successes. In the Central Legislative
Council Motilal Nehru became the leader of the
party whereas in Bengal the party was headed by C.R. Das.
The Swaraj Party did several significant things in the Legislative
Council. It demanded the setting up of responsible government in
India with the necessary changes in the Government of India Act of
1919. The party could pass important resolutions against the repressive
laws of the government. When a Committee chaired by the Home
Member, Alexander Muddiman considered the system of Dyarchy
as proper, a resolution was passed against it in the Central Legislative
Council. After the passing away of C.R. Das in June 1925, the Swarj
Party started weakening.
Simon Commission (1927)
The Act of 1919 included a provision for its review after a
lapse of ten years.  However, the review commission was appointed
MOTILAL NEHRU 
The movement began with Mahatma Gandhi renouncing the
titles, which were given by the British. Other leaders and influential
persons also followed him by surrendering their honorary posts and
titles.  Students came out of the government educational institutions.
National schools such as the Kashi Vidyapeeth, the Bihar Vidyapeeth
and the Jamia Millia Islamia were set up. All the prominent leaders
of the country gave up their lucrative legal practice. Legislatures
were boycotted. No leader of the Congress came forward to contest
the elections for the Legislatures.
In 1921, mass demonstrations were held against the Prince of
Wales during his tour of India. The government resorted to strong
measures of repression. Many leaders were arrested. The Congress
and the Khilafat Committees were proclaimed as illegal. At several
places, bonfires of foreign clothes were organised. The message of
Swadeshi spread everywhere. Most of the households took to
weaving cloths with the help of charkhas.
But the whole movement was abruptly called off on 11
th
February 1922 by Gandhi following the Churi Chaura incident in
the Gorakpur district of U.P. Earlier on 5
th
 February an angry mob
set fire to the police station at Churi Chaura and twenty two police
men were burnt to death. Many top leaders of the country were
stunned at this sudden suspension of the Non-Cooperation Movement.
Mahatma Gandhi was arrested on 10 March 1922.
Significance of the Non-Cooperation Movement
1. It was the real mass movement with the participation of
different sections of Indian society such as peasants, workers,
students, teachers and women.
2. It witnessed the spread of nationalism to the remote corners of
India.
165 164
· Full responsible government at the centre.
· Autonomy to the provinces.
· Clear cut division of power between the centre and the
provinces.
· A bicameral legislature at the centre.
However, the leader of the Muslim League, Mohammad Ali
Jinnah regarded it as detrimental to the interests of the Muslims.
Jinnah convened an All India Conference of the Muslims where he
drew up a list of Fourteen Points as Muslim League demand.
Civil Disobedience Movement (1930-1934)
In the prevailing atmosphere of restlessness, the annual session of the
Congress was held at Lahore in December 1929. During this session presided
over by Jawaharlal Nehru the Congress passed the Poorna Swaraj resolution.
Moreover, as the government failed to accept the Nehru Report, the Congress
gave a call to launch the Civil Disobedience Movement. The Congress had
also observed January 26, 1930 as the Day of Independence. Since then
January 26
th
 had been observed as a day of independence every year. The
same date later became the Republic Day when the Indian Constitution was
enforced in 1950.
The Dandi March
 Thus, the stage was set for the
second major struggle led by the
Congress. On 12
th
 March 1930,
Gandhi began his famous March to
Dandi with his chosen 79 followers to
break the salt laws. He reached the
coast of Dandi on 5 April 1930 after
marching a distance of 200 miles and on 6 April formally launched
the Civil Disobedience Movement by breaking the salt laws.
Dandi March
by the British Government two years earlier of its schedule in 1927.
It came to be known as Simon Commission after the name of its
chairman, Sir John Simon. All its seven members were Englishmen.
As there was no Indian member in it, the Commission faced a lot of
criticism even before its landing in India. Almost all the political parties
including the Congress decided to oppose the Commission.
On the fateful day of 3 February 1928 when the Commission
reached Bombay, a general hartal was observed all over the country.
Everywhere it was greeted with black flags and the cries of ‘Simon
go back’. At Lahore, the students took out a large anti-Simon
Commission demonstration on 30 October 1928 under the leadership
of Lala Lajpat Rai.  In this demonstration, Lala Lajpat Rai was
seriously injured in the police lathi charge and he passed away after
one month.
The report of the Simon Commission was published in May
1930. It was stated that the constitutional experiment with Dyarchy
was unsuccessful and in its place the report recommended the
establishment of autonomous government. There is no doubt that the
Simon Commission’s Report became the basis for enacting the
Government of India Act of 1935.
Nehru Report (1928)
In the meanwhile, the Secretary of State, Lord Birkenhead,
challenged the Indians to produce a Constitution that would be
acceptable to all. The challenge was accepted by the Congress, which
convened an all party meeting on 28 February 1928. A committee
consisting of eight was constituted to draw up a blueprint for the
future Constitution of India. It was headed by Motilal Nehru. The
Report published by this Committee came to be known as the Nehru
Report. The Report favoured:
· Dominion Status as the next immediate step.
167 166
Gandhi and Sardar Patel and by reimposing the ban on the Congress
party.
Poona Pact (1932)
By 1930, Dr Ambedkar had become a leader of national stature
championing the  cause of the depressed people of the country. While
presenting a real picture of the condition of these people in the First
Round Table Conference, he had demanded separate electorates for
them. On 16 August 1932 the British Prime Minister Ramsay
MacDonald made an announcement, which came to be as the
Communal Award. According to this award, the depressed classes
were considered as a separate community and as such provisions
were made for separate electorates for them. Mahatma Gandhi
protested against the Communal Award and went on a fast unto death
in the Yeravada jail on 20 September 1932.
Finally, an agreement was reached between Dr Ambedkar and
Gandhi. This agreement came to be called as the Poona Pact. The
British Government also approved of it. Accordingly, 148 seats in
different Provincial Legislatures were reserved for the Depressed
Classes in place of 71 as provided in the Communal Award.
The third Round Table Conference came to an end in 1932.
The Congress once more did not take part in it. Nonetheless, in March
1933, the British Government issued a White Paper, which became
the basis for the enactment of the Government of India Act, 1935.
The Second World War and National Movement
In 1937 elections were held under the provisions of the
Government of India Act of 1935. Congress Ministries were formed
in seven states of India. On 1 September 1939 the Second World
War broke out. The British Government without consulting the people
of India involved the country in the war. The Congress vehemently
On 9 April, Mahatma Gandhi laid out the programme of the
movement which included making of salt in every village in violation
of the existing salt laws; picketing by women before the shops selling
liquor, opium and foreign clothes; organising the bonfires of foreign
clothes; spinning clothes by using charkha fighting untouchability;
boycotting of schools and colleges by students and resigning from
government jobs by the people. Over and above all these, the
programme also called upon the people not to pay taxes to the
government.
Soon, the movement spread to all parts of the country.  Students,
workers, farmers and women, all participated in this movement with
great enthusiasm. As a reaction, the British Government arrested
important leaders of the Congress and imprisoned them.
Round Table Conference
The British government adopted the strategy of talking to
different political parties by convening the Round Table Conferences.
The first Round Table Conference was held in November 1930 at
London and it was boycotted it by the Congress.
In January 1931 in order to create a conducive atmosphere for
talks, the government lifted the ban on the Congress Party and
released its leaders from prison. On 8 March 1931 the Gandhi-Irwin
Pact was signed. As per this pact, Mahatma Gandhi agreed to suspend
the Civil-Disobedience Movement and participate in the Second-
Round Table Conference. In September 1931, the Second Round
Table Conference was held at London. Mahatma Gandhi participated
in the Conference but returned to India disappointed as no agreement
could be reached on the demand of complete independence and on
the communal question.
In January 1932, the Civil-Disobedience Movement was
resumed. The government responded to it by arresting Mahatma