Key Points

The First World War created economic hardship in India through increased taxes, rising prices, and forced recruitment for the army, which led to widespread anger against the colonial government.

Introduced by Mahatma Gandhi, Satyagraha was a method of non-violent mass agitation based on the power of truth. It suggested that a struggle against injustice could be won by appealing to the conscience of the oppressor, without using physical force.

After returning to India in 1915, Mahatma Gandhi successfully organized satyagraha movements in Champaran (1917) for peasants, Kheda (1917) for peasants, and Ahmedabad (1918) for cotton mill workers.

This act gave the British government enormous powers to repress political activities and allowed the detention of political prisoners without trial for two years, leading to nationwide opposition.

On April 13, 1919, General Dyer ordered his troops to fire on a peaceful gathering in Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar, killing hundreds. This incident aimed to create terror and intensified nationalist feelings.

Gandhiji supported the Khilafat issue to bring Hindus and Muslims together. In 1920, the Congress adopted the Non-Cooperation program, which began in January 1921, to protest the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, the Rowlatt Act, and to demand Swaraj.

Different social groups participated in the Non-Cooperation Movement with their own understanding of 'Swaraj'. For peasants it meant fighting oppressive landlords, for tribals it meant access to forests, and for plantation workers it meant the freedom to move.

In February 1922, Mahatma Gandhi withdrew the Non-Cooperation Movement after the Chauri Chaura incident, where protestors clashed violently with the police. He felt the movement was turning violent.

Constituted in 1928, the Simon Commission was sent to suggest constitutional reforms for India. It was boycotted by all Indian parties because it did not have a single Indian member.

At the Lahore Congress session in December 1929, presided over by Jawaharlal Nehru, the Congress formalized the demand for 'Purna Swaraj' or complete independence for India.

Mahatma Gandhi started the Civil Disobedience Movement with the Dandi March from March to April 1930. He and his followers broke the salt law by manufacturing salt from seawater, challenging British rule.

On March 5, 1931, Gandhiji called off the Civil Disobedience Movement by signing the Gandhi-Irwin Pact. He agreed to participate in the Second Round Table Conference in London, but negotiations failed.

Rich peasants, poor peasants, business classes, and industrial workers participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement with different motives. For example, rich peasants wanted a reduction in revenue, while business classes wanted protection against imports.

The movement had its limits as not all groups participated fully. Dalit participation was limited as they demanded separate electorates, and many Muslim political organizations also remained lukewarm in their response.

This pact was signed between Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi. It gave the Depressed Classes reserved seats in legislative councils but they were to be voted in by the general electorate, not through separate electorates.

Nationalism was also inspired through cultural processes. This included the creation of the image of Bharat Mata, the revival of Indian folklore, the reinterpretation of history, and the use of national symbols like the tricolour flag.