Third Module History Syllabus

Gandhian Era

The Gandhian era started after the first world war, after the return of
Gandhi from South Africa.

The experience gained by mahatma Gandhi in the first world war had
changed his opinion about the British rule in India. The Jallianwallah
kand and the Khilafat movement paved the way for a new phase in the
National movement.

The shoddy way in which the Britishers tried to guise themselves and
arm themselves with special powers to quell the legitimate agitation
for freedom, was an eye opener to Mahatma Gandhi . The Muslims in
India were greatly alienated with the treatment of Turkey in the treaty
of Severes and and the consequent dismemberment of Turkey. They
were keen to start the Khilafat movement against the allied powers.

Mahatma Gandhi took this opportunity to cement Hindu Muslim unity

and was able to secure the support of both the Hindus and Muslims for
his first mass movement in india in 1919 as the Non-cooperation
movement.

The movement had a constructive and a destructive programme. It was

ratified by the Indian National Congress at the Nagpur session, and
decided on a course of action , Mahatma Gandhi for the first time used
non violent , ‘Satagraha,as a weapon to counter the high handed
behavior of the Colonial British power in India, where in Indians were to
boycott all institutions run by the British government. This included
boycott of all schools run by the Britishers in India, it also called for the
boycott of Courts and return of all titles and honours bestowed by the
British government. Picketing of foreign cloth and and goods by all
Indians.

Besides there was a constructive programme where in new vidyapeeth

would be established , the Indians decided to amicably settle their
disputes outside the courtrooms. The practice of ‘ Untouchability’
would be given up for social upliftment and the use of Swadeshi would
be started. The ‘Charkha ‘ or the spinning wheel was popularized to
weave home made Khadi cloth, and foreign cloth and liquor was to be
shunned and huge bonfires on the streets would destroy the foreign
goods. This was the economic attack on the British policies of
exploitation of India

The call for non cooperation was hailed by the people and large
number of peasants and mill workers came out to join this movement.

Large number of people came out on the streets against the policies of
the British government and to court imprisonment.

Khadi became the grand uniform of the Indian national . The fear of the
British might was blown away in the zeal for non cooperation. Jails
came to be looked upon as places of pilgrimage for the Nationalist
cause.

The movement spread from Assam in the east to Gujarat in the west,
from the northern parts of Punjab to the southern states from the
forests to the cities.

The movement continued from1920 to 1922, when the Chauri Chaura

incident occurred near Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. The police had
opened fire on a angry mob and in retaliation the mob surrounded the
thana and set fire to it , in which two Englishmen policemen were burnt
alive.

The movement was called off by mahatma Gandhi. It seemed that the
whole country came to a standstill. Mahatma,s action was greatly
criticized by the young blood in the Congress party.

After reading the paragraph or pages above , please answer the

following questions:

1.What were the two important developments that changed Mahatma

Gandhi,s faith in the British sense of fair play? Explain in about 40 to
50 words.

2.What was the constructive programme of the non cooperation

movementl movement ?