1. Causes of the Non-Cooperation Movement
- Khilafat Movement (1919–24): many Indian Muslims protested against the harsh peace terms imposed on Turkey, whose Sultan they regarded as the Caliph. The Ali brothers (Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali) led it; Gandhiji supported it.
- Rowlatt Act (March 1919): permitted arrest without warrant and imprisonment without trial. Gandhiji called for satyagraha; a nationwide hartal was held on 6 April 1919.
- Jallianwala Bagh (13 April 1919): troops under General Dyer opened fire on an unarmed gathering in a walled garden at Amritsar on Baisakhi day; hundreds died, with estimates differing widely. The Hunter Committee inquired; Tagore returned his knighthood.
| Cause | Year | Why it mattered |
|---|---|---|
| Khilafat issue | 1919–20 | Muslim anger at the treatment of Turkey; chance for joint action |
| Rowlatt Act | March 1919 | Detention without trial; nationwide hartal |
| Jallianwala Bagh | 13 April 1919 | Firing on an unarmed crowd; loss of faith in British justice |
| Point | Fact |
|---|---|
| Date | 13 April 1919 (Baisakhi) |
| Place | Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar |
| Officer in command | General Reginald Dyer |
| Government inquiry | Hunter Committee |
| A protest | Rabindranath Tagore renounced his knighthood |
Key terms
- Satyagraha
Gandhiji's method of non-violent resistance based on truth.
- Hartal
A general closure of shops and work as a protest.
2. Programme of the Non-Cooperation Movement
- Approved: special session at Calcutta, September 1920; confirmed at Nagpur, December 1920.
- Boycott side: give up titles and honorary posts; leave government schools and colleges; boycott law courts, the councils and foreign goods.
- Constructive side: national schools and colleges; khadi and the charkha; panchayats; Hindu-Muslim unity; work against untouchability.
| Boycott (negative) items | Constructive (positive) items |
|---|---|
| Surrender of titles and honorary posts | National schools and colleges |
| Boycott of government schools and colleges | Khadi and the charkha |
| Boycott of law courts | Panchayats to settle disputes |
| Boycott of councils and foreign goods | Hindu-Muslim unity; removing untouchability |
| Imagined action, 1921 | Boycott or constructive? |
|---|---|
| A lawyer closes his practice in the British courts | Boycott |
| A town opens a national school | Constructive |
| A family burns its foreign cloth | Boycott |
| A village sets up a panchayat to settle quarrels | Constructive |
Key terms
- Khadi
Hand-spun, hand-woven cloth, a symbol of self-reliance.
3. Suspension and impact of Non-Cooperation
- Chauri Chaura (5 February 1922), Gorakhpur district: a crowd burnt the police station and policemen died.
- Gandhiji insisted on non-violence; the Bardoli resolution of the Working Committee suspended the movement. C. R. Das and Motilal Nehru later formed the Swaraj Party (1923).
- Impact: the Congress turned into a mass organisation; fear of the government and of jail declined; khadi and national education spread. Limits: swaraj was not won within a year, and unity faded after the Khilafat issue ended.
| Gains | Limits |
|---|---|
| Congress became a mass organisation | Swaraj was not won within a year |
| People lost the fear of jail | Hindu-Muslim unity faded after the Khilafat issue ended |
| Khadi and national education spread | Violence at Chauri Chaura showed the need for discipline |
Key terms
- Bardoli resolution
The 1922 decision of the Congress Working Committee to suspend Non-Cooperation.
4. Causes of Civil Disobedience and the Dandi March
- Simon Commission: appointed in 1927, it had no Indian member; it was boycotted on arrival in 1928. (Its clauses are not in the syllabus.)
- Lahore, December 1929: under Jawaharlal Nehru, the Congress adopted Purna Swaraj; 26 January 1930 became Independence Day.
- Dandi March: from Sabarmati Ashram on 12 March 1930 to Dandi (about 385 km, 24 days); the salt law was broken on 6 April 1930.
- Programme: making salt; boycott and picketing; non-payment of taxes and breaking forest laws in some areas; resignations.
| Point | Fact |
|---|---|
| Session | Lahore, December 1929 |
| President | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| Goal declared | Purna Swaraj (complete independence) |
| Independence Day | 26 January 1930 |
| Next step | Working Committee authorised to start civil disobedience |
Key terms
- Purna Swaraj
Complete independence, the goal adopted at Lahore in 1929.
- Picketing
Peacefully standing outside shops to persuade people not to buy certain goods.
5. Gandhi-Irwin Pact, the Round Table Conference and renewal
- Gandhi-Irwin Pact (5 March 1931): release of prisoners not charged with violence, withdrawal of ordinances, salt for personal use near the coast; the Congress to suspend the movement and go to London.
- Second Round Table Conference (London, 1931): Gandhiji was the sole Congress representative; no agreement on the representation of minorities.
- Renewal (January 1932): arrests and bans under Lord Willingdon; the movement was withdrawn in 1934.
- Impact of Civil Disobedience: wide participation of women, peasants and traders; boycott hurt British trade; new regions such as the Frontier joined.
| The government agreed to | The Congress agreed to |
|---|---|
| Release political prisoners not charged with violence | Suspend Civil Disobedience |
| Withdraw its special ordinances | Attend the Second Round Table Conference |
| Allow salt-making for personal use near the coast |
Key terms
- Round Table Conference
Meetings in London (1930–32) between the British government and Indian representatives on constitutional reform.
6. The Quit India Movement
- Causes: failure of the Cripps Mission (1942); the Japanese advance to Burma; wartime prices and shortages. (The clauses of the Cripps offer are not in the syllabus.)
- 8 August 1942: the Quit India Resolution at Gowalia Tank, Bombay; slogan Do or Die. 9 August: leaders arrested.
- Course: spontaneous strikes and protests; Aruna Asaf Ali raised the flag at Gowalia Tank; underground leaders and a secret radio; parallel governments at Ballia, Tamluk and Satara.
- Significance: freedom became the demand of every class; British rule could not continue long.
| Cause | What happened |
|---|---|
| Failure of the Cripps Mission (1942) | Its offer did not give real power during the war |
| Japanese threat | Japanese forces had reached Burma |
| Wartime hardship | Rising prices and shortages |
| Non-Cooperation | Civil Disobedience | Quit India | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years | 1920–22 | 1930–34 | 1942 |
| Aim | Swaraj | Purna Swaraj | British to leave at once |
| Main method | Withdraw cooperation | Break chosen laws | Mass struggle, leaders jailed |
| How it ended | Suspended after Chauri Chaura | Withdrawn in 1934 | Suppressed; aim met in 1947 |
Key terms
- Parallel government
A local administration set up by the people in place of the British administration for a time.
Exam tips
Common mistakes
- Mixing up 6 April 1919 (hartal) with 13 April 1919 (Jallianwala Bagh), and 6 April 1930 (Dandi).
- Calling Non-Cooperation violent: it was meant to be non-violent.
- Listing the clauses of the Simon Commission or the Cripps offer, which are not required.
- Forgetting that the Congress boycotted the first Round Table Conference.
How marks are usually awarded
- 1-mark items: one correct option or term.
- 2 marks: two clear points.
- 10 marks (3 + 3 + 4): facts for (i), explanation for (ii), and for (iii) a balanced evaluation with a judgement.