01 · Explore
A Leader Announces Himself
In January 1915, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi returned to India after two decades in South Africa, where he had developed the technique of satyagraha.
The India that Mahatma Gandhi came back to in 1915 was rather different from the one that he had left in 1893. Although still a colony of the British, it was far more active in a political sense. The Indian National Congress now had branches in most major cities and towns.
South Africa was the 'making of the Mahatma'. It was there that Gandhiji first forged the distinctive techniques of non-violent protest known as satyagraha, promoted inter-religious harmony, and alerted upper-caste Indians to the discriminatory treatment of women and lower castes.
On the advice of his mentor, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Gandhiji spent a year traveling across British India to understand the land and its people. His first major public appearance was at the opening of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in February 1916.
Pause & Try
Think it through first. Writing and checking your answer is free with an account.
Question
What was the significance of Gandhiji's speech at the opening of Banaras Hindu University in 1916?
Sign in to see the answer
Write your own answer and compare it with ours. It’s free.
Sign inNew here? Sign up freeNCERT reference: printed pages 287, 288.
02 · Explore
The Making of Non-cooperation
Between 1917 and 1918, Gandhiji led three localized struggles that established his reputation as a leader with deep sympathy for the poor.
In 1917, Gandhiji spent time in Champaran, Bihar, seeking security of tenure and freedom of crop choice for peasants oppressed by British indigo planters. This was his first major intervention in Indian peasant issues.
In 1918, he led two campaigns in Gujarat: first, intervening in a labor dispute in Ahmedabad to demand better conditions for textile mill workers; and second, joining Kheda peasants in asking for tax remissions after a harvest failure.
These localized initiatives marked Gandhiji as a nationalist who identified with the masses. However, it was the Rowlatt Act of 1919, which permitted detention without trial, that prompted him to launch a truly countrywide campaign.
Pause & Try
Think it through first. Writing and checking your answer is free with an account.
Question
Which three localized struggles did Gandhiji lead before the Non-cooperation Movement?
Sign in to see the answer
Write your own answer and compare it with ours. It’s free.
Sign inNew here? Sign up freeNCERT reference: printed pages 289, 290.
03 · Explore
Knitting a Popular Movement
The Non-cooperation Movement (1920-22) was the first mass movement that shook the foundations of British rule since 1857.
Gandhiji coupled Non-cooperation with the Khilafat Movement (1919-1920) to unite Hindus and Muslims. Led by Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali, the Khilafat Movement sought to restore the Caliphate. Gandhiji promised that if non-cooperation was effectively carried out, India would win swaraj within a year.
The movement saw unprecedented participation: students left colleges, lawyers boycotted courts, and the working class went on strike. In 1921 alone, official figures recorded 396 strikes involving 600,000 workers and a loss of seven million workdays.
The movement was abruptly called off in February 1922 following the Chauri Chaura incident, where a mob torched a police station, killing several constables. Gandhiji insisted that no provocation could justify such brutal violence.
| Aspect | Details (1921 Data) |
|---|---|
| Number of Strikes | 396 |
| Workers Involved | 600,000 |
| Workdays Lost | 7 million |
| Key Incident | Chauri Chaura (Feb 1922) |
Pause & Try
Think it through first. Writing and checking your answer is free with an account.
Question
Why did Gandhiji call off the Non-cooperation Movement in 1922?
Sign in to see the answer
Write your own answer and compare it with ours. It’s free.
Sign inNew here? Sign up freeNCERT reference: printed pages 290, 291.
04 · Explore
A People's Leader and the Charkha
Gandhiji transformed nationalism by identifying with the common people through his dress, language, and lifestyle.
Unlike other leaders who wore Western suits, Gandhiji dressed in a simple dhoti or loincloth. In 1921, he shaved his head and adopted this attire to identify with the poor. He spent part of each day working on the charkha (spinning wheel), which became a symbol of self-reliance.
The charkha was a critique of the modern age where machines enslaved humans. In Young India, 13 November 1924, Gandhiji stated: 'What I object to, is the craze for machinery as such.' He saw the wheel as a way to provide the poor with supplementary income and break caste-based boundaries.
His appeal was enhanced by rumors of his miraculous powers. In eastern Uttar Pradesh, stories circulated that those who opposed 'Gandhi baba' suffered mysterious tragedies, while his supporters witnessed miracles, such as boiling pans splitting or crops changing species.
The Symbolism of the Charkha
- 1
Manual Labor
Gandhiji used the charkha to bridge the gap between mental and manual work.
- 2
Self-Reliance
Spinning khadi made Indians economically independent of British mill-made cloth.
- 3
Anti-Machine
It represented a human society that did not glorify labor-displacing technology.
The charkha served as both an economic tool for the poor and a powerful symbol of the nationalist movement.
Pause & Try
Think it through first. Writing and checking your answer is free with an account.
Question
How did Gandhiji's lifestyle help him connect with the Indian masses?
Sign in to see the answer
Write your own answer and compare it with ours. It’s free.
Sign inNew here? Sign up freeNCERT reference: printed pages 292, 293, 294.
05 · Explore
The Salt Satyagraha: A Case Study
In 1930, Gandhiji chose salt—a vital necessity for every household—as the symbol of a new phase of civil disobedience.
The British state held a monopoly on salt manufacture and sale, imposing a tax that Gandhiji described as a 'fourfold curse'. It deprived people of a village industry and taxed a vital necessity at over 1,000 percent of its value.
On 12 March 1930, Gandhiji began the Salt March from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi. He reached the coast three weeks later and symbolically broke the law by picking up natural salt. This act sparked parallel salt marches across India.
The Salt March was significant because it brought the Indian struggle to world attention through the international press, saw large-scale participation by women, and forced the British to realize they would eventually have to devolve power.
- 1
Gandhiji sends advance notice of the march to Viceroy Lord Irwin.
- 2
12 March 1930: Gandhiji starts walking from Sabarmati with 78 followers.
- 3
The march covers the distance to the Gujarat coast over three weeks.
- 4
6 April 1930: Gandhiji reaches Dandi and breaks the salt law.
- 5
Mass arrests follow, with nearly 60,000 Indians detained.
Pause & Try
Think it through first. Writing and checking your answer is free with an account.
Question
Why did Gandhiji choose salt as the basis for his protest in 1930?
Sign in to see the answer
Write your own answer and compare it with ours. It’s free.
Sign inNew here? Sign up freeNCERT reference: printed pages 296, 297, 298, 300.
06 · Explore
Dialogues and Disagreements
The 1930s saw a series of constitutional negotiations between Indian leaders and the British government in London.
The Gandhi-Irwin Pact (March 1931) led to the suspension of civil disobedience and Gandhiji's participation in the Second Round Table Conference. However, the conference was inconclusive as Gandhiji's claim to represent all of India was challenged.
The Muslim League claimed to represent the Muslim minority, the Princes claimed the Congress had no stake in their lands, and B.R. Ambedkar argued that the Congress did not represent the 'Depressed Classes'.
A major point of contention was the demand for separate electorates for the Depressed Classes. Gandhiji opposed this, fearing it would permanently segregate them from Hindu society, while Ambedkar argued it was a paramount necessity for their political protection.
Pause & Try
Think it through first. Writing and checking your answer is free with an account.
Question
Why were the Round Table Conferences largely inconclusive?
Sign in to see the answer
Write your own answer and compare it with ours. It’s free.
Sign inNew here? Sign up freeNCERT reference: printed pages 300, 301.
07 · Explore
Quit India and the Road to Partition
The failure of the Cripps Mission in 1942 led to the launch of the 'Quit India' movement, the third major mass struggle.
Launched in August 1942, 'Quit India' was a mass movement that saw widespread strikes and sabotage. Although top leaders were jailed immediately, younger activists like Jayaprakash Narayan led underground resistance. In places like Satara and Medinipur, parallel governments were established.
During the war years, the Muslim League expanded its influence in provinces like Punjab and Sind. By the 1946 elections, the political polarization was complete: Congress swept the general seats, while the League won the vast majority of seats reserved for Muslims.
After the failure of the Cabinet Mission (1946) to agree on a federal structure, Jinnah called for 'Direct Action Day' on 16 August 1946. This triggered horrific communal riots across Calcutta, Bengal, Bihar, and the Punjab.
Pause & Try
Think it through first. Writing and checking your answer is free with an account.
Question
What was the 'Direct Action Day' and its consequence?
Sign in to see the answer
Write your own answer and compare it with ours. It’s free.
Sign inNew here? Sign up freeNCERT reference: printed pages 303, 304.
08 · Explore
The Last Heroic Days
India gained independence on 15 August 1947, but for Gandhiji, it was a time of sorrow due to the partition and communal violence.
Gandhiji did not participate in the independence celebrations in Delhi. Instead, he was in Calcutta, marking the day with a 24-hour fast and working to stop communal killings. He later moved to Delhi to provide succor to refugees and promote religious harmony.
There was an attempt on Gandhiji’s life on 20 January 1948, but he carried on undaunted. On 30 January 1948, Gandhiji was shot dead by Nathuram Godse at a prayer meeting. His death triggered a global outpouring of grief, with Time magazine comparing his martyrdom to that of Abraham Lincoln.
Historians reconstruct this history using various sources: Gandhiji's public speeches, private letters (like those in Nehru's 'A Bunch of Old Letters'), autobiographies, contemporary newspapers, and confidential police reports from the colonial Home Department.
Pause & Try
Think it through first. Writing and checking your answer is free with an account.
Question
How did Gandhiji spend the day of India's independence?
Sign in to see the answer
Write your own answer and compare it with ours. It’s free.
Sign inNew here? Sign up freeNCERT reference: printed pages 305, 306, 307, 310.