Class 12 History [Chapter – 13]

Mahatma Gandhi and

Nationalist Movement
Lecture by: Sudhanshu [ History Geek, Alumni BHU ]
1 Introduction of Mahatma Gandhi
Stature of Gandhiji in world
➢ Born on 2nd October 1869 at Porbandar Politics

➢ Studied Law from London ➢ Due to his contribution in India politics, he

is referred as one of the ‘makers of nation’.
➢ Worked in South Africa as Barrister
between 1893-1915 ➢ His contribution are kept in the lines of
other Nation builders like Ho chi Minh,
➢ After his return to India in 1915, he Garibaldi (Italy), George Washington
involved himself in Nationalistic (America), Ho chi Minh (Vietnam).
movement

➢ Played a vital role in Nationalistic

movement

➢ Assassinated on 30 January 1948

 Gandhiji in South Africa
His stint in South Africa

➢ While he was practicing in India as a barrister,

he was contacted by a Muslim Merchant of
Kathiawar Dada Abdullah.

➢ On his recommendation, Gandhiji went to

South Africa to work for a Shipping Firm as
Legal advisor

Gandhiji as Attorney in South Africa

 Satyagraha in South Africa Features of Satyagraha in India

➢ He was faced with humiliating discrimination in ➢ During the Satyagraha in South Africa, he
South Africa called for religious harmony amongst Indians

➢ He was the founding member of Natal Indian ➢ He also advocated for the end of
Congress which was focused to fight against the discrimination on the basis of caste
Colonial discrimination
➢ The Satyagraha in South Africa was the first
➢ He began Satyagraha against the Asiatic Registration step towards making of Mahatma
act of 1906 which made it compulsory for Asians
(Indian and Chinese) to have the certificate of
registration

➢ He returned from South Africa to India in 1915

➢ As per, Chandran Devanesan, South Africa was the

making of Mahatma
2 Developments in India between 1893-1915

1905
Partition of Bengal

1905-1907 Bengal was divided on the

communal lines.
Swadeshi Movement
1906
Formation of Muslim League

1907
Surat Split
1909
Dispute between moderate Indian Council Act
and extremists leader.
Congress got disintegrated Separate electorate was
Introduced
2 Developments in India between 1893-1915

Bengal after division. East Bengal had Muslim majority while

West Bengal had Hindu.
 Moderates Extremists

➢ They wanted to aware the British ➢ They believed that British had no interest in
authorities about the plights of Indian via the plight of Indians
petition, application and dialogues
➢ They demanded complete independence
➢ They demanded autonomy
➢ Major Supporters were lower class
➢ Major supporters were upper middle-class
and zamindars
➢ Famous leaders- Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal
➢ Famous leaders- Gokhale, Jinnah, M G Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal
Ranade
 Nationalist movement
Trio of Lal- Bal- Pal
Before Gandhiji

➢ The Indian National Congress now had branches in ➢ Lal – Lala Lajpat Rai from Punjab
most major cities and towns ➢ Bal – Bal Gangadhar Tilak from Maharashtra
➢ Pal – Vipin Chandra Pal from Bengal
➢ Through the Swadeshi movement of 1905-07, it ➢ The presence of these leaders reflected the
broaden its base popularity of Congress across different regions of
India
➢ There were two type of leaders – moderates and
extremists
3 A Leader Announces Himself

Gandhiji’s Speech at
Comeback in India
Inauguration of BHU

➢ Gandhiji returned India in 1915 ➢ He expressed lack of concern for the labouring poor.

➢ His mentor Gopal Krishna Gokhale advised ➢ He was amazed by the absence of laboring poor
him to travel across India to know the land and which constituted majority of Indian population
her people.
➢ He said that “Our salvation can only come through the
farmer”.
Inauguration of BHU
➢ He termed Indian Nationalism as elite phenomenon
➢ He was invited in the Inauguration of BHU in
1916. ➢ He expressed the desire to represent India as a whole
through Indian Nationalism
➢ He had been invited on account of his work in
South Africa, rather than his status within India
 Regional Satyagraha
Champaran Satyagraha

➢ In India, Satyagraha was launched for the first

time in 1917 at Champaran.

➢ Reason – Tinkathia System which compelled

peasants to reserve their farm to cultivate
Indigo

➢ Conclusion- End of Tinkathia system

 Regional Satyagraha
Ahmedabad Mill strike

➢ Gandhiji Joined the mill workers of

Ahmedabad and sat on hunger strike in 1918

➢ Reason – Mill workers demanded increment

in wages and improvement in working
condition

➢ Conclusion- Workers were given 35%

increment in their wages
 Regional Satyagraha
Kheda Satyagraha

➢ The Kheda Satyagraha was launched in 1918

➢ Reason – Peasants wanted concession in

taxes due to bad harvest

➢ Conclusion- The concession was granted to

those who were unable to pay the taxes

Overall Impacts of
regional satyagraha

➢ Gandhiji became popular

➢ He was seen as a nationalist leader who
had deep sympathy for poor.
 Rowlatt Satyagraha
Background Provisions of Rowlatt Act

➢ During the Great War of 1914-18, the British ➢ It gave provincial government the power to
had instituted censorship of the press and search any place or arrest any person without
permitted detention without trial warrant

➢ These tough measures were continued even ➢ Speedy trial for offences without any appeal
after 1st world war on the recommendations
of Sydney Rowlatt committee. ➢ Censorship on Indian Press and Media

➢ This came to be known as Rowlatt Act.

➢ This act was known as Black Law.

 Rowlatt Satyagraha Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

➢ It was launched in February 1919 by Gandhiji ➢ On 13 April 1919, people gathered in the
against the “Black Law”. Jallianwala Bagh to protest against the arrest of
Saifuddin Kitchlu and Dr. Satyapal
➢ The Satyagraha had intense impact in the
north and west India ➢ Brigadier R E H Dyer surrounded the garden
with his troops and started firing on the
➢ Gandhiji and other major congress leaders defenseless people
were either detained or arrested.
➢ Hundreds were killed, thousands were injured
➢ local Congressmen from Punjab i.e. Dr. after this incident
Satyapal, Saifuddin Kitchlew were arrested
 4 Non-Cooperation Movement
Meaning of Non-Cooperation Major Reasons

➢ It means the Renunciation of ➢ Rowlatt Act

Voluntary association ➢ Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
➢ Indian Council Act of 1919
➢ Gandhiji believed that the British Raj
was surviving because of support by
Indians.

➢ Hence, he called for the revocation of

support
 4 Non-Cooperation Movement
Khilafat Movement Merger with Khilafat

➢ Khilafat Movement was started in 1919 by ➢ Gandhiji launched the Non-Cooperation

the Muslim leaders for the purpose of Movement along with the Khilafat movement on
restoration of Ottoman Sultan as Caliphate 1 August 1920

➢ The movement was led by Shaukat Ali ➢ Major reasons behind merger-
Jauhar and Muhammad Ali Jauhar, Maulana
Azad • To broaden the scope of movement
• To Encourage Religious Harmony
➢ Huge numbers of Muslims were participating
in the movement
 4 Non-Cooperation Movement
Features of Movement

➢ Students Stopped going schools

➢ Foreign goods were boycotted
➢ Indian Lawyers stopped attending courts
➢ Mill workers went on strike
➢ The hill tribals of Andhra violated the forest
laws
➢ Farmers in Awadh did not pay taxes
➢ Peasants in Kumaun stopped carrying the loads
of British

Burning of foreign cloths during Non cooperation

movement. You can see flags of Congress and
Khilafat
4 Non-Cooperation Movement
Impact of Movement

➢ Official administration came to standstill

➢ Thousands of people including Gandhiji were jailed
➢ British Raj was shaken to its core because it could
not do anything as the movement was non-violent

End of Movement

➢ In February 1922, the mob of Chauri Chaura

Village burnt down an entire police station in
which many policemen died

➢ Gandhij revoked the Non-Cooperation movement

after that violence.
 5 A People’s Leader
Gandhiji’s Familiarity with
Leader of Masses
Masses
➢ Four factors played a major role in making ➢ Gandhiji’s attire reflected with the common
Gandhiji a Messiah for millions. people.
➢ He used to wear loincloth or simple dhoti.
▪ Transformation in Congress ➢ Common people used to resonate with Gandhiji
▪ Gandhiji’s familiarity with masses
▪ Social reforms Rumours
▪ Rumours
▪ Support of people from various ➢ After the non-cooperation, the rumours spread about
backgrounds his miraculous activities
➢ People started calling Gandhiji with various names
i.e. Gandhi Baba, Gandhi Maharaj, or Mahatma
➢ Hence because of the popularity of Gandhiji, now the
Indian nationalism had support of both elite classes
and common people.
 5 A People’s Leader
Transformation of
Congress

Increase in reach of New leaders in

Praja Mandals
Congress Congress
➢ After the advent of Gandhiji the ➢ Praja Mandals were established to ➢ Between 1917-1922 many
reach of Congress broadened. promote Nationalism in princely talented young leaders joined the
➢ New Branches of Congress were set states. Congress.
up in India ➢ This played a major role in merger ➢ They included Mahadev Desai,
➢ Provincial committee of Congress on of princely states after Vallabh Bhai Patel, J.B. Kripalani,
the basis of language were formed independence Subhas Chandra Bose, Abul Kalam
➢ Gandhiji encouraged the Azad, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sarojini
communication of the nationalist Naidu, Govind Ballabh Pant and
message in the mother tongue C. Rajagopalachari
 5 A People’s Leader
Gndhiji as a Social
Support from Various Sections
Reformer
➢ He promoted the use of Charkha to ➢ Among Gandhiji’s admirers were both poor peasants
encourage self reliance and rich industrialists
➢ Charkha was a symbol of self reliance as well
as social Inequality ➢ Some of these entrepreneurs, such as G.D. Birla,
➢ He saw Charkha as a machine which did not supported the national movement openly; others did so
decrease employment unlike other tacitly.
machinery
➢ He encourage the upper castes to end the
untouchability
➢ He advocated to end the child marriage
6 Major Developments (1922-30)

1923
Establishment of Swaraj Party

Hindustan Republic 1924

Association
1928
Simon Commission Protest

1928
Bardoli Satyagraha
1929
Lahore Session of Congress
• Led by Sardar Patel
• Made Patel a National • Nehru Became President
Leader • Purna Swaraj Resolution
was passed
 7 The Salt Satyagraha
Why Salt Satyagraha was
Brutal Salt Law
Launched?
➢ The Salt Act of 1882 prohibited Indians from ➢ Salt law impacted each and every Indian households
collecting or manufacturing salt
➢ Gandhiji saw a Salt law was a dark evil and an
➢ Indians were orders to purchase salt made opportunity to unite Indian masses for a movement
by British
➢ Hence Gandhiji decided to begin Salt satyagraha to
➢ They had to pay heavy taxes while break the Salt law in 1930
purchasing salt from British.
 The Salt Satyagraha

➢ It began on 12 March 1930 when Gandhiji started

the Journey of Dandi beach from Sabarmati
Ashram with 78 volunteers to break the salt law

➢ Gradually during the course of 24 days thousands

of people joined this journey

➢ On 6 April 1930, Gandhij break the Salt law by

manufacturing salt at Dandi beach in front of
thousands of people

➢ Hence the Civil disobedience movement began

and people started defying the British authority
non-violently.
 Civil Disobedience
Movement

➢ Across large parts of India, peasants breached

the hated colonial forest laws

➢ Factory workers went on strike

➢ lawyers boycotted British courts

➢ Students refused to attend government-run

educational institutions.

➢ British detained and arrested the revolutionaries

➢ In the wake of the Salt March, nearly 60,000

Indians were arrested,
 Significance of Salt
Satyagraha

➢ After the successful Dandi March, various salt

march began in other parts of India to defy this
brutal law

➢ Salt Satyagraha was widely participated by

Women

➢ It made the British realise that their power

would not last forever in India
Kamladevi Chattopadhya was a Congress
➢ It was widely covered in police records and leader who convinced Gandhiji to allow
global media participation of women in Civil Disobedience
Movement
➢ Gandhiji became a global leader after this Salt
March
 Salt March in records

➢ Police officials secretly monitored the movement of

Gandhiji in Salt March

➢ They have provided records of Gandhiji’s speech

and interaction with people

➢ Salt march brought Gandhiji to the global attention.

➢ The march was widely covered by the European and

American press.

➢ As per American magazine Time, salt march had

made British “deeply anxious”.

➢ As per Time, Gandhiji was now saluted as saint and

statesman.
 The Era of Dialogues

Round Table conferences Gandhi Irwin Pact

➢ British government convened a series of ➢ Gandhiji was released from jail in January 1931
“Round Table Conferences” in London. ➢ He then had a meeting with Viceroy Irwin
➢ Gandhi Irwin Pact was signed in March 1931.
➢ First Meeting was held in November 1930, ➢ Highlights of this pact
which was fruitless meeting as no Congress
• Civil Disobedience movement will be
member attended it
called off
• Prisoners will be released
• Salt Manufacturing along the coast was
Nationalist response of this pact allowed
• No promise was made by the viceroy for
➢ The pact was criticised by radical nationalists Independence
➢ Because Gandhiji was unable to obtain from the
Viceroy a commitment to political independence for
Indians
 Second Round Table
conference

➢ The conference was held in London between

September 1931 to December 1931

➢ Gandhiji attended this conference as the

representative of Congress

➢ The talks remain fruitless as League, Princely

States and Ambedkar opposed the statement of
Congress that it represented the whole India.

➢ Gandhi came India and resumed the Civil

Disobedience movement
Second Round Table Conference in London
 Gandhi vs Ambedkar on Separate Electorates

Background Ambedkar’s POV

➢ British wanted to introduce separate ➢ He referred, separate electorates are the only
electorates for Dalits way for Dalits to overcome this social struggle.

➢ It was heavily opposed by Congress

Gandhiji’s POV

➢ He referred separate electorates to Dalits will

keep them in isolation
➢ As per him, the removal was untouchability
was the cure of social exclusion.
 8 Politics After Salt Satyagraha
Government of India Act of
Provincial Elections of 1937
1935
➢ The Act introduced direct elections at the ➢ Congress came into power in seven out of 11 provinces
provincial and central level
➢ Muslim League could not even win the reserved seats.
➢ In 1937, first direct provincial elections
were held
Pakistan Resolution
World War 2nd
➢ In March 1940, the Muslim League passed a
➢ During the World war 2nd British sought the resolution
support of Congress to maintain Law and order ➢ It demanded a measure of autonomy for the Muslim
but were not willing to grant independence in majority areas of the subcontinen
return
➢ Hence Congress Ministries resigned in October
1939
 Cripps Mission

➢ British Prime Minister Churchill sent a mission

in 1942 in Leadership of Stafford Cripps to
negotiate with Congress

➢ The talks failed because of common point of

agreement.

➢ Congress wanted the Viceroy had first to

appoint an Indian as the Defence Member of
his Executive Council.

➢ But British Did not agree.

8 Quit India Movement

Major Reasons Quit India Movement

➢ Failure of Cripps Mission ➢ It started on 8 August 1942

➢ Demand of Purna Swaraj ➢ Top leaders of Congress were arrested in the beginning
➢ Second World War ➢ It was led by the young revolutionaries
➢ It was so intense in some regions like Medinpur
(Bengal) and Satara (Maharashtra) that Independent
Underground Activities in government was set up there by the revolutionaries
movement ➢ It was genuinely a mass movement in which lakhs
of people were on the roads
➢ Socialist leaders like J P Narayan and
other were engaged in underground
activities to support the movement Expansion of League

➢ League used this time to expand their bases

in Punjab, Sind and NWFP
10 Politics after world war 2nd

Wavell Plan Provincial Elections of 1946

➢ British decided to form an Indian executive ➢ In 1946 fresh elections were held to the provincial
council legislatures
➢ In the council, each members were to be ➢ The Congress swept the “General” category
Indian except Viceroy and Commander-in- ➢ League performed well in reserved seats
Chief ➢ The political polarization was complete
➢ Power tussle between Congress and League Began

Cabinet Mission Plan

➢ It was sent by Clement Atlee in 1946 for

following purposes
▪ Transfer of Power
▪ To make a constituent assembly
▪ To establish an Executive Council
10 Politics after world war 2nd

Direct action Day Independence and Partition

➢ Jinnah called Direct action day on 16 ➢ India Got Independence on 15 August 1947
August 1946 ➢ The territory was divided to give birth a new nation,
➢ He appealed the Muslims of India to come Pakistan
on streets and fight for their rights ➢ The riots which was started after the direct
➢ It infuriated heavy riots in Kolkata and action day continued for two years
Noakhali
11 Last Heroic Days
Role of Gandhiji in Resolution on rights of
Communal riots minorities
➢ He was constantly visiting the riot ➢ At the initiative of Gandhiji and Nehru, the Congress
affected areas to console the victims now passed an objective resolution which included
‘protection of rights of the minorities’.
➢ As per D.G. Tendulkar, Gandhiji “went
round hospitals and refugee camps
giving consolation to distressed people” Finest Hour

➢ Many scholars have written of the months after

Independence as being Gandhiji’s “finest hour”

➢ As Gandhiji was working tirelessly to restore religious

harmony, which he cherished so much.
11 Last Heroic Days
Views of Gandhiji on
Death of Gandhiji
Partition
➢ As per him, Whatever be the situation in ➢ Some extremist believed that Gandhiji was favouring
Pakistan, India would be “a democratic Muslims over Hindus
secular State where all citizens enjoy full ➢ There was an attempt on Gandhiji’s life on 20 January
rights and are equally entitled to the 1948
protection of the State, irrespective of the ➢ One of those extremist, Nathuram Godse assassinated
religion to which they belong”. Gandhi on 30th January 1948

➢ He hoped “though geographically and

politically India is divided into two, at heart
we shall ever be friends and brothers helping
and respecting one another and be one for
the outside world”.
12 Sources to Know Gandhi

Public Speeches Letters

Major Sources

Autobiographies Newspapers

Governmental Records
 Public Speeches Letters
➢ Public voices includes writings of Gandhiji and his ➢ Private letters allow us to get a glimpse of private
contemporaries. thoughts of Gandhiji
➢ They help us to know the public life of Gandhiji ➢ In letters, people often express their anger,
➢ Mahatma Gandhi regularly published in his journal, disappointment, anxiety which they can’t do in
Harijan, letters that others wrote to him public.
➢ Other sources like in “A bunch of old letters”, Nehru ➢ Though many letters were meant to be published
has mentioned his relationship with Gandhi. later, people used to refrain to express their
opinion freely
Biographies and
Autobiographies

➢ Autobiographies also give us rich information about life of

Gandhiji
➢ But one must have to be cautious while interpreting them
➢ Since biographies are written retrospectively, some events
can be written off or manipulated as well
➢ Autobiographies are also influenced from the perspective of
an individual about oneself
 Police Reports

➢ The letters and reports written by policemen and other

officials were secret at the time; but were later
accessible from the archives
➢ These reports were based on police information from
the localities, but often expressed what the higher
officials saw, or wanted to believe
➢ Throughout police reports, the unwillingness to accept
the impact of Gandhiji and Satyagraha was explicit.
13 Important for CUET
Imp Dates

➢ 1905 – Partition of Bengal

➢ 1905-07 – Swadeshi Movement
➢ 1909 – Indian council Act of 1909
➢ 13 April 1919 – Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
➢ 1920 – 22- Non-Cooperation Movement
➢ 1928 – Simon Commission protest
➢ 1928 – Bardoli Satyagraha
➢ April 1930 – Dandi march and Civil Disobedience movement
➢ 1935 – GOI act
➢ 1937 – First Provincial election
➢ March 1940 – Cripps Mission
➢ March 1940 – Pakistan Resolution
➢ 1942 – Quit India Movement
➢ 1946 – Cabinet Mission